Weekend Update: the past few WEEKS edition

I truly need to get back in the habit of weekly (if not more often) blogging.  We have been so busy that it has skipped my mind.  So, here's a flashback at the last few weeks for us...

We have been to the lake house with my parent and friends Henry and Annaleigh.  Belle, of course always gets to go as well.  I intentionally did not take any pictures of this or any boating outing, as I do not want bathing suit pics to scare anyone.

Tyler and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary on August 15th.  We ate at Acre for dinner, a new, very trendy restaurant in Memphis.  Acre is a farm to fork style restaurant that is decorated in a chateau / ski lodge fashion.  It was very delicious but definitely not for the budget conscious couple.  It was definitely a fabulous night.  However, that morning did not start out the same way.  Early that morning, Tyler noticed that our back porch motion-sensitive light was on, so he peeped through the window and saw that the "man cave" or detached garage had been broken into.  It would have been less than 10 minutes prior to him noticing that because the light goes off within that time frame of being tripped.  So, shot gun in hand, Tyler goes outside to investigate.  They (or he) got away with only one item: my bike.  Despite that my bike was well used and from Toys-R-Us (not from some specialty shop), I feel perpetrated.  I really hope that I do not see some high school kid riding around on my bike, for his sake.  We made the appropriate police report, and came to the conclusion that the thief hopped the fence instead of going through the gate.  Other than that, we had a good anniversary with many to come.

Another weekend, we invited Carey, Abby, Annaleigh, and Henry to go boating.  Carey, a Tunica-native, suggested the Tunica cut-off.  We had a great time just chilling out on the water for much of the day.  The only other people on the lake were lone fisherman, no other ski boats to be found.

In addition to boating, we have enjoyed dining out with our friends several times, too!  We've hit up the Rendezvous, the Boiling Point (in Southaven, MS), and Local Gastropub.  If you live in Memphis and have not made it to the Local Gastropub, put it at the top of your to try list ASAP!  It was so delicious.  Every item on their menu and on their unusually large "Specials" menu sounded great.  I had the crab cakes on the appetizer menu as my entree.  We will be going there again for sure!

Tyler was out of town last Monday - Friday for "business" in Sandestin.  While they did have lots of meetings, he did get to enjoy the beach, shopping, and great seafood.

The Thursday night when Tyler was gone, I was able to meet my family in Jackson to celebrate my mom's birthday.  Momma wanted to go to Don Pancho's because they have a mariachi band on Thursdays.  Because of my mom's recent live-threatening illness, this was an exceptionally important birthday celebration.  I was able to see my mom, dad, sister, brother, all of my grandparents, and my uncle and aunt.  My sweet mother-in-law even stopped by!  I had a great time and hated to have to drive back to Memphis, but Belle needed me.

Well, I think that sums up the last few weeks.  I will make a commitment to make more frequent posts.  Thanks for reading!

Ever looking for Healthy Meals?

Do you ever wonder where dietitians get their recipes?  OK, I can't speak for others, but I get several recipes for common dishes from Eat Better America.  This site offers "healthified" alterations to typical dinner dishes, desserts, salads, sides, and even beverages.  I have made the turkey and spinach enchilladas, a sausage and egg bake casserole, and some desserts. 
Tonight, I made the Savory Meat Loaf with corn and green beans.  I don't make meatloaf that often, but this was probably the best one that I have made.  Instead of using a muffin pan, I placed the loaf on a baking sheet with raised edges.  It helped the juices to run so that the meatloaf wasn't mushy or greasy.

If you are looking for ways to make your family's meals leaner or ways to hide veggies in some dishes, check out the site!  Let me know if you see anything that you want to try or have tried any of these recipes.