Is it Monday already?
The weekend passed by a little too quickly for my liking, but since time flies when you’re having fun, I guess that means it was a good one!
Saturday
Our Saturday morning began with a workout. After a series of strength training exercises that focused on my legs in the weight room, I completed a new-to-me Nike Training Club workout: Lakey Peterson’s Beach Legs Workout. Loved it!
Ryan and I spent the rest of the day out and about in Ocala.
Ocala Strawberry Festival
Immediately after the gym, we grabbed coffee at Cup O’ the Irish and drove downtown to the square to check out the local strawberry festival. It wasn’t even a quarter of the size of the Florida Strawberry Festival Ryan and I attended in Plant City a few years ago, but we still enjoyed wandering around outside despite the overcast weather.
Before driving home, I requested a pit stop at Stella’s Modern Pantry because I always have fun browsing around the little café.
The last time I blogged about my lunch at Stella’s, I mentioned the my love for Rewined candles made from repurposed wine bottles.
I was hoping the candles would be on sale, but no such luck! (FYI – When I said I didn’t buy any of the fabulous-smelling candles because of their hefty price tag before, a blog reader commented to let me know that they are often featured on sale on RueLaLa. Keep an eye out if you are interested!)
I smelled a bunch of the candles on Saturday and my favorite was definitely the chardonnay candle. It smelled like vanilla, cedar and hazelnut.
Ocala Hike
Once we made it home empty handed, Sadie clearly needed some attention, so we headed out to our favorite local hiking trails and covered a five mile loop.
The early morning clouds burned off by the time we were done with our hike and it was a gorgeous day! This is the time of year I appreciate living in Florida most. Around the holidays I am envious of the snow and winter weather that we don’t get (I think the Chicago girl in me misses it!) and in the summer it can be so ridiculously hot, so the weather from the end of January through the beginning of April is Florida’s “sweet spot” in my book!
After our hike, we drove home to eat and get a little crafty. Well, Ryan didn’t do any craft projects, but I had a few surprises to work on for my sister’s wedding next weekend.
Eventually our stomachs told us it was time for dinner and when I suggested going out for Mexican food, Ryan was more than game!
El Torreo
We drove to a local hot spot, El Torreo, and the food was just as delicious as we remembered.
I wore a new white tunic from White Plum (stay tuned for a giveaway later this week!) and was happy for the extra fabric because Ryan and I both left dinner feeling ridiculously stuffed.
Our meal began with chips and salsa.
If you have mastered the art of eating only a few chips when you visit a Mexican restaurant, please share your tips with me. I am pretty sure I could eat five billion. YUM.
For my main meal, I ordered the shrimp fajitas with refried beans, guacamole and soft flour tortillas.
We left feeling absolutely stuffed, but when Ryan suggested frozen yogurt, I couldn’t say no, so we split a cup of cake batter frozen yogurt before crashing on the couch with Sadie for the rest of the night.
It was a great Saturday!
Question of the Morning
- What is your favorite thing to order at a Mexican restaurant?
I am always a huge fan of taco salads and fajitas or anything with tons and tons of pico de gallo!
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what i would do for some of that FL weather right now. this winter up here in wisco has been way too long and WAY too cold. i dreamt of florida last night…
fajitas are always my go-to. shrimp/chicken! =)
Oh dear lord my husband and I have NOT mastered only eating a few chips. We have a serious problem with self control + chips. My favorite Mexican is probably quesadillas, but I always switch it up!
You look so so cute in the tunic! Can’t wait for our giveaway! xo
i always get 2 bean chalupas and rice. it’s the least graceful meal to eat, a delicious mess.
My favorite thing to order would be a margarita, obviously.
Definitely tortilla soup! But really, if it has avocado I’m game.
Pretty sure you’ll understand this meme about eating at Mexican restaurants . . . http://www.pinterest.com/pin/346214290075266800/
My favorite dish at Mexican restaurants is usually Enchilada or Tamales!!!!! Omgness, I can never get tired of those two dishes. And I love candles so much but they’re usually so expensive, don’t you think? So I’m the same way…usually try to get the ones on sale, haha.
Bite the bullet and get the rewind candle! I live in Charleston, where they are made, and they are no cheaper here either. They last forever and make your house smell fantastic. Worth every penny!
That is so funny! My boyfriend and I spent last night (our “date night”) hitting the gym, grabbing mexican food (where I got veggie fajitas!) and getting fro yo!
Fajitas are always my fave but I go to mexican places just for the chips and salsa, because its a special food I don’t trust myself to buy. 😉 Sounds like a fun weekend!
I generally get grilled fish soft tacos or shrimp quesadillas. Either one makes my stomach happy!
YUM- chips and salsa are the best parts of going out to a mexican restaurant! yesterday we went out for sushi and they gave us those little wonton things (is that what they’re called? its the crispy things that go on egg drop soup) and sweet and sour sauce to dip them into. I thought it was so cool- chips and salsa, but asian style!
I love really spicy foods, so anything with a kick is yummy to me! I hope that warm weather is headed my way!
What a great weekend! Every time I see ocala i think of horse country! I have horses and know a lot of people who spend the winters there riding 🙂
http://www.runningaragnar.blogspot.com
guac guac and more guac…and as for self-control on chips & salsa i say that i will limit them but i indulge EVERY time cause i treat going out to eat as a special treat since mostly cook at home. 🙂
I could eat chips and salsa all day every day!
flautas and rice!
Sour cream enchiladas.. Because apparently I have no will power. *sigh*
Georgia
I too MUST eat all the chips & salsa. So yah, whenever we do mexican I pretty much house the chips/salsa and only eat a few bites of my food. Doggy bags are great! haha.
Mmmmm fro yo!!
I’m a huge fish taco fan!! There is a place in Austin however, that has the absolute best shrimp tacos! Swoon!
Julie! Sunday my boyfriend and I had mexican too! Chips at the beginning, (we ordered queso too) I had steak fijitas! it was sooo good. We don’t eat out very often. I feel like i’m looking at my sunday afternoon in pictures!
I’m with you on the chips & salsa — I could eat them for days and days and days… 🙂
I like that white tunic! super cute 🙂
Chips + salsa + taco = <3 And this post made me want to go to a Mexican restaurant right now.
Oh gosh, we did Mexican too, and I really overdid it. Chips and salsa – you thrash me every time!
I ALWAYS order carnitas tacos (corn tortillas) with refried beans & rice – salsa verde on all of it. Plenty of chips on the side, of course! I could eat Mexican food every day, all day 😉
Chicken fajitas sans rice, beans, sour cream, cheese and tortillas. So basically just the sizzling dish of peppers, onions and protein and a huge salad with the dollop of guac on top. Simple, but satisfying and easy on my sensitive stomach.
I loooove quesadillas. And queso. Anything cheesy 🙂
I love Mexican! I like to get chicken enchiladas with refrained beams and rice. A margarita is always a plus too 😉
A big fat margarita. On the rocks. With salt.
every meal should start with chips n salsa. Ahhhh I am so done for when they are laid out on the table. Enjoy this week in prep for your sister’s wedding! Can’t wait to see and read about it all 🙂
Ah! I’m so excited to tell you my new secret for not eating all of the chips!! After you eat a few chips, take you hand and CRUSH the rest of the chips in the basket! You won’t be able to eat them anymore. Well, I guess technically you could eat the crumbs but you are far less likely to 🙂 There you have it, my genius solution haha. I just started doing this recently and it’s helped so much.
LOVE chicken fajitas or chicken mole enchiladas 🙂 SO yum! LOVE your top!
I got the rewined candle as a bridal shower gift from my friend Allison – LOVED THEM!