The Truffle Shuffle

Last night was just what the doctor ordered- an absolutely fabulous time devoted solely to fun, friends, dancing and delight.

Starting with Sarah's short film premiere- which was great and left me wanting more than the 15 minutes of action- and moving onto a great after party full of drinks, dancing, music and laughs, it's no wonder Alex and I woke up a little bleary-eyed this morning ;)

Number 27 in my book of life rules states: There's no better hangover cure than a brisk walk with a rewarding brunch at the end...

Which is how we found ourselves seated in this cozy little French place down the street-

Madame Matisse.

Throwing caution to the wind, I decided to enjoy a real cup of coffee

and one of the daily specials:

Truffled Eggs Benedict.

Anything with mushrooms as the star is not usually at the top of my "crave list," but I've been hearing a lot about the many health benefits associated with the fungi lately (though I'm pretty sure the decadently gooey brie and hollandaise sauce cancelled them out in this case) so I'm trying to learn to love 'em.

It wasn't a total party in my mouth (I'd probably stick to the sweet predictability of belgian waffles if given the choice again), but I'm glad I tried it.

It's nice to wander off the beaten track of menu items and order something new every once and awhile.

Also, in a conscious effort to tighten the proverbial belt, I've been keeping restaurant outings to a minimum. Whenever I do treat myself, I tend to order semi-crazy things I wouldn't attempt at home.

After the satisfying meal and even better conversation, I was feeling 65% better and knew just the thing that'd propel me to 100:

Ice cream.

A scoop of jamocha + a scoop of mint chocolate chip will undoubtedly cure what ails ya. (Unless you're lactose intolerant, in which case Coconut Bliss would probably do the trick ;)

Ice cream in hand, Alex and I shuffled home

admiring a couple of gorgeous facades along the way

and a roadside vegetable garden recently started by a local elementary school :)

All this is in the middle of a completely urbanized area- a juxtaposition that makes me smile.

Now I'm back home, resting up for my shift tonight and planning the week ahead.

Short term goal: STRESS LESS!

Since the recent start of this new year, I've been putting way too much pressure on myself. While a little bit of pressure is healthy and necessary for success, the amount I've been piling onto my own psyche is completely counterproductive and seems to only lead to negative thinking, along with an unavoidable decline in healthy eating choices for want of a "quick fix."

No more of that, my friends.

This week I'm planning ahead to make sure my eating is back on track and my head's screwed on correctly ;)

Also be expecting a post on fitness goals in the coming days!

Do you have a meal you always order when going out? I'm personally a total sucker for pancakes or French toast whenever I go to a breakfast/ brunch place. It's the sweet tooth, I tell ya!