Friday love

Workout: Walk with Denali

Let’s set the scene. My bedroom. This morning. 12:30. You’re lying in bed, debating whether you want to go to the bathroom (again) when you discover that you have just been issued a front-bed seat to a little show. Upstairs. It’s a half-hour long with plenty of sound effects.

If there was ever a reminder that Mark and I need to get our own house, last night was it. This weekend we’ll take a couple steps to making it a reality. Today, we’re meeting with our lender (hopefully) and our Realtor has eight homes on the list for tomorrow’s tour. It’s all a little scary but we’re excited. And I get to leave work early to meet Mark at the bank – LOVE.

Now for some Friday love … 

Food. Not even three-quarters of a mile away from our place, there’s an unassuming store front painted orange and yellow with white awnings. You’d never realize while driving or walking by that inside is some of the best Cuban food in the city. OK, it’s the only Cuban place here but it’s awesome. Mark and I went a month or so ago and fell in love with the sandwiches … and the prices. I ate like a true preggo and our bill, with tip, was $15.

After our experience, I was antsy to make my own version at home. Enter the Pork Loin Roast with Mustard Rub. I made this bad boy for dinner on Sunday and, while it was good on its own, my objective was to use the leftovers for Cuban sammies.

Healthy Strides Cuban-Inspired Sandwiches

Serves 2

4 slices good bread (We used an Italian loaf picked up for a  buck at Kroger)

6 ounces leftover pork roast (from Pork Loin Roast with Mustard Rub)

4 slices deli ham

2 slices low-fat Swiss cheese

Grilled onions

Pickles! (Sandwich stackers preferred but I had dill slices so that’s what we used)

Plain ole yellow mustard

Reduced fat mayonnaise

To assemble the sandwich: Slice of bread, cheese, pickles, healthy squirt mustard, light squirt mayo, pork, ham, onions and slice of bread. Put the deliciousness on a panini press – if you have one. I have a grill pan and put some beans in a small saucepan to create a press. Eat with sweet potato fries and celebrate my name. Mmmkay. Thanks.

Fitness. I’ve had a teeny bit of a struggle getting motivated to workout lately. I would like to blame winter. It’s always dark when I go to exercise, it’s butt cold and I hate snow. But the one session that I never think of skipping is my Thursday yoga class. I love, love, love the instructor – she’s probably the reason I signed up for a monthly pass after the Groupon. It gets me moving but doesn’t kill me. And there are people there but it’s not packed. I heart Thursday yoga.

Life. I was feeling, ummm, a bit hormonal last night on my drive home from yoga and spent the last half-mile of my drive with the window down trying to get my sh!t together, debating whether I should slap myself.

And then I heard it.

This song was one of my “power” songs this summer, and I couldn’t help but be taken back to quick-paced runs along the wooded riverbank.

So I did what anyone would do. I parked the car in the driveway, turned off the lights and turned up the radio. And I danced. Danced like no one was watching.

I hope you find that moment this weekend – the joy in dancing like no one is watching.