On Friday I went to the YMCA for a little bit in the morning and the rest of the day was spent with my sick little Ava around the house. I was still very fatigued myself and my sore throat came and went all day long. My body was telling me one thing… slow down and rest! I didn’t want to push her or myself so we spent time snuggling and watching LOTS of TV… well Ava did but I tuned it out.

She had no interest in books or playing so I just let her rest with me on the floor with some pillows, blankets and Mickey Mouse.

In the late afternoon I started feeling a little bit better. I really think a few cups of green tea and lots of fruit helped me get some energy back. I actually cooked us some delicious blackened salmon with veggies & sweet potatoes for dinner and I’m glad I did because the salmon was AMAZING.

I was looking for plain & healthy foods and this meal was perfect. We spent the night relaxing and entertaining Ava until she went to bed.

Saturday morning I woke up to a snotty kid and some congestion myself. I took that as a good sign because our colds were progressing but man I felt like I regressed a bit. I had a cup of green tea and a few sips of a the iced coffee Marc bought me to get myself going and began to slowly get some energy.

We decided to take Cooper & Ava for a long walk around and I’m glad we did because FRESH AIR is a great cure! It really did make us all feel better.

After our walk we headed to my parents to let Ava play outside in the pool and eat some snacks on my parents deck, the weather was amazing.

Ava loves the outdoor shower and so did Marc.

In the afternoon we grabbed a light lunch from Citarella. We got a Spicy Tuna roll, grilled vegetables & a rotisserie chicken, it was random but delicious.

Ava took a nice long nap and I did some errands (CVS, Anthropologie, grocery store) and then it was time to get ourselves showered up for dinner.

We headed to Villa Italia in Stamford, CT for an early birthday dinner for my mom’s best friends.

Her husband is the owner and chef of the restaurant! We were pretty lucky to be able to eat dinner with her while she was working.

We started off with a glass of wine and an appetizer. Marc had ordered BBQ Chicken Livers.. BLAH the thought and sound of liver almost makes me gag but I was forced to try it and you know what it was actually pretty good and I wouldn’t lie. The BBQ sauce was amazing and the only thing I really didn’t like was the after taste!

I give myself credit for trying it and for all you chicken liver fans out there, Marc said it was awesome!

For my main course I ordered Filet of Basa Calabrese. Basa is a white fish and it was cooked in a red sauce with peppers, artichokes, onions, capers & calamata olives! It was superb and I even had a piece leftover to wrap up. I love leftoverssssss.

It was such a beautiful night and I was so happy that we could enjoy dinner outside on the patio.

I was very surprised that Ava made it through a 2 hour dinner with only a few little tantrums considering she wasn’t feeling well all day.

Sunday our morning started off with another long walk with the family and then errands, a couple trips to the playground with Ava and some relaxation around the house to rest up for the big week ahead of us! I also managed to do some food prep.

My best friend is getting married next weekend so I took full advantage of time at home to kick my feet up!

What do you do when you or your kids are sick?

What’s your favorite italian dish? 

Yesterday afternoon I had a special lunch date with Ava & my mom. It is very rare that I eat out at a restaurant mid-week let alone at lunch time. Since it is school break this week I have a little more free time on my hand and I’m not complaining.

We headed to my mom’s best friends restaurant in Stamford, CT called Villa Italia. This is hands down my favorite restaurant. Who doesn’t love good italian food?? When you know the chef its even better

When we pulled up to the restaurant I was already starving… that’s mistake #1 right there. Never go to a restaurant hungry. That bread basket came out right away and you know what?? My mom and I said no thanks but we kept one piece for Ava. (The girl is smart… she loves warm bread from Villa Italia and we were pretty jealous)

My mom asked if I wanted to split a small salad to start since we were both hungry, I said absolutely! Splitting a salad is always a good option because it’s portioned right. These days an appetizer salad is practically a full meal, but the split serving was the perfect amount to hold us over.

Before even looking at the menu I knew I wanted either a salad or fish. It was Ash Wednesday so I was trying to not eat meat. I love eating fish out at restaurants because they cook it so much better then me! My mom and I ordered Filet of Basa Francese and we held the “egg batter friedness.” Don’t hesitate to ask your server for other options to make a meal healthier. The fish came served over spinach and the sauce tied everything together.

The sauce was lemon, white wine, & garlic… and if I could have drank it or packaged it up in a bottle I would’ve, but clearly that’s not acceptable.

Anyways.. back to the point of this blog. There are healthy options wherever you go! Here are my main tips for eating healthy while out to eat:

1. HOLD the bread basket.
2. Drink water or ask for a pitcher for the table.
3. If you order a salad ask for the dressing on the side.
4. Ask for your fish or chicken grilled, broiled or poached. Ask for veggies steamed or roasted and without butter (It can be done)
5. Choose meals that don’t have buttery or creamy sauces, and skip the fried foods.
6. If your meal looks really big, it probably is! Eat half and wrap the second half for leftovers!

The nice part of eating fish for lunch was I didn’t feel stuffed and I was able to workout shortly after with out any stomach issues!

This quote is for my Clean Eating Challenge Group.. for keeping me motivated and giving me positive energy this week!

Do you hesitate to eat healthy out at a restaurant because you feel bad asking for substitutions?

Whats your favorite meal to order out?