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Weekend Wrap-Up: March Birthdays at Home!

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Happy Monday morning to you!  I spent the weekend at home in Iowa and have a five-hour drive ahead of me this morning.  It had been close to two months since I was last home, and I had two great reasons (among many others) to make the drive back to my hometown.  Friday was my dad’s birthday and my birthday is tomorrow.  We have always enjoyed having our birthdays close together, so it was especially nice to be able to celebrate together as a family.  Top it all off with boyfriend time, friends time, puppy dog time, and good food, and it was a great weekend!  Here’s a quick recap of everything that I was up to.

Weekend Wrap-Up: March Birthdays at Home!

travelI left work early on Friday for the long drive home.  I always pack lots of snacks to get me through the ride.  I ate some of my Raw Cheezy Broccoli Poppers, an apple, raw almonds, and drank a caffeine free Zevia cola.

sweet potato black bean casseroleI was so happy to arrive home to a delicious vegetarian meal.  My mom does not cook all that often, but she made something that she was quite certain I would like.  She was right!  Kim’s Sweet Potato Black Bean Casserole was delicious.

sweet potato black bean casserole 2I served my portion next to my favorite cooked vegetable: peas!

Jeremy and HannahAfter dinner and some puppy kisses, Jeremy and I headed to hang out with our good friends, Eric and Ashley.

Angry Orchard ciderWe spent the evening watching the Iowa basketball game, playing card games, and having a few drinks.  I am trying a gluten-free diet out (I plan on writing a post about this soon), so I had to resort to a cider instead of a beer.  I have to say I am really missing my sours and IPAs, but this green apple cider was not too shabby.  I need to try out a gluten-free beer soon.  Any recommendations?

toast and eggs breakfastFriday night was a late night for us.  We did not get to bed until midnight.  Obviously we are old 😉  I got to sleep in until past 9:00 for the first time in forever on Saturday morning.  It was glorious!  I woke up starving and whipped up a delicious weekend breakfast.  I made gluten-free toast and topped it with crunchy peanut butter with flax and chia seeds and sliced strawberries.  I also ate scrambled eggs on the side.  This was my breakfast on both Saturday and Sunday because it was that good!

french fry nachosSince breakfast was not until around 10:00, I ate a later lunch at 1:00.  I whipped up some taco-seasoned french fries and served them over a bed of lettuce.  I topped them off with sautéed peppers and onions, tomatoes, and salsa.  It hit the spot and made a second appearance for Sunday’s lunch.

Amy's gluten free pizzaJeremy and I spent the afternoon shopping.  Then it came time for dinner and we had a hard time deciding what to do.  My home town does not really having much going on in the gluten-free department, so we decided to play it safe and get pizzas from Hy-Vee.  Jeremy picked a fresh-made one, while I purchased an Amy’s gluten-free, dairy-free Spinach version in hopes that it would be good.  It cost a whopping $9.29!  Rough, I know.

Cider BoysOh look!  Another cider beer.  I think I was trying to drown my sours from not being able to have gluten.  This particular cider is very good, though a bit sweeter than I am generally drawn to.  It did pair pretty well with my pizza.

Amy's gluten free pizza 2Back to that pizza…  It was surprisingly delicious!  I never would have guessed that the crust was gluten-free.  The only thing that I did not love was the fact that the cheese did not melt as much as I had hoped.  I am pretty used to this with soy-based cheeses, though.  Next time I will cook the pizza for a bit less time and then broil it to melt the cheese.  I added red onion, sauerkraut, and sriracha to jazz the pizza up a bit.  I honestly really enjoyed it and would definitely buy it again.

Lola outsideSunday was a lazy day filled with a little blogging, some laundry, good eating, couch lounging, and time outside.

Ruby and SadieWe took all three dogs out to enjoy the beautiful weather and play some ball.  Check out Sadie and her mini-me, Ruby!

Beans and Rice DinnerI threw some Beans and Rice into the slow cooker midday.  We all enjoyed it for dinner topped off with extra salsa and served alongside peas and carrots.  I’m sneaking some of the leftovers back to Omaha with me in my lunchbox!

Coconut Bliss Ice CreamJeremy and I ended the weekend on a sweet note.  If you can’t celebrate your birthday with cake, you have to pick the next best thing: ice cream!  We ate this chocolate walnut brownie coconut milk ice cream while watching our show, Secrets and Lies.  If you aren’t watching yet, you should be!

It was truly the perfect weekend home.  I’m already counting down the days until I will see Jeremy again.  Ten days, to be exact!

Have a great Monday, all.  Let’s make this week a good one!

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{ 33 comments… add one }
  • Kristen March 22, 2015, 10:34 pm
    Your moms casserole looks amazing! I'm a non meat eater myself and a home cooked meal like that is worth looking forward to!
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 12:27 pm
      It was so good and it sounds pretty easy to make. You should definitely try it!
  • Joanna @Makingmine March 23, 2015, 6:40 am
    Sounds like a great way to kick off your birthday week (especially the sleeping in part, haha!) Safe travels today! Joanna @Makingmine recently posted...weekend snaps: happy daysMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 12:39 pm
      Sleeping in is ALWAYS a treat!! :D
  • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine March 23, 2015, 7:05 am
    Happy ALMOST birthday!!!! That's so great you got to spend some time with your family! XOXO
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 12:45 pm
      It was perfect! I wouldn't have had it any other way :)
  • Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies March 23, 2015, 8:55 am
    $9 for a frozen pizza? Yikes! Glad it was tasty. I *think* the Tofurky pizzas are gluten free if you can find them. My tiny organic store has them once in a while and they're vegan + substantially delicious. I think the Diaya pizzas are gluten free too -- lots of tasty GF options. Sounds like a fun b-day weekend and I hope you whip yourself up a GF cake to celebrate with on the actual day :) Kelly @ Hidden Fruits and Veggies recently posted...Banana Carrot MuffinsMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 12:54 pm
      SO expensive, right? I was a little shocked when I saw the price! Thanks for the heads up on some other options. I'll have to try those out!
  • Linda @ Veganosity March 23, 2015, 9:43 am
    Happy Birthday! It looks like you had a great weekend! Bummer that Iowa lost to Georgia. :(
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 1:02 pm
      It was a super duper weekend! I could not have asked for anything better. Thank you :)
  • Linda @ Veganosity March 23, 2015, 9:44 am
    Oops, I meant Gonzaga! Warm southern weather is on my mind. :)
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 1:02 pm
      Haha, I totally knew what you meant!! And yes.. it was not a very pretty game.
  • Erin @ Her Heartland Soul March 23, 2015, 10:21 am
    Ahh cute puppies! I'm so glad you got to celebrate your birthday early with Jeremy! I hope gluten free eating is going well! I wish I could send my cider love to you to enjoy while you can't enjoy regular beer! Erin @ Her Heartland Soul recently posted...Weekend SnapshotsMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 1:04 pm
      Yes, I need some of that cider love! I like them, I just don't love them. Maybe with time! :)
  • Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health March 23, 2015, 11:52 am
    Happy birthday, Hannah! I'm so glad you had a fun weekend. Sadie and Ruby (and the other pup) are adorable! I'm curious to see how your gluten-free diet goes. I've thought about it before but I love my whole grains. It's a good thing you can still have peas though!! ;) Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health recently posted...Spring Farro Risotto with Lemon and TahiniMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 1:17 pm
      I LOVE my whole grains!! It is a bit tough to be without them right now... but we'll see how it goes. Eating out and not being able to drink beer are definitely the two most difficult parts for me. But yes... thank goodness for peas! ;)
  • Kim @ Hungry Healthy Girl March 23, 2015, 1:06 pm
    Happy b-day!!! I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the casserole and thanks for sharing!! You have got to try Amy's roasted vegetable pizza... it is cheeseless, but has SO much flavor, you'll never miss the cheese.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 1:18 pm
      Thanks Kim!! We all enjoyed the casserole. It was so delicious! I'll definitely be making it again for quick meals for the week. Thanks for the heads up on the Amy's pizza. I'll be on the lookout for it! :)
  • Erin March 23, 2015, 1:10 pm
    Hannah- I love using cauliflower for pizza crust... I know you were looking for quick and easy but it may be a good gluten free option for you in the future.
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 1:38 pm
      I have made cauliflower crust pizza before and you are right.. it's awesome! I guess maybe I'll have to start making it more often now! ;)
  • Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola March 23, 2015, 1:25 pm
    Happy birthday! That's fun that you guys have birthdays so close together :)
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 1:36 pm
      It is really fun! I have always enjoyed that, and it usually always meant that we could share a birthday cake ;)
  • Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel March 23, 2015, 1:48 pm
    Thats a killer vegetarian meal! Oh and im glad you liked the pizza too. I thought it was delicious as well even if it doesnt look the best considering its frozen and the cheese i never find melts right. But when i nuke it for a few second in the microwave it melts the cheese better. So the next day its always even tastier. XO Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel recently posted...Small Simple Suppers and Giveaway ReminderMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 4:00 pm
      Yes, it really tasted super delicious! I wasn't too surprised about the cheese though since we are pretty used to soy-based cheese not melting ;) I'll have to try the microwave trick next time!
  • Ashley March 23, 2015, 2:33 pm
    Happy birthday!!! (a day early but that's okay :) ) It sounds like you had such a great weekend! And so fun that you and your dad have birthdays so close - I love that! Ashley recently posted...Arugula, Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Open-Faced SandwichMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 4:01 pm
      Thanks so much, Ashley! It truly was a great weekend :)
  • Dana | fresh simple five March 23, 2015, 3:18 pm
    I haven't tried many gluten free beers, but I did try and like one called New Grist. It's brewed by Lakefront (Milwaukee). It's got a nice light flavor, almost like cider/champagne. Dana | fresh simple five recently posted...Friday FiveMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 4:02 pm
      Thanks for the recommendation, Dana! I'll have to check that out. I'm sure I'll be trying whichever ones I can get my hands on ;)
  • Katie @ Daily Cup of Kate March 23, 2015, 3:25 pm
    Ahh how are you surviving without IPAs in your life? lol. That would be the hardest "food" to cut out for me I think. I've yet to try a gluten free beer but I would be interested in hearing your thoughts! Katie @ Daily Cup of Kate recently posted...Our Favorite Places In St. Pete Beach, FloridaMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 23, 2015, 4:04 pm
      I'm going to be honest with you.. it's rough! And only certain people like you would fully understand it! I hope they keep on making more and more gluten-free beers so that I do not have feel left out :( haha
  • Farrah March 23, 2015, 9:20 pm
    Happy early birthday! :D! That strawberry peanut toast looks awesome, and yay for super-cute dogs! :] They never fail to brighten my day! Farrah recently posted...Acute BronchitisMy Profile
    • ClnEatingVegGrl March 24, 2015, 8:55 am
      Thank you, Farrah!! And yes... the toast combo is SO good. You should try it!
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