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Foodie Loves Fitness

Sharing my passion for living a healthy & happy life

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Weekend Recap: A Beautiful Day in Monterey

Hi friends!

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend. My hubby’s grandparents were in town staying with us. We had a great time together, so I thought I’d share a weekend recap.

hike-4

My weekend kicked off with a Friday afternoon hike with my pup. The weather on Friday and all weekend was just about perfect, so an outdoor workout was an awesome way to start my weekend.

Hike-1

Harley hates looking at the camera but I tortured her by taking a few photos.

hike-3

hike-2

On Saturday we had lunch at a local winery, then went to the creepiest house in Silicon Valley, the Winchester Mystery House. We had never been there before, so it was a good place to see with company in town.

Winchester

What makes the 160-room mansion interesting is the fact that its owner, a heiress named Sarah Winchester, continuously was building it 7 days a week, 24 hours a day for nearly 40 years. She did this because she thought it would “confuse the evil spirits” of people shot and killed by the weapons made by her dead husband’s firearms company. The house is funny because it has all these weird features, like stairs that lead to nowhere and false doors. Sarah seemed like quite a nut, but it was a neat tour to do in San Jose.

On Sunday afternoon we headed over to Monterey to soak up the sun along the water…

Monterey

….and watch some sea lions hang out and be their usual interesting selves. I always find them to be so entertaining! Monterey-6

Monterey-5

I love their faces and just have the urge to pet them…though I’m not sure how they’d like that. In any event I enjoy watching the sea lions bask in the sun.

Monterey-3

Monterey-4

We spent the afternoon walking around, eating lunch on the pier, and enjoying the pretty scenery. My hubby and I hadn’t been to Monterey in awhile, and it definitely a great day weather-wise to be there.

Monterey-2

Monterey-8

Monterey-9

Some at-home eats that I made for our guests included chocolate peanut butter cups {<– throwback post!}…

choc pb cups

…freshly squeezed orange & mandarin juice and roasted red pepper hummus {another recipe circa a 2012 blog post}…

red pepper hummus

…{another batch of} cinnamon raisin granola…granola

…and homemade pizza night. I made two whole wheat pizzas, one margherita pie + one with asparagus, mozzarella and ricotta.
pizza

Another food highlight was a stop at Pinkberry, where I got salted caramel yogurt with chocolate chips & strawberries. Pinkberry

Everything was delicious but I am SO looking forward to eating clean this week. I’ve been on a sugar kick lately and I need to get it under control. More on that later this week!

Anyways, those were the fun highlights of my weekend!

Up until this point, I really have only gotten to see Adam’s grandparents for a couple of holidays and meals. It was nice to have them here to spend some time together, get to know them better, and show them where we live. The two of them have been happily married for 55 years, and when I asked what the secret of their successful relationship is, they said to be each other’s best friend.

Monterey-7

I hope that one day I have grandkids that look up to the marriage I have with my hubby. 🙂

Ever been to Monterey? Have you heard of the Winchester Mystery House?

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March 16, 2014 11:11 pm foodielovesfitness 8 Comments Filed Under: Bay Area

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Comments

  1. FitBritt@MyOwnBalance says

    March 17, 2014 at 7:52 am

    What a sweet story about your hubby’s grandparents! I absolutely love it!

    I have never been to Monterey, but like everywhere in Cali, it looks gorgeous. I ask myself everyday why I live here and not there! 🙂

    The sea lions are so adorable! And everything you made looks delicious!

    Reply
    • foodielovesfitness says

      March 17, 2014 at 8:42 pm

      Thanks girl! Yes it certainly is beautiful here. I’m not sure if I would have ever wound up out West had my hubby not gotten stationed here in the Marines, but I’m definitely glad to have made it out here! I love it.

      Reply
  2. Calista says

    March 17, 2014 at 9:02 am

    I’m so glad you came down for a visit. The weather was absolutely glorious this weekend! I really love the sweet story of your husband’s grandparents. So lovely.

    Also, your pizza???? Yum!!!!!

    I can’t wait to hear about kicking your sugar kick to the curb – I can completely relate. It seems like I’m nearly always on a sugar kick 🙁

    Reply
    • foodielovesfitness says

      March 17, 2014 at 8:45 pm

      Thanks Calista!

      Ah yes, so we both have sweet tooths! Sometimes I just need to pull the reins in on it.

      Reply
  3. Ali says

    March 17, 2014 at 10:09 am

    All of your pictures are gorg!! I especially like the one with the bird flying over the pier. Sounds like a pretty great weekend to me!

    Reply
    • foodielovesfitness says

      March 17, 2014 at 8:46 pm

      Thank you, Ali! It definitely was.

      Reply
  4. Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health says

    March 17, 2014 at 8:46 pm

    I’m dying to go to Monterrey! It looks so beautiful but I mainly want to go for the sea lions. They are just so freakin’ cute!

    All of your food looked amazing and I love that your husband’s grandparents have had such a strong marriage. They’re adorable!

    Reply
    • foodielovesfitness says

      March 18, 2014 at 9:25 pm

      You definitely should visit Monterey when you have a free afternoon when the weather’s nice! I <3 the sea lions in a big way.

      Reply

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I'm Nicole, and I’m passionate about all things food, fitness and healthy living. I'm a toddler mom, certified health coach, freelance writer, and long-time health nut. Here I share my vegetarian recipes, workouts, fitness trends, travel adventures, and motherhood & health musings. Read more about me…

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❗️Once all players use their pebbles, that’s the end of round 1. Tally the scores as you go! 

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Here are the ingredients you need to serve 4: 

1️⃣ 2-3 boxes of Near East Pearled Couscous with Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil (I find that 3 boxes yield about 4.5 cups; you can also use a plain pearled couscous)
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Directions:
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Get a printable version of the recipe on foodielovesfitness.com #linkinbio or comment RECIPE for a direct link. 

If you like this new Easy Plant-Based Meals series, let me know what kind of recipe you’d like to see next 👩‍🍳

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California has it all, & I love this area that I get to call home! Last weekend’s fun included: 🌊 Soaking up the sun at Carlsbad State Beach, where my daughter tried surfing for the first time 🏄‍♀️ 🥾 Hiking in Wildomar 🍷 Wine sipping in Temecula #californialove #weekendfun #sandiego #temeculaca #hiking #getoutside #mywinter #adventure #socal
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📍Explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
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🌎 The largest National Park in the contiguous U.S. - 3.4 million acres! - did not disappoint 🔥 Here’s what we had on our agenda for Day 2️⃣ of exploring Death Valley National Park: 📍Explore the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes 🛷Go sledding down the dunes! 🥾Hike Mosaic Canyon Trail ~ a 3.5-mile out & back trail with 974 ft elevation gain. This trail was so much fun & the rock formations are gorgeous! My daughter loved climbing & bouldering around. It features some cool slot canyons and difficult rock scrambling - our kinda speed! 🚰 Refuel at Stovepipe Wells Village ~ Nearby pitstop within the park for gas, restrooms, a general store & restaurants #roadtrip #california #travelgram #familytravel #kidswhoexplore #momsofinstagram #hikingadventures #deathvalleynationalpark #nationalparks #wanderlust #adventureseekers #hikingtrails
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That thing you always talk about & think about doing but haven’t gotten the guts/energy/time to do? Make 2026 the year you freaking GO FOR IT. 

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That thing you always talk about & think about doing but haven’t gotten the guts/energy/time to do? Make 2026 the year you freaking GO FOR IT. #livemoreworryless #2026goals #goalgetters #entreprenuermindset #sunset #chasingsunsets #viewoftheday #windowseatview
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