Good morning everyone!
Last night Ben and I went and had ourselves a good ol’ fashioned date night! We went to a Japanese/Asian restaurant here in town – Wok in Motion. For those of you who know of it – their sushi is good and their main dishes are GREAT! They have got THE best fried rice I’ve ever had in my life, hands down. It’s light, fluffy and seriously needs a support hotline – it’s addicting! Their Kung Pao Chicken cannot be beat either…drool. Last night though, I wasn’t too hungry, so I stuck with some smaller dishes.
First, some steamed shrimp dumplings (photos courtesy of Google since the restaurant was so dim!):
![DSC00882[1]](http://iowagirleats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/dsc008821.jpg "DSC00882[1]")
Super light, chewy and flavorful.
For my main dish, I ordered an Alaskan Roll filled with salmon, avocado, lettuce, crab and cucumber. I could eat salmon all day long…I LOVE it!
After dinner we headed over to Ben’s parents house to let their dog out.
Hey – watch it young lady, that’s my man! 
We ended up staying for awhile – because it’s fun to hang out at other people’s houses! – and had dessert. After digging through the cupboards, we found the following loot:
- Twizzlers
- Fudgsicles
- Ice cream sundae cones
- Cookies
- Many, many other delicious items
Honestly – Ben’s parents are two of the smallest people ever and for the life of me I don’t understand how they stay that way with all these goodies in the house!! Anyways, after weighing all my options, I chose: Fruit Loops!! OMG I have not had fruit loops in AGES and they were just as good I as I remembered!
The smell of fruit loops actually reminds me of my college dining center for some reason…love it. Oooo, I just remembered that I promised you dessert with a banana + food processor last night. No worries, it’s back on my agenda for this evening!
When we finally made it home we were exhausted and went straight to bed – but not before I did something I found semi ingenious…I pre-made my morning Green Monster! Maybe you already do this, but I thought it was pretty clever I filled my blender with spinach, milk, oatmeal & peanut butter, put the lid on, and set it in the fridge.
This morning after a chilly morning Mom walk (it was 50 degrees!!) all I had to do was take it out, blend, add my ice & banana, blend again – and my smoothie was ready!
Why didn’t I think of this before? Pre-making the base of my green monster seriously shaved like 4 minutes off my morning routine! AND I’m convinced that the oatmeal sitting in the milk overnight made the smoothie creamier. It was seriously like ice cream today. Ooooh-so-good 
Last night I also made a 2 minute couscous lunch to take today. Yes – 2 minutes!
I combined 1/3 cup couscous, 1/3 cup water and dashes of S&P, garlic and onion powders in a tupperware container, then microwaved for 2 minutes. Today, I added it to a container of broccoli I had leftover from the other night – and lunch was ready!
This couscous has 7g of fiber and 8g of protein per serving – should be perfect for a light lunch!
Old Faithful also made the lunch bag – a Braeburn apple
Hey – I just realized it’s Friday! This week goes down in the record books as one of the fastest weeks of my life. Summer – slow down!! Any fun plans this weekend?!
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Someone asked me yesterday what time I get up and go to bed. Usually I get up around 5:20 because my Mom and I walk at 5:30. I am always, ALWAYS in bed by 10, at the latest.
How about you? What time do you get up and wake up? Is there a threshold that if you don’t get to bed by, you are a wreck the next day?
I work out each morning…wake up at 5 am. If I am not in bed by 10 pm, I notice the difference. One good thing about early workouts is that I sleep really well every night.
I am going to try your green monster trick. I am addicted. Today I added a ton of blueberries to my GM…and it looked disgusting, but tasted great. Very refreshing!
http://funkylady21.blogspot.com/
Great eats! Genius prepping the smoothie the night before – anything that saves a few precious moments!!
I’m craving sushi after your pics as well (even though it’s 8 in the morning!)
I plan on getting myself to the beach this weekend for a swim! I haven’t been to the beach all summer and I can’t believe how much summer is racing away! I also have an 8 mile run tomorrow
I normally go to bed around 11-12 and wake up at 7.30 – lucky me! I don’t always get to sleep straight away though. If I’m not in bed by 1 on a work night then you can expect disaster crabbiness the next day!
Happy Friday!!
I’m actually thinking about hitting the Downtown Farmers Market this weekend. I hope it’s not busy, but with the good weather, it probably will be.
I usually get up about 6:40 (I only live about 8 miles from where I work, it’s great!) and go to bed anywhere from 10-10:45ish. If I go to bed at 11 or anytime past that, I’m toast the next day, so I try never to do that.
Have a great weekend!
Hope
I get up at 4:30 AM most weekdays to be at the gym by 5 AM. I really have to be in bed between 9:30 & 10 in order to be a nice person! LOL! However, that doesn’t always happen with 2 kids. I catch up on the weekends, though.
My hubby and I love Wok in Motion!! What a great date night dinner!!
We are going to try to figure out paint colors for the house this weekend!!
I usually go to bed at 10pm and wake up at 6am. This past week I’ve had a TERRIBLE time sleeping!! Hope to catch up this weekend!
You are so good about getting in a morning work out!
My weekend plans include a gallery crawl. I thought you would appreciate that, being an art lover and all.
i haven’t had fruit loops in so long! that smell reminds me of the caf at school, too
Weekend plans: buying supplies for Honduras trip, packing, and cleaning. it will be crazy.
I’m usually up between 5 -5:30 and in bed anywhere between 10-11 most nights
I’m jealous you are in bed by 10!! Do you have any tricks to make you sleepy that early, or is that just how you’ve always been? I sometimes have to take Melatonin to get sleepy – naturally I’m a night owl.
What a great idea to prepare your GM ahead of time! I’m definitely trying this.
WOW, that is an early morning walk!! I had no idea you guys walked that early!
I always pre-make my morning smoothies in a to-go cup, then it’s just grab and go on my way out the door!
I get up at different times every day (I know that can be SO bad) but some mornings I have to drive my boyfriend to school and others I don’t, some mornings I go to the gym, some mornings I have run group etc. I am almost always up somewhere between 5 and 7 am though. And I TRY to go to bed by 10, but most nights it’s closer to 11 :S
I get up at 5:45 so that I can working out by 6am. I am usually in bed by 10 with a few minutes of reading and I out!
I’m really looking forward to this weekend-we are headed to Kittatinny Lake in north Jersey to visit my husband’s aunt and uncle. They are such a good time! I am thinking of stopping to buy Blurt on the way. I think a game like that with a bunch of loud New Yorkers would be a lot of fun.
Fruit loops and Fruity Pebbles are my kryptonite!
This question is actually in regard to yesterday’s 3 Q Thursday. I was wondering if you ever vacationed at Lake Okoboji when you were a kid? I grew up in Omaha and we spent a week there almost every summer. Later when I was in college I would go up with a big group of friends and have a blast! Such fun memories!!
Hope you have a great weekend!!
Is that dog a schnauzer?? hee hee he’s cute
I almost forgot what fruit loops looked like!! They’re so bright and colorful.
I’m the late sleeper of the bunch – I go to bed between 11 and midnight and get up around 7 or 7:30 p.m. There’s been a couple times (like last night), where I stayed up until 1 a.m. When that happens, I am TOTALLY wrecked. My b/f, on the other hand, is always just fine. I don’t know how he does it…
I am neither a morning or a night person. (is that even possible?) I go to bed at 9:30 and get up at 6. I just require more sleep than the average person I guess!
I love Sushi too!! Great idea about premaking your GM! Definitely will have to do that from now on!! I usually am up between 5:30-6 and go to bed by 10. Sometimes it varies though depending on what class I have that day and what workout I plan to do before class!
Was that me who asked that question?!! I get up a 4:50 every morning to be at the gym by 5:20 and go to bed by 9pm! Sometimes, that’s 8:30 in the winter. It used to be 10 for me too, but I guess I’m getting old?!
I am definately going to have to try this Green Monster smoothie, I got a blender for our wedding 2 years ago and have only used it once!
I get up at 4:10 to get working out early. If I am not asleep by 10:00 at night, I am in trouble! I try to make up for it on the weekends, though.
Havce a great weekend!
Oh glad to know that sitting the green monster overnight doesn’t ruin it!
This weekend is roadtrip to LA for a concert!!! I’m so excited
Aww, what a fun date night. I think sushi date nights are my favorite.
I am up at 4:30am and running by 4:40am. Definitely in bed at 9:30pm, 10pm at the very very latest. Last night my sister called me at 9:15 and asked if she could stop by and I told her that I didn’t think she should because I needed to go to bed. Ugh, I’m such an old lady, but me + no sleep = ugly!!
Hope you have the best weekend hun! I’m heading out for a day of farmers market shopping and a Trader Joes Trip with my dad tomorrow. Can’t wait!
cool site! Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks for the tip about pre-making the green monster. I also work out in the morning before work and I’ve been trying to think of ways to make a GM faster in the morning so I can make it and go. I’m definitely going to try that! Thanks!
Haha – it was you and another person, so I felt it was high-time to address it!
Hope your Friday is going great 
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats
It sure is – she’s a cutie
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats
You know – it is a darn shame that I have NEVER been to Lake O. I’m probably the only person left in Iowa who hasn’t gone!!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats
Yes! Do it! It will be the hit of the weekend!!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats
Don’t hate me, but I am just a naturally good sleeper! A very light sleeper – but a good one, nonetheless! I find keeping a regular workout schedule ALWAYS puts me to sleep too!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats
A gallery crawl – what a great idea!! Where all will you be heading?
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats
Oooo I was THIS close to adding some BB to my GM this morning – next time for sure!!
Kristin @ Iowa Girl Eats http://iowagirleats.wordpress.com http://twitter.com/iowagirleats