How to stick to your fitness routine

Hello Hello!

Last week, my company wrapped up our 60-Day fitness challenge.  The event was a success!  We had over 50 employees stay committed during the entire challenge and some of our employees saw amazing results (I’m talking over 8% body fat loss and several inches off their waist and hips).

The question that now burns deeply in all of our minds is… now what?  Well, we have a major product release and user conference coming up in less than a month, so our kFit program is taking a breather so people don’t feel overwhelmed.

The answer: get into a routine as quickly as possible.

Staying active, staying motivated and staying in great shape is all about routine and consistency.  For some, the kFit 60 Day Challenge was the first consistent program they had followed in several years.  All I gotta say is DON’T BREAK THE HABIT!  Here are some helpful tips on how to maintain an active lifestyle.

1.  Join. Join. Join. Join.

Join a gym, box, running club, studio, or league.  Join something that is going to help you stay consistent a couple days out of the week.  Currently, I belong to a gym, play on a coed soccer team Monday nights and joined the ClassPass program so I can find out what types of fitness studios I really enjoy.  I love love love HIIT conditioning and using heavy weights to build my strength.  I was so happy to find that by joining ClassPass I was able to find a HIIT studio winner … more on that later.

2.  Mark your calendar.

Nothing holds me as accountable as creating a calendar of my weekly workouts and posting it somewhere public.  If I come home early and Brian see’s that I have a 5 mile run written down, he won’t let me sit on the couch and blow it off.

3.  Find a buddy!

One of my favorite things about our 60-Day challenge was the fact that it was group training.  We all supported each other, did the same damn bear crawls together and we were engaged and excited to be there.  If you can find a friend, spouse, significant other who wants to be just as committed to an active lifestyle as you, it will make your fitness routine that much more fun!  Hell, maybe you will find someone through joining a studio or league.  Cough cough. Do it.

4.  Measure yourself.

When you take your hip, waist and body fat measurements and re-evaluate yourself every month, it really shows how much effort and commitment you are putting into your routine.  The body fat % scale does not lie, folks…

5.  Make it fun!

Don’t run every day if you freaking hate running!  Do activities that you truly enjoy and will make you go back and do it again.  I can’t tell you how awesome it is to try out new fitness classes (spin, barre, conditioning, strength, pilates, yoga, CrossFit) and find something you truly become passionate about.

Now that I’ve given my little rant, let’s hold myself accountable – shall we?

This weeks workouts:

Sunday – 60 minute spin class/body pump at GO Cycle.

Monday – Soccer.  (I got a stomach bug this night and only played half a game, but it’s better than nothing!)

Tuesday – 3.2 mile run.

Wednesday – 60 minute conditioning class at my new favorite… DHF Lakeview! (Again, more on that later).

Today – 4 mile run.

Friday – Rest.

Saturday – 45 minute spin class at Go Cycle

Now go out there and get. it. done.

ClassPass – Fitness at your fingertips

Last week, when I returned from my wild and wonderful vacation, I was offered the opportunity to attend the ClassPass launch party at Flywheel spin studio in the Gold Coast.  ClassPass is a fitness start up that helps people find fitness classes that they love. For $99 a month, you get 10 classes you can use to visit any studio that you want. Some of these studios include:

• Pure Barre
• 105F Bikram
• Atlas Performance
• Bar Method
• Chicago Kettlebell Club
• DHF Lakeview
• Exhale Chicago
• Go Cycle Studio
• South Loop Crossfit
• Core Chicago Pilates
• … and so much more!

Most studios have two or three locations around Chicago, so you can find a class that is close to where you live or where you work.  Currently, ClassPass is available in Chicago, Boston, New York, L.A. and San Francisco.

When I arrived at the launch party, I was informed that the spin class I was supposed to attend was already full!  I’m not going to lie, I was really bummed and a little annoyed until they handed me a sweet swag bag and offered me a free ClassPass monthly trial.

Ummm, okay!  (p.s. not the biggest fan of the hashtag, but the tank top and water bottle are super cute)

Last night, I attended my first class of the month – Pure Barre in Lakeview.

I’ve heard a lot about barre classes and have actually attended one a while back, but knew there was a lot of hype surrounding this specific studio.  I was excited to try something new and nervous at the same time because I knew a lot of the moves require flexibility, and that is just an area I do not excel in 🙂

When I got to the studio, I was immediately greeted by one of the instructors.  The first thing she asked me was, “Is this your first time at Pure Barre?”  A little embarrassed to admit it I replied “yes” and was immediately glad to hear I was not the only one.  The instructor took me around the studio and introduced me to the instructor who would be leading the class.  They showed me what types of equipment I would need and a little bit of what to expect throughout the class.  I was very impressed with how nice and helpful everyone was.

Since the instructors did a good job of engaging me, I decided to go ahead and buy a pair of their signature socks (yes, I’m a sucker for new fitness stuff).

I loved all the fun colors I got to choose from and have to admit that they class would have been a lot harder without them.  The grips on the bottom help you grip to the carpet so you aren’t sliding around during the workout.

Once the class started, I noticed that I guessed the correct attire to wear to class.  Lies – I Google imaged ‘Pure Barre” and saw that everyone in class was wearing some sort of tights and a tank.  I’m a nerd.

Now to the fun part – the class itself.  It was definitely challenging in a way that will probably have an awesome effect on my abs and thighs, but it’s not one of those classes that you leave completely drenched in sweat… unless I was doing everything wrong.

Everything is done in little movements and high repetitions.  After 2 minutes of making the same small, controlled motion you definitely start to feel it… and may even start to shake!  “Shaking is changing”, or so they say!

The class moved at a very fast pace so that I never really got bored or lost focus.

Overall, I had a lot of fun and will definitely go again.  I may, however, pair the class with a run outside or some other type of cardio because I felt like I needed something else to round out the workout.

I’ve already mapped out the other classes I want to try through ClassPass at other studios that are close to me.  I’m really excited to try new things and find out if there is something else out there I could add to my regular routine.

I’ll be sure to let you all know how the rest of my ClassPass experience goes… stay tuned!

 

My Favorite Protein Pancakes

Howdy!

Well this week started with a bang, I have so much to get done before our road trip to West Virginia it’s unreal.

The good thing is that I had a nice and relaxing weekend to get all geared up for an ultra productive week.

Friday, my coworkers and I enjoyed some adult beverages after work.

This delicious New Glarus Wisconsin Ale brewed with Cherries.  Yum.

… and the Southern Tier Brewing Pumking at home.

(no, I didn’t buy the whole case unfortunately).

You might be thinking… Lindsay… it’s just way to early for such fall type drinks.  Well you are wrong, my friend.  This girl right here lives in the Midwest for a reason.

In keeping with the shotgun fall cuisine, I woke up Saturday morning craving my favorite protein pancakes:

The Best Protein Pancakes Ever

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

• 1 ripe banana, mashed
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder
• 6 egg whites
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tbsp. almond milk
• Chocolate chips
• Banana slices (garnish)
• Almond butter (garnish)
• Pure maple syrup (non of that fake shit)

Directions:

1. Mash the banana in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk together.
3. Cook like regular pancakes… add some chocolate chips if your heart so desires
4. Top pancakes with some fresh banana slices, a dollop of almond butter and a drizzle of pure maple syrup.  bada bing bada boom.

These pancakes helped fuel our morning workouts at the gym.  I opted to do one of the Spartan WOD’s:

3 vertical jumps (max effort).  Fully recover after each set.  Repeat 3 sets of 3 jumps.

Split Squat Iso Hold.  Accumulate 60 seconds per leg.  Fully recover.  Repeat 3 sets

Accumulate 60 seconds in High Pull-Up Hold then accumulate 20 push-ups.  Fully recover.  Repeat 3 times.

Run 30 minutes – zone 1.  (aka – slower pace)

I was super sweaty after this one.  I typically sweat a lot, but the gym was humid and hot from the weather outside so it just tripled everything.  My running partner, Lindsay, probably would have been embarrassed if she was with me 🙂

Saturday evening, Brian and I attended the 40th birthday of one of our good friends.  I was so busy eating the delicious appetizers and tasting the signature cocktails that I forgot to take pictures of this wonderful event.  After 5 or 6 cocktails… it was a Liiitttllee hard to get up in the morning.

We had big plans to visit the suburbs, however, so there was no time to waste.  It was the PERFECT day to spend outside by the pool.  Bailey thoroughly enjoyed rolling around in the mud pits that have accumulated from all of the rain we have been getting.

She was pissed when we had to give her a cold hose bath.  Basically, she participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

P.s. I saw this on insta this weekend and couldn’t stop laughing…

I can’t even.

 

Cooking, Cleaning & Running Fools

Hello, hello!

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend.

My weekend kicked off right after work on Friday with my birthday present from Brian… a cooking class!  I’ve been talking about us going for a while now and was thrilled when I saw what he got me!

The class we took was called ‘Street Food’ and was themed around various snacks and bites that you may find sold on the street in different countries.

Here was our menu:

Beer battered fish tacos

Beef kefta kabobs

Lemongrass chicken banh mi

Cheese and bean pupusas

The class was held at the Merchandise Mart Chopping Block location, so it was super simple to get there directly after work.  Brian brought a bottle of pinot noir, we tied on our aprons and got to work.  In most classes, you work with another couple or group to prepare your various dishes.  Our class was completely full, so we were able to partner up with two other people and boy did we have so much fun!

I love cooking, I cook almost every night, but all of these items are ones I never would have just come up with on my own.

Our favorites were definitely the Beer battered fish tacos which we made with Two Brother’s Cane and Abel.  The second runner up was the Lemongrass chicken banh mi’s.  So juicy and tender, plus the crusty french bread really makes the entire sandwich.  We left completely full and happy!

I was up bright and early Saturday morning to meet my workout buddy, Lindsay at our gym.  We warmed up on the treadmill for 25 minutes alternating between a steady jog, uphill walk and sprinting.  Once we were nice in warm we completed the following workout:

Loved it!  It was so nice being at the gym so early because we didn’t have to fight for space to complete this circuit.

Saturday was such a busy day.  Immediately after our workout, I showered, grabbed a few things from Whole Foods across the street, my two of my best friends for brunch at Toast, came home and cleaned for 4 hours and then hosted a group of my closest friends for cocktails and appetizers!

Phew.  The whole day was awesome.  Even though it was jam packed, I had so much fun seeing all my different groups of friends and my workout really carried my energy level throughout the entire day.  Win!

Sunday was no less chaotic.  My parents and our family friends were over at my apartment at 10:00 a.m. ready to watch the Air and Water show (thank god my apartment was already clean).

We grabbed some sandwiches and salads from Pastoral and headed over to the lake around noon.  Unfortunately, Chicago decided to be cool and cloudy yesterday so the Air and Water show didn’t really happen, but our fun little picnic did!

I was a great way to round out the weekend… and let me tell you I slept like a BABY last night.  Fun times.

Sprint Your Heart Out

These past two days have been full of non-stop fun and excitement!!!!

Kidding.

The workouts and cooking have been fun, but if you are one of those people who thinks that cleaning and doing laundry is fun… I am just not there with you.

Tuesday after work, I had a few major errands to run before heading to the gym at night.  I have recently received feedback from our personal trainer at work that I should start incorporating more sprinting in my workouts so I decided to come up with something fun to do on the treadmill.  Although I really hate the treadmill during the winter months, I have really enjoyed going back in a couple times per week.  I missed seeing my usual suspects after work 🙂

I tell you this workout is a major sweat inducer and really gets your heart rate up.  As always, you can modify the speed based on your fitness level, but always make sure you are pushing yourself and breaking outside of your comfort zone.

Side note… I totally wore gray capris that day and needless to say with all the sweat that was dripping off my body, I looked like I peed my pants.  Funny.

After my workout, I had a quick protein shake at the gym and then headed back home to cook dinner.

On the menu:  Skirt Steak and Steamed Broccoli

Brian and I didn’t stay up real late that evening because I had a strength-focused kFit workout downtown in the loop at 6:00 a.m.  We used a lot of medicine balls to perform squats, overhead presses, lunges, etc.

Although it’s a pain in the ass to wake up at 4:30 a.m., in order to make a bus at 5:00 a.m., so that I can be downtown in time for this class… it is always worth it.  The trainer can whoop my ass like no one else can and I’m much more motivated throughout the day to eat healthy/make good choices when he gives me advice first thing in the morning.

Speaking of making good choices, each week my company commissions this start-up company, Fooda, to bring local restaurants onsite for us to buy lunch.  Yesterday’s choice was Farmer’s Fridge and all of their choices were amazing!  Have you heard of them?  They have a couple kiosks around the loop which have fun salads in a jar type options as well as wraps and little snacks.

I went with the Chicken Kale Cesar Wrap which had a whole wheat tortilla, sweet potato, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, Parmesan, kale, chia seeds, and a vegan Caesar dressing all wrapped together.

It was so fresh and filling, plus it was only $7.00 which for a loop lunch spot is very affordable.  It’s really hard to find a lot of healthy and fresh lunch options in the Chicago loop.  My usual repertoire is a mixture of the local cafeteria salad bar, Pret A Manger, Protein Bar and basically packing my own lunch.  It’s nice to have a new option added… I highly recommend you check them out.

WOD & Whitefish

I finally did something I was always a little apprehensive to do… I signed up for a Spartan race!

Thanks to Brian, I am now a participant in the 2014 Spartan Sprint at Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI.  Yes!  This is the same venue Brian ran last year in which I watched him climb high ropes, lift heavy weights, do countless box jumps and climb tall walls.  I remember as a spectator thinking, “I don’t know if I could ever do that”, but as I watched all the participants go by I noticed that they were from all different fitness levels.  And if they could do it I could too.

My biggest challenge will be to improve my upper body strength.  While the obstacles are the not the same every year, I know that this is one of my weakness that could definitely make the course more challenging if I don’t train properly.

With that being said, I LOVE LOVE LOVE that the Spartan Series sends you WOD’s as a part of your registration fee.

With 11 weeks to go until the race, I wasted no time and started my training yesterday.

Since it was supposed to rain last night, I decided to take my workout indoors and complete this series at the gym:

 

(Note: don’t repeat the 3 miles 3x, only the strength circuit)

It was an adapted version of what they sent us because I am also training for a 10k and need to make sure I get enough distance running in.  I felt really great after completing this workout and knew that I was going to be sore the next day which is always a good thing 🙂

After my workout, I headed over to Whole Foods to stock up on some groceries for the week.  I saw in the seafood section that they had a local Whitefish on sale and decided to give it a try.  I seriously love seafood… I’m fairly certain I could eat it every single day.

I seasoned the Whitefish with some herb & lime seasoning salt I have from Frontera Grill, a Rick Bayless restaurant.  That and a little black pepper was all the seasoning it needed.

Depending on the thickness of the fish, Whitefish does tend to cook a lot faster than Salmon does.  I seared these babies on medium high heat in a couple tablespoons of olive oil until done and flaky – about 3 minutes per side.

We squeezed a little fresh lemon juice on top and whipped up a side salad and that was that!

A delicious, fresh and light dinner.

Bon Appetit!

 

CCC Week – Plank Challenge

After my graduation/travel extravaganza weekend I was back at work bright and early Tuesday morning.  I woke up with a slightly sore throat, but didn’t think much of it as I know my body gets out of whack sometimes after spending too much time on an airplane.  About two hours into the work day I started to get the chills.  I threw on a sweatshirt which helped a little bit, but basically had the chills the entire day.  I know what you are thinking – RED FLAG ALERT.  I was so busy catching up on emails that I had missed last Thursday, Friday and this Monday that I think my adrenaline really pushed me through.  Once work ended, and I got on the red line I knew something was not right.  Sure enough, when I got home…

BAM.  Fever. (NO THIS IS NOT A PREGNANCY TEST KULLA AND CASSIE!) 😉

Needless to say, I spend the entire evening in bed watching – wait for it – Fever Pitch.  I had a fever and I watched Fever Pitch – I know you are rolling on the floor laughing.

Brian was kind enough to pick up some soup for me which really did make me feel the tiniest bit better.

Luckily, when I woke up yesterday my fever had broke and all that was left was a sore throat.  It was a good thing too because I had so much work to still catch up on and a really fun event that my coworkers and I were kicking off!

I have mentioned this once or twice before, but my company has a wellness group called kFit (our company name is kCura).  Our committee plans little fitness challenges, schedules onsite yoga and tries to promote a healthy lifestyle throughout the office with various other events.  Next Thursday is the Chicago Chase Corporate Challenge, a 3.5 mile run through the Chicago Loop that most downtown corporations participate in.  It is a really fun event if the weather is nice because our company hosts a big BBQ afterwards full of delicious food and beer.  To get our employees ‘pumped up’ for the event, we are hosting a weekly series of mini challenges.

Yesterday’s challenge was… PLANKING!

We divided employee’s into teams and each team member had one chance to plank as long as he/she could.  They then timed all individual planks and submitted the average of their team.

A bonus point was awarded if the team took a photo of a team member planking somewhere “cool” – but safe!  I wish I could post those pictures on here because some of them were hilarious, and probably not super safe haha.

Benefits of Planking:

Planks are a popular isometric training exercise.  This exercise improves your body’s strength, flexibility, aesthetics and mind.  The website Yoga Journal recommends plank exercises for stress reduction because planks can help calm your brain and suppress anxiety.  It is commonly said that running 80% mental and 20% everything else, so any exercise to improve your mental game is a win!

I can’t wait to share the rest of the week’s challenges with you!

After work, I headed straight home for my resting so that I can fight whatever this sickness is.  Since I had been on a primary liquid diet for the past 24 hours, I was craving REAL food.  We had all of the ingredients for Healthy Chicken Enchiladas, so Brian and I prepped those for dinner.  I found this recipe on Anne of FANNEtastic Food blog when I first started following her.  It’s a winner and is an easy and quick option for an after work dinner.

My tip?  Buy precooked chicken (I got the Trader Joe’s Kind – Rotisserie would do well too).  This eliminates 20 minutes of cooking raw chicken breast and then having to shred them.

These babies hit the spot, and bonus – there are enough to bring to work for lunch 🙂

Meal Plan for the Week & TIU Bikini Series

8 weeks until summer, can you believe it?  Well, I can’t really… because it’s been such a god awful winter!

I am excited nonetheless, especially because the Tone It Up! girls have launched another bikini series in preparation for summer!  I love following their program, or at least doing the daily workouts and videos that they post.

Yesterday, I was supposed to have BvB practice after work, but due to the inclement weather it was cancelled.  I had a feeling this might be the case when I checked the weather in the morning, so I packed a gym bag so that I wouldn’t miss out on a good workout.  My Half Marathon training schedule said ‘Strength and Stretch’, so I immediately knew I wanted to incorporate the Tone It Up! plan into my day.  Before I hit the mats, I warmed up on the treadmill for 25 minutes alternating between a 6.6 speed and 7.0 speed.  Once I was nice and sweaty, I did five reps of their arm/back routine with 8 lb. weights

I love how easy and energizing all of their printables are.  I can just pull up their weekly schedule on my iphone, download the picture and follow along step-by-step.  This series was fairly simple, but I was definitely feeling it by my fifth rep.  The last part of my workout was one rep of the Nike Training Club beach legs – love that one!

After my workout, I headed across the street to Whole Foods to stock up on groceries for the week.  Here is the meal plan for the week:

Monday: Garlic Mustard Drumsticks and Salad

Tuesday: Balsamic Salmon and Zesty Broccoli Salad

Wednesday: Whole Wheat Spaghetti Arrabiata

Thursday: Out to Dinner – BvB Happy Hour

Friday: Chicken Sausage and Sweet Potato Fries

Saturday: Out to Dinner with my Girlfriends: Little Goat

Sunday: Tex-Mex Chicken Soup

Here was the haul:

Produce:

• Lettuce
• Peppers (3)
• Avocado (2)
• Broccoli (1 lb.)
• Tomatoes, Plum (3)
• Cherry Tomatoes (small container)
• Green Onion
• Zucchini (2)
• Jalapenos (4)
• Lemons (3)
• Limes (2)
• Onion
• Strawberries

Meat:

• 1 lb. fresh, wild-caught salmon
• 1 lb. organic chicken breast

Misc.:

• Chicken Broth
• Black Beans
• Feta Cheese
• Eggs
• Greek Yogurt
• Arrabiata Sauce

Total: $82.33 – WIN!

Pantry items I already had: Chicken Sausage, Sweet Potatoes, Garlic, Whole Wheat Spaghetti

Brian was kind enough to get the chicken started while I was grocery shopping so all I had to do when I got home was chop up two salads.

It was a very satisfying meal and a great end to the evening!  Bailey was extra grateful for the leftover chicken scraps 🙂

Bon Appetit!

Marathon Monday

It’s amazing how a little good weather can change the mood of almost anyone.

Yesterday on my lunch break, I decided to take a stroll around the Chicago loop.  Pretty much everyone else in the area had the exact same idea.  I didn’t mind the crowded streets, the little shoulder bumps or the street solicitors – I was looking at everyone’s faces.  They were all happy.  No wind burned cheeks and no scarf covered mouths… hip hip hooray! (Hey you pessimist, don’t you dare leave a comment about how it’s going to snow tomorrow night – I will hunt you down).

I made a stop at Target and did a little more shopping for my ‘Spring Break’ trip… whoops!

What can I say, this warmer weather is doing bad bad things to my wallet.  Regardless, I am excited about my purchases – a light green sweater for St. Patrick’s Day/Spring, a fun printed skirt paired with an inexpensive black top, a bathing suit coverup and a fun aztec print tank top.  Plus some of those $3 flip flops that are a must buy each season.  And you know what… I got ALL of it for under $80.  BAM.

The nice little break put me in such a great mood I couldn’t help but look forward to my evening run.  I knew, I just knew that the Lakeshore path would be full of runners/walkers/bikers all together enjoying the day.

And I was not disappointed.

As I mentioned yesterday, the plan for the evening was just to do a light 3 mile run after my brief knee injury.  IT was SUCH a great run, even though it was short.

See the little red mark in the middle of my run?  This was the point in which about two dozen runners were trying real hard to avoid a Lake Michigan that formed on the sidewalk.  We all walked single file across the ice in the snow to avoid wet shoes – It was funny.

Anyways, It felt so good to be back – no knee pain whatsoever.

I know that it’s supposed to drop in temperature and it may snow a couple times over the next 10 days, but my Half Marathon Training plan started yesterday and I’m pumped!

Here is my tentative schedule for March:

… but as most runners know things could change at anytime and I can adjust if necessary.

The rest of my evening was spent watching the True Detective Season Finale – EEEEEK! And eating some yummy turkey tacos.

Bon Appetit.

Full of Flavor

I did it again, folks.  I made it to the gym at 5:00 a.m. and was greeted with a high-five when I walked in.

Okay that didn’t happen, but I was in good spirits nonetheless.

One of my favorite things about going to my gym on Thursday mornings is that the giant studio room that usually has a morning bootcamp class, is empty.  Nothing is scheduled until 7:00 a.m., so I get free reign on it!  To get myself good and ready, I started my workout with a brisk 20 minute warm-up run on the treadmill.  Once that was done, I hopped off and headed to the studio.  There I grabbed two 8 lb dumbbells, the foam roller and a boku ball.  I didn’t really have a set game plan, so I figured I would just wing it.

First up, was the 15 minute ‘Leaner Legs’ session on my Nike Training Club app.

It’s my favorite of favoritist.  I always end the workout with my leg feelin’ like jello.  My second 15 minute session focused more on arms and abs.

Tone It Up Tummy Tucks

Dumbbell Curls

Tricep Kick Backs

Boku Ball Push Ups

Forearm Planks

All those were included in the mix.

Brian and I have decided to run the Spartan Sprint at Miller Park this fall.  If you recall, Brian participated last year and killed the course.  I’m pumped, but a little nervous that my upper body strength is not up to par.  Sure, I can run 13 miles… but climb up a giant rope and lift heavy objects over my head… not so much.

I might pay for a couple personal training sessions so that I can be taught proper form and technique for lifting.  Joining a Crossfit box would be awesome, but I ain’t got that kind of money right now!

After the gym I settled into my usual coffee – breakfast – work routine.  Even though it was negative 10 degrees outside, I was really craving a good smoothie.  I decided to stop by Protein Bar on my way to work and grab one of their ‘Sears Suckers’ protein smoothies full of delicious Greek Yogurt, Almond Milk, Whey Vanilla Protein, Rasberries and Bananas.

It was so yum.

They day flew by, A. because it was a payroll day and that takes up the majority of my time.  B. It was my FRIDAY! and C. I was meeting two of my girlfriends for dinner after work and I was really looking forward to it.

Just down the street from me (literally), a new restaurant opened up called BIG and Littles.  There is an original location down in they city that I have never really been to, so I was pumped with my girlfriend suggested that we check out the new spot.

BIG and Littles are known for many delicious items, but particularly for their fish tacos and fried po boys.  There were sooooo many options to choose from so we all decided on a smorgasbord of items.

I opted for a grilled mahi mahi taco, a raw ahi tuna poke taco, cajun fries to share and a small garden salad.

Also, did I mention this place is BYOB? FABULOUS – cue the Modelo.

Everything was so fresh and delicious.  The two tacos I got were both light and full of flavor, but my favorite was the raw ahi tuna poke taco.  It was basically a sushi taco.  The tuna was so perfectly fresh it just melted in my mouth.

Divine.

We took our time eating and drinking the night away, but all agreed not to make it a late evening.  This was a good thing, because I needed to pack!

Brian and I are off to Detroit to attend a wedding.  Hopefully we don’t get stuck in any kind of snow storm.

Ta Ta for now!