Cuban Cooking Week

Even though I just returned from Mexico about 3 weeks ago, I'm already itching for another vacation.  Whenever I get the travel bug, I start daydreaming about all of the wonderful foods that I've had on various trips.  One of the best meals I've had on vacation was at The Columbia Restaurant in St. Augustine, Florida.  I visited St. Augustine with my father and my older brother several years ago and we wandered into the gorgeous restaurant after a morning of exploring the fort.  It was sweltering hot outside, and I remember the restaurant being a wonderful air conditioned oasis.  The three of us each ordered the "1905" salad - featured prominently on their menu.  They made the salad table-side and served it with warm, soft, amazing Cuban bread.  Ever since that trip, I've been pining for it.  Luckily, I found that they published the recipe on their website.  Now if only I could have them ship some of their bread to Minnesota...

I have two other Cuban-inspired recipes lined up for this week.  One of my favorite things to do is cook all of my lunches for the week on Sunday afternoons.  This saves me so much time during the week and really helps me stay on track with my healthy eating plan.  One of the best websites I have found for healthy and delicious food is SkinnyTaste.com.  The author and I seem to have very similar palates, so I'm always ecstatic when she posts a new recipe.  The two I plan on making this week are chicken ropa vieja and turkey Cuban sandwiches.  I've made the ropa vieja before and used it in a burrito bowl the way the site did and it was absolutely awesome.  I planned on including pictures, but my camera's memory card seems to be disagreeing with me today.  Plus, Gina's pictures are much better than mine would be!

Latest Must-Have Items

The recent warm weather has me obsessing about spring.  I can't wait to retire my North Face for the year!

Bass Wayfarers - so delightfully classic and preppy.  I still need to find them in a store to try them on since my feet are so narrow!
Coach Spectator Tote - Mike got this for me for my birthday in green and white.  I am going to drag this around with me all summer - I just hope I can keep the white leather clean!
Sperry Topsiders - my absolute favorite summer shoes.  I got new tan slides for this summer and I can't wait to break them in.
The Limited Wrap Jacket - short sleeve jackets are perfect for my business casual office.  They're stylish and professional, but they are casual enough to keep you from looking over-dressed.
Lacoste Polo Dress - I can't say enough about how cute and comfortable these dresses are.  They are stretch pique, so they hug every curve perfectly and are insanely comfy.
Rainbows - enough said.  My favorite fratty accessory from my college days still pair perfectly with jeans and a polo or with a casual summer dress.
Burberry Polo - my souvineer from my last trip to Vegas.  I'm already planning what to buy when I return in August.

What I'm most excited about is the great monokini from Carmen Marc Valvo.  Two girlfriends and I are going to Vegas in August (again...) and I think something like this will be perfect for Wet Republic or Tao Beach.  As trashy as those places can be, I haven't been to either before and I think they're a necessary part of the Vegas experience.  I acknowledge that I won't be able to turn, bend, or move really, but it's just so ridiculously awesome that I can't pass it up.  That being said, I have a lot of work to do before this looks acceptable for the Vegas pool scene!