So last week was a great week! Ready for another great week? :)

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Remember the rules? If you're new or can't remember, here's a replay. :)

Rules:

1. Follow your host and co-hosts via GFC.
Nanny2Mommy - Hostess with the Mostest!
Going With The Flow - CoHost
Brainless Mom of 7 - CoHost
And our Newest CoHost - Mom In The USA
We try to follow everyone who links up but please help us by commenting when you follow. Thanks!
2. Place the badge somewhere on your blog. Side bar, separate tab (like I have), or if you would like, the cool thing about our linky is it's a blog hop, so you can add it to you blog as well! It gets the word around about the linky, therefore more people link up, getting you more followers! :)
3. Visit at least the two blogs before yours in the link set-up.
4. *NEW RULE* Please don't link back to a giveaway, just your main blog page. If you have a blog hop or linky party, you may post a direct link to that. All other links will be edited or removed.
5. One more rule: Have Fun! ;)

Thanks again. Please leave feedback on what we can do to improve this blog hop to make it more fun and beneficial for everyone.

Now let's see if we can't get up to 50!

I couldn't resist sharing...

Thumping Thursdays Blog Hop!

Well since Thursdays are barreling down on the weekend, we thought we'd get ready for what additional fun you may be having... join the blog hop!
I'd be interested to know what fun plans you have for the weekend.
I hope you'll leave me a message and who knows... maybe I'll have another restaurant to write about!






Rules:

1. Follow your host and co-hosts via GFC. It's just polite etiquette. We try to follow everyone who links up but please help us by commenting when you follow. Thanks!
2. Place the badge somewhere on your blog. Side bar, separate tab (like I have), or if you would like to add the linky below to your own post! It gets the word around about the linky, therefore more people link up, getting you more followers! :)
3. This is a blog hop, you have to be involved for it to work. Hop around, make some friends, comment letting them know you are a new follower from the hop, and they'll return the favor. :)
4. One more rule: Have Fun! ;)

Thanks again. Please leave feedback on what we can do to improve this blog hop to make it more fun and beneficial for everyone.

Restaurant 2

If you like Cuban food, never had it but want to try it, try Havana on Clark Street in Chicago. I had never had Cuban food before, but if this is what it is, I am sold! I had the Chimichangas for an appetizer,.... WOW, were they delicious! For my entree, I ordered the salmon which included grilled salmon topped with a tamarind sauce served over jalapeno mashed potaotes. Sounds good? It is!

A live band starts up at around 11:00 and because my date and I were having such a wonderful time and the server was wonderful, we stayed longer, listened to the band and had dessert. The key lime pie was delectable. I would visit this resaurtant over and over again. If you're not particular about fish, they have a nice selection of chicken and other meats. I already have my menu selection selected for my next visit!

Restaurant hopping for my birthday...

Recently I celebrated a birthday and took a long weekend doing so. What fun! I thought I'd give a shout out to the wonderful restaurants that I visited. If you are in Chicago, and you have the opportunity, make it a point of dropping by, if it's your cup of tea so to speak.

My birthday was on a Sunday, but I began on a Thursday. The hubby and I had a wonderful meal at L26 on 26th & State. The food was absolutely, melt in your mouth while your toes are wiggling and you're humming, delicious. I ordered the lamb with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. I don't eat meat often, at all. Usually I eat it no more than 2-3 a year because it makes me feel so heavy, as if I'd eaten an entire turkey. I felt nothing like that. The lamb was so light and juicy and perfectly seasoned; I may eat lamb twice as much, now. The hubby substituted the lamb for salmon which was by far the best I've tasted.

I just couldn't resist telling everyone I can about this restaurant, it is not often that I find really good ones; with excellent service, too! And, to boot, 3 of the 4 restaurants I visited my birthday weekend were excellent. I'll let you in on the other two later... 

Ok, I fell off the wagon... so to speak. My juice fast/raw eating venture fell to the wayside a few days ago. Well, I suppose I did give it a rather hard nudge, (smile). But, as of today, I am back. Fresh ginger tea this morning and juicing for the next 10 days. I felt wonderful for the 2 weeks or so that I juiced and ate raw. On last Friday, I prepared a delicious stuffed green pepper. I stuffed it with sauteed fresh red onion, garlic, and eggplant along with black beans and brown rice. I topped it off with fresh pureed tomatoes, seasoned to perfection. The whole family enjoyed it and didn't miss the meat at all.

I haven't stepped on a scale for a week. I don't feel like crying right now so I'll wait until perhaps Friday, or so, to log my results thus far. After the first week I lost 6 pounds, but nothing but a couple of ounces the next week; although I could see inches disappearing. Until next time...

Anyone else out there having a epiphany about their eating habits or going through a weight loss program? I would love to connect with you.

  It's been super busy for me in the past few weeks. Son came in for college spring break, left for college spring and before, after, and in between, it's been whirlwind crazy for me. But one thing that I realized in all of my running, I am not taking care of myself. I stepped on the scale and went numb. I was the same weight as I was when I was nine months pregnant with my last child and she just turned 4! I couldn't cry, scream, or shout; just numb, I was.
  This was on Monday. Since then I am determined to be better to and for myself. So, I have gone raw. I had given up red meat many years ago and only ate fish and chicken anyway, but now, definitely not any chicken for awhile, if ever. Now, I don't know if this will be a lifetime change, but for the time being I feel a difference in me. I am sleeping better, have more energy, and my sinuses have cleared. The best thing is that in just these few days, I have lost 4 pounds! I am going to attempt to do a juice fast, I don't know how long right now... just one day at a time. I'll keep you posted on my journey and results; my goal is to drop at least 4 pant sizes and at least 60 pounds. Wish me luck and any of your experiences are welcome.