loving lately.

I'll be honest. My life has been stressful lately. Of course, this is relative to my own experiences and not others', but there have been a lot of demands coming from multiple directions. Clinical work, classes, research work, dissertation, wedding planning.... it never stops! There's not enough time in the day! The hard work and busyness shouldn't come as a surprise to a PhD student, but... it hasn't been easy.

Rather than complain and focus on what is not-so-awesome about this situation, however, I thought I'd share what has been awesome lately. What's been getting me through these long weeks. Because there's still a whooole 'lot-a good in my life, that's for sure!

1. Tuesday walks.

Tuesday is the one weekday that I get home early. I'm in the door at 4:30 -- awesome! So, Ryan and I started a Tuesday tradition. I cook an early dinner (the only "real" sit-down dinner I cook some weeks!) then we go on a nice, long 4 to 5-mile walk together. Fortunately, the weather has been perfect and the sunsets beautiful, which I hope lasts for at least a few more weeks. This has quickly become my favorite part of the work week.

2. Weekend eats.

During the week, I have to prep most of my meals ahead of time and they are [mostly] healthy, clean, and.... pretty boring. This is fine because honestly, food isn't my focus on my busy days in the clinic or lab. After all this healthy eating during the week, though, I've been enjoying cooking up more fun and tasty meals on the weekends.

For example: These adorable and delicious bacon egg cups and roasted red potatoes for Saturday breakfast. SO tasty and easy! Quick and easy recipe at the bottom of this post.

3. This shirt that I got on sale at Anthropologie on my birthday. While I love Anthro, it's not exactly in my grad-student budget. I always beeline it to the sale rack, and sometimes I find something pretty awesome! This shirt was on double-sale -- down to $19.99 from $69.99! The back is really low and pretty too. Love! 

4. Popcorn (no, not the healthy/light kind... the buttery kind) and a glass of red wine after a long day.

Let's just leave it at that.

5. Honeymoon planning! I hope it's not wrong that I'm more excited for our honeymoon than our wedding. Don't get me wrong -- I'm ecstatic to be getting married and I think the fact that we get to have a big party with both of our families and all of our closest friends is pretty much the coolest thing on the planet. However, Ryan and I are both pretty private people so the thought of being the center of attention for an entire day is a jussssttt a little nerve-wracking. So there are lots of mixed emotions about the actual wedding -- excitement, anxiety, fear, happiness, nervousness. The honeymoon, on the other hand? One emotion. EXCITEMENT. We've started the planning and booking process and we're going to....

Anguilla! A little 16-mile-long island in the Caribbean near St. Martin. A quiet, remote paradise without much more than powdery white sand, crystal clear water, a few delicious restaurants and some lovely resorts. What else could you need?

Yep, the thought of this 10-day trip can definitely get me through a difficult schedule for the next few months.

6. Boot camp classes at the gym. Finding time to work out on my own is difficult lately. If I can make it to 6am boot camp class on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, though, I'm feeling great! This hour long class is intense and always leaves me feeling sore. I'm happy if I can pair two of these classes with a couple of long walks throughout the week and maybe a couple of quick home workouts if I have time. No, it's not as much as I'd like to do and it's not as much as I used to do... but that's okay. I'll pick up the intensity and frequency of my workouts in the winter and spring when the rest of my life calms down a bit. Priorities are important!

7. This edamame trail mix I found at Costco. Edamame, dried cranberries, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. Yum! I keep a big baggie of it in my work bag and snack on it when afternoon hunger strikes. It's filling, healthy, nutritious, and really tasty.

What gets you through tough days or weeks? It's nice to focus on the positive, as it is usually there :)

Oh, and recipe for those bacon and egg cups below!

Bacon and Egg Cups
For 6 cups

These little guys are all over Pinterest, and for good reason. Easy, simple, delicious!

Ingredients

-6 slices thick-cut bacon

-6 eggs

-Nonstick cooking spray

-Black pepper

-*Optional: scallions; chives; cheese

Directions

-Preheat oven to 350.

-Cook bacon on a skillet or in the oven until it's cooked but before it gets crispy. Drain on paper towels.

-Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

-Arrange one slice of bacon around the perimeter of each cup in the muffin pan. 

-Crack an egg into the center of each cup.

-Sprinkle with course black pepper (and a bit of sea salt, if you'd like, but remember that the bacon is very salty)

-If you'd like, also sprinkle with scallions, chives, or a bit of cheese. 

-Place in the oven for about 15 minutes for nearly set but slightly runny eggs, or 22-25 minutes for set eggs. 

For the roasted red potatoes I served with the bacon and egg cups, simply toss chopped red potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and dried parsley. Spread out evenly on a baking pan and bake in the 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Broil for 2-3 minutes at the end for extra crispiness.