Healthy Living Summit

This weekend I had the privilege of attending the Healthy Living Summit here in Chicago. Friday afternoon we checked into our hotel, the Congress Plaza.


I couldn't wait to pick up my 'swag bag'!



They were so generous! Lots of goodies!

Hubby enjoyed some of the treats with me..


Friday night I attended the cocktail party at LaSalle Power Co and met a few of my favorite bloggers. It was so nice being surrounded by other women who share the same passion!


Gina and Sabrina

Heather, Alison, Kristie and Stacey

And Paige!

Saturday I was up bright and early ready for the summit to begin with breakfast at 8am. The spread of food was unbelievable. They had an oatmeal bar set up with all the fixings, tons of fresh berries, yogurt, bagel things, muffins, and more! Its safe to say I ate all day long. Just warning you.

I wish I had pictures of the actual summit, but my camera is filled with only food pictures!

Lunch was amaaaaazing. They had wonderful vegetarian options and I was like a kid in a candy store.

I can't wait to try to re-create the quinoa dish, it was so refreshing and delicious.



And moving onto snack time...


Gina generously brought her famous raw macaroons for the attendees and also handed out samples of Garlic Gold. Mmmmm....macaroons. They were perfectly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.

Athenos sponsored our snack time. Holy vegetable!

Check out the cucumber roll stuffed with hummus! How creative, these would be perfect for a party.


After the summit, Andrea and I got some fresh air and walked Michigan Ave. We stopped at The Purple Pig for a glass of vino. I really loved this place - everything on the menu looked delicious and they had an extensive wine list.




We finished up at the Pig and took a cab to our next stop - Chicago Curry House.


Baigan Bharta

Chana Masala

This was our first Indian feast and I am in love!!!!! Indian food = delicious.

Right now I'm enjoying a 100% organic farmer's market dinner. I wasn't too hungry from all the treats this weekend so I threw heirloom tomatoes, green pepper, and raw corn together with a dash of salt and pepper.


Its safe to say I am exhausted and am looking forward to going to bed early tonight. Monday tomorrow! Boo!

How was your weekend?

Have you ever had Indian food?

Check out this article I found on great sources of vegetarian protein.

Goodnight!

Farmer's market!!

Right now I'm munching on the most delicious local blueberries. Yesterday was Thursday which means it was my farmer's market day. They had a few more options this time, even came across a couple early season tomatoes... I was ecstatic. The big cucumbers remind me of my mom in the kitchen making pickles when I was girl. Boo! I wish I had some right now. I'll be juicing these babies.



These baby cucumbers are the best! They have a mild, sweet flavor. I chomped one on the way home!

I also picked up green leaf lettuce, broccoli, and zucchini. I was talking to one of the farmers and noticed her sign said they were from Dakota, IL...which is about 20 minutes from where I grew up! What a small world! I was so excited to chat with her and a big plus was she was the only farmer I saw who's produce was certified organic.

His & Her salads. Shout out to my veggie loving husb. <3>

Also wanted to let you know this is the best chocolate that has ever been made, EVER. That is all.

Beet, cucumber, lettuce, carrots, apple, lemon, and ginger juice. On the Rocks. This was my breakfast this morning...sounds crazy but this juice kept me filled up for 4+ plus hours. In my old juicing days, I always was amazed I wouldn't get hunger pains but seriously, the juice is just so good for you, your body is so content and doesn't need anything else! Perfect meal right there!

What are your plans for this weekend? Tomorrow I'm going to a 'princess party' with my sister and 2 nieces. I hear there may be a bouncy house in the front yard. Which is where you will find ME!

Bye!! xoxo