Friday, May 27, 2011

Picnic Perfect and Comment Help

We’ve made it through. Yes, we’ve made it to Friday. By now you might be thinking, actually….scratch that. You're probably not thinking. You’ve thought too much this week. But that’s not all….
  • you’ve either worked too hard or not enough
  • you’ve studied till the wee hours of the night or crammed last minute
  • you’ve worked out everyday or not all
  • you’ve practiced good eating habits or thrown them out the window
  • you’ve had runner’s high or struggled to get out the door
  • you’ve been 10 minutes early or 10 minutes late
  • you’ve stayed cool and collected or stressed to the max
  • Either way------> you’ve survived!
We’ve all had these weeks. Ones that leave us feeling stronger and ones that may have depleted us a little too much. But no matter what type of week we’ve had, our minds still need to decompress.

So here’s to A LONG weekend. Our chance to break free from routine, to recharge, to reboot. A weekend away from the desk, away from the computer, away from any weekly obligations, etc.

Maybe it will go a little like this….
  • A movie night with friends or family
  • A Saturday full of exploring
  • A long run or a ride in the sun
  • A date night with a cutie
  • A brunch or coffee date with old friends
  • A nap on a lazy afternoon
  • A trip to the farmers market just for samples
  • A slow quiet Sunday morning
  • A Sunday sermon that touches your heart.
  • A Holiday picnic in the park
  The Perfect Picnic Sandwich

Protein Rich Devil Egg Salad

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P1010039

Ingredients
  • 2 Hard Boiled Egg
  • 1/4 cup Cottage Cheese (I use Daisy brand, it has the best texture and very creamy)
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
  • black pepper and sea salt
  • dash of paprika
  • Favorite bread (I used Udi’s GF bread but I think Pita would also be lovely)
  • cucumber or romaine lettuce to add crunch
  • And the secret ingredient- 1 tsbp Thousand Island or French Dressing – Organic Ville Make a great Gluten and Dairy free dressing.
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Directions
  • slice up your eggs and empty out the yolk into a separate bowl. Add the cottage cheese, dressing, and remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Layer it onto your bread, add the sliced egg whites, and romaine/cucumber. DONE!
  • For an extra kick, add in jalapenos. To make it even more savory, butter your bread before. Now that’s how grandma did it!
Since I felt like a kid eating this sandwich the other day, I decided to even it out with a beer!
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Now that’s what I call a perfect picnic…..for a man! 'Winking smile


I truly hope that WE can take advantage of the time we have this weekend.
Time to decompress, yes, but also to count our blessings, to feel like a kid again, to SAVOR our freedom.

How do you spend your weekends?

Cheers,
LC

p.s.
I am trying out the INTENSE DEBATE comment thread. Many people said they could not comment before on my posts, so PLEASE let me know if you are now able to and if you like this better. K?

p.p.s
and now I've lost all the comments that were left from earlier today, so I apologize if yours is gone, ugh. Will be working on restoring a comment thread this weekend. SHEESH!

58 comments:

Emma (Sweet Tooth Runner) said...

AGain, one of your AMAZING posts speaks to me! I've had to deal with a LOT of that stuff this week, but I'm going to take it easier this weekend and coming week and just remember to count my blessings:) And most of all, I'm looking forward to that Sunday sermon that puts everything in perspective! Why can't every day be Sunday?!

P.S. I'm not seeing an Intense Debate commenting system, I'm seeing a Blogger one...? Don't know if that's just me though!

Have an AMAZING weekend with the Hubs Linds! Love you!!

Eden said...

My and technology are not friends, esp when it pertains to blogging. If knew anything about these sorta things I'd be the most popular blogger on the planet! But life is unfair and I know nothing about intense debate or anything like that. My jaw drops evertime I manage to publish a post. But enough about my incapabilites....

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Jenni said...

Mmm going to try that sandwich! Enjoy your weekend!

Unknown said...

I want to go on a picnic!!! Love the use of cottage cheese in place of mayo--i usually use greek yogurt, but it'd be nice to switch it up and add a little more texture

Anonymous said...

Yummm! I'm so going to make this! You are such a genius!! How do spend my weekends? usually thinking non stop about training.. Sad I know :)

Pure2raw Twins said...

Yay for end of the week!!! And a long weekend :) Definitely a time for us to relax and get some chores done... and enjoy a few extra drinks :) Have a wonderful weekend beautiful!

lindsay cotter said...

well, we're back to square 1

Tri-Living...Together said...

Yummm! I'm so going to make this! You are such a genius!! How do spend my weekends? usually thinking non stop about training.. Sad I know :)

Jenni said...

Mmm going to try that sandwich! Enjoy your weekend!

lindsay cotter said...

oh go for it! ;)

lindsay cotter said...

oh that would work too. I like the texture of CC but I know a lot grosse out haha.

lindsay cotter said...

oh yes, I just had my glass of wine.
;)

lindsay said...

yea!!

Longchelsea25 said...

Hey girl I have had a little trouble commenting on your posts so I hope this works!  Yes a long week it has been, and when it ends and Friday comes the thinking stops.  My weekend will consist of some well needed family time.  The man is out at the cabin for a bachelor weekend so it's my time for the weekend.  Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!!

lindsay cotter said...

yes, it works!! yea.! I hope you enjoy your down time. SOme good solitude time
and family time!
Cheers.
 
Lindsay




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Dairyfreebetty said...

I hope this works!!  Our weekends are mostly boring!  :)  We are in a weird place with friends these days, they are either into the drinking scene still or have small babies, so we don't spend much time with friends, plus I have been sick with a nasty cold and a sore back, so hopefully this weekend we will have some more fun!! 

I miss cottage cheese!!!!!!!!!!! :) 

lindsay cotter said...

I had to switch back to the disqus version. Oh well, at least I can comment to
you! Weeee!!! 

We are in the same place with our friends, kind of in the middle. Its okay, at
least we have our hubs as our best friends, right?
 
Lindsay




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Christine said...

Definitely bookmarking this recipe!

lindsay cotter said...

oh let me know if you little ones like it too!
:P
 
Lindsay



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Red Velvet Life said...

Mmm your sandwich looks delish! Hope you have a fabulous weekend of celebration! 

Tara said...

WOO HOO LONG WEEKEND! Egg salad sounds so good right now. I'm gonna have a picnic on the beach tomorrow after my race and that would be perfect!!
I had trouble commenting for a while, but I switched computers and it seems to work fine since then. I'm not sure what the issue was.

lindsay cotter said...

oh man, that would be great at the beach post race. And you need a cold drink to
go along with it! Have a great race!!
 
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

oh I wish you were in TX for the long weekend. BBQ galore! haha.
 
Lindsay




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trisha*n said...

I love the hard boiled eggs with cottage cheese! I hadn't thought of that. And thanks for the post, I needed it. I'm ready to recharge and push forward next week! Have an awesome weekend

Rachel @ zealous & delicious said...

wooooo FOR EGGS! Egg salad is also really good made with hummus, if you've never tried it.
I've never thought to use cottage cheese so I'm definitely going to try that.
I've been reading your blog for a while now, but I actually just made my own yesterday so, I'm finally commenting! 

Teabagginit said...

what a great idea to put cottage cheese in an egg salad!  i've seen yogurt but never cottage cheese!  yeah!  :)

Shannon said...

I usually spend my weekends working... so, generally, my weekend starts mid-week! Either way, this past week had definitely been a week in which I can count my blessings!

By the way, I'm beginning to quite like Udi's. The only thing I don't like is that, to me, the pieces seem so small for so many calories...

RunToTheFinish said...

i definitely let too much work stress take over this week and am fully prepared to unwind joyfully this weekend!!  I am also planning to make your egg salad!

lindsay cotter said...

oh good! embrace every minute it of it friend! And let me know how you like the
salad.
Cheers!
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

I am so glad you are able to find those little blessings, they really make the
week that much better. And yes, sometimes Udi's pieces are small. haha, I
totally agree. But for me, I'll take the calories for that quality of GF
product. You should try the brown rice tortillas from Food for Life. They are
huge! more bang for your buck there.
:)
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

cottage cheese is just a little saltier and thicker, ya know? I like that! let
me know if you try it!
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

oh thats wonderful Rachel! can't wait to check it out. And I'd love for anyone
to comment, no pressure to have a blog. But i am glad you started one. YAY!

Lindsay Cotter
Nutrition Manager & Fitness Consultant
lyndzut@sbcglobal.net   
www.cottercrunch.com




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Cara Craves... said...

Happy weekend! Your tentative plans sound great.  Not too sure what I will get up to, it won't stop raining here.  Maybe some more baking?

Kath (My Funny Little Life) said...

My weekend has started with a 12 hours sleep. :D (No, not really, as I couldn't sleep most of the time, but I just stayed in bed. :D)

My mom would love that egg salad! Eggs and cottage cheese are two of her favorite foods, and she also likes egg salad a lot. :)

Sable@SquatLikeALady said...

OOooh I love this recipe! =) yay!! No cottage cheese for me but I think I'll continue using Veganaise and add in the nooch and thousand island dressing -- GREAT idea! I've been using veganaise and mustard and it's been missing that little extra something ;-)

Love how you started this post with all the either/ors -- made me feel pretty durn good about my week! =)

lindsay cotter said...

what about tofu ricotta instead? That would be tasty too! Check this out!
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/sidevegetabledishes/r/tofuricotta.htm
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

oh that makes me so happy! you needed that for sure. I hope you get to enjoy
some "kath" time this weekend as well.

:P
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

i think more baking would be perfect. Are you back in Canada or Overseas again?
Either way, I hope you have a lovely weekend relaxing!
 
Lindsay



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Jenny Houlahan said...

Hiya :)

Your'e so right that weeks always tend to by way too much or not enough. It really can be such a hard balance to find especially between enjoying (and being challenged by) work and having enough time for family, friends, and ourselves.

I love a lot of the weekend activities you mentioned. For me what I need most to make a relaxing weekend complete is:

Date night at my one of our favorite neighborhood BYOB's
A few sunny walks along Lake Michigan with our pup
Grocery shopping (hopefully with a stop at the Farmer's Market)
Couple Great morning workouts, don't necessarily have to be long
Relaxing breakfast
movie night
Skyping with my family
and just spending time enjoying each other's company

Hope you have a weekend full of all of your favorites! :)

Emilia Miller said...

Mmmm, that sandwich looks absolutely amazing!  I love that the egg salad doesn't contain mayo, ick.  Mayo makes me gag, as with the ingredient list.  I'll have to try this one out, as I need more vegetarian sandwich ideas.  Love the addition of nooch and thousand island dressing :) You're so creative!

lindsay cotter said...

oh totally try it out. I was trying to think of a way to make it dairy free too.
Maybe a tofu ricotta or something. I bet you'd be good at creating something
like that.
Have a great weekend lovely lady.
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

oh how lovely. I wish I could join you in a few of those....like the lake
michigan walks. So beautiful! Enjoy and soak up the relaxation!
 
Lindsay




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Nicole said...

Hey Lindsay!! Alittle while back you aked me for my blog address but I didnt have one at the time, however, I have one now and wanted to see if you could check it out! its newbalancenicole.wordpress.com :) I would love for any advice you ever want to give and hope you like it! I love following your blog and put you on my blog roll....hope thats ok! thanks for inspiring me to start my own blog!

lindsay cotter said...

Oh I am so excited for you! What a great journey this will be. Thanks for
sharing Nicole.

 
Lindsay



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Suzanne @WorkoutNirvana said...

Awww I love the recipe! I don't usually like cottage cheese but would eat that! And yes I hope to do a few of those things and more. Love the ole traditional picnicky start of summer =)

lindsay cotter said...

oh finally, you left your email. Now I can stalk you for days. haha. But really,
this sandwich is great post workout too. Mmmm, protein!

Have a great weekend Suzanne.
 
Lindsay Cotter



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Blonde Ponytail said...

I can comment, but I didn't have any problems before! :)  DELISH sammy...sounds like you had a busy week...which means your life is very full, yes?! :)

Lisakthrives said...

The sandwich looks so good---perfect picnic food!  My weekends are so variable, depending on what I need to do for work, what races Joe is doing, and if my nephew is going to be around....occasionally I get one that is totally relaxing, and I love it!  I don't have much for this weekend, which is good because I think I need to ease back into reality from vacation.

Hope you have a super duper wonderful and relaxing weekend!

Roserunner said...

phew.  I had been COMMENTING EVERY DAY, and it was never working.  Just kidding ;)  I'm not that good of a commenter.  But, it's true, I was prevented a couple of times from getting my wise words in.  this looks groovy, I want this commenting system

Raina @ Small Town Runner said...

Still looks like disqus to me.? I just would like to figure out how to get my picture to show up. :)

I like egg salad....wish everyone else did in my house!

We enjoyed a couples thing last night. So much fun.
Hope you are having a great weekend, Lindsay!! Are you having a race weekend??

lindsay cotter said...

no racing this weekend. the hubs leaves in a few days for a couple races oer the
enxt few weeks so we're soaking up that time. There is a major triathlon here on
monday and we have a few clients/athletes racing so we'll go watch! Fun. Whats
next for you?
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

I thought you were an obsessive commentor and was missing your comments. I was
getting worried! (like my sarcasm?). Glad you can finally comment, well,
whenever you want to. You must READ the WHOLE post though. haha!

Have a great weekend friend.
 
Lindsay




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Sara @ Nourish and Flourish said...

I hope you've had a restful and restorative weekend, Lindsay! Thanks so much for reminding me to slow down and savor the simple moments...I love coming to your blog because your thoughtful words always help me recenter and refocus. <3

Adding cottage cheese and thousand island dressing to egg salad is a brilliant idea! I actually have eggs boiling right now, so I'll be giving this combo a try this week!

Happy Memorial Day! xoxo

lindsay cotter said...

oh yay!! let me know how it turns out. And savor the rest of your day friend.
 
Lindsay




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Jennifer Laughlin said...

oof soooo speaking of comments I need some advice from ya when you have furrreee time! =) since you're a pro and all ;) mwah!

lindsay cotter said...

oh thats funny, no pro here but I'll be glad to do what I can to help
:)
 
Lindsay



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smriti kirubanandan said...

Haha..I always go to India and stock up with weird cravings and come back and distribute among people here-I am sure they think I was planning on a hibernation.
  and yumm!!your eats look great!! Hope you continue GF loading :)

lindsay cotter said...

oh the next time you go to India, I am requesting some goodies!
 
Lindsay




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