A splendiferous evening

I live a simple life, but I love every minute of it.

When Caleb got home from work this evening, we decided to take Leila and June to the dog park.  The wind was gusting and it was a tad chilly, so we were sure to put their matching puffer vests on.

I always have so much fun taking the dogs to the park.  I think it's important for them to socialize with other dogs and run around without their leashes on.

Leila is just a little bit more enthusiastic about our park visits, though.... Okay, so she's a LOT more enthusiastic.  She runs around excitedly, and June mainly begs to be held.  I think she gets a little overwhelmed by all the activity, but it's good for her to be around other dogs.  Leila definitely makes up for what June lacks in excitement, though - just watch this video!

Clearly, we spend much of our time at the park like this:

We always manage to have a good time, though.

When we got home, I made dinner for Caleb and me, which included baked cod with a garlic and herb marinade, seasoned veggies, and whole grain pasta tossed with a garlic concoction of mine.  We also drank white wine - moscato specifically (it's my favorite).  I heard Jillian Michaels say on a talk show once that one glass of white wine with a meals speeds up your metabolism, so, naturally, the wine was consumed purely for nutritional reasons.  Okay...maybe not, but I DID hear her say that once.  

But here's a legit trick of my own: for being a generally small girl, I have a HUGE appetite.  However, instead of filling myself with large portions of protein and starch, I double up on the veggies.  They're good for you, ya know.

I love anything garlic, so I especially loved the pasta, although I think it was a bit to garlic-y for Caleb's liking. To make your own concoction, follow this simple, adjustable recipe:

dice desired amount of garlic (I used about 3 cloves - like I said, I love garlic, so adjust according to your taste)

combine with about 2 tablespoons of margarine and 3 tablespoons of olive oil (I don't measure - I just guesstimate)

sprinkle in a bit of dried basil and thyme

That's it.  I do all of this (including the dicing) with a Magic Bullet.  It makes things incredibly fast.  And once it's all mixed together, just put atop of some hot noodles, and it melts right in.

I am definitely not a regular calorie counter, but, after doing the calculations, this meal comes in under 600 calories (not including the wine).  Not to mention, it's full of nutrients.  Plus, read about all of the health benefits of garlic here.

While consuming our healthy, delicious meal, we watched Grey's Anatomy on Netflix - our newest television obsession.

And that's what the average evening in this household looks like.  Nothing spectacular, but splendiferous nonetheless.

cami - Forever 21

top - Jones New York, via Ross

cardi - Target, thrifted

jeans - Vera Wang for Kohl's

shoes - Nine West, thifted via Plato's Closet

belt - Fossil, thrifted (brand new with $52 tag - got for $2!)

sunnies - Betsey Johnson, via TJ Maxx