Friday Five: What a woman wants (to eat!)

Happy Friday and happy August, friends!  I hope you've had a great week so far.  It's zipped by and been a pretty darn fun one on my end, weekdays included.  Thanks to the cooler temperatures, I've been on quite a baking kick.  And, on a slightly related note, I've been doing lots of running.  I've started incorporating more hills and speed intervals into my workouts, and it makes such a difference.  I'm extra sweaty (TMI, sorry!) and feel like I'm getting more bang for my buck.  Super satisfying!

This weekend, Matt and I are staying around here with no firm plans and lots of "want to do" things on our minds, like a trip to the mall to spend some birthday cash and a mystery date night.  The mystery is because I'm planning something  of which Matt knows nothing.  Sneaky!  We wanted to squeeze in a date before he heads to the beach for a guys trip next week.

I'll surely miss him, but I'm going to treat myself to some fun things while he's gone: quality time with girlfriends, yoga, walking just for the sake of walking (do all guys hate that?!) and stocking up on some foods that I love and he hates.   It's not that I don't eat these things when he's here; I merely have alternatives at home or enjoy them out at restaurants.  But, while he's kicking back with the guys and eating only pizza, wings, and beer for a week, I'm going to indulge myself.  Without further ado, here are my top five foods that I cannot wait to sink my teeth into next week!

1. Watermelon, arugula, and goat cheese salad - This is, hands down, my most favorite summer dish!  Fresh, colorful, and so tasty.  It's so good that I can eat and enjoy it in total silence without needing the TV on for background noise.  (Yes, we are totally a TV-on-at-dinner home.  Guilty.)  As far as the rest of the watermelon?  I will eat the entire thing and love every single bite of it.

2. Cantaloupe - Yup, another delicious melon.  That man just doesn't know what he's missing.  For breakfast, I'm going to enjoy an edible bowl with cottage cheese and blueberries.  Later, I'll slice the cantaloupe and wrap it with salty melt-in-your-mouth proscuitto for dinner.

3. Steamed broccoli - Matt has quite a range of feelings when it comes to broccoli.  He loves it raw, tolerates it roasted, and loathes it steamed.  I like it both raw and roasted, but love love lurve it steamed.  I could (and have, many times) eaten an entire plate of it, plain.  However, I have visions of said plate, full of broccoli, topped with a homemade cheese sauce.  TBD ;)

4. Blueberry & brie grilled cheese sandwich - To those I've mentioned this, reactions have been divided; some are excited and intrigued, while others are downright horrified.  This features two of Matt's culinary no-nos: fruit in entrees, and brie.  I'm using this as my inspiration, though I may add some chicken for heft.  Fingers crossed!  If it's a success, chances are I'll be sharing the recipe with you in the near future.

5. Sarris ice cream sundae - To be clear, Matt does love and enjoy ice cream, but, he just can't appreciate an ice cream sundae with all sorts of toppings quite like I can.  When we've gone to Sarris in the past, he's ordered -- you better sit down for this -- a vanilla milkshake.  A freakin' vanilla milkshake!  At the most glorious ice cream parlor this side of the Mississippi, the man orders the most plain item on the menu.  "I like what I like," he always says.  At some time while he's away, I will visit Sarris, alone or accompanied, and slowly and joyfully enjoy a sundae of peanut butter cookie dough ice cream, marshmallow topping, whipped cream, and a cherry.  Cannot wait!

Are there certain foods that you love while your significant other or family loathes?  Get some of it, whatever it may be, this weekend and we can treat ourselves together.  Have a magnificent weekend! :)