Our Weekend + Laughing Cow (Review)

Our weekend was out of this world. We rarely have babysitting, so we took full advantage of the time my in-laws gave us to get out and do things adults do around town. And we were lucky to have our weekend extended by a snow day on Monday. There are certainly tough parts of living on a teacher + tenuous freelance salary, but family time isn’t one of them.

Friday night Stephen and I ran 3 miles together in negative wind chills and snow drifts. We had hoped to go farther, but the wind was seriously brutal, so it was just nice to get out for a bit. Then we dressed up as much as we could (brrrr) and went to one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. I indulged in a girly martini, a brie platter appetizer, a huge veggie burger with sweet potato fries, and -- of course -- dessert, which was a delicious vegan peanut butter pie.

Saturday I had plans with my friend Elisabeth. We headed to this local antique market to look for home decor and other random items. I think we found more weird stuff than we had imagined. I ended up finding a nice spring coverlet for our bed . . . and this stuff:


Then Stephen and I went to see American Sniper. I get there’s criticism about this movie. That it left out a lot and presented the “enemy” as one-dimensional, etc. At the same time, I also don’t know if the time allowed for deeper development since the focus was more on Chris Kyle versus the war itself. I’m conflicted. Anyway, I thought it was quite good, albeit upsetting at many points. (What did you think?) We also checked out a local brewery and ate our favorite grilled pizza.

Then Sunday we both got in some running before the big storm. Afterward, I suggested we try out the cross-country skis our friends gave us over the summer. It was so much fun! My in-laws had to leave before the storm hit, so we cooked during Ada’s nap so we could have treats for the Super Bowl. The end of that game was sort of nuts, right?

Monday = snow day. We bundled up early and pulled Ada around on the sled for a few miles (I clipped on the skis again). Then we mostly organized and cleaned to get ready for the week. And here we are today with a 2-hour delay. Only problem this time is that Ada’s preschool is closed. Grr.

LAUGHING COW

Laughing Cow sent me some of their cheese wedges to try in exchange for a review + healthy recipe, and I was happy to oblige. I used to buy their original Swiss cheese wedges when I worked my desk job because I’d keep crackers at my desk. They spread so easily! Being familiar with the product already, I was excited to try the new flavor -- Spicy Pepper Jack -- as well as one I hadn’t had before -- Garlic + Herb.

Here’s how I reinvented one of my favorite snacks using the cheese, which has less than half the calories of the mayo I’d usually use in this recipe. The finished deviled eggs are incredible. They have a HUGE kick to them -- and you guys know how much I loved my hardboiled eggs for quick, portable protein!

// SPICY DEVILED EGGS

You need:

• 2 hardboiled eggs
• 1 Pepper Jack wedge
• Teaspoon water
• Paprika

Method:

1. Slice eggs in half, gently remove the yolks and place in a bowl.
2. Add the cheese wedge to the bowl and blend with a fork.
3. Add a couple teaspoons of water and keep blending until you reach a creamy consistency.
4. Scoop filling back into eggs.
5. Sprinkle with paprika.

How was your weekend? 

And have you tried Laughing Cow?

The Laughing Cow® provided me with product and a $50 gift card for this review. However, thoughts and opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of the brand.

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Simple Pleasures, no. 3

SRIRANCHA* EGG SALAD

• 2 slices of homemade bread, toasted
• 2 hardboiled eggs
• A couple tablespoons ranch dressing
• A few squirts Sriracha sauce
• Black pepper, to taste

* Thanks to @lyndseyf412 on Instagram for giving this awesome sauce a name!

// Just mash together the eggs, dressing, and sauce until they form familiar egg salad consistency. Spread atop your toast. Sprinkle your black pepper. Enjoy!

Here are 5 more ways to eat protein perfect hardboiled eggs.

(Simple pleasures no. 1: Cheesy Toasted Bagel, no. 2: Roasted Apple For One)

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Hardboiled Eggs // Portable Protein

I have this wild love affair with eggs, especially hardboiled eggs.

I can't get enough + here's why.

Every week I boiled a dozen using the Martha Stewart Cooking School method: Place 12 eggs in a large stock pot. Cover with 1 inch of cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Take off heat, cover with a lid, and set a timer for 13 minutes. Then drain and put in an ice bath (or just cold water).

It's so easy.


I put them -- shells still in tact -- in an airtight container in the fridge. Peel them when I want to nutritious snack. I often eat them plain or chopped on salads, like in this Mommy + Me Meal I posted last week. Absolutely delicious. Over the years, I've come up with a lot of other tasty uses for this awesomely portable protein.

#1: Avocado Egg Salad

This Avocado Egg Salad recipe is by far one of my favorite lunch options. It has an amazing mix of good fats, protein, and deliciousness that sustain me through the afternoons. If you're vegan and skipping over most of this post, I can offer you my egg-free version of this recipe: Tofu Avocado Salad -- incredible in its own way.

#2: Mayo-Less Egg Salad

I wrote this Mayo-Less Egg Salad recipe by request many years back. Some of you, understandably, hate mayonnaise! I always did, too. In fact, I often use Vegenaise when I make standard egg salad. But tahini + mustard is another interesting substitute worth trying.

#3: Guacamole Deviled Eggs

I made these Guacamole Deviled Eggs for a 4th of July party this year, and I've been hooked on them ever since. Very much like the egg salad spread above, just in a different package. I like to season ours with smoked paprika for extra flavor.

#4: Sandwich Topper

You can also skip all the sauces and seasonings and slice your hardboiled eggs directly into sandwiches. Here's a pretty comprehensive list of the sandwich recipes we've posted over the years. I'd say eggs would work well with veggie-based creations, like this Open-Faced Portabella Sandwich or even Caprese Sandwich.

#5: Soup Dipper

I've never tried this personally, but I've seen hardboiled eggs tossed into soups. It's sort of like a garnish, if you will. Skeptical? I don't blame you. But check out this cold Tomato-Almond Soup with hardboiled eggs. It looks good to me!


Pssst: Today was Ada's FIRST DAY of Preschool! Read about how it went, see some cute photos (if I do say so myself!), and find out why I freaked out a bit right before dropping her off.

Like what you just read? Browse more of our posts + recipes on Pinterest. You can subscribe to the feed of these posts or follow us on Twitter or Facebook to be the first to know what the (never home)makers are up to. And we’ll love you forever!

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