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Happy Monday! I hope all my mommas (of babies and animals!) had a happy Mother’s Day weekend!

dogs sunbathing

These lazies didn’t get me anything but we did have a really nice weekend! 😉

jen decurtins

On Friday night I got dressed for a dinner party at a friend’s house with a big group of yogis.

South Indian-style dinner party

It was a homemade South Indian style dinner. Our hosts spent all day prepping for the party. We left our shoes at the door and then cozied up on the floor at one long table with lots of pillows to sit on.

South Indian-style food spread

The food spread was fantastic and included dishes like eggplant curry, cucumber raita, cabbage thoran, a carrot salad, various chutneys, a green soup, bhindi okra curry, parrota flat breads, rice and more.

Bhindi Okra Curry

Here’s a close up of the okra curry.

South Indian-Style Fried Okra

And a fried okra appetizer that we had that was awesome. The okra were sliced very thin, fried and then sprinkled with lime juice and sea salt.

South Indian-Style Meal

My plate. I loved the relaxed style of the dinner. All of the dishes were mismatched along with a mix of various cloth napkins.

Chocolate Truffles

We ended the night by passing around trays of sweets. I couldn’t get enough of these dark chocolate coconut oil truffles.

North Carolina Strawberries

On Saturday morning I got up and headed to the farmers market. I got a half-gallon of these lovely local strawberries along with eggs, meats and veggies from my favorite farmers.

Herb container garden

I also bought a selection of herbs and spent Saturday afternoon planting an herb garden on the back porch. I planted oregano, cilantro, thyme, parsley, basil and mint. I feel hopeful about all of my herbs minus the cilantro and parsley. For whatever reason I always struggle with keeping them alive. I would love any herb gardening tips that you may have. I am trying a sunnier spot this year and I’m trying to switch to a morning watering schedule instead of evenings. I read that some herbs don’t like going to bed with wet soil (high maintenance!). I’m also keeping my fingers crossed that Zoey doesn’t decide to eat or dig into my plants.

I may try for a few other things like tomatoes, peppers, etc. in a small container garden. I have a great sunny spot for it. Stay tuned!

5.9party

I got a massage on Saturday night and then stopped by a friend’s house to celebrate her birthday.

Fire pit

It was a great night for taking the party outside so we gathered around a fire pit for conversation and wine.

Egg and avocado toast with smoked salmon and sauerkraut

I headed home around 10 p.m. and made myself egg and avocado toast topped with smoked salmon and sauerkraut. Sounds weird, tasted delicious! (As did the dulce de leche cake I brought home with me!)

Scrambled egg tacos in lacinto kale leaves with mashed sweet potatoes and berries

We slept in until 9 on Sunday and then I made us brunch. I made breakfast tacos in lacinto kale leaves. I scrambled together eggs, mushrooms, spinach and peppers and then topped it off with salsa. Sweet potato bowls and mixed berries and mint on the side.

After breakfast we took the girls for a long walk. I love going for walks, especially with company!

5.9kitchenclean

(Snapchat: JenDeCurtins)

Then I got the extra intense cleaning bug and started pulling everything out of the cabinets in the kitchen. We vacuumed and wiped everything down and then I reorganized all of our pantry items. I also cleaned the bathrooms, mopped the floors, cleaned windows and doors, wiped down baseboards, etc. Felt so good!

I ran to the studio to teach my 4 p.m. class and then ran back home. It was a great way to get an easy run and some exercise in!

Kale and Spinach Salad at Wolfgang Puck Kitchen + Bar

My fiance had to work again on Saturday night so we had another Sunday date night. We went to dinner at Wolfgang Puck Kitchen + Bar. We shared this spinach and kale salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, farro, goat cheese and green goddess dressing.

Mushroom and Truffle Cream Pizza at Wolfgang Puck Kitchen + Bar

And then split this mushroom and truffle cream pizza. It came topped with a sunny side up egg.

5.9pizza2

This was my first pizza post-Whole30 (I don’t think I’ve gone so long without eating pizza in my entire life!) and I savored every amazing bite. YUM!

Captain America: Civil War

We ended the evening at the movies where we saw Captain America: Civil War. My fiance loves the Avengers so I’ve watched all of the movies with him. I really like them too! (And always a sucker for anything Robert Downey Jr.)

Off to tackle the week! Hope y’all had a great weekend too!

How did you celebrate Mother’s Day? 

Any container gardening tips? 

Any good eats to share from the weekend? Indian food + cake + pizza was a winning combo for me! 🙂

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