I thought I’d take a little break from the Chicago posts for a dose of reality. I actually do have a little more Chicago to share with you later this week, especially our multi-course, multi-hour dinner at RPM Italian! 😉 But for today, here is how I transition from a weekend of splurge back to normal life.

I arrived home late on Sunday and swung by the grocery to grab a rotisserie chicken and some fresh veggies. I roasted the kale and broccoli while I got settled in and showered.

I managed to get myself out of bed and to my yoga mat for an early class on Monday morning. My body needed it very badly after two days of walking and running all over Chicago. My legs were all kinds of tight. A green smoothie was calling my name when I got home. I had a slice of paleo banana bread with peanut butter on the side.

I went to Whole Foods for lunch and made a salad. I have been kind of over Whole Foods for the last couple of months and this salad didn’t do a lot to change that. I got done with work a little earlier than usual and found myself with time to get a ton done last night. I took one of our personal trainer’s circuit training classes that kicked my booty and then came home and unpacked, cleaned the house, did laundry and cooked dinner. It was such a nice Monday evening.

Dinner looks random but tasted amazing. Trust me on this one. I used leftovers from Sunday night dinner to make a deconstructed casserole of sorts. I layered couscous, broccoli, mushrooms, peas and chicken and then topped it off with a gravy featuring nutritional yeast that I have loved since eating it at a restaurant in Athens when I was in college. This stuff is addicting and makes anything exponentially more delicious. The recipe is in this post.

I taught and took hot yoga this morning. Before class I had more paleo banana bread with peanut butter and then after class I had a banana and a kombucha for potassium, electrolytes and probiotics!

I went home for lunch today and made a salad using the last of the rotisserie chicken (it was the dinner that kept on giving!). This salad was so much better than what I ate at Whole Foods yesterday. Spinach, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, avocado, walnuts, dried cranberries, goat gouda and chicken with homemade honey mustard made with Greek yogurt, light mayo, Dijon mustard and honey.

Now, if only I could stop eating these… 😯 So good and so addictive!