I took yesterday off of blogging since we were busy visiting with family and then traveling and as a result I feel behind. Lots to catch you up on!

First of all, I hope everyone is having a fun July 4th weekend! We’ve enjoyed being able to spend part of the weekend with family and now being back in Charlotte for the rest of it – feels like two weekends in one! 😛

So diving in and catching up…

My grandmother requested that I make the same dinner Friday night that I cooked last time I visited a few weeks ago. So into the skillet went chicken, asparagus, baby portobellos, zucchini, onions, grape tomatoes, garlic, chicken stock, pasta and Alouette Garlic and Herb Cheese.

I topped my pasta with a few leftover sauteed shrimp and a sprinkle of parmesan. I love this dinner creation. I need to actually post the recipe for it because it is extra delicious!

I braved the middle Georgia heat for another run Saturday morning. I fueled with a piece of Great Harvest Cinnamon Raisin Walnut toast with peanut butter, honey and banana and then hit the road. It was 80 degrees when I started my run and 85 when I finished with humidity in full force. I knocked out five super sweaty miles.

While I was gross and sweaty I decided to take Sullie outside for a little Furmination. Golden retrievers, while ridiculously cute, require a tolerance for shedding and a dedication to grooming. Look at how much hair I got with the Furminator! Guys, if you have a dog that sheds a lot, you must get a Furminator. They are worth the money!

Clearly she’s blowing her winter coat right now. I could probably go Furminate her again right now and get just as much hair!

I was so hot after my run and dog grooming activity that I wanted something light and refreshing for lunch. I decided on a salad and Greek yogurt and fruit. Salad = mixed greens, avocado, grape tomatoes, diced apple, dried cranberries and shaved parmesan with homemade honey balsamic vinaigrette.

Plain Greek yogurt, banana, raspberries and blueberries. I ended up giving this a drizzle of honey and a dollop of peanut butter (just can’t leave it alone! ;)).

Before we got on the road back to Charlotte we cut open the HUGE watermelon that we picked up from a truck on the side of the road on Friday.

No really, bigger than my head! This thing must have weighed 20 pounds! (Maybe I’m exaggerating but it was really, really heavy!)

I’m so happy that my grandmother suggested that we pick up a watermelon because it was so good and really hit the spot. Nothing says Fourth of July weekend like a watermelon!

What is your favorite July 4th food?