Vegging-Up For my Birthday Fiesta

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Bring on the vegetables, baby!

Happy Happy Friday night! I’m spending my rockin’ Friday night “vegging up” and “vegging out.” Why? Because tomorrow night, it’s my annual New York birthday fiesta (my birthday is Thursday but I have a busy work week and zero time to celebrate). This will be my third birthday in NYC, and I plan on celebrating it the exact same way I celebrated the first two:

 

 

 

Dinner with some close friends at my favorite restaurant in the city, Diablo Royale:

Last year's Fiesta Sometimes Healthy at Diablo Royale

The staff made me a birthday "margarita" shot...

I drank just "a couple" of Ricky's - Diablo's signature beer-margarita drink. Michelle lectured me 😉

Out for drinks at my favorite bar in the city:

 

From my first b-day extravaganza...just 3 months after I moved to NYC!

And maybe a little bit of late-night dancing.

After-hours dancing...

I know that New York is full of amazing restaurants and bars, and I should probably take my birthday as an opportunity to try out some of these great places…But what can I say? I know what I like 🙂

The bar was “passed down to me” by my older brother who has been going there for 7 years, since he first moved to NYC. AND, the bartender is from Nebraska.

Village Tavern...where everybody knows your naaaaame

Thus, it’s pretty much like an episode of Cheers every time I go there – if Cheers took place at a hole-in-the-wall bar full of drunken 23-26 year-old boys in polo shirts and an equal amount of girls in high heels and short skirts (I’m a bit too old for at it this point, but it’s fun every now and then).

Vegging-Up

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that things are likely to get pretty loco for this Sometimes Healthy Girl at tomorrow’s fiesta. I’m definitely past my party girl days, but every now and then, a girl’s got to let her hair down. Thus, like a runner carbs up to fuel her body for a big race, today, I decided to “Veg-Up” for my night of indulgences tomorrow. I figured I’ll feel a little better eating and drinking to my heart’s content if I eat mucho healthy the day before. I won’t likely have any veggies tomorrow, and my only fruit will be in margarita form, so I focused on wholesome foods today.

For dinner, I prepared a quick little casserole using my favorite vegetable of ALL time: Spaghetti Squash!

Veggi Supreme Pizza Spaghetti Squash

As you all know, I have a “complicated” history wit spaghetti squash. Originally, I was afraid to bake the spag squash, because I didn’t know how to cut it…

We were not on the same page...

But once I figured that out, I was able to make some pretty delicious dishes, including Spaghetti Squash Casserole and Nacho Spaghetti Squash.

Tonight’s recipe was simple:

I attacked the spag squash with my typical “Friday the 13th” hole-poking method. Then I microwaved the squash for 10 minutes.

Big knife, big squash - gotta hit 'er hard!

While that cooked, I slaved away in the kitchen chopping some vegetables…

You can't even imagine how long it took me to chop these...

Just kidding – I bought them chopped. It was a long week, and I was too tired. Sometimes the extra 2 bucks for chopped veggies is SO worth it.

Once the squash was done, I shredded away with my fork and layered my casserole dish as follows:

Spaghetti Squash (about 2 cups)

Fill dish about 2/3 up with spag squash

Sauce/Cheese (mmmmmmmmm)

lots of sauce and cheese

Generous portion of mushrooms, onions and peppers.

VEG-tastic

Sauce/Cheese

Bake away, my pretty dish

After about 35 minutes (in over at 350 degrees), I was rewarded with this mouth-watering dish:

Pizza, veggie-packed, deliciousness

Quick, simple, easy AND healthy. Just how I like it.

I went back for fourth and fifth servings...

Vegging Up AND Vegging Out

Now that I’ve got this hot plate of veggi-licious food waiting for me, it’s time to get to work on part 2 of my Pre-Birthday Fiesta plan: Vegging Out.

Jerry Maguire is playing on BRAVO, and it is one of my favorite movies ever. That cheesy, you-had-me-at-hello speech gets me every time.

The infamous "Help Me, Help You" locker room speech

So, I’m kicking up my feet, digging into my healthy food and getting to bed early. I have a feeling it’s going to be a late night tomorrow…and I can’t wait! I hope to be back on Sunday to recap the festivities…but I make no promises. This Sometimes Healthy Girl doesn’t do to well with the ol’ hangover…

But, should you miss me too much, never fear! I’ve got a guest post coming up on the lovely Tessa’s, Amazing Assettomorrow morning. So please, check it out!

Question:

What’s your favorite movie to watch over and over?

Besides “You Had Me at Hello” what’s the best movie line of all time?

Any secret hangover remedies?

Posted in: Recipes, Uncategorized \ Tagged: , ,

27 Thoughts on “Vegging-Up For my Birthday Fiesta”

  1. Khushboo on 16 July, 2011 at 5:11 am said:

    Sounds like a great night planned, hope you have a lot of fun! I’m trying spaghetti squash for the first time so I will def be using this recipe…I think I’ll add in some chicken for a lil protein action :)!

    Even if you have a busy week, I hope you manage to fit in a birthday fro yo 😉

  2. Laura @ LauraLikesDesign on 16 July, 2011 at 7:32 am said:

    That veggie mix sounds delicious! Spaghetti squash is a new to me veggie and I love it!

    Home alone is one of my favorite movies ever!

  3. vegan aphrodite on 16 July, 2011 at 7:45 am said:

    Hii Jamie 🙂
    I like you strategy about vegging up before a day with lots of fun and treats! And i have always wanted to try out spagetti squash, but I cant find it in Norway 🙁

    This might sound silly, but I LOVE Mean Girls! Ive seen it so many times, and i never get bored 🙂

    Enjoy your weekend 😀

  4. tess on 16 July, 2011 at 8:32 am said:

    This dish looks so yummy!! I’ve felt the same way about cutting spag squash since I moved out of the house and my parents no longer cook it FOR me! We used to have it with sauce and lean ground turkey! My mom has since bought me a clever to cut it with and Dave got scared.. Very scared! 🙂 your post inspired me to take it out again (maybe when he’s not in the room)?

    A fave veg movie = clueless (obv), baby mama and no strings attached!

    Happy happy (almost) birthday!!!

    • The Sometimes Healthy Girl on 19 July, 2011 at 11:13 pm said:

      THANKS TESS! ANNNND thank you for stopping by. It means so much to me to have you reading this! Definitely make the spaghetti squash. Tessa, you know me. If I can do it, ANYONE can. Good luck, girl. I MISS YOU!!!! 🙂

  5. Jimmy Choos on The Treadmill on 16 July, 2011 at 8:57 am said:

    Sounds like a great night to me! 🙂

    I’m slightly embarrassed to admit it, but The Parent Trap is an all-time favorite. I used to watch that movie almost every day after school!

    • The Sometimes Healthy Girl on 19 July, 2011 at 11:15 pm said:

      I love Parent Trap too. There are so many different versions, though? Are you talking about the Lohan version? That, by far is my favvvve. She showed so much potential back then. Sad how things have changed. haha

      • Jimmy Choos on The Treadmill on 22 July, 2011 at 8:16 am said:

        Of course I’m talking about the Lohan version (so good!). I totally agree, back then–when I thought she was a twin–I was obsessed. She played the role perfectly and it’s unfortunate to see that she essentially ruined her career.

  6. In Sweetness and In Health on 16 July, 2011 at 9:15 am said:

    Ooo that recipe looks yummy!! Have so much fun celebrating tonight! 🙂

  7. amandasvids on 16 July, 2011 at 9:27 am said:

    Ok, that dinner looks SUPER yummy!
    Hope that you have an amazing birthday….CHEERS!

  8. Errign on 16 July, 2011 at 4:27 pm said:

    I ventured over from Tessa’s blog 🙂

    I’m not sure I have a movie I can watch over and over(Oh, that’s a lie – it’s Circle of Friends), but I can definitely watch Gilmore Girls over and over. 🙂

    Hangover cure: Excedrin migraine and 2 large glasses of water. Works EVERY time.

    • The Sometimes Healthy Girl on 19 July, 2011 at 11:17 pm said:

      Thanks for stopping by! Gilmore Girls is a great show. I can randomly watch Felicity over and over again. I think it’s because I feel like it would have been super cool to go to college here. Thanks for the hangover advice…that’s exactly what I did!

  9. Samantha Flickinger on 16 July, 2011 at 5:06 pm said:

    Wow that looks delish! I haven’t tried anything with spaghetti squash yet, I’m thinking I should.

    Fave movie: Empire Records. As a matter of fact I think I”ll put that on now… it’s beautiful out, but I have a post-marathon race report to write.

  10. hungryhealthyhilary on 16 July, 2011 at 8:55 pm said:

    I do the same thing….”veg-up” to prepare for indulgences ahead…way to go! Fav over and over movie would probably be Sound of Music. And I too LOVE the spaghetti squash. 🙂

  11. goodtastehealthyme on 18 July, 2011 at 9:59 am said:

    Definitely When Harry Met Sally!

    BTW in the pic of you and your friend dancing that guy looks like he’s enjoying it. LOL!

  12. Vanessa on 18 July, 2011 at 10:48 pm said:

    I usually down 2 large glasses of water before I go to sleep, and then in the AM a bagel sandwich with egg whites and cheese plus more water always does the trick! Happy hangover 😉

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