finals week + our growing love for spaggetti squash!

finals season is among us once again - which means that (God willing!) we will be halfway done with the hardest year of pharmacy school in just a few weeks! hooray! 

this year - we're learning the importance of making time for each other even when it's not easy! our opposite work schedules don't make it easy for us to see each other at home too often, but eugene has been so sweet in trying to study more at home so that we can at least be under the same roof! i've also been continuing to learn how to keep him pumped and motivated during his busy seasons. it's been hard at times, but we're learning to give thanks in all things. 

so for his 3rd year so far, i'm thankful for late night food runs (especially when we go get pho!), dunkin donuts only being 5 minutes away, a local starbucks drive thru, parks + rec (and the fun break even one episode provides!), spotify (!!!), fresh + easy being open 24/7, things/people to keep me busy while eugene's away (i.e. watercolor and calligraphy as of late, preparing for india!!, and sweet coffee dates with friends).

finals season is among us so prepping colorful, fun and nutritious food is vital. 

because I'll be gone for work for the next 3 days, i had to do most/all of my meal prepping today (it's pretty hard to make food after 12 hours of work!) the stars of our show today are...

- chili + cilantro marinade chicken thighs, rice, corn + bean + avo salsa and steamed broccoli

- spagetti squash, lemon/garlic roasted chicken and a broiled vegetable medley

we also picked up 6 salads from our local fresh + easy and lots of yogurt and juice.

speaking of spagetti squash though - have you guys ever tried it? 

eugene + I were so weirded out by it the first time but have grown to love it so much in the last few weeks. it's super cheap and is a great noodle/rice substitute for your meals if you're looking to cut down on your carbs. the taste is amazing too - it's the right amount of crispy and super creamy. they are generally less than $4/squash and will feed you for many meals. I scored this ginormous one at trader joes and separated it into 8 servings!

just cut in half. use a generous amount of oil (i used EVOO) or you can use some chicken stock if you're worried about the calories in the EVOO. sprinkle with salt and pepper. pop in oven at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.

scoop out the seeds + fork it through. 

beautiful, chewy + crunchy, creamy noodles. it's like culinary magic! and so much fun.

We just put it in all our meals. it's just that good!

ps. roasting/broiling is one of my favorite things to do nowadays. listening to these tomatoes explode in the oven has got to be one of my favorite things right now!

I'm a weirdo. I know.. Hehe :)

cheers to a victorious finals week!
xoxo