Check out more blooming flowers!!!
Hooray for warmer weather and evening walks that don’t require layers.
My post-work walks with Ryan and Sadie are one of my favorite parts of the day… Second only to walking into our bedroom after bushing my teeth at bedtime and seeing Ryan and Sadie all cuddled up together. It makes me melt.
Tonight our evening walk took us around Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.
Everyone seems to be loving the more temperate weather because the path around the lake was swarming with runners, walkers, strollers and dogs.
After our walk, we headed home for dinner.
Dinner
Before we left on our walk, I prepped a cucumber salad so it had time to marinate for a bit while we were out and about.
To make the salad, I changed up the ingredients for Real Simple’s cucumber salad a bit and combined the following:
- 1 extra large cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow sweet onion, sliced
- 4 1/2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp. Stevia (Sugar will also work)
- Salt, to taste
- Chia seeds, for garnish
Letting it sit for about an hour was key! This gave the cucumber and onion time to absorb the delicious flavors of the vinegar dressing. Ryan and I both agreed that this salad was so light and fresh!
It was perfect served alongside broiled hoisin shrimp that we made by following this recipe from Real Simple (subbing chia seeds for the sesame seeds).
Real Simple recipes are right up my alley. They contain ingredients I always have on hand and come together in a flash. Plus, they taste pretty darn good!
Dessert
After dinner we enjoyed a delicious dessert that Ryan has raved about for years.
When my mom sent us a Valentine’s Day care package complete with a big bag of Red Hots, Ryan said we had to make his favorite cinnamon applesauce using the candies.
When he was growing up, Ryan’s mom would simply combine applesauce with a handful of Red Hots, stir ‘em around and heat them up for about 50 seconds in the microwave.
The result is a bowl of warm applesauce with a wonderful hint of cinnamon flavor.
So quick. So easy. So tasty!
And now it’s time to chill for the rest of the night. Enjoy your evening, friends!
Mmm! I love that you used chia seeds for garnish!
Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles
So jealous of your warm weather!!! The temperature was 4 when I woke up.
The cucumber salad looks tasty- I’ll have to give it a shot!
Katy @ A Healthy Shot
That Red Hots applesauce is awesome!! I’m wishing I had both on hand to make it. Spicy dessert sounds right up my alley
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine
I love applesauce with red hots in it! So delicious. You are making me crave this right now
We had shrimp for dinner too, teriyaki though.
We are predicted to get sleet and snow tomorrow, grr.
Amy at TheSceneFromMe
we both said this hoisin shrimp made us really want teriyaki shrimp! jealous!
Julie @ Peanut Butter Fingers
I am glad you and Ryan got to experience one of his childhood favorites. That is always nice.
Kelly
Nighttime walks with the dogs and the husband are one of my favorite parts of spring! I noticed one of the puppies put on a bit of winter weight so we have some work to do here in a few weeks
Kristen @ That Hoosier Girl
I have never heard of the applesauce + red hot dessert before! Very…interesting…
I bet it’s really frickin good though.
Kristy @ KristyRuns
Mmm what a fun desert! Moms are so smart! haha
Mel
So jealous of that fantastic weather! It is still freezing here in New York. Voted for you on the Womens Health Website! Good Luck
Stephanie S
thank you so, so much, stephanie!!!
peanutbutterfingers
Love Ryan’s Mom’s recipe – such a good idea. I’m a sucker for anything cinnamon-y!
Erika @ FoodFitnessFun
What a great idea to use chia seeds in place of seasame seeds!
Katie @ running4cupcakes
what an interesting combination…red hots & apple sauce! i would never have thought to combine the 2!
erica
Interesting subbing chias for sesames… I wouldn’t have thought that would work.. I would think the chias would get mushy?!
That cinnamon apple recipe looks yum! Will have to give it a try sometime!
Night!
Jaclyn
Random….. but how long do you heat the apple sauce?? I’d find some way to burn it!
I want to move to Florida… it’s cold in Virginia and we are over a month away from Blooming flowers.
kristen
About 50 seconds!
peanutbutterfingers
I wish our weather was as nice as yours! I absolutely love cinnamon hearts and I never would have thought to mix them in like that. Sounds delicious!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
Monday is my grocery shopping day and I can’t wait….I think my whole weeks worth of menu will come from your blog!
korin
I’ve never heard of this Red Hot apple sauce phenomenon! My fiance will eat this up!
Kim B.
Your dinner looks amazing!
I love shrimp! Have a good evening!
Katy (The Singing Runner)
I have never heard of putting Red Hots in applesauce, but it definitely makes sense. I may have to try this out! Have a great night!
Chicago Cuisine Critique
I am totally trying that cucumber salad!!
Kathie
My grandmother used to make us applesauce with red hots! It’s the best
Kate
i’m so jealous of your warm weather….
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef
Your life is so inspirational. I love how you take time to bond with Ryan and Sadie and enjoy the outdoors all at the same time
Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter
That shrimp sounds really tasty! I love shrimp, mmmm. Love the picture of park, you are making me want to move to Florida!!!
Laura @ prettylittlewords
YUM!!! Have you made applesauce pancakes? I bet with the melted Red Hots, they would be even that much MORE amazing…
micki
I made the cucumber salad…so fresh and tasty! I made a huge batch to use as a topping for my daily lunch salads. The flavors are so nice I won’t need dressing. Thanks for the recipe!
Ashley
This makes me happy!! I’m so glad you liked it!
peanutbutterfingers
Woman! I just love looking at all your warm sunny pictures of Florida….I am definitely living vicariously through you, because the cold snow in Seattle right now is just awful! Love checking in on your life every day! xoxo
Jenni @ Dash of Love
Hungry girl has a recipe in her 200 under 200book involving apples and red hots. I’ll have to look it up and give it a try now.
Melissa
MM love the look of that shrimp! I’ve never thought to use chia seeds instead of sesame seeds…You’re so smart
Alyssa
That shrimp looks amazing, that salad very cool, and that dessert super tasty!! Love everything about this post
Annette @ enjoyyourhealthylife
That dessert is so creative…I never would have thought of that! But one question…is the end result really hot applesauce? Just asking b/c I would totally try this but I really can’t handle spicy food
Kelly
No definitely not spicy… just cinnamony!
peanutbutterfingers
The shrimp looks delicious. And so does the applesauce… totally something I never would have thought of!
Ryan @ Aloha Appetite
That shrimp looks amaaaazing!!!!!
We do the same thing with red hots….also if you heat up some apple juice, add cinnamon, and red hots, you have a sort-of apple cider!
Gen
ahhaha omg i LOVE the creativity of that applesauce concoction!!!!!!
Carrie
That shrimp looks so amazing! Seafood never comes out that way I want it to when I cook it at home but I might have to give it try for those! I’m going to admit I was weirded ot at first because I thought you were just going to eat the applesauce with the crunchy red hots, what you actually did sounds way better=)
Grace @ YourDailyGrace
I’ve never heard of Red Hots applesauce before. I’ll be sure to put that on my to try list. But i wanted to stop by and say thank you for the soooo super simple donut hole how-to (from a couple weeks ago). I made it this weekend for my family and wow, what I hit! I only got to try like two of them because by time I finished cooking them all everyone ate the rest x-( ha! success =)
Shana
Oh I love those little babies!
peanutbutterfingers
Dinner looks delicious! I’ve never heard of adding redhots to applesauce. It looks like it would be very tasty though! I must try it!
Hope
I love Real Simple recipes! I made 2 this week from the latest issue and am just loving them. I also wish that it was getting warmer here in the Northeast! It’s still freeeeezing.
Rachel @ The Avid Appetite
As I watch the snow falling down outside my window I am so jealous of your warm weather!!
Amber K
that dinner looks so good! i love that the woman’s health magazine is recognizing food bloggers!
i am jealous of your warm weather! we still have snow on the ground here!
Cara @ ChicMeetsHealthy
That is such a cool idea- with the red hots
Where did she get that idea from? Or was it just a creative idea 
Holly
So I feel like the worst foodie ever – what do Chia seeds taste like?!
Claire
are chia seeds found in a normal groc store?
Jill