These protein-packed oatmeal pancakes are all I’ve been craving for the past few weeks. I love how easy they are to make! You add the ingredients to a blender, pour the batter onto a skillet, add your favorite fillers, and cook each side for 90-seconds!
If you’re looking for a new breakfast idea, add these pancakes to your menu! They are gluten-free, low sugar, dairy-free, and contain protein and fiber. These pancakes are super easy to make, and I always have the ingredients in my house! You can customize them by adding your favorite nut milk, butter, chocolate chips, cranberries, or whatever you wish! I think I’ll try a coconut cranberry next time. I have been testing a version that has brewers yeast and flaxseed for when I’m on my breastfeeding journey in a few weeks. Wow, I can’t believe it’s coming up so fast!

You only need six base ingredients!

Protein Oatmeal Pancake Ingredients

• Banana
• Oatmeal
• Almond Milk – or your choice of milk
• Cinnamon
• Protein Powder
• Eggs

How to Make Protein Oatmeal Pancakes

1. Add the banana, oatmeal, almond milk, cinnamon, eggs, and protein powder to a blender!
2. Blend on high for about 45-seconds to one minute.
3. Pour 1/2 cup of batter onto a non-stick skillet at high heat (add any fillers you’d like!)
4. Cook each side for 90-seconds.

Watch the video below to see how easy these pancakes are to make! 

Print

Protein Packed Blender Oatmeal Pancakes | Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free & Low Sugar

Perfect protein pancakes for a healthy breakfast! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and easy to make!

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 6 Pancakes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 1 Medium Banana
• 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 1 Cup Plain Oats
• 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Scoop Vanilla Plant Protein Powder

Instructions

• Add the banana, almond milk, oats, cinnamon, eggs, and protein powder to a blender. Blend on a high speed for 45 to 60 seconds.
• Add 1/2 cup of the pancake batter onto a non-stick skillet at a medium-high heat. Cook each side for about 90-seconds, or until golden brown.

  -add in your fillers before flipping!

Notes

105 Calories per pancake, 3g fat, 14g carbohydrates, 3.5g fiber, 3g sugar, and 5g protein. 

And I believe every pancake needs to be covered in maple syrup! I hope you all enjoy these!

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite pancake filler and topping?
2. How often do you make pancakes?

Good, morning, everyone! I woke up at 5 am, so excited to get this recipe up today. I tried to lay in bed and listen to a podcast, but my mind kept saying, “go to your office and blog those pancakes!”A few nights ago, I made the most delicious low-carb pancakes for dinner. I couldn’t make them fast enough because whenever one came off the stove, Kyle or I would hurry up and eat it. I didn’t know if they would work out because I just threw the ingredients together, but they were so fluffy and perfect. I had many of you ask for the recipe on Instagram, so I hurried up and tested out the recipe again to make sure I could get it right before posting. I think you’re going to LOVE these pancakes, even if you aren’t trying to cook low-carb. They are so fluffy, flavorful, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

Only Two grams of carbs per pancake!

Look how perfect and fluffy that stack is!

I love having all the extra pancakes in a container in the fridge. When I’m hungry and want a snack, I’ll head over to the fridge and grab a pancake. You can toast it in the toaster or eat them cold. I’ve always been a fan of eating pancakes cold! I don’t know why that is. Anyone else?

This recipe makes 20 fluffy pancakes! If you’re looking to make less, just half the recipe. I love adding butter, almond butter, or sauteed blueberries on top of my pancakes. Of course, nothing beats maple syrup! I’ve wanted to try the Stevia Keto maple syrup, but I’m afraid it’s going to have a weird taste. Have any of you tried it?

This will sound so crazy, but the consistency of these pancakes reminds me so much of the Mcdonald’s Hotcakes! Honestly, those were my favorite growing up. My parents used to take us to McDonald’s on Saturday mornings to have the pancakes and sausage and then play in the play area. Are those still a thing? To make these pancakes, you sift the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Next, you’ll add in the almond milk and the eggs! It’s seriously that simple. The texture will be just like regular pancake batter!

I use Raw Fusion vanilla plant-based protein powder, but if your protein powder makes the batter too thick or watery, add more almond milk or more almond flour, depending on the texture.

You can mix in chocolate chips, blueberries, bananas, coconut, or any pancake filling you’d like! I always go for blueberry pancakes. You’ll want the non-stick skillet to be pretty hot! Pour 1/2 cup of batter onto the pan and cook each side for about 90-seconds. Don’t flip too soon! If the spatula can easily slide under the pancake, then it’s most likely ready to flip. If the middle of the pancake starts to split down the middle, it’s way too soon! It would be best to cook these a bit longer since you’re working with almond flour and not regular flour. 

Print

Low Carb Pancakes - Only 2grams of Carbs (Gluten & Dairy Free)

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword pancakes, no carb, low carb, carbless, 2g carbs, gluten-free, dairy-free, breakfast pancakes, protein, healthy recipe,

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Almond Flour
• 2 Scoops Vanilla Protein Powder I used Raw Fusion
• 1 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1/8 Tsp Salt
• 2 Cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
• 3 Large Eggs

Instructions

• Sift together the almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
• Mix in the almond milk and the eggs.
• Heat a non-stick skillet on medium-high and pour 1/2 cup of the pancake batter onto the pan.
• Cook each side for approximately 90-seconds.

Notes

Watch the video to see how easy these pancakes are to make! 

After writing this post, I’m excited to head into the kitchen and toast up some leftovers! I can’t wait for you to try these!

Questions for you!

1. What’s your favorite flavor of pancakes?
2. Where was your favorite place to eat pancakes growing up?
3. Are you team maple syrup?

I had to look up the day on the calendar before saying, “Happy Thursday!” Life feels pretty strange lately, and all the little things we took for granted don’t seem so trivial anymore. I’m going to step out for a long walk around my neighborhood after hitting publish just to get some sunshine and check out what Spring is up to today. The word around the street is that the grass is green, and the trees have 70% leaf coverage. I do hope that this blog post brings you some delicious joy to your social distancing days. If it’s one thing we’ve loved during this time, it’s been eating these gluten-free made from scratch pancakes daily. It’s a recipe you’ll want to have on hand because it’s guaranteed to impress! There’s truly nothing better than whipping up homemade pancakes, especially ones that are crispy around the edges and fluffy in the middle! I bet you already have the ingredients in the house, too!
This recipe came about when Kyle and I wanted some pancakes for breakfast last Sunday while watching Little Women but didn’t have our go-to mix at home. Times are a little weird right now, so we couldn’t just hop in the car and pick it up. I decided just to whip up my recipe instead. I had made homemade pancakes plenty of times, but they were usually my protein, egg, and banana combo. I wanted these to taste fluffy, cakey, and well, like pancakes.

After playing around with the recipe for the past week, I finally have it nailed down. I know this sounds so cheesy, but I’m excited to make these pancakes on Sunday mornings in our new house  It’s the small things!
I’m the type of person that likes a recipe that doesn’t involve the electric mixer. I do love my mixer, but adding all the ingredients to a giant bowl and mixing is so much easier and less to clean up. For this recipe, all you need is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour (this is my favorite gluten-free flour, and it never lets me down!) baking powder, sea salt, cinnamon, one egg, nut milk, vanilla, monk fruit, and coconut oil.

The best part about this recipe is that you can customize it any way you want. I plan on making lemon blueberry pancakes, banana walnut, apple cinnamon, chocolate chip, and more! I did the blueberry ones last Sunday, and they were fabulous!
I sprayed the pan with some cooking spray, cooked the pancakes on medium-high for 4-minutes on each side!

They fluff up so high in the pan I’m searching for a new pancake skillet, so if you have a favorite, you’ll have to let me know in the comments. The one trick is never to flatten your pancakes while they cook with your spatula. I see people do this a lot, and it’s a big no-no.

A perfect stack! I like to make the recipe for two, but if you’re serving more people in the house, go ahead and double the recipe. You can never have too many pancakes.
Have you seen anything more beautiful? It’s the perfect stack!

Print

Gluten-Free Pancakes Made From Scratch

The perfect weekend treat

Course Breakfast

Keyword pancakes, gluten free, brunch, dairy free, delicious, breakfast

Servings 2

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Gluten-Free Flour Bob's Red Mill
• 2 Tbsps Baking Powder
• 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon
• 1 Packet Monk Fruit Sweetener or your choice of sweetener
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 Cup Nut Milk I used coconut milk
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

Instructions

• In a large bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, cinnamon, sea salt, and baking powder.
• Add the egg, vanilla, monkfruit, and nut milk to the dry ingredient bowl and mix well.

  Fold any extra treats if you want!
• Stir in the melted coconut oil.
• Heat a pan to medium-high heat. Spray it with cooking spray and add 1/3 cup of the pancake batter to the pan. Cook each side for about 4-minutes.
• Serve hot! And of course, add some butter and syrup to make it even better!

I hope you all enjoy this recipe! Make sure to tag me if you make these pancakes and come back and rate with the stars! This always helps bloggers out! Xo xo Stay safe during this time. I’m going to be doing another blogpost Friday/Saturday to help keep you busy! Xo xo xo

Questions for you!

1. What is the perfect pancake flavor?
2. Come up with a crazy pancake combo idea for me to try next!
3. Any blog ideas for the next few weeks you’d like to see here?

It was incredible out this morning. 58 degrees in the south? Yes, please! Kyle and I are headed to the park to play tennis here in a bit, and then I’ll be spending the evening out at my parent’s house. My dad is throwing some burgers on the grill, and we are going to hang out by the pool.

Before I take off for another day of tennis (literally played five days in a row) I wanted to leave you with my latest recipe, and this is one you’ll want to make over and over again! Can I get an “AMEN” for my first pumpkin recipe of the year? I have another coming this week  I put all the fall mums in the front yard yesterday evening, but I’ll wait until I get back from California to add the pumpkins
Yesterday morning, Kyle and I made waffles for breakfast. He made a peanut butter chocolate protein waffle and I made a cinnamon raisin apple pumpkin waffle. He ended up liking mine better than his This waffle was so fluffy, crispy on the edges, and overflowing with flavors. I don’t think you can ever have too much pumpkin spice in a recipe, so I overloaded the spices on this one!  
If you’re interested in Kyle’s waffle recipe, I added his above!  

This waffle maker is my favorite and cheapest investment. I bought it on Amazon for $17.00! Here is the link if you’re interested!
Each recipe makes two large waffles.

Pumpkin Waffle Nutrition: 160 Calories Per Waffle, 7g Protein, 19g Carbs, 4g Fat, 3g Sugar, 6g Fiber

Chocolate Waffle Nutrition: 179 Calories Per Waffle, 13g Protein, 14g Carbs, 7g Fat, 4g Sugar, 5g Fiber
I had mine with light syrup and cinnamon sprinkled on top! 
Another thing I love is my syrup boat. I bought it at a thrift store for 49 cents. I also bought those plates for $1 a piece! They are my absolute favorite. And the blue mugs? 25 cents.
I have a feeling I’ll be making a lot of waffles this winter! I have a matcha waffle on my list to try next. 
This recipe is gluten free, nut free, dairy free, vegetarian, and delicious.
Not a drop left…

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite waffle flavor?
2. What is your favorite kitchen investment?
3. Pumpkin Spice or Chocolate Peanut Butter!

I wish you all could see my set up right now. The windows are open because it’s 64 degrees outside, I have half of my computer screen playing fall craft videos, and I’m currently sipping on a homemade pumpkin spice latte. Remember when I said I was going to enjoy the season I’m in? Well, this summer is starting to look a bit like fall. Although, in about two more hours, we’ll be hitting close to the nineties. Funny how that works.

A few minutes ago, I posted a photo of my breakfast on my Instagram story. I have never received so many DM’s in under a minute asking for a recipe before. Apparently, you all are craving pumpkin spice as well. I decided to hop on the blog to share how I made my pancakes this morning. I sometimes forget that a blog post can also be a quick write-up and doesn’t have to be this well thought out blog post with high definition photos. To be honest, I miss this style of blogging. I love being able to hop on whenever and write whatever I feel, even if it’s a recipe filled with iPhone pictures.
This weekend, Kyle and I are going to be getting the house ready for my fall takeover. The pink rug in the living room is going to be rolled up and stored in the attic because it’s not going to fit my fall decor. I do love that rug, so it will be making a comeback in the spring. We are going to look for an ivory rug and a rustic coffee table. We would use the old one, but that has found a new spot in the guest bedroom, and it’s perfect for storing all the extra pillows and blankets. My kitchen table is currently covered in fall crafts just waiting for me to dive into them. I’m pretty excited about bringing that content to the blog this year. I’m taking DIY to a whole new level, and you’d believe me if you saw that twelve large paper mache pumpkins sitting in the dining room…
I had been craving pancakes for the past month. I just finished the Whole30, and that post will be up tomorrow! Even though ingredients are compliant with Whole30, you still cannot have them. It’s a weird rule that I didn’t like, but I decided to stick to it. Now, I am making Whole30 compliant pancakes that the 30 days are up. I’m still trying to eat as Whole30/paleo as possible, but not limiting things like honey, compliant recipes, or their meal plan format. I hope that makes sense!

But these pancakes were outstanding and super quick to make! The pumpkin spice flavor is STRONG, so this isn’t for the “I’m not sure if I like pumpkin” type of person. It’s either love pumpkin or go home for this recipe! Oh, and the egg whites in this recipe make these pancakes super duper fluffy!

Anyways, here’s my recipe!

Print

Pumpkin Spice Paleo Pancakes

Course Breakfast

Keyword pumpkin spice, healthy recipes, breakfast, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, pancakes, low carb, no added sugar

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 4 Large Egg Whites
• 1/4 Cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Flour
• 1/4 Cup Almond Flour
• 1 Tbsps Pumpkin Spice
• 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt

Instructions

• In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are soapy looking. (about 1 minute)
• Mix in the pumpkin, coconut flour, almond flour, pumpkin spice, and sea salt.
• Spray pan with avocado spray, and add 1/4 cup of the batter to a pan on medium heat.
• Cook the pancakes 2 minutes on each side.

Notes

Recipe makes 3 medium pancakes 

Nutrition for entire stack: 290 Calories, 16g Carbs, 14g Fat, 22g Protein, 4g Fiber, 6g Sugar

I ended up drizzling honey and almond butter on top of mine! 

I hope you all enjoyed this quick blog post! You’ll have to let me know if you’d like me to do more of these fast “pop-ins” on the blog! I hope you feel all warm in cozy with the fall vibes! Have a great Thursday & take alllllll the deep breaths because tomorrow is Friday!

Questions for you!

1. Are you looking forward to the fall DIY projects or pumpkin spice recipes?
2. Have you had anything pumpkin spice this week?

I just finished the third dog walk of the day, and still exhausted from yesterday’s hiking adventure. Our hiking video + blog post will be live Friday! The good thing about being tired is planting yourself on the couch and catching up on work while binge-watching terrible reality television. If you’re wondering, I’m two seasons deep into Southern Charm.

I did manage to get up and make delicious pancakes today (My legs feel like cement.) I get a lot of questions about the protein pancakes I make, and I thought I’d take some time to share the “how-to” on them tonight! Who says you can’t throw out an unplanned blog post in the evening? 
I have to admit, this wasn’t my first cup of coffee today. I have been doing the one cup of coffee a day for a very long time, and plan to continue this, but today I couldn’t pull myself together. I had a cup of coffee at Kyle’s this morning, drove way out into the country to pick up my dogs from my parent’s house, and then turned to coffee and a delicious protein pancake breakfast in hopes that it would bring me back to life.
What I love about this simple protein pancake recipe is that it only has three main ingredients, and then whatever extra’s you want to add! This entire stack has 240 Calories, 21 Carbs, 4g Fiber, 6g Fat, 27g Protein, and only 2g Sugar. Talk about a perfect post workrout breakfast. The game changer with protein pancakes is using plant-based. It tastes so much better! 

I love how thick these pancakes are! The protein powder really adds the floury texture. And if you want to be super adventures, you could add chocolate protein powder and some peanut butter. That’s what Kyle likes to do! 
I’m a blueberry girl (just laughed out loud by myself because I thought of Willy Wonka, goodness I’m delirious today), and that’s always my go-to filler! You could add chocolate chips, nut butter, cranberries, apples, or anything you like in your pancakes. I had to finish this recipe off with some maple syrup! Goodness, I love syrup! This recipe also works in the waffle maker! I’ll make those tomorrow, and share the photo on my Insta story.

I’ll be heading to yoga early morning in hopes that I can start my day off right and pull myself together! I’ll keep you posted. Now, it’s time for me to make a cup of tea and just dive deeper into this show! Have a great night, everyone!I had to share an update this morning! The waffle turned out great! Photo above

Questions for you!

1. What is your pancake filler?
2. Are you a chocolate or vanilla protein person?
3. Have you ever had a day where you couldn’t pull yourself together?

Yesterday morning, I decided to make my favorite pancake recipe. These pancakes are healthy, paleo-friendly, Whole30 approved, grain free, gluten free, dairy free, and made without any refined sugar. Sometimes, I’ll make a giant batch of these and leave them in my fridge to eat throughout the week. I pop them into the toaster oven, and they come out perfect. 
I made a big stack of these before heading out on a cold winter walk with the dogs. I did pack hot tea, too! I love to use blueberries, but you can use any fruit or fillings you want. Peaches, pears, chocolate chips, cranberries, and apples are great ingredients to throw into these pancakes as well.

What I love about the banana-egg pancake is that they are high fiber and high protein! They are a perfect breakfast option in my opinion. Most pcankes don’t have protein, but these have 20 grams of protein for the whole stack! You could even add your own protein powder to add more. I like to have eggs on the side, too!

All you need is: 3 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, (1 egg white + 2 whole eggs), one large banana, two tablespoons coconut flour, and your choice of filling! If you do not have coconut flour, you can replace it with protein powder, almond flour, gluten-free flour, or any flour type you want! The flour helps the pancakes flip better, and fluff up a bit! You don’t even have to use flour; it just tastes better with a little more substance. The reason I choose coconut flour is that it’s a bit drier!
Mash the banana with a fork, and add the eggs! I highly recommend using a SUPER-ripe banana to make it naturally sweeter. 
Add the vanilla, and mix all the ingredients (minus the fillings) until clump free! Some people use the blender on a pulse to get the perfect texture. Sometimes, I’ll add cinnamon, cocoa powder, nutmeg, or other fun spices to change it up. 
Mix in the flour! 
Heat a pan to medium-high and spray the pan, so the pancake does not stick. Non-stick pans are ideal for these! Pour a little into the pan and cook each side for about two minutes. Add in your fillings after 20 seconds. You can always use the spatula to peek underneath to see if the pancake is ready to flip.
Plate & enjoy! I always use a drizzle of maple syrup on top. What’s a pancake without syrup? 

Questions for you! 

1. Do you like a sweet or savory breakfast?
2. Blueberries or chocolate chips?
3. Syrup or no syrup?

When I was in high school, my mom used to make blueberry & lemon ricotta pancakes that were fluffed up with beaten egg whites. They were my favorite. I decided to use her recipe but spin it around without the ricotta, substitute the sugar and flour, and add in some special ingredients. If you are interested in my mom’s recipe, let me know, and I’ll have her send it over, and I’ll post it! 

I love making pancakes for breakfast because they are so customizable. I am a blueberry-lemon girl! I filled my pancakes with lemon zest and giant blueberries. Kyle is all about peanut butter and chocolate chips. 
And I don’t understand people who can eat pancakes without syrup. It’s the best part! I usually top my pancakes with scrambled eggs and mix it all together. It’s much sloppier after the photos. 
We also love pancakes before a good workout because they provide lots of energy, extra protein, and keep you full all workout long. What I love about this recipe is that the pancakes are incredibly fluffy and airy inside, but the top layer is slightly crispy like a waffle.
Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite pancake flavor?
2. Do you love maple syrup on pretty much everything?

I’m totally sucked into this new show. I don’t know why I do this to myself. SMH. I like to watch movies in the kitchen while I cook or bake, so I decided to see what was on Amazon Prime. I saw a show called Red Oaks and decided to give it a shot. I just needed some background noise that wasn’t my upstairs neighbors (they currently have no chill.) I didn’t think this show was going to be anything special, but it turned into a serious binge-watch. I only planned on cutting up some fresh fruit to put into containers but ended up meal prepping almost everything because I didn’t want to stop watching. Red Oaks doesn’t compare to The Night Of or anything like that, but it’s definitely worth the watch.

I just turned the show back on and now I get to end my night binge-watching and blogging.

I’m kind of glad I got all the cooking out of the way. The reason I’ve been getting into meal prepping is that I’m horrible at decision-making. Surprise. Surprise. I never know what I want for dinner and by the time dinner rolls around, I have no groceries for the meal and I’m too hungry to go get anything. I’ll end up eating random things in the fridge or snacking for dinner. Keeping prepped food in my fridge takes away the pressure to make a decision and saves tons of time. I used to be so good at decisions and now I literally flip coins.

Tonight I had ground turkey, brown rice, and my chicken and vegetable stir-fry.
 Grumples and I woke up at 6 am for our walk. It’s BEAUTIFUL in the mornings and he can go four miles without stopping. It was about 62 degrees and breezy. I look forward to fall and winter because Grumples gets to be more active and it’s just too hot in the summer for him.
 
After I finished up some afternoon work, I took Grumples to the park for a walk. I even grabbed a green juice to take with us for lunch. The vet said he needed to lose thirteen pounds, so he’s getting longer walks during the cool mornings and frequent short walks during the day. He’s already lost two pounds, which is a healthy rate. He’s supposed to be losing 1% of his body weight per week for the next thirteen weeks. I’m not cutting back on his food since it’s a healthy amount, but I’ve cut back on treats and increased his exercise. 
Grumples acts like a human. He loves car rides and gets so excited when he sees horses or cows. Sometimes we leave my place just to take a drive and get out for a bit. He likes to stick his head out the window with his hair flying in the wind. 
This is one of my favorite roads to run and bike on, especially when the sun is rising. 
This stir-fry had carrots, chicken, bell peppers, onion, olive oil, and low sodium soy sauce. I cooked the chicken separately to prevent it from overcooking. The carrots take the longest to cook, so start with the first!

Stir-fry Recipe
I made stir fry, cooked up some ground turkey, brown rice, boiled eggs, baked sweet potato, diced pineapple, and prepared some grapes.

I also bought Greek yogurt, dark chocolate, oatmeal, broccoli steam bags, mixed nuts, brussels sprouts, steak, spinach, bananas, ingredients to make juices, and healthy baked goods.

I made maple pecan pumpkin muffins this afternoon that are to die for. They are SUPER healthy and I’m so excited to share the recipe. They turned out so well. I was standing in the aisle at the grocery store and they had an entire pumpkin section. They had pumpkin everything. Almost every brand joined the pumpkin cult this season. The options were endless. Most of the items were cookies and sugary treats, so I decided to bake something on the healthier side.

I will make sure to share the recipe tomorrow! I need to blog about my weekend first

UPDATE: HERE IS THE RECIPE! 
Rewinding back to Friday.

It was pouring all day Friday because of Hurricane Hermine. I caught up on a lot of work and then did some cleaning around the place. Fridays are always my power cleaning days.

I wasn’t feeling so great on Friday, so I was happy that it was raining because it forced me to chill inside all day.

For lunch, I made grilled over-easy eggs, cucumber, bell pepper, multigrain pita chips, guacamole, and hummus. 
I get cabin fever easily, so I met Becca at the gym for a Friday night session. Exercising helps with cramps and it’s always nice to have those endorphins pumping when you’re feeling irritable.

We both ran two miles on the treadmill for a warm-up and then did an hour circuit. 
Always goofing off

We love ending our workouts with a sauna session. 
I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and picked up ingredients to make zucchini pizzas. I love making these when I’m craving pizza.

Kyle and I headed to the Riverwalk to do seven miles early Saturday morning. It felt like fall outside. It was chilly and the leaves were falling. It put me in the best mood ever.

I did my facial routine after the workout! You can read all about my routine here
I made a quick lunch when I got back. I had eggs, pita chips, hummus, guacamole, cucumber, and bell pepper. I was trying to use up the last bit of the groceries.
 
It was HAWKEYE Football Saturday, so I converted Kyle It was a win too! This Saturday is the big game against Iowa State! 
We took Grumples for a little stroll in the park after the game. The sky was glowing and I couldn’t get enough of it. It’s funny how nature has a way of putting us in a good mood. It’s truly beautiful. 
We decided to cook dinner and relax on Saturday night. Kyle grilled up Jamaican Jerk chicken breast (for me) and a couple of Jalapeño cheddar burgers. I made a quick side caesar salad to go with it all.
If I had to eat that chicken every night for the rest of my life…I wouldn’t even be mad about it. It was so delicious!
I’ve mentioned Grumples behavior issues in previous posts, but I just wanted to update you all. I feel like he isn’t even the same dog anymore. I never used to be able to take him on walks with large groups of people around, he’d lunge at cars and other dogs. He isn’t treat-oriented and it was almost impossible to break his attention, which is really bad. I couldn’t even walk by people without him getting into a stalking position, like a cat that was about to pounce. It was the most frustrating thing in the world. It’s hard to explain to a person that my dog is so friendly when he’s barking his head off. He loves people and he loves other dogs, but the leash was making him aggressive.

Kyle has been working with him almost every day and has so much patience with him. We traded in his leash and collar for the ROK Straps Leash and a Ruffwear Front Range Harness. The leash gives us more control and the harness makes it harder for him to lunge. It’s also more comfortable on him because it’s padded.

He’s been giving Grumples the confidence to walk without acting up and has changed his behavior tremendously. We decided (Kyle decided because I was hesitant) to walk him a couple of miles uptown to grab coffee at Amelie’s French Bakery. We had given him several mini-trial rounds and believed he was officially ready. He proved himself at the park and on the back roads.

Grumples walked by tons of people, cars, buses, bikes, segway, runners and didn’t do a single thing. He sat before crossing the street, he stayed on the right side while walking and didn’t try to walk ahead.  He didn’t pull, he didn’t lunge, he was perfect. I went in to grab a coffee and he sat outside by a table with Kyle. He let people pet him, walk by him and he was the happiest dog in the world. I may have shed a tear because we hit an incredible milestone. This was not the same Grumples seven months ago.

He deserved the best reward. We always save the empty bottles of peanut butter for him to cleanout. We were waiting to give this one to him for something special and I thought this moment was pretty special. He deserved this one without a doubt! He doesn’t get treats anymore because of his diet, so he was one lucky pup (Plus there wasn’t more than a tablespoon left in that container.)
The seasonal flavors have arrived at Amelies Bakery! We had a maple bacon, pumpkin pecan praline (holy deliciousness), and pecan pie. I also ordered a Le Sombre Chai. It’s my favorite caffeine treat (whenever I go for something sweet) and the perfect way to end a Saturday night. 
I met up with Becca early Sunday morning for a long uptown walk. The streets were empty and it felt like the city was all ours. The weekend weather couldn’t have been any more perfect.

After our four miles of walking, we decided to have breakfast at Tupelo Honey. I’ve had lunch and dinner there, but never breakfast. I’ve heard so many good things, so I was excited to give it a shot. Since the weather was so beautiful, and certainly wouldn’t last forever, we decided to have breakfast outside.
I’ve been trying to lay off the Fall spirit until it gets cooler out, but the weekend weather made it really hard and now all I can think about is fall. Everywhere I go fall slaps me in the face. I’m trying not to rush off the summer so fast because I know I’ll be missing it around January. I sometimes wish our seasons would change every two months. 
Tupelo Honey isn’t a place I’d go if you’re looking for a super healthy breakfast. I was kind of sad when wheat toast and fresh fruit were missing from the menu, but at least eggs and bacon were still present. 
I ordered the Tupelo Genuine Country Breakfast. It came with two all-natural, farm-fresh eggs, over easy, with apple cider smoked bacon, potato cracklins, and kale. I tried really hard not to eat too many of the potatoes because they were extremely delicious and sinfully fried. I didn’t want that in my stomach before a workout. 
We ran a couple of errands after breakfast and then headed to the gym for a workout. I did four miles on the treadmill and played around with the incline the entire time. 
We only did about thirty minutes of ab workouts and played around with the pilates ball. 
I had one of my favorite bars after my workout.  No Cow Bars <3
 
I headed back to shower and get ready for the day after the gym. Becca and I decided to visit some shops in Plaza Midwood. We love antique stores and thrift shops. 

Plaza Midwood has tons of little antique shops and unique stores. It’s definitely a hip neighborhood.

I still like Waxhaw better for antiquing. The antiques and thrift shops in Plaza Midwood are way overpriced.
 
We headed to Ikea so I could pick up some organizing shelves for my closet and office. We decided to split a Greek yogurt soft serve ice cream cone! 
We also tried some Swedish candy. Very interesting.
 
I’ve never left Ikea without a new stuffed animal. You’re never too old…
After our errands, we decided to grab dinner at Bakersfield with Kyle and his friend Steve. Bakersfield has the best salads, so I was happy. They also have great queso and guacamole. 
The Jonny has mixed greens, bacon, cotija cheese, hearts of palm, avocado, red onion, toasted almonds, and a side of buttermilk chive dressing.
We walked next door to grab frozen yogurt for dessert! Treat yo self. I had the no sugar added vanilla with a couple of my favorite toppings. I like to add a small amount to hit the spot. 
I enjoyed my morning coffee on Labor Day morning while the sun came up. I love the rays that shine through the windows. I wake up around 6:30 am on weekend mornings so I can reply to blog comments and watch the news.

We decided to take Grumples for a couple of miles uptown so he could get in a good workout before it go too hot outside.

My boys <3

I’m such a proud dog mom.
This is why mornings are the best part of the day.

Grumples loves climbing the rocks! 
Happy boy!

Becca and I headed to the driving range to hit some balls Monday afternoon. 
It was such a beautiful day. 
We had been wanting to try the new coffee shop in uptown, Coco & The Director. 
This IS HANDS DOWN the coolest coffee shop I’ve ever been to. It’s huge…and they have so many options to choose from. 
They have an upstairs, a gift shop, seating everywhere, and a giant T.V. so you can watch the panthers games (just in case breweries aren’t your scene.)

They have books to read, game boards to play, and places for you to work. They even have big tables for large groups. 
Coco & the Director supports community artisans and locally sourced products and represents the best of Charlotte. That is how they get the “CO.” It comes from their favorite words like COffee, COmmunity, COnnection, COllaboration…Pretty clever
 
I had a latte with coconut milk. It was rich and creamy, just the way I like it. I also ordered a Greek yogurt with mixed fruit n nut granola. The prices were VERY reasonable too.
I love this place so much and it’s now on the top of my favorite coffee spots in charlotte. 
Love our coffee dates<3
Kyle and I made banana egg protein pancakes for dinner. 
He made chocolate ones and I made them plain. 
We used bananas, eggs, flapjacks, water, and protein powder.   
Pancake perfection <3
We added Melt spread and maple syrup on top. 
Whenever I get a sweet tooth at night, I have chocolate protein plus Bolthouse farms! It really does the trick. Chocolate almond milk works too.
I woke up early on Tuesday morning to have breakfast and coffee before spin class. I had low sugar apple cinnamon oatmeal and coffee. 
I love doing spin class once a week to take a break from running. It’s so much fun and I love that my studio incorporates weights and strength training during the ride. 
This is the best post-workout recovery drink I’ve ever had! It’s the Isopure Amino Supplement and Kyle has me hooked on it.
Before I sat down to work, I made a delicious protein shake. 
It had 1 tablespoon hemp seeds, 1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder, 1 cup frozen raspberries, peaches and pineapples, 1 cup unsweetened cashew milk, 1 cup ice, 1 packet stevia stevia and 1/4 cup water.

I was feeling really sore late in the afternoon, so I decided to go for a jog to loosen up the muscles. Look at those leaves! They’re falling fast

I had leftovers for dinner and a decaf cashew milk latte. I don’t really like almond milk when it’s hot, but cashew milk is creamy and tastes just like milk! 
I caught up on Bachelor in Paradise and enjoyed the rest of my night! <3

Questions for you!

1. What is one food product that you’d like to see “pumpkin flavored.”
2. What did you do for Labor Day Weekend?
3. What is your go-to breakfast before a cardio workout?
4. Are you excited that football is back?

Good Morning!

I was up at 4:45 this morning, so I could have some time to relax with my coffee, blog,  and watch the news before I start the day. I have to finish up packaging and shipping for the shop, run about eight errands, and then catch up on some homework before a basketball game at 6pm. I also want to find time to fit in a good run since it’s finally stopped raining.

My recap post isn’t as long this time, becuase I’ve been keeping up better. I’m going to start with Sunday’s breakfast. I made eggs and pancakes with a side of fresh fruit. I usually go out to breakfast on Sunday, but I really want to start cooking at home more. I love going out for the environment, but I also love to cook and I feel like I don’t do it enough anymore.

Sunday was for the dogs. We took them to an old ball field and and let them chase each other. They got so dirty and loved every second of it! Grumps had an intense bath and I didn’t miss and inch of fur.

Remember when I was in D.C. a couple months ago? Well, Shaughna is an incredible artist. I’m so lucky becuase she sends me her work everyday and I get to see it. She paints up these magical scenes and they make me so happy. She sent me a Christmas card with Grumples and Kona riding in a sled pulled by Santa. I think it’s the cutest thing in the world.

Speaking of Christmas cards, I’ve had a couple of you email me asking for an address to send Christmas cards too. I love receiving Christmas cards and letters. You can always send cards or letters to my P.O. BOX! & who knows! You may get one back

Taralynn McNitt
P.O. BOX 1372
YORK, SC, 29745

Tuesday morning, I brought out the holiday wax scents! I’m currently burning the vanilla cookie crunch!  It smells scrumptious

Grumples had his yearly check up on Tuesday morning. He was so good and he actually loves his vet.  Plus, I always like hearing that he is in great shape and very healthy! We went on a long trail walk after this appointment and then I spent the rest of the day packaging.

Tuesday night, I decided to defrost the scallops in my freezer and make them for dinner with a side of roasted red potatoes and salad. The lettuce was leftover from the steak fajita night.

Roasted potatoes are my favorite! Here is my post for roasted potatoes!

I used to be nervous about making scallops at home, but it’s so much easier than you think! AND THEYRE DELICIOUS!

Garlic Parmesan scallops recipe here!

I ended up eating the leftovers last night for dinner. I always put the potatoes back in the oven to crisp them up.

I decided to give up the hope that it would stop raining, suck it up and run on the treadmill. The treadmill sucks…I’d rather run hills for thirty minutes straight.

I decided to do thirty minutes of intervals.

5 minutes: 5.6 speed no incline
5 minutes: 5.8 speed incline of 3.2
3 minutes: 6 speed incline 1
5 minutes: 5.8 speed incline 4
2 minutes: 6.2 speed no incline
10 minutes: 5.7 speed incline 1.5
2 minutes: 6.4 speed incline 1.5

The calories on the machine are probably way off becuase I didn’t set it to my body weight/height. I was drenched in sweat after that workout and my face was a bloated tomato! I did a fifteen minute walk after running to cool down and then a ten minute deep stretch.

I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to attach a recipe here instead of starting an entire new post. Last week, I made lettuce wrapped steak fajitas. I’ve been an anemic since I was a kid, so it’s important for me to get iron in my diet. It runs in the family. I get iron mainly through steak and spinach. I eat read meat approximately once a week. Lettuce wrapped fajitas are so easy to make!

All you need is: steak (or chicken, shrimp, tofu), taco seasoning (you can make your own or use the 365 whole foods brand), olive oil, lettuce, peppers, and onions. You can add extra toppings like cheese, tomatoes, black beans, or sour cream!

I chopped up the steak and tossed it in olive oil and the taco seasoning.  Then I cooked it up on my indoor grill on 375. I cooked it to medium rare.

While the steak was cooking, I sliced the onions and peppers and tossed them in olive oil and fajita seasoning.

I sautéed them for about twenty five minutes.

I added the steak to the pan and covered them to stay warm.

I made some 365 spanish rice to go with the fajitas, sprinkled cheese on top, chopped up some avocados, and used some salsa to spice it up. This meal is so filling and delicious! I ate the leftovers for the next three days! Perfect for a low-carb post workout meal.

I hope you all have a great day! I’m going back to packaging so I can get them all out today

BUT FIRST, THREE QUESTIONS FOR YOU! 

1. Do you find yourself dining out more with your significant other?
2. What is your favorite crockpot recipe?
3. Do you like the treadmill?