Today, I’m sharing a smoothie bowl that I’ve loved lately! I made it all summer long, and now I’m back on the grind.

Print

Peachy Avocado Protein Smoothie Bowl with Wheatgrass & Pomegranate

Course Breakfast, lunch,, Smoothie,

Cuisine American

Keyword Smoothie, Avocado, Peaches, Protein, Plant-Based Protein Powder, Pomegranate Seeds, Healthy Smoothie Bowl, Crunchy Granola, Banana, Wheatgrass, Gluten-Free, Almond Milk, Peaches

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Cold Water or almond milk
• 1 Cup Frozen Avocado Slices
• 1 Cup Frozen Peaches Slices
• 1 Scoop Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder
• 1 Tbsp Wheatgrass
• 1 Tsp Honey
• 2 Tbsps Pomegranate Seeds
• 2 Tbsps Granola
• 1/3 Cup Banana Slices

Instructions

• Add the cold water, frozen avocados, frozen peaches, plant-based vanilla protein powder, and wheatgrass to the blender and blend on a high speed until creamy.
• Pour the smoothie into a bowl (I like to freeze my bowl for a few minutes before adding the smoothie)
• Top with the pomegranate seeds, granola, banana slices, and drizzle the honey on top.

The avocados add so much creaminess and nutritional value to this smoothie bowl. The pomegranate seeds on top add a juicy crunch, and they’re an amazing antioxidant. Don’t even get me started on how good wheatgrass is for you! I love growing wheatgrass in a little pot on my kitchen window during the warmer months. I plan to add the wheatgrass outside in my garden this year!
I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Questions for you

1. Do you prefer a smoothie bowl or a smoothie in a jar?
2. Chocolate protein or vanilla protein?
3. What is your favorite smoothie bowl topping?

Last fall, I took a hiatus from working out, caring about the food I ate or cautiously watching my portion sizes. I’ve been very intuitive with my diet and exercise. I eat when I’m hungry (even if I just had lunch an hour ago), I go for a walk if I feel like it, and I have chocolate more than once a day if I want it. There haven’t been any rules for the way I live in a long time, and I’ve never felt this “normal.” The crazy part is that when you do physically recover from an eating disorder, it takes years for you to recover mentally. Anyone who’s been through it knows exactly what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, consider yourselves very lucky. There were days when I never thought I’d get into that mindset. And it doesn’t help when your life is on the internet, and so many opinions about your body are circulating the comment section. If you gained weight, they let you know, and if you lose weight, they also let you know. That’s not healthy for anyone, and it’s not just the internet; I have people close in my life that are extremely toxic when it comes to diet culture, and I have to check myself out from those conversations completely. Thank you, therapist, for those exercises! As soon as I was old enough to walk and talk, I was already being introduced into the diet culture. I’d do my mom’s workout videos with her, I’d drink her Slimfast shakes, and I’d mimic my aunt’s Atkins diet. I was doing everything I could, even as a little kid, just to be thin and fit. My entire life up until a few years ago had been consumed with haunting thoughts and negative body positivity. I’ve been very open about it on the blog but took a step back these past months and chose not to talk about anything as I went on a new journey of exiting this whole “diet” world.

Where I’m going with this. 

Since taking my hiatus, I’ve been very happy and stress-free. All of my friends are extremely into fitness, and it’s been hard dealing with the FOMO and saying “no” when it comes to going to the gym or training for a race with them. But I’ve been very confident with my “no,” and that’s been the best part. I now feel healed in the mind and would like to start getting myself back into the world of fitness, but for the right reasons. I want to start reaching for more whole foods again and not having frozen pizza two nights in a row. I want to walk more trails and play more tennis now that it’s getting warmer. I don’t want to get back into running yet, but maybe eventually. The reason I want to start getting more active is so that I can feel strong, boost endorphins, and simply get into shape. When I say “get into shape,” I mean not heavy breathing after running up the stairs. I used to think “getting into shape” was looking good in a bikini, but that’s not the case. This time, I’m going into fitness differently. I’m ready for it this time. I used to force myself to do things because I let my diet culture mindset win. The crazy part is that even after my hiatus, my weight is lower than it has been in a few years, and my jeans fit me better. My doctor told me it’s because working out was causing my cortisol levels to rise so much, and after taking the hiatus, my body wasn’t in stress-mode, and I was losing weight. Again, it’s not about the weight, but that was just an example as to why I was not ready for fitness during that time in my life. I just want to get this all out here just in case anyone can relate to how I’m feeling or this stage in my life that I’m going through. And if none of this makes sense to you and you just came here for the smoothie recipe, scroll below. Starting today, I want to be more proactive in my activity levels. My Apple Watch is actually on the charger for the first time in five months…

I’m not going on a diet…

Last night, after eating the last slice of frozen pizza, I said to Kyle, “I think I’m going to start Whole30 tomorrow.” And then I thought to myself, WHY?” Was I just doing that because I felt bad about the pizza, or was I just sinking back into old habits? Well, whatever it was, I quickly said, “no, you’re not going to do Whole30 tomorrow.” Instead, “You’re going to go to the grocery store and purchasing a ton of great nutritious foods and continue to eat intuitively.” So that is what I did today. I loaded my cart with fresh produce, frozen fruits for smoothies, fresh fish, tea, dark chocolate, gluten-free bread, crackers, hummus, yogurt, roasted almonds, protein powder, and more. My goal is to keep eating as healthy as possible but treating myself whenever I feel like I want something. I was just very proud of myself for sticking out this long-term goal of mine, and always practicing intuitive eating and zero limitations. Life, for me, is about balance. For example, on Wednesday night, I had french fries for dinner and didn’t think twice about it. Old me would have been distraught.

There’s no moral to the story here other than that it’s human for us to want to fall back into old habits, but we need to recognize that and choose the better route. My goal this spring is to start eating better and moving more but for the RIGHT reasons. It’s simple, and maybe this inspired someone to do the same, or not to go down the route they didn’t want to go when it came to “dieting.”

Now, I hope you’re ready for some smoothie bowls, trail walking posts, tennis, big jumbo salads, and more this spring! I’m ready to start feeling like my best self again.

This weekend, I am going to do THREE active things. I challenge you to do the same. I’ll be talking more about this on Monday, and I hope you report back with what activities you did! Sorry for the rambling, but sometimes I feel like it’s the best form of therapy! Typing this out also helps, and I always feel like you all hold me accountable when I mention something. I know at least one of you will, and that’s all it takes for me to feel it.

Oh, you wanted this smoothie bowl recipe? It’s just unsweetened cashew milk, fresh spinach, frozen raspberries, frozen peaches, and one scoop of Vega vanilla with greens protein powder. I topped it with banana, granola, coconut, and chia seeds!

Questions for you

1. Did you notice my lack of health and fitness posts?
2. What will you do to get active this weekend?
3. Would you like me to talk more about this new journey?

Now that the warmer weather has finally arrived, I’ve been replacing my warm protein oats with delicious protein smoothie bowls. Smoothie bowls so easy and quick to make. They pack a ton of nutrients, protein, and keep me energized for my mornings. They are especially refreshing after a long walk or light run. You can customize this recipe to fit your tastebuds if you’re not a fan of some of the ingredients used. I love the simple ingredients in this recipe, and smoothie bowls are much cheaper to make at home! I get asked about the smoothies I drink a lot, so I’m excited to bring this guide to you!

Mangos: high fiber, vitamin a & c, folate, B6, iron, and a great source of antioxidants.

Bananas: vitamin c, high fiber & potassium, manganese, B6,

Spinach: iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin a & b2, b6, e, and c

Almond Milk: vitamin d, e, and a healthier alternative to dairy milk.

Vanilla Plant Protein Powder: low sugar, high protein, & low carb. I use RawFusion plant-based vanilla protein powder.
I always add the solid ingredients first, then add the almond milk until the solid ingredients are covered, and then the protein last!

Spinach is one of my favorite ingredients to add to smoothies. It blends so well, and you’re not left with the chunky greens floating around like when I use kale. Spinach also has such a light and mild flavor, so almost any ingredient can overpower it. You can’t taste an ounce of the spinach, and I added about four cups to this smoothie. I love to freeze my spinach for smoothies before it goes bad or if I’m heading out of town. 

Print

Vegan Protein Spinach & Mango Green Smoothie Bowl

Course Breakfast, Drinks

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Author Taralynn McNitt

Ingredients

• 1 Medium Banana frozen
• 1/2 Cup Mango frozen
• 4 Cups Spinach
• 3 Ice Cubes
• 1 1/2 Cups Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk or coconut milk
• 1 Scoop Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder I used RawFusion
• 1 Tbsp Coconut Shreds
• 1 Tbsp Granola

Instructions

• Add banana, mango, spinach, and ice cubes to the blender. 
• Add milk and protein powder. 
• Blend on high
• Top with coconut shreds and granola 

Notes

350 Calories, 40g Carbs, 6g Fat, 28g Protein, 22g Sugar, 8g Fiber

Because this recipe has 28 grams of protein and complex carbs and sugars that come from the fruit, I think this is the best post-workout recovery option. There’s nothing worse than feeling tired all day after a workout. This meal will give you the boost you need for the rest of your day!

Questions for you!

1. Do you add greens to your smoothies?
2. What is your favorite fruit to add to smoothies?
3. Are you a smoothie or oatmeal person in the summer?

I have a smoothie just about every day. They’re quick to make, easy cleanup, delicious, filling, nutritious, and so convenient. I could go on, but I’m sure you get the point. There are smoothies in every weekly recap post but I haven’t dedicated a post to a single smoothie in a long time. When I post smoothies on Instagram, I get questions about what goes into them, which protein powder I use, and so on. Well, my smoothies usually change when it comes to flavor, but I always stick to the same formula.

FRUIT: In my smoothies, I always add one cup of frozen fruit. Sometimes I’ll do a tropical frozen fruit, strawberries, mangos, blackberries, or whatever I’m craving. If I’m using chocolate protein powder, I’ll usually go with strawberries, raspberries, or frozen bananas. When it comes to vanilla protein powder, well, it goes with pretty much anything. For this smoothie, I used tropical fruit and strawberries.

PROTEIN POWDER: Let’s talk about protein powder. You can use whichever protein powder you like, but I’ve been using Orgain for the past two years. I think it tastes the best, never makes me feel sick, and I love their company. I have never been sponsored by them, or have had them send me free products. I genuinely love and support Orgain! It also helps that their protein is very inexpensive compared to others out there on the market. We go through protein so fast in this house, so it’s easier on the budget. I also try other plant-based protein powders and enjoy a few others as well.

LIQUID: I always bounce between unsweetened vanilla almond milk and unsweetened vanilla cashew milk. They’re both low in calories and fat, but give my smoothie a nice creamy texture. You can also use water, or whichever choice of milk you wish.

The ice is always optional. Sometimes I add it, and sometimes I don’t. If your fruit is frozen (which is KEY to making the best smoothie) then you’ll be good to go.

Smoothies have always been a part of my lifestyle. I love how refreshing they are, and how easy they can be customized to fit your cravings. In the fall, I like to add pumpkin and nutmeg, or eggnog during the holidays.

Super Foods: Sometimes, I’ll add more superfood powders to my smoothies depending on how I feel. I like to add spirulina, collagen, camu, maca, acai, matcha powder, turmeric, chia seeds, wheatgrass, and goji powder. 
The nutritional info will vary depending on which ingredients you use, but this smoothie makes for the perfect protein source in the morning! I’ll usually have a couple of hard-boiled eggs with it, or a slice of peanut butter toast.

Questions for you!

1. Do you have smoothies daily?
2. What is your go-to smoothie formula?
3. Chocolate or vanilla protein powder?

Brrrrr it’s a chilly one this morning. I just got back from a long dog walk, and now it’s coffee and blogging time I am so excited to share this recipe post with you. I had the salmon and birthday cake lined up, but I could hardly contain my excitement for this one. I’ll be sharing either the salmon recipe or birthday cake recipe over the weekend! I’ll let you choose. Let me know which one you’d like to see in the comment section.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you probably heard about my day. I had a true life lesson thrown in my face, and I’m so grateful for it. Check out my Insta-story for the details, if you don’t have Instagram, I’ll be sharing it in my weekly recap post.

After my train of events, I decided to make a very late lunch. We finally got a break in the rain, so I headed outside to fire up the grill. You don’t need the grill for this recipe, but I went ahead and used it to cook my turkey burgers! You can make them in the oven or on the stovetop. 
I mentioned in a couple of posts back that I get inspired by restaurants. I’ve cut back on dining out tremendously this past year, and I love to bring my restaurant favorites to life in my own kitchen.

So, today’s recipe was inspired by one of my favorite spots in Charlotte, Lunas Living Kitchen. I know what you’re thinking. Isn’t Luna’s a vegan restaurant? YES! It is. I didn’t try to replicate the recipe because I would NEVER be able to make it like them and I’d be left with disappointment. I just took some of their ideas like adding sprouts, using collard greens as a wrap, using hummus for a spread, and having a tasty green smoothie as a side. If you are a vegan and want to try a similar recipe, you can use veggie burgers, or stuff it with grilled tofu.

P.S. Lettuce wraps are OUT. Collard green wraps (that’s not considered lettuce, right?) are IN! They hold up so much better, have a great flavor, carry way more nutrients, and hold up as leftovers a lot longer. 

I’m on a grilling kick. I just can’t stop! Why didn’t I get one earlier? (procrastinator, that’s why)

I cooked these on tin foil. I would have used my grill pan, but it was in the dishwasher. As soon as they were fully-cooked, I finished them off directly on the grill for about a minute on each side to give them grill marks. I turned the grill off and kept the lid open while doing this. The grill was still hot, and I didn’t want to overcook the burgers. 
I set them aside to let them cool before adding them to the wraps. I didn’t want them to melt or wilt the vegetables and hummus.
You can get creative with the fillers. You can add pickles, jalapenos, more lettuce, peppers, mushrooms, greek yogurt, or anything you want! You can make so many fun variations of this recipe. I know I’ll be doing that a lot!

I used two leaves to secure and wrap these. I just started tucking all the edges into each other. The collard green is very thick and strong, so it holds well. It doesn’t fall apart when you cut into it, either. 

These are so great for BBQs! I love having a lower-carb option for dinner. I eat most of my carbs earlier in the day and stick to lower carbs in the evening. Because the collard greens hold up so well, these would be cute little appetizers to set out. You could even use a toothpick and make them mini wraps. I may try that! I’ll be making these all summer! I’ll try it out with tofu and grilled chicken next.
Each wrap has two turkey patties, 1 tbsp guacamole, 1 tbsp hummus, 3 cherry tomatoes, 4-5 cucumber slices, 1/4 cup spouts, and two collard green leaves.

This recipe makes 4 wraps

Nutrition per wrap:

Calories: 280 Calories, 9g Fat,  240 mg Sodium, 8g Carbs, 3g Fiber, 1g Sugar, 35g Protein

I love a healthy and hearty meal that makes me feel great. I could eat this every day!
I hope you guys have a fabulous Friday & Weekend!

Questions for you!

1. Do you have a meal that you’ve created inspired by a restaurant?
2. Have you ever used collard greens as a wrap?
3. Salmon or Birthday Cake recipe?

Can you believe Christmas was over two weeks ago? It’s going to be spring before we know it (thank goodness.) This week was miserably cold. I’m so used to being outside walking the dogs, walking the trails, or just going out and about. All I wanted to do this week was stay inside, drink tea, blog, watch movies, and read books. Maybe the cold was a blessing in disguise. I suppose drinking tea and reading all weekend wasn’t that bad. This week coming up, you won’t hear me complaining about the weather (other than the rain) because it’s going to be in the high fifties

My recap today is going to be much shorter than most. I’ll be sharing some of my eats from the week, and a couple of random photos here and there.
On Wednesday morning, I woke up super early to walk the dogs, have some toast, and drink a ton of water before going back to the doctor to do bloodwork. Luckily this time was more successful. I have another doctors appointment tomorrow, so hopefully, I won’t have to do more bloodwork. I have nightmares about this stuff. I should be getting my test results back any day now.

For a late lunch/brunch on Wednesday, I made a delicious meal with leftover spaghetti squash and roasted vegetables. I topped the roasted spaghetti squash and vegetables with two eggs over medium. I found pre-cut butternut squash crinkle fries at Whole Foods, too! Cutting butternut squash is a pain in the butt, so these were super convenient. To cook them, I tossed them in a little avocado oil and baked them on a sheet pan for ten minutes at 425 degrees. They were super crispy. I didn’t use much seasoning with my meal other than chili flakes and black pepper. When you have a runny yolk, you don’t need seasoning  
My dinner was so good.

I had so much spaghetti squash leftover that I planned on eating it all week long. I also had another squash sitting on the counter to cook up after this batch was finished. I refrained from buying another at the store yesterday. Not sure I can eat anymore! I love to use large containers for salads because it’s better for mixing. Have you ever tried to combine salad ingredients in a small bowl? It’s nearly impossible. Lettuce overboard!

My salad consisted of baby arugula salad, guacamole, Whole Food’s chicken salad, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, roasted vegetables, and spaghetti squash. I didn’t use dressing because the guacamole and chicken salad made up for it. I had a La Croix with my salad, a little Sun Cup for dessert, and lemon ginger tea before bed. Now that I’m on one cup of coffee a day, I’ve been drinking a lot of decaf lemon ginger tea. I’m thinking about writing a separate post with how I feel after cutting my coffee intake and replacing it with lemon tea. My moods and complexion have changed drastically. Let me know if that’s a post you’d be interested in. I never believed in the power of a lemon until now. 
Thursday was brutally cold. I had to sit in front of the fireplace for twenty minutes after walking the dogs to warm up. When you’re cold, oatmeal and coffee are perfect cures. I brewed a cup of coffee, warmed up some oats, and topped them with sauteed blueberries. Some people hate warm blueberries, but I love when they are squishy and pop in your mouth. They’re delicious! That is why blueberry muffins are one of my favorite foods.

Later in the afternoon, I headed to a power hour yoga class at the gym. Luckily, it was a hot yoga hour, and the heat felt so good. 
For lunch, I had roasted butternut squash crinkle fries and scrambled eggs mixed with spaghetti squash and roasted vegetables. Luckily, it was the last of the leftovers. I could eat something different for dinner. 
Nothing better than sleeping puppies. Leo fell asleep on my shoulder while I was working, and he stayed like that for about an hour. The rule is that you can’t move if your dog is asleep on you. My cup was filled with Stash mango passion tea and the juice of one lemon. I bought a Stash tea fruity herbal flavor assortment, and I’ve loved every flavor so far. It was inexpensive, too. I don’t know what has gotten into me, but I’ve never enjoyed tea this much. 
What is better (or easier) than a three ingredient dinner? I cooked up ground turkey, broccoli, and teriyaki sauce for dinner on Thursday night. I ended the night with So Delicious no sugar added coconut milk vanilla ice cream with a scoop of honey roasted peanut butter on top. 
I was up at 5:30 on Friday morning and ready to start my day. It was 7 degrees when I walked the dogs outside. It took me a while to get the feeling back in my legs. I do not do well with cold temperatures. My body is so sensitive to it. I’m currently in a house with my heat cranked to 70, and my hands are still cold.
On Friday morning, I chopped up some fresh fruit for the fridge. Eating fresh fruit throughout the day always prevents my crazy sweet tooth at night. 
I wanted to come up with some fun recipes to share this week, so I made matcha maqui pancakes and chocolate matcha muffins. I’m excited to share those recipes with you this week! They turned out delicious. I like to make stacks of pancakes and keep them in containers in the fridge. Whenever I want one, I just throw it into the toaster to heat it up. Adding the matcha and maqui to the pancakes turned them green and blue! This could be a fun way to get kids to eat their pancakes, or a festive Earth Day breakfast. 
Leo always sits by the table when I take recipe photos. He’s a character! 
After taking recipe pictures, I made myself a little cozy nook at the kitchen table and got some work done. 
I didn’t feel like heading to the gym, so I wrote up a workout to do in the living room. I had a lot of messages about my workouts, and I was surprised at how many of you guys loved them! I will start sharing more on my Insta stories. This was a great workout to do in the living room! 
I had so much fun doing a mini little workout challenge on my Instagram story. I had so many of you participate! I’m still getting the emojis sent in. It’s a lot of fun If you missed it, head over to my profile and click the “fitness” category. I’ll be saving them all there! I’ve also had a lot of request for a new fitness challenge. I think a three-week challenge could be fun! I’d like to keep it simple with workouts that you can do in your home. 
For my post-workout/lunch, I had one of my favorite combos. I’ve been mixing my So Delicious unsweetened plain coconut milk yogurt with Orgain protein powder. It tastes like vanilla pudding/cake batter. It’s dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and vegan. I top it with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, shredded coconut, and banana slices. It’s like a creamy dessert for lunch. When I shared this recipe on Instagram, I had a lot of questions about the protein powder. This is the protein powder I have been using for about a year. It’s the best organic plant-based protein powder ever! It’s not chalky, and very affordable compared to its competitors. 
I shared a little fun recipe tutorial on Friday night. I was feeling the cabin fever and started having way too much fun. When it comes to videos, I’ll admit it. I’m extremely awkward. Some people do Insta stories, and it’s so natural, and I’m like a deer in headlights. Hello, trainwreck! I’m trying to get better. Luckily, I had some great feedback, and you guys requested more, so I’m going to try!

I needed to use up the ground turkey and ground chicken in the refrigerator, so I decided to make meatballs to go with the spaghetti squash.

My turkey meatballs had: 1 pound of ground chicken, 1 pound of ground turkey (93% fat-free), 1 large egg, 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tablespoon onion powder, 1/2 tablespoon oregano, 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon minced onion, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 tablespoon gluten free low sodium soy sauce.

Add all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and combine.  
Before adding the meatballs to the oven, I browned the outer layer in a pan with olive oil on medium-high. I transferred the meatball to a baking sheet and baked them for 15 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees. I took them out when the temperature was at 168. I sliced the meatballs in half once they cooled down. 
I normally make my own sauce, but this meal was a last-minute decision. I used organic garlic lover’s tomato sauce as back up. I added the sauce to a saute pan on low heat along with the sliced meatballs. I let them cook in the sauce for about twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. 
I still get asked how to roast spaghetti squash. I think a lot of people are intimidated by it, but it’s so easy. Just slice your squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and cut it up into large chunks. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (I always use my older one when roasting at high temperatures), place the squash with the insides down on the baking sheet, and roast it for about 35 minutes at 400 degrees. The time depends on the size of your squash. I can always tell when it’s done when the outer layer is soft.

I let the squash cool completely before scooping it out. I use a giant spoon and scrape it into a large bowl, and then fluff it up with a fork. There’s really no wrong way of doing it. 
The reason I love making meals like this is because I’m usually set for the next couple of days. Leftovers are my jam, and this was delicious. On Friday night, Kyle and I watched Ben’s Status, and it was a pretty good movie. It gave you a really good perspective on life. 
Breakfast on Saturday morning! Told you I’m all for that leftovers life. I made an omelet stuffed with spaghetti squash and a side of meatballs. 
Power hour and smoothies <3

I shared the recipe for this matcha smoothie on My Instagram!

Later in the afternoon, I started writing a post about my goals and plans with running. I didn’t plan on writing it, but sometimes those are the best types of blog posts. I have all of your comments in moderation, but I’ll get to those today! I promise. I don’t like to post the comments until I have a chance to reply back to all of you. I’ll be heading to the gym today to start my journey all over again. 
Grumples and Leo were overdue for a bath and trim. I usually try to trim the hair around their eyes, cut out their mats, and give them a complete blow out until we get them groomed. It’s been so cold here, that I’ve been holding off until next month.

We really like the Burt’s Bees shampoo and conditioner. We find that it’s the best for dogs with itchy coats because of its relieving ingredients. I also love that it’s 98.2% natural.

Relieving Shampoo & Conditioner Link! 
Here are three other tools to make at-home grooming so much easier.

We use a handheld showerhead to wash the dogs. It attaches to any showerhead, and it makes it so much more comfortable in the tub. The dogs can just stand there, and we can use the shower head all around them. It’s the best $25 purchase we’ve ever made for the dogs. We also use a bathing mat in the tub, so they do not slide, and it makes them more comfortable standing in the tub. We also use de-matting combs to help break up the mats before cutting them out. You can find these at Petco or online. The showerhead was $10 cheaper online than at the Home Depot.

I was so tired on Saturday night. I turned on a movie and was out by nine.
I was really excited for Sunday morning. We had had some fun afternoon plans with the dogs! I was up at the crack of dawn to get them fed and walked. I had my tea and decided to try out the Apple Cinnamon RX Bars. Have you ever had a brown sugar cinnamon pop tart? They taste just like it! I was shocked. I’m about to order another box right now!
Later in the morning, I made a maqui protein shake! It had two tablespoons of maqui powder, 1 frozen banana, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 scoop vanilla Orgain protein powder, and a couple of ice cubes. 
Kyle and I have been talking about finding a trainer for our dogs for a while now. Our dogs are great, but we want them to be better. They had a good streak last fall, but now it feels as if they are back to their old ways. We made the commitment and signed the dogs up with Holland K9 Services for a lifetime of training. We made a list of all of the struggles we face with our dogs and then found the perfect trainer, who is confident he can fix the issues. The best part is that he’s not going to fix them, he’s going to train US how to fix them. We didn’t want to drop our dogs off at month camp for training, we wanted to be trained with the dogs, so I’m excited to share this journey with you all. I will make sure to fill you guys in on the training each week in my recap posts. I know a lot of you have dogs and have shared your experiences, so hopefully, this will be able to help you or inspire you to sign your dogs up as well. We want to be confident in our dogs, and it seems as if their unpredictable behavior has become a huge stress. Your dogs should never dictate your lives, but it seems as though our dogs have kind of taken over. We have to do things around them, and it’s not fun anymore. This is now one of our biggest priorities, and it’s extremely important to do this. Not only will this benefit our lives, but it’ll make our dogs much happier, less anxious, and more confident. My ultimate goal is to turn Leo into a therapy dog in a couple of years so he can visit hospitals, and bring joy to the life of others. I have this dream of reading children’s books to little kids with Leo. 
When training a dog, it’s about going back to the basics.

This week, we are working on teaching them to heel and making them stay on command. We are also trying to get Leo and Grumples to stop giving us their paw. They tend to do it a lot, and it’s a big distraction and a form of begging. We are using more verbal commands rather than our hand signals. Check out their Instagram page to see Leo & Grumples staying in place! They learn quickly You can follow along with our progress on their page too. I’ll be documenting this whole process. I love my dogs so much, but I can’t wait for them to behave better, so I can take them places with the confidence.

We learned so much with John (the trainer.) We discussed some of the things we do and learned a lot about things we shouldn’t be doing. It all started to make sense! 
“Pet dog obedience is the foundation for solving all behavior problems.”

If you’re interested in learning more about what we’ll be doing in training, or getting your dog trained, check out John’s website! Or, you can email him Info@hollandk9services.com

I am really excited about this.
Our pups were exhausted when we got back from their two-hour training session. We did a lot of exercises, and I’m sure they were a bit stressed in a new environment. They passed out on the couch, so Kyle and I decided to have lunch, and then hit the gym.

I had a bowl of coconut milk yogurt mixed with my Orgain protein powder! 

I topped my yogurt bowl with pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and grapes! I also had a slice of peanut butter toast on the side.
I was super tired when I got to the gym. I planned on doing a workout with Kyle, but I just felt like doing the bike instead. I grabbed my book from the car and did an easy ride while reading for an hour. I have been reading “A Man Called Ove” for the January recipe & book review. I’m a big psychological thriller genre type of person, but I want to switch it up because I know not everyone likes those types of books, and I’ve heard amazing reviews on this book so far. I’m excited to finish it! If you want to join the discussion, order a copy and start reading! I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the review post! 
After the gym, Kyle and I stopped at the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for dinner. We decided on salmon, salad, and roasted potatoes! I’m so glad we agreed on this because it was amazing…

If you’re ever trying to figure out what to eat for a healthy meal, just always go with the 3-method. 1. choose your protein. 2. choose your healthy carb. 3. choose your vegetable(s).
I never liked salmon until my mom cooked it for me. I still stick to her salmon recipe!

I massage the salmon with the juice from 1/2 of a lime and 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce. After massaging the salmon, I pat the salmon with garlic powder, black pepper, minced onions, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, and onion powder. I let the salmon marinate in the fridge for two-three hours.
I couldn’t wait to bake this salmon! It smelled so good. Sometimes, I’ll use an orange instead of lime. It’s fun to switch things up. 
I boiled about two cups of red potatoes until fork tender. I diced them up and added them to a baking dish. I drizzled a tablespoon of olive oil on top and tossed them in black pepper, minced onion, sea salt, and garlic powder. I cooked the potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. I flipped them halfway through. 
While the potatoes were cooking, I prepared the salad.

I’ve been using the Tessemae’s honey balsamic dressing lately, and it’s so tasty! This dressing also works as a marinade for chicken and shrimp.

I massed the baby arugula in the honey balsamic and then topped the salad with avocados and strawberries. 
When the potatoes were done, I turned the oven temperature down to 375 and cooked the salmon for 15 minutes. The cooking time depends on the size of your salmon.
The salmon was perfectly glazed, and we were ready to dive in! 
There is no better feeling than cooking a perfect salmon. It just fell apart in your mouth, and the flavors were spot on. I love my mom’s recipe, and I’ll be making this for the rest of my life! It was the first recipe that made me truly enjoy salmon.
Cooking salmon at home way more budget-friendly than salmon at a restaurant! This is why I love cooking at home! I like to eat at restaurants in the summer, but I’d rather watch movies, have dinner around the coffee table, and get my own ketchup instead of asking for it. Remember when I used to eat out at restaurants practically every meal? I’m so happy that I’ve cut that out. 
Questions for you!

1. Would you like me to start posting more recipe/workout videos on my Instagram story?
2. Which recipe would you like to see first? The Matcha & Maqui Pancakes or Chocolate Matcha Muffins?
3. I made a list of thirty blog posts to create this year. What do YOU want to see?

I finally figured out the whole video situation. I spent way too many hours trying to figure out why there was no storage left on my computer but turns out the rendered files were taking up pretty much all of the space. After clearing those out, the videos uploaded perfectly.

I wanted to do something fun this week and change my recap post up a bit. This week was perfect for that because I had no plans, it was going to be a low-key week, and I could spend some time figuring out how to “vlog.” It’s funny because as you watch each video, they start awful, and then get a little better. I think I’m getting the hang of this. I’m hoping to have it all figured out in no time! All pointers are welcome. The first couple of days are pretty bad to watch, but I finally learned how to mess with the volume and sound effects. The next time I vlog, I promise it’ll be better!

Each day of last week was Vlogged, and I added some extra photos with links and recipes as well. I hope you enjoy my low-key week! It’s so important to give yourself a calm week now and then. Overfilling your week with events (even if they are fun) and workouts and drain you. This was my “off” week. I’ll have to video blog a normal week next time.

Sarabeth’s Breakfast Blend Coffee (link)
Erin Condren Planners (link)
Eleven Life Improvements I’m Making Post (link)
Maca powder: (health benefits) & (where to buy) P.S. Helps with PMS & other symptoms.
Spirulina: (health benefits) & (where to buy)
Collagen Peptides: (health benefits) & (where to buy)
Orgain Protein Powder: (french vanilla) & (chocolate)
Maqui: (health benefits) & (where to buy)—SO MANY. Anti-aging & metabolism boosts.
Acai: (health benefits) & (where to buy)
Tumeric: (health benefits) & (where to buy)–Brain performance & anti-inflammatory!
Goji Powder: (health benefits) & (where to buy)
Ginger: (health benefits) & (where to buy) FAVORITE.
Chia Seeds: (health benefits) & (where to buy)
Wheat Grass: (health benefits) & (where to buy)
Matcha Green Tea Powder: (health benefits) & (where to buy)

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SUPERFOODS? 

Super Duper Blueberry Vanilla Protein Shake Ingredients:
One Cup Water, One Cup Frozen Blueberries, One Scoop Collagen Peptides, Two Tablespoons Maqui Powder, One Tablespoon Maca Root, One Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder, One Tablespoon Tumeric Powder, One Tablespoon Ground Ginger, One Tablespoon Acai Powder (made a mistake in the video
BLEND & ENJOY!
Three-ingredient lunch: Eggs, Hummus, Chomper Seaweed Chips (SO GOOD.)
Dinner Salad: Grilled Chicken, Avocado, Romaine Lettuce, Cherry Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, and Homemade Dressing. Dressing: Balsamic, Olive Oil, 1 Tsp Honey. 
Late night dessert & a book! If you haven’t read The Couple Next Door, you must!
& THAT’S MONDAY!

Chia Bowl: Coconut Milk & Almond Milk, Spirulina, Matcha Green Tea Powder, Ginger, Vanilla Protein Powder, Honey, Chia Seeds, Maca Powder! Topped with turmeric strawberry granola from Oat Box!

Smoothie: 1 Cup Water, 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk, 1 Cup Frozen Pineapples, 1 Teaspoon Spirulina, 1 Teaspoon Tumeric, 1 Teaspoon Ginger, 1 Teaspoon Maca Powder, 1 Scoop Collagen Peptides, 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder!
Earth Fare Grocery Haul:

Zevia Energy Drinks, English Muffins (found in the freezer section), Eggs, Epic Turkey Jerky, Wildwood Tofu, Chicken Breast, Spaghetti Squash, Kicking Horse Coffee, Kale, Potatoes, Zucchini, Szechuan Sauce, Coconut Milk, Organix Dog Treats, Amy’s Pizza, Swerve, Zesty Nacho Kale Chips, and Fruit Leather. 
I prepped four flavors of chia seed pudding to eat throughout the week!

Chocolate: 1 Tablespoon Collagen, 3 Tablespoons Swerve, 2 Tablespoons Protein Powder, 1 Tablespoon Maca Root, 2 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocao Powder, 5 Tablespoons Chia Seeds, 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk.

Vanilla: 1 Tablespoon Collagen, 1 Scoop Protein Powder, 5 Tablespoons Chia Seeds, 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk, 2 Tablespoons Swerve, 1 Tsp Vanilla, 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon.

Green Tea Matcha: 1 Tablespoon Collagen, 2 Tablespoons Protein Powder, 5 Tablespoons Chia Seeds, 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk, 2 Tablespoons Swerve, 2 Tablespoons Matcha Green Tea Powder, 1 Teaspoon Maca Powder.

Acai Berry: 1 Tablespoon Collagen, 2 Tablespoons Protein Powder, 5 Tablespoons Chia Seeds, 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk, 2 Tablespoons Swerve, 1 Tablespoon Goji Powder, 2 Tablespoons Acai Powder, 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger.
Storage Bowls with Lids. Libbey’s.
Acai Jello: 2 Boxes Plain Knox, 1/2 Cup Swerve, Goji Berry Powder, & 1/2 Cup Acai Powder.
Chicken breast lightly coated in gluten-free flour, baking powder, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, chili pepper flakes, ground mustard, and Italian seasoning. Bake at 350 for 19 minutes. 
Cast Iron zucchini. 
I sprinkled garlic powder over the top and adding in the potatoes. 
& THAT WAS TUESDAY!

My coffee grinder (link) 
Morning breakfast & errands with my dad! I had an egg white omelet stuffed with vegetables, fresh fruit, and coffee! Piddling before the gym. 
Dinner: Tofu, potatoes, and kale! 
Late night smoothie: details in the video, but I forgot to mention the maca powder! (cramp remedy)

Breakfast: Kale, Applegate chicken sausages (mehhh) & eggs! Dinner: Ground Turkey & Kale! + sauce!
& Choc Zero Chocolate for Dessert (no sugar/1g of carb) Tastes so good! (link here)

Morning

Ingredients: 1/2 Cup Water, 1 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Milk, 1/2 Cup Frozen Peaches, 1/2 Cup Frozen Pineapple, 1/4 Cup Frozen Raspberries, 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder, 1 Tablespoon Ginger, 1 Tablespoon Turmeric, 1 Scoop Collagen Peptides.
Sophisticated Teal! I CAN’T WAIT to show you the finished office project. 
Lunch with Becca. 
I ordered the Apple Fuji Salad with no pecans or cheese. I added kale, cucumber, avocado, egg, and chicken. 
Whole Foods Haul: 

Flaxseed yogurt, cherry tomatoes, shishito peppers, guacamole, Teriyaki sauce, hummus, Roots mango Sriracha hummus, frozen fruit, salsa, Tom’s deodorant, chips, popcorn, Siete grain free chips (are so good & I recommend the sea salt), chocolate covered ginger, turkey jerky, and coconut milk.

*update* the mascara was $5 cheaper on Amazon! (Mineral Fusion)
Post-tennis dinner! Rice! Tofu! Shishito Peppers!
Teriyaki & Spicy Szechuan chicken. 
Added cooked brown rice to the cast iron with a fried egg, sautéed cherry tomatoes, soy sauce, and spicy Szechuan sauce.

After coffee, I finished up some more cleaning. 
Smoothie: Coconut Milk, Cocoa Powder, Vanilla Protein Powder, Collagen, Spirulina, Ginger, Maca Powder, Maqui Powder, Frozen Peaches.

And the chocolate covered ginger candy is my favorite. I freeze them and have them with my afternoon coffee! 
After tennis, we grabbed some food and headed out to my parent’s house. We were going to make wings, but we were just too tired to do it all. We decided to do them this weekend instead.

If you need a good turkey burger recipe, I highly recommend my burgers!!! The recipe is on this post! 
A great dinner for the football game  
That’s Saturday!!

Sunday morning breakfast smoothie: Frozen Mangos, Frozen Peaches, 1/2 Banana, Coconut Milk, Water, Tumeric, Ginger, Collagen, Protein Powder & Goji!  I tried my first oat milk(never even knew this existed) cappuccino. I can honestly say it was one of the best coffee drinks I have ever had. It was creamy and full of flavor! I’m having withdrawals. 
Romare Bearden Park. 
And that’s a wrap! (not above…that’s a salad)

Questions for you!

1. I want to start Vlogging my travels. What camera/app/software do you recommend?
2. What’s your favorite superfood?
3. What do you want my next video to be about?

I’ve held off on the pumpkin recipes and fall talk long enough. Since it’s still in the 90’s here and I don’t get to wear the cute fall scarves or bundle up at the football games, I burn fall candles and eat everything pumpkin spice to make up for it. I still have a good month and a half before it starts to get cooler. I’ve been contemplating on making a trip back to Iowa this fall and going to a high school football game. I really miss the midwest falls and it would be great to visit family and catch up with some friends. Until then, pumpkin recipes it is.
 
While I was meal prepping a couple of days ago, I decided to bake some healthy pumpkin muffins for breakfasts. I used to make the crustless pumpkin pies religiously, so I thought I’d do a little spin off. These are super delicious, incredibly moist, insanely healthy, and perfect with a hot cup of morning coffee! 
HEALTHY WHOLE WHEAT MAPLE PECAN PUMPKIN MUFFINS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin to a large bowl and mix well.
3. Stir in the flour, hemp seeds, chia seeds, stevia, flax seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder. * if you like a sweeter muffin, add in some maple syrup*
4. Line a muffin pan with liners and add 1/3 cup of the pumpkin muffin batter.
5. Top the muffins with pecans and a maple drizzle. (approximately 1 tbsp of each)
6. Bake for 18-22 minutes *all ovens cook differently!
7. Let the muffins cool & serve!

This recipe makes 18 large muffins.
Calories 115, Carbs 17, Fat 3, Protein 5, Sugar 6g, Fiber 8g 
Add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin to a large bowl and mix well. 
Stir in the flour, hemp seeds, chia seeds, applesauce, stevia, flax seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder. * if you like a sweeter muffin, add in some maple syrup*
Line a muffin pan with liners and add 1/3 cup of the pumpkin muffin batter. 
You can spray them with cooking sprayif you’d like, but I didn’t have any trouble with them sticking to the liners.
Top the muffins with pecans and a maple drizzle. (approximately 1 tbsp of each)
Bake for 18-22 minutes *all ovens cook differently! Let the muffins cool & serve!
To store* I kept about ten of them in the freezer and the rest of them in my dessert tray! They’re really good in the refrigerator as well. I spread a little Greek yogurt cream cheese on them for breakfast the other morning and it was so good! 
These muffins are rich with fiber, healthy carbohydrates, some protein, low sugar and perfect for breakfast or before a workout!
 
I can’t wait to make these again. I want to try them with cinnamon or white chocolate chips:) I hope you all enjoy this recipe! 

Questions for you!

1. What is your favorite fall activity?
2. Have you ever tried one of my pumpkin recipes?
3. When do the leaves start changing where you live?
   *Tag me in one of your favorite fall photos you’ve taken.

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?

Happy Friday!

I’m so ready for the weekend. I’ll be heading down to the beach with Becca for a best friend’s weekend tomorrow! We have a BLAST on trips.  I hope you guys have some fun plans in the works. I just dropped Grumples off at the groomers and now I’m sitting here with my cup of coffee ready to catch you all up on my week. I hate taking him to the groomers because he makes me feel so guilty. He starts shaking, crying, and holding onto me. It breaks my heart, but I know he’ll feel so much better in this heat with less hair.

We hit a record heat in Charlotte yesterday and I planned on staying in, but my outdoorsy side was eager to get out and do something.

I lathered on my sunscreen and headed out for a four mile walk yesterday afternoon. There was no way I was going to run in that heat and it didn’t get any cooler outside as the night went on. I planned on a gym workout later in the evening anyways.

I cleaned up after my walk and headed out to do some errands. I dropped off all the shop orders at the post office and then stopped at I Love Juice Bar for an afternoon pick-me-up. I usually get a fruity flavor or Matcha, but decided to switch it up!  I ordered the Coffee Janet smoothie. It had raw cacao powder, coffee, hemp seeds, plant based protein powder, almond butter, banana and organic almond milk. It tasted like a Starbucks Mocha frappuccino (obviously healthier)!

I met up with Becca for a night workout in the gym. We set up a super intense circuit and alternated back and fourth for almost two hours. We talked more about doing our videos and how we want to set it all up. I’m pretty pumped to start doing them! We always feel so sore and accomplished after our workouts, so I think it would be fun to have you guys try them at home. We have both seen so much progress and definition changes in our bodies.

After our workout, we headed to Hobo’s for salads. I had all the veggies, tofu and chicken ready to grill, but we were too tired. It was 9:15 and having someone else wait on us sounded so much better. I ordered the classic Cobb, which had mixed greens, avocado, egg, grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, tomato and pecans. We definitely caved in and split some fries!

I know I’ve blogged since last Wednesday, but I’ve left so many things out. I figured it would be a good time to go back and catch you all up! This is going to be one long blog post, so prepare yourself!

It was gorgeous out last Wednesday, so I spent the afternoon soaking up the rays at the pool after my workout. I went to a spin class and it kicked my butt! I love switching up workouts because it’s great for the body.

I took Mr. Grumples out for a walk later in the evening. I love when it cools down because there is noway I can take him in the heat. I made a latte with skim milk, two espresso pods from my Nespresso and whipped cream on top when I got back!

I met up with Becca uptown for dinner and a walk Wednesday night.

We drove all around trying to find a place to eat, but we ended up grabbing a salad at Jason’s Deli. I wasn’t mad about it. I love their salad bar!

I dropped Grumples off at my parents house Thursday morning before heading to Asheville for the day.

Read all about my Asheville trip here!

Grumples was impersonating how I felt on Friday morning. I was running on three hours of sleep!

I figured adding rainbow sprinkles to my latte would make me feel better, or maybe it was the caffeine.

I was excited to have a Friday night in with Kyle. I decided to cook up everything I had in the fridge instead of running to the grocery store. I made turkey meatballs, baked chicken, shrimp, sticky rice, and roasted vegetables.

Roasted Vegetable Recipe

Turkey Meatballs Recipe

Shrimp cooked with black pepper, garlic powder & sweet chili sauce!

Baked Chicken Recipe!

*disclosure

I made sure to keep my portions small because we had an evening run planned. I didn’t want to feel to full. I normally eat way more than that!
 

Kyle is getting into the whole running thing and he’s doing so well. I love pacing him! We did two miles on Friday night and then walked the rest of the way. I hope he’s ready to go three tonight!

Running during the evening is so pretty and much more tolerable. I don’t know why I torture myself with day running.

We ended up popping some popcorn and falling asleep to a movie after the first ten minutes.

Grumples and I woke up really early to work on the blog and have coffee. I love love love commenting back to my readers on Saturday mornings.

Kyle and I went on an early morning run at the Riverwalk and it was so nice outside! We were super blessed with gorgeous weather over the weekend.

We grabbed coffee at the Grapevine on our way out, and then headed to the gym to finish up our workout. I did abs and some arm workouts with weights.

Not a bad view…

Kyle and I headed to Dick’s Sporting Goods so I could buy new golf shirts for my dad for Father’s Day. We headed to Amelies after to grab some afternoon coffee. He tried out their blueberry tea and I had the Le Sombre Chai! Kyle took Grumples back to his place for the night since I had some interesting plans with my mom and Becca.

Becca and my mom love paranormal stuff. My mom bought us tickets to join the Charlotte Paranormal Society at the Rosedale Plantation for a ghost tour. The plantation was so pretty.

We planned on grabbing dinner before the tour, but we were running behind! The tour ended up being from 7pm – 11pm and we were starvin’. We couldn’t leave because they locked the gates for security.
  

We didn’t see any ghost or get any encounters. We spent some time in the cellar and then walked the grounds.

We filmed live footage on snapchat. Our videos were weird, but we had to make the best of it.

I woke up early on Sunday morning so I could run to the store and pick up ingredients to make dark chocolate covered strawberries. They are my dad’s FAVORITE and totally easy to make. I just melt the dark chocolate chips in the microwave, dip the strawberries in, coat them in sliced almonds and let them dry on wax paper!

Becca, Kyle and I headed to my parents for a Father’s day brunch.

Scones with coffee? YES PLEASE!

I had mixed fruit, bacon, half an English muffin with blackberry jam and scrambled eggs. My dad cooked up the eggs and bacon on the grill I got him for Christmas!

After brunch, I headed out for a three mile run. It was so HOT & TORTUROUS! I cooled down at the pool with the girls afterwards.

Kyle and I decided to have fajitas for dinner. I chopped up veggies, chicken, and steak to grill!

Before adding the meats to the grill, I seasoned them with soy sauce, olive oil, and a tablespoon of honey.

Once the vegetables and meats were grilled, I added them to a large mixing bowl and added two packets of organic fajita seasoning.

I also made some organic whole grain Spanish quinoa & rice blend. This brand was so delish!

For our toppings we had, habanero cheese, avocado, salsa, black beans, plain Greek yogurt, and lettuce.

I scooped all of mine into a lettuce cup!

These were super filling and tasted just like the restaurant’s…if not better

We watched the NBA Finals during dinner! Such a great game.

Grumples and I went out for a long walk on Monday morning. He quit every 1/4 mile! It took us a bit to get back to my place. He pulls me into the shade.

Coffee after our walk <3

Don’t forget to enter the Kathy Davis Brand Bedding Giveaway!

I made a coffee protein shake for lunch! It had vanilla protein powder, cold-brew coffee, almond milk, ice, stevia and a banana blended! SO SO SO GOOD. I topped it with a little whipped cream. If you need a healthier alternative to the Starbuck’s frappuccinos, this one is it!

Monday night was a blast! Becca and I headed to the football stadium to run the track and do bleachers.

It was so pretty outside and the sunset was gorgeous from the top of the bleachers.

We did a set of bleachers (up down 12 times) followed by one lap around the track. We repeated that five times. My legs were on fire!

We headed to the gym to do some weights for an hour after our field workout! Of course there is never a time where we are not goofing off. This happens when we have the gym all to ourselves.

After the gym, we made veggie burgers and roasted vegetables while watching a conspiracy theory documentary about the moon.

Weirdly enough, I took photos of the moon that night because it was screaming for a photo shoot.

Grumples and I went to the track together early morning on Tuesday! There was no one there and he ran up and down the bleachers with me. It was the cutest thing. After our workout, we headed to Dunkin Donuts to grab a unsweetened blueberry iced tea. If you haven’t had one of these, they’re super delicious and taste just like a blueberry muffin!

We got the girl’s together at Nan & Byron’s on Tuesday night! We gave up on watching the Bachelorette because it’s SO BAD. I ordered the Greek salad.

I bought this dress at Francesca’s four years ago and I forgot it was hidden in my closet! I will be adding a section onto the shop for some of the clothes I do not wear anymore! I have way too many clothes and it’s time to make some room! I have a lot of workout clothes, dresses and pants I do not wear, so why not get rid of them!?

I woke up at 6am Wednesday so I could have breakfast, work and walk Grumples before heading out to meet up with Rachel. My go-to breakfast is always Cheerios with almond milk! I added blueberries this time.

That face gets me…

Rachel and I did an hour circuit. My butt is still burning from the workout!

Last year at this time, I was miserable with my body and couldn’t stand the way I looked. I had a lot of negativity in my life and was going through a pretty rough patch. I couldn’t be more proud of how far I have come mentally and physically.

We headed to the pool after our workout and I had some delicious Gold Emblem Abound Banana crisps! The whole bag has 180 calories and they are so good. Banana is the only ingredient! They are the perfect snack.  I’ll be taking these to the beach his weekend!

Hydrating with my coconut water!

I also caved and bought some sugar-free gummy bears! Only 90 calories a serving. TREAT YO SELF! 

I love infused water in the summer. This one had cucumber, mint, and lime!

I headed to Kyle’s on Wednesday night and Grumples was so happy to see him! <3

I can’t wait to catch up with you soon! Don’t forget to follow my travels on Instagram or Snapchat this weekend! @taralynnmcnitt

I’m about to head out for a workout before picking up Grumples!

Questions for you! 

1. If I set up a July fitness challenge, would you join me!?
2. What is one snack you must bring to the beach?
3. What was the highlight of your week?