Happy Monday, everyone! What a fun week it’s been. It’s hard jumping back into the swing of recaps, but after staring at my computer screen for the past thirty minutes, I think I’m ready to start. I mentioned last week that some exciting things were happening, and even though I can’t discuss those yet, I’m still just as excited, and it’s always hard to write a recap without sharing things. Believe me; it’s like torture to my typing fingers.
This recap will be filled with a few things I ate this week, a little road trip, lots of puppy pics, family time, and one of the best days baking and working on wedding stuff with Becca! We even filmed a vlog that you can watch here (video). 
I spent all of Monday working on the computer, and then I had a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon. I have to go back again tomorrow for another couple of tests, but it seems I have finally gotten the answers about my health that I had been waiting for (blog post on that soon!)
For dinner, I had air fried chicken tenders. I cannot get enough of these! All I do is coat the chicken tenders in egg, bread it with almond flour, add some salt and pepper, and cook it in the air fryer for about ten minutes at 400-degrees (until 165 temp.) Kyle said they kind of remind him of the MacDonalds chicken nuggets, and I agree! I eat them on top of kale massaged with habanero rach from Tessemae’s, and homemade guacamole on top! The guacamole is chopped avocado, red onion, cucumber, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with onion, spinach, and tomatoes! This has been my breakfast on repeat for the past month! The first week of introducing eggs back into my diet was a struggle, and my face was breaking out all over. Now, my face has completely cleared up, and they haven’t bothered me.
I was supposed to go to dinner with some friends on Tuesday night, but I was EXHAUSTED. I was up at five and did editing until around 6 pm, so all I wanted to do was have my spinach smoothie, turn on a show, and head to bed. And that’s exactly what I did. 
Going to bed early paid off because I was up at 5:30 am, did a quick 3-mile fasted cardio (ew, hated that), and then walked the dogs for a mile before starting my day. I was reading up on fasted cardio workout and I thought it would be a good idea to do it in the morning, but I had a headache for the rest of the day, and my heart rate was so high while running. I’m sure you have to train your body to get used to it, but I absolutely hated it. I need my banana before my run. 
Morning coffee 💜 My mom was so sweet and ordered me a bag of Sumatra, and it’s my absolute favorite! 
My breakfast on repeat! ♥️ Lately, I’ve been enjoying the fresh peaches, cherry plums, and apples for my side. 
Another night, another chicken tender salad. I added the chicken tenders to my meal prep list because they are so convenient to keep in the fridge to top a salad with. 
I did a lot of recipes developing on Thursday. I completed three recipes that’ll go out this month and a few for Fall! Hello, pumpkin! 😊 One recipe I blogged was this air fried salmon! It’s heavenly, and I make it multiple times a week. You can check that post out here!
His favorite way to end a nightly walk! Ever since Grumples was a puppy, he’s always LOVED bubbles, and I’m here for it! 😆 
For dinner, I air-fried a ton of sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and topped them with creamy ranch from Tessemaes. 
On Friday morning, My dad and I drove up to Winston-Salem to play tennis with my aunt and uncle! We had a blast, even though we had our butts kicked. My aunt and uncle are UNREAL at tennis. I’m hoping to get on their level on day 😊 Maybe if I keep going up to visit them, their talents will rub off on me. 
After tennis, they treated us to coffee and dessert at Maddie Cakes. This place was such a cute spot and a great way to top off a perfect afternoon in Winston-Salem. ❤️
I got home around 6 pm, made a quick dinner, and did some watercolors. I’ve been enjoying messing around with watercolors lately, and I think it’s one of the most therapeutic crafts! You don’t even have to be good at it enjoy it. There’s something so calming about watching the colors bleed into the paper.
For my dinner, I had roasted carrots, cauliflower gnocchi, and scrambled eggs. 
I was up early on Saturday morning to get a headstart on the day. I had fun plans with Becca, and I couldn’t wait to get going! I had an RXBAR, and ginger shot while I was out picking up groceries! 
We spent the afternoon baking tons of chocolate chip cookies for her wedding cake! We found the winning recipe, and you can get the details for that in our YouTube video! ♥️
And we had a lot of mishaps…
If you’re wondering what’s on my fridge, it’s the first fall leaf that was on my front lawn last week. I had to put it on the fridge because I’m weird and it makes me happy 😊 🍁 
For our lunch, we made breakfast sandwiches. This had a potato bun with egg, breakfast turkey sausage, and everything but the bagel seasoning. 
This has been one of my favorite summer drinks to cool off and wake up! I have a Chameleon cold-brew coffee with almond milk! 😃 We enjoyed these while the cookies “chilled” & so we thought…
We also worked on all her flower arrangements and the bouquet! The photos don’t do it justice. I can’t wait for you to see her wedding pics!
And since we’re on the topic of Becca’s wedding, I wanted to share a few of my favorite pics I took of them for their engagement shoot. They are the most beautiful couple!! ♥️ Their wedding is going to be beautiful.
After spending the day with Becca, Kyle and I headed to my parent’s house to hang out with them and play a game of bags! Can you tell we are obsessed?
We bathed the boys before driving home, and this photo of Leo cracked me up! He looks like a little human in the back of an Uber! 
I had my go-to breakfast on Sunday morning, and then spent the rest of the day hanging out with Kyle. He finally caught up to me last night during our game of bags! 😢
I hope you all had a fantastic weekend, and have an even better week! My next California blog will be live Wednesday! 😊
Questions for you!
- What did you have for breakfast today?
- What should Becca and I bake for YouTube next?
- What was the highlight of your weekend?
Yum, yum, yum! So much good food! 🙂
You and Becca are super cute! 💕💕
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Thanks, Charmaine 😊
Hi! It’s so funny that you HAVE to eat before your run because I absolutely can’t eat before my run. So interesting how different people work! Whatever I eat comes back up, even if it’s hours before.
I’m debating an air fryer purchase, but I was wondering what exactly is different about air fryer salmon compared to oven salmon! It looks delicious
I know! That’s why it’s always important to remember what works for one person won’t work for the next!
The difference with the salmon is that the top is SUPER crispy almost as if it was seared on the stovetop in oil while also keeping it the perfect consistency in the center.
How cool you were in Winston! I’ve been a long time reader, and felt even closer to you when you moved to NC. Both figuratively and literally. LOL! Anyway, I work in Winston so it was cool to see that you were close by. I live about 20 miles north. Close to Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock State Park. Those are both cool places to check out if ever you wanted new hiking trails, or in the summer, you can swim at the lake at Hanging Rock. If ever you want a friend to tag along, or to show you around, please feel free to contact me! I swear i’m not a creeper lmao just a working mom/wife that doesn’t have many friends!
Awww that is so awesome!
I hope to get up there again soon 😊 I’ll keep those spots in mind for the next time I’m there! & for sure will shoot you an email!! xo xo
you and becca are so cute, so jealous of your friendship! 🙂 I loved this video and totally have to make those cookies.
side note: those brussels sprouts look incredible!!
Aww, thank you, Krista! I feel pretty lucky to have her as my best friend.
You can never go wrong with brussels sprouts!
Hi Taralynn,
I always look forward to your Monday recap posts! Thank you so much for giving us a sneak peek into your life.
I am SO excited for all the fall posts 🙂 I was wondering, where did you get those watercolors? I purchased some on Amazon, but they are not my favorite so I am on the hunt for an alternative. Grumples with those bubbles is the best thing ever btw.
What did you have for breakfast today?
Toast with peanut butter + chai latte. I used to be a big breakfast person, but not anymore.
What should Becca and I bake for YouTube next?
Beignets!
What was the highlight of your weekend?
Going thrift shopping with my mom and sister and trying a new tea lounge I’ve been wanting to try. I ordered an iced lavender milk tea with boba. Yum!
Hi, Avalon!
Thanks for stopping by to read! 😊 I bought the watercolors at Michaels!
& thank you. He will play with those bubbles for hours!!
YUM! Now, that’s my kind of breakfast.
ohhhhh i need to try a beignet for the first time!
What a fun weekend!!!
Hi Taralynn! What air fryer do you have?
Hi, Sarah!
I have the Dash one 😊
Here’s the link!
https://www.amazon.com/DFAF455GBAQ01-Electric-Temperature-Control-Feature/dp/B07GNSHPBQ/ref=as_sl_pc_qf_sp_asin_til?tag=simplytaralyn-20&linkCode=w00&linkId=2392d7979c42858b8b9c4432c88aa888&creativeASIN=B07GNSHPBQ
1. Breakfast for me is the same at work each day – Fage 0% Fat Plain Greek yogurt with a little sugar-free jelly mixed in. Although today I put a squirt of fat free whipped cream and it was sooooo good.
2. Cakes…would love to see any cakes. I’m just getting into baking for a low-fat lifestyle and I’m using sugar-free box mixes. However, it would be nice to some scratch cakes using more whole ingredients.
3. Highlight of my weekend – bought new belts in a size small and new shorts because all of my current shorts are too big. I’ve dropped 6 pants sizes since January (16 down to a 4). I also meal planned (this is religion for me every Friday) but I have put in three new recipes for me to try. One was hummus crusted salmon in the air fryer and it is a definite keeper. The other two are scheduled for this week.
Hi, Amy!
Keeping breakfast the same makes it so much easier!
I love making healthier cakes, so this would be a fun one.
Congrats on your health journey! that is amazing.
Hey Taralynn!
Those chicken tenders look amazing. So amazing that I’m currently convincing my husband to let me purchase the air fryer on Amazon! Lol. That cookie cake looked amazing! Have you ever thought about doing macaroons? I used to hate them just because they can be such a pain sometimes, but they also are super fun! You can make them all kinds of colors and flavors! 🙂
You’ve been inspiring me to start running! I hated it growing up, but since I’m 30 lbs down and want to keep going, I want to see if I can start to enjoy something as positive as running! If you have any tips and tricks, I would love to hear them.
Thanks for the recap post, loved it!
Hi, Megan!
Thanks so much. The air fryer is a game changer!
omg macaroons intimidate me, but it would be a fun attempt!
I’m so happy you’re going to start running again! I wrote a post about running a couple months ago and I think it’s a great place to start! link – https://simplytaralynn.com/2019/04/24/couchto5ktrainingplan/
xo
I have been eating for breakfast hard boiled eggs with a side of avocado and berries or tomatoes
Any video you and Becca do together I will watch ( well actually any video you make )
Awww thanks Jessie 😊
That sounds like my kind of breakfast!
I always love your recaps, but the dog photos made this one even better. Grumples looks over the moon with all those bubbles surrounding him!
1. I made a smoothie because I needed to use up some bananas! It had frozen banana, Rx Select superfood powder, plant-based protein powder, and cashewmilk. I may need to get some frozen berries to add to those morning smoothies. 🙂
2. You absolutely need to show us what the final wedding dessert looks like! Just for fun, it might be interesting to see you both take on a Pinterest challenge like on the show Nailed It!
3. The highlight of my weekend was attending a surprise engagement party for a friend, followed by a trip downtown with my new roommate and a few other friends! We went to a rooftop bar where they had giant chess and giant Jenga, and you better believe we tried to get a game in 🙂
Awwww! Thank you, Jeni!
My dogs always brighten up my days.
Sounds like a delicious smoothie!!
We will definitely show the final dessert!
omg a Pinterest challenge would be hilarious!
What a fun weekend!!!
I had egg cups, i use ham as a base, some green chilies and cheese and then I crack an egg and cook it at 400° till the yolks are mostly cooked but still slightly runny. They’re great for meal prepping. Also I think you should Bake something PUMPKIN with Becca! Haha but really I can’t wait for fall, also I have to ask is your sweater from the video from Backcountry cause I think I have the same one and I love it!
Ohhh yum! I always forget about making egg cups! So convenient.
YES! I love the Stoic brand. I just bought it on sale 😊
& yes yes yes to pumpkin!!
Ahh I love reading your recaps <3 You and Becca are so cute together! I am sure her wedding is going to turn out lovely 🙂
And oh my gosh I haven't painted with watercolors in forever and now I am itching to! I feel like I need to spend more time painting and drawing. Also.. I haven't baked cookies in a while.. so that needs to change too!
Hope your Tuesday is off to a great start 🙂
Thanks so much, Brittany!
Cookies & watercolors need to happen in your near future! 💜
xo
I prefer to sleep until the last minute possible so I usually just have a smoothie for breakfast – I try to change it up, but it mostly consists of berries, hemp seed oil, spinach or kale, chia seeds, ground flax, Amazing Grass greens, and ginger. Breakfast on-the-go is just easier for me. When I have time on the weekends, I like to make protein pancakes or omelettes, though.
Hmm, I think a Halloween-themed baking treat would be cool. Maybe something in the shape of a Halloween decoration or something with Halloween colors, like a chocolate blackout cake with orange or purple frosting!
I love all of the outdoor photos this week – they are so bright and colorful. My weekend highlight was taking my dog, Oliver, to the dog beach this weekend and he was about as ecstatic as Grumples with the bubbles! There are so many happy, friendly pups all over the place at that beach. My husband and I were cracking up because the second I opened a bag of snacks, our blanket was surrounded by about 10 dogs.
Hi, Breeanna!
That sounds like an awesome breakfast!
OOhhhhhh that would be fun!!!
& thank you! I couldn’t get enough of the outdoors this week. I love mornings! ❤️
That sounds like my dream beach!!!
I love that wedding cake, so cool!!
Thanks, Lauren!
Okay, need to get an air fryer now! What was the brand you had again? Do you recommend it to feed a family of 4? Also, what a fantastic idea using a potato as a bun! My husband is GF, so this is an excellent approach!
I use the Dash! 😊
Here’s the link 😊 DASH AIR FRYER
It can definitely feed a family a four, but all depending on what you’re cooking 🙂
The potato buns are so good! I prefer the sweet potato though! xo
Today I had turkey bacon and a chocolate chip waffle with Starbucks Creme Brûlée K-Cup!
Bake some awesome homemade healthy pop tarts! You probably already have in the past, they are just so much fun and there’s so many different fillings and ways to make them! I used to make them with dough that was Fage Greek Yougrt and flour based. It’s called Two Ingredient Dough.
The highlight of my weekend was going to the library with my kiddo and then stopping and getting coffees and cute little mermaid cupcakes. The cupcakes were purple colored with blue icing and edible mermaid tails on top ☺️
Oh, yum!!
I do need to update the pop tart recipes and make a new version with fall flavors!
Sounds like the perfect weekend 😊
I thoroughly enjoyed your cookie baking vlog! You’re so silly and such a free spirit, and i love it. That wedding cookie cake will be AMAZING! I was about drooling haha
Thanks, Natalie! 😊