Truffles n' Treadmills

Paleo Overnight Chia Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 15:42:00 +0000

I like to hit snooze in the mornings. And when I say I like to, I mean I really, really like to. So much that Jon knows that when I say I have to get up at 6:00am I actually mean 6:45... It drives him nuts but for some reason I feel the need to have several reminders before I actually have to get up. Does anyone else do this?

Because I'm a lover of sleeping in a little bit later than I should I am a huge fan of this overnight chia pudding. It's takes seconds to make and looks so adorable in the half pint size mason jars. Food always tastes better when it's served in a mason jar. And when you have an adorable puppy nearby ;)

(P.S. this is Navajo and this is his first appearance here on the ol' blog! He is the service dog that we are currently training - follow him on Instagram @give_drop_leaveit to keep up with his adventures)

Paleo Overnight Chia Pudding

Ingredients
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
3 tbsp. chia seeds (the more you add, the thicker the pudding will be)
2 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla
fresh berries, nuts, coconut flakes; optional

Directions
1. Put everything (except the berries) in a mason jar and shake well. The half pint size jars work perfectly.
2. Let sit in the fridge for at least 5 hours but overnight is best
3. Shake, shake, shake! Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy straight outta the jar.

Autism Awareness Month - Jewelry for a Cause

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sat, 09 Apr 2016 23:28:00 +0000

Hi friends!

April is Autism Awareness month and I'm ready to spread awareness and educate others about Autism and the impact it has on families.

I work in a clinic where we provide 1:1 behavior therapy services to children with autism. On a daily basis I see the struggles these families face as well as the smiles on their faces when their child does something for the first time, has an amazing day at school, or says a new word!

Did you know that 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls are identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder? Studies have found that these families have a harder time getting by financially, finding adequate child care, and are more likely to have poor parental mental health (Autism Speaks).

This morning I took Loyalty, service dog in training, to an autism walk in Orlando and she showed her support by wearing her new pin!

Working with these children and their families is truly life changing and I'm always looking for a way to support them.

When I heard that Stella & Dot is supporting Autism Awareness month by donating a portion of their sales to the HollyRod Foundation I immediately talked to my friend who is a Stylist for the company about hosting a jewelry party.

Stella & Dot has an "autism boutique" collection of bracelets and the proceeds from those pieces will go directly to the HollyRod Foundation to provide care to those living with autism and their families. How amazing is that?! And it's so easy to support this cause because who doesn't love shopping for new jewelry, clothing, and purses?!

If you are interested in shopping and helping me raise money for an amazing cause please shop THIS LINK and share with all of your friends! Stella & Dot just released their new summer line and pieces are going quick so be sure to check it out now so you are the first to get your hands on their amazing pieces.

Thank you :)

Saturday Morning Faves (Plus a K-Cup Tip!)

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 16:12:00 +0000

Saturday mornings are my absolute favorite.

While most people look forward to the weekend so they can sleep in, my internal alarm clock has me up bright and early so I take full advantage of it. And by taking advantage of it, I mean cuddling up on the couch with a warm blanket, ~~a big cup~~ cups of coffee, and my favorite FoodNetwork shows.

This morning I decided to change up my usual smoothie routine with a bowl of oatmeal topped with fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of chia seeds. It definitely hit the spot.

In addition to the oatmeal, I had several cups of coffee in my Epcot mug! I have a small coffee cup collection that would be much bigger if I had the space to store them all!

I have a few handmade ones, gigantic ones that Jon calls a "bowl of coffee" when I drink from them, ones with cute little figures in the bottom, and mugs shaped like different animals. They are just so much fun to find and they always bring back memories every time I use them.

Side note: this photo shows my third cup of coffee from the same K-Cup pod! I have a Keurig 2.0 but do not have a carafe. I experimented a few weeks ago and found that I can get 2 really good quality cups of coffee and 1 weaker cup from the same pod. I drink my coffee black so this is fine by me! I am always sure to hit the "Strong" button on the machine when brewing cup number 3 to get as much flavor as I can.

Jon's dad and uncle are going to be in town this weekend so I am off to do a little bit of light cleaning, finish watching my show, and run a few errands before they arrive!

Question of the Day

What is your favorite thing to do on Saturday morning?

A Productive Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 02:14:00 +0000

Today was a productive day for a Sunday! Normally I'm curled up on the couch all day, watching TV, and dreading the work week. But today I went shopping, cleaned up the house, meal planned, read a new book, did some laundry, and soaked up a little bit of sun!

George on the other hand... He didn't do much of anything.

I started off the day with a big cup of coffee and meal planning. I just started a new method to my meal planning and it has been making it so simple and quick, however I want to give it a few more weeks to work out all the kinks before I share it with you all.

One of my secrets to making it so quick is eMeals.

Every week I am sent a meal plan and grocery list from eMeals based on the meal plan I choose on their site. They have a wide range of plan options from Budget Friendly to Diabetic and Paleo to Paula Dean!

One of the meals I chose to try this week was the Lasagna Soup. It was so easy to make and I had almost all of the ingredients on hand already! A win-win in my book.

It smelled so good and tasted even better! After eating the first bowl I realized that I should have broken up the lasagna noodles even smaller so I went back in with some kitchen shears and cut up the big pieces. I packed up the leftovers for lunches this week!

If you want to try out eMeals for free, head on over to their site and check out the free two week trial!

After lunch I downloaded a Kindle book and headed outside to catch a few rays. It was a gorgeous day and a little over 70 degrees - perfect book reading weather.

I also found out about the site BookBub from my mom. You just sign up and they email you every day with a different book for free or that's on sale based on your interests! I'm trying to get back into reading more so this is a great way for me to learn about new books I may have not found on my own.

Question of the Day

Do you have any meal planning tips? How do you find new books?

Disclaimer: I receive this product free of charge in exchange for advertisement on my blog and social media channels. I will not receive any sort of commission if you use the links in the post. I just love the product and think you should try it too!

Game Day Dip

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 21:03:00 +0000

Every time Jon and I head to a party we take a huge batch of buffalo chicken dip. It's so easy to make and you are guaranteed to go home without leftovers. A win-win in my book.

We were planning on taking our infamous buffalo chicken dip to this year's Super Bowl party until we heard that another guest already claimed the dish! While there is no such thing as too much buffalo chicken dip, I figured I would whip up something a little different.

I knew I couldn't go wrong with a cheesy, bacon and ranch dip!

It was actually easier and quicker to make than buffalo chicken dip because I didn't have to cook the chicken first. All I did was throw all of the ingredients into a big bowl, mix, pour into a dish, top with a little extra cheese (because a little extra cheese never hurt anybody!), and bake!

I am a huge fan of this measuring cup! It's perfect for measuring out creamy ingredients because it gets every last bit. I highly suggest it for any recipe that uses sour cream, peanut butter, honey, etc.

After mixing your ingredients, pour them into a baking dish, top with a little more cheese and bake.

I'm taking a huge bowl of wavy potato chips with us to the party tonight but any tortilla chip or veggie would be amazing too!

Game Day Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

1 block cream cheese, softened (8 oz)

2 cups sour cream (16 oz)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

3 ounces bacon bits

1 packet ranch mix

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix thoroughly.

3. Pour the mixture into a 1.5-2 quart baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes

4. Serve with potato chips, tortilla chips or veggies and enjoy!

Question of the Day

What are you taking to your Super Bowl party?

Hands Free Running (SPIBelt Review)

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 03:04:00 +0000

When I first began running years ago it consisted of myself and my running shoes. It was such a simple concept to just throw on my shoes and run but over the years, with the growth of technology, it has become a bit more complicated.

Now a days a run consists of myself, my running shoes, my Garmin, my iPhone, my keys, headphones, energy packs (for those long runs), my ID and a credit card just in case. I am guilty of having said "I can't run tonight because my Garmin is dead." Wow. What kind of world are we living in?

A hands on-technologically advanced-I must have the latest fitness app-world.

Now I'm not saying that we need to go back to running without music, fitness trackers, or running apps but what if there were a way to run with these things and not even know it?

Well, the masterminds behind SPIbelt have figured it out! Their goal is to create things that help keep things in your life simple and safe. And I'd have to say they do a pretty good job of it!

After going on several runs with my SPIbelt, I only have good things to say about it. It's so nice to go on a run and not have to worry about carrying your phone, where you are going to hide your key, and how you will ID yourself in case of an emergency.

The SPIbelt expands to hold all of your essentials and it doesn't bounce when you run. Don't believe me? You'll have to try it yourself. The band clips in the back, the belt is adjustable and everything in the pocket is held securely inside because of it's zipper closure.

The best part? SPIbelt isn't just for runners. They have products that are great for triathletes, travelers, individuals with medical devices/emergency medicines, walking your dog (they have a SPILeash!!!) and kids!

I currently own the Large Pocket SPIbelt in black (which holds everything you could possibly think of) and the High Visibility SPIbelt in turquoise (which is great for running in busy or low lit areas). Head on over to their website now and check out all of their amazing products! Be sure to follow me on Instagram to see where I take my SPIbelt next!

Question of the Day

What do you carry with you when you run? How would SPIbelt benefit you?

Disclaimer: I received these products free of charge in exchange for a review. As always, all opinions are completely my own.

Nektar Naturals Honey Crystals Review

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 04:20:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, a box of Nektar Naturals Honey Crystals arrived at my door! I was so excited to try out this product that I immediately ran inside and made a cup of tea. Normally when I make tea I will add honey and it gets stuck to the bottom, doesn't dissolve completely, and is a pain to clean so I was convinced this was the solution to my sticky mess - and guess what? It was.

A little bit about Nektar Naturals Honey Crystals...

It is non-GMO
It is naturally gluten-free
It is available at WalMart!
There is no sticky mess when using this product
Measuring out your honey is easy with the easy pour bottle
1 tsp. = 12 calories
And they dissolve in your hot tea ;)

I am also in LOVE with the measuring spoons that Nektar Naturals sent me! They are perfect for measuring out just the right amount of honey to add to my tea, smoothies, sweet potato fries, and baking creations.

The only thing I don't like about the product is that it includes cane sugar. While I do see myself buying it and using it regularly in the future, I would prefer it be 100% granulated honey. But I'm no expert on honey so maybe it's impossible to make granulated honey without the cane sugar? Either way this product is healthy in my book and if having no sticky mess means adding a little bit of cane sugar to my tea then so be it!

With Christmas just days away, I highly suggest you run to your nearest WalMart and purchase several of these to stick in stockings for your loved ones! The small and convenient size is perfect for gifting to the tea lovers, baking-addicts, and fitness fanatics in your life!

Head on over to Nektar Natural's website to shop their line of products and find tasty recipes created in their test kitchen!

Question of the Day

Have you ever used Nektar Naturals Honey Crystals? Would this be a product you would want to try?

Disclaimer: Through my affiliation with FitApproach and SweatPink, I was sent this product free of charge in exchange for a review.

Treat Yourself Tuesday #2

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 11:00:00 +0000

Over the past 3 years that I have had this blog, I have learned that I am not the most consistent blogger.

This is only my second Treat Yourself Tuesday post but it's been a few weeks since the first one. Even though it's been a few weeks since the first post, don't think that I haven't been treating myself on a weekly basis! (Treat Yourself Tuesday was started by my blogger friend, Becky - check out her blog for more info!)

1. CrossFit - Yep, I gave in a joined a box. They have several different membership options and no contracts (which I love) so I signed up for the 3x/week CrossFit pass. I told myself that if I don't go 3x/week for the first month then I can't keep going and paying for something that I'm not using - mainly because CrossFit costs a pretty penny. I've also been running after work twice a week with some girls I work with so I figured the 3x/week option was perfect for me.

2. Sunshine & Wine - Living in Florida means laying out in November is possible! I've been stressed this past week submitting grad school applications so some sun and wine time was exactly what I needed. Plus these super cute mason jars make taking wine to the pool much easier!

3. Bullet Journaling - I purchased my first Moleskine notebook the other day and I am in love! I began bullet journaling and it has made my life so much easier. I love jotting down what I need to do and seeing it get crossed off the list. I have also came up with an easy way to meal plan using the bullet journaling method that I will share soon!

Question of the Day

What have you been treating yourself to lately? What's your favorite wine?

Halloween Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 16:23:00 +0000

Yesterday was a busy and fun day! Jon had to work all day so I decided to spend Halloween with my friend, Chelsea.

Around 8am I headed over to her house for a quick morning run. We took her dog with us so it was more of a run-walk combo so he could stop and sniff everything! After our run we went to her church to pack backpacks full of clothes, towels, and food for the homeless that they will be passing out later today.

On our way back home we stopped at Target and stocked up on Halloween candy for our trick-or-treaters. We were both super excited to pass out candy because we had never done it before. We anticipated that we would have a ton of kids come by so we bought 6 big bags of candy. At the end of the night we still had 6 big bags of candy because only 2 kids came by!

During the trick-or-treating hours and late into the night, we watched scary movies. Jon isn't into scary movies and I'm like them so I was so excited when she said she wanted to watch them. Three scary movies, 2 glasses of wine, and 5 huge handfuls of candy later, it was time to head home!

When I got home, it was time to put Hazel and George in their costumes. Hazel wasn't a fan but George loved it, as always.

Question of the Day

Do you dress up your pets in costumes? What were they this year?

Fit Body Bakery Review, Recipe, and Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 01:00:00 +0000

You are in for a real treat today - a product review, discount code, recipe, and giveaway! You would think I like you all or something ;)

When the Motivator Muffin and Burnin' Brownie mixes arrived at my door I immediately opened them up and started having some fun in the kitchen! With fall right around the corner (at least I'm hoping as it's been a cool 80 degrees down here in Florida), I figured that baking up anything pumpkin was totally acceptable!

Now these aren't your typical baking mixes - they're insanely low in sugar, packed with protein, and gluten free! If muffins and brownies aren't your thing they also have Conquer It Cookie and Power Up Pancake mixes - yum!

The first box that I opened up was the Motivator Muffin mix. I quickly gathered the ingredients I needed and began pouring, mixing, and filling up baking cups.

When I put the muffins in the oven I got right to my Baketime Workout- No Mo' Muffin Top! This workout was easy to follow, fun, and worked up a quick sweat especially in a hot kitchen! It also made me feel a little bit better about indulging in a few sweet treats in the near future ;)

After the workout it was time to take my delicious treats out of the oven. After letting them cool, I was finally able to taste one and boy was it delicious! I took a few to share with my fitness-fanatic friend who also enjoys healthy and delicious treats and she gave these two-thumbs up! I also shared with her my super-secret code for 15% off: SP15. Actually this isn't a secret but it's an awesome deal and a great way for you to get your first box at an even lower price! But hurry, it expires November 30, 2015!

And now that you've used the code and bought the Motivator Muffin mix, here is a super delicious and easy fall recipe for you to enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

1 can pumpkin pie puree

1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (these are gluten free) + a few for topping

Directions:

1. Prepare the muffin mix as directed on the box but omit the applesauce and add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and chocolate chips.

2. Either grease or line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and fill 3/4 full. Top with a few more chocolate chips and gently press into the batter.

3. Bake according to the directions on the box and enjoy!

Giveaway

Fit Body Bakery has also offered to give one lucky reader a baking mix of their choice! To enter the giveaway use the Rafflecopter below. A winner will be chosen on Saturday October 31st as a Halloween treat!

Rules: US only. One prize per winner (If you have entered a Fit Body Bakery giveaway through another blog and have won please disclose that information when you are contacted so a different winner can be chosen - we want to spread the Fit Body Bakery love!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Through my affiliation with FitApproach and SweatPink, I received this product for free in exchange for a review and recipe. As always, all opinions are my own.

My Favorite Plank Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sun, 18 Oct 2015 17:43:00 +0000

Because I've been running for so many years it doesn't really feel like a workout to me but more of a leisure activity. I can often find myself wanting to run after a long and stressful work day so I'm not sure if it counts as a workout when I actually want to do it!

After I go on a run I always feel like I need to do a little something extra to actually get a workout in. I'm always leaning towards doing a quick ab workout for a few different reasons. 1. You don't need a lot, if any equipment. 2. You don't need a lot of room. and 3. They are easy to change up so it's always interesting!

This one is by far my favorite and it's so easy to change up when you want to push yourself a little more! I often find myself not wanting to laugh or sneeze the next day because my abs are a little tender!

Workout

So here's what you do: 10 second plank, 3 second rest.

Sounds easy, huh? Repeat that 10-15 times!

That 3 second rest will not be long enough after a few rounds! Feel free to mix up the ratio if you find this is too easy, add on a few extra rounds, or push yourself with a longer plank and short rests! I also suggest you use an interval timer (I use a free interval timer app) because it makes timing so much easier and you can't cheat yourself with a loud buzzer going off and letting you know it's time to get to work!

Try it out and let me know how you like it!

Goodbye, Sweet Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 22:31:00 +0000

Today I said my final goodbyes to my sweet and loyal friend, Ethel.

A little over 10 years ago I volunteered at a local animal shelter and was told that I was allowed to volunteer there as long as I didn't bring any pets home. Of course, I agreed to these terms and knew in the back of my head that I would be able to talk my parents into a pet if I really wanted to. Well a few weeks into volunteering there, I fell in love with one of the dogs. Fast forward 10 years later and you will easily see how big of an impact she has made on my family and how loved she was.

These last few weeks have been really rough for her. I hadn't seen her for a couple of months because of the move so I didn't know how bad of shape she actually was in. When I saw her on Friday evening I knew we had to do something to take her out of the pain.

Over the weekend, I spent every free minute I had with her. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to say goodbye to her and hold her in my arms for her final moments. While I hate to see her gone, I am so glad that I was blessed with such an amazing friend and now know that she is finally at peace.

My New Toy

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 17:36:00 +0000

A huge THANK YOU to everyone that took the time to enter the Artisana Organics giveaway on the blog! The winner has been announced on the original post and contacted via e-mail.

All weekend I have been playing with my new toy - the Silhouette Cameo. I am literally obsessed with this amazing device! Hazel is a little unsure of it and whenever I turn it on to work it's magic she has to come check it out.

The Cameo is an electronic cutting machine that can do the most amazing things. I have been playing with it, watching informational videos, and reading craft blogs like crazy this weekend. When Jon left for work this morning he told me to do something productive today - I guess he doesn't know that crafting and reading informational blog posts is productive! Ha!

I'm off to go create some fun holiday decor that I will share with you all soon!

Disclaimer: I did not receive this product for review. I purchased it myself and wanted to share because I love it so much!

Treat Yourself Tuesday #1

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 12:00:00 +0000

A few months before I started blogging I came across a pin on Pinterest that led me to a blog. Well, one click led to the next and I was quickly immersed into the blogging world. After reading blogs every day and following along with the lives of others I was inspired to start my own!

A little while after starting my own blog I began "meeting" other fitness and healthy living bloggers. One of those bloggers was Becky over at Olives n' Wine. I quickly fell in love with the way she wrote, her love for fitness, shopping, and all things chocolate and peanut butter!

I honestly read every single one of her blog posts and feel like we would be real life best friends if we had the chance to meet! Anyways, for the past 100+ weeks I have been reading all of her Treat Yourself Tuesday posts and figured it was time I join in on the fun! I seriously can't believe I haven't done this yet because I treat myself on a ~~daily~~ weekly basis.

So let's get started with a few of the things I've treated myself to lately.

Bath & Body Works Candles - I am obsessed with candles and I always have one lit! The baking scents are my absolute favorite as I love how home-y they can make the house feel! There's nothing better than walking into a house and smelling fresh baked goods (well walking into a house with actual fresh baked cgoods would be better ;) ). BBW had an amazing sale on their candles this past week and I snagged up a few.

I spotted this Burt's Bee's cuticle cream in Old Navy for an amazing price the other day. I had never used any of Burt's Bees body products before (just the chapstick) and figured it was worth a shot - and a nice little treat! I am so glad I picked this up because it has done wonders on my hands plus it smells amazing! I will definitely be treating myself to this more in the future.

A few posts back I asked your advice on joining a CrossFit box or a regular ol' gym/home gym. I opted for the home gym option and bought my first kettle bell! I've already used it a ton and am now realizing that I still need to buy some chalk for my hands as they get so sweaty working out inside!

There's nothing better than enjoying a nice hot cup of tea in the evening to unwind. Recently I've been on a huge tea kick and when I passed Teavana in the mall the other day I couldn't stop myself from going inside! After talking to the super sweet Tea Expert at the store I was able to figure out exactly what I needed to make myself 1 or 2 cups of hot or iced tea at home. If you are looking for something small and easy to use, I highly suggest looking into the Perfectea Maker!

Question of the Day

What have you treated yourself to lately?

Artisana Organics (Review and Giveaway)

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Wed, 23 Sep 2015 09:00:00 +0000

The first time I teamed up with Artisana Organics I was still living in the dorm rooms in college and cooking was almost nonexistent. The only appliances I had were a mini fridge, a microwave, and a Keurig which didn't leave me a whole lot of room for experimenting in the kitchen. Heck, I didn't even have a kitchen!

Since then I've been a huge fan of Artisana and their products! If you've been following the blog for awhile you have probably noticed a trend in most of my smoothie recipes - almost every single one of them includes an Artisana nut or coconut butter of some kind.

Lately my favorite has been the Raw Coconut Butter. It's dense, melts in your mouth, and adds a delicious flavor to my smoothie - or spoon because it tastes amazing that way too ;)

All of their products are fresh, high quality, organic, and nutritious. I also love the convenience of their squeeze packs. Taking nut/coconut butters on the go has never been easier!

Here are my favorite smoothie recipes using the raw coconut butter:

Artisana also has other products including chocolate bars! I am dying to try these but have yet to find them in stores. Hey Artisana, if a huge box of these randomly arrived at my door I wouldn't be mad at all, haha!

Now it's time for the fun stuff - a giveaway just for you!

Artisana is offering to give one lucky reader 2 8oz jars and a variety of squeeze packs! Talk about a delicious giveaway. All you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter below and a winner will be notified via e-mail.

There a ton of different ways to enter, just be sure to follow all the directions for the different ways to entry - also, some entries can be done every day. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 20:06:00 +0000

It's peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly, peanut butter jelly with a baseball bat...

If you've been so fortunate to have never heard the song "Peanut Butter Jelly Time" consider yourself very lucky. Every single time I make a PB&J or this PB&J Smoothie I start singing the song and it gets stuck in my head for days! I'm not sure if the song ever was popular but I remember in middle school my best friends and I made up a dance to go along with the song. One of the girls video taped the entire thing and I am crossing my fingers that it is long gone!

Dancing isn't my forte but creating delicious smoothies? Now, that's something I'm good at!

This smoothie recipe is easy and if you have a peanut allergy you're in luck because this one is peanut free!

PB&J Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana - this is easier to use if you cut it up before freezing
2 tbsp. Strawberry fruit jam - check your ingredients - there are paleo versions out there
2 tbsp. Easy Homemade Almond Butter
1 packet of Artisana Organic raw coconut butter OR 1 1/2 tbsp. Artisana Organic raw coconut butter
1 tsp. Chia seeds
Almond milk - use enough to get everything moving

Directions:

Place everything in a blender, mix, and enjoy!

It's that simple, my friends!

Questions of the Day

Are you a peanut butter and jelly fan? Have you ever made up a silly dance with your friends to go along with a song?

Healthy Snacks for College Students That Won't Break the Bank

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 23:35:00 +0000

One of my most read posts on the blog is called Inside My Fridge. This post unveils everything that I had inside of my college dorm room and would snack on when hunger hit! Since moving out of the dorms and recently graduating college, I am a bit more concerned about the food I put in my body. I figured I would clean up the list a bit for those looking for healthier snack options!

Almonds - These are an easy, mess-free snack. I recommended buying them in bulk and pre-portioning them out into little baggies so you always have some ready whenever you're on the go! Tip: Buy them slightly salted to satisfy the craving for salty snacks such as potato chips.

Almond Butter - Use up some of those almonds and make your own! It's so easy and can be spread on fruit, celery, toast or eaten by the spoonful. Tip: Use this easy to follow recipe to make your own in a flash!

Tuna - Tuna is cheap and so good for you! Because it's full of Omega-3's and they're supposed to make us smarter, it's the perfect snack for any college student ;) Tip: I recommend mixing tuna with guacamole or half an avocado with a little salt and pepper for a delicious snack.

Greek Yogurt - This is an easy way to get that extra kick of protein throughout the day. There are so many delicious flavors. My personal favorite is plain-old greek yogurt because it's so versatile in cooking! Tip: Add a little granola on top for an added crunch!

Cottage Cheese - Another great way to get some added protein into your diet! Tip: Top with a little fruit for a sweet treat.

Tea - Ever have those moments when you are craving something but just can't figure out what? Half the time it means you are dehydrated and tea is a great way to get those added fluids in ya with a little kick of flavor! Tip: Brew your own at home. If you want it sweetened, drizzle in a tiny bit of honey or stir with a fun honey spoon!

Popcorn - There are so many "better for you" versions of microwave popcorn that don't contain loads of artificial ingredients and butter. Whenever I get a late night snack attack, I'm always reaching for plain white popcorn that's slightly salted. Tip: Pop your own popcorn for an even healthier option. Also, Brewer's Yeast makes an excellent popcorn seasoning!

Fruit - Nature's candy! Just make sure you aren't adding any extra sugar or artificial sweeteners on top of it. Fruit is sweet on it's own. Tip: Wash your fruit before putting it away after coming home from the store that way it's always ready to eat.

Vegetables - Veggies are always a great option for when you are craving something crunchy. And the best part? You can eat as many as you want! Tip: Prep your veggies ahead of time so they're easy to access when a craving hits or you need something quick before class.

LARABARS - These are my go-to when I am running late for work or I am craving sweets. They are also a lifesaver on the Whole30 Challenge! Tip: Make sure you read the ingredients if you are following a Paleo lifestyle as some contain peanuts!

Applesauce/Baby Food Pouches - You may feel a little weird eating one of these in front of your friends but they are a quick and easy way to get healthy carbs. Tip: Check the ingredients. Often times I find that the cheapest brand has the cleanest ingredients with no added sugar!

Question of the Day

What is your favorite healthy snack option?

4x4 Workout

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sat, 19 Sep 2015 01:14:00 +0000

My drive home from work normally takes about 30 minutes which means I have 30 minutes to talk myself ~~out of~~ into going on a run as soon as I get home! Today I talked myself into going on one until I got home, changed, and looked outside. It was pouring rain!

I quickly came up with an at-home no-equipment needed workout before I could even think about the possibility of changing into my comfy clothes!

Here's what I came up with:

By the time you're done you will have completed 100 reps of each movement and will be feelin' super sweaty and ready to change into your comfy clothes!

Easy Homemade Almond Butter

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Fri, 18 Sep 2015 00:35:00 +0000

You guys, I may have just discovered my new favorite thing.

Homemade almond butter.

Yes, the stuff from the jar is good and all but sometimes it's hard to find a clean almond butter at the store that doesn't cost you an arm and a leg. Plus if you actually take a moment to stop and read the labels in the grocery store you will find that most "healthy" things are loaded with a bunch of unnecessary crap. Pardon my French but one label I read said that the almond butter was made from 'almonds, flax seed, wheat germ, dehydrated cane juice, egg white.' What?! Is that even almond butter?

By making your own you can save money and be in control of what goes in your almond butter.

If you've never tried the homemade version, you must! I don't think I can ever go back to the store bought butters, even if I do buy the healthiest version on the shelf. This homemade almond butter, served up on the spoon, immediately after the batch is done, is one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten. And that's saying something! Plus it's made with one ingredient and one ingredient only - almonds! Are you surprised? ;)

Almond Butter Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups whole unsalted almonds (Use organic if possible)

Directions:
1. Put the almonds in the food processor on high
2. Walk around, do the dishes, start making dinner and come back to scrape the sides of the bowl every few minutes.
3. It will take about 15-20 minutes until you will have the creamiest, most delicious almond butter around!
4. Grab a spoon and enjoy! Spread it on fruit, bake with it, or put a spoonful in your morning smoothie. Store any extras (if there are any) in an airtight container in the fridge.

This recipe makes about 1 and 1/2 cups of almond butter.

Box or Gym?

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Thu, 17 Sep 2015 00:39:00 +0000

Since moving to Florida I have been running a few days a week to get back into the routine of working out. Running here is hard though. The heat and humidity make running after work near impossible. And the sound of waking up at 5:30 a.m. and running in the pitch dark is very unappealing to me. I'm constantly hitting the snooze button so I'm not so sure I could train my body to be a morning person and wake up before dawn! If you have any tips on how to train your body into waking up that early, please share.

While I always enjoy running (it's more of a love-hate relationship), I have been missing CrossFit a lot lately, so on Monday night I went to my first WOD in four months! After doing some intense research on the boxes in the area, I decided to go ahead and drop in for a WOD. Two days later, I can hardly walk!

The WOD we did was "Chelsea." The WOD was 5 pull-ups, 10 pushups, and 15 air squats, every minute on the minute for 30 minutes. I ended up scaling down and did 3-6-9 for the entire 30 minutes and it was a challenge. These CrossFit ladies are not messing around!

While I absolutely love, love, love CrossFit I still haven't decided if I am going to join the box or not. I really want to start saving more money and joining a box is not the way to do that! Jon and I get passes to the gym at the university he works for so I may choose that option - which is good for all of you because I will be creating fun workouts again! :) I'm just not so sure what I will do the moment I step into a regular ol' gym for the first time in years!

Question of the Day

Which do you prefer: a CrossFit box or a regular ol' gym? And why?

Saturday Morning Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Last week I asked some of the girls at work for recommendations on places to take my mom while she was in town. Several people recommended that we check out The Old Spanish Sugar Mill Grill and Griddle House so on Saturday morning we woke up extra early to beat the morning rush.

The restaurant features tables with electric griddles built in where customers get to make their own pancakes! I guess I didn't do a good job of explaining this to the crew because when we sat down Jon said "We have to make our own breakfast?!" Haha!

After we stuffed our bellies full with the amazing all-you-can-eat pancakes we headed outside to enjoy the natural spring and tour the area. Being from Indiana, I had never seen a spring before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Apparently the springs are a constant 72 degrees year round, make a perfect swimming hole in the cooler months, and are home to several manatees! While we were there we found out that you can rent kayaks so we are planning a day trip to do that very soon!

It was definitely a fun morning and Jon and I are already planning trips back to the spring very soon!

Question of the Day

Have you ever been to a DIY restaurant? Have you ever been to a natural spring?

Sweet Spot

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Sat, 12 Sep 2015 16:40:00 +0000

Late Thursday evening my mom flew in from Indiana for a long weekend visit. Yesterday she was on her own as both Jon and I had to work all day so she took her time relaxing on the beach, enjoying a local coffee shop, and touring downtown.

Last night my mom and I headed downtown for some homemade ice cream.

We both chose to get one scoop of the coffee ice cream and one scoop of the salted chocolate caramel ice cream. This made for a delicious combination and satisfied our late night sweet tooth!

We decided to go on a walk through downtown, ice cream in hand, to tour some of the local shops.

Downtown was packed with people as there was an event going on. In Florida it seems that the cool thing to do is to take your dog with you everywhere you go. There were dogs in the wine bar and laying under the tables in restaurants while their owners ate! I wonder if they allow cats in places too... ;)

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 23:40:00 +0000

Earlier this week as I was cooking dinner I saw my KitchenAid sitting in the corner, unloved and collecting dust. I'm pretty sure the frequency of my baking has a lot to do with the size of my counter and oven! I definitely lost a lot of kitchen space when we moved so it makes baking and cooking a bit of a challenge. As I was cooking I was trying to think of something to make for dessert that Jon would love. I figured that chocolate and peanut butter would do the trick. I mean, who doesn't love that combo?!

I thought about making brownies drizzled with peanut butter but then I would have to make one huge pan. I decided that baking individual desserts would be much more fun! Plus I always feel 10x better seeing mini individual brownies disappear than one giant pan!

After doing a bit of brainstorming, these Peanut Butter Brownies Bites were born!

You've seriously got to make these.

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Ingredients

1 1/4 c. sugar
11 tbsp. butter (1 stick + 3 tbsp)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs, cold
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. arrowroot powder (can substitute with cornstarch)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup peanut butter
chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the butter and sugar together for 1 minute 30 seconds. Remove, stir until mixed, and cool for 5 minutes.
3. Once butter/sugar mixture has cooled, stir in the vanilla extract and cocoa powder.
4. Pour the butter/sugar mixture in the mixing bowl and slowly add in the eggs one at a time.
5. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, arrowroot powder, and salt. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix until no flour pockets remain.
6. Grease a muffin tin and evenly distribute the brownie mixture into 12 brownie cups.
7. Place in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Flip the brownies over onto a baking sheet or plate.
8. Take a small spoon to remove some of the brownie from the center of each cup. Be careful not to go all the way through the bottom of the cup.
9. Place a spoonful of peanut butter into the center of each brownie and top with chocolate chips (optional).
10. Enjoy immediately or allow to cool so the peanut butter has a chance to set.

I preferred these still warm with gooey peanut butter while Jon liked them better after they cooled so it's totally up to you! I suggest trying them both ways, I know I did ;)

Not-Your-Average Strawberry Banana Smoothie

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 13:00:00 +0000

When I have a few extra minutes in the morning I like to treat myself to a delicious smoothie rather than my usual banana/fruit and nut bar combo. Lately I have been loving this "Not-Your-Average Strawberry Banana Smoothie" that I whipped together.

Most strawberry banana smoothies have - you guessed it - strawberries, bananas, and milk as their only ingredients but I've amped this one up to add a burst of extra vitamins, minerals, healthy fat, and protein!

Recipe

Ingredients
1 frozen banana (Note: it's much easier to blend if you slice it before freezing - using frozen bananas replace ice cubes)
1 handful of strawberries
1 tsp chia seeds
1 packet Artisana raw coconut butter
enough almond milk to get things movin'

Directions
1. Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth
2. Enjoy!

Third Times A Charm

noreply@blogger.com (Danielle) — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 01:12:00 +0000

The first weekend we moved to Florida we went to a local furniture store and purchased a couch, only to get home and find that it wouldn't fit through the front door. We ended up returning it and purchasing a couch online that would fit through our tiny door frame. After a couple weeks of waiting we contacted the company only to find that the couch never shipped.

Because we have our first guest coming this week we decided we needed a couch and we needed one now. We hopped in the car and made the hour drive to the nearest IKEA hoping that we would find something that would meet the following criteria: 1: It had to fit through the front door, 2: It had to fit in the car in one trip, and 3: We loved it.

When we got to IKEA it was a mad house! There were people everywhere. I'm not sure if it's always that busy or if people were out shopping because of the holiday weekend. After walking around for what seemed like forever, we found the couch section of the store and decided on a couch that we prayed would fit.

When we were packing it up into the car we ended up having a few difficulties. To make sure everything would fit, we had to take pieces out of the boxes and put all of the seats down flat except the drivers seat, which meant someone had to sit in the back. Because I'm way shorter than Jon and the drivers seat was pushed up as far as it could go, he was sent to the back.

You should have seen the look on the people's faces next to us when he climbed in the back and I shut the trunk door! Naturally as soon as we arrived home I got my camera ready to snap a picture of him right when I opened up the trunk and I'm glad I did. Imagine stuffing something so full that when you open it, you have to be on guard to catch the things when they fall out. That was what it was like with him back there!

I am so glad we finally have a couch. I mean, it only took 3 tries and stuffing people into the trunk to get the perfect one! ;)

Question: Have you ever had any challenging or interesting moving experiences?