WIAW: a busily relaxing day?

sharing WIAW, on a Thursday!

 

^^I started the morning off with some bible-ing, journaling, and coffee-ing. accompanied by my bridesmaid bouquet from this past weekend :)^^

^^breakfast was a scrambled mess (the best kind of mess) including eggs, zucchini, and eggplant. banana and almond butter on the side.^^

^^I’ve been all about the jumbo salads this summer! lettuce, cucumbers, celery, carrots, salmon, and salsa.^^

after lunch, I chilled by the pool for a little. And by a little I literally mean 30 minutes because it was SO hot out & I have ADD. I was drenched in sweat just from laying outside.

^^snack time: frozen berries + almond butter. coconut butter + berries is my favorite, but almond butter does the trick as well!^^

Thank you thank you to my amazing parents for this new sleeping bag. PLUS it’s orange. I’m in heaven, and I can’t wait to take it out for a spin (but actually it’s so hot, will I even need a sleeping bag?!)

^^finally: dinner. ground beef, summer squash, zucchini, and tomato sauce.^^

Questions of the day:

Is it dead summer heat where you are yet?!

Pool or Ocean- what do you prefer?

I’m ocean all the way, but that’s 3-5 hours from here!

5 favorite foods this week.

college life. it’s busy, it’s fun, it’s exhausting, all in all- I’m pretty blessed to be where I am.

 ^^morning walks this week. I’ve been able to go on a 30 minute – 1 hour walk every morning, and it is glorious. i love the movement first thing, and i love listening to a good podcast in the morning. especially some Christian wisdom.^^

favorite #1: eggs. 

let’s be real– this is a favorite pretty much every week. eggs with veggies, eggs with salsa, eggs all DAY.

favorite #2: paleo banana bread. 

i made another batch of paleo banana bread. soooooo good. please enjoy with butter, you won’t be sorry 🙂

favorite #3: salads on salads.

I mean… this is pretty much an

favorite #4: grass-fed meat sauce.

grass fed beef, onions, tomato puree and spices. this was amazing.

favorite #5: alllllll the almond butter.

especially when complemented by chocolate.

 

have a great week!

What foods are you enjoying?!

WIAW: almond butter lover.

hey guys! wednesday already? where does the time go- am I right? my monday-tuesday-wednesdays are always very busy and homework filled, so I am very thankful by the time I make it to thursday!

I am keeping my eats this week simple, satisfying, and scrumptious (iI love alliteration!).

^^breakfast: eggs, butternut squash, spinach, and cauliflower. side of chamomile tea.^^

^^I don’t have class till 11:30, which means I don’t eat lunch till almost 2 pm. morning snack required: a few dates with almond butter. the perfect combination^^

after getting a walk in bright and early, I spent my morning doing homework blah. then I headed off to class. after class, it was the dining hall for an attempt at lunch. #collegelife

^^make it work: grilled chicken (which for some reason they only have on tuesdays), salad, salsa to top it off.^^

^^because there is no way that salad would hold me all the way till dinner: a little scoop of scrambled eggs, some cooked greens, and a little tomato sauce on top.^^

after lunch, I headed back to my apartment for some reading, cleaning, and more homework.

^^afternoon snack– one square of 85% dark chocolate with a swoosh of almond butter^^

mid-afternoon I went to the first meeting of a girl’s fellowship group I am joining this semester. we’re reading Faith Unraveled by Rachel Held Evans. You should check out her blog if you’re at all interested in strong women, Christianity, challenging your faith, or just hearing a new perspective.

^^unpictured: 1 small starbucks coffee consumed during our meeting. not a good idea, caffeine mid-afternoon is not my jam!^^

after a lovely meet & greet & chat with some girls, I headed over to the gym for a 30 minute sprint workout on the treadmill. 30 seconds sprint, 1 minute rest. repeat.

I rushed home after the gym to change for dinner and a meeting afterwards.

^^salad form the ‘pden’ aka our food court. lettuce, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, pineapple, and walnuts plus oil and vinegar. I brought some Applegate Farms pepperoni with my (yep I’m one of those weird people who brings their own food to dinner) to top my salad, because 1. I need protein and 2. I don’t typically trust meat from the dining hall/food court.^^

^^after a meeting and before hitting the books again, I absolutely had to have a little something to eat– dinner was not successful in holding me over at al :(! study snack: a little pumpkin puree, natural applesauce, cinnamon, and some crushed pecans. side of tea, a nighttime favorite^^

It’s WIAW check out Peas and Crayons for some more great food inspiration!

Questions of the day:

What are you eating this week?

Where is it the hardest for you to eat healthy?

    For me, it is the dining hall because of the sheer lack of options, especially clean meat options!

a weekend day in the life.

After a coffee and some water I started my morning with a 30 minute walk. It’s the best way to wake up! I love that movement first thing, and the fresh air is amazing. When i arrived back in my apartment, I talked to my parents (always a treat) and worked on homework.

After boring homework and laundry, the boy finally came over (he likes to sleep in…. one way we are definitely not similar). We went out for a late breakfast at Tandem – a coffeehouse and creperie. Coffee for her, latte for him. Tomato soup and cheese crepe for him, mediterranean (egg, feta, tomatoes, and spinach) crepe for her. It was a beautiful morning (let’s be real– it was almost afternoon at this point) to sit outside and enjoy each other’s company.

During the afternoon I grabbed some groceries, cooked for the week (paleo pumpkin bread #yesplease). Then I headed to the gym and walked on the treadmill while I watched an hour long documentary for class. I loved being able to move and get work done at the same time– there’s nothing worse than being stuck at my desk/staring at my computer all day.

Some snacks included chocolate chips, a banana + almond butter, and some carrots + salsa. Weekend meals are always a little less structured for me, especially because of the late breakfasts.

Before I headed off to lead Youth Group, I packed a quick dinner of Dubliner cheese, Applegate Farms pepperoni, spinach, and a sweet potato + Kerrygold buttah. Quick, easy, and incredibly delicious.

After I arrived home, I was pretty hungry so I had some 85% dark chocolate topped with almond butter.

All in all a successful and delicious weekend day 🙂

Questions of the day:

What does your typical weekend look like?

Are your weekend meals usually different than weekdays?

 

Whole30 Day 28

Yesterday was Day 28 of the Whole 30 challenge…which means today is Day30. And tomorrow is day 30! I can’t wait to share my thought with you guys!

Breakfast

Chicken sausage, egg, spinach, and spaghetti squash. Lots of goodness on one plate. I loved the chicken sausage (clearly…it’s been on my plate every day since I bought it..) and I hope I’ll have some more soon!

Kale chips. The delicious second half of breakfast.

Lunch

For lunch I heated up leftover Paleo chili. It was a little heavy on the tomato flavor, but still awesome. I threw a little lettuce on top for crunch + veggies.

Lunch, the sequel: apple & almond butter.

Dinner

Dinner yesterday was similar to the night before, but that didn’t make it taste any less amazing! Chicken, zucchini, and asparagus. Topped with mustard because I’m weird & I love mustard. Eat the rainbow..right?

Dinner, part 2. Banana and almond butter… BUT the best part was, I stuck this whole bowl in the freezer for about 10 minutes and when I took it out the cold, frozen banana + almond butter combo was awesome.

Treat

JK! I didn’t give up the Whole30 life yet…30 days for myself! These were on sale at the Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery for $8.99.. not the cheapest ice cream but $2+ less than usual (especially at Earth Fare..they sell Jeni’s for $11.99 a pint ridiculous). As far as ice cream goes Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams are …pretty much the best. They get their milk from grass fed cows, and they prioritize fair trade, natural, quality ingredients that also taste amazing. If you choose to indulge in a frozen treat, Jeni’s is one you have to try!

Questions of the day:

Have you tried Jeni’s Ice Creams yet?

What is your favorite frozen summer treat?

WIAW: The Last of Whole30.. +hashtags.

This is my last WIAW while officially on the Whole30.. woah. It’s flying by. There sill be ~12 days after the 30 while I ‘reintroduce’ individual food groups to test my own reaction to them, but those will fly by as well I’m sure! Not going to lie… I could really use a piece of chocolate 😍

Breakfast

 

Eggs, peppers and spinach. #yum #alltheveggies #eggsforever

Banana and almond butter. #classic #cantbeatit #nutbutterlover

Lunch

Lunch out for work meant chicken and veggies. #whenindoubtgosimple

Snack

An apple and almond butter. So much nut butter yesterday, but I was running low on food! #thestruggle #whole30probz

I loved this.. zombie family > regular family.

Dinner

 

Burger, plantain chips, lettuce, mustard. I didn’t plan ahead enough to eat before babysitting, so I had to wait until after all the kiddos went to sleep before I could eat (~8:40). Needless to say after running around for 3 hours and carrying kiddies on my back, this dinner hit the spot.. #allthecarbs #simpleisbest

Question of the day:

What hashtags describe your best eats this week?!

Whole 30: Day 8

Whole 30 Day 8… wow the time is flying. Today is actually Day 12 for me, but I’m a few days behind on the food updates. It is going really well though. There are foods that I crave sometimes but I the food I am eating is always delicious. Literally sometimes I’m like wait… is this really Whole30? It tastes too good to be true…

Breakfast

Another breakfast on the go. Eggs, veggies and guac//banana, coconut milk, cinnamon and almond butter. So good.

Lunch

Lunch was a simple mic. Canned wild salmon, guacamole (mashed together) topped with bell pepper. Follower by apple + almond butter. Easy on the go nutrition.

Workout

I was feeling good and did a mix of bodyweight and machine exercises to kill my legs!

Dinner

For dinner, the boy and I threw together a delicious mix. Burgers, greens, and sweet potato fries.

Snack

A little later that night I was still hungry so I threw together a favorite bowl lately. Berries, coconut milk, coconut butter, and some roasted almonds.

All in all a pretty delicious day!

Burger Night, Puppies, and Whole30: Day 5!

This past Friday was Day 5 of my Whole30, and it was also my first time eating out at on the Whole30 diet. I was a little worried about what I would be able to eat, but it wasn’t so hard after all! You can eat out and eat clean, whole foods.

Breakfast

I packed up my first meal of the day to eat while I spent the morning working in my lab. Eggs with avocado, cucumbers, spinach and pico de gallo // a side of banana in an empty almond butter jar with some cinnamon and coconut milk thrown on top.

Lunch

Also eaten on the go- lunch was 2 eggs, sweet potato wedges, cucumber, pico de gallo, and spinach. I ate some roasted almonds on the side. Almost the same thing as breakfast- I guess it’s just easier to pack!

Workout

For my workout, I did 30 easy-ish minutes on the StairMaster. My legs were pretty sore from the previous day’s leg workout but I wanted to get some kind of activity in. I also did about 50 squats with a 45 lb bar for a trial in lab… oh the joys of working in a Health Sciences lab..we get to play with stuff and test procedures on ourselves!

Snack

When I finally made it back to my apartment I was hungry, but it was close to dinner, so I threw together and easy snack while I was getting ready. Frozen berries, a little coconut milk, and a little coconut butter.

Puppies for days!!!!! This little guy is too cute!

Dinner

Salad and a burger. No complaints here.

Question of the day:

How was your friday?

What’s the best thing you ate this weekend?

Whole 30 Day 4

Hey! Happy Weekend y’all! This post is all about the food, so I’ll get straight to it. This is Day 4 eats of my Whole30 journey. I hope they provide inspiration and healthy eats ideas for you guys.

Breakfast

A mishmash of everything I had in my fried. Fish, spinach, spaghetti squash, sauce// an apple + coconut butter on the side.

Lunch

2 parts: eggs, spinach, and avocado. Followed by delicious plantain chips with ‘lazy girl guacamole’ (avocado, mixed with pico de gallo//other pre-made salsa).

Workout

I took one of my friends to workout for the first time- lots of fun!! We did a leg workout with some abs thrown in. It was a 10-9-8-7-6 workout, meaning we did 10 reps of each move, then went through the circuit again doing 9, etcetera down to 6 reps/move. This workout is no joke, and I promise your booty will feel it the next day (and the days after that….)!

Snack

I was hungry after that workout, so I threw together a bowl with frozen berries, a little almond butter, and some coconut milk drizzled on top. The coconut milk froze and made a delicious layer on the berries!

Dinner

Spaghetti squash, spinach, tomato sauce, and fish. Basically breakfast repeated… #ifitaintbroke

 

Snack

A little late night snack for my hungry tummy. Bananas, almond butter, and a little coconut butter drizzled on top.

Question of the day:

What are some of your healthy eats lately?

WIAW: Whole30 style.

It’s WIAW and I’m sharing another day of my Whole30 eats!

Yesterday was Day 2 of my Whole30 journey. I obviously haven’t seen any changes yet, but I am getting more excited about these 30 days. I know it is going to be difficult– I really wanted a cookie at Bible Study last night. But I think I will definitely have an easier time than some because I wasn’t eating a highly processed diet before taking this challenge on.

 

Breakfast: Same as yesterday. Eggs, onion// banana + almond butter. If’ it’s not broken..

 

A simple throw together lunch: canned salmon (Trader Joe’s), carrots, spinach, and some mustard.

Accompanied by a delicious summer peach.

Afternoon snack eaten post-workout: a mashed banana, some Barney Butter (almond butter) and a little cocoa powder mixed in. I was worried it would taste weird without any sweetener but this was delicious.

 

Dinner enjoyed with the boy. Chicken breast cooked with garlic, spaghetti squash, spinach and some plain tomato puree for sauce. The boy enjoyed his with regular whole wheat pasta.

And I just had to share the beautiful rainbow (this picture does not do it justice!) that I saw on my drive to Bible Study. What a treat!

Question of the day:

What are you eating this week?

Any summer food favorites?