As a traveler, I'm not usually the person that seeks out the best shopping spots in a given area. I'm not huge into shopping and my husband absolutely loathes it, so shopping is never on our vacation checklist. While I prefer making memories, taking photos, and going on adventures while traveling, I do enjoy nabbing a souvenir that reminds me of the trip and is unique to the area. For instance, I picked up coasters in New Orleans that have the city's symbolic fleur-de-lis design on them. When I put my drink on one, memories from my time there come to mind. The last time I was in Italy, I bought a bracelet from a street vendor. Every time I wear it, I think of the magic of Venice. During my trip to Ireland a few months ago, the souvenir that I took home was a jar of locally ... [Read More]
honey
Oatmeal Walnut Hemp Energy Balls + Nektar Naturals Honey Crystals Giveaway
Hi friends! So I noticed the other day that I haven't posted a new sweet recipe on here since this apple pie autumn granola over a month ago. I figured it's time to sweeten things up around here today, sound like a good idea? On the topic of sweets, I most definitely have a sweet tooth. Given the choice between sweet or savory, I go with sweet 9 out of 10 times. But instead of indulging in dessert every night and letting my sweet tooth get out of control, I look for healthy ways to satisfy it - like with banana almond butter muffins, banana berry sorbet or these energy balls. One of my go-to sweeteners of choice is honey. That's why when the opportunity to try Nektar Naturals honey crystals presented itself, I was interested in trying it out. Nektar honey crystals is a non-GMO sweetener ... [Read More]
Apple Blueberry Oatmeal Ramekin Crisps
Like any good foodie, at any given time, I have a couple of foods, meals, grocery spots, and kitchen tools that I'm particularly loving. Lately, I've been obsessed with a grocery store near me called Frazier Farms Market. They look like your typical big food store, but they carry a lot of specialty items that I can't find elsewhere, and are actually reasonably priced. My favorite part about Frazier Farms? They're not a chain store! I love supporting small business. They have 2 locations, both of which are nearby, and they carry a ton of locally made products, like cheese from farms in my county and honey from bee keepers located in the town next to me. Naturally, I've been obsessed with the above pictured honey. I love honey in general, but locally made unfiltered honey is even ... [Read More]
Cinnamon Apple & Peanut Butter Oatmeal
I'll let you in on a little secret: There are some foods that most healthy living bloggers swoon over I could totally do without. Take brussel sprouts and cauliflower for instance (ick). You'll find tons and tons of recipes for clever ways to eat brussel sprouts and use cauliflower to craft pizza crusts and make them taste like fries and whatever else you could imagine on foodie blogs, but not on here my friends. Why? Because I am not a fan of those veggies (sue me). Another good example is oatmeal. I get in the mood for a bowl of hot oats here and there, but for the most part, I feel very meh about it. Take pancakes away from me and I'd be a very sad girl, but take oatmeal away from me and I wouldn't even know it was gone. And so, the alternate title of this post was The ... [Read More]
5-Ingredient Creamy Honey Fruit Dip
Happy weekend everyone! I'm looking forward to a few days being home with my hubby. Last week he was away training for the Marine Corps Reserves, and then I left for Vegas for my work trip before he got back last weekend, so this weekend we're excited to get some time together. On our agenda is finishing up our bathroom revamp, repainting part of the exterior of our house, and also having some fun outdoors and relaxing. Any fun plans for your weekend? Speaking of weekends, last Friday night I got together with my friend Tiffany for a wine night. We see each other pretty often, but usually we make workout dates, so it was nice to chill, talk, drink wine, and munch on snacks together (and not be sweating while I was with her for once!). For our wine night I whipped up a few healthy ... [Read More]
Grilled Nectarines with Banana Honey Soft Serve
Last weekend my mother-in-law, hubby, and I were sitting at my kitchen table. We had just finished up a yummy dinner, and all of a sudden, I jumped up. ME: "Ooooh I have to make dessert now!" THEM: "But we're pretty full. Why the rush?" ME: "Because it's going to get dark soon!" THEM: "We're using the grill for it? We can still grill after the sun goes down." ME: "No we can't, because I have a feeling it's going to be yummy, and if it gets dark, then I can't take pictures and blog the recipe!" Ah yes, bad lighting... classic case of #foodbloggerproblems. ... [Read More]