Hi friends! Hello from San Diego, where it is hot, hot, hot! We're having a heatwave here, and today is warmer than any summer day I've experienced here. I'm working from my pool this afternoon after seeing that temperatures were hitting the triple digits. There's this strong hot breeze going on and it's pretty crazy for us spoiled San Diegans (many of whom do not have AC, myself included)! The heatwave started a few days ago, so I spent a ton of time at the beach over the weekend. Coastal walks with the pup, a burrito picnic dinner at sunset, the dog beach, watching NFL Sunday football games on my phone with my feet in the sand.... I practically lived at the beach for a few days! No complaints there! Rewinding back to two weekends ago when it was feeling more autumn-ish, ... [Read More]
healthy dessert
Chocolate Thin Mint Protein Smoothie
Happy Hump Day! I'm still on the east coast, and it has been nice and toasty in Jersey with temperatures in the low to mid 90s. So naturally today I want to talk about smoothies - more specifically, what has been probably my favorite smoothie for all of 2015 thus far. I first came up with this Chocolate "Thin Mint" Smoothie when it was Girl Scout cookie season and I kept craving chocolate + mint. Since then I've made it countless times - minimum once a week all year long. It's the perfect post-nighttime workout meal because it doubles as a healthy dose of protein and goodness plus dessert in one.... and we all know that I'm all about things that taste like dessert but are secretly healthy. ... [Read More]
5 Yummy Dessert Ideas Under 200 Calories
Hi there! I'm blogging today as I take a lunch break and sip on a yummy smoothie, and speaking of eats, today I want to talk about some low-cal dessert options that I'm loving! While some people are totally against counting calories, for me, it's what works and keeps me on track. Being mindful of the calories I'm taking in and planning my meals so that my macros and calories hover around a certain range for the day helps me stay balanced. I've been tracking it for years now and it's just a part of my healthy diet and approach to eating in a way that I make sure I'm getting the nutrition I need in my food, while also enjoying it.... because food is too good to not enjoy! With that being said, sometimes I want a snack or dessert at night, but I also want to keep it under 200 ... [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]
Cinnamon Almond Butter Date Truffles
Hey friends! Hope that you had a fabulous weekend. A highlight of my last few days included meeting up with my friend Trish and her little pup for a hiking doggie date.... Temperatures were in the 80s on Saturday, but it didn't feel too hot because it was nice and breezy. Harley wasn't slowed down by the warm weather and was her usual maniac, super friendly self. Another fun thing I did over the weekend was volunteer with a group called CropSwap. The organization is dedicated to harvesting produce from farms, which would have otherwise gone to waste, and getting it to people who can't afford to buy fresh fruit and veggies. As a health coach whose passionate about the importance of nutrition and eating a healthy diet full of whole foods, I wanted to get involved because I ... [Read More]
Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Cake for 1
Every time I get anything new for my kitchen, I get seriously excited. Some people may not understand my enthusiasm in the least bit, but kitchen gear to a foodie is like candy to a kid... Okay, I get excited in candy stores too, but you get what I'm trying to say. So you can only imagine how great it was when I walked into Bed Bath & Beyond after my bridal shower a bunch of years back with thousands of dollars in gift cards. My bridal shower was on the east coast, and since I live on the west coast, most people gave me a gift card instead of shipping tons of presents. I wish I had a photo of the awesome madness of that shopping excursion...though I did just find this lovely photo of my face when I walked into my grandma's house for what I thought was a lunch date, only to ... [Read More]