I meant to share a post last week, but work and other tasks got the best of me! Here’s a recap of our weekend fun/productivity.

Friday began with an epic breakfast creation. One Van’s Ancient Grains waffle with Fage, banana, roasted butternut squash, nutmeg, and maple syrup. Then for the savory: wilted spinach, one hash brown patty, Monterrey Jack cheese, and an over easy egg. It really was an awesome combination!

You know you’re with the perfect person when even errands are fun and feel like a baby adventure.😉 Matt and I met at the mall after work to leave his suit to be altered and steam-cleaned. We also found ties that we really hope match my bridesmaid and MOH dresses – fingers crossed!

We came across this hat and couldn’t resist being goofy!

We went by Lowe’s to find new faucets for the lake house and when leaving, Matt spotted this gorgeous sky.❤

We had a gift card to Bonefish Grill, so we decided to treat ourselves to a date night. I love getting these photos of him! His smile is too cute.

I chose one of their specials: Bourbon Maple Salmon with green beans, and tri-color carrots.

Unfortunately, the special that Matt wanted to try was full of gluten.😥 So he ordered the sea bass with a side of salmon.

One of Matt’s best friends came across this photo and text it to him. They were in sophomore year, or around there, of high school. He is second from the right. He looks the same except with darker, longer hair. Ha!

I was able to enjoy my breakfast on Saturday out on the patio with Rachel while she explored. Matt slept in a little bit more. I warmed a rice-based GF tortilla (they aren’t recommended) and filled with PB, Fage, banana, chia, and bacon coconut.

I had my hair trial later that afternoon, and I’m really excited about my upcoming wedding ‘do. Kaci and I went out the lake house and began washing our China and did some more cleaning while there. Once home, I made a nice salad along with a bowl of southwestern quinoa, roasted butternut squash, peppers, onion, garlic, and tri-color peppers plus cheese and an over easy egg. I was proud of how my egg turned out as I usually have Matt make them.

Dessert was a plum filled with almond butter and pumpkin seeds, washed down with a mug o’ milk.

We decided on oatmeal for Sunday breakfast. This was banana-whipped with cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and vanilla then we added butternut squash, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and drizzled it with warm maple syrup. We are excited about fall, can you tell?

I love Lil Bub’s new weather app!

I couldn’t resist! It’s very nice, and I enjoyed with a piece of aged sharp white cheddar because I can’t get enough of sweet-savory combos, apparently.

Matt met with two friends at the lake house who are helping us to finish our projects. I ate a late lunch of greens, sprouts, avocado, roasted veg, quinoa, and Caesar dressing. I then had a plum with yogurt, a drizzle of tahini, and a sprinkle of the chia-buckwheat-hemp hearts cereal for dessert.

We finally have a Kroger that just opened down the road from us! I went even in the rain, I fought the crowds, and I conquered.

While I made our dinner, I also made Kylie’s 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Bars…

as well as Brittany’s Superfood Cereal Bars. Multitasking ftw!

We enjoyed meatloaf glazed with bbq sauce along with roasted green beans, and baked sweet potatoes. Yes, baked potatoes are usually served with meat loaf, but I was feeling like this variety. It did pair well.

We didn’t get enough sleep, but Matt had me laughing so hard when we were trying to go to bed. We were being goofy together, which is the best. Laughter sometimes > sleep. Hope you all have a great day!

 

This past weekend was incredible and just what I needed to relieve some wedding planning stress that has been building. Friday began with 5-minute soaked oats (old fashioned oats + Earthly Choice cereal soaked in yogurt with a splash of milk). I topped it with peanut butter and Wyman’s of Maine thawed berries and kale. Mason had to try it. We love how his nose crinkles!

For lunch, I ordered a veggie wrap from Jason’s Deli with steamed vegetables on the side. My clinic manager threw a baby shower for one of the nurses, so I had a slice of cookie cake later.

Once I got home, I packed up my clothes and our food to spend the long weekend at our lake house. {Fun fact: we realized that the first time he ever visited the lake house was Labor Day Weekend 2005 after we’d been dating for a whole two months. It was the one time he, my mom, and I were out there together.} For dinner we had salmon salad, tomato, avocado, cucumber, crackers, and steamed vegetables.

The water pressure was very weak, so we crawled under the house to investigate. Despite there being nasty cave crickets (they’re awful!), I bravely crawled under too. Matt spotted this guy just hangin’ out.😉 We also noticed a nest of baby doves on our deck. So cute!

For breakfast, we had spiced peach oatmeal with peanut butter and a sprinkle of sugar. Unfortunately, I added a little too much spice, but it was still tasty. We slept for something like 10 hours. I sleep so incredibly well out there – it’s like the sound of the fan in the living room and fishing boats going across the lake lull me to sleep better than anything else.

I loved the reflection in my coffee.❤

One of our best friends is rebuilding our deck, so that’s what the lumber is for. Panoramic shot from the deck.

I ended up eating several snacks throughout Saturday rather than having a lunch. Chobani Meze dip with crackers, roasted mixed nuts, and a banana.

I took a much needed shower and put on my swimsuit only to end up wearing it into town on three separate occasions yet never went swimming. Haha. Matt is an amazing, sweet man, and he single-handedly repaired our water pressure control valve. He had to physically dig out nasty mud to get to it and was able to fix it within a few hours. He’s so knowledgeable!! I just tagged along and watched him in action.

Another snack: carrots with tahini, cheese stick, prunes.

Then I tried Larabar‘s latest creation: mint chocolate truffles. So good!

I so wish we could eat outside at home! It’s such a luxury and a treat to eat our meals on the deck. The weather was absolutely perfect. We warmed the last of our baked chicken thighs in a parmesan cream tomato sauce, pasta, beets, and sautéed spinach.

Beautiful silhouette.

We cleaned out so much under the kitchen sink, and we discovered this bottle of bloody mary dated 1979. So nasty! But admittedly, I think it’s fascinating to stumble upon old/vintage things at the lake house. Check out that price.

We also found this coffee maker tucked away in the back – love it! I hope to get it super clean and able to be used. We’d like to try it.

I had a fruit yogurt bowl while Matt had a smoothie for dessert on Saturday. He didn’t think he’d get to have smoothies, but of course I packed the blender for him.😉

Our neighbors across the cove put on a fantastic fireworks show! I took a video, but unfortunately, I cannot load it on the blog. It was incredible. They did another one on Sunday night too, and we had the best seat to enjoy it!

Awww🙂

We had a scrambler on Sunday complete with greens, spices, splash of milk, egg, and goat cheese for me/cheddar for Matt.

A juicy peach on the side.

We went through the A-frame and completely consolidated our belongings + gathered up things to donate, recycle, throw away, and sell. Matt stacked all of our bins in the boathouse, so now the A-frame is ready to be used as our wedding photo booth! I found this ORHS cheerleader outfit that I wore for Halloween when I was in elementary school. My mom was able to get Kaci and I each one of the old uniforms because the school had recently bought new ones at the time. It still fit!

I also found my mom’s wedding dress from her first marriage, and I was amazed that it fit as well. I felt like a princess, and I absolutely love it! It reminds me of Lucille Ball. Another fun fact: my mom had her wedding at the lake house in this exact dress, so in some ways, I’m following in her footsteps, and I couldn’t be more proud to do so. She was an amazing woman.

These were the only two photos I could find of her wearing it, but isn’t she gorgeous? My grandfather looks so proud and handsome! I don’t know what became of the hat, but I wish we had it too!

For lunch, we each had a sweet potato spiced with cinnamon and drizzled with tahini, carrots, tomato, and avocado + the last of the salmon salad and chips for Matt.

Matt cut down some tree limbs and began burning our brush pile. He saw the sun coming through the trees and decided to take some photos. He has such an awesome eye for these things. These shots are almost magical.

Not only did he work so hard all day but he made us a rack of ribs that was fall-off-the-bone, lick-your-fingers, ‘mmm’-your-way-through-it amazing! We’ve been together more than 11 years, and I just now got to try his famous ribs, but they were worth the wait! We enjoyed simple cooked turnip greens from frozen and Annie’s gluten free mac ‘n cheese.

The aftermath.

We had never tried this barbeque sauce, but we now highly recommend it!

Another yogurt bowl for my dessert, this time with fresh mango and two Larabar truffles. Matt made a smoothie. We enjoyed this after the fireworks show from our neighbors again.

We played three games of Kings in the Corner on our nice, new carpet! He won the first two games, but I finally got my victory.

I decided to play with the Snap Chat filters and took this on Monday morning.

Van’s apple cinnamon waffles with Fage yogurt, banana, and peanut butter. Matt had three and stacked them.

I had two and made a dorky smiley face.

That swirl. Yum.

The way the sunlight dances and sparkles on the lake will never get old.

Here’s the inside of the A-frame now that it’s been cleared out and ready for use. I love those curtains!

I dusted the windowsills, chimney, sinks, etc.

We loaded up my car to the max and headed home around noon. We had lunch and then I unpacked and began doing the dishes, laundry, and so forth. I had this snack of yogurt, a peach, roasted pumpkin seeds, and LOVE GROWN FOODS cocoa goodness granola.

We had the leftover ribs and mac ‘n cheese plus roasted green beans, red onion, and mushrooms.

We brought back this sock monkey that had been down in a bin. Matt suggested we give it one of the babies’ catnip bananas. Lol! It’s waiting on them to play with when they are back at our place on Friday. They’ve been enjoying their time at Kaci’s.

I saw a recipe for an oatmeal pancake and decided to give it a try. It was so fluffy and enjoyable! I topped it with avocado, peach, and maple syrup. Matt flipped it for me. The boy has some serious talent. He can flip an omelet, pancake, or anything with just the flick of his wrist.

I’m easing back into work with this comfortable outfit that is borderline pajamas.😉

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend and are off to a good start to this short week!

 

And just like that, we’re days away from the start of September. Say what? Hard to believe this coming weekend is Labor Day and then it will be the unofficial end of summer. I’m really torn as to whether I want to be sad or excited about this. Autumn is my favorite season (!), but I feel like there is still so much I wanted to experience and cook this summer. Better get on it!

We kicked off Friday with a sweet-spicy scrambler complete with Wyman’s strawberry-blueberry-kale-cherry frozen combo, cheese, and a scrambled egg.

Mason took turns cuddling with us both.❤ It melts my heart.

Sweet Jackson!

After I got home from work, the boys and I relaxed outside, and it was pawesome. I think they’d agree. They didn’t want to go back inside!

Perfection.

I sautéed red onion, peppers, spices, fresh cherry tomatoes, and wild caught sardines in lemon oil with the last of our leftover Jasmine rice. Random but delicious.

Matt made himself a smoothie for dessert while I had a pumpkin spice tea latte with local honey and a small snack for my dessert. We watched ‘Nice Guys’, which neither of us had seen the previews for. It was hilarious!! I highly recommend it.

We slept in quite late and slowly woke up on Saturday. It was amazing. We had waffles, and I topped mine with cheese, avocado, and an over easy egg on one, zucchini-amaranth-banana baby food plus PB on the other, bed of wilted spinach, and fresh black grapes. Hit the spot.

I had a nice lunch from our WF hot bar before heading out to the lake house. Kaci and Drew had been out there since early that morning to let the workers inside to lay down the new carpet.

This is one of the rooms. Kaci did a fantastic job finding a complimentary pattern to the living room, which we chose not to replace. It’s decades old, but it all looks great together!

One of our crepe myrtle bushes is *finally* blooming after, oh say four years.

One of our best friends has been building us our new deck. So exciting to see it come together!

A storm tried rolling in, and I so loved how the sky looked against the water and the trees.

Matt went to dinner with one of his best friends, his friend’s girlfriend, and Matt’s dad. I didn’t feel like showering and joining them, so I stayed home a made this rather epic bowl of oatmeal. Bakery on Main oats made with milk, cinnamon, freshly grated ginger, vanilla, and freshly grated carrot. Topped with yogurt, tahini, mandarin orange, maple syrup, and Earthly Choice chia-hemp-buckwheat cereal.

We finally finished our other Cheerios, so I was able to open and try the Pumpkin Spice flavor. Triple pumpkin threat with pumpkin and roasted pumpkin seeds. PB and a banana not photographed completed my bowl.

Per usual, Matt’s creation made me jealous. Haha. Chia cereal mentioned above with spices, greens, cheese, avocado, and scrambled eggs. So so good.

I finally did Brittany’s 10-Minute Yoga Session, and I have vowed to do it at least once every week. So needed to unwind and relax my mind.

Jackson’s attempt to do yoga. He created the, “Claw Cat” pose.

Avocado toast with garlic hot sauce, salt, and pepper for a snack before I went on a one-hour walk to explore some nearby neighborhoods.

I love living near farm land.

Our place is  off in the distance.

After going down to the Y to complete my weights, I came home and made this nice salad. Organic spring greens, cucumber, carrots, aged sharp white cheddar, toasted almonds, maple walnut granola, extra virgin olive oil, and an apple.

Mason and I snuggled while I completed some word finds. It got really ugly outside but never stormed. He’s our special goob.❤

Dinner was so awesome and took such little effort! Chicken thighs baked with Classico Spicy Parmesan Cream Sauce, rice-quinoa pasta, and steamed asparagus with freshly grated parmesan. We didn’t even need a knife for the chicken because it was so tender.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!

This weekend was an awesome combination of productive and lazy, active and relaxing.😉 Friday began with overnight oats with mashed banana, peanut butter, and Earl Grey tea. I made the overnight oats using Kathleen’s Ancient Grains oats, and they were amazing. Perfect doughy texture while being sweet but not overly so.

I couldn’t resist a post lunch pick-me-up, so I headed over to The Empty Cup for a latte. It hit the spot. “A coffee a day keeps the grumpy away.” So true, ha!

I ran a few errands after work and while looking for the Pumpkin Spice Cheerios, I found these Pumpkin Puffins at Target. Basic and I know it.

I noshed on this toast with butter before Matt got home for dinner.

I plated leftover pork chop with warmed barbeque sauce for dipping, steamed Brussels sprouts, and sautéed spiced yellow pepper.

I had to try the Puffins, so I made a yogurt bowl with a perfectly ripe pear.

These next two pictures crack me up and warm my heart so much! Jackson likes to sit with one of his feet kicked out, so Matt decided to playfully imitate him. Mason didn’t want to be left out of the fun.

For breakfast on Saturday, I made Kylies’ Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Baked Oatmeal Pie. Instead of plums, I used pears, and Matt and I loved it. Served with Reginald’s Bourbon Pecan Peanut Butter and a dollop of Fage.

After doing laundry, dishes, and cleaning, I finally made my way to the Y. I stopped at the store for a snack and chose almonds with black seedless grapes.

Once home, I made a simple grilled cucumber, spinach, and roasted vegetable bruschetta spread sandwich along with cottage cheese + tomatoes and carrots. Then I took a much-needed shower.

I asked Matt to kindly swing by the store for a few vegetables, and of course he found the Pumpkin Spice Cheerios. I’d been looking everywhere! We’re waiting to finish the open box of Puffins, so I’ll be sharing our thoughts as soon as taste them.

We found this natural gluten free roasted garlic popcorn by Buck Wild Snacks at Big Lots, so I poured some into a mug to snack on before dinner. It is amazing!

I cut up the peppers, squash, and zucchini that Matt bought, tossed it all in olive oil and seasonings, and roasted until tender.

Wild caught sockeye salmon simply seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, red onion, and minced garlic.

I mixed the roasted vegetable bruschetta spread with yogurt and mashed cappers for a topping. It was good, but the sauce alone is awesome. I wanted a creamy sauce but something different from yogurt-lemon-caper.

We each made a smoothie using watermelon, banana, and Beech Nut mango, apple, avocado baby food, yogurt, milk, and fresh ginger. I topped mine with Earthly Choice chia-hemp-buckwheat cereal, Puffins, and a few roasted pumpkin seeds. Matt had Multigrain Cheerios and the same chia cereal.

When Matt tried turning on our lamp, the bulb died right then with a bit of a bang. O_O We cozied up and watched ‘The Good Dinosaur.’ Yes, a cartoon for the two of us. Lolz. It was cute but not a terrific movie.

I cooked Kathleen’s oatmeal and added a splash of Silk Coconut Almond milk, peanut butter, and a side of cottage cheese with grapes.

Matt stuffed a toasted hashbrown patty inside of a seasoned two-egg omelet plus melted sharp cheddar, bruschetta spread, and wilted spinach + banana-raisin-pb oatmeal using a packet of Kathleen’s. He gave me three amazing bites of that omelet.

Saturday comfy vibes with my fav long-sleeve tee by Eat Healthy Designs / ’70’s vibes on Sunday

Lunch was a simple salad with a kale veg burger from Aldi, toasted almonds, and a pear drizzle with tahini plus sprinkled with nutmeg.

We were able to hang out with two of our close friends and relax by the pool all afternoon and into the evening. Their little boy is at a fun stage, just over a year old, and was full of personality. With caring for our home and each working full-time jobs, we never get to see our friends enough, so we were thankful for a day to hang out! Dinner was jalapeno beef brisket burgers cooked on the grill complete with yogurt, ketchup, jalapeno yogurt cheese, and avocado. Better Way gluten free bun and leftover roasted veg rounded out the meal.

We made a stop at Publix, and I decided to try these Dole Dippers. They are simple and perfect to satisfy a sweet craving!

Jax is such a character!

This morning’s sunrise was just breathtaking, especially with the fog. It was chilly, so I feel fall slowly creeping in.

Wishing you all a wonderful Monday and week ahead!

I love reading these posts from fellow bloggers, so I thought I’d give my own shot at one. Below are a list of posts and recipes that inspire me and that I love. Enjoy!

Kath shared a heartfelt post on becoming what she has dubbed more “Type A-“, and it struck a cord with me. I really believe I’ve been able to let go of some perfectionist tendencies lately, and it has been so freeing.

Kylie shared this Pumpkin and Plum Snickerdoodle Baked Oatmeal Pie that I will absolutely be making this weekend!

Also, Brittany came up with a really neat use for hummus in her Peanut Butter Hummus Brownies that are calling my name. I have tons of tahini, so again, I plan to put my baking skills to the test this weekend.

I discovered these GoPicnic Ready-to-eat Meals that Matt and I both thought looked and sounded great. Looking forward to trying them!

I’ve been wanting a corner shelf to help display our unity sand caddy after the wedding, so I’m hoping this one ends up being sturdy and beautiful.

Lastly, Anne’s, “A Day in the Life” post. These are so fun to read, and I plan to share my own soon!

I hope everyone has a great day and weekend!

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! I enjoyed mine but just wish we had one more day to relax. But I always feel that way when Monday comes back around.😉

For breakfast on Friday, I made LOVE GROWN FOODS Super Oats with Mayfield Dairy Pure milk, and I added strawberries, fig balsamic vinegar, and almond butter. You may think balsamic vinegar is a gross addition, but it really is perfectly sweet and tangy and works beautifully with berries. Give it a try!

Before leaving for work, I do a “head count” of the babies. Mason decided to sleep on my clothes. He looked so cozy. Rachel was hidden underneath my clothes hanging on the rack.

We put our old mattress in the guest room for them (yes, they are spoiled), and Jackson decided to “meatloaf” on it. So cute!

One of the sweet techs at work said I looked like Snow White, especially with my apple. I couldn’t help a fun comparison!

Kaci got to come over and spend time with us and the babies, which is always such a treat. After we ate dinner and she left, Matt and I put up our feet a relaxed for a bit.

Rachel was wanting her mama to return, though!

We saw a ladybug scaling the wall, so Matt decided to help Mason get to it. This cracked me up so much!

Things got pretty wild – I made a mug of coffee to go with dessert. Lolz. Yogurt, banana, and peanut butter. Simple and satisfying.

We rented Hologram for the King with Tom Hanks. We hadn’t seen the previews but stumbled upon it and thought it looked good. We both thought it was quite a good movie, and I so enjoyed a movie night. We went outside and looked at the bright moon and stars for a bit before crawling into bed. I don’t know why exactly, but it really made me happy to star-gaze with Matt.❤

On Saturday, I was craving both sweet and savory, so I made both. I prepped overnight oats before bed, which was based on Kylie’s graham cracker muesli with grapefruit. We received a bag of gingersnaps in the gluten free gift basket we won in the spring, so I used these as well as an orange. I’m trying to be good about making use out of what we have rather than always buying more food. I had an idea to add a spoonful of cottage cheese to my scrambled egg rather than milk, and it was really good! I used several spices and enjoyed it over spinach. Egg-cellent breakfast, if I do say so myself.

Kaci and I carpooled out to the lake house and began removing the wallpaper in one of the bathrooms. We’re hoping one of Matt’s best friends, who manages a refurbishing company, will be able to take on the job of plastering and painting it.

On the way home, we snack on these delcious dark chocolate-covered almonds from TJ’s. So good!

Sweet Axl accompanied us and really enjoyed tearing up tennis balls and swimming.🙂

Dinner included organic lentils I warmed from the freezer, quinoa cooked with chicken broth, beets, and sauteed peppers/onions/cabbage/kale. Colorful and enjoyable. Jax photo-bomb!

For dessert, I thawed Welch’s tropical fruit medley and added Fage and granola.

We were both craving a scrambler, so on Sunday we made one with potato/green beans/zucchini baby food pouch, wilted kale, blueberries, spices, sharp cheddar, and egg. Yum yum.

We had felt a lump underneath Rachel’s right arm, so Kaci was amazing and agreed to take her to our vets. Matt and I put her in her taxi and drove to Kaci’s. Right before we got there, Ray had an accident. It was horrendous, but Matt was a champ and together we bathed her in the tub. Turns out the bump was a zit. So strange! We were thankful it was nothing more, though!

Matt and I picked up where Kaci and I left off at the lake house. First we ate lunch then got to work. Our produce is bare minimum now, so I’ll be grocery shopping after work. I combined cooked peppers, corn, tri-bean blend, quinoa, beets, and spinach. I tossed avocado and cucumber in with cottage cheeese with a dash of hot sauce on the side.

Matt is a genius and used this dolly and some gardening tools to remove the stubborn carpet padding. It was pretty funny to watch! I got most of the wallpaper down, and we bagged up all the trash.

We each had Reginald’s Bourbon Pecan PB with a banana.

I had a coupon at Big Lots, so we shopped there before heading home. I found La Croix lemon that I sipped on during our drive.

I quickly sauteed more kale with garlic and topped it with half a beef and veg pasty. We tried a new tomato caper bruschetta spread from Big Lots along with carrot on the side for crunch.

I didn’t photograph my dessert, but it was Fage, an apple, a chunk of watermelon, and almond butter.

This moring I’m happy to report that I made my own over easy egg, and I was successful at it. It’s the little things that can make my day. I ate it on a Glutino corn English muffin with the bruschetta spread, sharp cheddar, and wilted garlic kale plus a strong cuppa Joe.

Wishing you all a wonderful day and week ahead!

 

Brittany brought it to my attention that August 31st is National Trail Mix Day. To celebrate, she teamed up with Nuts.com and announced a fun trail mix contest that I knew I had to participate in! Below is my creation and entry into the contest. The buttery soft crunch of the macadamias pairs perfectly with the soft and chewy KIND bar and apricots. The coconut adds a smoky flavor while the pumpkin seeds round it out with a lightly salty crunch.

From the list of contest ingredients, I chose macadamia nuts and pumpkin seeds. Both of them are not only delicious but boast some amazing nutrition as well. Nuts.com provides wonderful descriptions of each ingredient on their website, and I included the links for both of these.

I hope you’ll give it a try!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Sun-Maid apricots, sliced in half

1/4 cup Royal Hawaiian Orchards Sea Salt & Cracked Pepper Macadamias

1 Pressed by KIND Pineapple Banana bar, cut into pieces

1/4 cup Good Sense roasted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup Dang Foods coconut bacon

Toss all ingredients together. I made this into two servings, but feel free to eat the amount according to your hunger level and needs. Enjoy!

 

It’s that time again. Time to face another work week. But not before at least reliving the weekend a bit!

Friday begin with oatmeal for us both, but we each made a different type. Matt used old fashioned oats and added Silk coconut almond milk, frozen berries, maple syrup, Earthly Choice Original Cereal, cinnamon, clove, smoked paprika, and chipotle chili powder. He added some spices and local honey to a side of Daisy cottage cheese. I used LOVE GROWN FOODS Super Oats, milk, and banana whipped together. Then I topped with a few remaining banana coins and a spoonful of Reginald’s Homemade Bourbon Pecan Peanut Butter.

On Thursday, I had the privilege of attending this year’s UT Dietetic Intern Luncheon as a preceptor. I graduated from the program as an intern back in August 2013, which is shown on the left. What a difference three years makes in all that has changed to this point!

Back to Friday. We were provided a nice lunch from our company’s Admissions Department, and it was a really nice treat. I made a salad topped with chicken, egg roll pieces, and croutons along with a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie and an orange not shown in the photo.

Kaci got to come over again, and I’m loving seeing her on Fridays! We chatted and snuggled with the babies until Matt came home. Then I finished preparing our meal for us to enjoy. It was a quick, simple meal consisting of a leftover baked potato split and topped with a tri-bean blend plus spices. On the side I warmed frozen spinach and added marinated artichoke hearts, pesto, and melted mozzarella cheese.

We slept so well and in so late for us! It was really pretty with the fog resting over the mountains and swampy-field area in the front of our home.

Breakfast was a smoothie made from watermelon, nectarine, Beech Nut beet-pear-pomegranate, and yogurt. Served with Earthly Choice hidden underneath and Kashi GF waffles spread with Reginald’s PB.

Kitty snuggles are the best!

I finally got my rear in gear and met Kaci and Drew at our lake house for more work on our projects. They had already moved the furniture out into the living room, so we finished pulling up the carpet in the bedrooms.

Lunch was enjoyed outside and included a black forest ham and cheese sandwich with mayo, dijon mustard, thick slice of tomato, and greens on a potato bun. Carrots and cucumber for crunch on the side.

I didn’t bring my swimsuit but walked around in the water. It felt so good! I love them!

Once home, I prepared our whole chicken, turnips, carrots, red onion, and garlic to bake while I did some chores.

All cooked and nicely browned.

I packed it up to take over to his dad’s because he planned to cut his hair there that evening. Unfortunately, I was too lazy to transfer the broth to a jar as I thought to do, and it spilled in between my seat. Fail. I’m still trying to clean it completely. Geez.

Anway, not the best lighting, but I added steamed vegetables with pesto to complete the meal. The breast was slightly dry, so I’ll need to take the next one out a tad sooner.

My step-mom shared this, and I thought it was hilarious. I actually had a dry load of laundry that I ended up folding on Sunday. Ha!

For dessert, I had a “banana split” with tahini and granola plus a mug of Mayfield Dairy Pure. Matt made a really pretty smoothie, of course.😉

We again slept in on Sunday then each made a wonderful mixture of sweet and savory foods. I added the last of our cottage cheese to the last of our peanut butter jar with, wait for it, the last of the berries. I was clearly all about finishing off our foods! I topped it with granola for a sweet crunch.

Matt was sweet and scrambled up three spiced eggs for us to split. Mine looked like a crepe and was so darn good.

His ham, cheddar, and greens omelet with tomato plus a bowl of yogurt with granola, peanut butter, and banana.

All of my sleep and good food left me with tons of energy and motivation to clean. I dusted, cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed, etc. It felt awesome to get it all taken care of that morning.

Kaci came over and together we went to the downtown Y location to workout together, which was such a treat! I had not been to this location, and I look forward to going with her more often.

I loved this quote in the locker room.

I finally got to try the Jacob’s Ladder after hitting up the ole ‘mill, and it really provided a great workout.

We finished with planks, side planks, in place lunges with dumbbells, and a final core exercise before stretching. I went by the store, the gas station, the car wash, and then finally home for a snack. One slice sprouted sesame toast with Reginald’s peanut butter and a mug of milk. I was obviously craving both of these things all weekend long.

For dinner, I made a meat spaghetti with corn elbow noodles. His mom was sweet and gave us the remainder of the bag after she made us a pasta salad back in June. I made a fig balsamic vinaigrette to create a massaged kale salad topped with roasted vegetables and fresh parmesan.

After seeing Brittany’s recipe for Almond Butter Chicken Salad, I knew we had to try it. I put it together quickly and made it into our lunch for today.

We were “naughty” and ate a late dessert before calling it a night. The babies all piled onto the love seat with us after they had eaten and were sleepy.

I found these two owl pictures that I can’t resist sharing.

Hope you all have a fabulous week!

 

 

 

I feel like the summer is flying by, but there’s still so much I want to do! Like go swimming for starters. But there’s this thing called a j-o-b that takes top priority.😉 How I would love a weekend at the lake house like when I was a kid.

Anyway, onto fun times and delicious noms! Friday started with a bowl of Fage, fruit, Berry Cheerios, and almond butter. I did some coupon shopping at Target on Thursday, and I found some awesome foods, the Cheerios being one product.

I realized I hadn’t worn this top in a long time, so I decided to rock a fancy Fri-yay look. Jackson got ahold of the belt in the past and left teeth marks in the back, so it’s been personalized. Haha

Another new product was this Justin’s peanut butter with banana chips snack pack. My only wish was that there would be more banana chips! It was very enjoyable.

One of my favorite things when I get home is getting kitty snuggles…after they eat, of course. Jax kisses.

Clearly Matt loves their cuddles too! Mason doesn’t look enthused, but don’t let him fool you. He begs for them.

Kaci got to come over and spend the evening with us, which was awesome! I made Matt and I a quick dinner and didn’t take a photo. Blogger fail. But we had a relaxing night and both slept very well. Also, he brought home half of a huge watermelon from work that I bagged and put into the freezer. The first of the summer for me!

On Saturday we made scramblers, complete with leftover spiced roasted Brussels sprouts, turnips, and carrots. I apologize for the poor lighting. Both days we woke up to it raining, which was truly calming. The sun later came out for the rest of Saturday and Sunday.

The blooms are so full and gorgeous at the front of our house!

Matt and I went to Jared’s to begin looking for his wedding band! We’ve narrowed down some choices, but he’s still deciding. We got his ring size, so I was able to order his QALO ring, though.

Yet another new product: Pressed by Kind. I did pair it with peanut butter so that the protein would help it keep me fuller longer. It tasted really nice, and both of us thought the pineapple was the most prominent flavor.

I can’t resist getting these photos now! He thinks I’m a dork, which I am, so I just own up to it. Ha

We went by Men’s Wearhouse and then Belk to look for suits. While at Belk, he found a pair of shoes that we both loved, and we found a really nice suit as well. We didn’t buy anything on Saturday because his second oldest brother actually is a manager in a Belk department, so we waited to finish our shopping on Sunday.

I failed to take a photo of them, but I made us each a turkey, ham, and Swiss sandwich with hummus and greens plus cucumber on the side. I was thankful we didn’t have to spend money out on food!

Once home, I began putting together our dinner. We split this Bai blueberry drink, and we thought it tasted great. I tried their mango flavor last month, and so far I’m impressed with their beverages.

Dinner ended up being very purple and pretty! I made a bed of cooked organic green lentils and sesame ginger quinoa. I roasted eggplant and red onion with allspice, ginger, salt, and pepper. I then sautéed red cabbage with garlic and tamari.

We added garlic hot sauce after I took these photos.

He’s not spoiled at all.

We rented Midnight Special, which neither of us had seen the previews for. It was…odd. There were good parts, and it was fairly thought-provoking. But I wouldn’t really recommend it.

I got out of bed before Matt on Sunday and whipped up this toast plate. One slice with peanut butter, cinnamon banana “soft serve”, and Dang Foods bacon coconut. I spread guacamole on the other slice and topped with a very fluffy scrambled egg with freshly shredded cheddar. This hit. the. spot. The peanut butter + banana + bacon coconut combination was inspired by Brittany.

I so love slow mornings! I made a pumpkin spice latte with pumpkin spice coffee, frothed milk, and local honey. Earth Fare had the coffee on closeout, so I figured it wasn’t too early for pumpkin spice.😉

Matt made an open-faced baked salmon, Swiss, and over easy egg sandwich with a bed of wilted greens.

Baby Girl made herself nice and cozy in this paper. It was inside a box of parts that Matt ordered for his dad’s Excursion.

As I mentioned, we waited until Sunday to finalize our suit shopping, and I’m so happy how it all came together! Not only was the clothes on sale, but it was tax free weekend, and his brother used his employee discounts. We saved soo much money, and Matt’s sweet mom offered to buy her sons’ suits! The ONLY unfortunate thing is they don’t sell a coordinating vest for this particular suit, and Matt and I both wanted  one. He looked so handsome in the grey one. Darn it.

After leaving the mall, I rode with Kaci and Drew out to Kingston. One of our best friends, Randi held a birthday party for their oldest girl, who will be turning five soon. As always, her decorations were adorable, and it was so great to see everyone! Their two girls are precious.

I went by Aldi then came home with enough time to finally make some healthy snack bars for us. I purposefully made extra lentils on Saturday so that I could make these Lentil Granola Bars. I used green instead of red lentils, used gluten free ingredients, and I substitute raisins instead of dried cherries and roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts. I tried making it true to the recipe while also using what we had in our pantry. I had one a little bit ago as my morning snack, and it was great! I did cut them into 12 rather than 16-20, so they’ll be more filling for us both.

Dinner was a large salad for us both with risotto, lentils, and pesto for Matt / salmon and pesto for me.

Dessert was admittedly a little late but so good. Yogurt with frozen berries, almond butter, and some Nature’s Path flakes.

Matt made this really pretty smoothie.

This morning I made a fig jam, over easy egg, and melted cheddar sandwich with a navel orange on the side. Kitty photo-bombs!

Today marks one year since Matt and I moved into our place, and it has been such an amazing year! So thankful. Hope you all have a great start to the week!