Friday Favorites

Hellllllo and Happy Friday!! Long time no blog! I hope everyone's 2021 is off to a decent start. I must've really let myself relax over my winter break because I struggled to find my motivation these past two weeks! I've been letting myself ease back into reality hence not posting for a bit. But have no fear, I am back and ready to blog all year long! To start this year off right, I'm sharing some things I've been loving lately in today's Friday Favorites post.

Not the best/most flattering photo, but her One-Pot Cheesy Chili Mac was a favorite last week for dinner! It's now going to be part of our usual dinner rotation.

Emily Bites Blog
If you're looking for some delicious new recipes that are also on the lighter side, check out the Emily Bites blog. I've been a fan of her recipes for awhile now without even realizing it! John and I made a goal to make 24 new recipes in 2020 (which we crushed!) and a few of the recipes we used were from her. We have a similar goal for 2021. I'm hoping to make even more of her recipes this year! They are total comfort meals without being too high in calories.

21 for 2021 List
If you're like me, then New Year's resolutions might not be for you. Every year I pick a handful of resolutions that I usually forget about by February. For the past couple years I've also been making a list of things to do in that year that corresponds with the year and that has proven to be the most successful for me! This idea came from one of my favorite authors, Gretchen Rubin. Instead of resolutions, I pick concrete tasks I'd like to accomplish that year. I like this idea because I absolutely love the idea of crossing things off a list which is possible with a 21 for 2021 list. Some examples on my list are "get a new passport," "update resume," and "re-do our filing cabinet." So nothing too exciting but makes me feel like I accomplished tasks that I've been putting off. If you'd like a printable of a blank list, click the link above which will bring you to Gretchen's blog post about this.

Little Fires Everywhere was the first book I read on my Kindle! I give it 5 stars because it was a great story and had me thinking the whole time but I was a little disappointed with the ending.

Kindle Paperwhite
One of my Christmas presents from John's parents was a Kindle. I own the original Nook, but a few years ago Barnes & Noble announced they were no longer supporting that Nook so it virtually became useless. I had been missing having an e-reader so I was thrilled to receive this as a present! It's a major upgrade from my Nook as it has a touchscreen and the background lights up so I'm able to read at night without disturbing John. With the help of a fellow blogger, I even learned how to rent e-books using my library card! Now I can really work towards my goals of saving money and simplifying my life since I won't be tempted to buy every book I see.

Question of the Day: What is something you've been loving this week?

Recipes We've Tried and Love: Fall Edition

 Happy Fall, everyone! Since yesterday marked the first official day of fall, I thought I'd share some more recipes John and I have tried and love. This time, I'm sharing a few that are more fall related! To give you a little update, John and I made a 2020 goal for ourselves to try 24 new recipes. Together we are up to 16 recipes so far. I also track ones I've made by myself and that list is up to 8, so technically I have hit the goal but not with John. With all the recipes on our "to try" list, I know we'll get there. I hope you all have a great Wednesday and enjoy these recipes!

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies
After my first full day of  remote teaching, all I wanted was some chocolate chip cookies- ASAP! I turned to Google to find a recipe that didn't involve any waiting time for the dough and was easy. This one seemed the best so I quickly made the dough and threw some in the oven. The recipe makes a lot of dough... I may have missed where it says it makes 39 cookies.. oops! I ended up making a dozen and then putting the rest of the dough in the fridge for later in the week. These cookies were so delicious when the dough was fresh AND after it had sat in the fridge for a few days. They are super quick to throw together and don' take too long to bake. As much as I absolutely love Joanna Gaines' chocolate chip cookie recipe, this may be my new go-to recipe when it's a cookie emergency! I think I might make them again soon with some pumpkin chips I have to give them a more fall-like flavor.

Pumpkin Scones
I tend to go crazy with pumpkin baked items this time of year, so I was thrilled to find a more healthy version of pumpkin scones so I wouldn't feel as guilty. This was my first time making scones and I was pleasantly surprised with how easy they were to make! My one suggestion with these is to definitely add the glaze! I added some pumpkin pie spice to the glaze to get even more pumpkin flavor so feel free to do that if you love a more pumpkin-y flavor. I love keeping these in the fridge and then popping one in the microwave for breakfast or a snack. Also, it never specifies if the butter should be cold, room temperature or melted, but I've tried both cold and melted butter and melted worked best!

Banana Muffins
I'm not sure if banana muffins are really fall-related but any warm, baked muffin is perfect to have when the weather is cool! I had some super-ripe bananas that I needed to use ASAP and this was the first recipe that caught my eye. I try to bake healthy when I can so then I can splurge on other treats that aren't good "healthy." These were a quick, easy recipe that turned out amazing! They keep well in the fridge and heat up great in the microwave for a quick, yummy snack. I highly suggest any a smidge of butter on it, too :) I added chocolate chips to a few and those were a hit with my husband!

Question of the Day: What is your favorite fall recipe?

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday & last day of July! Where has the time gone?! It's crazy to think that my summer break is quickly coming to an end. This summer has definitely been very different compared to other years but I am really enjoying it. There isn't much on our agenda this weekend besides an ice cream party at my sister's on Sunday. We have been trying to do little family get together's on a weekly basis to make up for the past few months. Maybe we'll even squeeze in some pool time at John's parents at some point ;) Now for what you came here for, my Friday Favorites! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Badass Lady Gang Virtual Runs

I'm not even sure how I stumbled across this on Instagram, but I'm so glad I did! As part of the Run, Selfie, Repeat podcast, the Badass Lady Gang hosts weekly virtual runs. Each week is a different workout in which you can listen to through the podcast. Kelly guides you through the workout so all you need to do is listen and run. Not much thinking is involved so that is right up my alley! I did the workout pictured above yesterday and oh man, was it a spicy one! If you're looking for a way to switch up your running routine, I highly suggest trying one of the many guided runs that they have to offer!

Sweet Magnolias

After many suggestions, I finally caved and watched Sweet Magnolias. I must've really loved it because I binged it over the course of just a few days! The Netflix series follows the lives of 3 women in a small South Carolina time who have been friends since childhood. They are by each other's sides through everything when it comes to romance, family, and their careers. It's such a sweet show that is a nice break from all the really intense shows out there! I happened to finish it as soon as they announced there will be a season two so that is exciting!

Skinny Banana Bread Muffins

I had a couple of really ripe bananas sitting in my fruit bowl the other day so I decided to whip up some banana bread muffins! I did a little google search and came across this healthy-ish recipe that required little sugar. They were super quick to whip up and taste amazing! I made some with chocolate chips and while the plain ones were good, the chocolate chip muffins really knocked it out of the park! This may be my new go-to banana muffin recipes now!

Question of the Day: What is something you've been loving lately?

Friday Favorites

Another Friday, another Friday Favorites post! This week went by fairly quickly but this weekend is much needed. With the end of the school year approaching, the work is piling on. I'm looking forward to June 16th to be able to stop remote learning for good {fingers crossed!}. The weather around here looks iffy for the weekend but hopefully that changes and we get a little sunshine! I hope you all have a great weekend!

ONE Birthday Cake Protein Bar

I received this as a free sample a week or so ago and I finally tried it this week during a busy day of meetings. I'm a huge fan of birthday cake flavored foods and this did not disappoint in the flavor department! It has the same texture I feel like all protein bars have which isn't necessarily good or bad. The best thing about this protein bar is it is NUT FREE! As someone with a nut allergy, I struggle to find a protein bar without any sort of nut ingredients. I'll have to check out their other flavors to see if they have any other nut free options.

Not the most photogenic meal but it's much tastier than it looks!

Cheesy Fajita Chicken Bake

John found this on Pinterest a few weeks back so we decided to give it a try this week. It's a pretty simple recipe. You mix up cream cheese, salsa, and fajita seasoning, pour that over chicken breasts, and bake! It also calls for cut up green peppers to give it that fajita feel but we didn't have any in. It still tasted great without them! We had it both on its on and in a tortilla. We are definitely adding this into our recipe rotation! 

iPhone Screen-time Setting

This has been a thing for the  iPhone for awhile now but I'm just now hopping on that train. Quarantine has me on my phone for an embarrassing amount of time. For the past few weeks I've been utilizing the App Limits setting to limit my time on certain apps that I seem to get lost in. I can't tell you how helpful it's been! It's almost like a game each day to see how little time I can spend on those apps each day and never get to the 5 minute warning. If you are finding yourself spending what you feel is too much time on your phone, check out the screen-time setting!

Question of the Day: What is something you’re loving this week?

Friday Favorites

I honestly can't keep track of the days of the week anymore but I do know that today is Friday! And it's the first day of May?! This is crazy... This week felt extra long for some reason so a weekend feels much needed. As usual, we have nothing planned but I'm sure we will find ways to entertain ourselves! My sister was supposed to run a 10-miler tomorrow but since it's cancelled, we are going to "run" 10 miles together in the morning. I hope you all have a great weekend!

HabitBull App

My sister suggested this app to me awhile ago and I really like it! HabitBull is where you can track the habits you are trying to build in a neat and organized way. You can track up to 5 habits in the free version and are able to really personalize each habit. Most of my habits are set to be completed each day in order to be "successful" but I do have my yoga habit set to be completed 4 times a week in order to be seen as "successful." If there are any habits you are trying to build, try using this app to keep track!

Homemade Tortillas

An Instagram friend of mine shared a recipe for homemade tortillas with me recently and they are to die for! I don't think I can ever go back to using store bought tortillas now! The recipe and process is super simple. 

Combine 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl and stir. Add 2 tbs oil and 3/4 cup warm water and stir until combined. Kneed the dough on a floured surface until it elastic, but not sticky. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes- 2 hours (we usually do 30 minutes cause we are in a rush most nights). Divide into 8 parts, roll each out, and then cook on a frying pan on medium-high heat. Flip once it forms bubbles. Each should only take a few minutes. 

These are so worth it! We save these as our last step in whatever recipe we are making that night so we can eat them hot and fresh!

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?

Recipes We've Tried and Love

Happy Easter Monday! Can you believe we are entering week 5 of quarantine? This week is technically my school's spring break but the only real difference for me is that I don't have to do anything work related each day. I've made a plan to get some home projects done since those are the things I've really been pushing off lately.

John and I made a goal for 2020 to make 24 new recipes. We chose 24 assuming we'd try 2 a month but with this quarantine, we are way ahead of schedule. The recipes we choose are a mix of ones we find online and ones from the recipe cards our friends and family gave us at our wedding shower in June. Today I want to share a few of the recipes we've tried and really enjoyed! If it is a recipe from one of our recipe cards, I will add a photo of the recipe so you have it!


Don Pablo's Spoon Bread
If you never had the opportunity to dine at at Don Pablo's while the chain was still alive, I am so sorry! Don Pablo's was the place where John and I went to celebrate anything, when we didn't know where else to choose, when all we wanted was their delicious queso blanco, etc. The last chain location (the location closest to us) closed in July, we were devastated so we knew the first recipe we had to try was a copy-cat of their spoon bread. Spoon bread is pretty much mushy cornbread cake. Okay, I see how that could sound gross, but it is SO GOOD! The recipe we found is super easy to make, a typical mix-everything-up-and-pop-it-in-the-oven type. We made it for a dinner with my family and everybody agreed it tasted just like Don Pablo's! Also we apparently ate it way too quickly because I never got a picture...

Not the prettiest picture but I promise it was tasty!

Turkey Trot Meatballs
This was a recipe I had dog-eared in my Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. cookbook for awhile now. This was another super easy recipe to make and I personally love the versatility of meatballs in general. We chose to top of edamame pasta with them but I want to make them again for meatball subs maybe! When making these, we chose to use oat flour and leaner ground turkey (99%). They turned out slightly dryer than I like so my only suggestion would be either less oat flour (if that is what you choose) or 93% ground turkey.

Lemon Shrimp & Rice
My aunt had given us this recipe at my bridal shower and it wasn't until I did another look-through of my recipe box when I realized how easy-peasy this recipe is. I've posted a photo of the recipe card above but I could honestly sum it up in 2 sentences. Melt a stick of butter on a baking pan in a 350 degree oven before adding lemon slices and shrimp to the pan. Sprinkle with Italian dressing seasoning in the packet and bake for 15 minutes. Bonus sentence: add the shrimp on top of a bed of rice with some veggies for a delicious dinner!

Question of the Day: Have you tried any new recipes lately?