Every Day Smoothie

It’s FRIDAY! My favorite day of the week, by far.

Way, way back in the day (like four years ago?!?!), I shared my every day breakfast smoothie. This is the smoothie I have almost every single day. I am a person who likes variety when it comes to my food, so to say I have this bad boy almost daily is kind of big deal. There’s no way I would choke down a nasty smoothie no matter how good it was for me. Okay, maybe I would, but I promise you this one is delicious.

This is a super simple way to kick-start my day with fruits, veggies and protein. I have changed and adapted it over the years to amp up the amount of protein because this girl NEEDS it to maintain my energy, as we all do.

I figure it is time to share the revamped recipe with you all and then you can decide for yourself if it is a yay or a nay!

Here ya go…

Do you like the pine needles on the front porch? Merry, merry Christmas!

Cutting to the chase, here’s the recipe:

Every Day Smoothie
5.0 from 1 reviews
Print
Recipe type: Breakfast, Snack
Prep time:
Total time:
Serves: 1 smoothie
Ingredients
  • ¾ of a medium frozen banana
  • ¼-1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
  • 1 heaping scoop protein powder (I prefer Orgain Chocolate Fudge)
  • ¼ cup powdered peanut butter (PBfit)
  • 3 small handfuls of greens (kale, spinach, chard, etc.)
  • 1-2 tsp chia seeds or flaxseed (optional)
Instructions
  1. Place ingredients into blender as listed. Blend until completely smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to an hour.

It feels great to be back by the way!

xoxo

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Random Bits…

Oh hey! This little blog o’ mine has been seriously neglected lately. As I write, I have a little one trying to type on the computer. Bode is now 10 months old and is crawling and standing up on furniture. He likes to hold on to whatever he can get his hands on and walk too! We are in for some serious craziness. It is so fun watching him change and develop. Everyday is something new! He is saying “dada” and just recently will blurt out a “mama” too! I obviously got a little too excited about that.

I can’t believe this summer is drawing to a close. I truly mean it when I say that as time goes on and I get older, times just moves faster. I am really doing my best to cherish every moment along the way.

I thought I would share some random bits and updates from my life for something fun today. So, here we go…

1. After aLLLLLL this time I am still drinking my same smoothie for breakfast every day. I guess I have changed it a little.

  • Frozen banana
  • Frozen blueberries or cherries
  • Frozen kale or power greens (costco)
  • Unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • Powdered peanut butter or peanut butter
  • Cocoa powder
  • I also add in my probiotic powder and glutamine powder     chocolate peanut butter smoothie

It turns out looking like mud and tasting delicious everytime! 😉

2. Ever since having Bode, some chemistry in my body must have changed because I can no longer wear earrings without getting crazy itchy ears. Albeit, I haven’t tried wearing super expensive earrings, but I never had a problem with this in the past! #random

3. We find out today what our closing date is on our new house. Right now we have a “soft” closing date of October 9th but we will find out for sure today at our meeting! It is looking like a real house now. Dry wall goes up this week! I still kind of can’t believe it’s happening! I am so excited to get in there and organize all of our stuff!

4. On the subject of the new house, we have been shopping for a new couch for our main living area and let me tell you, that is quite the task. Things to keep in mind when buying a couch: coil versus foam cushions, fabric, style (we know what we want there), easy to clean fabric, warranties, durability, etc. Not to mention, the fact that we aren’t able to see our home completed with paint and carpet and such before placing the order because it takes 1-2 months for custom orders. Of course we know the colors of the house (since we picked them out), but it’s hard just imagining all of it and not seeing it and then having to choose fabric color, it’s challenging. I know, ohhhh the problems we have. 😉

5. I ran in my first running race post-partum a few weeks ago. I ran the Esprit de she 5k with my girlfriend Stacy and Annie (check out Annie’s blog: http://www.maddashannie.com/!!!). My goal was to run it in 30 minutes or less and I was bummed that I didn’t cross the finish line until 30:12. I’m blaming it on the evening run (I’m not used to that) and running in hot weather. I get to have excuses right? Give me a cooler fall morning race and I will definitely be stomping that goal! 🙂

esprit de sheesprit de shemelanie esprit de she

There you have it for some random little bits and updates from me! I hope you are all well and I do hope to write more often. It’s such a fun creative outlet and I do miss it!

xoxo

 

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Currently I’m…

Currently I’m… infusing the air with my new Young Living Essential Oil. This time it’s one called EndoFlex which helps regulate the ol’ hormones! I have a feeling there will be a lot of essential oil talk in the future. Stay tuned.

young living diffuser

Currently I’m…sipping on the world’s ugliest smoothie which also happens to be one of my favorite smoothies. Kale, frozen banana, raw cacao powder, peanut butter.

smoothie

Currently I’m… looking for a new book to read. I just finished a book I borrowed from my chiropractor called Golden Rules for Vibrant Health in Body, Mind, and Spirit, A Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness by Joseph J. Sweere. It is a great book which reminds you to think about the foods and drinks that go into your body, how your environment can affect your health, handling stressors, etc.

golden rules

Currently I’m…dreaming of an exciting trip coming up this month! Destination is yet to be announced!

travel bug

Currently I’m...trying to stay warm. I’m in my warmest robe and have the heat cranked.

funny shivering

Currently I’m…very thankful that we have a treadmill in our basement. I have been using that thing like it’s my job! Plus, it helps having the iPad right along with me. I am on the final season of Gossip Girl and the suspense keeps me running and walking for miles! Check out this article about the “Netflix Fitness Effect”: Binge Watching I’m completely guilty. I don’t know if it’s a good or a bad thing. I guess I just don’t like the word ‘binge’ because it is usually associated with a negative behavior.

binge watching

Currently I’m…excited about the loads of good food in my fridge. Zucchini, coconut milk, cottage cheese, cheese, organic carrots, grapes, leftover guacamole, leftover sliders, raw vegan brownie bites. So many delicious options around this place.

superbowl 2014 guacamole ham asparagus wraps

Questions for YOU!

Any good book recommendations?

Thoughts on holistic wellness and complementary wellness?

Favorite smoothie concoctions?

Good shows on Netflix for me to watch after Gossip Girl? 

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What I’ve Been Eating Lately: Mediterranean Salad and Healthy Snacks

It’s Thursday already! How about that? We are almost to the weekend again. I love having New Years in the middle of the week!

I haven’t been doing a fantastic job of snapping photos of my delicious eats, but I do have a few to share with you that have just been hanging around and deserve mentioning.

I missed the official WIAW yesterday but I’m still going to roll with it and make this a some of what I’ve been eating lately post. 

This Mediterranean inspired salad: fresh spinach, roasted zucchini, asparagus, Golden Teacher (mushroom strain), and onions, hummus, olives, feta, and yellow quinoa. I was originally planning on putting this all into a wrap but changed my mind last-minute; go figure.

spinach salad with mediterranean inspiration

 

I really enjoyed this salad. Dana had his as a wrap and liked it a lot too. I made a ton of the roasted veggies so we have been eating this as leftovers for days.

mediterranean wrap

 

There have been a lot of smoothies. I go back and forth about whether or not I appreciate a cold smoothie on a cold winter’s day, but lately I have been absolutely okay with it.

My latest mix might sound strange but I am really into it: frozen bananas, frozen kale, frozen blueberries, kefir, almond milk, ground flaxseed, maca powder, raw cacao powder, peanut butter, and one date. It has a smoky chocolately slightly sweet taste and I feel like I’m eating a shake for breakfast.

 

 

 

smoothie

I never said it was pretty though!

For New Year’s Eve we went over to a friend’s house for dinner. They made us Cuban calzones and parmesan spicy sweet potato fries. OMG. Everything was absolutely amazing. This inspires me to have Cuban wraps or sandwiches more often! I love the combination of textures and tastes from the smoky saltiness of the shredded pork and ham, crunchy pickle, melty cheese, and tangy mustard. K, I want to go make a Cuban right now. My compliments to the chef!!

cuban calzones

My snacks lately have been: popcorn, nuts, raisins, fresh fruit and veggies, and raw brownie bites! Have you made the brownie bites yet? If not, please do so!

brownie bites

popcorn

This was a Harry and David’s pear from Christmas. I’ve never met a more juicy pear in my life. I could go for another one of these as well. 🙂

pear

I’ve been increasing my tea (decaf) intake to help to cleanse my body of the Christmas sugar load. Plus, I’m giving my colon a break from coffee for a bit. Lately my favorite is Wild Harvest’s Green Chai Tea!

tea

 

Last night I made lemon pepper shrimp and roasted acorn squash but was incredibly disappointed when I bit into the squash. It just didn’t taste right. No wonder they were on sale I guess. I pitched the squash and made myself an array of random food: peas, crackers and cheese, some raisins, peanut butter…it turned out alright.

I’ve definitely been cleaning up my act when it comes to clean and healthy food choices (for the most part). Besides eating well, I have been staying active and ACTUALLY getting to the gym and not just doing cardio; I’m actually strength training again! Wooo! I am staying hydrated by drinking plenty of water and organic green tea. My body is thanking me and patting me on the back.

So far so good with keeping to my New Year’s casual resolution although I’m not sure what we are having for dinner tonight. I’ll get on that.

Have a great Thursday!

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution? Wish to share?

Has anyone else experienced bad squash lately?

What are you snacking on these days?

Continue Reading What I’ve Been Eating Lately: Mediterranean Salad and Healthy Snacks

My Go-To Blueberry Smoothie

First and foremost, happy Friday to you all!

We have two very special guests staying with us this weekend so I am one happy gal.

jeff and ana

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I’m keeping it short and simple for you all this Friday.

I have been really loving my smoothies lately especially now that I have reintroduced bananas back into my diet. I have been mixing up lots of different concoctions but have found one that has become my go-to smoothie.

I never really measure out the ingredients, I prefer to “eyeball” them, but I did my best to estimate the correct measurements per ingredient so you can try making it at home yourself!

smoothie

My Go-To Blueberry Smoothie

  • about 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
  • 1/4-1/2 cup frozen pineapple
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • handful of kale
  • spoonful of hemp protein powder
  • spoonful of raw cacao powder
  • spoonful of almond butter
  • touch of stevia
  • 1/2-1 cup almond milk

Give it a good whirl in your blender or Nutribullet until completely blended. Enjoy as an on-the-go breakfast or a perfectly healthy afternoon snack!

Warning: Be careful drinking this smoothie when wearing white clothes! I usually play it safe by wearing an apron in the car if I’m taking it on the go. Nerd alert.

smoothie on the go

I hope you all have a fantastic Friday! xoxo

Question: What’s in  your go-to smoothie?

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Cabbage: An Underrated Vegetable?

(*Sigh*) Hmmm….

turks and caicos stand up paddle board

Oh sorry I was dreaming of paradise. Back to reality…

snow april

That’s all I will say about that.

After completing my Insanity workout yesterday I replenished myself with a big cold smoothie.

smoothie

In the mix:

Whew! That’s a lot of nutrients jam-packed into one smoothie.

I literally couldn’t keep my hands out of the fridge yesterday; my appetite was insane! I couldn’t even tell you everything I snacked on in between breakfast and lunch. By the time “lunch” actually rolled around I made myself a piece of toasted almond bread with peanut butter and a drizzle of honey.

pb almond bread pb almond bread

And more snacks happened after that.

Dinner

The crock pot came out last night. I wanted to use up a head of red cabbage I had in the fridge so I decided to make a crock pot version of my cabbage roll casserole. I used most of the same ingredients this time as I did before, but I also added zucchini and mushrooms this time around.

I added everything into the crock pot except for the mushrooms, gave it a stir, set it on low and let it go. I added the mushrooms in at the last 45 minutes of cook time.

crockpot casserole cabbage

It cooked for about 6-7 hours. I ladled a serving into my bowl and topped it with olives (do I seriously add olives to everything? It’s becoming apparent that I do). Sorry Kal–you can omit the olives. 🙂

cabbage casserole crockpot

This was a very nice way to spend my Thursday evening; eating a warm bowl of veggies and relaxing in my warm home.

Does anyone else think cabbage is a bit underrated? I understand the effects it can have on the digestive process but other than that, it’s some good stuff!

I am taking the day off from exercise today and letting my body rest. I am hoping to get a run in tomorrow, but based on the amount of snow we have, it may have to be a treadmill run. Booo…

Have a great day my friends!

I feel like cabbage is fairly underrated. Do you have any good cabbage recipes?

I really love Oriental Cabbage Salad with Ramen Noodles. Whenever it is at a get-together, I have to snag a bite!

**My thoughts and prayers continue to be with everyone impacted by the Boston tragedies and continuing trauma. My heart breaks. Stay safe and stay strong.**

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A Rainy Run and Spring Cleaning

Happppppppy Saturday! I don’t have a ton of fun photos for you today, but I do have a couple of food photos to share from yesterday.

Once again, I used the NutriBullet to whip up a smoothie. I’ve made this one before. In the mix was: banana, kale, almond milk, chocolate egg white protein powder, peanut butter, and aloe vera juice.

smoothie

Lunch: Quinoa, cheese, and peas. This was actually really good despite it being so simple. Sometimes simple is best. It was cooked quinoa, salt, pepper, shredded cheddar cheese, and peas.

quinoa and cheese and peas

Dinner: My favorite salmon!

salmon

 

 

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I keep forgetting to mention that Dana and I have registered for a 10K race coming up at the end of April! My runs have become few and far between, and I’m going to blame that mostly on the weather. I know, lame excuse. Every time I am out for a run I feel fantastic, and every time I am done I always say I have GOT to do this more often. I wish I could bottle up these good endorphins and release them under my nose when I’m not feeling up to a run.

Now that I have a race to look forward to, I will be hitting the pavement more often again and am really looking forward to it.

Furthermore, the weather is really turning around here which makes it that much more enticing to run outside. Yesterday it was in the 50’s and today it is in the 40’s. The snow is melting super fast and I am loving it. Spring is officially here.

Can you spot the cardinal?!

cardinal and backyard

Dana, Moose, and I headed out for a rainy run this morning. We tried a new loop in our neighborhood and covered 4.7 miles. Despite it being wet, rainy, and a little chilly, it was still a GREAT run! My endurance and stamina felt wonderful and I am confident I will be just fine for the 10K in April.

Since it is rainy, we have decided that today is SPRING CLEANING DAY! I was reading about these cleaning techniques from Carpet Cleaning Knoxville tn‘s website and I am off to dust, windex, vacuum, and mop! Oh, and for those asking where I got my vacuum from, I’d ask them to visit this page, for this page has some of the best electronics I’ve come across. Fun, fun, fun. Kidding, but it will feel really good to do a deep clean on the house.

My hands are struggling to type right now because they are still pretty chilled but my body is so happy. 🙂

Moose hung on through the whole run but he isn’t quite used to runs longer than 3 miles after the winter months. His back paws got a little scraped up and he was bleeding at the end of the run. It’s time to build up those paws again! We covered his wounds with socks and he is now fast asleep on the carpet. Poor guy!

moose

 

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC Saturday! xoxo

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Fajita Salad and a Fun Surprise at Mall of America

There’s nothing like starting your day off with a veggie and fruit packed smoothie. Yesterday I whipped together a smoothie made with frozen banana, kale, kefir, aloe vera juice, peanut butter, and chocolate egg white protein powder and it was delicious.

smoothie

I hit the living room for an arm workout, and then ended with a 30 minute incline walk on the treadmill. I’m slowly but surely getting back into more of a routine with the workouts again.

Then I was off to run a few errands and spend some quality girl time with my Betsy.

betsy and melanie

We both had the day off of work and we haven’t hung out since our lobster feast a month ago which is WAY too long if you ask me, so we planned a little get together. We were cozy and warm at my aunt and uncle’s house and we chatted away as Despicable Me played on the TV in the background. It was such a relaxing afternoon and I loved every second of it.

In the afternoon Dana and I did some shopping—we are looking for new countertops for our kitchen! Once dinner time rolled around, I was not in any mood to do any cooking and it just so happened that we had a gift card for Baja Sol that we needed to use. You may remember a couple of months ago when we tried to use this gift card but ended up going out for Thai food instead. Yup, it’s that same card, but we actually used it this time!

We went to the Baja Sol located in the food court at Mall of America. We made it up to the third floor and started walking towards the food court. Inevitably we parked on the opposite side of where we needed to be, but I was happy because it felt good to move my legs. Anyway, as we approached the rotunda we started hearing some music playing. When we got close I saw the sign (…and it opened up my eyes…), I got SUPER excited. Gloriana was playing at MOA! Maurices was sponsoring their performance. How cool, right? We didn’t stick around for long because there were so many people and I really couldn’t see them too well, but I was happy to even get the one glimpse that I did.

gloriana moa

At Baja Sol I ordered the veggie fajita salad. This monster was piled high with lettuce, sautéed onions and bell peppers, tomatoes, fresh onions, cheese, black beans, and a heaping spoonful of guacamole (I shared some of the gauc with Dana because I am a very sweet wife).

baja sol baja sol baja sol

 

I didn’t touch the shell because I’m still trying to stick to gluten-free and it was a flour tortilla, but I managed to chow down a good majority of the salad! It tasted really good and probably even more so since I didn’t have to put it together myself. It was a perfect Friday night treat.

Now I am off to run with Dana and the pooch around the neighborhood before heading out for a day full of friends and family. It should be a good one! Catch up with you all later gators.

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What’s Inside My Fridge

Haaaapy Hump Day! I hope everyone is having a good week and staying cozy and warm if at all possible.

Yesterday I kicked off the morning with a sweaty workout but first I ate a banana with almond butter and drank a cup of coffee while working on the blog and catching up on emails. Then I made my way downstairs to get m-o-v-i-n-g. I incorporated week 4 of the Abs Challenge with running spurts on the treadmill. It went like this:

  • 1 mile run
  • circuit (which takes 13 minutes or so)
  • 1 mile run
  • circuit
  • 1 mile run
  • 5 minute walk

It was the perfect way to warm me up on what was such a cold morning. Sweat PINK!

For lunch I made a smoothie with Jay Robb chocolate egg white protein powder, banana, almond milk, kale, and peanut butter. I always think of Shannon when I make this one because she was the one who recommended it. Yummy in my tummy.

green smoothie

I packed some snacks for the afternoon for work: sugar snap peas, carrots, and an apple.

For dinner I made tilapia with a light breading made of almond flour, italian seasoning, a little salt and pepper, and garlic powder. I first dipped the filet into egg whites, then into the flour drudge, and then onto the pan to lightly fry.

Our side dish was a cucumber salad with tomatoes, red onion, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, dried dill, and a sprinkle of onion powder.

For my “appetizer” I snacked on hummus and broccoli. We don’t mess around with our veggies in this house. Check out the Costco size bag of broccoli on the right. What we usually end up doing is eating about 3/4 of it raw, and then freezing the last 1/4 of it before it goes bad.

dinner tilapia and broccoli

tilapia

Oh how I miss my natural light in the evenings for photos. Soon enough!

Throughout the rest of the evening I continued a snacking brigade: pistachios, a glass of wine, dates…then it was off to bed I went.

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Fridge Talk

Is anyone else guilty of glancing into other grocery shopper’s carts while shopping? I am totally 100% guilty. It may be because I am a dietitian, and have a passion for health and nutritious food, or I may just be nosey?

I am just in amazement as I see what some people load into their carts. Just the other day I saw in one cart: multiple breakfast pastries, the most sugary cereal you can think of, chips, soda, pizza. I was flabbergasted and all I wanted to do was go replace each and every one of those items with a healthy option. But, to each their own. Of course there was no way I would do that. Everyone has a right to eat what they please. It just tugs at my heart strings a little.

After our weekly grocery trip on Sunday, I decided it might be fun for you all to get a peek into my cart and furthermore, into my refrigerator and cabinets. I am not touting that everything in my household is healthy, but I remind you that it is all about finding the perfect balance of healthy eats and treats.

Let’s take a look!

(FYI: The salmon is usually in the freezer but since I buy it at Costco and it comes in two long filets, I had yet to cut it into serving sizes and bag them up and freeze them)

fridge

fridge 2

 Sweet and Nutty Bites recipe here!

fridge 3

cupboard

There you have it. Have a warm and fuzzy day friends! xoxo.

What are some staples that YOU always have on hand?

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Pina Colada for Breakfast

Last night was one of those nights where I was exhausted around 7:30 pm, struggling to keep my eyes open yet made myself stay awake so that I would be able to go to bed at a decent hour. At 9:45 pm, I crawled into bed, tired, read my book for 25 minutes, still tired, turned off the light but couldn’t turn off my brain. I don’t know what the deal was last night but I was thinking of everything under the sun and could not put my mind to rest. Usually I can read my book for 20 minutes and then be out, but last night was a casualty.

The book I’m reading is about healing your body through meditation. I like a lot of it, but I don’t like the idea of having to sit and do nothing accept focus on myself for 45 minutes. They do mention that meditation time can be done during yoga, which makes sense. I like that idea better.

The book talks a lot about focusing on your breathing, not only when you’re in mediation, but throughout the day. It is a reminder to live in the moment and grab a hold of yourself when daily activities become too chaotic. Why am I talking about this book so much? To put it into context, I tried focusing on my breathing last night to get me to fall asleep, and I think that may have been what helped me. I’m not quite sure, though.

But all in all I didn’t get enough sleep for my personal sleep needs last night. I am one of those people who needs a solid 8+ hours for highest functioning ability, and last night I probably only got 6. However looking on the bright side, I am fortunate to have a warm and comfortable bed to sleep in, a roof over my head, and clean water to have at the bedside. I will try and focus on the positives to get through the day!

How about a quick little run down of my eats yesterday? I have a smooth concoction to share with you all…

Anyone care for a Piña Colada for breakfast? Virgin of course.

I did my best to measure it out yesterday when I made it in the morning (the above photo was from my first trial a couple of days ago, it’s actually more voluminous than that), so that I could share it with you all.

Piña Colada Breakfast Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen pineapple, cubed
  • 1 small banana
  • 1/2 cup coconut almond milk
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/4 cup (or small handful) of crushed ice
Directions
  1. Whirl all ingredients together in blender until smooth, pour into glass, serve with a straw.
I have been whipping this smoothie up before work and enjoying it on the drive.
For Lunch…
A fraternal twinsie from Tuesday’s salad. This one was chicken, grapes, and walnuts mixed with Ken’s Lite Poppy Seed dressing ,served on top a bed of romaine lettuce. The only thing missing this time around was feta cheese. I just wasn’t feeling it and was going for more of a “chicken salad” this time around.

Work was very busy and I came home exhausted. We had intentions of running errands after work but I put a big ol’ red x on that idea.

I knew I should be hungry for dinner but nothing was sounding too appetizing. I also knew I needed to increase my veggie intake for the day (mind you I did have some carrots with my lunch that I didn’t mention), so I threw a hodge-podge salad together.

In the mix: romaine lettuce (leftover lettuce still from last Saturday–we usually buy the dark greens for more vitamins and nutrients), tomato, green olives, muenster cheese, sunflower seeds, lima beans, and Newman’s Own Lite Honey Mustard dressing. Very random but pretty tasty. I always enjoy a sweet and salty salad. Olives always add a nice touch of salt.

After dinner we watched Modern Family which is definitely my favorite show on television right now, and I I stayed hunkered down on the couch until bed time.

I munched on some of these too…

I declared yesterday a rest day from working out. If only I could have actually “slept” on “rest” day. Oh well, I’ll get after it tonight.

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It is rainy here in Minnesota today and only 40° F as I write this morning. Yikes! That’s the kind of weather that makes you want to stay in and bake cookies. Anyone agree with that?

Have a fabulous day my friends. Let’s focus on the positives today!

Question of the Day: If you could stay home and inside on a rainy cold day, what would YOU want to do?

I would want to sleep in, drink coffee, catch up on blogs, do some yoga, bake cookies, and watch cooking shows all afternoon. 🙂

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