Start of a 3-day week

Good morning! Hope you’ve had a good and restful weekend and are ready to get back to the regular routine.

I started with a delicious cup of hazelnut coffee with cream…

And, Kashi blueberry waffles with almond butter, blackberries, and a drizzle of syrup (Just call me Kashi)

I’m off to work…lots to do there and then I teach Sculpt and Rock Bottom later this afternoon. And, I’m only working 3 days this week…I’m taking Friday off for a fun adventure with my mom, my sister, Owen, and Emma Kate- so I have to focus to get everything done in 3 days!

Have a great day!

Happy Labor Day!

Oh the bliss! Sleeping in with no alarm clock = pure heaven.

We had a slow, lazy breakfast – pancakes with dark chocolate + berries + one scrambled egg and my favorite hazelnut coffee with cream…what a perfect start to the day.

I used my favorite pancake mix- Fiber One…

I love slow breakfasts…most weekday mornings I’m rushing around like a crazy person just trying to get ready and get out the door for work…so a leisurely breakfast is a treat.

On my agenda:

• a walk with Anthony at a greenway/park
• a little swimsuit shopping…I need one more suit before our upcoming anniversary trip!
• a little more laziness before the work-week begins!

Movie review from last night:

• New in Town- loved it! I’m a huge fan of Renee Zellwegger and I thought it was the perfect, light romantic comedy.
• Last House on the Left- hated it! Can’t really give it a full review because we turned it off after about 30 minutes – we didn’t really get any suspense during the first 30 minutes, just negativity…not my kind of movie. I definitely wouldn’t recommend. But, we did turn it off after 30 minutes, so maybe it redeems itself later in the show.

I hope you’re having a great Holiday weekend!

See you later!

Banana Bread Banana Oats

Last night, Anthony’s parents gave us a few slices of homemade banana bread…one of my favorite. things. ever. As we were driving home, I was already imagining creating a yummy breakfast this morning.

Another one of my favorite things is being inspired by food bloggers with new meal ideas….yesterday morning, Kath had a delicious-looking breakfast of oats topped with a Massive Monster Muffin, so when Anthony’s parents gave us this banana bread, I started imagining a warm and creamy bowl of banana oats topped with crumbled banana bread….yum.

Homemade banana bread…it was full of walnuts and even had a few raisins…

Crumbled on top of banana oats with a bit of crunchy almond butter….

This was a very good combo- it needed maybe a little more crunch, so next time, I might add some walnuts on top and extra raisins…but, overall a delicious and filling warm breakfast on a gray and cloudy day.

We’re off to church- I have the pleasure of working in the Toddlers class again. Should be a fun morning.

Have a great Sunday!

Football Time in Tennessee

Happy Saturday!! How’s your day going so far?

I woke up around 7:30 this morning and powered up with cup of coffee #1. I headed to the gym to teach my first step class in 2, maybe even 3 years. Luckily for me, another instructor was able to teach at the last minute – so I gladly attended the class as a participant instead of the instructor- it was fun – maybe I’ll even have to think about starting to teach step again occasionally.

After class, I had a nice breakfast outside at Starbucks – the weather is amazing here today, there was still a bit of a chill in the air as I enjoyed my banana-walnut bread and Pike’s Place brew (cup of coffee #2)….

Then, I went shoe shopping! I took advantage of the fact that most of Knoxville was either at Neyland stadium or in front of their TVs for the first football game of the year…so, the shopping areas were pretty empty. I may have told you before…I’m a horrible shopper – meaning, I don’t really enjoy shopping, I’m super impatient,  and I usually can’t find clothes that I like, so I often go shopping and come home empty-handed. Today, I did great! I scored a great new pair of New Balance running shoes and some nice dressier shoes for work.

When I got home, lunch was leftovers from last night’s Drunken Noodles – seriously, the. best. meal. ever…even as leftovers. This photo totally doesn’t do it justice.

And, after being so busy for the last few weekends, we are so excited to have a day at home…Football on the couch. (I’m not even a big football fan), but this is a new era in Tennessee Football…new head coach Lane Kiffin….

And, even I was excited when TN scored 4 touchdowns in the 2nd quarter!

So, at halftime – it’s 28 – 0 – TENNESSEE – Go Vols!

Hope you’re having a great Saturday!

Fall in Tennessee

What a beautiful morning! There is just a bit of a chill in the air- feels like the beginning of fall to me! I love it! And, this is the first big fall weekend in Knoxville- the kickoff of UT football! Plus Boomsday, one of the largest fireworks displays in the country, is coming up on Sunday night.

I started my morning with a delicious cup of hazelnut coffee with cream…SO GOOD. And, a bowl of Special K with chocolate + strawberries…Have you noticed that I somehow always manage to fit chocolate into my breakfast in some way?

Hope you have a great Friday! I’ve got to finish getting ready and head out the door to work….my schedule is pretty calm today- we are having a Silent Auction fundraiser at the hospital to raise money for our walk which is coming up quick…two weeks from tomorrow! And, I’m going to try to get some continuing education completed…my Certified Diabetes Educator certification is expiring soon and I’m behind on continuing education.

Have a great Friday- see you later!

Black and Blue Oats

Good morning!

I started today with one of my favorite bowls:

• banana oats
• dark chocolate chips
• blackberries + blueberries
• crunchy almond butter

Delicious!

I hope you have a great Thursday ahead….I’m rushing off to work….See you later!

Super Simple Breakfast

Good morning!

Breakfast today:

• Kashi blueberry waffles
• crunchy almond butter
• blackberries + blueberries
• drizzle of syrup

Awesome, simple breakfast.

Gotta run- I have a busy day ahead…morning training class, lunchtime presentation, and afternoon diabetes nutrition consults….+ Girls’ Night Dinner tonight.

Have a great Wednesday!!

Favorite Breakfast Sandwich

Good morning! I started my day by fueling up with my new favorite breakfast sandwich. I saw my friend Tammye yesterday and she told me she had made it, which reminded me that I needed to have it again!

• double fiber bread, toasted
• creamy almond butter (with sea salt – my new favorite kind)
• Nutella (I’m almost out, so just a tiny bit)
• sliced banana
• sliced strawberry

Sandwich perfection.

Now, I’m off to talk about Bariatric Surgery Nutrition to the new year of dietetic interns…I’m looking forward to it!

Have a great Tuesday!

Beautiful morning

Good morning! It almost feels like fall here today…there’s a bit of a chill in the air. I love it!

Breakfast was banana oats topped with dark chocolate, strawberries, and almond butter…perfect.

Today should be a relatively calm and fun day- I have a few nutrition consults and boot camp this afternoon! I have to enjoy these next two Monday nights because in two weeks our Monday night weight loss class starts back for the fall.

How is your Monday? Have a great day!

Fun Morning

This morning, I had an Owen-inspired breakfast – we both had the same thing – yogurt and berries.

Our church has an annual service at a park at the lake and today was the day. This is just some of the huge crowd that attended.

It was a great morning in a beautiful setting. After the church service, and some games for the kids, Owen spent some time on the playground.

And, I had a burger and chips for lunch + shared a brownie with Owen. There weren’t really any healthier options available, which was fine…I’ll make up for it with more veggies later.

After lunch, we drove about an hour to meet my brother-in-law, Dave, halfway to send Owen home to mommy, daddy, and Emma Kate. It was fun, Owen! We love you!

 

Now, Anthony and I need a little nap.

See you later!