Sweet Summertime

Being home from college is great, but I've been majorly slacking on everything. I have spent a ton of time with Cora not that she minds because now she has someone to play with her 24/7. I am one of those crazy dog ladies that talks to their dog and most of the time Cora will just cock her head at me because she has no idea what I'm saying unless it involves "outside" or "squirrel." It's a good thing she's cute!

Yesterday morning after my workout I was productive. I made gluten free banana muffins but this time I added 1/3 cup frozen blueberries, fresh blueberries work as well, and two tablespoons of mini chocolate chips. They are so good! Most people I know are skeptical of gluten free foods, but I promise you'd never know these were gluten free because they taste like banana bread.

Mid morning I met up with an old friend and went shopping. We shopped, grabbed lunch at Max and Erma's and shopped some more. Max and Erma's does have a gluten free menu you just have to ask! I forgot to take a picture of my salad, but I had a Grilled Apple Pecan salad minus the bleu cheese (I never liked that stuff) and dressing and I didn't have the breadstick. 

I have been on the hunt for business casual clothes that are both cute and affordable for my internship I start next week. All the stores are full of crop tops, which my boss would so not be ok with! Any suggestions of stores I should check out? I got some clothes at Charlotte Russe, but I could still use a few more outfits. I was exhausted when I finally got home and threw leftovers in a gluten free wrap for dinner.

For the wrap:

• 1 gluten free wrap- Smart and Delicious is my favorite brand
• 1/2 cup refried beans- check the label to ensure it's gluten free
• 1/3 cup cooked ground turkey
• 2/3 cup kale
• 1/4 cup avocado, sliced
• Mexican cheese sprinkled over top
• 1/4 cup mild salsa- check the label to ensure it's gf

All I did was heat up the refried beans and ground turkey and then layer everything onto the wrap.

Tomorrow I will get the recipe up for the overnight oats picture I posted on Instagram yesterday. Have a good night!

Healthy Chocolate Milkshake

Two words: chocolate milkshake. Chocolate milkshakes caused me to gain more than a few extra pounds back in the day. Now I can't even have ice cream because I get sick from the high sugar content. 

On a hot summer day, or a cold spring day when you have a sugar craving, a healthy chocolate milkshake is in order. Yup you read that right healthy chocolate milkshake! It's thick and creamy like a regular chocolate milkshake except it's even more chocolaty than a normal milkshake- a double win! 

You will need:

• 1 frozen banana
• 1.5 tablespoons dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk, skim or unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• OPTIONAL: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• OPTIONAL: Top with organic cocoa nibs

In a blender combine all ingredients and blend until smooth.

Pour and serve. The recipe is easily is doubled or tripled for other people to enjoy also.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is right around the corner and if you're like me you wait until the last minute to figure out what you're going to get your mom. Then it's a mad rush to the nearest Hallmark to elbow through the picked over card section with all the other procrastinators who don't know what to get their mom.

This year I was bound and determined to not do that again, but what was I going to get my mom? At almost twenty macaroni necklaces, hand print t-shirts, and flowers planted in dixie cups don't really cut it anymore (sadly). 

If you're like me and past the cutesy arts and crafts stage Mother's Day does not mean you have to dish out a bunch of money on gifts your mom may or may not like- nothing says I love you like wilted flowers picked up on Mother's Day at the grocery store in a mad rush to get to your Mom's house (just speculation of course, because that's never been me...)

DIY Mother's Day

1. Make a memory jar
    -Get a mason jar and pretty scrapbooking paper and write down some of your favorite memories you have with your mom. Fold them up and put them in the jar. Decorate the outside of the jar with scrapbooking stickers or paint it to make it more personal.
2. Breakfast in bed then clean it up
    -Make pancakes for one or for health conscious mom's make 3 ingredient blueberry banana pancakes or chocolate protein pancakes
3. A handwritten letter
4. A handwritten letter for every week of the year (that will definitely earn you brownie points!)
5. Mix cd with songs that were popular when she was growing up
6. Homemade body scrubs/salts- most recipes are really easy and require ingredients you already have at home
7. Custom return address labels- Shutterfly has an awesome selection and always has good deals
8. Clean and wash her car
9. Homemade coupons for car washes, nights off of cooking duty, unloading the dishwasher (or loading and unloading the dishwasher!), or a week off of doing laundry
10. Framed photo collage
11. Shadow box filled with photos and mementos from a favorite family vacation 
12. Clean the house 
13. Coffee mug decorated (then baked) with sharpie designs
14. Day/night out to the movies- popcorn or homemade snacks included
15. Batch of healthy homemade granola or chocolate cherry and nutella granola in a pretty jar
16. Pick up all the dog poop in the yard for a week 
17. Plant flowers in her garden
18. Clean your room without grumbling
19. Video of all the kids telling why they love mom
20. Make dinner and clean up afterward
21. Basket of bunch of little things- granola, car wash coupons, coffee mug, etc.
22. Spend time with your Mom!
     -It may sound lame, but sometimes the gift of time is the best gift of all