Because a photo is worth a thousand words.
Because a photo is worth a thousand words.
It’s been a while since I’ve done a travel/road trip snack(s) post – but things have not changed much. Still overpacking like it’s my job before every trip and hoarding KIND bars till the end of time. Story of my life!
Why is that miniature things are almost always cute and adorable?
Exhibit A:
Mini bananas. The perfect one-biter.
Or how about…
Okay, how is it July already? I thought I just graduated like last week. And yet here I am, looking at the calendar saying it’s the week after July 4th! Speaking of July 4th, did you check out the sale at J.Crew this weekend? Ridiculous. Seriously though, with an extra 60% off, how could I say no? I think I almost bought the entire store. Summer sales, in general are the best. I did a bit (a lot) of damage this weekend, but it’s all for a good cause (just nourishing my closet, I’m kind like that). Words of a J.Crew addict. But c’mon, these shorts.
Anywho, no complaints as I am fully enjoying summer before I start a new job – and soaking in it’s good vibes and vitamin D in the process!
Strawberry shaped firework – do you see that or is it just me?
Here a few things I’ve been loving lately this summer:
1. Monogrammed Clear Camelbak from White Elephant Designs
I hoard Camelbaks. I never think I have enough bottles, mugs, or anything that vehicles liquids – but hey, hydration is important! I switched up the look this time and ordered this one from White Elephant Designs on Etsy. Love the mint monogram with a clear base!
2. Summer Fruits
I love basically all fruits, but cherries and watermelon are two fruits I can only imagine eating in the summer – it just doesn’t feel right any other time of the year! Peaches and nectarines, too. I find these summertime gems my local Farmer’s Markets for the best price!
3. Smoothies
Hot weather = cold smoothies. Have you checked out my sweet potato smoothies yet?
4. Summer Reads
I love reading anything that deals with nutrition, science or food in general.
And I’ve got two Michaels on my reading list this time – Michael Pollan & Michael Moss. Great reads about the inner workings of the food industry or if you’re looking for some insightful reading to make you rethink a little bit of some of the nation’s popular food choices.
And two fun reads: Sophie Kinsella & John Green. I’ve read the entire Shopholic series (fitting, I know) from Sophie Kinsella….but like back in middle school. For some reason, I was really feeling it again! Fun, easy & entertaining reads..gotta love em’. Oh, and a good John Green novel made the list too, because sometimes you just need a good sappy heart jerker. Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups included.
5. Summer Shows
Big Brother. So freaking addicting. It’s like the CBS version of the Real World, you would think you hate it because the cast can be somewhat annoying but I cannot steer away! So you know where to find me Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings around 8-9ish.
Orange is the New Black. Enough said. Everyone and their mothers talk about it for a reason. The reason I finally am putting my Netflix account to good use – so please, go Netflix it ASAP.
6. Summer Veggie Grillin’
Families who grill together…well, eat grilled foods together.
7. Yogurt Makin’
Coconut milk yogurt, that is! I adapted the instructions loosely from Nom Nom Paleo. Crumble some granola from Purely Elizabeth and fresh fruit, and you’re golden. Oh, a mountain of cinnamon, duh.
And, if you haven’t heard – Purely Elizabeth granolas are now in Target stores! Now I get a wholesome snack as I put the entire store into my shopping basket. Case in point:
Went in for granola. Out with granola and two new bathing suit tops. Hey, they were buy one get one half off!
9. Summertime Packages
Alright, I can’t fool anyone – packages in general. A few favorites from last week though: Everlane Tees, glasses from Warby Parker, and a new Kate Spade agenda for the year. The mailman is like the grown up Santa Clause. Beards not included (sometimes).
10. Recent Trader Joe’s finds
You know how I feel about good ol’ Joe. I frequent Trader Joe’s so much the manager knows me by first name. Story of my life. They really need a frequent buyer program!
My jaw dropped when I saw that Trader Joe’s started carrying coconut flour – for $2.99 a pound! Such an incredible price – I often bake with coconut flour, so I was one happy camper!
I also tried these new fruit bars – literally just apple and mango or apple and banana. Not my favorite from Trader Joe’s – I prefer just eating a fresh apple or banana by itself!
Need I say more? Green tea and coconut. Trader Joe’s ya did it again.
11. Gardening
My parents have a green thumb and I always look forward to the fresh produce from our garden every summer. Currently, we have tomatoes, cucumbers, blueberries, and fresh figs coming in, as well as this —
…it’s beautiful, am I right or really right? Yep, it’s kabocha squash! We planted the old seeds from a kobocha squash we ate back in late April and this baby came in a few weeks ago. It’s cute and all, butttt I’m ready to eat it. Green thumb, orange hands. Oh, yeah.
And quite frankly, nothing is better than fresh salad with produce picked right from your garden. Power green mix with carrots, strawberries, red onions, grape tomatoes & cucumbers (from the backyard) and honey roasted sunflower seeds for some crunch.
Bonus:
Currently fawning over: THIS.
Alex Chacon, holla at ya girl.
What are your summer time favorites?
It’s hot here in the South. 90 degrees at 8am makes for one sweaty run!
After a good morning sweat fest, I love to cool down with a good cold smoothie. Typically, I like to refuel after a workout with a good 3:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. Protein would be a little bit higher on days after weight training. Most of the time my post-workout meal involves sweet potatoes and eggs! I’m all for fueling with nutrient dense foods – they work for me the best.
The theme lately in my life involves a whole lotta “C’s.”
Which is fine, because some of the best things in life start with the letter C. In addition to the three mentioned above, coconut, Chris Pine, and Christmas are included. Which in my most humble opinion, are indeed some of the best things in life.
Cold Brew.
Newsflash: My caffeine coffee IV drip is nonetheless still injected into my veins, but since it’s summer time, it’s mainly through iced cold brew.
You can very easily make your own cold brew, but the Whole Foods cold brew coffee is actually one of my favorites. Not only do they make you feel sort of cool by giving you a refillable growler for only $3.99, but the fact of the matter is, it’s really the sweet nectar of the coffee prodigies.
Plus, it combines fabulously with the So Delicious dairy-free coconut hazelnut creamer.
Another caffeinated item I’ve really been into: the “brew over ice” K-Cups. Easy, iced coffee to go! Repeat after me guys, I will save money this summer by making my own coffee. I will save money this summer by making my own coffee…repeat repeat repeat.
For these brew over ice K-Cups, if I’m not adding the So Delicious coconut creamers, I like to add Trader Joe’s soy creamer. I like the soy creamer mainly because it adds creaminess to the coffee without the sweetness of added sugars – I like to be able to taste some the natural bitterness of the coffee! I keep these creamers on rotation depending on what I feel like drinking different days.
And if I feel like more of an iced latte (aka almond [or coconut] milk, splash of coffee) I freeze the coffee into cubes and add unsweetened almond milk + 4 stevia drops + splash of vanilla extract for a great afternoon pick me up!
I also tried the Trader Joe’s cold brew —
And while I prefer the bitter tones of the Whole Foods brew more, the Trader Joe’s cold brew comes at a great price — $7.99 for a quart – which is around 12 cups of coffee concentrate! Keep in mind that the coffee concentrate is pretty strong – so diluting it with milk or water is recommended, even for the most seasoned coffee drinkers!
Recipe for success: 1/2 cup cold brew + 1 cup almond milk + 2 tbsp creamer + ice.
Extra K-Cup Lovin’: This pomegranate raspberry black tea is pretty good too and a great alternative to coffee – very summery! Anything that says “brew over ice” immediately catches my eye…especially in this heat!
Chips.
Oh my goodness for the love of PLAINTAIN CHIPS. It’s another one of those Trader Joe’s impulse buys that you don’t regret. Such a great alternative for those of you looking for a potato chip alternative – I promise you won’t miss them after having these bad boys!
Ingredients: Plaintains, sunfloweroil, salt.
I love it with the spicy edamame-guacomole dip from Trader Joes. How do you guys rethink the classic chip and dip?
Also, have you checked out those Buzzfeed articles about Trader Joes? You can find them here and here. Nailed it! Worth those hours I spend surfing Buzzfeed, just to read these. So guilty – but c’mon – tell me you’ve at least taken all a handful of the quizzes they post? Are they not the most accurate things in the world?
Costco.
I don’t know of another place where you can find hummus tubs the size of mini soccer balls (or where you can feed yourself an entire meal out of samples) but I really don’t question things when chickpeas are involved. Not going to lie when I say at first, I wasn’t sure whether I was completely in awe of the hummus tubs I saw or in shock that I could feed a family of 7 with just one tub. By family of seven I mean me, me, me, myself, May, and I.
But clearly, as you can see, my family and I had no problem finishing off the tub. I even saved a dish to wash in the process by eating a meal straight from an almost empty tub. Efficient, I know!
Can we also talk hummus toppers for a minute? So on the bottom is just plain ol’ hummus, but attached to the tank is various toppings to add on, like garlic or roasted red pepper. Great concept and even though I am a fan of toppings (over anything) – I felt like hummus is better left alone, in this case!
Non-food related, but also at Costco, I can find 5 pack boxes of my favorite makeup remover. It’s the little things. Or Costco’s case, the big things. Either way, this is my favorite makeup remover and I get a ton of it. Win-win!