Wow. Summer in Ohio is here. It is consistently 90 degrees with an average humidity of 3000%. I am pretty sure I will never be able to wear my hair down again. Hello fro! That being said, I was in the market for something light and fresh to snack on in between sweating and sweating some more. So.....meet summer granola. I promise you this is so much more than your average granola mix. Lemon and honey are a match made in flavor heaven. It is super easy and portable too....so think road trip, beach, pool, lake.....it is literally the perfect (and healthy snack). Ingredients: 2 cups Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (I used Bob's Red Mill) 1/2 cup raw almonds (shaved or chopped) 1/2 cup raw cashews (chopped) 1 Tbsp. black chia seeds 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO---Rachel Ray slang) 1/3 cup honey + 1 Tbsp. honey Zest of 2 large lemons 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1 pinch of salt Directions: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet lightly with olive oil and put aside. In a large bowl mix oats, almonds, cashews and chia seeds. Stir to combine the mixture. In a smaller bowl, whisk 1/3 cup of honey, lemon zest, olive oil, vanilla and salt. Slowly pour liquid mixture into the dry mixture and combine thoroughly. Evenly spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Remove granola and drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbsp. of honey. Place back into the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let mix cool and devour. I am not going to lie....I bought some vanilla cashew milk.....and you better believe I am already salivating over breakfast tomorrow. Happy Summering!
XoXo, NaturallyNati
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Nothing like kicking off summer without AC. I definitely take it for granted....and have my fingers crossed it doesn't have to be replaced entirely. That being said, light meals are where it's at. It's too hot and muggy to eat anything heavy especially since I haven't stopped sweating in the past 48 hours. Lunch: tuna and avocado. It's my latest obsession. It has to be the buffalo or sweet and spicy flavored...because the hot goes so good with the creamy avocado. Easiest healthy meal ever. Dinner: loaded bowl. Packed with nutrients, filling and super easy. Quinoa, spinach, tomato, avocado, and asparagus. Seasoned with garlic, onion, evoo & goat cheese. 😋 Stay cool! 😅 XoXo, NaturallyNati Shew. Summer is finally here. And so is the perfect weather for celebrating the holiday weekend. First and foremost I want to thank all of our troops who work and have worked tirelessly to protect our country and also to remember those who gave their lives defending our freedom. As summer BBQs and parties are coming in full force and bikini season is here, let's chat about a few summer tips to keep the tummies full of good nutrients and the bods looking hot. 1. Eat a nutritious pre-BBQ meal. If you know you are going to a cookout and that there will be tons of tempting not-so-healthy items, eat before and leave room for one of your favorite items. I.e. Grandma's turtle brownie. 2. Bring a healthy dish to the BBQ you can share and enjoy! We have all seen the cute Pinterest cocktail cups with dip in the bottom and veggies sticking out...bring em!!! They look adorable and are a safe snack to munch on without adding to the waistline. 3. Play Hello?!? It's beautiful out! If you are trapped at a grad party and can't get a good workout in, start a game of backyard whiffle ball! You can def get active for 30 minutes, it's fun....and you are killing two birds with one stone! Eric and I golfed last night and I'm so sore today! Like I didn't know I even had these muscles. 4. Swim. It's one of the best cardio options around. Torch tons of calories without putting the stress on your joints! Plus you can get a head start on that tan! 5. Hydrate. Chug, chug, chug. Get three liters in! It's hot, you are sweaty...you definitely need to rehydrate! Plus it helps you feel full :)! Enjoy summer! XoXo, NaturallyNati This past weekend....my new planner arrived. As I was getting down and dirty with my gel pens, highlighters and sticky notes....I realized OMG....we are ONE! What a year it has been!!!!! When I started this business I had no clue what amazing relationships, partnerships and friendships I would make. So......I figured DUH we need to celebrate! Is there a better way than a FITNESS PARTY?!?! Join me for our birthday celebration and second annual Fitness Party at Otto Armleder Park at 7:30 PM on June 15th.....for ONE dollar! Consider this your save-the-date, invitation and all that jazz! Stay tuned for details, give-a-ways, and posts about how bomb this first year has been! http://herviewfromhome.com/what-is-going-to-happen-to-my-future-children/_
Well I guess the pain I have been having in my knee for the past month is justified.....because my patella (aka knee cap) is fractured. Cool. I finally sucked it up and went to see a doctor for an X-Ray last week.....and sure enough.....broken. So I am "taking it easy" for a few weeks and re-assess. And that makes me sad, because it is finally perfect running weather....and I can't run.
I've actually never seen a Star Wars movie in my life....I just think saying "May The 4th Be With You" is fun to say. So there. Also apparently I am a once a month type blogger these days. I will defend myself by saying that with the school year winding down and just being CRAZY busy with life......I haven't been on top of my game. Amongst this rush I caused myself the dumbest injury. Like tripping on my "hip" gauchos walking up the stairs at work and totally embarrassing myself type of injury. And then from not taking it easy on a gimp knee and still trying to go full speed, my body compensated by straining my soleus. So that's awesome. It's not a cool story, or an earned injury, making it even more frustrating. So that's where we are at. XoXo, NaturallyNati Nothing makes me hungrier than a rainy and wet Monday. I feel like I stared at the clock all day waiting for the next meal. True story. BUT...the deal I have with myself is to try to eat as healthy as possible during the weekdays...so I can live it up on the weekends. I love pizza, wine and ice cream. Sue me. Tonight though....dessert was non-negotiable. So Dark Chocolate Pistachio Bites were born. They have the perfect amount of salt and sweet and they definitely satisfied my craving. The recipe makes 12 small bites....so I feel like you have to make 2 the serving size. Right? You can't just eat ONE! Plus pistachios do have a lot of health benefits. They are good for heart health, weight & blood sugar management and are super nutrient-dense. Here's to a dry, sunny and warm (a girl can dream) Tuesday!
XoXo, NaturallyNati Even though the temperature didn't reflect it....today was officially the first day of Spring! So that is exciting. After finally adjusting to the time change and enjoying the warmth and extra sunlight this week, and having my shin splints return (grrr)...I was grateful for a gloomy and cold weekend to rest. And of course spend time with my favorite puppies. They love the cuddly weather. And I am not going to lie...I have turned total psycho-obsessed dog mom and have been meal-prepping for them too. Yikes. But, in my defense, it makes sense because when I do crock-pot chicken, rice and steamed carrots for myself....I just make extra for them. So two birds, one stone. And they love it. And it is super nutritious. No fillers. So while cooking for dogs being one of the cool things I did this weekend (not), I also made stationary (not cool either), to thank all of my amazing clients (that part is cool). NaturallyNati's ONE year anniversary is just around the corner....and I am feeling so overwhelmed with gratitude for all of my freaking awesome clients. I would have NEVER guessed that starting this business would have been so much fun, and that I would have met such wonderful people who I get to meet with and talk to on a regular basis, and honestly call my friends. Seriously....I can't even put it into words. End mushy story. Other breaking news.....Spring Break is next week and I am headed South....for (hopefully) warmer weather. So tonight, I started operation use all food from refrigerator. I had some spinach that I needed to use and found some pesto that I totally forgot about and came up with a nutritious and protein-filled grain dish. Check it below! I added chicken to the mix....but it would be good as a side dish or with another protein. Shrimp would be super yummy! Hope you all have a great start to the week!
XoXo, NaturallyNati Yup..... I'm still on this Sunday pancake kick. But in my defense I had to whip up a good luck brunch for the CATS. So BLUEberry pancakes seemed like the right choice. And to make them gluten-free I went the sweet potato/oat route. Beware: the batter is a little thicker than typical pancake batter, so you can add more almond milk...or water if you want to change the consistency. Just make sure to keep an eye on them when they are on the griddle so they don't burn. Serve these babies up with some fresh berries.....yum. The blackberries were extra sweet (per the sample man at Sam's Club). Enjoy the rest of your rainy Sunday. And bring home a kitty cat win! Go Cats! 🐱💙🏀 XoXo NaturallyNati |
AuthorI AM A 30-SOMETHING, FOOD-LOVING, FITNESS-OBSESSED, DIY-ING, WORK-A-HOLIC, MOMMY, DOGGY MOMMY & AND WIFEY.....THAT DECIDED TO SHARE MY LIFE WITH YOU. WELCOME AND ENJOY! Archives
February 2022
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