So I am pretty excited about this month's Her View From Home post. I know so many new moms (and just people in general) who put WAY too much stress on getting themselves back to pre-baby weight too quickly. Happy Friday!
XoXo, NaturallyNati
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He may not show it with his behavior (he might be known to mark....and bark....and have no manners...), but my littlest nugget is TWO. It is pretty crazy how fast time has passed. And luckily his big sister ,Diggy, is such a trooper....and deals with his craziness. I had to throw a birthday party! Not really a party, but at least make some pup-cakes for he and his sister to share. And a couple of decorations. Because okay...I am a giant loser and just really love my pups. And I have no children yet...so they are my babes. I used healthy, dog-friendly ingredients and made carrot cupcakes with peanut butter & cream cheese frosting. Reviews seemed pretty rave....as far as I could tell. Or ask. Because Eric has eaten two. Which I am mildly creeped out by....but whatever. So check out the recipe for both the cupcakes and the frosting below! My puppies (and husband) approve! There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that I LOVE a good brunch on Sunday. It has become tradition for Eric and I to do church, grocery shop and brunch every Sunday morning. A routine I have learned to love. And you all know by now I love a good routine. Those things come before meal prepping, cleaning the whole house, putting laundry away and who could forget about Clean Sheets Sunday? Because DUH, you can't start a work week without fresh bedding. These pancakes are to DIE for. Definitely will become a regular addition to omelets, fruit and hash browns! No flour necessary, which is amazing for all of us gluten-free (try to be good about it so my stomach doesn't explode) people! In addition to a fab breakfast....can we talk about this amazing February weather? Last year on this date it was 11 degrees outside. Today it was what? 67 degrees? I mean how crazy is that? It makes me so much more productive. Not that you would know I was productive this weekend....considering I am 9 episodes into Fuller House. Which I am totally okay with. Happy Monday Eve!
XoXo, NaturallyNati But sleep sure does the body good (side note I do know that milk does the body good...however I despise it. I get my calcium via almond/cashew milk and cheese. But that is a story for another day). As I wrote on Sunday, I wanted to set a goal to sleep more. Well people...I am on day THREE of being in bed before 10 PM. Holla! And no joke, it has made the biggest difference. So yeah, I still probably don't fall asleep until 10. And yeah I'm still waking up at 4:45 AM, but getting close to 7 hours of sleep a night (opposed to 5-6) has totally changed my attitude. I have woken up before my alarm twice (which is ridiculous because who has a natural alarm clock of 4:42 AM?!), and it feels so good. And of course there is research to support why I feel so much better. The sleep foundation suggests that people between 18-64 need 7-9 hours of sleep per night. While I wish I could sleep 9 hours, knowing that I am getting closer to the 7 is a start! Check out the suggested hours of sleep per night based on age below! XoXo, NaturallyNati So I know I'm exaggerating and February isn't a total wash, but man...even on a leap year this month flies! And I have totally neglected this blog! Yikes! Between being stuck in a snowstorm in TN to finishing taxes, to about a million other things....life kind of got in the way. But I am making a pact with myself to get more sleep, and set some big goals. I'm ready to make some changes. Which is exactly why a glass of wine and some journaling on a Sunday were just what the doctor ordered. Cheers to a great week! XoXo, NaturallyNati This buffalo chicken dip spin-off has become one of my favorite football snacks....hence the name: Football Dip. I'm totally not trying to toot my own horn here or anything, but I make a mean buffalo chicken dip. And of course, I marry a vegetarian. So...I introduce to you a quinoa and cottage cheese, healthier evolution from my old fave. I absolutely have nothing against chicken, so you can definitely add it in...but I promise this dip has an interesting texture and extreme flavor. The quinoa is loaded with nutrients and is a great source of protein. I started using cottage cheese instead of cream cheese when I realized how A. You can't tell the difference, and B. It helped bump up the dip on the health-o-meter a tad 😜. Just looking at the macronutrients for cream cheese versus cottage cheese, the swap is justified: 1 cup cream cheese 810 calories 80.9 grams of fat 6.17 grams of carbs 17.52 grams protein 😳 vs. 1 cup cottage cheese 116 calories 5.1 grams of fat 3 grams of carbs 14.11 grams of protein 😍 I serve this dip from a small crockpot so it stays warm. Just make sure you watch it so it doesn't burn! Stirring occasionally will help as well! Eric eats his straight up, but I prefer dipping celery or Fritos (to bring back the tradional feel of buff dip). On that note, back to the game. I am pretty hype after that Bruno/Queen B "Do it like me challenge". Go Peyton! XoXo, NaturallyNati The magical fruit!!!! A couple of you guessed it! Shout out to Emily Reisert and Bob Muro for hitting it spot on! These AMAZING cake pops are made from a healthy portion of garbanzo beans (chick peas). You could totally use black beans too. The recipe I am posting is NOT vegan...but could easily be with a few modifications! As with any recipe...tweak it as you see fit. I honestly could not believe how good these were when I made them. Full disclosure....I was having my family over for dinner last night, needed a dessert and literally had no ingredients. I didn't even have eggs. (Today is grocery day don't worry). So I scrounged up what I did have...and everyone was super impressed. My dad and brother are total chocoholics. I of course did not tell them what was in them before they took a bite...but they were in shock afterwards. They each had 2....and my hubby had 3....so if that data should speak for itself! When I become a mom....this is going to totally be my go-to sneaky healthy snack for the kiddos.
XoXo, NaturallyNati So the credit goes to all of you who read my first HVFH post....I can't thank you enough. BUT....get ready for it....I get to write for them EVERY month! I mean can you say dream come true? So...keep your eyes peeled! The second Friday of each month my posts will be published! I was lucky enough to get to write an extra piece this week!
The link is below! http://herviewfromhome.com/please-dont-ask-me-why-i-dont-have-children/ Thanks again for all of the support! You ROCK! XoXo, NaturallyNati SO.......this has become my absolute favorite winter salad. I found and adapted the recipe for Thanksgiving and it has become a staple at our house ever since. Like any recipe, make it your own...add...take away...substitute...whatever floats your boat. I am lazy and buy candied pecans. You can totally make your own. Our new Kroger has an amazing bulk section. They sell honey glazed and cinnamon covered pecans (ps....buying from the bulk section is a huge money saver. They have raw cashews, quinoa, chia seeds, flax seeds....yogurt covered pretzels (oops)). I usually do the honey glazed. They are the perfect amount of sweetness. Another optioned I LOVED (and that took this recipe to a whole new level) was the bourbon praline pecan from Fresh Market. OMG. So FREAKING good. The dressing is also #myjam. Super easy, very light, and the perfect compliment to the salad toppings. I served this salad at the Nativity Kindergarten Mom's Fitness Party last night. First of all, what a fun group. They were a blast. And the snacks at the end were totally worth the hard work they put in. Below you can check out their workout. Start at push ups and end on burpees. At the end of each round we did some type of group fitness activity (group Russian twists, plank and push up relay, lunge and squat jacks etc.). If you are doing this at home you can totally pick a different activity to do at the end (run the stairs a few times or jog a lap around the house). After each round, you will flip over the first sign (far left---so push ups go first), then you will start on the second exercise. So round two will start with alternating planks. You are finished once you have flipped all of the signs over. By the end of the workout you will have completed 96 burpees.....just saying. It works. XoXo,
NaturallyNati One of my all time favorite things to do is have a good meal (and wine)with my hubs on Sunday evening. It's the perfect way to gear up for the hectic week ahead. But...I want to cook something simple that doesn't take forever. Spaghetti squash with shrimp is my go-to. I bake the squash during the day when I'm doing other random stuff, and then quickly put the dish together at dinner time. Baking the squash is so simple. Preheat your oven to 375 & spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Cut the squash longways (hotdog style....not hamburger....is that even still a thing?), and gently scrape out the seeds on the surface. Place the squash open side down on the pan & bake for 45-50 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes or so.....that little sucker gets hot! Then you will scrape the inside out into a bowl. I typically sauté tomatoes, and spinach with olive oil, garlic, talian seasoning...a little salt and pepper....whatever tastes right and combine with the squash. I top with grilled shrimp and shredded parm....viola! Usually it makes enough for 3 servings....so that is exciting too! One less weekday dinner to cook! Deep breaths...Monday is coming. 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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