His + Her Chia Seed Pudding

Hi everyone!  I just wanted to pop-in and share two super easy, delicious summertime recipes.  Both recipes can be enjoyed as breakfast, a satisfying snack or just add some dark chocolate chips or coconut flakes for a healthy dessert!

‘His’ Blueberry Banana Chia Seed Pudding 

Ingredients

1/2 cup (or 1 small container) vanilla or blueberry greek yogurt 

1/2 cup 1% milk

2 tablespoons chia seeds

about 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Toppings: 1 sliced banana + organic blueberries

and… 

‘Her’ Strawberry Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding

Ingredients

1/2 cup (or 1 small container) vanilla or strawberry greek yogurt 

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 tablespoons chia seeds

about 1 tablespoon honey

tiny bit of vanilla extract

Toppings: low-fat granola + organic strawberries

Directions for both puddings

1. – Combine ingredients in a small container or mason jar, stir well, cover + refrigerate for 4+ hours (I leave it in the fridge overnight).

2. – Add toppings to the mix + enjoy!

**By the way, you can play around with these recipes and substitute any type of yogurt, milk, sweetener + toppings…        I can’t wait to make it with fresh peaches + home-made granola!

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Enjoy your evening + the weekend!  Hopefully I’ll be spending mine in the hospital meeting my ‘lil girl! :)

Almond Butter Granola + WIAW #30

 Good morning!

Soooo the countdown is on…  9 days to go!!  I’m hoping our little girl decides to arrive on the earlier side since 38+ weeks pregnant feels like a long enough time to me.   I know everyone says to enjoy my last few days of peace and quiet (which I am) but I still really just want to meet her. :)  Thankfully I have my weekly doctor’s appointment this morning so we’ll see what they say!

And in the meantime, let’s talk about food…

Here’s this weeks ‘What I Ate Wednesday Last Saturday‘:

Breakfast 

Peach greek yogurt + sliced banana topped with a fresh batch of super easy/healthy home-made Almond Butter Granola.  I really need to start making granola on a regular basis!  It takes just minutes to prepare and it’s so much healthier than the store-bought granola.  I also had a cup of 1/2 decaf, 1/2 hazelnut coffee with coconut milk.

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Almond Butter Granola 

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/3 cup creamy almond butter

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons chia seeds

a few pinches of sea salt

Optional toppings: craisins, coconut flakes, almond slivers, chopped walnuts, etc.

Directions

1. – Preheat oven to 300 degrees and lightly spray baking sheet with non-stick spray.

2. – Add almond butter and honey to a small bowl and microwave until creamy (about 30 seconds).

3. – In a large bowl, combine oats, cinnamon, chia seeds, vanilla extract, sea salt and almond butter/honey mixture.  Stir until everything is evenly coated.

4. – Spread mixture on the baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes.

5. – Remove from oven and let cool completely.  Add the optional toppings to the mix and enjoy!  (I added craisins and coconut flakes to this batch of granola)

See…  super easy, right? :)

Lunch

A sandwich with home-made chicken salad (btw I never buy prepared chicken salad since it’s basically loaded with fatty mayo), cucumber slices (for the ‘crunch’ factor) and a slice of cheese.  I also had fruit salad and water.

Afternoon Snack 

Too many triscuits to count….

Dinner + Dessert 

 Mike was away so I just picked up a salad with grilled salmon at a nearby cafe.  The salad was pretty simple and included spinach, craisins, goat cheese + cucumbers with a light raspberry dressing on top.  And the salmon had an herb seasoning on it.  Yummm!

Since I can’t end the day without something chocolate-y, I had a tasty peanut butter chocolate chunk cookie (I forgot to take a pic’ but it looked similar to this cookie…)

and a chocolate frozen greek yogurt bar.

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Do you make granola?  What do you include with yours?

What’s on the menu for today?

On a separate note, does anyone know how to get rid of shin splints?!  PLEASE SHARE :)

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As always, thanks Jenn for hosting this weekly WIAW party!

38 Weeks!

How far along? 38 weeks…  We’re almost there!

Baby Size: Size of a spaghetti squash – about 7 lbs. and 19 1/2 inches tall 

Total weight gain: 28 lbs

Maternity clothes? Mostly maternity with a few non-maternity mixed in, such as the dress in the pic’ above.

Sleep: What’s sleep??  Thankfully I’ll be prepared for the sleepless nights with a newborn.

Miss Anything?  Wine, beer, running, bending over, laying on my stomach at the beach (!), walking without huffin’ & puffin’, wearing my wedding rings….   just to name a few ;)

Movement:  ALL the time…  She’s currently kicking away under my right ribs as I type this out.

Best moments this week: Checking the last items off our ‘Baby Doyle’ to-do-list!  Annnnd another best moment was finally buying a DSLR camera.  I’ve wanted one for years and figured we should get it now so we’ll be able to take quality pictures at the hospital. 

This also means my blog won’t be full of iPhone pictures anymore. :)

Food cravings: Lots of sweets (surprise, surprise) including fresh fruits (pineapples, strawberries + peaches) + any form of chocolate.

Peach greek yogurt, chopped peach + home-made granola…  can’t get enough peaches!

Chocolate Almond Smoothie…  

Food aversions: Nope

Gender: GIRL

Symptoms: Swollen feet/fingers (I even took my wedding rings off this week), shortness of breath and I’ve had cramps the last few days (which is a sign of labor, I hope?)

Workouts: Still going out for a 3 mile-power walk everyday and doubled-up my walks over the weekend….

And I try to end my walks with a bunch of squats, lunges, push-ups and yoga stretches.

Looking forward to: Her arrival!  There’s still 11 days ’til her due date but I’m really hoping she makes an early appearance. :) 

Hawaiian Burgers + WIAW #29

Happy What I Ate Wednesday!

I’m typing this up on Tuesday night when I really should be reading for Book Club…  I still have another 200+ pages to finish by Thursday!  So let’s just jump right into this weeks ‘What I Ate Wednesday Sunday’ post. :)

Pre-Breakfast Snack – 6:45 am

Mike and I had plans to go on an early 3 mile power-walk (in which I had killer shin splints, wtf?), so I ate a larabar before we took off.

Breakfast – 9ish am

A bowl of mixed berry greek yogurt, raspberries, blueberries + GoLean crisp cereal.  Plus, Dunkins hazelnut coffee with unsweetened almond milk.

Lunch – Noon

Lunch was whatever I could quickly throw into a cooler for the beach…   including freshly cut-up pineapple (addicted!) and a peanut butter, banana sandwich.

Afternoon Snack – 4ish pm

My favvvv snack plate: cheese, pretzel crackers, grapes + wine! Yep, I enjoyed 1/2 glass of chardonnay and it was delicious!

Dinner – 7:30 pm

Mike prepared an amazing dinner consisting of steamed green beans and Hawaiian burgers.  I believe I ripped the recipe out of an old ‘Better Homes & Gardens’ magazine but I can’t recall?  And Mike just tweaked it a bit.

Hawaiian Burgers

Ingredients for 4 servings 

1 lb lean ground, grass-fed beef
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped pineapple (canned or fresh)
a few pieces of diced deli ham
a few dashes of sea salt + ground pepper
4 slices of cheese (we used cheddar)
4 whole wheat sandwich thins (or burger buns)
Optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, onions, ketchup, mustard, etc.

Directions

Combine beef, blue cheese, onions, pineapple, ham, salt + pepper together in a large bowl.  Mix well.  Shape the burgers into 4 patties, cook over medium heat on the grill + add the sliced cheese right before they’re done.  Enjoy the burgers on a sandwich thin or bun with whatever toppings you’d like!

You guys, these burgers were SOOO flavorful – you have to try ‘em! :)

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What do you usually pack to eat @ the beach?

What’s your favorite type of burger + toppings?

 

What’s in my Hospital Bag?

Oh, the hospital bag…  For some reason this whole ‘pack the hospital bag’ thing actually stressed me out.  Well, packing in general stresses me out and usually involves multiple glasses of white wine (please tell me I’m not the only one who needs alcohol to pack? :)) But since that wasn’t an option, I did what I do best and resorted to Pinterest for help.  After checking-out what other mom’s packed and talking to my mom friends, I was finally able to pack my bag today!

Soooo what’s in the bag?

For Me:

• Comfy robe + nursing gown 
• Nursing tank-tops + loose, cotton shorts
• Nursing bras 
• Granny panties: Although I’m really looking forward to the great mesh ‘underwear’ that the hospital supplies ;)
• Socks + slippers
• Toiletries: Travel size s + c, toothbrush, hair elastics, headbands, body wash, shower cap, deodorant, prenatal vitamins, etc.  Also, Lanonin cream just in case the hospital doesn’t provide it.
• Going-home outfit: It’s only a 5 minute drive home so I just packed comfy shorts + a tank top

For Baby:

• Onesies: NB + size 0-3 
• Accessories: Socks, hat, mittens
• Swaddle blanket: We’ll probably use the hospital swaddle blankets but figured I’d pack a cute polka dotted one for pictures   .
• Newborn diapers: I heard some hospital don’t supply newborn-sized diapers?!  So I packed these just in case…
• Pacifiers
• Hand Sanitizer: Technically it’s not for the baby but for me and anyone else touching the little one 

Misc. Items:

• Boppy pillow: For breast-feeding 
• Night-light: So we don’t use the bright overhead lights during the late-night feedings
• Snacks: Granola bars, trail-mix, hard candy, mints
• Book + magazines
• Camera + charger
• Pillows + blankets: For the hubby’s ‘bed’

 Last Minute Items To Pack:

These are the items that I use on a daily basis so I’ll quickly pack them up before we take off… 

• My fan: I can’t sleep without it
• Electronics: iPhone’s (work + personal), laptop, chargers
• Hair brush
• Make-up bag
• Face lotion

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Moms: Am I missing anything?  Or am I packing too much?? 

Piña Colada Smoothie!

Happy Friday, everyone!  

And Happy {belated} National Piña Colada Day!  Apparently I made my Piña Colada Smoothie a day early (on Wednesday) and missed out on National Piña Colada day yesterday!?  Someday I’ll get on top of these fun, national holidays. 

Here’s a delicious smoothie recipe that’s packed with nutrients, full of protein and is super refreshing!

Piña Colada Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup vanilla greek yogurt (or plain)
1 frozen banana
1 cup fresh pineapple 
1 tablespoon chia seeds
Shredded coconut (for ganish)

Directions

Add ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.  Garnish with shredded coconut and enjoy!  You can also add a pineapple wedge and little umbrella to make it even more festive. :)

WIAW #28… Meatless Monday Edition

Happy Wednesday!  

Once again I’m linking up with Jenn and everyone for this weekly WIAW post.

This week I’m showing you my foods + drinks from Monday, which is also ‘Meatless Monday’ in the Doyle household.  Do you guys remember when Oprah talked about incorporating meatless days into our week and asked everyone to join her for ‘Meatless Monday’s’?  (Speaking of Oprah, I really miss her show!!)  Well ever since then (maybe 5 years ago?), I’ve tried to stick with it.  Ideally I’d like to include more meatless days into my week which will in turn increase my veggie intake at dinner time + also lead to healthier meals.  It’s a win, win situation!  

So here’s ‘What I Ate Wednesday on Meatless Monday’… 

Breakfast – 6 am

 A bowl of strawberry greek yogurt, sliced kiwi, strawberries + granola with iced coffee, water + a prenatal vitamin. 

Morning snack – 9:30 am

Lunch – 12 pm

Oh, lunch…  I’m never in the mood to pick-up lunch items at the grocery store so a lot of the time I rely on breakfast foods to get me through the day.  And trust me, I’m not complaining ;)  Lunch consisted of 2 van’s multigrain waffles, all-natural peanut butter + lots of strawberries. 

Afternoon snacks – 4:15ish pm

Pre-workout snack above (fresh pinapple) and post-workout snack below (trail-mix)…

Dinner & Dessert – 7:30 pm

I know, it looks like a basic salad but for some reason it still tasted delicious.  I’m guessing the goat cheese was the reason I liked it so much? :)  In the mix: lettuce, spinach, chopped tomatoes, carrots, 2 hard-boiled eggs, canned corn, crumbled goat cheese with a light balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  Plus, lemon water on the side. 

Dessert = 2 of these little bags….   Yummm!

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Do you include ‘meatless’ days into your week? 

What’s on your menu for today?

The Nursery

Well, the nursery is officially done!  

I thought it would be finished months ago but I took my time picking-out everything and making sure the end result would be a peaceful, cozy, comfortable nursery for our little girl. :)   A little about the room…   it’s ‘L’ shaped with slanted ceilings on the right-side so it was challenging to work with but once we got the bigger items in there (dresser + crib), we were able to figure out what could fit where.  And as for the colors and themes, we stuck with soft colors including lots of gray and touches of pinks and went with animal themed with a focus on cute, ‘lil elephants.  

I saw the ‘wall library’ on Pinterest and knew it’d be perfect for the nursery.  It was also really easy & fun to fill up since my baby-shower invites asked the guests to bring a signed children’s book in lieu of a card.

The dresser is large enough to hold a ton of clothing, blankets, accessories and also serve as a changing table.

Right now the closet is full of random stuff (books, toys, extra diapers, etc.) but I’ll eventually stop over at the Container Store and find a better way to organize it (or so I say ;)).

 Lastly, I’m planning on adding a few more small touches, such as framed newborn pictures and some more elephant inspired items to the room but for now, the nursery is finished.  And in only a few short weeks I’ll be able to show it to my little girl!

Sources:

Wall color: Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore

Glider + ottoman: Storkcraft from Wayfair.com

Pink throw pillow: Home Goods

Curtains: Chevron Blackout Panel from PBK

Pink flower finial: On-sale at PBK (not available anymore)

Night stand: Home Goods

Lamp base + shade:  Candlestick base from PBK and Vivian Shade from PBK

Bookshelves: Ribba Picture Ledge from IKEA

Dresser: Hemnes Dresser from IKEA (we bought it off Craigslist :))

White basket on dresser: Sabrina Basket from PBK

Wooden tray on dresser: Home Goods

Framed prints: Whimsicle Illustrations from Etsy.com (LOVE these prints!)

White, wooden frames: Michael’s Arts & Crafts

Crib: Delta Bennington 3-in-1 Classic Crib from Babies R Us

Crib sheets: Taylor Crib Fitted Sheets from PBK

Mobile: Flying Elephant Mobile from PBK

Mobile holder: Mobile Arm from PBK

‘You Are My Sunshine’ wooden sign above window: Home Goods

Grey & tan wicker basket: Home Goods

Coat hanger: Hayden Hook Rack from PBK

Coral diaper bag: Coral Color Block Harper Tote from PBK (we’ll use this as her school bag)

 

36 Weeks

Hello, hello!

Well we’re 36 weeks along aka 9 MONTHS PREGNANT!!  I can’t believe there’s only 4 weeks (give or take) to go!  Since we finished up the nursery this week, we also had to take down the chalkboard with the weekly countdown in order to hang-up other pictures…  So instead of my usual picture, I’ll instead show you 3 recent pic’s of the baby bump…

1. – Trying to pose with the chalkboard, 2. – My cousin and I, and 3. – Close-up of ‘the bump’

How far along? 36 weeks 

Baby Size: The size of a ripe papaya (close to 19″ long and 6 lbs.)

Total weight gain: 26-27 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yep, I’d say 90% of my clothes are maternity.

Sleep: Oh, sleep.  I’m comfortable and still haven’t used the big ‘ol pregnancy pillow but I’m going to the bathroom 3x a night and the little peanut loves to move around during the night so sleep has been OK to say the least.

Miss Anything?  Fun, summer beers….  Can’t wait to drink a Whale’s Tale Pale Ale + Sam’s Summer in August.

Movement:  She’s a very active little lady.  She definitely favors my right side and loves to kick under my ribs and poke her little booty out all the time. :)

Best moments this week: Getting my monthly mani/pedi, hanging with my family at my mom’s annual Lobster Fest,

and finishing up the nursery (full blog post on the nursery coming this week!)

Food cravings: The usual cravings but now I want everything really cold…  ice, cold water, fresh fruit (especially fresh pineapple + strawberries), chocolate popsicles + smoothies.

A creamy, pineapple, mango smoothie…

Food aversions: Nada

Gender: Girl

Symptoms: Well it’s official; I have cankles…   and swollen feet!  What the heck?  I’m also constantly out of breath.

Workouts: Workouts were really toned down last week.  I went on lots of power-walks to reach my 10K steps a day,

and I also did a bunch of workouts from the awesome ‘Knocked-Up Fitness Guide To Pregnancy’ book:

Looking forward to:  Checking a lot of items off our ‘Baby To-Do-List’ this week, including:

Monday: Wash, fold + organize all the baby clothes, blankets, towels, etc.

Tuesday: 2-hour breast-feeding class

Wednesday: 36-week check-up

Thursday: ‘Meet + Greet’ with the pediatrician

Friday: Nothing?  I hope…

Saturday: Infant CPR/First-Aid class in the morning and hopefully getting the car seat inspected by the local Fire Department in the afternoon.

Slowly but surely we’re getting there! :)

Happy 4th of July!

Just wanted to pop in and wish you all a Happy 4th of July!!  

Mike and I are heading to my mom’s house on the Cape for the long weekend.  I’m hoping our plans include lots of beach time, relaxing in the evenings (well as much ‘relaxing’ as you can with 12 people + a dog + a cat under 1 roof ;)) and enjoying my families annual Lobster Fest on Saturday night.  

As for food + drinks, I’m planning on whipping up this festive cocktail for everyone:

Ingredients:

Champagne or sparkling water (I used La Croix’s coconut flavored sparkling water for my mocktail above)
Pomegranate or cranberry juice (optional)
Blueberries
Strawberries
Star-shaped iced cubes

And making these delicious looking brownie, marshmallow, fruit kabobs for dessert!

Hope you all have a happy + healthy holiday weekend! :)

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PS if you’re looking for some more red, white + blue ideas, just check out my fun & festive Memorial Day blog post!