WW Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars

Over the weekend I posted this photo on my Instagram stories with the caption that I
make these bars every weekend and it's true! When I started WW (formerly know as
Weight Watchers) last April I found that most of the granola or protein bars that I had
been eating had more smart points than I wanted to use for a morning or afternoon snack
so I began making these Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars.

My Go-To Morning Smoothie

This post is in partnership with Mom's Meet and may contain affiliate links.
As always, all opinions are my own.

Weekday mornings can be hectic and rushed, especially after school begins, when
we're trying to get back into the swing of things. I allow myself plenty of time in the
morning, waking up two hours before I need to be at work, but somehow I'm always
rushing out the door.  Probably because I try to get too much done before I leave, but
there's so much to do! #momproblems

When I'm running late and there's no time for breakfast, my go-to is a healthy protein
smoothie that I can drink during my commute or when I get to the office. Most often
my smoothie includes frozen banana, chocolate protein powder, flax seed, almond
butter and almond milk. Sometimes I throw in a few frozen berries too.

Healthy 3-Ingredient Cookies

This post is in partnership with Bob's Red Mill. As always, all opinions are my own.

Did you notice that title?!?
Only 3 ingredients to make a quick and healthy treat to help curb that sweet tooth!

Banana Hemp Heart Muffins

I just discovered that I have 28 muffin recipes on my blog.
Today's recipe makes 29.
That a lot of muffins over the years, but it's no wonder because they are one of my
favorite things to bake! Muffins are perfect for breakfast, a morning snack, afternoon
pick-me-up or desert after lunch or dinner. You can make them as indulgent as a
cupcake with sugar, buttermilk and add-ins or you can bake a healthy muffin using
unsweetened almond milk, applesauce instead of oil and natural sweeteners, such
as pure maple syrup or honey.

Banana Vanilla Protein Smoothie Bowl

This post is sponsored by Moms Meet. All opinions are my own.

Now that spring is here and the weather has finally warmed up, I'm back on the smoothie
train again. On weekends I love making smoothie bowls and enjoying them outside
on the deck or by the pool. During the week shakes are more my style, making them
easy to drink on the way to the office. Nutritional smoothies help give me the energy
to do my best and I feel good when I drink them.

Seeded Whole Wheat Banana Bread

This post is in partnership with OXO. As always, all opinions are my own.

At any given time you can find 3-4 cookbooks and at least five magazines on my nightstand.
Not to mention a non-fiction book or two, five lip balms and three types of eye cream.
What can I say - I love finding new recipes to try and I like to stay moisturized - ha ha!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Yogurt Parfaits

This post is in partnership with Purely Elizabeth. All opinions are my own.

Ready or not the holidays are here. Family and friends will be stopping by and maybe
even spending a night or two. Don't leave your guests wondering what's to eat, prepare
some yogurt parfaits to have on hand or to display on your holiday brunch buffet.

Peanut butter and jelly yogurt parfaits with Purely Elizabeth chocolate sea salt + peanut
butter granola are easy to assemble and perfect to serve for breakfast, brunch or even
a healthy snack for out of town guests.

Superfood Cereal Bars

I've been harvesting the last of the zinnia's out of my mom's garden these past few weeks.
I love them so much and am going to miss having them in the kitchen. They really
brighten up the house!

Last weekend I whipped up a batch of superfood cereal bars to take to work as a mid-
morning snack and they were so good, I made another batch a few days later!

Chocolate Protein Overnight Oats

This post is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill. All opinions are my own.

Happy Friday!
After indulging in lots of treats while we were on vacation over the 4th, I've been trying
to get back on the healthy track.  On Sunday I made a batch of overnight oats to get me
through most of the week.

Blackberry Paleo Pancake Mini Muffins

This post is in partnership with Bob's Red Mill.  All opinions are my own. 

Sometimes you need to be reminded of the beauty in your own backyard.

Over the weekend we met some friends for dinner on Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah
National Forest. We live in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, just 25 minutes from the
entrance to Skyline Drive, however it's been years since we have been there.  Our friends
were visiting from North Carolina (hi Tom and Betsey!) and asked us to join them for
the evening.

Pitaya Smoothie Bowl

The warmer temperatures here in Virginia have me craving smoothies and smoothie bowls
much more frequently.  Dragon fruit (Pitaya) smoothies are one of my favorites because
they are so pretty! They're also nutritious and taste delicious too!

Paleo Banana Bread

I have a confession to make.
I'm a banana hoarder. Just ask my family.
I may or may not have asked them to grab one or two from hotel breakfast bars when
we are traveling and don't even get me started if they try to toss one out that may look
overly ripe! I can make something with that!

Yogurt, Fruit & Muffin Parfait

Most of the time when I make muffins for my family I make them from scratch.
I usually have all of the ingredients on hand anyway, so why not.
But sometimes I'm out of one key ingredient, and thats when I'm happy I keep muffin
mix on hand.  As you all know, I am a huge fan of Bob's Red Mill products, and although
we don't have to use gluten-free products, I love Bob's Gluten-Free Muffin Mix.

Layered Fruit & Yogurt Smoothie and prAna Tankini

Spring and summer are my favorite seasons. There's just something about warm weather,
flowers in bloom, and lazy days by the water that help me feel relaxed and complete.
I love feeling the warmth of the sun and sipping on something cold to drink, while reading
a book or hanging out with friends by our pool.  I have lots of books pinned to my
"books to read" Pinterest board that I want to read this summer!

Why I Use a Food Scale

I'm not technically on a "diet", but I have been paying close attention to what I eat
and how much I eat since the beginning of the year.  I gained a few extra pounds over
the past 24 months, and while I'm not over weight, I have not felt comfortable with the
way my clothes have been fitting. This past January I was finally in the right mind set
to get serious and lose the extra weight.

I am all about moderation, so I have not been depriving myself of anything, I'm a
food blogger for goodness sake, but I have been focused on eating less processed food
and making healthy, clean choices when it comes to food.

Yogurt Stuffed Pears

I've been on a quest to add a variety of fruits and vegetables to my diet this year.
It's easy to get stuck in a rut buying the same things over and over, so when these Anjou
pears caught my eye, I decided to add them to our cart.  Last month I tried dragon fruit
for the first time in a smoothie and loved it!

Clementine Protein Smoothie Bowl

It seems as though I've been living off of soup and smoothies this year.
Maybe because I've been making them both so much!

Dragon Fruit Smoothie Parfait & A Giveaway

Some days I'm in the mood for a smoothie. Other days I prefer yogurt with fresh fruit
and granola. Well today I came up with the bright idea to combine the two and created
my first smoothie parfait.  Isn't it pretty!

Small Batch Healthy Granola

I have been known to eat an entire bag of granola in one sitting. I mean basically it is
just another form of oatmeal and you know how much I LOVE oatmeal! 

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins