Easy Weekday Cookbooks that I LOVE!

Hi friends! It is a nice crisp fall day here today which gets me all excited about new fall flavors and recipes! 

According to Women's Health, we eat 222 more calories a day in the fall than any other season. (Can we say pumpkin latte?!?!) And sorry, cardio fans...it's 80% nutrition that solves the problem, not long hours of cardio.

The #1 activity I do to stay on track during this season is looking for NEW inspiration. Because new things are exciting and it keeps me going through the week. Most of the time this is through recipes! These are my latest favorite go to sources! Some new, some old, but they keep popping up on my meal plan! And yeah, I am that gal that loves looking at the pictures of a cookbook. Please tell me I am not the only one! 

(Check it out here! Here blog is awesome too!)

(Check it out here! It is great for crockpot recipes and busy week nights. Plus the recipes typically make enough for 2 nights!!)

(Check it out here! She had me a sheetpan! So easy!)

(Check it out here! Even if you don't follow Paleo it is a great read about how your body processes food that you can customize to your family with some easy and super healthy recipes! She even has tear out meal plans! Yes!)

(Check it out here! This one is on my wishlist and for all you vegetarians! How gorgeous is the cover? I want it just to start at that guacamole!)

(Check it out here! Last but not least, this satisfies all my farmhouse loves and is also on my wish list. I need anotherp blogpost about that! Lol. I love the title. "Recipes from my barn, in the mountains" Hello comfort food.)

I hope this inspires you to have a healthy week!

What I stopped doing --> Can you by Monday?

Yep, I finally convinced myself that weekends were not for derailing all of your progress but instead a time for a "wellness retreat" as I like to call. So what did I stop doing? Telling myself I would fix it on Monday and changing my mindset to make the weekend a place of self-care, fun and rest! Why wait? Plus feeling better about yourself gives you the inspiration to plan for the week ahead.

You are probably asking, Hey Holly. How do I create a "wellness retreat" over 2 days when I am exhausted from the week and our schedule is packed?  Check out these tips. The theory. Glow by Monday. You can do it!

1) STICK TO A CLEAN MEAL PLAN
- I have lots of meal plans on the blog but I start each day with a nutrient-packed smoothie, followed by a super salad with lots of crunch, protein-packed snacks and then limit my treats to one a day. This typically means wine or dessert on Friday and Saturday, but not both.

2) HYDRATE + CAFFEINE CUTBACK
- Have some fun with those cool new juices from Whole Foods, add lemon and cucumber to your water and stock up on LaCroix! (Ok, I have a semi-obsession with LaCroix, but it counts as a serving!) I love the Whole Foods fresh pressed juices. They are too expensive to drink every day, but 1-2 days a week is totally doable for a treat!

- Take a minute to monitor your caffeine. I try to aim for 1 serving a day on the weekends. Give your body a chance to regulate.

3) SLEEP
- Take a minute to think about your sleep habits. Are you getting enough sleep? Do you need more sleep? What is your bedroom environment like? We recently re-did ours and the goal was to make it relaxing (with new gray paint), clean (i.e. no clutter to stress me out) and quiet and dark.

- Wake up with intention. I recently finished the Miracle Morning book which I probably have told every single person I run into about. The routine is amazing. Try it!

4) SWEAT IT OUT
- Every Saturday I do a fun cardio workout with my favorite playlist. Every Sunday I do 30 minutes of yoga before everyone is up. It is my time to have some fun, dance and then take a minute to appreciate the quiet.
- Get outside. Take a walk. Involve the family. This is a great time of year for family hikes and hitting the metro parks!

5) COMMIT TO A DAY OF FUN
- Get your work done early. Have a plan for what you need to accomplish and then disconnect! Get out and have fun.
- On Saturday nights as an example, I set my phone upstairs at 8pm. And I don't touch it again until after my Sunday yoga. Disconnect. Be present.
- Sometimes just mixing your routine can be fun. What can you do different this weekend?

6) PLAN FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
- Batch cook (you can read my tips on this here!)
- Review your calendar for the week ahead
- Schedule your workouts, activities etc. for the week (and set some goals too!)

Happy weekend! And happy planning! (The templates below are on the blog to help with your wellness weekend!)

3 PM Pick-Me-Up (NEW RECIPES!)

Oh hey! yeah, it has been a LONG time since I have posted some recipes, but I am slowly trying to get back into blogging more now that we are back to school and on a schedule!

So does anyone else feel like they need a nap at 3pm? Or start to become overwhelmed at all things when they think about their day not ending for a few more hours? 

I have recently been switching my caffeine around (I try to only have 2 servings a day of about 50 mg) and have been on a green tea match kick. (I am one of those weirdos that don't like coffee!)

What Exactly Is Matcha?

Matcha is the powdered form of green tea leaves. Pretty simple, huh?

Matcha and green tea differ in the way the tea leaves are processed. Green tea is made by harvesting, heating, and drying leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant. When the dried leaves are steeped in water, ta-da, you have tea. To make matcha, the leaves are kept in the shade for 10 to 20 days before they’re harvested. This can help boost their level of chlorophyll, a plant pigment that gives matcha a vibrant jade green color. After the leaves are harvested, they’re milled into a fine powder, which can then be whisked with hot water to make a frothy drink.

Because you’re consuming the entire leaf, the beneficial phytonutrients from matcha may be more potent than those of green tea — which could help to explain why matcha is totally having its moment right now. (Also, it’s gorgeous. And delicious.)

(Source)

Want to try it?
I highly suggest if you are just drinking it as tea mixing it with something...almond milk, milk, or put it in a smoothie. (I love the toasted coconut unsweetened almond milk flavor!) I get my Matcha from Amazon. (of course). The tea bags are super easy, but this Matcha powder makes it super simple to make some fun recipes. 

If you want to try something other than hot tea, try this super smoothie!

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 handful of ice
• 1 scoop Vanilla Vegan Shakeology
• 1 tsp. unsweetened matcha powder

Instructions

• Place almond milk, ice, Shakeology, and matcha powder in blender; cover.
• Blend until smooth. 

They key is to make sure the matcha powder is unsweetened so it's not overly sugary. 

You can also find these fun match drinks from Tea Pigs! I LOVE their tea!

(source)

Try this for your afternoon pick-me-up and let me know what you think!