Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! It’s time to talk favorites this morning with Erika, Andrea, and Narci.

 

Monday morning I announced that I wanted to host an online Bible study for us blogger friends to participate in. Comment on that post or this one if you’d like to join in. This next week I am going to contact everyone to get it rollin’…it’s going to be my favorite part of the week!

Yesterday morning I asked y’all what type of posts you would like for me to publish. I know sometimes I find articles online and they sound boring and not interesting at all. I don’t want this blog to be boring or uninteresting to you. So tell me what you want to read from me because your questions are my favorite!

The other day I was out shopping (not even for me, it was for Christmas) and I stumbled upon a store I knew carried simplified planners. They’ve never had them in stock when I went in to look at one but I figured what the heck i’ll give it a try! Lo and behold this puppy was the only one in the store….and 70% off…and nothing was wrong with it!!!!! I about died and couldn’t pay for it fast enough. I’m officially all set for 2016 and this is definitely my favorite gift to myself 😉

I made my faaaavvvvvoritteee peanut butter cup protein pie last night and had to practice some serious self control as I wanted to drown myself in the entire thing. If you haven’t made it, DO IT! You can thank me later! And I promise you will 😉 It’s better than my non-foodie-blogger-pics make it look.

This girl is coming home tonight! Whoop! She hasn’t been here since August so i’m sure she’s excited to sleep in her own bed. And we’re excited to see her. I love Thanksgiving for bringing family together. It’s my favorite holiday (remember I switched from 4th of July haha)! Not to mention my school has all week off so HOLLA SLEEP!

Fitness Goals Update – Week 2!

1. No eating after 8:00 p.m. I did this every day last week, but this week I only did 3 times! Wahoo! Maybe next week i’ll cut it down to once? I still have issues with this one. Am I hungry because it’s been 4 hours since dinner and I need some fuel? Or am I hungry because I know it’s been 4 hours and I feel like I need something?? I don’t know!!!
2. Meal prep every Sunday for the week ahead following the 21 day fix plan. I still had a lot of leftovers to eat, so I didn’t make anything new on Sunday. This weekend I will! And i’ve definitely been failing at the 21 day fix food groups.
3. Eat 5 small meals without snacking in between those. This week I just ate when I was hungry but tried to be conscious of when it was. Some days I know I ate more than I should have in one sitting, but I just felt like I couldn’t fill up.
4. Work-out 5 days a week. Working out more than that. Check!
5. Cut down on the carbs. From looking in my food journal i’ve noticed lots of larabars or quest bars and lots of my protein shakes. Those add up in carbs along with others that i’m already eating. Less protein bars/protein powder this week!

I’ve realized that last night and the night before I have been feeling very bloated and uncomfortable..usually a norm for me but not lately so this was weird. This week I want to figure out if it’s because i’m eating too much, or the protein powder I used in the peanut butter pie, or what. I just wish I had this fitness thing down already. I feel like i’ve been working on it so long (not just the past two weeks) and it’s not exactly what i’m wanting.

But it’s a new week, so here’s to that. Do something great this weekend! 🙂

Recipe Club: (No-bake) Chocolate Scotcheroos

It’s my first recipe club!! You should also link up with Andrea for this fun monthly partay.
Today my recipe is going to be Chocolate Scotcheroos. A staple in our house. Our friends used to come over and request my mom make it. You’ll definitely be the cool mom around town (and very popular with your lady friends) if you make this at your next pot-luck. Chocolate, peanut butter, sugar, butterscotch…YUM! Mix chocolate and peanut butter together in any way and i’ll eat it. Those are my two favorites. Now, y’all are going to want to pay close attention here so you don’t miss anything. And you will probably drool or hear your stomach growl when you see the final result. 😀

What you’ll need:
1 cup light corn syrup (I used Karo)
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
(Is this not the easiest ingredient list EVER?!?!)

 

Place your corn syrup and sugar into a large (important!!) pot stirring over medium heat until it begins to boil.

 

Grease your 9x13x2 pan beforehand or while mixing. Whichever is easiest.

Once boiling, remove from heat and add your peanut butter. Mix well.

  

Next add your rice crispy cereal and mix until all the cereal is coated.

Pour the mixture into your pan and press well. Then you can set it aside.

Pour your 1 cup of chocolate chips and butterscotch chips into a micro-wave safe bowl. Heat for one minute.

Then make sure you stir well, because it will burn…(i’ve learned from experience) before you put it in the microwave again.

 

Put it back in the microwave at 30 second intervals and then stir until it’s completely melted and looks like this.

Once your chips are mixed, drizzle it over your rice kris pies in the pan then set aside. And THAT’S IT!
Once it sits for a while, the milky texture of the chocolate will harden to the rice krispies and it will be easy to cut.

I love. LOVE. lOvE. this recipe. It’s quick. It’s delicious. It’s good for football. Or cravings. Or anything.

Take a big hunk out to enjoy!

BEWARE: Very addicting!!!!!!!
Have a super sweet Wednesday!

Friday Favorites

If you’ve ever watched Pollyanna you remember her playing the “glad game”. This movie is particularly special to me because my dad and I watched it alllllll the time when I was little. It’s a good little message and brings good memories. And he calls me Pollyanna. So, my new thing is finding something to be glad about in every day, so my favorites are going to be a my favorite thing about each day every week! I’m totally excited about this idea.

Link up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci!!!

: Running in the rain.

 Last Friday night I decided to do my run for the week, because I had the night off work. My dad and I were going to watch our show together while the other kids were at the football game. I went on a run beforehand and I had to capture the fact that I was wearing a long sleeved shirt and some yoga capris with my favorite ASICS Women’s GEL-Noosa Tri 9 Running Shoe!!!! It was 60 degrees and raining, perfect running weather for me. Loved. It.

: Date night with dad.

One of our old neighbors had a set of twins when I was eh, maybe 8. I don’t really remember. They moved away and then came back. My dad has kept in touch with them because their dad and mine both went to the same Military college in South Carolina. Anyways, so his kids’ b’nai Mitzvah was on Saturday and because my mom was gone, I got to fill in as his date. And this was the best picture I got, and it’s dark because this was during the dancing part. Arg.

: Church and lunch with dad & siblings.

Sunday we decided to get to Church, which I was so excited because this was one of my September goals! Don’t mind Rick, he hates pictures. But after Church we went to Applebee’s for some lunch, which consisted of wings and soup. Yep, total Middleton meal!

: Ryan’s foot.

 

Monday I took Ryan to the doctor in place of my mom where he got his cast taken off (he fractured some bone by a muscle near a tendon next to the ankle….I really don’t know medical terminology) and got this boot on for the next two weeks. Next week he can start applying pressure to this and i’m glad that nothing else was wrong and he is healing.

: Mom comes home.

 

“Molly, what is this mess you left me?” I’m kidding, she was mid-sentence to Ryan when I snapped this. I’m so thankful my mom is home now, because I get to be a normal college student again and not have to worry about dishes and laundry! Thank you, mom!

: Nannying and peanut butter.

 

Wednesday is one of my nannying days. So, we hang out for a little bit while they get a snack before it’s time for homework. You know, nothing beats hanging out on the fireplace with a spoonful of peanut butter. #bestnannyever #i’dhireme #forgivemyiphone4camera

: Accepted!

I finally got my acceptance letter to the Unversity of Texas at Dallas. Eeeks, y’all! I could not be more excited because it stands for my life finally being back on track. I have a plan (i’m a total planner) and I know where I will be spending the majority of my time the next couple of years!

That’s it for this week, have a fun-filled, happy weekend!!!