Weekend Recap 2.19.17…Magic Show, Walks in the Park, Hockey Game, and House Hunting

February 20, 2017February 19, 2017 ~ Tasty Trials and Travels ~ 10 Comments

Hi friends!! Happy Presidents Day! Do you all have to work today? My husband is off, but I do have work today. I am a little jealous he gets to sleep in today. But I will say that I feel pretty rejuvenated from the weekend and ready to start a new week!

My weekend was off to a pretty good start when I got to bring my little buddy to work with me on Friday! He gets to come into the office with me every so often so that makes me really happy!! He was pretty excited to get to go with me. 🙂

Riley was exhausted after work and I found him like this right after we got home.

For dinner I made seared tuna, brown rice, peas, and mushrooms. It was such a yummy combo!

Saturday morning I took an 8 am Body Pump class then my mom came over to help me work on a special project for my brother’s birthday. And here she is feeding my dog’s cookies… 🙂

After my mom left I got to work on some meal prep! Kale salads with lots of yummy toppings for lunch this week! This week I added hard boiled egg whites, beets, chick peas, carrots, peppers, celery, almonds, and avocado. If we have fish for dinner during the week, I will add a piece to my salad.

More overnight oats for breakfast. I just can’t kick these right now. They are so easy for a quick week day breakfast and they keep me full for a long time, which I love.

After meal prepping, my brother, dad and I headed to the park with the pups. It was a little chilly, but we were happy to avoid the rain!

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My husband got back into town Saturday night (he traveled to Boston for work and spent an extra day with some friends of ours) and my little brother and I put on a magic show for him. My brother got a magic set for Christmas and we learned a lot of the tricks this weekend. It was pretty cute!

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This is a regular sight around here. Riley LOVES my dad. 🙂 My dad isn’t really a dog person, but I think he is going to miss the pups when we move out. 😉

Sunday morning we headed to the hockey rink to watch my little brother’s game.

And ofcourse we had to make signs to ~~embarrass~~ cheer him on! Jacob’s fan club right here!

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After the game we came home, took naps, I got a workout in, then we headed out to meet our realtor to do some house hunting. Then we headed out for a walk in the park because it was 72 degrees! We are still in the early stages, but are getting excited!

That about wraps up our weekend! I hope you all have a fantastic week and enjoy your day if you are off work!

Questions:

How was your weekend?
Do you have to work today?
Did you get in any workouts this weekend?

Last Weekend Activities… Only a Week Late!

February 16, 2017February 15, 2017 ~ Tasty Trials and Travels ~ 5 Comments

Ya’ll! I am so behind on the blog. I literally have asked what day it is probably 20 times this week. My days are all messed up and I have had zero time for anything but work and sleep. 🙂

I meant to write this post last weekend, then Monday night, then Tuesday night… and so on. It’s just one of those weeks. 😉 So I suppose today I will show you what we did last weekend that left me with no time for blogging.

Last Thursday night we had a taco night! Definitely one of my favorite meals.

Last week I made some pink heart-shaped rice crispy treats. Aren’t they cute?

My little brother had to test them out to make sure they were good. 😉 He gave them a big thumbs up!

On Saturday morning, my friend Rachael and I went to a free workout class. A new location of Burn Boot Camp is opening in Nashville and they are offering free classes right now until they open. Another woman who took the class brought her dog and the dog just sat on the table during the whole class… My dogs would not do that. 🙂 It was a good class… good music, the trainer was very motivating, and it was tabata style and kept my heart rate up the whole time.

Once I got home I worked on some baking for treats at my office this week and then Jon and I headed out for a date night at an old favorite restaurant, Kyoto. We had to start with the garden rolls… they are the best.

We split a bunch of rolls and they were all so delicious. My husband even ordered an extra one afterwards. 🙂

On Sunday morning we took a long walk in the park, did some more baking, then headed to about 5 open houses. We really liked one of the houses we saw, but definitely need to look more before deciding. Oh!!! I have news! We got an offer on our house last weekend and we are officially under contract. I hope I don’t jinx it! So as of now, we are on the hunt for our Nashville house! We are going house hunting with our realtor on Sunday!

Okay, back to last weekend. After the open houses, we stopped by Smoothie King for a quick snack before the Predators game! My dad, husband and I decided to buy a package of tickets for some of the games this season. We got a little bit of a discount with the package and it allows us access to playoff tickets if they make it!

I have an old Predators jersey, but it is still in Dallas so I borrowed my little brother’s jersey for the game. 🙂 Shhhh.. don’t tell him. 😉

We had great seats and the game was amazing!! We were actually down 3 to 0 at one point.

But we ended up coming back and beating the Dallas Stars 5 to 3! That is a lot of goals for a hockey game! It was soo exciting!!

After the game we came home and went to bed and just like that it was Monday again.

I am still trying to figure out my new blogging schedule as I navigate working full time and moving and house hunting and all that fun stuff, but don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere!

Have a great day, ya’ll!

Questions:

How is your week going?
Did you make any special treats for Valentines Day?
What did you have for dinner last night?

Favorite Sources of Protein (Without the Meat)

February 10, 2017February 9, 2017 ~ Tasty Trials and Travels ~ 2 Comments

Happy Friday!!! This week just flew by for me! Did it for anyone else? I am ready for another relaxing weekend with just a flew plans! I hope you guys have some fun things planned!

I know I have talked a little bit about the challenge I did in January, but I forgot to mention one important piece that I think was really beneficial to me. First of all, the challenge definitely helped me realize I was not taking in enough calories for the amount of exercise I do regularly. I workout 6-7 days a week with a little cardio, a few days of strength training and a couple days of walks/low intensity workouts. I do take entire days off when I need to, but I tend to feel better if I have a long walk/yoga on days that I don’t have a hard workout. If I don’t move enough, my back just kills me.

I have definitely mentioned that I am a snacker. I like to graze rather than have a big meal. Well… times are a changing! 🙂 The challenge made me realize that if I meal prep ahead of time, I will get in more regular meals (rather than just grazing through lunch/the afternoon) and be more satisfied. I still snack one or two times per day, but I don’t always need a snack because my meals are keeping me fuller for much longer.

The big reason for this is that I have been conscious about adding more protein to my meals. I’m not sure if I have ever told you guys that I don’t eat meat, but I don’t. I do eat fish a few times a week though. I have nothing against meat eaters (I cook chicken/turkey for my husband regularly); it really is just a personal choice. I actually haven’t eaten meat since I was 14. I grew up Catholic and when I was 14, I gave up meat for lent. Well 40 days later, I still didn’t want to eat meat anymore and still haven’t since. About 6 years ago I had 2 bites of steak and was terribly sick for 4 days. (I definitely should have tried chicken before steak.) Ever since then I just haven’t wanted to eat meat. If I end up craving it one day, I will eat it. Until then, I will just keep saving my money on my weekly grocery bill by stocking up on fruits and veggies (and a little fish). 😉

Funny story… a few years ago, my husband tried to tell me that I spend too much money on groceries because of all the vegetables I buy. So we ended up breaking down the grocery bill to meat/unhealthy snacks/desserts that he likes and then all the fruits and veggies I like. Well, even though my quantity of food was about 3/4 of the grocery haul, it was only 1/3 of the whole grocery bill. He hasn’t said a word about the grocery bill since. 😉

Anyways… back to talking about protein. Today I thought I would share my favorite sources of protein!

Hard-Boiled Eggs. I don’t like the yolks, but I love putting the whites on my salads.
Nuts and nut butter. My favorites are pecans, almonds, and walnuts. I have peanut butter or almond butter almost every day.
Chia seeds. I love making overnight oats or chia seed pudding.
Tofu. I like to marinate then broil it so it gets nice and crispy on the outside.
Beans and lentils. Black beans and garbanzo beans are my favorites.
Plant-based protein powder. I like adding protein powder to my smoothies and oats!
Almond/coconut milk. I love these in smoothies, overnight oats, and for curries!
Fish. Salmon and tuna are my go-to when it’s grilling season.
Quinoa. I like to make a mexican quinoa salad for lunch or make a tofu and veggie curry with coconut milk to put over quinoa.
Veggies!!! Veggies like spinach, kale, and peas pack a nice punch of protein!

Questions:

Any plans for the weekend?
What is your favorite source of protein?
How much water do you drink every day?

Life Lately in Tennessee and End of Challenge Update

February 7, 2017February 6, 2017 ~ Tasty Trials and Travels ~ 9 Comments

Hi friends!!

Well week one of being in Nashville and starting a new job is officially in the books! You guys, I have to tell you that I am absolutely loving my new job. It really feels like a perfect fit for me right now. It is challenging, but manageable and this job leaves me with a very rewarding feeling at the end of the day, which is really important to me. It also feels really nice to have a schedule and be in a routine. After a few months of traveling and moving, my body was craving some stability.

But I sure am missing these ladies. 😦 I almost cried the other night thinking about how I can’t just see my sister any time I want anymore. That is most definitely the hardest part about leaving Dallas.

I can’t believe it is already February! I feel like January flew by so quickly. Speaking of January ending… my 28 day challenge (Ashy Bines) is complete and I am feeling great! I am sleeping better, feeling more energized and feeling stronger.

I really liked the workouts from the program… they were a mix of high intensity, yoga, and strength training and I could do them all from home, which was really nice. I even managed to throw in a couple Body Pump classes each week accompanied by lots of extra stretching.

I was really diligent about food prepping and always having something on hand in case I got hungry. I prepped breakfasts and lunches ahead of time each week and then cooked dinner each night. This made my days stress free and left a lot more time for exercising and just not always being in a rush. I have been exercising in the mornings before work and while it is hard getting up so early, it is nice to start the day off on the right foot and to have my nights free to hang with my pups and family.

The biggest change for me was mentally. My mind just feels clearer. Does that make sense? I just feel really at peace and calm. I think the biggest reason for this was cutting out alcohol. I have also seen some physical changes with my legs getting stronger and my stomach feels flatter too. While I am not strictly following any eating/exercising plan now, I have implemented a lot pieces of the challenge into my daily life. I am still making a lot of the recipes, doing the workouts throughout the week, starting my day with a big glass of warm lemon water (I crave it when I wake up), taking more walks, drinking more water, and still avoiding alcohol (I might have a drink or two soon, but I will be limiting it).

On another note… we are still waiting for our house in Dallas to sell. We have had 30+ showings in the last month so we are hoping it sells soon so we can begin really looking for a new house here in Nashville. There are a few different areas of town that we like, but I am excited to explore a little more before we actually buy a house here. Nashville has changed a LOT since I moved away for college so it really is kind of like exploring a new city and learning about the different areas of town.

Time to quit rambling and get this day started! I hope you all have a great Tuesday!!

Questions:

Best part about your job?
What is the first thing you do every morning?
Do you wake up at the same time every day?

Weekend Recap 2.6.17… Lots of Sports!

February 6, 2017February 5, 2017 ~ Tasty Trials and Travels ~ 7 Comments

Hey guys! How was your weekend? This weekend flew by for me, but I will say that I am excited this week has begun because my husband has been out of town since last Wednesday and I am ready for him to come home! He will be home tomorrow so needless to say, the dogs and I are just a little excited! He goes on an annual boys ski trip with a few guys from college and now that we live so far from the mountains, I know how much he looks forward to it each year. They go to a different ski town each year and this year they went to Sun Valley, Idaho.

While the boys are out west freezing, we are here in Nashville, also freezing!!!! It has been quite chilly around here. Thursday night, my dad, brother, and I went to the Predators game. They won 2 to 0! It was a great game! We went to the giftshop and had to model some Preds hats. 🙂

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I love this kiddo!

This breakfast is still on repeat around here. I love switching up the toppings each day. My favorites are strawberries, blueberries, bananas, peanut butter, almond butter, and shredded coconut.

So earlier in the week, I came home from work to find my slippers in a different place than I left them. I always put them in the same place so I know where they are. Well, Friday when I came home from work, I found both slippers on the bed. On Saturday I found one on the bed and one by my laundry basket. There is a little slipper thief in my house right now… The funny thing is that I really don’t know which dog did it. I would assume Riley because he likes toys, but these slippers are a little heavy so I am not sure if he could/would have put them on the bed…but Callie doesn’t like toys/picking up anything soo I would be shocked if it was her. I really want to put a camera on and leave it in my room while I am at work to see who is moving my slippers!! It has become like a game when I come home and have to search for my slippers each day. 🙂

Friday night we went to dinner at Carrabbas and I got a delicious salad with shrimp and this kid got spaghetti!

My friend Rachael and I hit up an 8 am Body Pump class on Saturday morning! It was a struggle to get up early on a Saturday, but it was so nice to get a workout in early.

After our workout, we went food shopping and spent a few hours baking (!!!) some yummy recipes. I will share them all with you later this week!

Once I got home, my dad, brother, and I took the pups on a long walk to the park. They were in heaven. Afterwards, I had plans to go meet up with Rachael and some friends, but wasn’t feeling the best so opted for some rest.

A few hours later we headed to Target for a few things… well, you know how that goes. It ended with a new wardrobe for my favorite little guy. He will definitely be the most styling little 9 year old on the block. 😉

Saturday night we cooked some dinner and watched the Predators game (they lost). Sunday morning I took the dogs on a quick walk before I did some yoga with my dad and brother at home. We are all working on our flexibility. 🙂

Afterwards I worked on some meal prepping for the week. I made a overnight oats, salads, hard boiled eggs, and washed and chopped fruit and veggies.

After lunch we took a walk in the park. It was 60 in Nashville yesterday!

Then we came home and got ready for our Super Bowl party!

My little brother loves to entertain and make decorations for parties. Even though it was only 5 of us at our “party” he wanted to make little flags for our food. How cute are these? Straws, scrapbook paper, and cut out logos of each team.

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The dogs are loving my little brother. So adorable. 🙂

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Have a great week!!!

Questions:

Did you watch the Super Bowl?
Who did you want to win?
Did you like Lady Gaga’s halftime performance?

Wordy Wednesday

February 1, 2017January 28, 2017 ~ Tasty Trials and Travels ~ 4 Comments

Good morning friends!

As I am adjusting to working full time, my brain is a little bit all over the place at the moment so this blog post may be too. 😉

Our dog Callie loves using pillows like humans do. She always lays her head on them on the couch and our bed. I found her like this the other night and tucked her in. She is so spoiled. 🙂

When I was unpacking the other day, I turned around to find Riley like this…

I proceeded to take him out of the duffel bag then turned around again to find him it in. 🙂

I took him out again and as I was hanging up some clothes in the closet, I looked over to find him in a different suitcase. He is so confused where we are and why we are here. 🙂

A few minutes later, I found him on my pillow.

My little brother plays hockey and last week his team got to practice at Bridgestone Arena (where the Predators play) so we all went to watch!

My favorite lunch combo as of lately is kale with balsamic topped with broiled tofu, avocado, hard boiled egg and a little Dijon mustard! So random, but I like it!

Off to grab some more coffee because I think I’m going to need it! Have a great day ya’ll!

Questions:

What is your favorite lunch you have had lately?
How much coffee do you drink per day?
What time do you go to bed each night?

tastytrialsandtravels

A space to capture my love of healthy eating, fitness, and traveling the world.

Month: February 2017

Weekend Recap 2.19.17…Magic Show, Walks in the Park, Hockey Game, and House Hunting

Last Weekend Activities… Only a Week Late!

Favorite Sources of Protein (Without the Meat)

Life Lately in Tennessee and End of Challenge Update

Weekend Recap 2.6.17… Lots of Sports!

Wordy Wednesday