For four balls full of energy...

Four kids in four years is a total trip.

There are SO many times where I've looked at them all playing...or fighting...and thought "well, *that* sure happened quickly."

We've been doing so much playing outside lately that the kids work up such an appetite for snacks. When I was working with patients in the clinic setting, healthy snack ideas was always a request.

I've seen variations of "energy balls" all over the internet, and truthfully the name alone has always made me roll my eyes. Like, ALL food gives you energy. There is nothing special about rolling up ingredients into a ball. Except it makes for an easy snack. And if you use high nutrient ingredients you get a healthy boost. Plus it'll take you less than five minutes to make. M-m-m-maybe I can get on board with energy balls.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 scoop protein powder (I used unflavored but vanilla or chocolate would also work)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter + 1 tablespoon (Smuckers will always be my fave)
1/4 cup honey or agave nectar (neither is a health food, but you need a little sweet and sticky to hold it together)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add peanut butter, honey, and agave. Stir to combine. Using your hands, form into 12 1-inch balls. Refrigerate or freeze.

Per energy ball: 128 calories, 16 grams carbohydrates (including 4 grams fiber), 6 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 9 grams added sugars.

Not pictured: the half dozen that *my* energy balls ate!

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When the kitchen's running hot...

I am PREPARED!

A heat wave is here- I think legitimately anywhere you go, 90+ would be considered pretty toasty, right?

As such, I do not want to be standing in front of the stove, oven, or grill. One of my tried-and-true go to's for warm weather is cowboy caviar. I definitely did not make up the name or this recipe, but it's a Minnesota staple. It's pretty customizable too- feel free to add other veggies you might like.

Hop over to my YouTube channel for the cooking demo and semi-lame commentary by, well, me.

Cowboy Caviar- makes four servings
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 ears corn on the cob, shucked and boiled for 5 minutes (could sub ~2 cups frozen corn)
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup green onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
Pinch of garlic

Using a serrated knife, cut the cooked corn kernels off the cob. Combine corn, tomatoes, black beans, bell pepper, green onion, and avocado in a large bowl. In a small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup, whisk together oil and remaining ingredients. Pour over veggie mix. Stir to combine. This tastes best after refrigerating for at least an hour. Keeps well up to 2 days.

Per serving: 375 calories, 43 grams carbs, 23 grams of fat (but the healthy unsaturated plant-based kind), 10 grams protein.

Sunday Stuff

Oh hey, look who got dressed up for church this morning!

Of course as soon as we walk through the door back home it's time to change.

It's been awhile since I've done a stuff-I've-bought-that-I-like post, so why not fill up your Sunday afternoon with some stuff. Sidenote- I finally de-oaked our bedroom door. Next step is updating the door knob. Projectsprojectsprojects. 

For starters, I'm loving this criss cross sweatshirt. It's super lightweight and a dupe for a much more expensive version at Athleta. I like this to throw on over my running clothes when we do errands. What a great price point too!

I know I've blogged about this item before, but I swear by Turkish towels. They're lightweight cotton and soak up a lot of water, but also dry so much quicker than regular beach towels. Plus they can double up as a swimsuit cover-up. I always keep one in my car for spontaneous park picnics (yes I'm happy to say that in spite of my deficits as a mom, I *do* that sort of thing with the kids). 

This Supergoop setting spray is a summer must for me. It's SPF 50 and I tend to use it more midday for a refresh on sun protection. Having a spray touch up is so much easier than reapplying goopy sunscreen in front of a mirror. 

I've been using Clarins self tanner drops for years, but got this Isle of Paradise self tanning drops in a Sephora kit and I like it. It's at a slightly lower price point, and it's not just for face. I find that 2 drops mixed with my morning SPF lotion helps tamper down the ghost pale I've got going for me. 

More Supergoop here- SPF 30 lip balm that doesn't have flavor. I get tired of fakey fruity flavors of lip balms, and even though it's acai infused, it's neutral going on. 

This Coola SPF 30 spray is specifically for your scalp. I am not a huge hat girl and so at least a few times each summer I end up getting a burn either on my part or on my hairline. I've tried doing body sunscreen spray but that ends up making my hair so gross and greasy. This stuff has proven to not be greasy at all- which is very important for a girl who washes her hair...once...a...week. Yup. 

As for best body sunscreen, I read some sort of scientific-y article years back where this La Roche Posay was voted by dermatologists to have the most potent anti-sun ingredients. I've been buying it ever since. It rubs in easily, doesn't feel greasy, and isn't chalky. Often times I'll see it on sale on Walgreen's website so I stock up then. 

I've tried three different detangling brushes now and this one from Bathpack is by farrrrrr the best. I don't even need a detangling spray with this one it's *that* good. Perfect for post shower or post swimming. 

I bought these fun Lilly Pulitzer sunglasses on our recent Bahamas vacation. We took a shuttle over to the massive Baha Mar hotel and casino (seriously it's like the poshest Vegas hotel...only on a beach) and while my husband gambled and lost money, I shopped. I mean, if we're both going to lose $50, I at least want something to show for it!

It is cliche to comment about how fast summer is flying by, but it's true! I've already been getting so much use out of these products, and we still fortunately have weeks to go!

Fitness Friday/Sad Day

I've mentioned this before, but our "home gym" is nothing to brag about. It's literally a treadmill, TRX straps, four sets of hand weights, a yoga mat, and a 15 year old TV, living in harmony among cinderblock walls and old paint cans and roofing shingles.

This relic of a Toshiba TV- note the built in VHS AND DVD players- has been a champ for me. I got this bad boy sophomore year of college. It's seen everything from the first season of "24" to "Laguna Beach" (yah I know) to...Jackie Warner!

This is my all-time favorite workout DVD. I know it's pretty old school to do workout DVDs, but I will allllllways do better with someone else telling me what to do, rather than me making up my own stuff...as seen here...

Too bad the build in DVD player died this week. Whaaaah. Now we are on the hunt for a free, or cheap at least, DVD player that we can externally plug in. First world problems.

Why am I into workout DVDs? Like I mentioned- someone else leading is a major way that I can stay focused. It's time consuming (ok like maybe 2-3 minutes) to write down my own workout. When I do my own thing, I always end up cheating myself out of finishing reps, or not doing enough reps at all. It's also more motivating to watch someone! Having an instructor- whether in real life or on the screen- count you down helps me push myself to finish a certain exercise.

Another big perk of having an instructor is that form tends to stay better. If I am watching someone exercise, I can better check myself- how low am I really going on my push ups? Am I pushing my knee too far forward during lunges? A good instructor will remind you to check your form.

DVDs are fairly cheap. I'm always one to buy used off Amazon. There are tons of options on YouTube as well, and if you have Comcast fancy cable stuff (I can't keep track of what it's called now- I for sure don't pay for that) there are entire channels devoted to workout programs.

Now that I'm not following a half marathon training plan, my goal is to run 3 times a week at least 3 miles each run, and do 1-2 days of strength training. That's when I do the DVD, or for now, my own thing.

So...anyone have a DVD player they don't need? Clearly I don't discriminate against age!

Growing Pains

Holy heat wave! It's been in the upper 80s the past few days, which is a bit unusual for early June. We've been breaking out the sprinkler and kiddie pool daily, along with making some new friends.

Sidenote- the friendship was VERY one sided.

My gardens have been coming up pretty nicely now. I'm always tinkering around with trying new kinds of vegetables. Of course I devote nearly an hour every day to weeding the gardens and the landscaping!

Tiny corn stalks! Or as my 3 year old says, TINY CONE!

Tiny sunflowers! So the neighbor lady behind us is a "collector" and while we save up for a privacy fence, a few rows of sunflowers will hopefully give us some colorful coverage this summer and fall.

Raspberries gone wild! This huge patch started out with a dozen transplants from my friend. It only takes two years for them to triple in amount.

Even the playhouse gets some gardening love.

I am beyond happy that our cherry tree, which we just planted last summer, will have a few hundred cherries already!

I pack as much as gardenly possible in this 10x10 space. I have green pole beans and purple pole beans. I have cut-and-grow mixed green lettuce. I have Italian parsley. I have green basil. Purple basil. Sugar snap peas. Roma tomatoes. Black cherry tomatoes. Yellow tomatoes. Roma tomatoes. Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes.

In the past I've made my own stringers with two wooden stakes and twine. Inevitably the climbing peas end up being too heavy and it sags way down. I invested in this expandable pea trellis from Gardener's Supply Company. Even with a slight accordion fold, it fits the garden perfectly. I also ordered their bean towers, as they advertise you can grow 2,400 beans in the 18 inch footprint. Coming soon: The Everyday Dietitian Eats Nothing But Beans.

I hope that you are able to have some sort of flowers, veggies, or fruits growing. Whether it be in a deck planter or a huge space, it is so fun to see things grow!

Officially summer

Okay so not reeeeally officially summer because that's technicaaaaaally June 21st, but BRING IT ON.

We had a great Memorial weekend. Kicked it off with a schlep to Fleet Farm to get a billion bags of mulch and annuals to plant.

Every year I vow to just get the pre-made planters that are so pretty and chock full of blooms, but then without fail also every year I think Heck no, I'm not spending $30 per planter! I'll do my own! And then I proceed to spend $28  per planter plus hours of manual labor.

Then after the kids went to bed, we opened up the ol' firepit. And bottle of wine. And popcorn...with chocolate chips.

Saturday was filled with playing vehicles outside and a nature walk.

On Sunday we headed out to the lake for some family time and fishing.

If you don't eat some sort of red white and blue dessert, are you even an American?

Monday was pretty much a washout weather-wise but we still saw friends most of the day. That brings us to...Wednesday night!

So I made a recipe that I am DYING to share because hoooooooly buckets it's GOOD. And EASY. And filled with protein and veggies. Can I get you to commit to making it now? Do it do it do it do it.

Chicken Parm Burgers
-2 lbs ground chicken
-1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
-1 tablespoon dried parsley
-1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
-1 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
-8 slices mozzarella cheese
-1 cup fresh baby spinach (optional)
-8 whole grain/whole wheat sandwich thins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large griddle to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine chicken and seasonings. Form into 8 patties. Spray griddle with nonstick cooking spray. Cook burgers about 5 minutes, then flip. They should be nice and golden brown on both sides.

Pour 1/4 of the marinara sauce in a large oven proof skillet (or you could also use a 9x13ish baking dish). Arrange the patties, then pour over remaining marinara sauce. Bake for 30 minutes, or until internal temperature reads at least 165 degrees. Place a slice of cheese over each marinara-covered patty. Crank oven up to broil. Put the burgers under the broiler and watch closely- the cheese will start melting and bubbling in just a few minutes. Remove from oven.

Serve on a sandwich thin along with some fresh spinach.

Holy wow. Sloppy and juicy and all the flavors of chicken parm, minus the calorie bomb factor of all the breading and gobloads of cheese.

Per burger: 430 calories, 33 grams carbs, 9 grams fiber, 21 grams fat, 34 grams protein

Are these on your not-technically-officially-summer to-make list yet? I sure hope so!

Summer-ish

Never mind that today is 45 degrees, rainy, windy, and all around horrible. It's been a bea-u-tiful week around here.

The half marathon! It went well! I mean, not time-wise, 'cause it was my slowest race ever, buuuut I felt pretty good running and it was an enjoyable time. I do question the actual distance because my GPS reported 13.9 miles...hmm...

He picked me some weed-flowers while I was being a total post-race couch potato.

My parents treated us to Mother's Day Brunch. This was the best photo of us all. I don't care if you're not going to be looking at the camera, but for Pete's sake, stop adjusting yourself down there.

I thrifted a cuuuute Patagonia pullover for $6. And yeah, I need to clean my room.

Drinking the Golden Goose sneaker kool-aid and it's pretty good.

Turns out I DID get some tulips popping up in the front yard! That my boys just *had* to pick to give to me! Ugggggh.

You know how something looks really nice and pleasant in the moment and then you look back in a photo and realize that it looks like we have 27 chairs strewn about our patio?

Nice weather and flowers and summery stuff aside, I made a new recipe this week! Er, kind of! My husband and I love Asian food, but traditional take-out is a total calorie/fat/salt bomb, and we feel sick to our stomachs after we eat it. Enter homemade chicken lo mein. It's easy (of course), veggie-packed (of course), and the whole family ate it up (of course).

I posted the video tutorial on Instagram and Facebook, so check out the how-to in action. Here's the written recipe.

Easy Chicken Lo Mein
1 box lo mein noodles (14 oz) or thin whole wheat spaghetti
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about 1" thick
4 tablespoons sesame oil (can sub vegetable or olive oil)1 bunch bok choy, most of the leaves discarded and roughly chopped
1 bunch green onions, thinly chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
~2 cups frozen or fresh broccoli
2 cups matchstick carrots
(Feel free to add additional veggies!)
2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1-2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

In a large pot over high heat, boil water and cook noodles according to package directions. Drain in a colander and let sit in the sink. Replace large pot over hot burner, turn to medium high, and add 1 tablespoon sesame oil and add chicken breasts. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally to evenly brown. Remove and place on a cutting board.

Add another tablespoon of sesame oil, put pot back on hot burner, add veggies. Stir occasionally until crisp-tender. While the veggies are cooking, give your chicken a quick dice.

Add noodles and chicken back to the veggie pot. In a pourable measuring cup, whisk together soy sauce, remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, brown sugar, ground ginger, and sesame seeds. Pour over noodles/veggie mix. Stir to evenly combine. Serve!

Makes six heaping servings. Per serving: 440 calories, 74 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams fat, 17 grams protein. If you're aiming for fewer carbs, you could halve the noodles and increase veggie content by 3 cups worth.

A great healthy meal that's a total dupe for takeout food- perfect for a post-race dinner or any dinner!