Hi friends! Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? We’re officially on baby watch and I feel like a little kid heading towards Christmas morning. Baby August will be here ANY DAY and the girls can’t wait to meet their new cousin. I’m so thrilled for Kyle and Meg! By the time I write next week’s Friday Faves post, he’ll be here!!

Other than Baby Watch 2019, we have some fun plans for the weekend: a soccer game with friends, girls’ night, date night, a birthday party, taxes (ew) and finishing up the house. This is in between the usual weekend fun of pancake mornings, staying in our jammies as long as humanly possible, and playing outside with the girls.The Pilot made a ton of progress on the garage while I was in Portland, so we’re just putting the final touches on everything in between hauling boxes to recycling and Goodwill. It will be so nice to have our garage gym set up again!

(Our lil garage gym from when we were in San Diego)

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party! Please shout out something you’re lovin’ in the comments section if you’d like to join in the fun.

Beauty + fashion:

This floss! Is it weird to be so excited about floss? I picked this up at the Beautycounter conference. In the shop, they had quite a few products from clean brands they love. I was intrigued by this floss since I’d recently heard that certain floss brands are not so great for you, and even though it was expensive for the floss world. I decided to give it a whirl.

The verdict? It has a gentle mint flavor and is a thicker strand so it feels like it really cleans in between my teeth. Floss isn’t usually something I’m that picky about, but now that I’ve tried the good stuff, I guess I can’t go back. 

My second Trunk Club delivery! (<— referral link) It wasn’t quite as big of a home run as my first trunk – some of the sizing was off – but I LOVED this Madewell dress. It will be super cute this spring and summer with sandals and a jean jacket or with wedges and hoops out to dinner. You can check out my full review of Trunk Club here. I especially love it because you can see what they’re going to send in advance (and decline certain items to be replaced by something else) and we don’t have a Nordstrom in Tucson. This gives me a way to have some items curated for me and try them on before I purchase. It’s like a lil Nordstrom shopping experience right at home. (Plus if you have a Nordstrom card, they waive the $25 fee! <— this fee goes towards anything you’d like to purchase)

Read, watch, listen:

Definitely check out this podcast episode with Shawn Stevenson and Chalene Johnson. They’re two of my favorite people – and huge inspirations for me in the fitness industry – and this issue was filled with so much truth, knowledge, and motivation.  

I loved this article with dad texts (and all of the heartfelt and hilarious comments).

Dinner party tips from the QUEEN.

A very interesting peek into the life of one of my favorite Peloton instructors.

Why RDs don’t recommend keto for weight loss or as a lifestyle (and I 100% agree with them).

Great list of mom hacks. I never leave the house without a snack bag.

Good eats:

I’m officially back on the acai bowl train. I recently grabbed one with a friend at Nekter and it was SO.GOOD. If you’re looking to make one at home, here’s my go-to recipe).

Ok I need to try this for an easy, savory dinner.

A Mediterranean chicken sheet pan recipe.

Prep & Pastry is growing. So pumped about this! 

Fitness:

A guided cooldown; perfect for post-workout.

Pick up those weights, friends.

My latest post for WebMD is here! This one is all about finding a workout that works for you.

Exercise can have a biggest impact on weight maintenance than nutrition.

Don’t forget to check out this week’s total body strength + HIIT video!

Happy Friday!

xo

Gina

Congrats to the winners of the sneaky lipgloss giveaway: @fit_lindsaymae and @wigglewoggle ! I’ll have your lip glosses on the way today and stay tuned for more sneaky giveaways.

The post Friday Faves appeared first on The Fitnessista.

Per request! Many moons ago, we made a summer cheese here. It was simple, had a few handmade components but was super quick to throw together. Since then, and especially lately with the holidays...

Please visit Sprouted Kitchen to view this Recipe.

At long last I’m able to give you a bit of an update on my recent health struggles! If you’re catching up, read this post and this post (and the comments) first.

Well, where did we leave off? To start, I’m so thankful to have found a great naturopath after not having an overly helpful experience earlier in the year. I’ve been struggling with my symptoms on and off for years now, so it’s been a huge relief to finally get some answers! Slowly but surely I’m starting to feel like a new person. My recent tests showed that my hormones are a hot mess…estrogen is too high, my morning cortisol is way too low (hello, feeling like a zombie even after a decent night’s sleep), and one of my thyroid hormones is also too low. My doctor had suspected many of these results based on my symptoms, but it was interesting to see them on paper! I’m definitely no expert on this stuff, but I learned that when one hormone is off, it can impact another…and on and on the cycle goes, often throwing your entire system out of whack in the process. I felt such relief knowing that how I was feeling wasn’t just in my head all this time.

It’s so easy to push through feeling awful, blaming your symptoms on other things. I can’t even tell you how many times I told myself that I felt like crap because I was a new mom, or I was nursing and up in the middle of the night, or I was working out too hard (or not enough), or I wasn’t taking my vitamins, or my diet wasn’t balanced, or I was just feeling anxious about changes in my life. Some of those things may have been part of the issue, but I overlooked the real possibility that something beyond my immediate control was at work.

Dear self: it’s okay to ask for help.

Speaking of which, my biggest regret is that I didn’t get help for my symptoms sooner. It’s easy to put off, especially when Dr. Google is at your fingertips. Everyone would tell me how important it is to take care of myself while raising two young kids, but most days I just pushed it aside and tried to rely on the fact that I am a generally healthy person who eats well and exercises. My mom and Nicole were the ones who finally pushed me to get help…we all need those people in our lives who look out for us! Sometimes you have to learn the hard way, but I’m grateful for this lesson and wake-up call. I may have ignored my body’s messages for quite some time, but once I commit to something, I’m all-in, and I’ve been such a good “student” these past few months!

Taking the time to heal has set me back on some career goals this year, but sometimes there’s no better goal than good health. I actually can’t think of a better way to celebrate OSG’s upcoming 10-year milestone than circling back to my journey to health, which is the reason I started my blog! It’s just another reminder that our journey is always changing and evolving over time.

I’ll try to update you again as soon as I have more to share, but in the meantime if you have any questions, or would like to share your own experiences, I would LOVE to read them below.

Oh, and I should probably mention this recipe before I go! My naturopath recently encouraged me to add more green tea to my diet, and this has been my go-to mix. I had requests for the recipe after sharing it on Insta Stories last week, so I decided to put it up on both the app and blog! I hope you’ll find this warm, creamy matcha blend as calming and gently energizing as I have.

This is a busy season, and I’m feeling energized by the warmer weather and longer days. Finally! I can’t wait for Kansas City to turn green again.

It seems like we could never have enough quick weeknight recipes, so I’m sharing a collection of my favorites today. These are warm and comforting, yet fresh and full of nutritious vegetables. They’re exactly what I’m craving right now.

If you appreciate this post, you might also want to bookmark my “easy weeknight dinners” category, which I update with recipes as they are published. For all of my vegetarian dinner recipes, simply click here or click on the “dinner” link in the menu bar. Don’t forget that my cookbook has many more delicious weeknight dinners, big salads, and more.

Continue to the recipe...

The post 20 Simple Vegetarian Dinners appeared first on Cookie and Kate.

Hi friends! How’s the day treating ya? The week is off to a pretty great start. Yesterday, I had breakfast with a friend and taught a spin class later that evening, and today, I have two podcast interviews. The show will be back the week of June 3 and I have so many fun and informative episodes headed your way. 

[The decaf almond milk latte at Cartel is my fave]

Lunch was a huge smoothie and piece of sourdough, 

and for dinner, we had this shrimp pasta with sautéed zucchini and bell peppers. I just sautéed the shrimp with butter, garlic, lemon zest, and a little parmesan, and served it with angel hair noodles. It was one of this easy and super quick dinners that the girls loved. They’re huge fans of anything with shrimp right now.

(Our kitchen lighting at night is gorgeous, I tell ya)  

For today, I have a random question for you: if you went back to school or chose another profession, what would you do?

I’ve thought about going back to school for years now. While I don’t think it’s going to be anytime super soon – there’s kind of a lot happening behind the scenes – I often daydream about the time when it happens. It’s funny because in college, I always thought it was “so cute” when “old” (old = 30+) people were in my classes. Like, “Oh, there’s Jan, raising her hand to show she knows the answer for every question.” And one day that will be me lol.

I finished half of my MBA in Valdosta (my Bachelor’s is in Finance from the U of A) and to be honest, right now, I don’t really see myself finishing it. What would I do if I had my MBA? Probably what I’m doing right now: running my own business, but with enhanced skills and knowledge under my belt. I thought it would be fascinating to go back to school to be a Physical Therapist, or possibly go to acupuncture school. Those are my top two right now. If you could go back to school for anything, and time and tuition didn’t matter, what would you do?

I’m excited to read these comments!

Have a wonderful day.

xo

Gina

Heads up: there is a HUGE Beautycounter sale happening right now!

It’s 15% off the entire site for friends and family. If you’ve been wanting to try Beautycounter, this is your chance! You can also take a skincare quiz here to find which regimen works for you!I highly recommend the overnight peel, the dew skin, the #1 brightening oil, the charcoal mask, the brow gel, and any of the lip products. I wear the color intense lipstick or a lipgloss every day. Also, with summer on the way, we have awesome sunscreens with clean ingredients. The sunscreen stick is the perfect size to stash in your purse! Check out the full sale here and email me or comment below if you have any questions. 

The post What would you do? appeared first on The Fitnessista.

This enchilada recipe is cheesy, comforting, and makes a delicious casserole to take to anyone who just had a baby, or needs a little pick-me-up. They’re also perfect to freeze and make ahead for busy weeknight dinners!

Hi friends! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? I hope you had a wonderful one. We had so many fun adventures – a girls’ night, a date night, park time, a zoo field trip, crepes, and a soccer game! – but the weekend started off with taking a baby meal to a good friend. We’ve known him since our first move to North Carolina; pretty much our whole military life. I was so excited when they welcomed a gorgeous baby girl into the family, and of course I signed up to bring a baby meal to celebrate. 

I can’t believe that I haven’t shared my go-to enchilada recipe on the blog!! This is purely accidental. I want to post it every single time I make them, but they’re eaten quickly and I usually make them at night, so with the yellow light, it doesn’t make the prettiest photos. I decided to just post it with the iPhone photos I took so you guys can have it!

This is the recipe I always make. The girls request enchiladas at least once a month and crush them every time, and it’s my standard baby meal. I feel like maybe I should switch up my baby meal menu because pretty much everywhere you look in Tucson, an enchilada stares you in the face. But, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And these beauties definitely ain’t broke. 

This recipe seems like a lot of steps, but the more you make it, the easier and faster it happens. Just trust the process; it’s worth it. Put on some Juanes radio on Spotify, pour a little wine, and go for it!  This recipe makes a double batch, so definitely make a pan for yourself and one to gift to a neighbor, a friend, someone with a new baby (they really need enchiladas!) or wrap and put it in the freezer. You’ll thank yourself later.

Important: chicken and tortillas matter. For the chicken, I always use store-bought rotisserie chicken. It has the most flavor and best texture. The best part is that you don’t waste 100 years grilling and baking your chicken. And don’t even boil it unless you want the chicken to taste like white, chewy rubber, mmmm k?

As far as the tortillas go, I try to get as close to homemade as possible. When I’m feeling extra, I use the frozen fresh tortillas from Costco. You cook them on the griddle until they’re lightly golden brown and your whole house will smell amaaaaazing. The best part about making your own: enjoy them warm with a little butter and jam, rolled up, and they’re pretty much the best thing ever. (We call them “jam things” in our family and it’s a tradition from when you’re about two until forever.) If you don’t have homemade, don’t worry!! Just make sure to get the ones with a paper label on the inside (this means they’re legit) like Alejandro’s brand. Also, don’t be afraid to feel the tortillas before you put them in your cart. Make sure they’re soft and nice! You can use corn tortillas, but I find that the flour ones give it a better texture. 

(This pic was from a batch I made a couple of years ago! They got a little toasty under the broiler.)

Here’s the recipe! I hope you love it.

I always pack these up with salsa, chips, homemade guac, Instant Pot Mexican Rice, beans (these need their one post, too!), and for this particular baby meal, I added a margarita mix, bottle of tequila, and a few limes.

What’s your favorite comfort food? If your friend has a baby, what’s your go-to meal recipe? I’m always looking for new ideas! I also love to make lactation cookies for new mamas, too. 

Happy Monday!

xo

Gina

The post The best cheesy sour cream enchiladas appeared first on The Fitnessista.