Favorite Summer Treats

Happy Summer! Although it's felt like summer here in Southwest Louisiana for weeks now, I can officially say that summer has arrived in full force, complete with a tropical storm! What a way to kick off the season. The portions of Tropical Storm Cindy (the "eye") that hit SWLA only left us with minimal flooding, although other areas of the south can't say the same. Sad face....stay safe, guys!

By Thursday afternoon, all remnants of the storm will hopefully have passed through so life can resume as normal, including Dopey training!

With summer's heat and humidity and all things related, I like to enjoy a cold, sweet treat on occasion, especially after a hot run. I'm a sweets fan (bad, I know) and after a long Saturday run in the ridiculous heat and humidity, I usually crave all the cold things!

#1 Fruit

Strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, kiwi, grapes, bananas...you name it, I love it! Watermelon is definitely a summer favorite for sure!

#2 Gatorade

I guess it's not truly a "treat" but it's a necessity for me on long hot summer training runs, especially while training with longer distances!

#3 Snoballs

Hello...who wouldn't enjoy one of these after a hot long run?! They are the perfect way to cool down, although you have to eat fast if you're attempting to enjoy it outside!

#4 Smoothies

I know I mentioned it on Monday, but a local juicery opened here and oh my goodness...so many healthy and delicious options were available. I know I'll be a frequent visitor here this summer for sure! Also, nothing beat a nice homemade cold smoothie with a frozen banana and a little fruit...pure heaven!

#5 Iced Coffee

Aaaah yes...a nice cold coffee on a warm summer morning is the perfect way to begin the day! I enjoy these often during the summer!

With all of these yummy treats, I'm destined to survive marathon training during the hot and humid summer months!

What's your favorite summer treat?

Fitness Friday - 7/3

Happy 4th of July Weekend! Today, I'm enjoying a little time off of work followed by a weekend spent with family and friends! :)

Currently training for: 
Louisiana Half Marathon
Rock ‘n’ Roll NOLA Half Marathon
Glass Slipper Challenge
Castaway Challenge
Diva’s Half Marathon
Contraband Days 5 Miler
4 on the 4th

Saturday – T.G.I.F. GT5K
Sunday – Rest Day
Monday –  3 mile run/walk with Jason; PT exercises - lunges/squats with weights
Tuesday –  Tone It Up Kettle-bell Workout
 Wednesday – Rest Day
Thursday – Rest Day
Friday – All 4 Run - Gone For A Run's 4 Miler

This week, my goal was to run several days and keep up my leg/PT exercises...especially since I have a 4th of July 4 Mile race tomorrow! I'm definitely going to set several alarms so I don't have a repeat of last year! :)

 3 mile run/walk with Jason! 

 
Summertime means smoothies for breakfast! This one included:

• 1 cup of sliced strawberries
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 cup Silk almond milk

Blend, serve, and enjoy! :)

Summertime also means summer-berry salads....from McAlisters, of course!

Today, I'm going to complete Gone For a Run's All 4 Run 4 Mile Virtual Race. I'm looking forward to enjoying a run on my day off work! :)

This week was a bit of a hard week as well. Wednesday marked two years since my grandfather's passing and today is 2 years since his funeral - it's hard to believe how two years have gone by so quickly! Although I miss him terribly, time truly does heal all wounds (and I'm so grateful for that).

How was your week? Any fun 4th of July plans? Running a 4th of July race?

Whatever you choose to do, have fun and be safe!!

Recipe: Silk Almond Milk Smoothies

The weather is warming up outside, we are seeing sunny (and rainy) days, and spring is officially here. Smoothies are a great way to combat the heat, and I love having them for breakfast in the spring and summer months!



Over the past two weeks, I’ve enjoyed a smoothie for breakfast almost every morning. I tossed around several recipes and came up with a few I think you’ll enjoy, too!

This was my first time to use Silk’s brand of almond milk and I have to say that I really enjoyed the texture – it’s creamier than other almond milk brands I’ve tried in the past.

To begin, all of my smoothies call for a ripe (or very ripe) frozen banana. They also call for ice and a creamy base – in this case, I used Silk Almond Milk. All three recipes are Paleo friendly, too (if you consider processed almond milk paleo…some things you just can’t help…) and are also all around 275-300 calories a piece!  (I also liked using Silk almond milk as an alternative to dairy milk because it contains fewer calories.)

-----------------------------------------------



“Elvis” Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Silk Almond Milk
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ripe frozen banana
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 tbsp honey

Blend together in a blender, serve, and enjoy!



This smoothie is very chocolate-y and rich. If you would like to change it up a bit, only adding 1 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder would work, too!

----------------------------------------------



Banana Cream Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Silk Almond Milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 ripe frozen banana
• 1 tbsp almond butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 tbsp honey

Blend together in a blender, serve, and enjoy!



If you know me, you know I love banana flavored anything! This was definitely a favorite of mine out of the three! :)

------------------------------------------------



Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Silk Almond Milk
• 1 ripe frozen banana
• 1 cup of frozen pineapple chunks
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 cup of halved fresh strawberries

Blend together in a blender, serve, and enjoy!





So refreshing on a warm morning!

------------------------------------------------

Almond Milk isn’t the only product produced by Silk! In fact, they also offer products such as soy milk, cashew milk, dark chocolate almond milk (umm…yum!), coconut milk, even yogurt…the list goes on!

• Interested in more recipes? Visit Silk’s Smoothie Solution Landing Page where you can find a ton of great ideas for smoothies with a variety of ingredients!
• Want to know where to find Silk? Check out their product locator to find a Silk distributor near you!
• Would you like to save a little money while trying out this product? Sign up for Silk newsletter and receive a coupon!
  

What’s your favorite type of smoothie/favorite smoothie ingredients?


Disclaimer: This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine. Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.