Tag: fruit

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #101

Happy Friday friends, and a happy belated Fourth of July! I hope you had a wonderful day celebrating!

Here’s how I spent the holiday.

I started the day by doing my first 10K and setting a new PR!
Our spread
Snacks
Some desserts
And a show!

I hope you had a fantastic first week of July and are doing something fun and maybe even patriotic this weekend. I have a fun list of favorites for you today as I link up with Erika and Andrea.

Photo Refresh– I got a new art print for my birthday, it’s a watercolor portrait of different places Pride and Prejudice. I loved the print and got it framed, but I was looking for a spot to add it to my room. I moved some photos around and did a photo refresh in my room. I love how it turned out and how it was a much needed refresh.

Anyone But You– I know it’s been a while since this movie came out, but I finally got around to watching it. Anyone But You is all about a couple who has an awkward one night stand and then run into each other years later at a wedding. They decide to fake a relationship for the wedding and end up getting past their differences, but will they get together? It was a really cute rom-com and I’m glad I finally watched it. You can find it on Netflix.

Funny Story– Emily Henry’s latest book, Funny Story is out and I devoured it. This follows a similar storyline to Anyone But You. It’s all about a girl who gets dumped by her fiance for his oldest friend. She ends up moving in with oldest friend’s ex, temporarily. They end up becoming friends as he shows her around the town and community before the wedding. They decide to face the music and go to their ex’s wedding together, how about that for a plot twist?! I really loved this story and I love Henry’s writing style. I can’t wait to see what she works on next.

Cherries– I have never been a fan of cherries, but I gave them a try again this year and have really been enjoying them. I love the sweetness and the taste. I have enjoyed them by themselves or in a fruit salad. Now I haven’t attempted them in a dessert yet, but that may be next for me. What are your favorite cherry recipes?

The Girls on the Bus– Have you seen The Girls on the Bus on HBO Max? It’s all about four different female journalists as they hit the campaign trail for election season. I have really been enjoying this series after I finished the latest season of Bridgerton. I love all the different personalities and perspectives the characters bring. I found myself identifying with different characters at different times. I was sad to learn it got canceled after one season, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching it in its entirety.

There you have it, a look at life lately. What have you been up to? Did you have a good holiday? Let me know in the comments below! Have a fabulous weekend!

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #97

Hello everyone! A very happy Friday to you as we make our way through June! I LOVE this time of year. School is out for summer, schedules are allegedly a little more relaxed, nights seem longer, and you want to stay outside for as long as you can. I am truly living my best life. I already went to my first MLB game of the summer last week and had so much fun. Truly a perfect summer day!

Beautiful day for some summer baseball!

Before we get to the weekend and all the fun that comes with it, I’m sharing my latest roundup of what I’m loving this Friday as I link up with  Erika and Andrea 

Here’s what’s been on my radar of things I’m interested in.

Mostly What God Does-I got this book, Mostly What God Does a few months ago, but just got around to reading it. I adore Savannah Guthrie and I was so excited to read her book, especially since it was faith-based. It’s a series of essays about faith, God, his love, and life. You can read it all at once, but I’m choosing to read an essay/passage a night. I finished my other nightly devotional, Near in the Night, and decided this was the perfect time to start a new one. I really love how Guthrie has the book laid out. It gives readers a chance to really focus on the material and then digest it. This has been such a favorite for me.

New Lip Gloss– I got this lip gloss from Ulta Beauty as part of my birthday rewards. I always love to try new beauty and makeup products especially when they are either travel size or free. It gives you a good feel of the product before you invest in a full size. I always use any samples when I am traveling to see if I like them and to use them up. Now, back to the lip gloss. This is a new brand to me, but I love the gloss and shine it gives off. It’s a soft and subtle pink, so it can be worn on top of a darker matte if you are looking for some shine or it can be worn by itself if you are looking to elevate your look a bit. I’ve been really pleased with it, and I can see myself wearing it a lot in the summer months. 

Fruit and Granola– I have been in the fruit mode all summer long. I love fruit all year around, but there’s nothing quite like fresh fruit in the summer. Besides enjoying fruit at lunch, I have been enjoying some at night as a post-dinner snack or dessert. Here’s what I have been making, slicing up and fruit I have (strawberries, raspberries, bananas etc), adding a little bit of whipped cream, some mini chocolate chips and granola. It’s been the perfect healthy snack that satisfies my sweet tooth. This would be a great afternoon snack as well. 

Outlander Trailer– One of my favorite series, Outlander is coming back soon and the new trailer for the season dropped this past week. This season is all about the Revolution. The series is winding down so I’m excited to see how things wrap up. If you are a fan of the series, you can watch the trailer here. Also, for all the fans out there, what do you think of what to expect over the next few episodes?

Lululemon Top-I recently got some new activewear including some tops from Lululemon. Lavendar seems to be the color of the year and I am here for it. I love the lightweightness of the top and how breathable it is, those are two things that I always look for in athletic gear. I have paired this top with both leggings and shorts, but I do prefer the leggings as opposed to shorts. I love how it can be mixed and matched with other patterns since it’s a neutral top. This will definitely be getting a lot of wear in the summer months as I head to the gym, go for a run, or just lounging around the house.

Well there you have it, five of my favorite things from this past week. A mixed bag of clothes, beauty products, some summer snacks and a new book. Tell me: what are some things that have caught your eye recently? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

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Let's Get Cooking

Let’s Get Cooking: Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Hey guys! Happy Wednesday! I don’t know about you, but there is something so sweet about baking in the fall and trying new recipes after a nice long walk!

Happy Fall!

After doing some apple picking, I couldn’t wait to search Pinterest for some new recipes to try. I made this Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread a few weeks ago and it was a hit. Although it is a bread, it’s so sweet and flavorful, you can serve it as a dessert with a scoop of ice cream or on its own.

Without further ado, here’s a look at this tasty apple recipe.

Ingredients

1/3 cup of brown sugar

2  teaspoons of cinnamon

2 medium apples

2/3 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons

1 stick of butter

2 large eggs

1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla

1 ½ cup of flour

1 ¾ teaspoons of baking power

1 teaspoon of salt

½ cup of milk and 3 tablespoons

1 cup of powered sugar

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×5 pan with cooking spray, place parchment paper and then spray.

2) Mix brown sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

A look at your dry ingredients

3) Toss chopped apples with 2 tablespoons of sugar and one teaspoon of cinnamon and set aside.

Apple mixture

4) Beat butter and 2/3 cup of sugar with mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one and a time and vanilla.

5) Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl, add to cream mixture and blend. Mix ½ cup of milk until smooth.

6) Pour batter into loaf pan, add half of the apple mixture, sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top.

7) Continue to layer and swirl the mixture once complete.

8) Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes and check with a tooth pick.

9) To make glaze: mix powered sugar with milk and pour on top of bread once cooled.

10) Serve!

This recipe was so easy to make and so tasty! I know I will be making it more this fall season. You can eat it for breakfast, lunch, a snack or dessert.

Tell me: What are some of your apple recipes?

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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #8

Hello all! Happy Friday! I hope you had a great week and have some fun weekend plans, maybe even something fall-hello pumpkin patches and corn mazes? This week really felt like autumn was setting in, from the cooler weather to the changing leaves, it’s been giving me all the fall vibes.

I’m linking up with linking up with Erika and Andrea for today’s Friday Favorites! Here’s five things I’m loving this week. 

Apple Muffins– In true fall spirit, I have been spending a lot of time indoors and that includes doing lots of baking. From muffins to cookies, it’s been so fun and cozy to enjoy a warm treat inside.  Apples have been my go-to for baking. I made apple muffins this past week and they were a hit. I made them last year and couldn’t wait to make them again this year. They are so easy to make and require little prep and ingredients. I have plans to do some apple picking soon and I know I will be making more recipes with them. Here’s some more apple recipes I enjoy!

Old Navy Shirts– I did some shopping at Old Navy and one of the things I love are their t-shirts. I always get them in white or black in short and long sleeve to have some neutral colors, but they had cute colors for fall and I grabbed a few on sale. I love the color green and I love how it breaks up neutral colors. The fabric is also super soft too. Perfect for fall and winter.

Malibu Rising– I’ve also been doing a lot of reading. I’ve been on a Taylor Jenkins Reid kick. I read Daisy Jones and the Six in the summer and I just finished Malibu Rising this past week. It follows the story of one unforgettable party in Malibu that a family throws every year. However, at this one party, secrets come out, decisions are made and things are forever changed. I personally liked Daisy Jones and the Six better but this was still very good. For any Taylor Jenkins Reid fans out there, what book should I read next?

Snack Lunches– I’ve been eating a lot of lunches at home lately and as a way to clean out my fridge and use what I have, I’ve been enjoying snack plates. I’ll load up fresh cut fruits, veggies, cheese and crackers and enjoy. It’s healthy, filling and it uses what I have in my house. 

Operation Mincemeat– I’ve been enjoying some movies and shows on Netflix recently including Operation Mincemeat. It’s based on a true story about a mission during World War II involved Great Britain, Germany and Italy. I really enjoyed the plot, the mystery aspect and the casting too. It is a longer movie but keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

That’s a look into what I’m loving this week. Tell me, what’s a favorite thing or two you are loving this week! Let me know in the comments below! Happy Friday!