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Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #79

Hello all!

Happy Friday! I hope you all are enjoying your week and have something fun planned for the weekend as we enjoy the first few days of a new month. I’m excited to dive into all things Valentine’s Day and love.

As always, I’m linking up with ErikaĀ andĀ AndreaĀ for this weekā€™s Friday Favorites as I share some of my favorite things from this past week. Let’s dive right in!

Thermos– I got this Thermos for Christmas and really have been loving it. I sometimes take soup or pasta to work, but didn’t always have the proper container to keep it warm and insulated. After I started using the thermos, it truly solves my problems. It keeps my food warm and fresh when I have warmer dishes, but it also does a great job at keeping my salads cool too. It’s also a great size for portions. Although, I tend to have access to a microwave to heat things up, this has been a great tool when I am on the go.

The Senator’s Wife– I finished The Senator’s Wife by Liv Constantine and absolutelyĀ loved it. I checked it out through Libby, an app that you can check out E-Books or Audiobooks through your library. I really have been loving it, I’m currently listening to an audiobook now. The Senator’s Wife is a drama/thriller that involves a senator and his new wife and some of the challenges and drama they go through, especially when she starts to get very sick. The story is through four different perspectives as the events unfold. The middle and ending were so good that I kept looking for pockets of time to read more, that’s when you know it’s a good book.Ā 

Indoor Cycling– We have been getting lots of snow over the past few weeks which means I haven’tĀ been able to get outdoors for running. I’ve done some running on the treadmill, but have also enjoyed indoor cycling to get my cardio in. Although I prefer running more, riding the bike has been a great alternative in the winter months. I often listen to a podcast or audiobook when I’m on the bike, or I’ll respond to emails. I like trying different forms of cardio when working out, just to work on different muscle groups. I may even lean more into outdoor cycling when in the spring and summer

Pinterest Recipes- A lot of recipes I have been trying recently have come from Pinterest. I have been using Pinterest almost as google when it comes to trying new dishes. I love finding different recipes and meals to put together on Pinterest and most of the time the directions are easy to follow. I have had success in the kitchen recently and plan to keep testing out new recipes, whether they be meals or a baked good (or both) every week. Tell me what are some of your favorite cozy recipes?

Air Fryer Recipes– From one meal related topic to another. My family got an Air Fryer for Christmas and have used it a handfulĀ of times but want to use it more. What are some of your favorite Air Fryer recipes? I’m looking for healthy food options. We have tried chicken tenders and enjoyed them and have also tried to heat up different foods like pizza, wings, etc. For any Air Fryer lovers out there, what are your favorite things to make and what should I try? Let me know in the comments below! I appreciate any suggestions. Thank you in advance!!!

That’s a look into life lately and what I’m loving. Tell me: what’s been catching your eye this week? 

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Meal Prepping Ideas

Hey everyone! Happy Wednesday! I hope your week is going smoothly and you were able to enjoy Galentineā€™s Day with your girlfriends or Valentineā€™s Day with your significant other.

I did a post last year with ideas for lunches. You can find it here. I am on the go during the work day, so having an easy lunch ready to go, makes my days smoother. I typically plan out my meals on my weekend. Iā€™ll see what things I have in my pantry and fridge to make meals from that before I go shopping. In addition to a main meal, Iā€™ll typically pack a few snacks and sides. 

In the winter months, it can be easy to get into a routine or rut when it comes to meal ideas. 

I tried a few different recipes and meals lately for lunch and I wanted to share them with you today! Hereā€™s some meals Iā€™ve been loving. 

Iā€™ve been making soup a lot recently, I can make a big pot and then save it and store it and then enjoy it for a week for lunch at work. So far this season, I made a Chicken Noodle Soup and then a Shrimp Avocado Medicine Soup both from Jessie James Deckerā€™s cookbook, Just Feed Me. Both have been tasty and hearty and fill me up during the work day.

Chicken Noodle Soup
Shrimp Avocado Medicine Soup

After I finished making my Shrimp Avocado Medicine Soup, I had some leftover frozen veggies and quinoa, so for the following week, I used the veggies and quinoa to make a stir fry that lasted me all week. Another nutritious, tasty and hearty meal.

Meal prepping! I make a big bowl and then divide it up for a week of meals.

Rice and veggies is always a go to for meals for lunches. I tried out a new recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice from Jessie James Decker’s cookbook, Just Feed Me. I added some broccoli and my divided it up for a week’s worth of lunches. Yum!

Flavorful and healthy!

Some weeks, Iā€™ll change up my meals and buy a few snack packs that are easy to throw in my lunch. My snack packs include grab and go guacamole with some carrots or cracker and some cheese or grapes. Itā€™s well balanced and is easy to eat on the road. 

A look at my meals for this past week.

In addition to my main meal, Iā€™ll include a trail mix, some crackers, or a granola bar, sometimes even a cookie or two.

A look at my storage for snacks and my meals.

Sometimes, I have all my ducks in a row and I am killing it at meal prepping, other times, Iā€™ll eat leftovers from the night before for lunch, but itā€™s all about balance and not wasting food. Thereā€™s nothing worse than throwing away good food that hasnā€™t been eaten. 

My storage bags I got for Christmas have come in handy!

If you are stuck in a rut when it comes to your meal prepping, I hope this post gives you some inspiration. 

What are some things you like to put in your lunch? Let me know in the comments below!