Just a Few Thursday Things…

The sun is shining and we’re in flip-flops and shorts…crazy, but loving this January weather!  While it was nice to have the warm breeze blowing through the house and the sun shining through the windows, we needed to get out!  Sometimes a little break in the day does wonders.

We met up with Grammy and my little nephew along with a couple other friends for a picnic lunch in the park…

and some swing time!

Lovin’ the fresh air….

Flyin’ like “superwoman”!

 How could this smile not melt your heart?  His sweet giggles going down the slide brought the sunshine to my day!

There’s something about a nice warm day that calls out for a fresh “green” smoothie.  In the mix: kiwi, strawberries, mango and spinach…oh yumm!!

Even saved some for my “man of steel”!  The hubs was most deserving of this post-workout treat!  He’s been working extra hard at incorporating more cardio at the gym so he’s prepared to run alongside me (notice I say “alongside” and not WAY ahead of me!) for our March 5K!  He’s also been willing good at incorporating more “greens” into his diet while at the same time lessening the amount of sugar intake. 

Although the thought of limiting sugar in our diet sounded a bit intimidating at first, we’ve actually been doing really well at sticking with it!  Check out this blog post for some good tips on eliminating sugar along with some sugar substitutes.  Two of my favorite “sugar swaps” have been simply using more fruit purees (bananas, applesauce, dates, etc..) and I just picked me up some “Raw Coconut Crystals” that I’m absolutely loving.

(source)

These happen to be one of the “sweet treats” that we’ve been indulging in, minus all the added sugar! 

My family LOVES bars…there is just something about grabbing a “bar” for a quick, fun snack.  Ever since I started making my own granola bars about a year ago we’ve never gone back to the packaged kind.  And the same goes for the hubs and I with our “protein bars”…there’s nothing better than homemade!  The princesses still hover over “Z-Bars” (Cliff bars for kids) whenever we’re in Sprouts or Trader Joe’s, but I cringe at the amount of sugar in these so-called healthy bars for kids.  The hubs always says, “Well, if you don’t like it then fix it!” So I fixed the problem!  I found this recipe on the Peas and Thank You blog that just made my day.   Almost like the real deal (and the princesses thought so too)!  I did make a few changes from the original recipe: I made sure to use gluten free rolled oats, swapped in almond flour for the oat flour, took the baking powder down to 1 tsp, used 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk, and didn’t end up putting in any added sweetener. A “sweet” ending to a sunshiny day!

If you love chocolate and you love granola stay tuned for another fun recipe!!

Blessings,

J’lene