Friday Favorites

It was another fast week around here! I can’t believe we are already heading into our fall break soon! It’s crazy to me that October is already half over!

Now that I got that rant out of the way, it’s time to discuss some of my favorite things this week.

Favorite #1

The fall weather around here has been off the charts amazing. So one thing I (and we) have been loving lately is bonfire nights. Last weekend we sat by the fire both Saturday and Sunday evenings. Of course, we had to have s’mores!

If you haven’t seen these or tried these marshmallows you are seriously missing out! They are the perfect marshmallow for smores – flat and large. They fit perfectly within the square shape of the graham crackers. Must try!

Favorite #2

I love this bowl. I keep it in my freezer and use it for all my yogurt bowls, smoothie bowls, and protein “ice cream” bowls. It keeps the food so cold and frozen. I like my smoothies and “ice cream” to be very thick. Without this bowl they melt quickly, but in the bowl they stay thick and frozen for a LONG TIME. I can snack on a bowl slowly without it getting melty and runny on me.

Favorite #3

I am like a kid (or Seinfeld). I LOVE cereal. I eat it for snacks, for meals, and for dessert. It is the perfect topping to any bowl, adding a nice sweet crunch. I am in recomposition phase in my eating – so this means my carbs are high. Cereal is the perfect food to fill in my carbohydrate needs. Plus it’s delicious!

Two of my favorite cereals right now are Peanut Butter Chex and Puffed Kamut.

Peanut Butter Chex is da bomb. The peanut butter and sweetness factor are perfect – not too sweet or strong at all.

Puffed Kamut gives you a huge bang for your buck. You can have a lot of it for the macros, but it’s not boring either. It has a nice, natural sweetness to it, as well as a great crunch (it’s a gentle crunch that won’t tear up the roof of your mouth🤣). It reminds me of Honey Smacks (just not quite as sweet). Pro tip – put the Kamut on your bowl right before eating. It can get stale or soggy.

I do have a hard time finding Puffed Kamut in stores, so I get it on Amazon.

Favorite #4

With the weather turning cool and crisp this fall, I am loving my candles burning. As long as I am home, I have candles burning. These are a few of my favorites right now. I am not biased to one brand. I love Bath and Body 3 wick candles, Target soy candles; and Trader Joe’s candles are lovely as well. I keep one at my desk, living room, in my bathroom, and in the kitchen.

Favorite #5

My allergies typically act up during the fall season here in Indiana. With everything drying up and harvest in the fields, all the dust inflames my sinuses. This year is no exception.

So, I am trying to limit dairy – although you can see from the pictures of my bowls, this is a struggle for me.🤣

I am trying a different creamer for my coffee. My first cup of coffee, I prefer black. Then, mid-morning I like to have a second cup. In this mid-morning cup, I like to mix it up with a little creamer.

I typically love half and half, but this creamer is a good substitute. It’s obviously not as creamy as half and half, but it has a nice flavor to it. If you are limiting dairy, I would recommend trying this one.

Favorite #6

It’s no secret that I love my American Dream Nut Butters. I love every flavor, but I opened this new jar of Monster Cookie last night. I kept thinking, “What is that flavor I am picking up?” I finally realized it tastes exactly like Peanut M&M’s! Duh – but still! It really does taste like them and leaves that same awesome flavor in your mouth when you are done eating. 😍

I ate this on my Cream Of Rice bowl last night. It was such a delicious treat, topping – almost as good as eating a bag of the real thing! 😉

Which leads me to Favorite #7

Cream of Rice hot cereal. I love hot cereals – oatmeal, Oat Bran, CoCo Wheats, and now Cream of Rice. I feel like this is really old-school of me, but there is something so comforting about a hot bowl of cereal. It fills and satisfies my bottomless stomach. Especially when the weather is getting cooler, I crave warm, comfort foods. All the warm and cozies for me!

Another reason I am loving Cream of Rice these days, is I can get a bump of carbohydrate with zero fat and a lower amount of protein. I get a lot of protein in my diet, so I look for ways to get carbohydrates without protein. These cereals are a great source to hit those macro goals.

These cereals are kind of hard to find in most stores as well. I think because they are so old? 🤣🤷🏼‍♀️. I order them off of Amazon in bulk.

Final Favorite

While on topic of my hot cereals, this Maple Butter from Trader Joe’s is a delicious topping for bowls. It’s adds the perfect sweetness. It doesn’t require a lot. Just a tablespoon is the perfect addition to any hot bowl of goodness.