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Thinking Out Loud: Ridiculously Happy

Posted on June 19, 2014 by kissmybroccoli

TGITeeeeeeee!!

Oh my gosh you guys, I have SO much to talk about! Guess it’s a good thing it’s Thursday…no sense wasting time trying to come up with a witty intro…let’s get right to it!

Things have been abso-freaking-lutely disgustingly happy around here…you know, if you couldn’t guess by the ridiculous smile on my face! 😉 As you guys know, I usually have a problem getting back to “normal” after vacation, but the fact that I have slid right back into place…or possibly an even BETTER place with my diet and exercise has me pretty darn excited.

After about a MONTH away from the mat, I’m back in the studio and loving it more than ever. I was actually really surprised with how well I did on my first day back…not near as wobbly as I thought I’d be. And yesterday? How about I attempted birds of paradise for the first time? Granted, my bird looked a bit like a clumsy one-winged stork, but STILL!

Also, I’ve been in the gym not once but TWICE this week! On Tuesday, I woke up with an itch that only throwing around some dumbbells in a weight room full of dudes could scratch…and since then, I’ve let out a little wimper every time I’ve raised my arms above my head! Ha!

Kombucha!! I made sure to set up another batch so that it would be ready for Farmer Heather to harvest after getting back from Blend. AFTER a quick run to the store, I played around with some new flavors and they are ALL winners!

Lemon ginger, blueberry, peach ginger, and lavender lemon!

Speaking of a “quick” run to the store…after yoga the other day (yes after…as in I was a sweaty beast and really hoped no one got close enough to smell me), I ran into TJ Maxx for a matter of EXTREME importance: buy the bag of cookies & cream coffee that for some idiotic reason I did NOT buy when I picked it up last week (what’s the word for the opposite of buyer’s remorse??). Anywho! I found my coffee…the LAST bag might I add (whew!) but then, I found THESE!

Impulse buy at it’s absolute BEST! Omg, I’m totally going back for more!

But it’s not just what’s ~~in my hand~~ on my plate or where my sweat is falling, I’ve been LIVING! Like I mentioned last week, I had another girls night scheduled with the besties last weekend and it proved to be another one for the books…stuffing our faces with LOADS of fondue, laughing our asses off, and drinking way too much wine!

Also, I hung out with my music soul mate again last weekend and I gotta give myself a lil’ pat on the back for the level of impression my taste in music seems to have…my current song obsession that wow’ed? This remix from Flight Facilities…

I’d like to think that if Bumblebee made music (wait for it at…1:08), this is what it would sound like! 😉 Oh and how cool is it that I first discovered this song in yoga? Ha!

What’s making YOU happy right now?

Posted in Thinking Out Loud | Tagged besties, dubstep, Flight Facilities, gym, kombucha, music, selfie, snacks, wine, yoga | 34 Comments

WIAW: The Post-Blend Edition

Posted on June 18, 2014 by kissmybroccoli

Hey guys!

Yeah, it’s been a long ass time since I’ve done a WIAW post, huh? It’s funny, I used to live for Wednesdays, but to be honest, the further and further I got in my intuitive eating journey, the less and less my thoughts revolved around food. I still have a hard time documenting a full day of eats without over-thinking my food choices, but last week made it easier since A.) there was limited supply of food in the house post-Blend and B.) a lot of meals ended up being repeated. Such is the life of a lazy procrastinator…

So, without further ado, I give you last Tuesday’s ~~desperate~~ eats!

French toast made with the last of the eggs, two slices of farmer’s market honey wheat bread that I bought, sliced and froze the week before, and some thawed blueberries microwaved with a bit of water, xanthan gum, and stevia…topped with some whipped cream because you know, it was Tuesday and I was feeling classy! 😉

One of my favorite flavors of Oikos full fat Greek yogurt! I swear the consistency of this stuff is unreal…no toppings needed! The funny thing though? I HATE key lime pie!

Homemade strawberry lavender kombucha on my way to work!

A new-to-me apple…a Kiku! It’s kinda like a Honeycrisp…only CRISPER! 😀

Grilled up leftovers from the night before. Jerk chicken and potatoes with some thawed from frozen chopped spinach…because I was feeling the need…the need for ~~speed~~ green! 😉

Oh and I feel I should mention that all of this minus the green and PLUS the aforementioned apple was bestowed upon me from a very loving friend who brings food over to hang out at the Barren Broccoli Abode! 😉

Cappuccino from the doctor’s lounge…because I got mad flirting skills…and because I knew it would go perfectly with my…

Chocolate chip cookie Quest bar…because you know, I have a shitton of swag that I carried home with me from Blend, yet I STILL gravitate toward my favorite snacks!

But I did try something new when it came time for breakfast dinner! I mixed my Nature Valley granola with some other not-so-exciting cereals, more bloobs from the freezer, and drowned it all with some Fairlife milk. Has anyone tried this stuff? It tastes just like regular milk with 19 grams of protein per serving and enzymes to help my lactose-challenged tummy! Now if only they would hurry up and offer it in my STATE!

Be sure to hop on over to Peas & Crayons and give Jenn a little love before checking out all the other food-filled linkups today!

What have you been loving lately?

Do you hit up the grocery store first thing after vacation or are you a procrastinator like me?

Posted in What I Ate Wednesday | Tagged apples, blueberries, cereal, chicken, coffee, Greek yogurt, kombucha, potatoes, Quest bar, spinach, vacation | 26 Comments

The Great Blend Recap Post!

Posted on June 17, 2014 by kissmybroccoli

Annnnnnnnd I’m BACK!

Now, before I risk forgetting any of the amazing moments from my trip to Park City, I think it’s high time we got some recapping done around here! I’m sure you guys have seen it all already, so I’m gonna do my best to give you what I consider the HIGHEST of highlights…the BEST of the best…the FUNNEST of the fun!*

Like looking out the window of the plane and seeing this view! Seriously…Tennessee mountains ain’t got NOTHING on these beauts!

Like cruising into Cafe Rio (my only request) within an hour after landing for some fresh tostada action, sneaking some moose kisses while hitting up some local shops, playing “snow angel” in my 1000-thread count sheets (that I got ELEVEN glorious hours of sleep in that night) after filling my tummy with the most AMAZING homemade bruschetta, parmesan crusted bread, and fried goat cheese from Red Rock Junction.

Like pimping out the Nature Valley with my twin, having a blast during the fun run with Oiselle, and refueling with smoothies and ice cream sandwiches from Arctic Zero!

Like getting all dolled up in my super mysterious cocktail dress, clinking glasses with some of my best girls, diving into some fine desserts (salted caramel tart and a chilled mint soup with fruit), and finally getting the chance to meet (and squeeze) in person some ladies, like Amanda, whom I’ve considered a dear friend for some time now…cough:three years:cough!

Like giving my KILLER abs a rest 😉 and using my legs for a perfect midday hike. We rode the gondola up and witnessed some pretty spectacular views, practiced a little mountain yoga, and chatted it up all the way back down…and back UP again if you know, you happen to forget your camera in the hotel room…big thanks to Heather and Melissa for making the trek back with me! 🙂

Buy it was totally worth it!

Like rearranging our hotel suite so Kait could lead us all in a MUCH needed restorative yoga class…oh and I just have to say, Katie ROCKED her first yoga experience and watching Heather attempt mermaid pose for the first time was a thing of beauty!

Like becoming a mermaid myself and then meeting up with some girls for pre-dinner drinks at High West where I ordered a drink with an egg white in it (it was umm…interesting) and spent half the time mesmerized by the bars choice in decor. Must have all the mason jars!

Like having a BEYOND amazing dinner (fancy schmancy southern comfort food!) at a place called Purple Sage where we wined…and dined…and dined some MORE! Favorites of the night: homemade sausage and cheese platter, (unpictured) cranberry & jalapeno mini corn muffins, shrimp with polenta cake with some kind of sauce that I could’ve bathed in, and lavender CREME FREAKING BRULEE!! Holy balls was that good!

Like seizing the opportunity for some classic Blend shenanigans (ninja’d pic from Amanda) on the way back to the hotel. And I do mean CLASSIC…

Hmm, this setup looks oddly familiar! 😉

Like getting back in time for some of Momma B’s FAMOUS Utah scones (now I know what I was missing last year) and then chatting it up to all hours of the night with my PJ-clad blends!

Like pulling off one AMAZING breakfast (if I do say so myself) with the help of Yoplait, Nature Valley, and the restaurant crew of the Hyatt Escala (their egg white fritatta was the perfect savory compliment to our sweet lineup of oats, yogurt, granola, and bars). Big thanks to all the ladies who posed for shots, helped with tweets, and of course didn’t laugh when I peed my pants…just kidding! 😉

Like hitting up Cafe Rio AGAIN (it’s THAT good, people!) on the way to the airport and getting to enjoy some blend time on a much smaller scale while noshing on freshly made tortillas and tomatillo ranch ~~crack~~ dressing! 😉

But none of this…not one SINGLE thing compares to the collective feeling in my heart when I think about all the friendships I strengthened, the new ones I made, and all the amazing adventures we were able to experience together!

It was those thoughts that got me through multiple flight delays, hours spent with crying babies, and a loooooooooooong drive home at two in the morning before I was finally in my house, tucked in my bed, dreaming of all my beautiful blends!

I can’t WAIT to see all those ladies (and MANY MORE!) for Blend 2015 innnnnnnnn Boulder, Colorado!

*Who am I kidding, like I could ever narrow it down that much! 😉

So WHO’S coming next year?!