Since I didn’t do a Joy Diaries post this week (I’ve been super swamped with unpacking after bringing all my stuff back from Georgetown over the weekend), I thought I’d do a sort of combo post today. So I’m sharing some recipes I loved in this past week, along with my favorite workouts, all of which brought me joy 🙂
As always, try what resonates; leave the rest.
Eats
Zucchini Bread Pancakes (MY FAVORITE PANCAKES EVER)
I am not exaggerating when I say these are my fave pancakes of all time. And as someone who makes a LOT of pancakes, this is not a statement I use lightly. I actually modify the recipe a bit because my hundreds of pancake trials have taught me some small tricks that lead to the best pancake qualities. So instead of using whole wheat pastry flour, I do half oat flour and half spelt flour. Spelt is usually a 1:1 substation for whole wheat pastry flour, so that’s what I normally use instead, and the oat flour I do because I just really like the texture and slightly nutty hearty flavor it gives pancakes. I also use buttermilk instead of almond milk because buttermilk pancakes are always the way to go. Always topped with almond butter and maple syrup.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
I am pretty sure this was my first time baking oatmeal raisin cookies, as I am normally an oatmeal chocolate chip gal. But we happened to have a stockpile of raisins after my mom bought them in bulk for a recipe she was making, so I figured why not try something new! These were delicious and interestingly only got better with each day!
Blueberry Green Smoothie Bowl
My OG smoothie bowl obsession. Long-time readers will know, this is my favorite smoothie bowl recipe that I have probably made 80 million times, give or take. 😉 It’s also highly customizable. I like to halve the blueberries and add some frozen veggies sometimes. It’s such a forgiving recipe that it usually ends up tasting like melty chocolate ice cream even if you sneak in a bunch of veggies (within reason of course).
Zucchini Mac and Cheese
This recipe was DELICIOUS! And I kinda went wild customizing it because I felt like being creative and also had a bunch of things in the fridge that needed to be used up. In addition to the shredded zucchini (which you can totally leave out, but you really can’t taste it at all!), I sautéed some brussels sprouts and broccoli in a bit of balsamic vinegar and avocado oil and added those to the mac and cheese at the end of cooking. Instead of using just cheddar, I grated some goat gouda and parmesan, and used equal amounts of each. You can do whatever is your jam! Literal comfort in a bowl. LOVE.
Cheese Plate & Red Wine
Not a recipe, but a joyful eat for sure. I LOVE cheese plates, and I don’t know how normal this is, but it’s one of my favorite lazy dinners. Thankfully, my mom feels the same way, so occasionally when neither of us wants to cook, we quickly whip a cheese board up, pour some red, and feel like super fancy gals. :p
We usually like to keep a bunch of different cheeses, crackers, and grapes on hand for just such occasions. My favorite cheeses are probably sharp cheddar, Manchego, and goat gouda, but I pretty much love them all (except the moldy/blue kind eek). For crackers, my absolute fave are these. Fave red wine is Napa Merlot or Argentinean Malbec (oh she fancy). 😉
So Delicious Cashew Milk Snickerdoodle Ice Cream
Again, not a recipe, but this is my favorite non-dairy ice cream of all time. It’s especially good with peach or apple crisp, but this past week, I’ve been enjoying it straight from the pint with a spoon. Does the trick just fine too. 😉 Particularly great when accompanied by a rom-com, as my mom and I did yesterday with He’s Just Not That Into You.
Movement
In the past week, I’ve honestly alternated between feeling extremely high-energy and craving super sweaty hiit and then pretty low-energy and just wanting to do a light yoga flow. There hasn’t really been an in-between. I blame the emotional trials and tribulations of moving out of college officially, the physical toils of unpacking, and….hormones LOL.
I did this hiit workout before breakfast on Saturday, and it felt INCREDIBLE.
This yoga routine paired with this one were perfect for a more lethargic day when I still wanted to get the blood moving.
This grounding yoga routine + this relaxing ahimsa routine for when I just wanted to stretch and unwind.
This kickboxing and upper body strength workout + this quick back Pilates routine for an energetic I-wanna-kick-some-ass day (you know the kind).
This power yoga flow that is just the right balance of challenging and relaxing. As in I was sweating and also feeling like I was getting a massage. (My favorite yoga feeling).
That’s all for me! Hope your week is full of sweetness, joy, and some stillness (I’m not the only one craving and leaning in to stillness right now, am I?)
Lots of love. xx
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