Hi friends! 

My move-in date is quickly approaching, and there are so many recipes I want to whip up in the kitchen before it's back to things I can prep weekends in advance & microwave back at school (or there's also the dreaded cafeteria food + transfer meal options). 

I'm not sure that I would call myself a foodie, necessarily, but I love food with artful presentation and even better taste. Through some fellow bloggers and also pinterest, I've found three recipes I am itching to try before I lose access to my home kitchen. 

1 // These dark chocolate peanut butter cups look to die for! They're also vegan, so the guilt of over-processed and unnecessary ingredients is also kicked to the curb! (Plus, I think the dark chocolate would cut some of the over-sweetness I sometimes find comes along with PB cups.)

2 // This recipe is a little more timely, but something I really want to make in big batches so I can easily throw it in my snapwear and bring it to work when I'm too rushed to make something. I absolutely love the sofrita bowls from chipotle, and I can honestly say I don't miss eating their meat at all. The seasoning of the sofrita tofu actually tastes better to me. I think this recipe would be awesome for those who like to meal prep for multiple dinners at a time, as it makes 4-6 servings! 

3 // Zucchini may not seem like a super appealing vegetable to some, but there are so many things you can do with zucchini! I've had it grilled, made into bread, and also had it fried before, but the one thing I've been wanting to try is zucchini pizza boats. I like the simplicity of this recipe, though I think I would want to turn mine into margherita zucchini pizza boats (because honestly, margherita pizza is the best, hands down). 

Happy cooking!

Dairy-free Chunky Monkey

I love ice cream. Like... love. And my favorite ice cream? Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey. It is to die for and I can honestly say nothing compares to it. Unfortunately, Ben & Jerry's can be pricey.

For some reason, a lightbulb literally went off in my head and I was just like "wait a minute... I can make this myself". I love banana ice cream and I already knew how to make it, so adding a few simple extras completed the bowl giving me the perfect homemade Chunky Monkey - dairy free, might I dd!

Ingredients:
2 ripened bananas
1 tablespoon of dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup of walnuts

Directions:
In a blender, mix together your 2 ripened bananas. Put you mixture into a small tupperware container, add in your chocolate chips and walnuts, stir the mixture up, and pop it into the freezer. Let it chill for about 45mins-1 hour or until frosty (don't let it freeze completely or else it will turn into more of a sorbet-ice mixture than a creamy ice cream).  Scoop into a bowl (or eat it out of the container- I won't judge!) and that's it! Super easy and only 3 ingredients!

Have you ever made banana "ice cream"?

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LMJ

Protein Smoothie Bowl

I recently mentioned in my last Monday Musings post that I had made a delicious smoothie bowl. The more I thought about how decadent it was, the more I thought "wow Lauren, put this on your blog." And here we are! I'm putting it on the blog!

What you will need:
13g of vanilla protein powder of your choice (I use this kind!)
1 cup of raspberries
1 ripe banana
8oz of plain vanilla yogurt (greek or low-fat)
3-4 ice cubes
handful of granola (I substituted with Special K cereal this time)
8 almonds (for decoration)

Directions:
In your blender, first combine your protein powder and yogurt - this will avoid clumping. Then, add in 3/4 of your banana and your cup of raspberries. I like to add my ice in last, but you could totally add your ice in with your fruit- it's a totally personal choice. Remember that this is going into a bowl & you won't be drinking it so it's okay if your smoothie comes out on the thicker side.

To finish:
Pour your drink into a bowl (revolutionary, I know). Then, with the last 1/4 of your banana, garnish your bowl. I cut my pieces and then placed them down the center. To the left of my bananas, I added my Special K (granola tastes good too!) and some almonds. My almonds were salted, so it was a nice balance of savory and sweet.

What do you like to put on top of your smoothie bowls? 

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LMJ

Mas Agua Por Favor

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It's heating up outside and the season for being active is on our heels. As exciting as it is to be free to run around and soak up the sun, sometimes remembering to stay hydrated is put on the back-burner. To help fight dehydration this summer, I'm sharing my best tips for consuming enough water plus some simple ways to spice up your agua. Happy hydration!

tips:

Drink 8oz as soon as you wake up - through the night, your body has used up extra water and is in need of hydration to start functioning again (drinking cold water in the AM will also help with alertness).

Carry a water bottle around with you so that you never have an excuse not to drink water. It's easier to be out and quickly pick up a small bottle of pop, but the sugar in it won't hydrate you the way water will. (and who says water bottles can't be treated like accessories? this one is fab.)

Eat spicier foods if you can handle the heat. Having something hot with your meals will leave you running (maybe literally) for a glass of water. Isn't that a sneaky way to get more water in your day?

Eating water rich foods will also keep you hydrated. Foods such as melon, cucumber, or celery are packed with water, so while you're not exactly drinking your H2O, you're still getting it!

Make a water goal that you want to hit every day and treat it like a competition with yourself. This year I made a goal to drink 128 oz (that's one gallon!!) each day. It was super easy when my bottle was 64oz and I just knew I had to refill it completely 4 times. Moral is: create a goal that works for you and challenge yourself to stick to it.

jazz it up:

Add some lemon - it's simple, it's understated, but man does it make the difference. Adding a few slices of lemon or squeezing some lemon juice into your water gives your water some flavor, plus the lemons are great for aiding digestion and cleansing your system of toxins! 

Watermelon and mint are also great twists on water. The watermelon will add a fruity flare while the mint will keep your water refreshing. Not to mention that this drink could help curb your soda cravings if you added some sparkling water instead of tap! 

Lime, orange, and lemon combined are also a fun and citrus-y twist to add to your water. Plus all of that citrus will help give your immune system a boost!

How do you like to add water into your daily routine? 

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LMJ

Simple Acai Bowl

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As I was scrolling through Pinterest, I came across this recipe and I just knew that I had to share it with all of you! Smoothie bowls are one of my absolute favorites during the summer and I love how easy they are to blend up!

What drew me to this particular recipe was the fact that it is an acai bowl! Acai are a super fruit that I fell in love with while working at my summer job, and they are perfect for smoothie bowls because they are both sweet and tart- clearly the best of both worlds! I especially like this recipe because it is super simple. I had honestly never thought to use frozen acai juice as the basis of my smoothies, as we had always had the smoothie packs at work! I am itching for school to be out for summer now because this bowl looks deliciously perfect for after my morning runs! 

Have you ever tried making an acai bowl?

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LMJ

Smooth(ie) Days Ahead: My favorite smoothie recipe

Even though summer is winding down to its end, smoothies have become an all year round type of drink for me, so I thought I would share with you my all time favorite, go-to smoothie recipe.

You could use any kind of blender, but I prefer to use my magic bullet. It gives the perfect consistency, and also a perfect serving size. 

What you'll need: 

One banana (It's okay if it's a bit over-ripe) 

Frozen berries 

Juice of your choice (Orange based juices work best) 

Ice

I will typically put in anywhere from 1/2 a cup to a full cup of berries, depending on the day.

As far as ice goes, I often can't fit a whole cup of ice in my blender, so a 2-3 pieces work for my magic bullet. If you're using an actual blender I would recommend about 4-5 pieces of ice 

Dice up your bananas and add those in first, then do your ice, layer of berries, and do about a half a cup of the juice of your choice. Blend to a smooth consistency & enjoy!