Father's Day & Berry Pie

I'm sure many of you follow Emily from Cupcakes and Cashmere and saw this post about a delicious Triple Berry Pie. For Father's Day I thought it would be a nice gift to make for my Daddy, so I took on this one. I've actually never made a pie before, and this one was surprisingly easy to start out with. Though, I have two things to confess: 1. I did cheat on the meal plan I'm on (but it was a special occasion) & 2. I bought the pie crust. Ooops.

I also got to spend some time with my Dad at an Equestrian Center that helps teach kids with special needs how to ride. We ended up just being there for a raffle drawing, but maybe I'll get to go back again and help out another day. I don't think there are any fathers who read my blog, but if there's one out there I hope you had a Happy Father's Day! p.s. The pie was a success!

How crazy is that rooster? Let me know how you spent your Father's Day!

Sweet Summertime: Smoothie Edition

I have now deemed this month's Thursday theme to be "Sweet Summertime." It may be raining outside right now, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the summer, right? You may remember the post I talked about last week all about the meal plan I'm currently on (click here to see). Today, I wanted to share with you all one of the recipes. It is super easy, quick, and delicious-- perfect for the summer.

The recipe calls for the following:
-1 cup calcium-fortified unsweetened soy milk (oops, we went with the vanilla kind)
-1 small banana (or 1/2 of a bigger banana)
-1/2 cup frozen berries of choice
-2 to 3 ice cubes

According to the plan, this would be a breakfast meal along with 10 almonds or 20 pistachios. Just put it in the blender, let it go...

And enjoy! It really is simple and tasty. I made this to go along with my lunch today and then proceeded to spill half of it on my couch. Oh well. No sense crying over spilt... smoothie.

Healthy Eating

If you read this post, then you might be aware that I'm trying to get back into a healthy routine. This past week I was in Annapolis, and I must confess, I ate a lot of food. A lot. So, to jump start this healthy routine I am going on the Daniel Fast Diet, which I have done in the past. I know fad diets are not the answer to weight loss or anything of that sort, but I think it'll really help me get into that routine I want to. This will be the boost that I need, and then I will be on my own to make healthy choices.

You can read more about the diet on their website here, but I'll give you the general outlines. The diet I am following is actually one that my mom cut out in a health magazine way back and I think it is a little different from the one on the website. You have a few meal options you can choose from as your main meals, and you can eat as many fruits, veggies, or nuts as you please. The only beverage you drink is water, and you don't eat any meat. Really, I don't see it as a "diet." You're basically just eating whole grains, fruits, veggies, and water, and the meal options are helpful to keep you on track and add a little variety.

I'd love to talk about this more if you guys are interested. Just let me know! I think it's a 21 day diet, but I'll be starting it today and continuing through the end of June. If anything, I'll let you guys know what results I see at the end of the month. I'm also going to be exercising along with this, and I'll definitely let you all know how that's going. I'm really excited to be starting!


The photos above are not mine! All were found on Pinterest.