Hi, friends!
Happy Hump Day! I hope your week is off to a fabulous start! 
Breakfast
I started yesterday morning with my favorite (current) breakfast: green juice + a toasted, gluten-free English muffin with peanut butter and banana on one side and sunflower butter and banana on the other side. I could seriously eat this breakfast every morning. It’s the perfect combo””delicious, nutritious, and satisfying!
After breakfast, I got to work. Since I’m leaving for Ireland this weekend, I’m writing a bunch of posts, including a couple of sweet giveaways, to publish while I am away. Be sure to pop into CNC next week to see what’s happening!
While I worked in my office, Murphy played the “indoor-outdoor game,” which I am sure some of the dog (and maybe cat) owners are familiar with.
Murphy can’t decide whether he’d like to be indoors or outdoors, so he scratches at the door (or barks if I don’t hear him right away) every 5-10 minutes. It’s super annoying.
Eventually, I just left the door open so Murphy could come and go as he pleased. But, as soon as I did that, he went into the living room and laid down on the couch. I guess the game wasn’t fun anymore if Mom wasn’t opening and closing the door for him every 5 minutes. What a butthead.
Snack
A little while later, I took a break from working and made myself a snack. I had a running + CrossFit date with Kerrie at 11:15, so I needed a little something in my stomach to hold me over through my workout and until lunchtime.
Workout
Kerrie and I met for the Kick Ass Virtual 5K that Abby organized to benefit Team Challenge. In honor of the event, I wore my “I {heart} Sweat” shirt (a portion of its proceeds benefit the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America).
After our run, Kerrie and I headed to CrossFit. The Workout of the Day was “Christine,” which I had never done before. (I always get a little excited when one of “The Girls” comes up in the programming at our box!)
I wanted to do the workout as prescribed, but the body weight deadlifts just weren’t happening for me. I loaded 135 pounds on my bar, which I deadlifted a bunch of times, no problem, but I knew by round 3 of “Christine,” my form would probably get pretty ugly, so I scaled down to 105 pounds, which was a much better weight for me. I finished the WOD in 11:02””just seconds behind Kerrie!
Lunch
After CrossFit, I came home, showered, and then made lunch, which was a couple of Trader Joe’s Vegetable Masala Burgers with some leftover risotto from the night before.
I finished off lunch with some trail mix and dried apricots.
After lunch, I got ready to run some errands. It was such a nice day, I felt bad leaving Murphy inside at home, so I took him along for the ride.
Our first top: an oil change. I planned to take Murphy for a walk while my car was being worked on, but the mechanic owned a pug himself, so he invited us inside to wait. He was a big fan of Murphy!
After the oil change, I stopped by Marylou’s for an iced coffee. Beautiful weather = iced coffee.
Murphy never forgets where he gets treats from, so when my car approached the drive-up window, he popped his head right up.
Murphy got a Milk-Bone from the nice woman at Marylou’s and ate it in the backseat of my car. A win for Murphy!
When I got home from running errands, I took Murphy for his afternoon walk. It was such a nice day, especially with a White Chocolate Chip iced coffee in hand!
Snack
After Murphy’s walk, I finished up some work and then headed to the kitchen for an afternoon snack. I had some sweet potato chips with white bean & basil hummus, which was a wicked good snack.
Dinner
A little while later, I made dinner, which was Cheesy Garlic and Herb Brussels Sprouts with Chicken Sausage. Once again, this meal was a big hit in our house. Mal must have said, “This is so good” at least a half dozen times while he was eating dinner last night.
The evening ended with a few Paleo chocolate chip cookies. Mal and I finished off the batch!
Health News & Views
Bananas cooked in dark brown sugar, butter, rum, and cinnamon, served over ice cream with pecans”¦ sounds absolutely delicious, right? Obviously, Bananas Foster is quite a decadent dessert, but like any tasty treat, it’s not low in calories or friendly on the waistline. Instead of missing out on this classic dessert, try a lighter, smoothie version. It’s almost as amazing as the real thing!
Love the Dessert Banana Fosters? Try This Smoothie Recipe
Question of the Day
Does your dog (or cat) play the “indoor-outdoor game”?
What food or drink does warm, sunny weather make you crave?
P.S. Be sure to enter my giveaway to win some goodies from The Laughing Cow!
Vegetable Masala Burgers?? I had no idea those existed!! I guess I know what I will be looking for the next time that I head to TJ’s! 🙂
Warm, sunny weather makes me crave iced coffee and smoothies! 🙂
That breakfast looks so good! I have been wanting some breakfast ideas. I am ready to try something other than oatmeal or eggs. What is the “green juice”? And Murphy is adorable by the way!
Remember that time you were looking for breakfast ideas? Thought this might be a good one for you to try! http://www.breakfastattoast.com/2013/04/in-kitchen-paleo-southwestern-sweet.html
Oooh, thank you!! 🙂
my dog plays the indoor-outdoor game..he’s a butt head! some days he really loves being outside and running in the grass, other days he’s content to catch sun in the sun patches coming in from the window. Warm weather makes me want ice cream…or iced tea 🙂 But usually ice cream 😉
Fun day in the sun!
Warm, sunny weather makes me crave fresh fruit salad and crunchy no-cook veggie salads.
I’m on vacation in Florida this week at my sister’s house taking care of her newborn, my 2-year-old and her toy poodle, Prissy, and between my 2-year-old and Prissy, they are the master’s of the inside/outside game. It’s been quite the “vacation!”
It makes me crave iced coffee!
Sounds like a great little day for you and Murphy 🙂 My sunny drink cravings go towards lemonade!… mmm!
the ireland trip isnt a babymoon now is it?? lol
Enjoy that beautiful weather!! It’s 32 degrees here right now and we’re supposed to get an ice/snow storm tonight and tomorrow. I’m glad I can at least read about some gorgeous weather in other places!
Love all the Murphy pics!
My dog Margot LOVES the indoor-outdoor game. The worst part is when she whines because I’ve tried to ignore her. You said it–“what a butthead!”
Now that the weather is warming up, I’m craving my dad’s gazpacho!
I made your sausage, sprout, laughing cow dinner and we loved it! My husband always claims he doesn’t like brussel sprouts and he loved it. Thanks for this wonderful, easy, delicious and healthy recipe!!!
Since it’s been so warm the past few days I have been chowing down on lots of Greek yogurt; big salads with avocados; and bananas. Kala is loving this weather. She likes to lay on my porch and just soak up that sun. 🙂
My two dogs, Kasey and Bodie, both play the indoor-outdoor game and I like you will resort to just leaving the door open. Unfortunately Bodie decides it is also his chance to bring out some of his stuffed toys when I am not looking and drops them in the dirt, mud etc……urrrr. 😉
Love that you and Kerrie hold each other accountable! Fit buddies.
I LOVE smoothies in warm weather–unfortunately, Spring eludes us in the Midwest! 🙁
Yes! When we first got my dog Molly, we lived in an apartment building and the walk outside took forever…it was one of those hotel looking buildings with long hallways. As soon as we got back inside, she acted like she had to do her business again and we had to go back out. I spent many evenings just walking back and forth!
I have been craving Iced Soy Chai Lattes from Starbucks lately…so good.
Yup! So funny- when our cats do this we call them “In and Out Kitties” !! I loved reading that Murphy is an “In and Out Doggie”!
My dog used to love the “in & out” game! Poor guy just didn’t know what he wanted.
Summer makes me crave iced coffee! If it ever gets above 40 degrees here in Wisconsin, I’ll start making some.
I love that brussel sprout recipe, I’ve only made it without the sausage but it is still just as good 🙂
We play the game ‘all the time’. Barney (my lab) can actually open the back sliding door, I just need to teach him how to close it…lol!
Hawkeye is a jerk when it comes to the game. He’ll whine at the door, so I’ll take him out and then he just wants to sit in the grass. So we finally got him a yard line to attach to the porch, and as soon as he’s attached, he sits on the steps waiting to come in… and my cat Momo does it with food. She eats on the counter because the dog will eat it otherwise, and she cries to be put up there 4 or 5 times instead of just eating it… they’re both jerks sometimes.
A nice, cold glass of pinot grigio!
Max also likes to play that game. UJnfortunately, Max figured out how to unlock, and slide the patio door open. The first time he opened the door it was raining out. I came home from work, the patio door was wide open and there was Max, sitting in the middle of the yard in the pouring rain. I now place a wood board in the slide so he cannot open the door.
Beau (my baby boy=dog) does that all the time. Even better, he’ll beg to go out and then start barking his head off…drives me and the neighbors nuts. In the summer, I crave salads! And last night I craved LOTS of chardonnay…oops!
Breakfast sounds good and healthy! 🙂
Those TJ burgers are my absolute fav!!!
I have an 80 pound boxer named Amos. When he wants in, he hurls himself at the back door…it’s pretty hard to ignore. 🙂
Sunny weather makes me crave iced coffees too. Although I pretty much always crave them. Even in this freezing cold weather we’re having in England at the minute!
Every time I look at that dog he makes me laugh! He looks really intelligent. And spoilt.