Day in the Life {Almost 3}

I have partnered with the National Honey Board to bring you this blog post and the delicious recipes included. All opinions are my own.

Good morning! I’m so excited to share this day-in-the-life post because it incorporates three tasty recipes that are all made with honey! I usually think of honey as a sweet treat, more for desserts and baking, but lately, it’s become one of my favorite all-day ingredients to use! Today, I’m walking you through my day and showing you some of the ways that I incorporate it into my meals all day long!

I hear Qman on the baby monitor. (My “baby” is actually going to be three tomorrow. Where does the time go?!) He’s up early this morning, so I wait a few minutes before getting out of bed—hoping he will, too. He falls back to sleep for a little while, but, of course, I’m wide-awake now. I take a second to stretch in bed and then immediately put on my workout clothes. I find if I put them on as soon as I get up, I’m 10 zillion times more likely to workout. Honestly, I rarely ever skip a workout if I’m wearing workout clothes. For me, sometimes getting dressed is the hardest part!

After I get dressed, I head downstairs for breakfast. Mal is already awake and just sitting down to eat his breakfast. My Honey, Stay-in-Bread Pudding is waiting in the fridge for me, so I grab a spoon and join him.

Made with whole grain bread, vanilla Greek yogurt, low-fat milk, honey, vanilla protein powder, and cinnamon, this breakfast is just as satisfying as it is delicious. I use Sundays to meal prep lots of veggies and meats, but also breakfast. It’s so easy to mix up a few batches and store in the refrigerator. Just grab and go for a fuss-free morning!

Honey, Stay-in-Bread Pudding

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 large slice whole grain bread

1/4 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt

1/4 cup low-fat milk

1/2 T honey + 1/2 T for drizzling on top

2 T unsweetened vanilla protein powder

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Cut bread into 16 small squares and then add to a Mason jar or container with a lid. In a small food processor or blender, combine Greek yogurt, milk, honey, protein powder, and cinnamon. Pour over bread, allowing it to fully soak in. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, drizzle remaining honey on top, grab a spoon, and dig in!

After breakfast, I hear Quinn moving around upstairs. (His alarm clock must have told him it was okay to wake up!) I help him downstairs and then we spend a little time cuddling on the couch before I get him ready for daycare. FYI: Collapsible measuring cups are ALL the rage lately.

After that, I drop Quinn at daycare and swing by the gym for a quick, high-intensity treadmill workout. This one involves sprints on the treadmill mixed with a variety of full-body dumbbell exercises. It’s for sure a challenging workout, and I’m a sweaty mess by the end!

Back at home, I shower and get myself ready for the day. I refill my water bottle and then sit down to work. I spend the rest of the morning catching up with emails and other random projects.

Around noon, my stomach starts to grumble. It’s definitely time for lunch! I made a batch of Chipotle Honey Chicken in the crockpot the day before (gotta love meal prep!), so I only need to reheat it and add fresh lettuce cups for an easy (and incredibly delicious) lunch!

This recipe for the Snack or Pack ‘Em Honey Lettuce Cups has recently become a favorite in our house. The sweet and savory flavor combination of honey, marinara sauce, and chili powder is pure perfection—and when wrapped in lettuce and paired with fresh cilantro and avocado, it can’t be beat. These lettuce wraps are perfect for summer! And, bonus, the chicken is so simple to make. It’s cooked in a crockpot and the marinade only requires three ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen. It’s so easy to whip up a batch at the beginning of the week to use in lettuce wraps easily packed in Tupperware for quick meals on the go.

Snack or Pack ‘Em Honey Lettuce Cups

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp. chili powder

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 heads of Bibb or Boston lettuce (8-10 leaves)

1 T chopped fresh cilantro

1 small ripe avocado, pitted and cut into small chunks

Directions:

Combine marinara sauce, honey, and chili powder in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts in a crock-pot and then pour sauce all over. Cook on low for 4 hours. Once chicken is fully cooked, remove from the crock-pot / slow cooker and place on a plate, shred with a fork and place back inside the crock-pot with the sauce. Divide chicken into four portions and then divide between two lettuce leaves. Top with cilantro and avocado.

After lunch, I take Murphy for a walk around the neighborhood. It’s a beautiful day, and we’re both excited to get outside for a bit. That pug face…

When I return home, I finish up a few more projects and loose ends before running a couple of quick errands and picking up Quinn from daycare.

On the way out of daycare, Quinn grabs some crackers for the road. His daycare has small packages of them by the door, just in case kids need a snack before dinner. He loves these crackers and looks forward to them all day long! As great as they are, the backseat of my car is a complete mess because of them! In fact, on the drive home, Quinn says: “Mumma, watch!” before he shoves a cracker into his mouth all Cookie Monster style! Haha! Cracker basically explodes all over the backseat!

At home, Qman helps me open a couple of packages that arrived in the mail. As soon as I bring them into the house, he runs to get his scissors. He is such a great little helper!

After that, it’s time to “cuddle on the couch with the soft blanket” while we wait for Dada to get home.

Quinn and Mumma cuddle time!

When Mal gets home, it’s almost time for dinner – tonight, it’s Bee Bowl’d Pad Thai. I love that this dish is made with cauliflower rice (instead of rice noodles) because it’s more nutritious and lower in calories when compared to traditional Pad Thai. The ingredients are simple in this recipe, so it takes just a few minutes to prepare the rice mixture. I made the sauce ahead of time, so all I need to do is add it!

Bee Bowl’d Pad Thai

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

Sauce:

1/4 cup creamy unsalted sunflower butter

2 T freshly squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. minced garlic

2 T soy sauce

1/2 tsp. rice vinegar

2 T honey

1/4 tsp. powdered ginger

Rice:

1/2 T vegetable oil

1/2 head cauliflower (3 cups), riced

2 eggs

Topping:

2 T finely chopped salted peanuts

2 green onions, chopped

1 T chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a small food processor or blender, whisk together ingredients for sauce and set aside. Add oil to a large pan on the stove top. Sauté cauliflower rice until semi-soft, al dente in texture. Then, add eggs and scramble until fully cooked. Once it’s finished cooking, remove cauliflower mixture from stove and add to a large mixing bowl. While hot, stir in sauce and peanuts; fully combine. Divide between two plates and top with green onion and cilantro and serve hot.

Dinner is a huge hit, and I’m so glad I doubled the recipe because now Mal and I have leftovers for lunch!

After dinner, we relax on the couch with Qman. We watch a show and then get him ready for bed. We all read a few books together before it’s lights out.

Mal and I decide that we’re pretty tired ourselves, so we read in bed for a little while before turning in for the night.

The end.