Good morning!
Yesterday was great. So many things about the day made me smile: new projects, lunch with a friend, vegan sushi, cake pops, and giving Murphy a bunch of goodies that made him so happy. It was an all-around wonderful day, especially for a Monday!
Breakfast
My morning started bright and early with breakfast: 2 waffles with almond butter and banana slices (inside and on top) and a glass of OJ. Delish!
After breakfast, I immediately got to work. A ton of new opportunities are coming my way lately, so I’ve spent a lot of time in front of my computer recently, writing and blogging like crazy, which, honestly, is a little stressful, but very exciting at the same time.
I absolutely love what I do, and it’s fun to work with different brands and experience new things, so every day and every project is a little different, which always keeps me on my toes. At the end of the day, I am so incredibly grateful for every single opportunity that comes my way and enables me to keep on blogging at CNC. I love this blog and you guys so very much.
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Snack
Mid-morning, I felt a little snack-y, so I ate a DELICIOUS almond date roll from Whole Foods. These things are incredible. If you see them at WF, buy them. You won’t be disappointed!
A little before 11:00 AM, I headed to Whole Foods to meet my friend Jess for a “Vegan Thanksgiving” tasting. She’s a vegan and foodie, so we talk about food and recipes all the time at CrossFit, so she asked me if I wanted to join her. Food? Thanksgiving? Sign me up!
When we arrived at Whole Foods, we were informed that the tasting wouldn’t start until noon, so Jess and I grabbed an early lunch. She was hungry after a CrossFit workout and I’m just hungry all the time, so we headed to the salad and hot bars.
Jess and I ate and chatted for almost an hour before we walked back over to see what was happening at the “Vegan Thanksgiving” tasting. Unfortunately, not much was happening, but we had the opportunity to try a really delicious Vegan Green Onion Dip, which you would not know was vegan unless someone told you.
I would totally bring this dip to a party or get-together and have no worries about people not liking it. It was excellent, and it seems so easy to make!
When I got home from Whole Foods, I noticed that a special delivery was waiting on our front porch for Murphy: his very first BarkBox! <— referral link, which earn points toward future BarkBoxes
I read about BarkBox on a bunch of blogs (Murphy’s pug girlfriend gets them and loves them) and it sounded so cool, so I finally ordered one for Murphy after seeing a coupon code on Biggie Small’s Instgram account.
If you’re not following Biggie, please do (@Biggie_Griffon). He’s the cutest non-pug out there! (More pics of Biggie!)
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Anyway, I waited until Mal got home to open Murphy’s BarkBox because I knew he’d find the pug’s ridiculous excitement amusing””even though, Mal didn’t think Murphy needed a BarkBox. C’mon now. Of course, Murphy needed a BarkBox. Jeez, Mal. Who are you? The fun police?
Dinner
For dinner, I chowed down on some vegan sushi from Whole Foods that Jess highly recommended. It was really good””I loved the peanut sauce that came with it.
Apparently, I was in the mood for veggies last night because I also ate a bowl of roasted broccoli and honey-roasted carrots. I made them for Mal as part of his dinner, and they looked so good, I just needed to have some.
And, for dessert, I enjoyed a couple of gluten-free cake pops made with Nikki’s Coconut Butter and pitted dates. I used a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Date Pops for inspiration, but I used the vanilla cake batter coconut butter and nixed the maple syrup. They were delicious!
After dinner, we gave Murphy his BarkBox.
I’m so glad I waited for Mal to get home because he had a blast opening Murphy’s BarkBox with him.
(After seeing how excited Murphy got about all of his new goodies, Mal changed his tune about him needing a BarkBox. Mal is definitely a fan now and sees the “necessity” of BarkBoxes in Murphy’s life!)
As soon as Mal opened the box, Murphy immediately went for the stuffed toy.
It was love at first sight!
He then proceeded to run around the house with it!
Mal eventually captured Murphy’s attention again with a selection of treats: Duck Jerky Chews and Truffle Mac & Cheese Biscuits (don’t these sound delicious?).
Murphy had a tough time deciding”¦ Truffle Mac & Cheese Biscuits?
Or Ducky Jerky?
Mal eventually intervened and swayed Murphy toward the Truffle Mac & Cheese Biscuits.
And Murphy loved them!
Also inside the box was a bag of Twistix, a dog treat for good oral hygiene””important, but not nearly as fun as treats!
Murphy spent the rest of the night chewing his new toy, so I’d say his first BarkBox was a success!
Health News & Views
It happens to the best of us: Thanksgiving rolls around and we enjoy the holiday dinner a little too much. A binge that includes buttery potatoes, greasy gravy, rich casseroles, and””of course””lots of turkey (not to mention pumpkin pie!) can leave you feeling bloated, uncomfortable, and irritable. If you find yourself in this situation this year, you don’t have to suffer through the aftereffects. Here are some things you can do the day after Thanksgiving that will help you feel better””plus some tips for getting your diet back on track for the rest of the holiday season.
How to Recover From a Thanksgiving Food Binge
Questions of the Day
Has your pup tried BarkBox yet?
Veggie sushi: yay or nay?
On a scale of 1-10 (10 being A LOT), how much do you like your job?
P.S. Boston folks and those of you who love Once: The musical is coming to the Boston Opera House in January. I love the music and story so much, and I bought tickets for Mal and me yesterday. Just wanted to share for the fans out there!
