Cookie Butter Smoothie Time

cookie butter smoothie

When I was working outside the house, I would often tell myself that I was going to start waking up early to make myself smoothies before heading out. This rarely ever happened though, because if I wasn’t making up excuses to sleep 15 more minutes, then I was thinking of a reason that I needed to arrive at work early. These days, I’m feeling a lot less rushed since I am working from home. So, I decided I to jump on board the smoothie train. Every morning I pull out some Greek yogurt, frozen and fresh fruit, and even some spinach, and I start my morning on a refreshing, healthy note. I find that doing so puts me in the mood to eat healthier the rest of the day.

Sometimes though, you just have to surrender to your cravings for deliciously indulgent treats. For me, that craving has most recently been cookie butter, which I buy at Trader Joe’s. It has the consistency of peanut butter, but tastes like some sort of ginger cookie dough. It is dangerously addictive. I started scouring Pinterest for different ways to use this magical spread, and found no shortage of smoothie recipes. I improvised with what I had on hand, and came up with a pretty simple recipe to quickly whip up 2 servings.

cookie butter smoothie ingredients

Cookie Butter Smoothie
2 bananas
3 tbsp. cookie butter (4 if you’re feeling saucy)
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1/4 tsp. of cinnamon
a handful of ice
a splash of milk (almond, soy, whatever)
I blend mine on the smoothie setting for about 10 seconds, then sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top for good measure.

And if you’re not into smoothies, there are sooo many other things to do with cookie butter. Try serving on top of ice cream or using it as a pretzel dip. Or try my all-time favorite, spreading it on waffles. Amazing!

 

Current Bath & Body Works Candle Favorites

The real estate market here in Austin is crazy. We had just one weekend to find a rental house, and pickings were slim. First we had to narrow our selection down to a place that would allow us to have 3 pets, then it had to be in our target area and within our budget. Every house we looked at had at least one application on it already, so the house we ended up in is probably not one I would want to live in permanently, but it works for now. One of the immediate issues we’ve had to deal with though is the smell. The entire house is freshly painted and carpeted, but you can definitely tell a smoker once lived here. It just has that faint, stale smell that seems to stick to your clothing. What has helped the most is to crack the windows each evening, but I am also burning candles like crazy to help mask the smell. Fortunately it is Spring (though with temperatures in the 90s it feels like Summer to me) so that means all the fresh, fruity candles are in season. I’ve scored with a couple recent sales at Bath & Body Works and am loving their selection this year.

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Today I picked up a couple Mason jar candles on sale for $6 each, then used my coupon for a free signature item with a $10 purchase to get a Pink Chiffon body cream. (If you are familiar with Sweet Pea scent, it smells similar only with more berry undertones. It’s been my favorite signature scent since it came out.) For my first Mason jar candle, I chose Peach Bellini, which is a scent I enjoyed the heck out of last year. It has the most deliciously fresh scent that really fills a room. Then I chose Pink Lemonade Pound Cake, which is the perfect combination of sweet and fruity. I’m hoping the lemon scent will really neutralize the stale odor in the house. Regardless, I have a feeling this one is going to be a new favorite!

Last week I took advantage of the 2 for $22 sale on 3-wick candles + a 25% off coupon and purchased Raspberry Peach Macaron and Lemon Mint Leaf. I’ve already burned through one Raspberry Peach this season, and it is sooo delicious. This is the perfect springtime candle for anyone who gravitates toward sweet scents because it has fruity undertones, unlike fall scents with heavier undertones like cinnamon. Secondly, I picked up Lemon Mint Leaf, which is another favorite from last year. This scent is so fresh, yet rich – like an Aveda shampoo. It really gives you that at-home spa feeling. In the words of Ferris Bueller, “If you have the means, I highly suggest picking one up.”

Stick around. More favorites posts to come!

-Jessica

Embracing the Color of the Year: Radiant Orchid

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So somehow between all of this past weekend’s festivities, I squeezed in time to paint this veneer shelf from Goodwill that I had picked up before leaving Houston (and barely managed to fit in the back of my car). With its $12 price tag, I just couldn’t seem to pass it up.

I’m trying to make my work space at home more aesthetically pleasing, so I thought I would choose a bright, happy color to contrast with the seriously “blah” color on the walls. (Since this is a rental house that we don’t plan on being in here for more than a year, I’m doing my best to work around the color scheme.) I decided to be bolder than usual and go for Pantone’s “Color of the Year,” Radiant Orchid, which I got in a pre-mixed sample size at Lowe’s for just a few dollars. With some spray-on primer and the 95 degree sunlight I was painting it, the whole project took less than a few hours.

Nothing gives you bang for your buck quite like a new coat of paint!

The Dog Days of May

This past weekend was perfect. It was my first living with Shaun and the pets again full time here in Austin, and we had no shortage of activities planned.   Saturday was a holiday for us, as we are native Kentuckians (Louisvillians, to be exact) and celebrate the Kentucky Derby religiously. (Seriously, kids in Louisville don’t have to go to school the day before Deby.) To our surprise, there were TONS of Derby-related events happening around Austin. We decided to hit up The Mean Eyed Cat bar (which Shaun keeps referring to as the One Eyed Cat). If you bought a mint julep you could put your guess in for the race winner and win a prize if you guessed correctly. Unfortunately we didn’t fare so well, but we had fun anyway and enjoyed seeing non-Kentuckians get hyped about Derby. We got a little homesick. 10265503_10101396734405262_7890365297964575719_o10257721_10101396734380312_955955494685637404_o 10298078_10101396734400272_7862848937754349649_o Sunday afternoon Shaun and I checked out the Pecan Street Festival, which is a two-day arts event that is a pretty big deal around here. We heard awesome music, saw beautiful artwork, and downed some totally-worth-it $5 lemonade. We got back with plenty of time left in the day, so I headed off Sophie and Frodo to the nearby dog park. 10340552_10100843169650167_2013397130_oWe’ve taken them to the dog park before when I came to visit Shaun on the weekends, so I’ve learned this is how things generally go: neither Sophie or Frodo are particularly interested in socializing with other dogs, but Frodo will roam around and Sophie will follow me around until we can find a nice sunny spot where she can lie. (Yes, this mega-fluffy dog actually LOVES being in the sun when it is 90+ degrees. People ask why she isn’t shaved, but her double-layer coat actually helps keep her cool.) So on yesterday’s visit to the park there was no one on the “big dog” side with us when we arrived, so Sophie and I decided to snap some selfies. I think they turned out pretty darn cute, and I love how in the bottom right shot she is looking right at the camera.

So overall, a pretty successful first week in Austin. I am so ecstatic to finally be here!