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
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!










We’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.
















