Friday Favorites

Hello cupcakes!

I want to share some of my favorite things with you. Recently, my life has been a little crazy with grad school so I am trying to appreciate the small things. Here are some things that bring me great happiness right now:

#1 WAFFLES

Need I say more? Waffles have been my go to "fun" food recently. I love experimenting and trying to come up with new Paleo waffles. These waffles are made from Tigernut flour from Organic Gemini. Check this blog post out if you would like to know more- Tigernut Flour: Organic Gemini . I also topped it with Date Lady Caramel Sauce. If you would like to know more about this product, check out this post- Date Lady . If you would like the recipe, comment below and let me know!

#2 Flowers

I got a phone call from my apartment office telling me I had something to pick up. This was a little odd because most of the time they send me an email saying I have a package to pick up. I went to the office, and these were waiting for me. How sweet? My boyfriend knows me too well. They are absolutely beautiful and these flowers turned my whole day around. 

#3 Christmas Decorations

My roommate and I went to workout, and this Christmas tree was in our apartment lobby. Of course we had to stop and take photos. I think everyone should just leave their decorations up until Winter is over. What do you think?

#5 Photos

I love looking back through all of my pictures on my phone. This one was taken during the summer when I was visiting my boyfriend in North Carolina. This is one of our favorite hiking spots. If have been following my blog for awhile, you know Crowder's Mountain is one of my favorite spots! We both climbed up on this rock and sat there for awhile. The view is breathe taking. 

#6 NuZest

 I have fallen in love with this protein powder. I am hoping to do a full blog post review about this product soon, so stay tuned!

#7 Fireplaces

Since I have lived in Indiana my whole life, I absolutely love sitting next to a fireplace in the winter. This one is at my parents' house. I also love cuddling up in a bunch of blankets and drinking a hot beverage. I had tea in this photo. 

Here are the link ups for today's post:  Momfessionals , A Little Bit of Everything , Grace and Love , A. Liz Adventures ,  & September F A R M . If you get a chance, check out their blogs!

Happy Friday everyone!

Later Taters 

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

Meal Prep

Hello beautiful cupcakes,

I want to share with you two meals I made for meal prep this week. 

The first is homemade BBQ sauce to add to my pulled deer roast I cooked in the crockpot. 

First, I cooked 2 garlic cloves, one white onion, and 3 T oil in a sauce pan. Once they are soft, you can add the other ingredients. 

To the pan, add 1/2 can of tomato paste, 1/2 can of diced tomatoes, 1 tsp chili powder, 2 T balsamic vinegar, and 1 T mustard. Simmer on low for about 15 minutes. Stir frequently. 

I also made some vegetable soup with deer burger. I browned the deer burger in a large pot. After cooked through, I added the rest of the can of diced tomatoes, rest of the can of tomato paste, 2 bags of frozen vegetables, garlic powder, fresh basil (courtesy of my roommate.. Thanks Katie!), and chives. I let this simmer on low for a little while. 

Here is what it looks like when it is finished. 

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I topped mine with hot sauce and it was ohhh sooo good! I am so excited to eat this all week. 

I also have paleo biscuits and gravy to eat & some paleo waffles!

What are you guys prepping today?

Later Taters

"It's a beautiful day, don't let it get away."

Chosen Foods and Simple Mills

Hello beautiful people,

I recently won a giveaway from Simple Mills and Chosen Foods. Here is what I received in the mail. 

Let me walk you through each product. First is the Chosen Blend which is safflower, avocado, and coconut oil. I used this to make my paleo muffins. 

The second product is Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray. I used this on my waffle maker when I made my paleo waffles. I love it!

Third up is Simple Mills Artisan Bread. I love that it is gluten free, dairy free, and Paleo! I haven't tried making this yet, but it looks amazing. 

Fourth is Simple Mills Chocolate Muffin Mix. It is also gluten free, dairy free, and Paleo!

Here is a spot light on one of the ingredients of this mix: 

I decided to make the chocolate muffins for one of my classes this week. All you need to make the muffins is the mix, 2 eggs, 3 T of oil, and 1/2 c water. So simple! 

Here is what the batter looks like:

I made 12 muffins from the mix. 

How delicious do these look? If you have a husband, boyfriend, or children... shhh... they will never know they are actually healthy!

Look how light and fluffy the inside of the muffins are... drooling!

Here are the links to these companies websites: Chosen Foods &  Simple Mills

I hope you all are having a fantastic day. Remember.. 'It;s a beautiful day, don't let it get away." 

Later Taters!