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Memorial Day + Skinny Mojitos
Happy Memorial Day! :)
(If you’re looking for something patriotic, I will direct you to the Skinny Berry Pies or the Red, White & Blue Kabobs!)
Last week I worked my first full 40-hour week. It included three days with 4:30am wake up calls for morning workouts, evenings at the gym and a Friday night full of chores. My point: this three-day weekend is much-appreciated.
How are you spending your holiday weekend?! It seems like we have been eating, working out, eating, working out, eating and working out. In a fun way, I promise ;) We’ve taken advantage of extra time to make colorful and elaborate breakfasts, lunches & dinners. We spent nearly four hours on a nine mile walk/hike, just taking our time to explore and leisurely enjoy the quiet Sunday morning. We squeezed in a couple of HIIT circuits, fueled mainly by guilt from our late-night frozen yogurt excursion. There was a cardio carnival at the gym and a couple rounds of Alexa Jean Fitness Sore to the Core workouts.
But I mainly soaked up the extra hours spent cozily inside, with a new book and some coffee. My brain and my body wanted a rest.
The phrase “Skinny” cocktails is like saying a “short” marathon… It is a bit of an oxymoron because alcoholic beverages don’t offer much in the way of nutritional value. However I believe a healthy lifestyle includes moderate indulgences like ice cream, sushi, and the occasional cosmo. Personally, I like to save cocktails for the special occasion or social event because they are often “empty calories” and can have negative effects on my fitness goals. When I am splurging…I love me a good mojito :)
Since turning 21, I have become the bartender on holidays. (Remember the Thanksgiving Fire Jolly Rancher?) Memorial Day is no exception, and I tried my hand at an easy Skinny Girl Mojito concoction:
To be perfectly honest with you, I eliminated the rum from my jar…which leaves a sparkling lime and mint water. Still wonderfully refreshing and feel free to do the same if you are looking for a non-alcoholic party drink!
Skinny Girl Mojito:
- Bottle of Skinny Girl Mojito (32 calories per 1.5 fl. oz.)
- 1 lime, cut in wedges
- handful of mint leaves
- ice cubes
- Sparkling lime water (I used Perrier but several other sparkling water brands now have lime flavors)
- Extra lime wedge for garnish
- Pretty straws if you’re feeling festive
This recipe eliminates sugar, and substitutes Bethany Frankel’s line of Skinny Girl bottles for straight rum to reduce the calorie and sugar content.
1.) Put 5-6 mint leaves, 1 lime wedge and the juice of 1 lime wedge in the bottom of your glass. I used little mason jars with handles. “Muddle” the mint with a long utensil, crushing the lime and mint leaves.
2.) Put a handful of ice cubes over the mint mixture.
3.) Pour in 2 ounces of the SG Mojito; then pour in 6 ounces of lime-flavored sparkling water.
4.) Stir with a straw, add a lime wedge to the rim, and enjoy!
Easy, right?! This drink is so refreshing because it’s not too sweet but the mint and the lime are very flavorful. It’s also just a pretty drink.
After we sipped our cocktails and mocktails, we started planning some summer adventures….
It’s gonna be a good one & I can’t wait to share!
Enjoy your weekend and don’t forget that today is about remembering our nation’s fallen heroes. <3
It’s a perfect weekend for….Spring Cleaning!
Okay, Mom, I get it. I’m sorry for rolling my eyes and secretly loathing chore day.I finally see that your neat-freak tendencies were actually warranted.
As a kid, cleaning up is such a chore. It wasn’t until I have my own apartment and live in my own space that I realized how necessary weekly cleaning is, and I actually do it by choice.
*My mom is going to go HA! at this post because I’m not quite on her level of clean. But she’s never lived with other 20-year olds who consider dusting “optional.” (And by optional, I mean never-gonna-happen.)
For my senior year of college, I’m sharing a three-bedroom apartment with two roommates. Living with other college kids is always a risk; your styles will certainly clash on some things. Cleanliness is one of those things. Now I wouldn’t quite categorize myself as “Monica” yet, but I am concerned about the state of our apartment more than ever. The environment that we live in is a reflection of ourselves. Just like a fit body is reflective of an active health-conscious person, a clean and organized living space is reflective of someone who takes care and pride in their home.
SO. During a particularly boring class yesterday, I jotted down several items I needed to tackle this weekend. Pretty soon that list was a page long, and I knew I had a mega spring cleaning weekend ahead of me. And honestly….I’m looking forward to it!
Okay granted, the cleaning process is not so fun. But I actually get a lot of satisfaction out of throwing out old junk and clearing space. And I’m pretty sure you will too. Here is my Spring Cleaning To-Do List. Some of these are normal weekly chores already, but others I have neglected.
Then treat yourself with some fresh flowers and new delicious candles! (The Glade candles are so inexpensive and yummy! I love grabbing a couple every time I go to Target and lighting them for a little as I’m getting ready for bed.)
Here’s another fabulous article that goes into way more depth that I found on Pinterest, if you’re interested: 30 Days to Domestic Bliss.
What else did I miss?!
TBT #4: Homemade Honey Latte
It’s Thursday again which means another reason to bring up a blast-from-the-past post! I love combing through old posts from a couple years ago, some I had completely forgotten about. Speaking of throwbacks, guess which 90’s idol just made her way onto my Spotify playlist..?
The one and only, Shania. A Buzzfeed article compiled old music videos like Honey, I’m Home and Any Man of Mine. Songs that I haven’t listened to in forever but still know every word. I started thinking about other 90s music of my mom’s that I used to listen to before I got into my own Britney Spears and N’SYNC phase. Dixie Chicks, The Go-Go’s, Billy Gilman, and Donna Lewis come to mind. Good times.
Before I sign off and leave you with today’s #tbt, I can’t not mention the fact that spring break is 24 hours away!
After the New York trip and my procedures were postponed, I scrambled for new spring break plans. The extreme weather on the East coast made travel too risky, and my friends at different universities all have different spring breaks. Looks like a stay-cation for this girl, which includes:
- Unplug from technology (or at least use less of it)
- Read novels, blogs & magazines
- Go for runs, walks and bike rides outside (getting ready for May’s marathon!)
- Try something new at the gym or take a class
- Download new music for a solo car ride
- Cook a new recipe/create a new cocktail
- Decorate the graduation hat (!!!)
- Continue the endless job search
- Take pictures and write new blog posts
- Start planning my post-graduation Tour de South vacation
Give or take a few other exciting events I’m looking forward too. The fact that the above list does not contain “group project meeting” or “8:00am digital marketing class” is enough to make me happy. :)
~~~~~
Originally Posted on October 22, 2012
It’s been a while since I posted a coffee recipe! Once upon a time, Starbucks made a Honey Latte. They were my favorite, and I was hooked. One day, after ordering an Iced Honey Latte, the barista told me they were seasonal, and no longer on the menu. It was honey heartbreak. (But seriously, what season is honey in anyways?!) I have waited for them to return with no luck, until this morning, when I decided to take matters into my own hands.
I know honey is practically tea’s best friend, but it sure works with coffee too. If you like your latte’s sweet, this is a perfect alternative to a pump of white chocolate syrup. It’s sweet and delicious and melts into the steamed milk like dulce de leche.
No espresso maker, no problem. All you need is a coffee maker and a stovetop. This was the first time I tried steaming my milk in a sauce pan and it worked out great!
Honey Latte (Version 1)
- 2 shots espresso or 1/4 cup STRONG coffee (like my title ;) )
- 1 Cup (8 fl. oz.) non-fat milk
- 1 Tablespoon pure honey
Heat the milk in a sauce pan. After about 3 minutes, add in the honey and whisk together. Heat until it is steamy, but not boiling. Whisk rapidly to produce a little “foam”. (I also have a “frother” from the gadget section of Bed, Bath & Beyond to make this a little more legit looking.)
Pour your espresso/coffee, into your coffee mug. Pour the honey milk into the coffee.
Wanna twist? Try Honey NUT Latte:
Instead of regular non-fat milk, substitute unsweetened Almond Milk, or add a drop of almond extract to your honey milk mixture in the saucepan. Go nuts!
So there, Starbucks. I don’t need your stinkin’ latte, I can make my own. (But if you want to bring it back anyways, that’d be great too.)
