Local Honey is Awesome

With spring in full swing and the pollen making everything a strange shade of green, I went to my favorite most natural way to combat allergies: local honey. By eating local honey your body can help defend you against the local allergens. It's kind of how when you get the flu shot and it has some of the flu in it. You have to take it in to protect yourself against it. Pretty cool, right? Local honey is especially easy to obtain now that the local farmers markets are opening back up.

Need to find a farmers market near you?

1. Visit the Local Harvest website and type in your location. It will bring up a list of your local farmers markets, where they are located, and when they are open!

2. Download the Farmstand App on your smart phone. It will also give you a list of where the farmers markets are in your area and allow you to see when they are operating!

Need some ideas? My favorite, easy ways to eat honey!

1. Coffee and tea sweetener: every morning I make coffee and every morning I sweeten it with honey.

2. Sandwiches: honey on dry toast OR honey and banana slices OR peanut butter and honey 

3. Oatmeal and honey: making plain oatmeal can be relatively bland, adding honey can put a little bit of a sweet taste into this easy breakfast!

4. Energy Bites

What are some other ways you incorporate honey into your daily diet? 

Happy spring!!

300 Abs!

Warm up with 20-45 minutes of cardio before doing one of my favorite ab workouts!

Last weekend was the first I was able to lay out at the pool. It made me realize how quickly summer was coming up and how I need to incorporate more strength training into my workouts!

What are your favorite ab workouts?

Peanut Butter Granola Apple Sandwiches

Snacks are just as important to my day as meals. Sometimes I'm rushing out the door and have to make something quick to hold me over while I'm in class. These little apple sandwiches are perfect to stick into a ziplock bag and throw into a back pack. They take no time to make and chances are you'll have peanut butter, granola, and apples in your kitchen!

Here's what you do:

1. Core an apple.

2. Cut the apple into slices.

3. Generously spread peanut butter onto a slice, sprinkle granola, and stack another apple slice on top!

It is so easy and packed with protein. It's great before a workout or before a long couple of hours at the library!

April's Resolution

Month 4 of 12 months of resolutions is already here! I can't even believe it. With graduation quickly approaching I thought it would be fitting to make this month's resolution one to help me ease into real life (ah scary). At the University of Alabama the dress code is pretty close to pajamas. The average girl wears either leggings or Nike shorts and an excessively large t-shirt. Is that even cute? I'm not sure. So for this month I'm going to try and wear actual real clothes to class at least twice a week. It doesn't sound like a lot but going from wearing gym clothes to real clothes... it's an effort. I've realized I go shopping and have these cute clothes but I never wear them. Now that the weather is approaching bearable, I don't have much of an excuse. Plus, like I said earlier, graduation is exactly a month from tomorrow and I don't think the real word wants me to wear t-shirts and gym shorts.

Resolution Recap:
January: spend less time on my cell phone
February: take Denny to the park twice a week
March: chips
April: dress like a real 22 year-old

Easy French Toast

My Dad is a big French toast fan and since I've been making breakfast a lot lately, I figured I would try my hand at this classic. I need something quick and easy if I'm going to make it in the morning and this recipe is perfect for that!

Here's what you need:
1 egg
3/4 C milk
1 TBSP ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
2 slices bread

Here's what you do:
1. Beat together the egg, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.
2. Heat a lightly oiled skillet/griddle over medium heat.
3. Soak bread slices in egg mixture thoroughly on each side. Cook the bread until both sides are crisp and lightly browned.

Serve with fresh fruit, warmed maple syrup, and a nice glass of orange juice!

March's Resolution

For each month of 2014 I've decided to make a different resolution. So far, it's been really fun to see what I can change each month and how each change affects my routine. For March I've decided to avoid eating chips. I have a crazy obsession with Doritos and chips at Mexican restaurants - I love it all. It's really getting out of hand. So... to try and reign this back in I'm going to see if I can avoid eating them all together. Seeing at Lent starts today, it's also what I will be giving up for Lent! It will last a little longer than just March but I'm excited to see if I can handle it. Maybe it will also get me ready for spring break later this month! :)

Resolution Recap:
January: spend less time on my cellphone
February: take Denny to the park twice a week
March: chips

Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken Salad

I have been on the BBQ train for a while now. I'm just craving summer and keep making my favorite summer-time foods. This recipe is super easy if you plan ahead (and if you don't... just cook it on high)!

Here's what you need:
1-2 chicken breasts
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Salad greens and veggies

Here's what you do:
1. Place the chicken into the slow cooker.
2. Thoroughly cover the chicken in BBQ sauce.
3. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. I pulled the chicken apart around hour 3 so it could continue soaking up the saucy goodness.
4. Take your favorite salad greens and whatever veggies you desire and place the chicken on top! No other dressing needed with all the BBQ sauce!