Happiest of ALL Fridays, to youuuuu! I woke up a FULL five minutes extra this AM to try to whip out a Friday Faves post with just a few things I have been loving this week!
- ONE Bars. Since No Cow and I are having a bit of strife, I decided to give these little sons of a guns a go. And hot DANG. They are so tasty. The birthday cake, lemon, or MAPLE DONUT will not let you down. I’m eating one literally as we speak (aka I type). You can buy them at Amazon or the big protein shops like Vitamin Shoppe/GNC.
2. I knowwww quotes are A. Pretty cheesy and B. Pretty Basic, but you C… I’m both those (at least I’m self aware), but naturally I love them. I saw this quote in a little boutique I strolled into this week. It hit home with me, especially with how this past year has been. I would not have had any strength to make it through without the support of DJ, friends, family, and y’all. Then with the second part, the reason I go into nursing everyday is to love people. It is ultimately the reward to love and to show love that is the driving force and fuels me with courage every day I step foot on the floor.
3. Ok, SnarkyNurses may be my favorite nurse Instagram account. It is the perfect amount of sarcasm, a bucket of truth, and has those gems of, “We all think it, but no one says it”. Gosh, I LOVE it.
4. Lately I have been loving the Chill Hits station on Spotify. I decided to just put it on while cleaning one day and cannot get enough. I always avoided it while working out and whatnot because it didn’t seem the right fit, but I was so wrong. It is absolutely my new favorite workout playlist. I also like listening to it at night when I’m reading.
5. Dis Eggplant Hummus from Trader Joe’s doe. Baba or hummus?! How about both! My new obsession (overused word, but I mean it here… ooooob to the sessssssssed).
6. Pink Himalayan Salt. I found this little guy in TJ Maxx, and love love love. I used to live and breathe sea salt, but this is next level. Plus, it has quite a few health benefits (Ps. I don’t know if that’s a reputable source, but we’ll go with it)! Needless to say, I am so-dium pleased with it…. *crickets* …
7. While we are talking all things Himalayan, because that’s just your standard run of the mill convo, DJ and I are OBSESSED (gosh dang it, stop overusing that) with Himalayan Kitchen… a tremendous Indian food joint we found in Sunnyvale. Indian food is my faveeee, and I was having a massive craving the other night. HK has the BEST curry dishes, and they are spicy to the point where it is ALMOST too spicy, but not quite which is exactly right. DJ goes for the Chicken Tikka Masala, and I ventured away from my usual Palak Paneer and tried their Shrimp Curry. And Naan… Heaven, just heaven. I have a theory that naan was the mana God sent down from Heaven.
8. the Skimm! If you don’t read anything else on this post READ THIS!!!!!! the Skimm is my lifesaver. There are so many current events happening it’s hard to keep up and read everything. the Skimm is a free e-mail service that send you the skimmed version of all news M-F. It breaks it all down in an easy to understand, and fun to read format. Use the link below to subscribe! I have been using this since the middle of college, and have it to thank for my somewhat elementary understanding of what is happening up in here.
9. Baked By Melissa Cupcakes. Shoot I was supposed to leave for work two minutes ago. Ah! We had these sweet goodies delivered for Valentine’s Day and holy maloly cupcakes… these are the cutest little cupcakes with the most massive embodiment of flavor. SERIOUSLY the best cupcakes I think I’ve ever had.
10. Last but not least, I can’t believe I haven’t shared with y’all that I finally have a running watch, the Vivoactive Garmin! I used to have the Forerunner, but I lost it a few months after we moved out here (the black hole of California). I LOVE this watch, it’s super easy to use for a technology novice like myself, and has everything I could want in a watch. It links with an app on the phone for accurate tracking too.
(There are probably a ton of typos up in here right now… don’t mind them. Ok time to go run around like a chicken with its head cut off for 12 hours! Seeeee yaaaaa!)
xo <3
Thanks for all the useful and fun tips and foods. I love, love, love TJ’s eggplant hummus!!! They have been selling hummus for decades and it is by far the BEST hummus of any store – even the fancy pricey delis dont come close to TJ’s hummus!! BTW all their hummus flavors are outstanding, you can’t go wrong with any of them. I’ll have to try out Himalayan Kitchen, never heard of it but then we rarely go out for Indian food, Check out Amber Cafe in Mountain View – its a small cafe with street food and the regular foods too, its casual, quick and delicious – nothing fancy though. My daughter introduced me to Chill Hits on Spotify – isn’t it an awesome channel!! Love that too!! Even I have started using Himalayan salt after reading loads of health benefits to it, another great tip – keep them coming! The nurse instagram post was hilarious! Brought a smile first thing in the morning. Happy Friday to you and Happy Weekend!!
BTW I took my twins last week to Mendocino Farms in Pruneyard afrer reading your post. Awesome food! Thanks for the introduction!
So ironic! I literally JUST had a spoonful of the eggplant hummus a few minutes ago. It’s SO good. Gosh, we probably have passed each other in TJs and never even knew it 😉 I can’t wait to go back and try alll the flavors. I feel like no matter how many years I am on this earth I won’t be able to try all the treasures at TJs. I have seen Amber Cafe! Is it the same one that’s on Santana Row? I will never turn down a recommendation! YAY! I am so excited you enjoyed Mendocino! Woohoo! Hope you are having a beautiful and staying warm (and dry) what is this rain?! Lol.
Why do you always post the yummiest things?! I know wants macaroons and naan. Love it the total difference in those items lol.
I have the Forerunner 15 from Garmin which is pretty basic for a running watch. I’m debating upgrading in a few months. Thanks for sharing about that one. It’s getting adding to my list of watches to look at!
If you like hummus and spicy food try supremely spicy hummus from Sabra. When you open the container, immediately mix it so it’s equally spicy throughout. SO GOOD!! I eat some every day because I’m obsessed with it.
Have a great shift Mackenzie <3
Girl, you just made my DAY. YUMMIEST, to describe anything on my blog?! Well hot dang, thank you! Hahah, naan is just the best thing on earth. Let me know which watch you decide on! I love chatting all things running. I LOVE SUPREMELY SPICY!!!! It’s AMAZING. Sabra can be pretty pricy, so I try to switch it up time to time, but I agree- it’s the absolute best. And it’s actually spicy (unlike some that claim spice and don’t have any). Hope you are having a great week, girl. Thanks for stopping on by!
You’re welcome ❤️ If you eat hummus a lot then look for the family size package of Sabra! It’s what I buy and cheaper than the small containers. But my store has the small ones on sale so I’ll stock up. Totally normal to see me digging through all of the containers to find the ones with the latest dates lol. Tribe has another good spicy hummus but it’s not as spicy as Sabra. If there are any other spicy ones you love let me know!
Yes, definitely!!! I will be stocking up!! I am currently loving the TJ’s hummus tray- it’s so cheap and delish with the spicy even mixed in! Not as good as the sabra spicy, but a great deal! XO
Bahhaa this title made me giggle a lit too much; I can totally relate! So many yummy food this week; hope you have an awesome weekend girly xx
Haha, YESSS! I literally was about to say, “I’m sure you can relate” before I read that part of your comment. Thanks for stopping by, love!!! XO
The birthday cake bar looks delicious! I’m a lover of pink Himilayan salt too- SO good! Have the best weekend! Xxx
It’s sooo good! I hope they sell it out there! Hope you had a great weekend, love and are currently having an awesome week. Can’t wait to explore your new blog some more!
I’ve never seen it but I certainly want to hunt for it! Thank you Mack!
Mwah!! <3
You did all of this in 5 minutes?? That is one of my favorite flavor of hummus! So good. Now I want a cupcake!
Haha, well I gave myself an extra five minutes plus the twenty five for coffee and breakfast… so technically thirty which is a bit more realistic! Thank you so much for stopping by. Love seeing a new face around here!
SO MANY GOOD PICKS!! One Bars are delish, the Blueberry Cobbler is also really really yummy. I’ve also been loving Oatmega & the Optimum Nutrition Cake Bites (mint is amazing!) Also, love the quote 🙂 so cheesy, but so good!
Hi Sarah! Oh my goodness, thanks for stopping by, girlfriend. Ooooo I need to try blueberry cobbler! I haven’t yet, but it sounds tremendous. I will need to try those other bars too! I’m sure vitamin shoppe has them all. Hope you are having a beautiful week!
Great post!! I need to try those bars… they look so good and I love that it has 20 g of protein!!! yessss!!! also, I love the Skimm too… putting news into terms I can understand. I have been loving the edamame hummus from Trader Joe’s with their plantain chips… soo yummy, but I will have to try the one you got! Those cupcakes look SO delicious!! My husband and I both love Indian food too… when we lived in Salt Lake, we got it every week, but we haven’t found somewhere we absolutely love yet in Nashville. Have a great weekend girlfriend!!!! xoxoxo
GIRL, you would LOVE them!!!! I think the maple donut is the best. Yesss, fellow Skimmer!!! Uh oh… ok nashville has to have Indian somewhere if we are moving there, lol. Keep me posted if you find a place! Thank you so much for stopping by! xoxo
Okay, I totally have to try them. We have found one good upscale Indian place that is really yummy, but I need to find a yummy hole in the wall soon. Have a great day!! xoxoxo
Yes yes yes!! Keep me posstedddd!!! XO
I’ve been loving fiber bars lately! I’ve never tried One bars but my favorite are the Luna bars (by Clif). They’re so yummy!
My boyfriend and I only use Himalayan Pink Salt in our food we cook at home. It seriously makes every dish taste 100x better! And you can find it at any store in the spices aisle (just an fyi so you don’t have to search through TJ Maxx looking for it again when you run out).
When I was in NY there were SO many Baked by Melissa stands! I wish I wasn’t dairy free so I could have tried some of those treats… they look so freaking delicious!
Hope you made it to work on time, haha. 😉
Oooo I used to be OBSESSED with Luna Bars! They are delish. I think I liked them a bit too much and couldn’t stop myself from several a day, lol! Also, thank you for letting me know- I guess I just never noticed it before in the grocery store! Aww, I wish they had some vegan or dairy free versions too- so good! Thanks for stopping by, chica. XO
Not even kidding, I bought two One bars at Trader Joe’s last Sunday to see if they’d be good as NoCow replacements. 😂 I got a birthday cake and a maple doughnut! Haven’t tried them yet tho.
But! I have found yet another worthy replacement! I was at Target this afternoon and saw the 22 Days Nutrition bars were on sale. I’d actually been wanting to snag a box to try for a while but the sale made me go for it. I got the salted caramel flavor and had one after my workout – I was honestly so impressed. 😍 It was like eating actual soft caramel! The bonuses are 15g of protein, 4g of sugar, all organic.. I’m pretty happy with them haha.
Have a great weekend!! 🙂
Haha, we do not mess around on our No Cow strike, lol.Let me know what you think! I love all their flavors I’ve tried, but maple doughnut might be my favorite. oh my gosh, salted caramel bars sound amazing. I’ll have to keep an eye for them, those macros are awesome. Thanks for sharing, Lauren! Hope your week has been great so far!
Thank you for catching us up on your week!
Love those cupcakes – they are simply adorable!!!
I use Himalayan pink salt as well – do you find that it is saltier & tastier than white salt? or is it just me?
Enjoy the new running watch … it looks so nifty!
Have a lovely lovely weekend!
I agree! It is tastier than regular salt and I feel like you need to use less for more salty punch!! It’s soo delish. Thanks so much, Ju Lyn! Hope your week has been wonderful. I saw some posts you put up that I am super excited to read through! <3
OMG those cupcakes! I gave up sweets and soda for Lent. Lol. Hopefully it also helps me lose a few pounds. That birthday bar thingie doesn’t look too bad either. They’re healthy too, right? Quotes are always awesome too!
Hehe, they are so tiny but MIGHTY with flavor! And noooo- I could not. My nightly ice cream cone cannot be forfeited. They are! The protein amount is tremendous and low sugar. I found out they are sold at Trader Joe’s too! Thanks for stopping by, Lisa! Hope all is well <3
Ooh I haven’t had hummus in a while but I can’t seem to get past the pico de Gallo one hahaha. And those cupcakes look delish!!! And that pink Himalayan salt is amazing. Weve been buying it for a couple years, everything tastes better with it than regular salt lmao
Oh my gooodness the pico de gallo sounds tremendous!!!! Girl, you need these cupcakes in your life. The besttt in the world. I AGREE! I wish I have used the himalayan salt more in my life… it’s sooo good!
It’s very delicious! You should try it! I think the brand is Sabra?
Ooooo I love Sabra! I need to keep my eye out for that!!!! YUM! Thanks for the awesome recommendation.. I’ll letchya know!
I subscribed to The Skimm! I cannot even express how many timessss I have felt SO out of the loop (especially politically speaking) because a) I didn’t pay enough attention to social studies growing up so I’m kind of politically ignorant doh! & B) there is SO much news & constant happenings that it’s so hard to keep up! Good luck at work!
Isn’t the Skimm the best?!?! I have felt the same exact way. If I go a few weeks without reading it I feel SUPER out of the loop. Thanks, Kaci! I always get so excited to see a comment from you!
Yay!! Friday Faves! I’ll have to check out those One bars! I just picked up some Rx Bars. There’s two days a week when my Pilates class is too early to have a heavy breakfast or a sloshy protein shake. There’s so many goodies in this post that I’m going to have to look into them all!! <3
I loooove Rx!!! What is your favorite flavor? I love the chocolate sea salt best I think, but the blueberry is a close contender!
Ooohhh…I don’t know my favorite. I haven’t tried many. I do like blueberry a lot. I just got a sampler pack in the mail yesterday. I’ll have to draw my conclusion after I’ve tried them. Coconut Chocolate sounds appealing!
Oooo the coconut chocolate is SUPER good! I forgot about that one, but yes, a must try if you like coconut!
YAY! A Mack post!
Oh my lanta those no bars LOOK SO yummy! You had me at Maple Donut!
I LOVE that quote! And girl, you know me with notes everyone else can just excuse themselves if they are going to hate on our quote loving game ;p <3 And if we couldn’t have anything more in common I LOVE the Skimm! It is amazing! I also have been using it for years!
And girl I LOVE Melissa's cupcakes! They are so yummy! I hope you had an amazing day at work weekend and amazing work days this week! Love you sweet lady! <3
Hello, looove!!! You HAVE to try the maple donut one. It’s tremendous. It really does taste like a donut– maybe a donut meets candy bar, but it’s healthy. Insannnne. Hehe, yessss, some quotes are just tooo goood. THE SKIMM!!!!!! Isn’t it the best?!? I have a secret dream to work for them. Hhaha. I heard NYC has Melissa’s stands all over?! I wonder if that’s where they are originally located. They are so tiny but have the BEST flavor. I swear they are the best I have ever tasted. LOVE U. XOXO
I live in San Jose, so will deffo try out that Indian cuisine!!!
Yeessss! girl, we live so close! Do you have any favorite must-try restaurants?!
I love ONE bars. The maple donut is my fav!
AGREED! Maple donut is my favorite too. DELISH.
Happy Holi……………!!!
Engraved pen online
K
I love love quotes, so keep them coming! <3
Aww, thanks, girlfriend! So good, right?!
Awww I love reading your posts they put the biggest smile on my face! Those cupcakes look absolutely delicious!xx
Oh my goooodness, coming from the QUEEN, Mia, that means so much. Thanks girlfriend <3
We have a vegan / plant-based Facebook community. You are welcome to post there! https://www.facebook.com/groups/1678927232318982/
Awesome, thanks !
I love seeing peoples favourite things they make me want to try new things! def going to try that one bar…;)
Aw, thanks for stopping by!! Definitely give it a go and let me know what you think!