On Friday spring greeted me with lovely morning blue skies. Since then, not so much. Cold, dreary, windy, snow, ugh. But it is OK. It’s not 0 degrees and there is 60’s and sun within the 10-day forecast. Spring is approaching soon and will be here to stay. I can feel it.

It makes me happy, just like these things:

• Pavlovas and meringues are awesome spring desserts. I want to make one. Any of these would be fantastic options: pavlovas with lemon coconut cream, berry meringue dessert, cinnamon hazelnut pavlova with coconut cream, and lemon meringue pie ice cream sandwiches. Easter dessert, perhaps?
• This article about anaerobic training is fascinating. I love reading stuff like this. It always motivates me to work hard.
• These triangle cement airplant holders are so adorable. I am loving the cement and bright colors.
• You would think I would have a decent green thumb being the offspring of farmers, but I don’t. I need to look into these 10 easy indoor plants, because we could all use some greenery in our living spaces!
• Part of the reason of why I love living in downtown Minneapolis, is so I don’t need to park in downtown Minneapolis (I just walk!), but if you do, you’ll probably love this meter map!

In other news, I was super excited to see my blueberry mint brownies posted with some dairy-free recipes on Daiya Foods and my honey cinnamon muffins posted with some Easter recipes on Just Us Four. Check out the other recipes in the roundups – they all sound delicious!

Happy Thursday! xojd

I forgot how wonderful the city of Chicago is. I hadn’t been in about 4.5 years, but went last weekend with my good friend Katie to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day. We had a grand ole time gallivanting around the city enjoying champagne and green beer and gallons upon gallons of water (because I just can’t party like I used to).

Besides St. Paddy’s Day shenanigans, the obvious highlight was seeing my friend Julie. We studied abroad together in Berlin 8 years ago (where does time go?!?!!) and I hadn’t seen her in 3 years, which is completely unacceptable, because she’s amazing and I love her and I want to hang out with her all the time. Her and my other Berliners too. *sigh*

But these things are fun like Chicago and Berlin Reunions:

• I would like to eat these cupcakes and wash them down with this this shake, because I’m so in love with tahini and matcha right now.
• This square dowel art is so, so, so, so cool.
• I really want to go to Austin.
• 10 things to do when you feel like crap, because sometimes that’s just how you feel.
• Alchemy is a new gym that opened up in the North Loop in Minneapolis. Their classes are a crossfit-yoga mix. I went to the A10 class with my friend Rachael (AKA The Freckled Foodie) on Monday. It was ahhmazing. My abs are still sore. I will definitely be going back soon… like, next week.

And, what the heck, I didn’t even post any Instagram pictures the whole weekend. Weird, but oh well. Happy Thursday!

<3 jd

Did you know that people put butter in coffee? It’s a thing. I’ve never done it before, but I found myself with some leftover espresso butter (spoiler alert: recipe coming Saturday!) so I decided to give it a try, because I was out of muffins (spoiler alert: recipe coming Saturday!). Normally I drink my coffee straight up black, but I came across this buttered coffee recipe while I was doing some compound butter research and thought “what the heck, let’s do this.”

So I did. And I liked it. I love that blending the coffee with the butter (and a splash of almond milk) gives it a frothy texture – like a tasty latte in the comforts of my home. I don’t know if I will make this a habit, but it will be fun to do every once in a while.

Besides the delicious coffee it’s been a good food week. I made up a large batch of roasted veggie bowls with lemon tahini dressing for my lunches, these no bake pumpkin granola bars for my afternoon snack, and then had some girlfriends over last night for some cozy vegan enchiladas with lime cream. Delicious, healthy food makes me oh so happy.

What else made me happy this week? These things:

• Currently drooling all over these breakfast and brunch recipes: savory bacon and cheese stuffed french toast, toasty oats with coconut, raspberry breakfast bowls, spiced sugar buns, baked bagel french toast, chia pudding parfait, buttermilk waffles, coconut & quinoa pancakes, waffled cheesecake, and this brunch frittata.
• I want to buy white letter stickers and remind myself to keep going.
• The Comedy Bang Bang podcast is my new obsession. Listen to it during long, steady cardio sessions (like a 12 mile run). The laughter will give you an added challenge and some ab work.
• After reading this, I really want to host/get invited to a mixology party.
• 10 ways to boost your confidence, because we are all amazing and deserve to be confident.

Happy first Thursday of March!

jd

So I signed up for another marathon: Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, MN! I was going back and forth and back and forth every day about whether or not I should do it. I really wanted to train and run it, but I wasn’t sure if my body would be ready for another one. After a couple of pain-free runs I decided to just go for it, but made a promise to myself that I would go to yoga once a week. With a commitment to regular yoga and strength training along with a slow increase of weekly mileage I should be able to handle it… and have a lot of fun while doing it.

Now that I am registered I am so, so, so very excited!! The marathon is June 20 and then on June 25 I fly out to Peru to hike the Inca Trail and hang out in Lima with some girlfriends. Basically, June will be an awesome month. Awesome like these things:

• Pasta with eggs. I can get down with this. Especially these: spaghetti pangrattato with crispy eggs, carbonara pasta with charred brussels sprouts, and charred cauliflower carbonara.
• Sleeping is important, so having a few sleeping tricks up your pillow sham sleeve is never a bad thing.
• Another trick: how to stop yourself from crying. I have robot tendencies and rarely cry, but it may come in handy sometime in the future.
• This diy envelope laptop case is adorable. Want.
• Leslie Knope is so full of wisdom.

Side note: YogaFit just opened a studio in Northeast. They also have studios in Excelsior and Linden Hills and have plans to open 6ish more studios across the metro. You get your first week free, so go check it out!

Annnddd if you ever want to go to yoga, lemme know.

Namaste, jd

I have a new favorite morning activity: walking on the treadmill. This is new since Tuesday morning. (Three points make a trend, right?!) I love waking up early and starting the day with some movement, but I feel like I can’t get a good, legit workout completed in the morning unless I am meeting a friend for a run or a yoga class. So: walking. It’s easy. It’s enjoyable. It takes little-to-no effort. But is still very worthwhile. After a quick 30 minutes I find myself energized and ready to take on the day! Then I get in my real workout over lunch or after work.

So I roll out of bed, head on down to the fitness center in my condo building, and jump on the treadmill. I crank up that incline (work those glutes!), put on some Carolyn Smith, and catch up on my Bloglovin’ feed (PS- you can follow me here). Next time I am seriously considering bringing a mug of coffee. Is that weird?

I suggest you try it out. While you do, you can read through these things:

• So many beautiful layer cakes: Raspberry Rose Water Layer Cake, Red Velvet Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Midsommar Cake, The Brooklyn Blackout Cake, Valentine’s Day Almond Cake. Who wants to bake one for me!?
• After I read about these surprising smoothie ingredients I went and bought frozen cauliflower. I was not disappointed.
• I don’t exchange Valentine’s, but if I did I would want to give out all of these, these, and these, but obviously this is the best Valentine’s Day card ever (heyo Simpson’s fans!).
• Do you have a boring kitchen? Read these 6 ways to make it stand out.
• Read It Was Me All Along. It is so good.

Please don’t judge my blurry picture. I was walking as I took it and was trying to be discreet about taking a picture of the treadmill.

Have a beautiful Thursday!

jd

Three weeks ago I wrote about how I wanted to make this no sew braided rug. I started it and am almost done, just a few more rounds to go. I knew all those random cotton race and volunteer shirts that I stuffed away in my storage unit would come in handy one day. I still have plenty left to make many-a rug… Rugs for everyone!

Also for everyone, these links:

• A super cute Italian soda bar.
• Chocolate mousse everywhereeeeee: kahlua chocolate pudding with oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, paleo dark chocolate mousse, raw vegan chocolate pudding, dark chocolate mousse with berries, avocado chocolate mousse, salted caramel chocolate mousse
• Amy Poehler and Tina Fey are the best. And so are best friends.
• Can you pull off a red lip like this? What about this hair?
• Lazy slice. So cool.

Also, as a proud member of the Twin Cities in Motion Marketing Committee, I want to tell you that registration for the  Twin Cities Marathon opened on Tuesday!! You should probably go sign up for it. I won’t be running the marathon this year, but I will be running the Hot Dash 10 Miler and volunteering at the Valentine’s Day 5K and the Medtronic TC 1 Mile.

Now put 18 layers on and go for a jog. Or make some chocolate mousse. Or both. Whatever path you choose, enjoy your Thursday!

Jenna