Latest favorite foods and more

Hi, team! How are you? True story: I use the word team when teaching my group fitness classes, and you know, sometimes it feels right with you guys too.

So I’m sending you all a big Happy Friday! After being out of town last weekend in San Diego, Dave and I are staying put this weekend. We have a fairly full agenda on the horizon, including a birthday/Warriors game watch party with friends and a dinner with an out-of-town friend who is passing through the Bay Area, as well as a few other things. But for now, why don’t we all just sit back and take a look at some favorite things?

My favorite sweet combination

The title of this entry is actually a little off. My favorite sweet combination from my trip to San Diego last week was most definitely the Banana Nutella ice cream I had at MooTime Creamery on Coronado, where Dave’s parents live, but you already saw a picture of that. (And if you are crafty in the kitchen, may I recommend recreating something like it for yourself? OMG!)

And after the ice cream, my second favorite was probably the cookie skillet cake I ate at the bar after the rehearsal dinner, or maybe even the red velvet wedding cake we had at the reception. But this chocolate bar below is most definitely in the top five of recent sweets for me (apparently I’ve been eating a lot of sugar?). The flavor combination of macadamia and ginger is incredible!

I had two of these little bars (one came in my wedding guest gift bag), and I knew I had to mention them to you all. The company, Eclipse Chocolate, is based in San Diego, and you should keep your eyes open for these delicious fair-trade certified sweet bites. They make variety packs of fancy flavor profiles, and I for one, would love to receive that as a gift.

My favorite on-the-go snack

Munk Pack — you are unique! So Munk Pack offers squeezable oatmeal, and the products are healthy. I’m talking vegan, non-GMO, gluten free, made from real fruit, full of fiber and omega 3s in a BPA-free pouch, and each pack is only 90 calories. Plus, the flavors are perfect! (Also pictured is one of my typical breakfasts these days … sprouted toast covered in pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, goji berries, nut butter and a full banana on the side, always enjoyed with collagen-filled green tea.)

I’ve had all the Munk Pack oatmeal flavors and really can’t choose a favorite. And here’s the thing: I don’t really like slimy food, and I feared that this would be sort’ve like applesauce to me. But it tastes like oats, yet in a soft form, and I liked it. Totally strange and delicious. And the squeeze packs make this a clean and easy-to-eat snack for all ages. Nice job, Munk Pack. And thanks to the Munk Pack folks for sending me the free samples to try out!

My favorite lunch of the week

Looks like we’re on a roll with food-based favorites this week, so we’ll continue on that pattern for this one. My lunch this week every single day (except for Thursday, when I attended a fun event in wine country that I’ll tell you about soon, or you can see some of the highlights from right now on my Instagram stories) has been the same. A veggie burger patty, two scrambled eggs and a rice cake covered in avocado — all coated with nutritional yeast (lots of fiber yay!), green salsa, turmeric and pink Himalayan sea salt.

This lunch takes about five minutes to make (and that includes scrambling the eggs and plating the dish), and is so satisfying. There’s just something about a ripe avocado spread all over a crunchy rice cake — it cannot be beat. I usually take pictures of my lunch every day to share on my Instagram account, but this week, I had to skip that — because the same exact meal was consumed basically each day. Oh well! Moral of this story: avocado on a rice cake is a major YES!

My favorite picture of the week

And here’s your weekly Rudy the maltipoo picture below. He is posing with his favorite beat-up ducky toy and chewed-up red bone, and his expression is clearly: “take me out on another walk right now, Mommy.” Yes, he needs a bath. And yes, he will be getting one this weekend before he goes to the party.

My favorite links of the week

A few good reads I enjoyed this week …

• If there is one ingredient in my freezer that I totally rely on for a quick and healthy dinner, it is Trader Joe’s organic frozen cauliflower rice. It’s so versatile, and I’m not the only one loving it — here’s what a food editor has to say about it. At least three nights a week, I make lentil pasta and add a handful of sautéed cauliflower rice for some extra nutrients, to go along with sauce and a protein. I think you could add cauliflower rice to just about anything!
• This is an interesting one about pregnancy from fellow pregnant fitness blogger Ashley. Oh childbirth, how you scare me so … 
• Have I mentioned how much I love having the A Lady Goes West Friends group on Facebook? Sometimes I feel like I have so much more to share and discuss with you guys that just doesn’t happen on the blog, and it’s nice to have those daily conversations somewhere else. If you’re not hanging out with us yet, join today! 🙂 
• This one is a super old post that I came across the other day and was reminded again how much we all need to train our feet to be stronger. Check it out.

Bay Area friends

I’m hosting a free SoulCycle class on Saturday, June 3 at 10:45 a.m. in Berkeley, and I have a couple of spots left to fill. If you’re in the area and interested in attending, send me an email today to aladygoeswest@gmail.com so you can join the fun.

That’ll do it for today! Have a wonderful weekend, my friends! 🙂 

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Questions of the day

What are you up to this weekend?

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten lately?