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Latest favorite foods and more

May 19, 2017 By Ashley 18 Comments

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!

Eclipse Chocolate bar by A Lady Goes West

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.)

Munk Pack oatmeal pouch by A Lady Goes West

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.

Avocado rice cake lunch by A Lady Goes West

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.

Rudy the maltipoo by A Lady Goes West

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! 🙂 

Some fun and happy favorites to brighten up your day ... Click To Tweet

P.S. Still haven’t bought my ebook yet? Go for it!

Questions of the day

What are you up to this weekend?

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

Filed Under: Food, Friday Favorites, Healthy living Tagged With: Bay Area, chocolate, Eclipse Chocolate, favorites, Friday Favorites, links, Munk Pack, oatmeal, SoulCycle, sweets

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About Ashley

I'm a mom and fitness instructor in Charlotte, North Carolina. And A Lady Goes West is where I share fitness, wellness and clean beauty tips, as well as stories from my life.
 
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Comments

  1. Susie @ Suzlyfe says

    May 19, 2017 at 4:07 am

    I had pistachio Halo Top last night and it was AMAZING. Didn’t really taste like pistachio, but I’ll it go. However the cherry semifreddo and candied hazelnuts over a chocolate torte that I had in Truckee was the best thing I’ve eaten in a VERY long time! Happy weekend, lovely!
    Susie @ Suzlyfe recently posted…Summer Starts + Possible Changes (Friday Catch Up 5/18)My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 19, 2017 at 8:16 am

      I haven’t tried that flavor, but it’s on my list. I’ve also heard the oatmeal cookie is good too! 🙂 And YAY for Truckee — I had the best omelet of my life there years ago. Happy Friday, Susie! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Patricia @sweet and strong says

    May 19, 2017 at 4:26 am

    Those oatmeal packs sound like a genius idea and that that flavor sounds delicious. Yes to cauliflower rice, I’ve been packing it in my lunches and making it for dinner, so versatile! I’m going to a spin class tomorrow morning followed by lunch and a pedicure =) Happy weekend!
    Patricia @sweet and strong recently posted…Power Up Snacks, Rocksbox, and other Friday FavoritesMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 19, 2017 at 8:16 am

      YES for cauliflower rice! So glad it’s available in the frozen section now and is also so cheap. YAY for spin, lunch and pedi — sounds like a nice day, Patricia. Happy Friday! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Courtney Koch says

    May 19, 2017 at 5:14 am

    Waaaaaaaahhhhh I wanna go to your Soul Cycle class! No fair!

    Also, Rudy is beyond adorbs.

    Your mani still looks perf.

    And have you told us your go-to rice cake brand of choice? I haven’t had rice cakes in a while and if I am going to buy some, I need to keep up with my theme of copying your eats.

    Xoxo.

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 19, 2017 at 8:17 am

      Hahhaahh! You seriously need to visit one day! 🙂 And I use the Lundberg Farms rice cakes. Nothing fancy. It’s all my grocery store has. And I get the plain brown rice kind (only time I eat brown rice these days). They probably have them at Publix! Happy Friday, my friend!

      Reply
  4. Carrie this fit chick says

    May 19, 2017 at 6:40 am

    Have fun at the watch party!!! Can’t wait to watch them tomorrow night 😀

    Squeezable oatmeal!? That is a very unique and kind of crazy idea, but I’m super down!
    Carrie this fit chick recently posted…Friday Favorites!My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 19, 2017 at 8:19 am

      GO Dubs!! SOOOOO fun to watch them play. Happy Friday! Hope you are all situated and back in the groove from vacay! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Brandy H. says

    May 19, 2017 at 7:26 am

    Thanks for the lunch inspiration! That looks delicious and I think I will be making it today!
    Yes to Cauliflower rice! So good! Even my kids will scarf it down!
    Have a great weekend!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 19, 2017 at 8:18 am

      Hi Brandy! Agreed — my hubs was skeptical of the cauliflower rice too, but now he requests it. You can fancy it up with salsa or olive oil or whatever you want. Great way to get the kiddos (or hubs) eating more veggies! Happy Friday, lady!

      Reply
  6. Emily says

    May 19, 2017 at 7:55 am

    I just read more about your book on Erin’s blog @ Erin’s Inside Job. 🙂 I’m really interested. 🙂

    And Rudy is just so cute. who could resist those big eyes?
    Emily recently posted…The Best Quick Snacks, Meals, and Munchies For ED RecoveryMy Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 19, 2017 at 8:19 am

      Hi Emily! Thanks!! I think you would probably really get a lot out of the book! 🙂 Hope you read it! Happy Friday to you!

      Reply
  7. Rachel (LittleChefBigAppetite) says

    May 19, 2017 at 11:31 am

    I’ve never seen those oatmeal packs. They look so great!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 19, 2017 at 1:58 pm

      They are sooo convenient! Keep your eyes peeled for them in the stores. Thanks for saying hi, Rachel! Have a great Friday and weekend! 🙂
      Ashley recently posted…Latest favorite foods and moreMy Profile

      Reply
  8. marian says

    May 20, 2017 at 9:31 pm

    im totally going to save that san diego chocolate place in my potential-gifts-list. my sister and fiance are moving there when they get married and they have date night events! wish i could have gone to soulcycle today, im going tomorrow and next tuesday!

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 21, 2017 at 4:58 pm

      Hi Marian! Thanks so much for saying hi! And you will have a happy sister if you gift that chocolate to her! 🙂 Yay for SoulCycle! It’s a fun time for sure. Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

      Reply
  9. Bethany says

    May 21, 2017 at 5:15 pm

    I simply love your nails! =)
    Bethany recently posted…Friday Faves and I need some ideas…My Profile

    Reply
    • Ashley says

      May 22, 2017 at 8:49 am

      Thank you!! 🙂 It’s Pink-ing of you from OPI! 🙂

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Ashley. I'm a mom and fitness instructor living in Charlotte, North Carolina. I love to help you live a balanced life with no extremes, making sure you never skip a rest day. A Lady Goes West is where I share my workouts, simple meals, clean beauty tips and wellness insight with you. Find out more about me and stay awhile!

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The latest on Instagram

I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer t I've got to be honest, I'm much more of a writer than an Instagrammer and many times I feel like what I want to share doesn't fit well into a grid. But I'm able to bring much more long-form content to my blog each week. Speaking of that, this week, I debuted a new series called "A Lady Goes West Advice Corner" which has been something I've wanted to put together for a while. In this series, I'm taking totally anonymous questions from YOU and giving you some neutral third-party advice on it all. Here are the questions I addressed in the first advice corner edition:
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-“I became a first-time mom last spring and am currently dealing with all things motherhood. How do I deal with my expectations vs. reality of being a mom?" (such a good one, and I've been there)
-“How do you deal with days when you don't love your body? I think we can all relate to looking in the mirror and being disappointed with what we see?" (this happens to us all)
-“How do you deal with comparing yourself to others on social media and not feeling like everyone is doing things better than you?" (spoiler alert: everyone has their issues that you don't see)
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The answers are long, they come from my heart, and I hope they can provide some value to you! If this is something you're interested in, head over to A Lady Goes West today to check it out, and you can submit a question for the next edition.
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Here's the direct link: https://aladygoeswest.com/ask-me-anything-a-lady-goes-west-advice-corner-first-edition/
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Have a great night, friends! And when in doubt, talk it out.
G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen g G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y!🎉 Who doesn't love a collagen giveaway? As a little thank-you for following, I wanted to do a giveaway of one of my favorite products. I've been using Vital Proteins collagen in my morning tea latte for years, and not only does the collagen creamer add a great taste, but it also supports healthy hair, skin, nails and joints too. Today, I'm giving away not only one canister of collagen creamer, but also a canister of collagen peptides to one lucky winner.
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Here's how to enter:
(1) Like this post.
(2) Follow @aladygoeswest and @vitalproteins.
(3) Leave a comment on this post tagging a friend who wants healthy skin and joints.
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You can leave as many comments as you want, and each one serves as an entry. You can earn an additional entry by sharing this post to your stories and tagging me. This giveaway closes on Saturday, February 27. The winner must live in the U.S. And this giveaway is not associated with Instagram. Good luck, and thanks for being here! 🙂 xoxo
HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Char HOME! We closed on and moved into our home in Charlotte over the weekend, and we're so excited to get settled in our new neighborhood, city and state after many weeks of transition. In honor of this momentous occasion, I thought it would be fun to look back at the places Dave and I have lived together over the last 12 years. Here's what it has looked like -- and each place has been special for different reasons:
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-2009-2012 in a high-rise condo in downtown Orlando, where we lived when we got married.
-2012-2013 in a one-bedroom apartment in South of Market in San Francisco, which was always freezing no matter the time of day or year.
-2013-2014 in a tiny studio apartment in Nob Hill in San Francisco, which was only 550-square-feet, but we could hear the cable cars out of our always-open windows, so that was cool.
-2014-2017 in a two-bedroom townhouse in Walnut Creek, where we brought home both Rudy and Brady and had many sleepless nights.
-2017-2021 in a house that we owned in Pleasant Hill outside of San Francisco, which was across the street from a Starbucks so we went there way too often.
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And now we're here in Charlotte. It's good to be home! I'd love to know: Where do you call home?
Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on other Soulmates. ❤️ Whether you’re loving on others or just yourself today, my little crew is wishing you a wonderful Valentine’s Day!
Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplify Good additions! Even though I'm all about simplifying life, I also like adding more good, if there's room for it. And the last year has given me ample opportunity to make some changes and add a lot of good. Here's my super-random list of things I've added to my life in the last year that I now love:
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-Using oat milk as my milk of choice (it's literally the creamiest, and I can’t go back to others now)
-Choosing to be outside as much as possible (can't believe I stayed indoors so much before, never exploring the beautiful Bay Area and now Charlotte until the last year)
-Teaching and taking virtual fitness classes (I was a gym rat for years, and now I actually love to work out at home with my virtual fitness friends)
-Wearing my Apple watch for notifications so I don't always need to be on my phone and tracking some beneficial metrics (I've only had my watch for about 9 months, and I love to check my heart-rate and close my rings)
-Appreciating the ability to work for myself and giving myself friendlier deadlines (I've been my own boss for several years and used to be so strict with my deadlines, until I realized it was stressing me more than it needed to, so now I say no to a lot of things and only do what works well in my life, without adding too much unnecessary stress)
-Shorter workouts (full-hour workouts are a thing of the past for me)
-Wearing more colors (no more black uniforms every day)
-And more!
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I wrote a whole post about this topic on A Lady Goes West this week if this is of interest to you, and you can head on over and check it out. I'd love to know: What's something (random or not) that you've added to your life in the last year that you now love?
Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gy Over the weekend, I stepped foot into a big-box gym for the first time in more than 11 months. How did I feel about it? Mixed ... When we left California, gyms were still closed, and once we got to North Carolina, I was so used to not going to the gym, I didn't even think about going. After being here a month, I finally decided to get a guest pass at a gym near me, and I went twice. Here are my thoughts on the experience: 
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At first, I felt so excited to drive up and go in and work out in a big space with a lot of equipment and not be at home. But then reality sank in: Even though masks were required and there were signs everywhere reminding people, about half the folks in the gym had their masks off or had them down around their chin. Ummm, not cool. I get it, working out with a mask on sucks, but rules are rules, folks. I also didn't like that it was busier than I expected, and quite a bit of the equipment I wanted to use was occupied. That never happens at home.
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Overall, I'm glad that those who need to get to the gym are getting the opportunity, but right now, I think I'll go back to sweating safely at home for a little while longer. But at least I got my first locker-room selfie in almost a year. I'd love to know. Have you been back to the gym yet?
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