Sweet T and a Honey B
Food, Fitness, and the Adventures That Make Life Sweet

Nutty Halo Top Milkshakes

I’m going to admit something that to most people would consider sacrilegious- I was never a huge fan of the chocolate peanut butter combination growing up. Reese’s Peanut Butter cups never excited me while every other kid was desperately searching for them in their trick-or-treat bags (I was always trading those for Jolly Ranchers or Skittles). They say your taste buds change as you get older and it has to be true because within the last few months I can’t get enough of the heavenly combination. For example, I’ve found myself requesting a scoop of peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream as opposed to my all time favorites like pistachio or birthday cake. Or, my most recent post-dinner treat is a graham cracker topped with a tablespoon of of Justin’s creamy peanut butter and a little melted dark chocolate. 

One night after a good workout, I found myself standing in the kitchen with the jar of Justin’s Vanilla Almond butter and a spoon (it happens on occasion..). Hubs and I had a sweet tooth and wanted something to cool us down, so along with my beloved jar of Justin’s, and some different flavors of Halo Top on hand, my Halo Top Milkshake concoction was born. 

I’d like to take a second to preface this recipe with a very important public service announcement. If you don’t have a pint of Halo Top in your freezer- you’re absolutely missing out. Packed with protein (you heard me, ice cream with protein), and ZERO artificial ingredients or softeners, one would think this ice cream tastes like many other ‘healthy ice creams’, AKA: not tasty. This could not be further from the truth. It tastes like real ice cream people. I look forward to treating myself to my scoop or two of Halo Top each night and there’s zero guilt associated with it. 

This milkshake was decadent and REALLY filling. I used two different Halo Top flavors based on me and hub’s personal favorites (Peanut Butter Cup for him and Chocolate Almond Crunch for me). You can easily use whatever flavors you like. Though we did not add it this time, you can easily bulk your shake up a bit by using a scoop of your favorite vanilla or chocolate protein powders, chia seeds, or flax. We made another Halo Top milkshake a while back but used some Vega One Chocolate Protein Powder and PB2. You can read about that one here. This one was strictly for sweet tooth purposes 🙂

Nutty Halo Top Milkshakes

  • 1 Cup of your favorite Halo Top Ice Cream (Peanut Butter Cup or Almond Crunch were delicious!)
  • 1/2 Cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 Tbs Justin’s Vanilla Almond Butter or Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 2 tbs light whipped cream for topping
  • 1 tbs melted peanut or almond butter for topping
  • Additional add-ins: 1 tbs chia/flax blend, 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder, 1/2 frozen banana, or replace the 2 tbs of nut butter in the shake with  tbs PB2 or Chocolate PB2.

Combine Halo Top, Almond Milk, and 2 Tbs of Almond/Peanut Butter in a blender and blend for 12-15 seconds. Pour in to your favorite glass and top with whipped cream and melted nut butter. 

 

 

Sweet Saturday no. 3

There are very few things I enjoy more than waking up on a Saturday morning, thinking it’s a weekday before I open my eyes, only to look at the clock and realize it’s 8 o’clock in the morning and I don’t have to rush out of bed to be anywhere. I took a few extra minutes (more like 30) to soak in this glorious feeling before I was in desperate need for a warm cup of coffee to start the day. Also can we talk about how the sun is finally shining?  

I’ve mentioned before that as I get older I appreciate those weekends with little to no plans. I used to enjoy stuffing each minute with activities and to-dos and would usually know my plans by Tuesday for the following weekend. I find myself getting further away from the need to be busy all of the time and can honestly say I am less stressed because of it. Today and tomorrow’s plans consist of (currently) sitting across from my handsome husband at our favorite coffee place while we both get some work done, dinner with friends to celebrate some new jobs, and a brunch with a couple girlfriends tomorrow (hello Bloody Mary & Mimosa bar 😉 ). Football Sunday is also on the agenda! Knowing that I would be able to de-stress this weekend was definitely one of the sweetest things of my week. 

Here are just a couple more of the things that energized me this week. Have a fabulous Saturday!

Gaiam Balance Ball Chair

With as active of a lifestyle as I try to live, my job doesn’t help much. Believe it or not, working at a desk all day takes a toll on your body. On average I sit at my desk from anywhere from 7-10 hours a day and as much as I try to move around, there’s very little time  for walking or stretching breaks in between. The bathroom is not even that far from me. In a recent conversation with a good friend of mine at work, we discussed how achy we are after a full day and compared little pains in our lower back, neck, and shoulders. Somewhat jokingly, she said “You know, we really need to buy those exercise ball chairs”. We laughed and went – you guessed it – back to our desks.

I ended up being a little curious and doing some research on the benefits of having one of those chairs. Not only did I find that those who use these chairs can burn up to an extra 350 calories a day (by being forced to adjust your position every once in a while, you’re moving), but relieves back pain (bingo!), tones your core/abdominal muscles (summer IS coming, people), improves focus, and induces the need to stretch because there is little to no back of the chair. Despite reading these benefits, I left the idea alone for a week or two- until my friend walked over to my desk one day to let me know that Gaiam’s Balance Ball Chair was Amazon’s Deal of the Day. She didn’t have to twist my arm much because all she said was “If you get one, I will” and within 2 days, I had my chair (Thanks Amazon Prime!) 

After a week of sitting in it, I have already noticed obvious changes. I am WAY more conscious of the way I sit and my posture throughout the work day, I find myself feeling the need to stretch, stand up, adjust my position on the ball, my mind wanders less when working on projects, and I have zero lower back pain going home at the end of the day. It also inspires a lot of great office conversations as people walk by – “Hey, can I try your chair?”

This chair is extremely easy to assemble and comes in a large handful of different colors. I ordered the bright purple ball to brighten my cube  a little bit. I highly encourage anyone who sits all day to purchase one of these. Since I can’t change the fact I sit all day, the Gaiam Balance Ball Chair has changed my perspective on it.  Right now, they happen to be on sale at Amazon and you can order yours by clicking below!

 

Protein Packed Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Banana Milkshake

After a particularly sweaty workout one night this week, I was a little hungry but craving something cold. Using some of the ingredients we already had in the house, hubs and I decided to make our own milkshakes before sitting down to our missed episode of ‘This is Us’ on NBC. Each milkshake combined:

  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1 Scoop Vega One Chocolate Protein Powder (You can use any chocolate protein powder you like)
  • 1/2 Cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 tbs PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter (we swear by this stuff)
  • 1/2 Cup Chocolate Mocha Halo Top Ice Cream

Not only was I full after drinking this, but it quenched my thirst after that workout. Next, we want to try combining the same ingredients but replacing the chocolate protein powder for vanilla and the Chocolate Mocha Halo Top for their birthday cake flavor. You can top with sprinkles and enjoy as a dessert!

Sweet Saturday no. 1

Happy Saturday, everyone!

In relation to my 2017 goal (I’m unsure how I feel about the word ‘resolution’) of trying to appreciate the little things that happen every day, and not just on the weekends, I thought I would begin something called ‘Sweet Saturdays’. I’d love to spend some time sharing a handful of the things that made my week a little sweeter in hopes of providing some ideas for you too! 

I will say- this week was a great one. A new mindset, a new year, a new gym, and new episodes of my favorite television shows (Any #Nashies out there?) made for a fabulous first full week of 2017. I hope that you too kicked this year off on the right foot! 

HIIT Treadmill Workouts

I’ve recently become bored with my cardio workouts and needed something to change it up. Unfortunately, Chicago Winters do not provide a lot of opportunity to run or walk outside, so I tend to get stuck to those 30 minute elliptical sessions or runs at the gym. I can still get a great workout in, but find that my body gets used to it after a while. While reading one of my favorite health and fitness blogs, Peanut Butter Fingers, I found that Julie often provides a lot of high intensity interval training (HIIT) treadmill workouts that anyone has time for. HIIT Workouts use a combination of speeds and intensities to slow and speed up your heart rate. This way you not only burn calories, but fat too. And SWEAT like a beast! Here is one of Julie’s 20 minute workouts that I tried out.

 

 

2017 Thankful Jar

Thanks to a friend that posted this idea on facebook, I decided to make my own ‘Thankful Jar’ for the year. Each day, Bryan and I can write one good thing that happened that day or that we were thankful for that day and put it in the jar. On New Year’s Eve we can take turns reading all of the things that happened during the year. This is also a great idea for those with kids! We have a lot to be thankful for so I know it’s going to fill up fast.

 

Halo Top Ice Cream

If I had to pick one dessert to eat for the rest of my life, it might very well be Halo Top Ice Cream. I like to think of this as the hidden gem of Ice Creams. Bonus, it’s completely healthy. Yes, you read that right, it’s healthy.

After trying various healthy “ice creams” from the freezer section at Marianos, I was sold on the idea there was no such thing as a healthy ice cream that tasted like, well, actual ice cream. Then I started to read about something called ‘Halo Top’. I learned that I could buy it at my local Whole Foods and decided to pick up a pint. 

Then I picked up another pint. 

And then another. 

And then I followed them on every social media outlet and anxiously awaited the arrival of their 10 new flavors. 

A pint of this delicious cold treat is low calorie, high-protein, low sugar, and the ingredients are all natural. It also happens to be Weight Watcher friendly! It’s only 3 points for a half cup! They come in a ton of different flavors and you’d never know this wasn’t served up at your local ice cream shop. I purchased the S’more flavor for hubs and I this week and let’s just say another trip to Whole Foods is on my errand list for today.