We hit a major milestone over here this week.

On Monday I left to go to lunch and an appointment and decided to leave Zoey out in the house instead of crating her. I closed the bedroom, office and bathroom doors and gave the two girls the run of the main part of the house. A few hours later I walked in the door to find everything just as I’d left it! We’ve since left Zoey out every day this week for stretches of up to five hours at a time and she’s been perfect! I’m so proud.

When Sullie was a puppy she started staying out of her crate around 12 months old. Funny story on Sullie…my ex and I first attempted to leave her out of her crate at 7 months old (new dog owners…we had no clue) and he came home to find the living room an absolute disaster. She had completely ripped up a brand new dog bed that my parents had given her for Christmas and also done a number on a houseplant. There were shreds of leaves everywhere. We waited to try again when we moved from an apartment to a house when she was a year old. We never put the crate up in the house and she never needed it!

Zoey is just over 19 months old right now. She’s definitely a lot more curious and mischievous than her sister so it took me a little longer to find her trustworthy enough to be left alone. 😉 Say a little prayer that this good behavior keeps up! I think it helps her to have Sullie as a role model.

I have a few meals from the week to show you…

Welcoming back peanut butter in my smoothies. I have to admit that I have become a recent fanatic of almond butter and cashew butter but there is nothing like a big scoop of peanut butter in a smoothie.

Here’s today’s blend:

Frozen banana
Frozen cherries, strawberries and blueberries
Coconut milk (from a can, not a carton)
Spinach
Big scoop of peanut butter
Half a scoop of Premier Protein Vanilla Milkshake Protein Powder

I’ve had some questions about my post Whole30 dairy cut back and whey protein. So far I’ve been able to enjoy dairy in moderation (a few times a week), including whey protein, with no negative side effects on my skin (and luckily dairy has never bothered my stomach).

Speaking of vanilla protein, I tried tried this Wild Friends Vanilla Peanut Butter with whey protein added with some apple slices this week. The texture is definitely different than that of their normal peanut butters due to the protein powder addition but it does include 12 grams of protein.

Lunches have been my usual variations of salads. Spinach, farmers market arugula (<– so peppery and good!), tomatoes, strawberries, hardboiled egg, pistachios, smoked salmon, dried cranberries, olive oil and fig balsamic.

Spinach and arugula topped with tomatoes, radishes and a leftover avocado salsa chicken burger. Dressed with our coconut milk ranch from Namastay Kitchen and a spoonful of salsa.

One last chicken burger salad but this one with avocado, tomatoes, radishes, apples, dried cranberries, pistachios, olive oil and fig balsamic.

Here’s the dinner that gave me the chicken burger leftovers. I made salsa and avocado chicken burgers and served them in a kale wrap with salsa. Roasted potatoes and roasted okra on the side.

Ina Garten’s Perfect Roast Chicken. If you haven’t made this recipe yet, you must! It’s one of my all-time favorites and my go-to recipe for cooking a whole bird.

All plated up. I roasted the chicken over carrots and leeks that I got at the farmers market last week. The veggies that you roast under the chicken are insanely good thanks to the pan drippings! I also made a batch of my braised red cabbage and apples.

Here’s a random dinner for you…I went to hang out with a friend on Wednesday night and just snacked on a bunch of hummus and chips while I was at her place. I was still hungry when I got home so I made this egg and avocado toast on my dad’s homemade sourdough and ate it at 10:30 p.m. This will always be one of my favorite easy meals no matter what time of day.

I have a pound of homemade Italian Sausage from the farmers market so I think tonight I’m going to make stuffed spaghetti squash with it. I’ll keep you posted on how that turns out.

Does your dog stay out in the house or in the crate when you’re not home? 

If they stay out, how did you know they were ready? 

What’s your favorite late-night/easy/comfort dinner?