subscribe to receive my posts, special offers, recipes, and workouts.
≡ Menu

I hope this post finds you full of holiday cheer and Christmas cookies. I’m really looking forward to my Christmas Eve and Christmas Day plans with my friends and then seeing my family the day after.

I wish I could say that I was done with shopping but I’ll definitely be out in the craziness of it all today or tomorrow and making some last-minute Amazon purchases. Knowing myself, there will likely never be a year that I am done with holiday shopping until the very last minute. I fully own that I operate better under a bit of pressure. Haha.

Related, my friend Erin McDermott is spending Christmas in Mexico with her family. That is the kind of Christmas I can get behind! Leave the presents and take off for somewhere tropical. I’ve always liked the idea of a Christmas destination vacation instead of presents and such. I’ll have to try that one year!

As I’ve been doing most Sundays lately, here is a look at what I’ve been eating over the last week.

BREAKFAST

smoothie bowl

Lots of smoothies with homemade granola. This smoothie bowl had strawberries, raspberries, bananas, riced cauliflower, a date, peanut butter and almond milk in it.

scrambled eggs, cottage cheese and fruit

Repeat of last week’s cottage cheese + scrambled egg breakfast. So good and lots of protein, especially when enjoyed with a cup of collagen coffee.

blueberry banana oatmeal with cottage cheese and peanut butter

Blueberry banana oatmeal with cottage cheese stirred in. Topped with Wild Friends Gingerbread Peanut Butter.

smoothie bowl with granola

One more smoothie bowl.

LUNCH

cinnamon raisin bagel with peanut butter, honey and banana

I am LOVING Dave’s Killer Bread Cinnamon Raisin Bagels. This one was topped with peanut butter, honey and banana.

turkey sandwich on sourdough bread

Still eating lots of turkey sandwiches. Don’t see this changing anytime soon!

turkey sandwich with avocado and cheese

And another.

roasted vegetables and chicken sausage

There was one cold and rainy day where I ate leftovers for lunch instead. I rarely do this.

DINNER

One-Pan Roasted Dinner with Chicken Sausage, Delicata Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Mushrooms, Walnuts and Dried Cherries

I made a new one pan roasted dinner combo that was super delicious. Here’s what went on the pan…

  • Thinly sliced delicata squash (with the skin left on)
  • Baby portobello mushrooms
  • Sliced chicken sausage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Walnuts
  • Dried cherries
  • Lots of olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning Grinder
  • Garlic cayenne seed salt
One-Pan Roasted Dinner with Chicken Sausage, Delicata Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Mushrooms, Walnuts and Dried Cherries

I roasted it all at 400 for about 30-35 minutes, stirring a few times while cooking. I topped it with honey goat cheese and a quick honey dijon vinaigrette that I whipped up. I absolutely loved the addition of walnuts and dried cherries to this dinner and the goat cheese and vinaigrette were a great way to finish it off.

cava greens and grains bowl

Last Monday night I subbed a total strength class at the Y and then stopped by Cava on my way to pick up the babe. First, it was so much fun to be out and teaching an evening class. It’s been a long time! Second, this was only my second time at Cava but it is definitely a new favorite of mine. I am a huge fan of all things dips and dressings + meals in bowls so Cava is heaven for me. This was their greens and grains bowl with brown rice, roasted veggies, crazy feta dip, tzatziki, eggplant and red pepper dip and lemon tahini dressing. I also had a piece of pita bread with it.

spinach lasagna and arugula salad

I had a spinach lasagna from Pasta & Provisions in the freezer so I defrosted and cooked that this week. It was packed with spinach. I feel like I didn’t even really need the side salad!

deejai thai green curry

Finally, tofu and veggie green curry from Deejai Thai. I don’t typically do quite so many take away or prepared meals but it just worked out that way this week.

I am fully committing to getting back to meal planning and cooking the new year and I cannot wait! I’ll plan on sharing my menu for the upcoming week at the end of my weekly meal recap if that’s something you guys want to see???

villani's bakery charlotte

Oh and I cannot forget the ETC this week. Still going strong on my love for Villani’s Bakery. I tried their chocolate peanut butter cake with chocolate ganache over this weekend as well as another slice of their delightful lemon blueberry cheesecake. The best Instagram message I got this week was from a reader who emailed Villani’s to ask if they would ship! (They don’t, sadly…)

Merry, merry friends! Sending love and hugs.

Have you ever done a Christmas destination vacation instead of traditional Christmas? If so, where did you go and did you enjoy it? 

Do you meal plan? Do you want to see my weekly meal plans? 

{ 5 comments }

Recent Posts…

Reading, Watching, Listening (Spring 2026 Edition)

Reading, Watching, Listening (Spring 2026 Edition)

Happy weekend! Another week in the books! I got three runs in (6.5 miles, 5.5 miles, 5.5 miles) and I have a trail run planned for tomorrow. Total weekly mileage will end up around 30-35 miles depending on if I go for 13 or 17 tomorrow! I’m 16 weeks out from the Golden Ultra so [...]

{ 7 comments }
Life Lately: 8 Years Old, A New Piercing, Trail Training and More

Life Lately: 8 Years Old, A New Piercing, Trail Training and More

Happy Memorial Day Weekend. It’s a very rainy one here in Charlotte and while I am a little bummed not to be spending the weekend in Florida with the fam or by the pool at our swim club (just opened for the season!), I’m also welcoming a slower pace and time at home. It’s been [...]

{ 2 comments }
24 Things I’ve Made for Lunch Recently

24 Things I’ve Made for Lunch Recently

Hi and happy May! As we roll into the first full week of a new month, I have almost a month’s worth of lunch ideas for you. It’s a great mix of sandwiches, bowls, salads and wraps. I hope you enjoy and find some inspiration for your midday meal! Open-faced chickpea salad sandwich on toasted [...]

{ 4 comments }
Charlotte Racefest Half Marathon (Race Recap + First Time Pacing + Update On My Hip)

Charlotte Racefest Half Marathon (Race Recap + First Time Pacing + Update On My Hip)

I ran the Charlotte Racefest Half Marathon on April 18 to pace a longtime client and friend in her first half marathon and had the best day out there! 2026 CHARLOTTE RACEFEST HALF MARATHON This was half marathon number 12 for me and a really fun, enjoyable and rewarding one! I started training my friend [...]

{ 1 comment }
15 Things I’ve Eaten for Dinner Recently

15 Things I’ve Eaten for Dinner Recently

YOU GUYS! It’s been SIX MONTHS since I wrote a recent eats post! (insert face screaming emoji here) These have been a mainstay on my blog for years. It’s probably my longest-running content series of all time. I have received countless comments and messages from people over the yeas about how useful they find them [...]

{ 4 comments }
Life Lately: Spring Edition

Life Lately: Spring Edition

Hello my friends! I hope this finds you enjoying all of the beauty and fresh starts that spring has to offer (and not too much of the sneezing and wheezing). Life has been good over here. I’m very much enjoying the longer days, cool mornings and warm afternoons and gorgeous blooms. Spring is so lovely [...]

{ 2 comments }
Moab Run The Rocks Race Recap (3 Day Stage Race)

Moab Run The Rocks Race Recap (3 Day Stage Race)

I cannot believe it’s been nearly a month since I completed Moab Run The Rocks! It’s a three-day stage race in Moab, Utah that’s put on by the same race organization, TransRockies Rockies Race Series, that I did my six-day Colorado race with back in August. TransRockies truly excels when it comes to planning and [...]

{ 2 comments }