Note: After my post about switching from eating vegetarian to eating meat, I thought an update was in order. After about two months my body really started to reject eating paleo-style. I began to crave the vegetarian fare (and whole grains!) that I was so accustomed to. I have since decided that while it was interesting to give paleo-style eating a go, it isn’t for me and my body. I plan to write a full recap soon, but I wanted … Read More
Rainbow Chip Mug Cake for One
I’ve got a serious bone to pick with mug cakes. While I love the concept of mug cakes, every time I went out looking for a recipe to satisfy my sweet tooth, the mug cakes I found fell in one of the following categories: 1. Very super healthy but tasting similar to sawdust 2. Super indulgent, with as much as 2 or 3 tablespoons (!!) nut butter in a single serving, meaning 200-300 calories in nut butter alone When I’m … Read More
The Ring I Wear
When Joe and went shopping for wedding bands I remember how confused everyone was when I decided to pick a simple, inexpensive gold band as my wedding band. Instead of choosing something that matched my diamond engagement ring set in platinum, I decided that I wanted a humble, understated band I could wear and not worry about scratching it, losing it or getting it dirty. Initially, it was a decision based on simplicity and practicality, but as we inch up … Read More
Chana Saag with Kale
One of my favorite traditions at work is our monthly cookbook club. It’s so fun to select a book, pick a recipe and get together with a bunch of other people who love to cook and discuss what we liked and didn’t like about said book. Sometimes it’s an incredibly successful cookbook club, sometimes it’s only okay. But that’s the point, right? It’s so rare that I get a chance to make more than one or two recipes out of … Read More
Peanut Butter Chia Breakfast Pudding
Let’s talk about breakfast. It is, after all, the most important meal of the day, but you already know that, don’t you? I’m always amazed at how many people don’t eat breakfast. Maybe that’s because I go to bed each night thinking about what I’m going to eat each morning for breakfast. Breakfast gets your ready for the day and prepares you for whatever challenges you may face. Take, for example, when I put too much shredded beef down the … Read More
Raw Sugar Cookie Dough in a Jar
By the time Friday rolls around, Joe and I are both in the mood for a low key night, which means a workout together at the gym, eating Chipotle and watching something on TV. Maybe not the most exciting routine around, but I love it so much. Last week when were were watching Shark Tank on ABC, one of our favorite shows, I was drawn to a particular business idea that was being pitched to the sharks on the show. … Read More
{Life Simplified Series} Simplified Spending
At the beginning of the year I talked about the words that I want to define 2014 in my life. Those words, discipline and simplicity, have been on my mind a lot over the past month. I’ve found countless moments when I was in need of more discipline or simplicity in my day-to-day life. Today I’m kicking off a series of posts over the next couple months focusing on simplifying daily life. Since I don’t have it all figured out … Read More
Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake for Two
Happy Monday, friends! I’m so excited that February is finally here. In my mind, January is always a bit of a dull month where spring feels forever away and the post-holiday blues have set in. But February brings the Super Bowl and the Olympics and Valentine’s Day and spring is just close enough that there is a light at the end of the winter tunnel. Although I’ve never been much for the pressure associated with Valentine’s Day (the gifts! and … Read More
Fly Joy Nutrition Bar Giveaway
I feel like it’s been forever since I did a giveaway on Espresso and Cream! Maybe it’s because it has been forever. I’ve been trying to cut back on the giveaways and focus on only promoting products I really love and am passionate about, meaning fewer giveaways. But! When I do have a product I’m excited about, I have to let you in on it. When I was home over the holidays, I had the opportunity to sample my cousin’s … Read More
Thoughts on Getting a New Puppy
Well, friends, we’ve had Miss Pippa for a little over a month and a half, so I figured it was high time to put a post together on thoughts about getting a second dog. This was the first puppy Joe and I have trained (we got Nutmeg from my parents as a perfectly behaved 3-year-old dog) so we were a little nervous to say the least. The fact that both of us have full-time jobs that require us to be … Read More
Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake
Maybe you’re already thinking about Valentine’s Day? Maybe, if you’re like me, you think Valentine’s Day could be done a little better. I like Valentine’s Day, but I really don’t like the chiche roses and pressure to do something grand or give the perfect gift. A couple years back, Joe and I agree to never go out to eat on Valentine’s Day. We usually go out to eat a couple weeks before or a week after the actual day, avoiding … Read More
Espresso and Cream Home: Living Room Refresh
Welcome to another edition of the Espresso and Cream Home Tour. If I were a good blogger, I’m sure I would have gotten my act together and done a complete home tour series before we hit the 1 year mark in our home (on February 8th), but that’s just not going to happen. I’m trying to draw this thing out and milk it for all it’s worth, friends. 😉 If you’re looking to get caught up, here are the other … Read More