Round-Up Posts

Life Updates + News Worth the Read

January 12, 2019 by Alyssa

Just a quick check in to say hello for the week and share some life updates along with a few articles from around the web that are worth the read.

There’s not much happening in the world of Her Modern Kitchen. I’ve been slaying it on the breakfast front but other than that, there hasn’t been much real cooking or baking going on the past week. I’ve really been leaning on Snap Kitchen for lunch (save $45 on your first meal subscription or $15 on your first order with my code aaro-cxx) and Sunbasket for dinner.

While I do LOVE be in the kitchen, sometimes I get tired of doing all the planning and cooking so Snap Kitchen & Sunbasket take the thinking out of cooking while still delivering delicious meals. I’m also doing dry January again this year AND giving up desserts for the month so Snap Kitchen & Sunbasket make it easy to stay on track. (Don’t worry, I got my January Macaron Baking Challenge under control, the post will be coming soon!)

As for this weekend, <3M and I are headed to Dallas to celebrate our friend’s engagement and we couldn’t be more excited. He’ll be serving my favorite Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned during the event along with some delicious Indian food. My parents are also in Austin for 3-months (renting a house) so they’re heading to Dallas with us too.

Anyway, while we’re away celebrating with a little weekend road trip, I wanted to share a few articles from around the web that caught my eye that are 100% worth the read!

Worth the Read

This article talks about brand overload when trying to ‘keep up with the Jones’ in this new age world. A reporter tried all the ‘best’ products for a week and shared the outcome.

Being a millennial, I can 100% relate to this article about why my generation is considered lazy.

My blog is a hobby. It’s not a side-hustle. There’s a difference.

Hormones. Do you really know how much impact they have on your health?

Pink salt is now an accent piece in millennial kitchens.

S’more coffee. Turmeric lattes. Here’s to the crazy world of coffee today.

Things you didn’t know you needed that were invented in 2018.

And buttons that don’t work and why the world is full of them.

I’ll be back next week with some recipe love. Have a great weekend!

10 Fall Recipes You Need to Make Right Now

October 27, 2018 by Alyssa

We only have a month left before we retire the Fall flavors. Make the most of the season with my favorite sweet and savory Fall recipes.

I’ve rounded up my favorite Fall recipes to help you bid farewell to the Autumn season. While these do feature a few pumpkin spice recipes, others are savory soups, breakfasts, and entrees you can make to soak up the remaining of the Autumn weather.

Looking for something easy? Try the pumpkin spice rice krispie treats covered in white chocolate.

Impress your guests with this roasted apple and maple whipped cream covered pavlova.

Fall means soup season so try this modern spin on minestrone soup using wheat berries.

Have a breakfast treat with these mini no-rise pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls.

Need a good coffee sidekick? Try these pumpkin spice scones with a molasses drizzle.

For a savory breakfast make this harvest hash with sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts.

Whip up this pumpkin mousse and serve it with gingersnaps for a quick party treat.

Bake up a spaghetti squash for this creamy mushroom & parmesan squash pasta.

Wrap yourself up in the cozy flavors of chai by making dirty chai cupcakes.

Warm up this roasted carrot soup with basil pesto for an easy weeknight meal.

What Fall recipes are on your Autumn bucket list? Do you have a few go-to Fall recipes you make every year? I’d love to hear about them.

End of Summer Bucket List

August 31, 2018 by Alyssa

I’m sharing my End of Summer Bucket List to ensure I soak up the final days of Summer before it’s officially Fall on September 22nd. What’s on your list?

grizz mizz margarita from grizzeldas

How can it possibly be Labor Day weekend already? Summer really flies by and I have no idea where it went. While reflecting on the past few months, I realize I had bunch of fun this summer including celebrating <3M receiving his U.S. citizenship, lazy days at the pool, BBQs with burgers, sunset at the Oasis, lots of rose and quality time at home knocking out a few domestic projects.

But now that we’re rounding out the final days of summer, I still find myself missing a few of my favorite summertime activities. To ensure I get the most out of these final days of Summer, I created an End of Summer Bucket List with 5 things I want to cross-off before it’s official Autumn on September 22nd.

My End of Summer Bucket List

Grab Ice Cream from Nada Moo – I’m craving one last summertime ice cream cone! I’ve yet to visit the new shop on South Lamar and have been day dreaming about going. Any flavor suggestions?

Float the River – I haven’t gone tubing in a few years and really want to fit this in. I have it tentatively planned for September 22nd — I know, I’m cutting it close to my Autumn deadline…

Take an Outdoor Fitness Class – Ugh, I’ve been meaning to do this all summer long and just never had the energy to do the summer yoga series after work on Tuesday nights. There’s a few Saturday outdoor fitness classes so I’m hoping to choose one!

Visit Hawk’s Shadow Winery – I love this winery. It’s a nice little drive from Austin, it has a beautiful patio and the most gorgeous views. We haven’t been in a few years and I really want to take a Saturday drive and relax with a glass of their wine and cheese board.

Make Something S’More Flavored – I haven’t had a single s’more flavored treat ALL SUMMER LONG. S’mores are the definition of summertime flavors. I’m thinking of sneaking in these quick S’Mores bars this weekend to knock it off my bucket list.

Do you have any final summertime activities you’re looking to fit in before Autumn officially begins? Or are you the type that’s eager to welcome the Pumpkin Spice Latte in August?

Five Bites on Friday: August 10th Edition

August 10, 2018 by Alyssa

A rambling of my five favorite bites this week!

This week was long. So long. Every day I woke up hoping it was Friday and today, it finally is!

This weekend is another low key one. <3M and I are celebrating Camp Gladiator’s 10th anniversary by heading to DKR for their stadium takeover on Saturday morning then wrapping up the night with Austin Pride celebrations.

On Sunday I hope to get in some baking. Maybe attempting to remake blueberry muffins from my new (did you catch the muffin blunder I shared on Instagram..?) or finally attempting the Milk Bar Compost Cookies!

Anyways, let’s get to it, here are a few things that caught my eye this week, a little more than five bites this Friday but hope you don’t mind!

Really enjoyed this simple article for understanding food label buzzwords

Stopped by Austin Eastciders to try their new Lemon-Ginger flavor but ended up loving the traditional Honey. I also just read they’re releasing a Spiced Cider flavor on August 13th so I’ll need to head back to taste it ASAP.

Got a sparkling water habit? It may be bad for your teeth. But that’s not stopping me. I’ll just use my

I love the psychology of marketing and this article explains why we buy #allthethings when we go into Target

I was invited to brunch at Iron Cactus on Sunday and was surprised to learn they’ve been hosting a brunch buffet for over 20 years! It’s quite the spread at $16 per person! <3M loved this Mexican Breakfast Casserole dish, I was all about the Migas.

I was invited to an amazing wine pairing at The Capital Grille Monday night to celebrate their annual Generous Pour promotion. The wine was everything I could have asked for and their meal blew me away.

Ventured to happy hour at Fareground with my project team and it is definitely my new favorite HH spot! Great drinks for $4-$5 and lots of snacks. We shared a few cheeseboards and the flatbreads from Antonelli’s. They were the best.

I got a little surprise in the mail from Picnik featuring some of their new butter coffee flavors. Vanilla Latte is officially my new favorite way to start the day.

Swung by Lick’s for an ice cream tasting this past weekend and I forgot out great their ice cream is. I was really into their Milk & Cookies flavor which starred oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie dough instead of the assumed chocolate chip. Definitely stop by to check out their seasonal flavors.

That’s all folks! Enjoy your weekend. Hope you have some exciting plans.

Weekend Vibes | Life Lately + What I’m loving

February 18, 2018 by Alyssa

Another weekend vibes post where I share a round-up of things I’m loving, what I’m cooking lately, a little life update, and a few good-reads from across the web!

Since the New Year, I’ve really been taking my weekend as a time to truly relax. In the past, <3M and I would fill our weekend to the brim with activities and chores and never get a chance to rest. But now I’m truly started to understand the benefits of a restful weekend.

My perfect weekend now consists of

a bit of exercise
cooking a good meal with <3M
personal care – a manicure or home-facial, reading, coloring
a lunch date, because it seems more indulgent to have a fancy weekend lunch!
lots of cuddles with the dogs
some girl friend time!

I’ve found this sets me up for the best possible work week. Giving myself a true mental break and doing all the things I love.

How do you like to spend your weekend?

Now, back to weekend vibes and things that caught my eye

Polishing a sink with flour is something I’ve got to try, I’ll let you know the results

I finally tried Elizabeth Street Cafe and loved their shrimp spring rolls and iced coffee. However, I was a bit disappointed with their macaroons. I definitely need to stop back and try a few other flavors before I make up my mind

Loving chocolate coconut chips mixed into my yogurt

Poached chicken thighs with coconut-ginger quinoa is a weekend meal worth making

We recently canceled our local Texas wine club in favor of Winc and we’re really enjoying the wine selections. So affordable

I found yesterday at South Congress Books and I’m really looking forward to reading it myself!

I whipped up a cocktail for <3M this weekend that we haven’t had in ages. So simple. So delicious. It was the ‘His’ cocktail at our wedding

On the blog this week I shared my skincare routine for healthy skin as I age

Making this Jungle Smash Cake for a first birthday celebration was probably the most fun baking I’ve had in a while

I can’t stop pinning spring wardrobe photos! I’m getting the itch to shop. What’s on your spring shopping list?

Phara’s is one of my favorite places in Austin and we went Thursday during Austin’s mini-heatwave. Hookah, belly dancers, and the most delicious Mediterranean food. Get the tzatziki. And the dolmas. And the baba ganoush. Just get it all.

Today I’m off with some ladies to watch Crystal – Cirque du Soleil on ice and I’m beyond ecstatic. Afterwards, we’re swinging by a friends place to celebrate Chinese New Year (Year of the Dog!). Luckily, this our friend is also a phenomenal cook so I’ll be spoiled with all the delicious homemade Chinese food.

Happy Sunday!

Valentine’s Day Wish List for Her

February 9, 2018 by Alyssa

A wish list of last minute Valentine’s Day gift ideas for her. Even something small will show you were thinking of her.

succulent planter // y’all hat // kate spade clutch

oh darlin’ chocolates // marble platter // tassel necklace

Succulent Planter – skip the traditional flowers and grab this awesome succulent planter from 1800-Flowers for your Valentine! They’ll last months longer than the roses you thought of buying

Y’all Hat – this ya’ll hat is darling and created by an Austin local, Frankie Jean. Pick it up online or at a local shop like Hacienda or Parts & Labor

Kate Spade Clutch – in powder pink, this clutch is 100% classic and the perfect grab-n-go bag for the girl who likes wants to carry the minimum

Oh Darlin’ Chocolates – get a treat that’s beautiful to look at and delicious to eat! This Texas-inspired box of chocolates by Maggie Louise Confections is the perfect way to say ‘I love you’. Order online or swing by their Austin based 6th street shop

Marble Platter – a little chic, a little rustic. This marble and wood platter is perfect for the lady who likes to entertain. Pair this with an Antonelli’s gift card and you’ll have the perfect gift

Tassel Necklace – this is a do-good tiny tassel necklace handmade by a women artist in Cambodia. It’s so sweet and so feminine. Choose a color she’ll adore to let her know you were thinking of her.

How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day? Do you have any last minute gift ideas?

The Grocery Shopping App that Changed the Way I Shop

January 26, 2018 by Alyssa

Grocery is a smart shopping list application that has revolutionized my grocery shopping experience. Grocery learns how I shop, customizes the experience based on the store I’m shopping at, and allows me to collaborate with <3M to build our grocery list. It’s the best thing since sliced bread. But for real this time.

Earlier this week I shared my favorite online store, Thrive Market, and how it helps save me money while shopping for all my household and pantry staples. Today, I’m sharing how I streamline my in-store shopping trip with Grocery, my favorite shopping list application.

The team behind the app, Ryan Considine and Conrad Stoll (who are old coworkers of mine), are a ridiculously talented duo when it comes to design, engineering and product development — as evident by Grocery. At our previous jobs, Ryan and I had talked openly about our shared frustrations with typical shopping list applications. So, when I heard these two got together to create a list app, I knew whatever they launched would solve all my grocery shopping issues.

**Here’s how my grocery shopping used to go down**

Meal plan with recipes for the week
Create a list of necessary items to make the recipes
Add our weekly go-to groceries to the list (eggs, chicken, kale…)
Organize the shopping list order to match how I shop my way through the store
Do the actual grocery shopping while fumbling with my phone, hoping the screen doesn’t time out and lock
Backtrack through the store because I missed an item at the bottom of my list…

Oh, and because I live in Austin, I also have to remember to bring my own reusable bags too. Unfortunately, this is one issue Grocery hasn’t solved. (I’ll give them a pass here, though).

But, as you can see, I used to put a lot of time and organization into grocery shopping. Obviously, others share these same frustrations which is why I’m so thankful to Conrad and Ryan for taking every feature I could have ever possibly wanted in a grocery list app and making it a reality.

Hallelujah.

Grocery is my new favorite productivity app.

Here’s how it works

Create your List

Simply type in all of the grocery items you need for the week. There’s even a handy notes feature paired with each item, should you want to note the size or quantity of a product required or specify a certain type.

For example, you can write “onion, white” or “onion, red” and Grocery won’t need to learn the sort order of two items — it just knows onions come after potatoes (because obviously, white onions and red onions are next to one another in the store).

You can also use the Quick Add option (which will become smarter the more you use Grocery). The Quick Add feature identifies patterns in your grocery purchases (items you buy again and again) and adds them to the Quick Add list so you can access your frequent purchases and quickly build your grocery list each week.

Grocery can also simplify your list creation process by allowing you to

add items to your list with Siri
copy/paste a list of items from a website (like from a recipe!) and Grocery will automatically split up into separate items on your list (while cleaning it up!)

Choose Your Store & Shop

Next up, you choose the store you’re doing your grocery shopping at. For me, I rotate between a few stores depending on the errands I’m running so the order in which I pick up my grocery items varies each week.

And this is where Grocery becomes a game changer.

With the Store feature, Grocery knows that at Trader Joe’s I pick up hummus after I grab all of my produce but while shopping at HEB, I’ll pick up hummus before I grab my produce and it orders my list accordingly, depending on the store I’ve selected. With Grocery I shop more efficiently and never have to backtrack for an item.

Other Awesome Perks

Apple Watch Integration

Now, this isn’t a requirement but Grocery is a dream to use with . You just put your phone away, and Grocery serves up the list in the order you need to shop it in, right on your wrist. Or, you can keep your phone out and simply work the list top to bottom and you’ll never miss an aisle or item because Grocery knows where you’re headed next.

List Sharing

If you collaborate on a grocery list with your roommate or partner, you can still do so with Grocery. Grocery works with the iOS Reminders app so as long as you’re sharing a list through Reminders with others, Grocery can pull the items from it and order them within the Grocery app without requiring you to manually transfer each item.

You can also turn on notifications so you get notified when someone you’re sharing a list with adds a new item, which is super helpful if your partner adds something in the midst of your shopping trip!

The Little Things

Conrad & Ryan also paid attention to the details when building out Grocery

For those with OCD, you can customize your list to always capitalize the first letter of an item when you enter it into the list
If you love counting, you can turn on the app’s icon badge so you know the number of items on your grocery list at a glance
For the produce aficionados, you can choose your own app icon to personalize the experience
- Currently, I’m digging the avocado but I’ve got my eye on the eggplant too

One Last Thing

In order for Grocery to work best, you’ll need to use it a few times at each store before it learns your shopping order. Think of it like a baby, you need to educate it over time. Obviously, Grocery doesn’t know the order you shop in without interacting with it a few times and checking off items as you make your way around the store. I found Grocery took about 4 shopping trips to truly become smart. Which, in my opinion, is pretty darn quick!

Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with Grocery. Nowadays, I actually look forward to the shopping experience! I only hope Ryan & Conrad continue to build out the feature set to make it even smarter. It’s truly changed the way I grocery shop and given me back a good chunk of my weekend.

If you download Grocery, be sure to leave Conrad & Ryan a review on the App Store. And tell them Alyssa sent you!

Thrive Market for Feel Good Shopping + Giveaway

January 24, 2018 by Alyssa

Thrive Market is my new favorite online retailer! It offers organic products without the big-box market up, shipped straight to your door. Think Costco meets Whole Foods!

Read on to learn more about their social mission and for details on how win a Thrive Market prize pack filled with some of my favorite organic products.

I’ve recently become obsessed with Thrive Market. They offer organic brands at 25-50% below regular retail prices across major categories including food, pet, home, and beauty. When shopping at Thrive Market, I feel good about my product choices. I know Thrive Market products are good for me, my family and the longterm sustainability of our planet. Thrive Market also has strong social and environmental values which provides transparency when shopping plus their customer service is out of this world amazing.

Why I Love Thrive

It’s a company that gives back

Thrive Market is a membership-based site but I promise, you’ll make back your membership fee in savings — I made mine back in just 2 orders. And, if your membership doesn’t pay for itself in savings within 1-year, you’ll get the difference back in Thrive Market credit when you renew! Plus, for each paid membership, they donate a membership to a low-income family, veteran or teacher.

For new members, Thrive Market offers a free trial period where you can test out the benefits and you can receive 20% off your first 3 purchases if you sign-up through my link. You’ll also receive free shipping, as long as your order meets their $49 minimum!

Thrive Market saves me money!

When comparing product prices across sites or when compared to purchasing organic products locally in a store, Thrive Market consistently saves me money. I did a few comparisons of items on my standard shopping like Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day products and Bob’s Red Mill flours and Thrive Market comes in lower when compared to big-box stores or other mass online retailers.

Also, much like a brick & mortar store that offers weekly sales, Thrive Market has regular deals, offering steep discounts on specific brands or free products with a minimum order amount. They also have a Deals tab you can shop so you never miss a sale.

I feel good about my product choices

Thrive Market allows you to shop by values if you have specific social or environmental interests like organic, fair-trade, FSC certified, sustainably farmed/caught or non-GMO. They also make it easy to find products that align with your own values!

Or, if you have dietary restrictions, you can shop specifically for gluten-free, vegan, raw, or paleo products! On each product’s page, Thrive Market provides the values that align with their own mission so you get even more insight into the story behind your purchase.

It sells local Austin products I love

Thrive Market’s awesome for Austinites because they offer local, Austin-based products like Epic, Siete, and Picnik butter coffee at prices lower than what you’d find at Whole Foods or HEB. I was shocked (and giddy!) when I did the price comparison here!

The Thrive Market store-brand products are quality and delicious

Thrive Market has their own line of products and the quality is astounding. I love Thrive Market’s tahini (for my hummus, obviously!), coffee, essential oils, beans, and other pantry staples. The costs are in-line with local store-brands (if you were purchasing organic) and a lot of the typical ‘canned goods’ are sold in BPA-free pouches so you avoid those nasty chemicals, while still recycling the packaging.

Their customer service is the best ever!

I once ordered an item that I didn’t like the taste of but was quite expensive. It was 100% my fault but I wanted to see if Thrive Market could exchange it.

Rather than exchange the product, Thrive Market directed me to donate the item to a local food pantry as return shipping causes an increase in their carbon footprint. They then provided my a Thrive Market gift card at the cost of the product.

I was so pleased with this experience, Thrive Market gave me a positive resolution, stayed true to their mission and it strengthened my loyalty to the company. I’ve never had such a positive customer service experience.

Giveaway Details

If I haven’t convinced you to try Thrive Market yet, then maybe a taste of their products will help convince you to join! Simply because I love Thrive Market, I’ve put together a goodie bag of my favorite Thrive Market products to share with one lucky winner!

This pack includes some of my favorite Thrive Market products and a few local Austin items:

Picnik Butter Coffee
Thrive Market Peanut Butter
Thrive Market Olive Oil
That’s It Fruit Bars
Thrive Market seaweed snacks
Mrs. Meyer’s dish soap
Banza pasta
Simple Mills Crackers
Purely Elizabeth Granola
Coconut Wraps

Head over to my Instagram post to enter! Simply follow me and in the comments of the Thrive Market image, tag your BFF who you’d share your goodie bag with! I’ll choose a winner via Instagram on Saturday, January 27th.

Disclosure: I am a Thrive Market affiliate so I do receive compensation if you sign-up but this is not a sponsored post. I put together this prize offering on my own without the collaboration of Thrive Market.

Weekend Vibes | January 12th, 2018

January 11, 2018 by Alyssa

Hey friends! Just a quick check-in before the weekend to share some favorites from the week and my plans for the weekend! What’s on your schedule? Any new restaurants on the horizon?

Recent Eats

Last weekend <3M and I checked out Taco Flats on Burnet and were mildly disappointed. Their ambiance was great, very laidback and welcoming. I do admit, Taco Flats’ chips and guac ROCKED but I was a bit sad eating my tacos. I had the fish taco that simply needed a sauce — maybe a tangy slaw or some cilantro cream? Just anything to add a bit of kick and cooling flavor to the taco. Have you been yet, what’re your thoughts? Maybe we should give it another go because <3M loves when Taco Flats caters lunch at his office.

I made the coziest chicken & rice soup this week with some leftover wild rice I had in the ‘fridge, recipe below in case you want to recreate it. Seriously delicious and reminded me of a meal my Mom would make — she cooks a tad milder than me (less spicy) while I’m usually heavy into Tex-Mex and Asian flavors — this soup was 100% American.

<3M and I gave up drinking this month (we just had a heavy party, holiday, travel-spree from Fall to Winter and needed a break). As a result, I’ve been all about kombucha and my current favorite is Health-Ade. All the kombucha love has inspired me to try my hand at making my own kombucha and I’m patiently waiting for my first scoby to arrive. I hope to get the first batch underway this weekend!

Austin Food News

This week I checked out the new MAD Greens on 2nd Street. I’ve been watching the construction at this location for over a year now and was excited about its opening. I like that MAD Greens has more options — soups, wraps, grain bowls when compared to the other downtown salad spot, Leaf, but my first salad at MAD Greens was just eh-okay. Maybe I hyped it up in my own mind, anxiously awaiting its opening. I’m definitely gonna give it another try because the wrap <3M had was stellar!

Flowerchild opened before the holidays but I’m still giddy with excitement that we have another amazing lunch option on 2nd Street! It’s so nice to have healthy, vegan lunch options downtown. Plus, KOMBUCHA ON TAP via Kosmic Kombucha.

I poked around the new Fareground site last week and it’s really coming along. The opening date is set for January 18th! I’m beyond excited to have Kome just a few blocks from my office and Antonelli’s cheesy offerings! This weekend I plan to get a sneak peek at the shops before the grand opening! Follow me on Instagram and keep an eye on my Instagram Stories for behind the scene details!

I’m still loving the new Merit Coffee located at the Seaholm Center and dream daily about the Bakery Lorraine pastries they’re serving there! I highly recommend asking the barista to warm up any goodie to make it even tastier. Find my full review here!

Austin’s third Modern Market location opens on Congress next week, January 15th! And they’re offering free breakfast and dinner meals via Eventbrite. Sign-up before they’re gone!

Home & Life

<3M and I are still trying to get our house back together after the new tile installation. There’s was dust everywhere. I’m hoping this weekend is the one where we wrap up this mess. I thought I’d write a post about the process in the coming weeks with before and after pics, hopefully, you’ll find it interesting!

Ever since the floor install, I’ve had the home decorating bug! I’ve been working my way through Young House Love‘s book, . It so inspiration and has a lot of quickie, weekend projects for home decorating.

I bought rugs for the living room and our kitchen dining nook, purchased a new pendant light that’s getting installed over our kitchen sink and am trying to wrangle about 1000 other home decorating ideas. It’s exciting.

While I was confined to our upstairs space during the floor installation, I went on an early Spring-cleaning spree and began organizing everything. I cleaned out my closest, organized our bathrooms, and now that’s trickled over to the kitchen, too! It feels so darn rewarding and this weekend I hope to get my spices organized with these I found on Amazon.

That’s a wrap, friends! Enjoy your weekend, and hit me up on Instagram with any great food recommendations. I’ll be out at Austin Eastciders on Saturday to grab a hummus plate with a friend and plan to do some cooking at home with <3M on Sunday.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

Author: Alyssa

Serves: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, cut into half moons
2 ribs celery, finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 10-ounce can cream of mushroom soup
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups wild rice, cooked
3 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed

Instructions

In a large pot, warm the olive oil
Add the garlic and onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper
Cook 3-4 minutes until the onions soften
Add the carrots, celery, and bay leaves and cook another 3-4 minutes
Pour in the soup, broth, and Italian seasoning
Add the chicken bouillon and stir until dissolved
Add the chicken and rice then bring everything to a boil
Taste and adjust seasoning as needed
Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes then serve

Off-Screen Eats: What my meals really look like

November 1, 2017 by Alyssa

Snapshots from a day of real eats: How I usually eat when I’m ‘off-screen’ and how I balance all the food blogger treats.

Last week I read a post by a local Austin food blogger talking about food/life balance and how being a food blogger often means needing to balance indulgent eats with real food that’s good for our bodies while stepping away from the social media hype, eating something for the ‘gram, and eating real food while off-screen.

I know on my blog and my Instagram feed, there are a lot of photos of indulgent food — especially dessert and wine. And while I do believe a balanced life includes dessert and wine it’s not what I typically eat. Those snaps I share are just a snippet of a day and likely something I only had a bite or two of.

Even my own cakes, scones, cookies…I typically have a few bites or share a piece with <3M.

And for some foods, which I make often and know what they taste like, I simply don’t have any at all. Not because I’m avoiding it but because I learned to listen to my body and what I’m really craving. I also often pause and ask myself

If I wanted to, can I have this again tomorrow?
Am I eating this for the photo?
Am I really hungry?

What about alcohol? Yep, I do love my wine. But I’ve also learned that I love a nice glass of red wine, usually enjoyed with <3M or a small group of friends in the evenings when I can sit, enjoy the wine, and chat with the people around me.

In large social situations like parties or work events, I usually stick to flavored seltzer water. I found that I end up chatting and mingling too much so drinking alcohol isn’t really appealing and I don’t have time to savor what I’m drinking.

All of that said, I thought it might be fun to show what a real day of food looks like for me — meals from when I’m ‘off-screen’ and don’t share on Instagram or the blog.

These real-eats photos are from Monday. In total it was ~1700 calories with a high concentration of protein and fat over carbs since I’ve learned I feel better eating this way.

Breakfast Overnight oats made with 1/3 cup rolled oats, 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon chopped pecans, 1 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds, 2 teaspoons peanut butter, 1/3 cup frozen blueberries, and a drizzle of honey.

Not pictured, a cup of coffee with pumpkin spice creamer and a scoop of Great Lakes Collagen after an early morning Camp Gladiator workout.

Mid-Morning: Another cup of coffee with whole milk & stevia + ~1/4 cup Honey Nut Cheerios & Lime Topo Chico

Lunch: Kale salad with bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, 1 ounce of avocado, 1 tablespoon hemp seeds, 4 ounces baked chicken breast, roasted red pepper hummus, and 1 tablespoon homemade balsamic dressing + a hot Orange Lemon Tea

Dressing: 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 teaspoons dijon mustard, 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon oregano

Not Pictured, Snack: Quest Vanilla Milkshake protein shake + small handful of salted mixed nuts

While making dinner: 1 glass red wine

Dinner: My version of turkey chili stuffed acorn squash inspired by Skinnytaste + another splash of red wine. My changes included extra lean turkey, the addition of kidney beans, more spice, and parmesan cheese