Summer Smoothie

Nothing screams summer like enjoying a tasty, homemade fruit smoothie on a warm summer day. Besides the fact that smoothies are so delicious and filling, they are sure to cool you down in the strong summer heat.

With the help of my magic bullet, I have recently been trying out different fruit and vegetable combinations in attempt to find the best smoothie creation!  So far, one of my top combinations has been a green smoothie!

Here's what you'll need:
1/2 frozen banana
5-6 frozen strawberries
1 cup of almond milk
Handful of spinach
Blender

Here's what you'll do:
Simply throw all the ingredients into a blender (or magic bullet), blend, and enjoy your smoothie as the perfect snack or side to your breakfast!

Homemade Blendicano

Blenda-what?  A blendicano!
I have recently been seeing this drink on Instagram everywhere, marketed as a healthier version of a skinny frappuccino from Starbucks. From what I have seen, to order the blendicano ask for a Venti Iced Americano with 2 pumps of sugar free caramel and 2 pumps of sf vanilla, blended.  Since I haven't had time to go to Starbucks and I was curious as to how this drink tasted, I decided to make my own blendicano at home!  I couldn't believe how good it was and to think it's only 20 calories! Here's how to make your own blendicano at home:

Directions
1. Microwave 1 cup of water for 1 minute
2. Add 2 tsp of instant espresso mix
3. Place about 10 ice cubes, the espresso mixture and 1 tbsp into the magic bullet
4. Blend for about 20-30 seconds
5. Enjoy!!!

Quest Obessed

This weekend I finally went out and bought my first Quest Nutrition bars that I have been hearing so many good things about.  Safe to say, I am obsessed.  These bars contain over 20 grams of protein and are all under 200 calories!  They make the perfect snack and satisfy my sweet tooth.  So far I have tried chocolate brownie and chocolate chip cookie dough, they were both amazing!  I have also heard that Cookies N' Cream and Apple Pie are really good.  On Quest Bar's Instagram, I found that there are tons of delicious recipes you can make with the bars, including: cutting the bars up into pieces and then baking them in the oven for a few minutes to make Quest bar cookies!  This is something I will definitely be trying this week.  Bottom line, I would 100% recommend Quest Bars for anyone looking for a filling tasty snack!

Gym Question Answered!

Should I do cardio or weights first?
This has always been one of my biggest questions when going to the gym.  For some reason, the first thing I want to do when I get to the gym is hop on the treadmill or elliptical and start burning calories, then end with some weights and strength machines.  But after doing a little bit of research, I've learned this is the opposite of what you should be doing!  You should always begin with weights and then end with cardio.  For reasons why, check out this article here!