Sharing a full blog post showcasing the differences between Organifi green juice and AG1 and how I use them in my routine. 

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you’re having a wonderful week. It’s been a good one over here, except for the fact that half of the family is sick with colds. I’m knocking on wood, eating whole cloves of garlic, and following my usual immune boost protocol (when family members are sick or I’ve been exposed). Some of the things I do are in this post – I need to update it!

I also have to give credit to a couple of things that I use in my routine that I think have helped keep my immune system strong: Organifi green juice and Athletic Greens (aka AG1). I use and love both of these, so I thought today I’d share some of the benefits of these amazing products, the differences, and compare them.

Organifi green juice vs. Athletic Greens (AG1)

Benefits of drinking a daily greens powder:

TBH, it can be really hard to get the nutrients we need from food alone. You have to be strategic about it, and this can be especially challenging if you’re juggling a lot of other things. A majority of us aren’t calculating our B2 needs throughout the day and if we’ve hit it, you know what I mean? A powder can help us fill in the gaps, especially with certain vitamins and minerals.

I LOVE greens powders like this because they often contain a mix of vitamins, minerals, superfoods, probiotics, and adaptogens, which can help our bodies to fight off damage from toxins and environmental exposure, improve immune health, restore gut function, and improve stress response.

The downside:

A majority of greens powders are disgusting. I’ve tried SO many, and a majority of them taste like you’re chewing on a tree. They’re bitter, earthy, chalk-y, and unpalatable. This can discourage so many people from adding a green powder to their routine.

Here are two that I absolutely love! They source high-quality ingredients and put an extreme amount of care into creating these superfood powders.

They serve different purposes, they taste different, and you can choose which one you want to try, based on your goals and preferences. *As always, talk with a doctor before adding any new supplements into your routine. I’m not a doctor and this is not medical advice.

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The ever-popular and timeless Rainbow Fruit Salad combines a variety of bright and colorful fresh fruits with a tangy honey lime dressing to create a crave-worthy summer side dish.

Rainbow Fruit Salad

Fresh pineapple, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, oranges, kiwis, and blackberries come together fabulously in this flavor-filled Rainbow Fruit Salad.

Any combination of fruits will work nicely in this recipe. You’ll need a total of 8 cups worth of chopped fruits. When prepping the fruits, I like to use this simple homemade fruit wash.

The fruits are then tossed with fresh lime juice, honey, and a sprinkling of poppy seeds to create a side dish worthy of any occasion.

This fruit salad can be arranged on a tray for a stunning fruit tray rainbow, layered into rainbow fruit cups for individual portions, or tossed and served in a large bowl to deliver a rainbow of fruit colors in every spoonful.

I’ve served this all three ways, but my go-to option for family meals is a large bowl simply for the ease of preparation and serving.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

The simple honey and lime dressing brightens the fruit flavors nicely. I’ve used this dressing combination in several fruit salads and it’s become a favorite way to dress up a bowl of fruit for snacking or for dessert.

The Winter Fruit Salad and the Summer Fruit Salad are seasonal favorites. And this Rainbow Fruit Salad is everything I love about both of these, plus even more colors and flavors.

Rainbow Fruits 

You’ll need the following fruits for this fruit salad:

• pineapple or mango
• strawberry
• red grapes
• blueberries
• oranges
• kiwis
• blackberries

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Sharing some benefits of stretching in the morning + my favorite morning stretches. 

Hi friends! Happy Monday! How was the weekend? Ours was a busy and fun one! Liv’s team crushed it in their last dance competition of the season, and she placed 7th overall for her solo! It was very exciting 🙂

Today, I’m going to chat a bit about stretching. While the research is mixed on stretching, I feel like it can be extremely beneficial. When you stretch, you’re taking your muscles and joints through full range of motion. When you have full range of motion, you’re less likely to compensate during your activities. Compensation can lead to muscle imbalances, altered movement patterns, and injury. Also, stretching feels good!!

Morning is a great time to get in a gentle stretch; it’s just important to remember to move slowly, especially since you’ve been (mostly) still all night.

(Top here // sports bra // shorts)

In today’s post, I’m going to share some of the benefits of stretching in the morning, some of my favorite stretches, and offer tips on how to incorporate it into your daily routine.

5 Benefits of stretching in the morning

Increases flexibility:

Regular stretching can help improve your flexibility and range of motion. This can help you perform daily activities with ease and reduce the risk of injury.

Can reduce stress and tension:

Stretching can help release tension in your muscles, which can help reduce stress and anxiety. It also promotes relaxation and can help you feel more calm and centered throughout the day.

Can improve circulation:

Stretching can help improve circulation by increasing blood flow to your muscles. This can help improve energy levels and reduce fatigue.

Enhanced posture:

Regular stretching can help improve your posture by lengthening tight muscles and reducing tension in your neck, shoulders, and back. This can help reduce the risk of chronic pain and injury.

Boosts mood:

Stretching releases endorphins, which are natural mood-boosters. Starting your day with a quick stretch can help you feel more energized and positive throughout the day.

So, how can you incorporate stretching into your morning routine?

Here are a few tips:

Start small: If you’re new to stretching, start with just a few basic stretches and gradually increase the duration and intensity over time.

Be gentle: Don’t push yourself too hard when stretching. Stretch to the point of mild tension, but not pain.<

Creamy and cheesy, with wonderful lingering heat, this green chile mac and cheese is a keeper, transforming the quintessential comfort food into a dish that is positively irresistible.

Macaroni and Cheese with Green Chiles

Did you know that you can make creamy, rich, and saucy stovetop macaroni and cheese with green chiles, from scratch in about the same amount of time it takes to cook a box of store-bought mac and cheese?

This easy stovetop recipe for mac and cheese gets made at least a couple of times a month in our house. So, it is past time for me to share a green chile variation.

Four years ago, I took my oldest son out to Rusconi’s restaurant (home of our beloved truffle mac and cheese) for a fancy dinner to celebrate submitting the last photos for my third cookbook. That night, he tried their green chile macaroni and cheese and has been hounding me to make a version of it ever since.

Side note: Are you wondering why I took just one kid out for dinner to celebrate? That would be because he washed every single one of the approximately 42,719 dishes that were used in the recipe testing and photographing of The Weeknight Dessert Cookbook. He was a rockstar of an assistant in the kitchen that year.

Green Chile Mac and Cheese

Famous love songs have been written based on my relationship with green chile. Not really

Always Soft Lemon Cheesecake Cookie Recipe

When the cookie dough is making you drool you know you’ve found yourself a winner. We cannot stop making this white chocolate lemon cheesecake cookie recipe now! The smell of the dough was eye rolling-ly good!

If you own our second cookbook, Raised in the Kitchen you know that our oldest daughter adores her delicate iced lemon cookies recipe and we all 100% agree. But late one evening I needed to bust out a lot of cookies for a friend and found myself a little short on what I needed.

My go-to chocolate chip cookies for feeding friends and family is actually a pudding recipe. I use an adapted version for our chocolate cookies as well because the flavor, texture and stability on the shelf are unbeatable. The pudding keeps the cookies so perfectly soft and chewy and also makes it a totally no-fail recipe. I mean, you literally could not mess those cookies up. Even better? They feed a huge crowd so it’s the best to bust out for a group.

While on my last batch I suddenly realized that I was out of the french vanilla pudding. I immediately grabbed for chocolate but once again, out! I always keep them on hand, how had I forgotten to replenish? Through searching I found a box of cheesecake and a box of lemon and as I use a large box I’d have no choice but to use two small boxes to get the job done.

What Do You Need for Lemon Cheesecake Cookies?

Grab a box of lemon pudding and a box of cheesecake pudding and the rest you probably already have in the house! The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post. You can also save or print the recipe from there as well. Here is what you will need to make these irresistible cookies:

• Unsalted Butter – needs to be softened so it will cream together with the sugars
• Eggs – gives the cookies their structure
• Sugar – just regular white granulated sugar
• Brown Sugar – adds richness
• Vanilla Extract – use the real deal and no imitation flavoring
• Almond Extract – just the tiniest bit enhances the flavor so much
• All-Purpose Flour – make sure to measure the flour correctly
• Salt – enhances all the flavors and cuts the sweetness
• Baking Soda – make sure your baking soda is fresh, this helps give the cookies their fluffiness
• Cheesecake Pudding Mix – measure out half the powder using a kitchen scale
• Lemon Pudding Mix – measure out half the powder using a kitchen scale
• White Chocolate Chips – we love Ghirrardeli or Guittard brand

What Does Pudding Do in a Cookie Recipe?

Adding pudding in cookie recipes makes the cookies super