Hi friends! How’s the morning going? I hope you’re having a great one so far! Today, I’m cleaning up all of the patio furniture and getting it ready for swim season. Bring.it.on! I’m excited to head out for a yoga class in between client calls, too.

For today’s post, I wanted to share more about my initial health journey. Newer reader friends (hi! hello!) may not know that I lost 40 lbs in college. This was long before I became a group fitness instructor, or personal trainer, or Integrative Health Practitioner… and I had to learn everything on my own, the hard way. This was also in the old ages, when blogs weren’t a thing. Everything I learned (good and bad) was through fitness magazines and stacks of health books I’d purchase from Barnes and Noble.

When I reflect on my initial weight loss journey, I remember the snafus (like getting so sick after eating a pack of cooked chicken and a can of cold black beans lol) but I also feel proud of myself. I stuck with it, I wasn’t afraid to pivot when I realized things weren’t working, and I did a lot of things right.

What I did wrong, and what I’d do again [in my health journey]

Here are some of the things I did well, and are foundational habits I recommend to all of my clients:

– More protein and whole foods. I started to emphasize protein in my diet, and I paid attention to the foods that were processed. I used to eat almost entirely processed foods (with the exception of dinner), and it felt so much better to eat food from the earth. I was sitll a poor college student, so I had a tight, tight budget, but I went for inexpensive options, like apples, yogurt, frozen veggies, bananas, jerky, and wraps that I could make at home.

– Adding walking into my routine. Walking made me feel better almost instantly, and I also got the benefits from the sunshine, and a mood boost.

– Started strength training. I had NO clue what I was doing, but my friend and I hired a personal trainer from LA Fitness. He gave questionable nutrition advice, but he taught me the basics of strength training.

– Paid attention to a balanced plate and portion control. I learned that my plate couldn’t be entirely carbs and actually be satisfying, so I started to incorpoarte more

I think it’s easy to remember that the classics are classics for a reason— they work! Simple changes that you can maintain for a long time are going to make the biggest difference.

Mistakes:

Here are some things that were difficult for me, and it took me many years to unravel the damage from some of these.

– 3-5 hours of sleep per night. It wouldn’t be unusual for me to go to school all day, teach at the dance studio until 8pm, drive to the school library and study until 2 or 3am, and then drive back home, nap, and repeat. I did this for pretty much all of college. The weekends were for work (I alternated bet

Copycat J.Dawgs Special Sauce

If you have been to J.Dawgs here in Utah before, you know that their special sauce just can’t beat! I would bathe in it if I could!

It is sweet and tangy and is the perfect compliment to that grilled hot dog! My mouth is starting to water just thinking about it. Good thing there is a J.Dawgs right down the road from us, but if you live far away, you can make the infamous J.Dawgs special sauce at home. And it’s so dang simple!

I am a sauce lover! Like for real…give me all the sauces! Have you tried our killer burger sauce? Have mercy! Imho, just about everything is better if a sauce is involved!

Ok, back to J.Dawgs…the sauce on this hot dog is fantastic. The only way to describe the hot dog is, it’s a saucy dog. I realize that sounds kinda lame, but I don’t know how else to describe it. My girls love hot dogs, and I actually do too. A good hot dog with a perfectly toasted bun. It’s good. I know some of you are cringing, but we really do love them.

J.Dawgs came to Utah years ago and quickly became a huge favorite! This J-Dawgs copycat recipe is kind of totally awesome and if you’ve never had their special sauce it’s time to try it!

What Ingredients Do You Need for J.Dawgs Special Sauce?

Here is the list of ingredients you will need, probably in your pantry already!

• Ketchup
• BBQ Sauce (You can make our homemade sauce or go with Sweet Baby Rays)
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Garlic Salt
• Pepper
• Honey
• Paprika (I use smoked paprika, but use what you have on hand.)

The measurements for each ingredient are listed in the recipe card at the end of the post. The recipe card can be printed or saved to easily use again.

How to Make J.Dawgs Special Sauce

Making the sauce doesn’t get any easier! Just mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and then keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to sauce up your grilled dogs.

Why Does J.Dawgs Criss Cross Cut Their Hotdogs?

Ok, I don’t know the actual answer to this question, but let me tell you why we have totally converted to the criss cross cut hotdog (see picture above).

First, it allows the grilled or smoky flavor to penetrate deep into the hotdog enhancing the flavor.

Second, the dog cook much faster because the middle of the hotdog is exposed directly to the heat (helps J.Dawgs crank those delicious dogs out quickly).

Last and most important in my opinion, all those criss cross cut create all sorts of nooks and crannies for that special sauce to catch and seep down into. Saucy baby!

Can Hot Dogs Be Eaten Without Cooking?

It’s important to always reheat hot dogs until they’re steaming hot.

Some ready-to-eat food

Half a box of pasta, a pound of sausage, and some green cabbage that was tucked in the fridge added up to a winning last-minute meal a few weeks ago. It was such a hit with my family that I decided to make it again and write up the recipe to share with you all.

My family loved this dinner so much, there may have even been an argument over who was going to eat the leftovers. I love it so very much when a dinner created from whatever happens to be on hand turns out to be this delicious.

Pasta with Sausage

The magic that sausage adds to a pasta dish can’t be overstated. Sausage adds incredible flavor to pasta recipes and I find myself using it regularly.

As I learned with my cousin’s Pizza Soup recipe many years ago, a little bit of sausage goes a long way toward flavoring a dish. You don’t need to buy a fancy sausage either! I keep several packages of basic breakfast sausage (mild and spicy varieties) on hand in the freezer for quick and easy dinners.

There are endless ways to use everyday breakfast sausage for easy dinners with minimal effort and the sausage recipes here are a testament to that.

Cabbage Pasta

Pasta with cabbage is another of my favorite ways to cook pasta. The cabb

Hotdogs in the Air Fryer [+Video]

Satisfy your craving for crispy, juicy hot dogs with this easy recipe for frying them in the air fryer. With just a few simple steps, you can indulge in this delicious fried hotdogs in the air fryer at home.

I am fully prepared for the teasing that might ensue. After these next words I write… I absolutely love hotdogs with all of my heart, and will often choose one over a cheeseburger! Gasp!

I don’t even understand what it is completely, but I know that there is something about that snap and pop when you bite into it the juicy deliciousness of the meat and dare I say it’s the combination of both that soft bun and simple ketchup, that is irresistible for me.

I don’t know where I’ve been all these years but when our daughter requested hotdogs for dinner, one night, I started to tell Claire they are so much better on a grill during the summer when it dawned on me, the air fryer could knock this out of the park and sure enough it 100% did.

The outside gets a little crispy while the inside stays juicy. And with the scored top on them, they get little crispy edges. Mmmmmm…I’m totally obsessed with airfryer hotdogs!

What Do I Need to Make Air Fryer Hot Dogs?

All you need is hotdogs and hot dog buns! That’s it! And then whatever toppings you want to add.

How to Make Hot Dogs in the Air Fryer

Get ready for a quick and easy dinner recipe because dinner is going to be on the table in less than 15 minutes! Here are the basic steps:

1. Preheat the airfryer.
2. Score the tops of the hotdogs and place them in the air fryer basket for 6 minutes.
3. Open the airfryer and place each hotdog in a bun and return them to the airfryer for another minute.
4. Remove the hotdogs from the airfryer and serve with all your favorite toppings.

Tips for the Best Fried Hot Dogs

You will want to be sure to buy the right hot dogs and buns for the best results for this recipe. I am a huge fan of Nathan’s hot dogs with Hebrew National. For the bun, the brioche buns by Nature’s Own are my all time favorite. Warming the bun in the air fryer with the hot dog is total game changer!

If you want a little different flavor profile, spread a little butter on each side of the bun and toast them in the broiler before adding the hotdogs to buns. Toasted buns are so delicious!

Score the top of the hot dogs, but make

White Chocolate Key Lime Cookies

Satisfy your sweet tooth with these delicious White Chocolate Key Lime Cookies. Made with a zesty lime flavor and creamy white chocolate chips, these cookies are the perfect treat for any occasion.

A while back the hubby and I were trying to decide on dessert for the evening. We kept going back and forth about what we wanted. Then our dear friends stopped by and voted for trying out a new cookie, Key Lime Cookie. I actually really liked them. I would have liked a touch more lime in mine, but everyone else liked them as they were so I guess go with the majority vote.

Now I’ve circled back to this cookie recipe and updated it. You know I added more lime this time around, but feel free to dial it back if you want a more subtle lime flavor. This is the best key lime cookies recipe!

What Do I Need to Make Key Lime Cookies?

There are no surprises here! Just your typical cookie making ingredients plus come fresh lime juice and zest and white chocolate. That’s all you need! Here is your ingredients list…

• Flour: just regular all purpose flour
• Baking Soda: acts as a leavening agent to give the cookies their rise
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Butter: unsalted butter is preferred and you want it softened
• Sugar: adds sweetness
• Brown Sugar: adds additional sweetness and deeper rich flavor
• Egg: gives the cookies structure and binds all the ingredients together
• Vanilla Extract: adds flavor
• Limes: you definitely need fresh limes for the zest and juice, either regular limes or key limes work great
• White Chocolate Chips: or white chocolate chunks work great too

The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

How to Make Key Lime Cookies

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
2. Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
3. Wet Ingredients: In the bowl of stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Then beat in the egg, key lime juice and vanilla until smooth.
4. Combine: Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
5. Stir: Add the white chocolate and key lime zest to the dough and use a wooden spoon to stir them in.
6. Scoop: Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop spoonfuls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets.
7. Bake: Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes and be sure to not overbake them.
8. Cool: Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes and then move them to a wire cooling rack.

Keep scrolling through the post down to the recipe card to see all these instructions in full detail.

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