Summer Walks, Healthy Food, Farmer’s Market & Motherhood

Tropical Storm Debbie has us hunkered down with flash flooding and intense storms today and tomorrow. Being cooped up for 48 hours with an energetic toddler who loves being outdoors will be challenging! We’re doing our best to stay busy and positive, so send some good vibes! The stormy morning makes the house dark and quiet, so I’ve let my son sleep in for as long as he wants. He’s been fighting naps lately, so instead of waking him up early for our morning walk, I’m letting him catch up on sleep. This gives me a chance to enjoy a second cup of coffee and hop on the computer to share this week’s recap with you!

Since returning from Hilton Head, SC, I haven’t had a chance to do a recap post! I’ve been caught up with farmer’s markets, a few other trips, and trying to get the house in order before I head to Iowa next week. My mother-in-law is coming to help with my son while my husband is at work, so I’m making sure the house is stocked with his favorite foods, the laundry is folded, and everything is set up to make things run smoothly while I’m away! 

It’s been a while since I last visited Iowa, and it makes me sad that I haven’t been able to see my grandma. This trip might be my last chance to see her, so I’m grateful that my mom and I are going together to spend time with her. I love going back home; it always brings back nostalgic memories. I can’t wait to pick up letters from the Jarsma Bakery, have a crunch cone at Graham’s, enjoy a burger at the Canteen, and visit the Iowa State Fair before flying back. But most importantly, I can’t wait to sit with my grandma and catch her up on everything. While I have extra time in the hotels, I’ll do my best to get my recent travel blogs and recipes up for you!

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Last week, I started my sourdough baguette journey. I’ve been experimenting with a baguette recipe, and I’m getting so close to perfection! Baguettes are even easier than making bread loaves because there’s no cold-proofing time. Stay tuned for this recipe because it’s coming very soon!

When we returned from Hilton Head, I spent the whole day preparing brittle for the Christmas in July event in town. I packaged the brittle around 2 p.m., gathered all my market supplies, and headed out for the evening event. My husband surprised me by stopping by with my son, and it was adorable to see him running through the bubbles, waving at Santa, and soaking up the Christmas spirit in July.

I’m still going strong with my walks and healthy eating! I’ve managed to keep up my morning miles and make better nutrition choices throughout July, even while traveling. I really do feel great, and I’m proud of myself for sticking with it. I hit 92 miles in July! 

I’m still in my heirloom tomato obsession phase. When the Fort Mill market isn’t open, I drive to the Charlotte farmer’s market to pick up fresh peaches, heirloom tomatoes, squash, and other delicious produce. I’m already running low and need to get back there this weekend for more!

I always bring back a pastry for my son and fresh flowers for my kitchen! A group of teachers bake the pastries (the vendor near the flowers!), and I love being able to support them! 

Becca and I headed to Roots for brunch to plan our trip and get together to chat and hang out. 
I had their delicious turkey and bacon wrap and an oat milk latte. 

Looking at this photo makes me sad that I don’t have any heirloom tomatoes left! They were amazing with Arctic seasoning and a drizzle of olive oil. Arctic seasoning has changed how I cook—it’s perfect on all my veggies and meat. I’m so in love with it that everyone in my household will get a jar in their stockings this year! The owner is local to my town, and I tried his seasoning at the Farmer’s market. I haven’t been able to eat food without it since! I may even pack some for my trips coming up! If I could ever influence you on anything, it’s this seasoning!
After naps, we love heading to the trails for treasure hunts with my son. He brings his bucket, and we scatter little jewels, toys, beads, and coins along the path. He gets so excited about finding them and adding them to his bucket! It’s a fun way to keep him active and extra tired for bedtime—he walks about two miles on these hunts!

After a year of walking, we finally changed our path because I was bored with the same scenery. Now, we are greeted by so many adorable cats, and it’s so fun to see them each time! They come running to us because they know we have treats. Ugh, I love cats so much, but my husband does not want one. He’s getting a public call out for this battle. One day, though, I’ll bring home the cutest stray kitty, and he won’t be able to say no. Just wait, the cat distribution is coming for us! Tux and Leo also love cats. 

Spinach omelets, seasoned tomatoes, and kale salads have been my favorite this past week!

I get asked often how I manage to walk 3-4 miles with my toddler in a stroller without relying on technology. Here’s my routine: I start by making him breakfast, then head out for our “breakfast walk.” As long as he spends the first 30 minutes eating, he’s pretty content. I keep him entertained by having him look for things like cats and tell me the colors of cars and plants. If he gets bored, I’ve got a bin under the stroller with small books and tinker toys. And if he’s super restless, I use fruit snacks or an organic lollipop to help us make it home before he gets too cranky. Now, when I wake him up, he excitedly says, “Eat, walk!” because he can’t wait to go.
Seeing the firetruck at Costco was the highlight of his week!

This invisible paint / mess-free toy is incredible. I still am not sure how it even works, but I LOVE IT, and he loves it! 

One of the delicious recipes I made this week was butternut squash brownies, and I’ve loved hearing all your feedback on them! I loved having a little piece before reading my book at night. All the baking and squash recipes make me want to start getting blog recipes ready for fall! After the recent rainstorms, I took my son to his favorite spot, Anne Springs Greenway! He loves playing in nature, and I always have to bring a few changes of clothes because he gets so muddy, but he loves it. It’s so good for him to be outside, and he seems happiest when he’s exploring the great outdoors.
The creek isn’t usually this wild and high, but I let him play in it when it’s only a few inches deep. He enjoyed getting his toes in the mud, and shoveling rocks into the water.  The children’s playground has a mud kitchen, and he likes looking for acorns to make his mud soup.
 After hours of playing outside at Anne Springs, we headed to Bossy Beulah’s for lunch to make sure he had a good meal before trying for his afternoon nap, which has been hit or miss lately. I rely on those naps to get work done, but even when he skips napping, he gives me at least an hour of quiet time. He’ll just lay in his crib talking, reading a book, and high-fiving his stuffed animals.

Wednesday night, I met up with a girlfriend for tennis and dinner, and I had the best Caesar salad at the Wine Shop! I’m already craving more. Just imagine if it had those heirloom tomatoes on top—perfection!

Garbage day walks are the best! We can cover up to five miles, and my son gets so excited about following the garbage truck. It might be a bit stinky for me, but at least he’s happy, and I get to fit my steps in!

The water bounce house is still a hit, and with temperatures hitting 90+ degrees, you can bet I’m joining in on the fun!

On Friday, I had my morning walk, made breakfast, and then my mom came over to take over while I prepped for the Farmer’s market and packed my things for my Sunday travels.
I made the most delicious honey-roasted fruit and nut granola! I’ll post the recipe soon and if I get a successful toddler nap, I might share it today! I love making granola for trips, especially one packed with healthy nuts to keep me fueled during a camping adventure (but also not real camping; I was glamping!)

I was up at 3:00 am on Saturday to start the sourdough cinnamon rolls, bake the chocolate chip cookies, and prepare everything for the morning market. 

Later that evening, I headed to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients and snacks for the trip. I was ready to leave my heirloom tomato obsession at home. 
 I made crispy air-fried chicken tossed in almond flour, zoodles with Parmesan, and a honey mustard salad for dinner. My son loved the chicken dipped in honey mustard! I make him my chicken nugget recipe all the time, and it’s always a hit.

Sunday before we left, I made the most delicious tuna salad recipe! You have to try it. It’s amazing, and if you’re not a fan of tuna, you can easily swap it out for chicken.

Our trip was such a blast and incredibly relaxing. I can’t wait to start working on that blog post! I’m really excited to share all the photos and the fun things we did while staying at Roamstead and exploring Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

I made two of the best snack decisions in a long time. Top Fox Chocolate Sunflower Seeds and Granola Butter (SO GOOD!!!) I can’t wait to try the other flavors. 

On our way home, we stopped in Hendersonville and had delicious sandwiches at Mikes on Main. The food was great, and the people there were incredibly nice! Plus, the place was adorable. I’ll have more details about this spot in my upcoming travel blog.

Since our favorite coffee shop, Black Bear Coffee Co, was closed, we grabbed something warm at Starbucks for the rest of the trip. My favorite cozy drink for when I don’t want coffee is an oat milk chai latte with just one pump of chai (way too sweet otherwise) and a sprinkle of cinnamon powder blended in. It’s like a warm hug in a cup—perfect for fall, but not pumpkin-y. I’m excited to recreate it at home soon!

I was right back into my walking routine and having eggs for breakfast as soon as I got home! Of course, my son had to steal my green smoothie because that’s just how it goes with a toddler. If you make one for them, they don’t want it. But make it for yourself? Suddenly, they’re all about it.

When the afternoon nap didn’t pan out, I took him on a second walk, hoping he might drift off in the stroller. Nope! We ended up playing at the park with a soccer ball, and he stayed wide awake for the three-mile trek back. On the bright side, he does sleep like a rock at night, so that’s a win!
For dinner, I made almond flour and parmesan-crusted onion rings int he air fryer to go with my spaghetti squash. These were so good, and I’ll make sure to recreate for a recipe blog soon! Even my toddler loved them! I think with this weather being dark and gloomy, I’ll make some of our favorite chili tonight!

I somehow managed to get through my recap blog while he was still asleep! I better go upstairs and wake him up! Thank you all for stopping by to read!

Questions for you!

1. What is a meal you’ve been stuck on eating lately?
2. Do you have any exciting things coming up?
3. What are some fall recipes you’d like me to share?