I definitely didn’t mean to go dark on the blog yesterday. In fact, I wrote a way-too-wordy blog post that I ended up scrapping at the last minute because it was a big-time Debbie Downer to read. I wasn’t sharing anything major and the blog post was simply a recap of my Wednesday but Wednesday, honestly, was just an all-around annoying day.
It was filled with phone issues that had me running to four different stores (and the issues still remain unresolved), pregnancy nausea that resurfaced with a bang, losing my car keys and more and it just felt like a big whine fest when I wrote about it on the blog even though it was simply a real recap of my day. I didn’t enjoy writing about it so I figured you guys wouldn’t enjoy reading about it, so I hit delete and now here we are today. A new day! A better day. FRIDAY!
So let’s dive into your usual Things I’m Loving Friday post, shall we? Below you will find a short roundup of some things that are making me smile this week, including a must-try festive St. Patrick’s Day recipe, a sneaky giveaway and more. I hope you guys have a fantastic weekend and enjoy the luck of the Irish on Saturday!
Things I’m Loving Friday
- 26-Week Ultrasound
(26-week ultrasound photos of our baby’s head and feet! <3 )
Hooray for a wonderful ultrasound and answered prayers! I had an appointment with a specialist yesterday morning to monitor our baby and look at my placenta and it went so well. We got to see our little one in enough detail to see fuzzy hair on our baby’s head and it was incredible. My doctor told me our little one is about 2.2 pounds already (I’m measuring slightly ahead – a big change from my pregnancy with Chase when I was behind the whole time) and looking great. Seeing our baby move and hearing our little one’s heartbeat is simply the best even though I think I’ve held my breath for the duration of every single ultrasound we’ve had so far.
Chase is still 100 percent convinced our baby is a boy and tells EVERYONE we’re having a boy with such certainty that even his preschool teacher said, “Congrats! You’re having a boy!” to me on Monday. I had to laugh and tell her that we don’t know and we won’t know until our little one arrives, despite Chase’s very vocal claims otherwise. He kind of has me drinking the Kool-Aid at the moment and part of me is leaning toward thinking we’re having another boy even though all of my physical symptoms seem to align more with the old wives’ tales for a girl this time around. We will see!
- High Protein Frozen Mint Hot Chocolate with Collagen
Thank you to Great Lakes Gelatin for sponsoring this shout out!
St. Patrick’s Day is tomorrow and if you’re looking for a way to celebrate with a little treat that’s actually pretty darn healthy, I have the perfect festive drink for you! It combines two of my favorite flavors – chocolate and mint – for a frozen mint hot chocolate that packs a serious protein punch thanks to the addition of Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate. The recipe is creamy, frothy and chocolaty but doesn’t taste like a total sugar bomb. It’s a high protein frozen hot chocolate you can feel good about drinking, whether you choose to enjoy it on St. Patrick’s Day, as a post-workout snack or a healthy sweet treat at the end of the day.
Print
High Protein Frozen Mint Hot Chocolate
- Prep Time: 2 mins
- Cook Time: 1 min
- Total Time: 3 mins
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: dessert, sweet treat
Description
A high-protein, creamy treat to enjoy when you’re craving a combination of rich chocolate and refreshing mint.
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk (a higher fat milk will yield a creamier drink)
- 3 tablespoons Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
- pinch of salt
- 1 heaping cup ice
Instructions
- Combine milk through salt in a high-speed blender until mint leaves are fully blended into the chocolate liquid.
- Add ice and blend until desired consistency is achieved. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder if desired.
I’ve been buying Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate for about two years now and love it because it dissolves so easily in my morning coffee or tea and makes a great addition to smoothies without altering the flavor of my favorite beverages. You can read more about why I first fell in love with collagen and continue to use it regularly in this post: Benefits of Collagen. The short version: I love it for improved digestion and hair, skin and nail health as well as bone and joint health. And yes, I do use collagen pregnant! I feel like it was my primary source of protein for a while there when I was on an all-carb diet for nearly two months. Ha! My doctor gave me the a-okay to continue using it, but definitely check with your doctor, too!
***GIVEAWAY!***
If you’d like to give this recipe a try or simply wish to try incorporating collagen into your diet, I think you’ll like today’s sneaky giveaway! One PBF reader will win two containers of Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate and one of the 20-count single-serving packs of the travel-size collagen packets you can throw in your bag to enjoy collagen on the go. (These are great for adding collagen to coffee or tea when you’re out and about.) To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post telling me how you currently like to enjoy collagen or one way you think you’d like to try using collagen if it’s something new to you! I will randomly select a winner next Friday morning.
Good luck!
I never think of my car as “old” but it’s 13 years old so I guess it’s technically getting up there, huh? The only time I really feel like my car is getting older is when I want to use some kind of new(ish) technology like Bluetooth and it’s not compatible or when I check the maps function of my car’s GPS and half the highways around me don’t even exist. I wanted the ability to easily stream music in my car before my long road trip with Chase a couple of weeks ago and ordered this Bluetooth adapter from Amazon.
The adapter worked like a charm and the set up was a breeze. The sound quality is great and I highly recommend it to anyone driving an older vehicle without the ability to stream music from their phones. The adapter also has the ability to charge your phone at the same time, so that’s a huge plus! It let me jam out to the Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and listen to my favorite NPR podcast (Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me) among streaming breaks of Pandora’s Baby Einstein station so I was a happy camper!
- Chilly Cow Chocolate Brownie Batter Ice Cream Bars
Purchasing these Chilly Cow ice cream bars was a valiant attempt at portion control on my part after downing my bodyweight in Moose Tracks ice cream a few weeks in a row. Though a big bowl of ice cream will always have my heart, I must give these bars rave reviews. They are incredibly creamy and chocolaty and seem to do a decent job of satisfying my sweet tooth at the end of the day. And yes, I’ve definitely downed two in a row a couple times now because I loved them so much but that’s better than half of a half gallon of ice cream, right!?
- Friday Flashbacks
Corned Beef and Cabbage Creamy Leek Soup (A comforting recipe to keep on hand if you have any corned beef leftover after St. Patrick’s Day!)
Upper Body Superset Workout (A strength workout that combines weights and resistance bands for an upper body burn!)
Question of the Day
Today’s Questions of the Day correspond to the sneaky giveaway above:
- For my fellow collagen fans: How do you currently like to incorporate collagen into your diet?
- For the collagen newbies: What is one way you’d like to try collagen for the first time? In your coffee? In a smoothie? Let me know!
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I’d love to try collagen in my coffee, tea, and smoothies. potentially in my morning oats occasionally too!
I currently put Collagen in my coffee everyday! Great lakes is my fav!
I’d love to try collagen for the many benefits to hair, skin and nails. I’d probably put it in my coffee.
I use Great Lakes collagen every day. I love that I can add it to black coffee or tea without altering the flavor!
Currently, I dissolve collagen in my morning coffee. I’m going through some serious postpartum hair and skin “stuff” (pregnancy was SO GOOD to me, but 6.5 months post has been quite a change!!), and the collagen seems to be helping a bit.
I drink my collagen in a room temperature glass of water in the morning. I pretty much chug it down first thing. It is easy and gives me a jump start on my water consumption for the day.
Collagen would be new to me. I would definitely want to try it in my coffee to see how it would benefit my hair, nails, and skin.
I like collagen in smoothies and coffee!
I have not tried collagen yet, however have it on my wish list on Amazon. I would absolutely love to try it and see if it helps my skin that has been whack since the birth of my babe over a year ago!
Hi Julie Happy Friday! I start off my day with collagen with my Yogi green tea and some lemon. Nothing fancy, but I love it!
I love adding it to my morning smoothie… I’m a nursing mom so I try to get some quick protein in when I can!
I put collagen in my afternoon team when I remember 😉 It’s tasteless and I still get the benefits.
I love collagen, though I’ve been out of it for quite a while!!Being a flute player, I have a lot of joint issues and I’m willing to do anything to help with the pain some mornings after work. Plus…a little extra protein in the coffee (sometimes) keeps me from helping myself to a side of chocolate before 7am. Take care, Julie!
I literally JUST came to your blog on Wednesday to find your post about collagen, because I’m starting to get forehead wrinkles that need to go stat and wanted to see which powder collagen you use! I would love to win this giveaway, but even if I don’t, I’m still buying some Great Lakes Collagen, because these wrinkles are not welcome here anymore!
I haven’t even evee used collagen before but have been wanting to try it in iced coffee!
I typically use collagen in my smoothies, but not consistently. I am really esxcited about the travel packs it hopes this will help me be more consistent when I travel!
Hi Julie!
I use collagen in my smoothies after my morning runs. I need to try it in my coffee or tea too, I’m just afraid I’ll be able to taste it more!
Hope you have a great Friday and weekend!
I have yet to try collagen, but obviously I’ve been reading about it everywhere!! I’m iffy on the taste of protein powder, so I’d be curious to try collagen in smoothies since everyone seems to claim you can’t taste it. Happy Friday!
I’ve been wanting to try collagen, ever since I first saw you post about how you add it to your coffee in the morning! It seems so simple, yet beneficial that I would love to try adding it to my coffee!
Thanks!
I’ve heard its amazing for hair grwoth so I’d love to try it, and definitely in that mint chocolate smoothie!!!! Also – do you ever dissolve in tea? Is it really flavorless?
I think I’d try collagen in my morning Greek yogurt. I imagine that it would blend right in. I used to make smoothies, but I never felt satisfied for very long. Eating the same things that I used to blend up with a spoon somehow keeps me full for longer.
I haven’t tried collagen, but it’s been on my “to try” list for a while. I love smoothies, but most protein powders alter the flavor too much for me. A tasteless shot of protein would be amazing!
I haven’t tried collagen but would love to! I’d definitely add it to my daily oatmeal bowls and use it baking for that extra boost!
So happy your check up went well!
I don’t use collagen currently, but have been really thinking about it, especially because I do have arthritis in the knees at the ripe old age of 39. I have been hesitant because I am afraid it will change the consistency and taste of my morning beverage (tea or coffee) despite all assurances that it doesn’t…
I’ve been wanting to try collagen for a while!! I’d start by incorporating it in my morning tea – and maybe in smoothies too!
I first learned about collagen and its benefits here on PB fingers! I had never heard of it before and didn’t know anyone else who used it. Fast forward about a year and a half later and everyone seems to be on the collagen train! I see ads all over Instagram and see posts popping up on all of my favorite bloggers’ pages. Many of my friends are now on board too and we share different brands and flavors with each other. I can definitely see a difference in the small fine lines on my forehead when I’ve been sticking to a consistent collagen regimen, and have also noticed my nails grow so much faster!
As for the different ways I use it – I have it in my morning coffee or matcha latte (1 packet matcha green tea + 2 scoops collagen + dash of cinnamon + hot water + steamed milk). I also have it in whatever hot beverage I choose for an afternoon pick me up, as well as hot tea at night before bed. I’ve tried it in plain old water, oatmeal, yogurt, soup, smoothies (obvi), and have plans to attempt to make homemade fruit gummies, as well as incorporate it into some baking recipes like grain free muffins and brownies.
Thanks for introducing me to this magical powder and continuing to incorporate it into your posts!
Yay for continued good news with the baby! If you’d rather not discuss it, I understand, but you have mentioned several times a placenta problem that you had with Chase. I am currently 31 weeks along in an unfortunately very difficult pregnancy (on bed rest), and one of my problems is placenta previa. Do you mind providing any more details about the issue that you previously had? Again, if it’s too personal for you to discuss, I completely understand and apologize for overstepping.
I put collagen in my morning coffee or tea. I want to try it in smoothies too! I never think about it with cold drinks.
I put collagen in my coffee everyday! I have noticed a difference in the level of soreness I feel after workouts and my hair. Love it!
I just started using collagen in my coffee. I’m hoping it helps keep wrinkles at bay, but one unexpected benefit is that I think it helps me recover from long runs. Before collagen, I had an ankle that would routinely act up after 8+ miles, but the collagen has stopped it (at least I think it’s the collagen–I think it’s good for joints as well from some light googling I’ve done). I’d love to find some other ways to incorporate collagen into my diet.
I’d have to say coffee as its something I drink everyday, without fail! I’m so glad your pregnancy is progressing well, but super sorry about the nausea returning. With my second pregnancy I was very sick for the first 16 weeks and then sick off and on until the end, ugh, lol. Worth every hardship though. <3
I put collagen in my coffee and smoothies! I love that it has no taste. Happy Friday!
I used collagen everyday in my coffee after reading about it on your blog. It has made such a difference to my skin!
I’m all about adding collagen to my coffee!
I love adding collagen to my smoothies because it’s the only way to get in some protein in this early pregnancy time!
I’ve never tried collagen but have been looking into it recently. I would love to add it to my morning coffee and I am really hoping it would help with my skin and hair. Would love to try it!
I first heard of collagen from you… and now I see it everywhere! I put it in my morning smoothie, but I need to be more consistent! Thanks for the reminder to get back to it 😉
I love collagen my morning coffee but I’ll probably start putting it in my smoothie more when the weather warms up.
So far I have only tried it in my coffee which I love because, like you said it doesn’t alter the taste at all.
i’ve never used collagen, but i am interested and would love to try it in coffee or smoothies!
I tried collagen awhile back because of your rave reviews! I throw it in my coffee every morning, but that frozen hot chocolate recipe sounds AMAZING! May give that a whirl this weekend.
I stared adding collagen to my coffee after reading about it here! Would love to try that smoothie too… Looks delicious!
Julie,
I needed your post today. Seeing your ultrasound photos made me smile. On Wednesday we found out that our second attempt for a baby through IVF did not work. It was heartbreaking. I have to keep reminding myself that I have a beautiful little girl so I’m very blessed… but it still hurts. Seeing your ultrasound photos gives me hope. We have one more embryo… I hope that one will work.
I love reading about your baby adventures! Please keep on sharing 🙂
I love collagen in my AM coffee as well! Or an afternoon iced matcha 🙂
I am always on the lookout for a way to incorporate something healthy in my morning routine! I would love to try collagen!
I haven’t tried collagen yet but I want to! I am staying with a friend this weekend and just last night she was telling me how improved her skin is since adding in collagen!
I’ve been using collagen for almost a year now and I love adding it to my smoothies or coffee. I’ve noticed such a difference in my skin and digestion! Happy Friday Julie!
I just have to comment and say how much I love your blog and everything you write about, Julie. I have a son a little younger than Chase and just had a daughter a couple weeks ago, so I relate to so much of what you write — and appreciate all of you’re recommendations. (I just ordered that Bluetooth adapter before I finished reading the whole post…). I’ve never tried collagen before but I’m sure I would like it in coffee or that smoothie recipe!
Thanks for sharing so much with your readers. You touch more lives than you realize, I’m sure. Hope you have a great weekend that makes you forget the rough Wednesday!
HAVing phone issues too… your, not you’re (I’m a teacher and have to correct 🙂
I have never, ever had collagen before and didn’t even know about it until I read it on your blog! I’m not a coffee drinker, but I can see using this in a smoothie of some kind! I doubt it would work in my hot tea, but maybe! I would love a chance to win some! <3
I add a scoop or two of collagen to my Birch Benders pancake mix to make protein pancakes! Love that extra boost of protein without changing the taste or texture, and it gives them more staying power.