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 haven’t tried collagen yet – but I think it would be great mixed in with my morning coffee!
I’ve been on a big soup kick lately, but only smooth creamy ones. I’ve been adding a scoop of collagen to my soups and loving it!
I haven’t tried collagen yet, but i’d love to start putting it in my summer smoothies!!! 🙂
I’ve never tried collagen but would love to start putting it in my morning coffee! Have a great weekend 🙂
I’d definitely like to try mixing collagen into my smoothies!
I love just adding it to my tea!!
I use collagen in my morning coffee every day. I’ve been using it for over two years and have definitely felt a difference!
Hi Julie!
I would love to start using collagen, but have hesitated in the past due to cost… I would love to see the post workout benefits, hair and nails benefits (for my upcoming wedding) and just give it a shot!
I LOVE COLLAGEN! I use it in my hot coffee or in my protein shakes. It helps brighten my face and clear my acne. I can’t live without it now!
I currently put it in my morning coffee!
I have been thinking about trying collagen since I read your post about it, but I haven’t actually gotten around to trying it. I think the first thing I’d make is this mint chocolate recipe—I absolutely LOVE anything mint chocolate flavored! Thanks for the chance to win!
I love it in my coffee!
I put collagen in my coffee every morning and even like mixing my it into yogurt.
I drink a scoop mixed into my coffee every morning!
Hi Julie!
So glad to see photos of your your little babe!
I have never tried collagen, but I’ll follow your lead and put it in my morning coffee!
I’ve never had it but would love to try it!!
I’ve never tried using collagen but I’d love to try this recipe, it looks delicious! I’m sold on anything chocolate 🙂
I love putting collagen in my bullet proof coffee!! Coffee, collagen, a teaspoon of coconut oil, and chocolate recovery protein powder! Yum!
I like to mix collagen into my morning cup of coffee!
I’m a nursing mama with a naturally low milk supply, so I mix collagen and mct oil in my morning coffee to help give it a little boost ?
I have little kids at home so I save any leftovers of my morning coffee and make a lightly sweetened mocha during naptime with it, so I have just started adding a little collagen to that!
So happy to hear your 26 week ultrasound went well! I had a super complicated pregnancy that resulted in my son being born at 24 weeks 🙁 So I can relate to the anxiety you’ve felt throughout this pregnancy.
Thanks for the giveaway! I’d love to try collagen in my coffee!
Have a great weekend!
I’ve really been wanting to try collagen after seeing it all over the blog world! I would try it in my coffee.
If I am having a smoothie or oatmeal, I always add collagen. If those are not my breakfast options, collagen goes into my coffee!
I’ve not tried collagen yet, but really want to. And want to get my husband to try it since he has digestion issues. I’d add it to hot chocolate for me and a smoothie for him
I am a creature of habit and do collagen in my coffee every morning (I do the full bulletproof with butter and MCT oil and it is SO good)! Now I want to try this milkshake, though!
I think the baby already looks like Chase in the ultrasound pic! So happy for you guys 🙂
I’ve never tried collagen, but I would love to use it in smoothies!
I keep reading good things about collagen and have been trying to get more protein in my diet so it sounds like the perfect way to sneak some extra into my coffee (morning and mid-day)!
I’ve never used it before but have been strongly considering it lately because ever since giving birth, my joints are so creaky! I swear I aged 20 years in the past 9 months lol. I would try it in my coffee for sure!
I haven’t tried collagen yet but having been debating it for the hair, skin and digestion benefits! I would love to try it in my coffee in the mornings!
I feel like I’m the last person out there who hasn’t started using collagen yet. I’m thinking I would add it to my morning coffee for an extra boost of protein 🙂
I use collagen in my coffee — i used it daily for months right after my son was born, took a bit of a break and am not starting again — i noticed a huge difference in skin, hair and nails!
NOW STARTING AGAIN!
I would like collagen for my ulcerative colitis
If it dissolves easily in tea then I’m all for it! I’d love to give it a try.
I’ve never tried collagen but I think the most consistent way I would like to use/try it is in my coffee!
I haven’t tried collagen yet, but I am thinking it would be great in my morning coffee or added to a smoothie or shake. Congrats on the wonderful, healthy ultrasound!!
I love collagen! I put it in my smoothie every morning! Congrats on the great ultasound, nothing better then hearing your little baby’s heart beat!
I usually put collagen in my coffee – I LOVE that it doesn’t change the taste or texture (don’t mess with my coffee!). But this week I have been putting it in my overnight oats, and it’s a great way to bump up the protein content!
I’ve never had collagen but I’d love to try it in coffee or even peanut butter protein balls for an extra dose of protein!
I have been meaning to try collagen for a while now. I think it would be super easy to add to my morning coffee!
I’ve never tried collagen before but I keep hearing about the benefits so I’m going to give it a try! I think I’ll start out by putting it in my morning smoothie. 🙂
I love collagen in my smoothies and overnight oats!
I have never tried collagen, but I really want to try it added to my coffee!
I put it in my coffee every morning 🙂 I haven’t branched out much further than that.
I haven’t tried collagen yet but seeing it pop up always piques my curiosity!
I’m sorry your Wednesday was low—but it’s also okay to be genuine and not worry about being a downer!
Have a good weekend!
id use it in my early morning coffee mixed with coconut oil before the gym so I can get some easy calories in before lifting!
I’ve never tried collagen but it interests me! I think I’d probably try it in coffee or a smoothie…something where I couldn’t taste it at first because I’m a newbie.
Hi Julie, I started using Great Lakes collagen after reading about it on your blog a few years ago. To this day, I add 2 tbsp to my morning coffee and love how it dissolves easily without leaving any aftertaste.
I put it in my morning coffee but I would love to try a fun new recipe like this one!