LINKS TO EVERYTHING I USE

So much better than a protein bar.

These are high protein, super satisfying, and one of those things that are just as good straight out of the fridge the next day. I make them with almond flour and really good Parmesan, so the coating gets crispy without needing breadcrumbs.

Protein Chicken Fingers

For about 1 lb chicken tenders:

• 3/4 cup extra-fine almond flour

• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

• 2 eggs

• Oregano

• Herbamare

• Olive oil or olive oil spray

Use a good Parmesan here. I like the really finely grated kind from Whole Foods- that’s only Parmesan with no fillers or extra junk added.

Mix the almond flour and Parmesan together and season with oregano and Herbamare (linked in my links above). Feel free to add whatever other seasonings you love, but this is usually all I do.

Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl.

Dip each chicken tender into the egg, shake off the excess, then coat it really well in the almond flour-Parmesan mixture.

Place the tenders on parchment paper and (optional) drizzle or spray them with a little olive oil.

I cook mine in my Breville toaster oven (linked above), on the air-fry setting at 400°F for 16 minutes, then flip them and cook for another 3 minutes.

Every air fryer is a little different, so keep an eye on them. I like mine pretty browned and crispy.

Easiest Homemade Ranch

You can use sour cream, Greek yogurt, or a mixture of both. If you want to bump up the protein, use more Greek yogurt.

• Sour cream and or Greek yogurt (I just use sour cream) but for more protein less fat you can do a mix or just yogurt

• A little milk

• Onion powder

• Dill (a ton)

• Herbamare (this is herbed sea salt linked above- my ride or die seasoning)

I literally do not measure this.

Add everything to a measuring cup with spout, whisk until no clumps, taste it and adjust until you love it, pour into my glass dressing jar, shake it up. Add a little more milk if you want it thinner.

That’s it.

Dip your chicken fingers in the ranch and you are good to go. Then dip in marinara (my fav linked) if you want the yummiest pizza taste ever!!!!

These are also SO good leftover. I either throw them back in the toaster oven for a few minutes to crisp them up or eat them cold straight out of the fridge with the ranch.

Protein does not have to come in a bar. Yay!!

Enjoy!

xx

Nicole

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz tequila

• 1 oz fresh cucumber juice

• 1 oz fresh lime juice

• 1 oz Ancho Reyes Verde

• 1 egg white

• Ice

• Cucumber + dehydrated lime slices for garnish

• If you want sweeter add coconut nectar to shaker- I linked🤍

Directions

Blend cucumber until completely smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer (I love my funnel/strainer linked above). No water needed.

Add the tequila, cucumber juice, lime juice, Ancho Reyes Verde, and egg white to a shaker. Shake hard without ice for about 20–30 seconds to build that froth.

Add ice and shake again until super cold.

For the rim, mix flaky salt with a little fresh lime zest. Rub a lime wedge around the glass, then dip it into the lime salt.

Strain the cocktail into a coupe or margarita glass and garnish with cucumber + lime.

Lazy way: skip making cucumber juice and muddle 4–5 cucumber slices really well in the shaker instead.

Fresh, limey, a little spicy, and SO frothy. 🥒🍋‍🟩🌶️

Diced potatoes. I love the Ore-Ida frozen ones because you can just throw them in the toaster oven or air fryer.

3 eggs

1/2 cup egg whites

Bacon. I always keep some stocked in my freezer using my easy oven bacon method.

Shredded cheese

Avocado

Pico de gallo

Marie Sharp’s hot sauce on top. THE BEST.

While the potatoes cook, scramble the eggs and egg whites. Add everything to a bowl and top with the cheese, avocado, pico, bacon and hot sauce.

This bowl was SO good. Breakfast should never be boring and protein should never feel like punishment. 🤍

This is so easy my kids make it!! Sometimes the simplest recipes really are the best. When you use quality ingredients, they do all the work.

Ingredients

• ⅔ good quality, organic extra virgin olive oil

• ⅓ organic red wine vinegar

• Oregano

• A generous amount of salt (salt doesn’t technically count as an ingredient 😉)

Directions

Add everything to a jar and shake it up. That’s it.

The secret? More salt than you think. Taste as you go.

Too acidic? Add a little more salt.
Too salty? Add a splash more red wine vinegar.

Some people love mustard in their Italian dressing. If you do, add a little Dijon or even ground mustard. When I’m in a hurry, I don’t even bother—it still tastes amazing.

Easy Chopped Italian Salad 🥗

Ingredients

• Chopped red leaf lettuce

• Chopped romaine

• Black olives

• Garbanzo beans

• Chopped tomatoes

• Chopped pepperoncini

• Chopped cucumber

• Chopped organic True Story salami

• Chopped organic provolone

• Optional: chopped chicken breast to bump up the protein

Directions

Throw everything into a big bowl, drizzle generously with the Italian dressing, toss and enjoy.

Even my kids love this salad. Add or subtract whatever you love, but this combo is SO good.

Use a good olive oil, good red wine vinegar and fresh, quality ingredients. You really don’t need much to make amazing food. 🇮🇹

It definitely wasn’t always that way. After babies and especially after 40, I didn’t feel like myself in my body anymore. Things that had always worked for me (like lots of cardio and cutting out carbs) suddenly weren’t working. I didn’t feel great, I didn’t recognize my body, and I wanted to fix it, and feel better. So I started looking outward for answers.

Count macros. Cut carbs. Intermittent fast. Wear the CGM. Weigh your food. Take this supplement. Do this workout. Work out more. The more advice I consumed, the more overwhelmed I felt.

At some point I realized I was skipping the most important question: Why am I doing any of this?

Am I trying to make my body smaller because I think that’s what it’s supposed to look like? Or do I want to embrace MY curves, the body God gave me, and make it the strongest, healthiest version it can be while still living a balanced, fun life?

So I started asking myself different questions. What do I actually want? What matters to me? What do I enjoy? What actually makes me feel better? And what can I realistically sustain?

That changed everything for me. I started doing what I do with the clutter in my house, the clothes I don’t wear, and the cabinet full of supplements I thought I was supposed to take. Clear out the noise and figure out my “why”, and what I actually believe.

I want to be strong. I know the value of muscle. To me, it’s longevity currency. I want to be on the floor playing with my grandchildren one day and get myself back up. I want to travel, carry my own bags, walk around a new city all day and keep having FUN for as long as I possibly can. That drives me so much more than my pants size ever could.

So I built a simple foundation around that. I lift weights. I prioritize protein. I move my body. I eat mostly real food. And then I live my life.

There’s still the work that I put in. I lift when I don’t feel like lifting. I make choices that support my goals when something else would be easier. But I refuse to micromanage the minutiae.

I know my values. I know what I’m working toward. So I intentionally take actions that align with those things and then get on with my day. That’s what makes it feel almost effortless to me. Not because there isn’t effort, but because I’m not spending all day negotiating with myself over every tiny decision.

I don’t need a cheat day because I’m not cheating. I don’t need to “get back on track” Monday because there is no track to fall off of. I eat the dessert, skip the workouts, go on vacation or have the extra cocktails. Having fun matters to me too. It’s all part of it. If I feel a little out of alignment with my goals, tomorrow is another day to make choices that align with what matters to me. No guilt. No dramatic Monday restart.

The less rigid I became, the better I did. I have more muscle than I’ve ever had, and I actually LOVE lifting weights now. Nobody’s making me do it. I’m choosing to do it because I know why I’m doing it and it aligns with what I want for myself.

Same with food. The more I tried to micromanage every morsel, the less I enjoyed eating and the more I wanted to rebel and down a huge bag of tortilla chips all at once, dipped in cheese because I already threw in the towel. I don’t want to sit at a beautiful dinner with people I love thinking about calories or macros. I want to taste the food, laugh, order something delicious and actually be present.

So, when someone tells me I should measure the cream in my coffee? Yeah, hell no. I’m going to enjoy every last drop of that damn cream!!!

And yes, of course I want to look good. I like feeling good in my body. But being preoccupied with how I look or what I’m eating all day? No thank you. I don’t even enjoy being around people who are obsessed with what they’re eating or how they look, so why would I want to spend my own life that way? There are WAY more interesting things in this world, and I have so much more to offer than that.

Health and fitness should support my life, not become my life.

I trust myself to do the work without micromanaging every little thing.

And I loveeeee having fun, so there’s that too.:)

xx
Nicole

I’m loving Few Moda right now for simple basics at a great price. These three all have their own little twist, so you’ve got one for day, day to night, and a night out.

EVERYTHING IS LINKED HERE 🖤

XX

Nicole

The best ones always came from tiny little hole-in-the-wall spots around Austin, usually with a cute little, in a little stand, cooking them up. I swear I’ve never found this exact style anywhere outside of home, and I miss them so much.

Potato, egg + cheese was always my order. You can add bacon or whatever you love, but I still like mine simple, with a really spicy hot sauce.

This high-protein version takes me straight back to my childhood, just recreated to fit how I eat now.

For the high protein tortillas

• 1/2 cup full fat Good Culture cottage cheese

• 3 tbsp egg whites

• Herbamare seasoning

For the filling

• Cascadian Farm shredded hash browns

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup egg whites

• Bacon bits (I make my bacon using this method and keep it in the freezer so I always have it on hand. Linked here.)

• Shredded cheese

• Your favorite hot sauce

Directions

Preheat your oven or toaster oven to 400°F. Mix the cottage cheese, 3 tablespoons egg whites and Herbamare. Spoon onto parchment and spread into 2 tortilla size circles.

Bake at 400°F until set and lightly golden, then let them sit for a couple of minutes.

While they’re cooking, sauté the shredded hash browns until browned to your liking. Add the bacon, then cook 2 eggs + 1/2 cup egg whites and add your shredded cheese.

Spoon it all onto the tortillas, top with your favorite hot sauce and ENJOY!

xx Nicole 🤍

Ever since my daughter was diagnosed with celiac, I’ve made it my mission to recreate all of her favorite recipes gluten-free. 🤍 And this one was a MUST- no gluten missed AT ALL! This is the mac and cheese I make all the time for my kids- you do NOT need boxed- it’s so easy!

LINKS TO EVERYTHING I USED

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box Rummo Gluten-Free Elbow Pasta (or pasta of your choice)

• 3/4 cup Good Culture 4% Cottage Cheese

• ¾ cup milk and possibly more if it feels dry

• 2 Tbsp Kerrygold butter

• 1 Tbsp yellow mustard

• ½ Tbsp salt

• 16 oz shredded cheese of your choice — I use cheddar + Monterey Jack

• Extra shredded cheese for topping

• Gluten-free breadcrumbs for topping

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta al dente according to package directions — don’t overcook it! Gluten free pasta is a little more fragile than regular so if you are broiling it after- you really don’t want to overcook in the beginning so it doesn’t break.

While the pasta cooks, blend the cottage cheese and milk until completely smooth and creamy.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the butter, blended cottage cheese mixture, yellow mustard, salt, and 16 oz shredded cheese. Mix until everything is melted, creamy, and combined.

Serve immediately OR transfer to a casserole dish. Top with extra shredded cheese and gluten-free breadcrumbs and bake at 375°F for 15–20 minutes.

Broil at the end if you want that browned, bubbly cheese + crispy breadcrumb topping. 🧀🔥

180G+ PROTEIN IN THE WHOLE RECIPE + GLUTEN-FREE!

XX

Nicole

Now, strength training is almost meditative to me. I slow down, focus on the movement, rest between sets, and try to get a little stronger over time. It feels completely different from the fast paced, exahaust-myself cardio mindset I used to have. Bonus, the muscle speeds up my metabolism so I can eat more and not have be obsessive over food!!

And ironically, this slower, simpler approach has changed my body more than all those years of trying to burn everything off. I so wish I would have worked out like this starting in my 20’s!!!

These are the five things I focus on now to stay strong, fit, and sane.

1. I build my meals around protein
I aim for around my body weight in grams of protein each day. Protein is the anchor of my meals because I want to give my body what it needs to build and maintain muscle.

2. I eat carbs and I don’t micromanage my food
Carbs are important for fueling workouts and supporting muscle growth, so I’m not afraid of them. I am conscious of eating healthy most of the time, but I also enjoy myself (pig out) on the weekends and refuse to obsess over every bite. The less I hyper-focus on the food, the better I trust my intuition and just eat and enjoy. I try to eat clean, especially at home, but I LOVE food, so there is no way it would ever work for me to be restrictive, or have off limit foods. I also drink when I want, which is mostly on the weekends, because I simply don’t think about it much during the week. But I definitely like to have fun!!

3. I strength train 2–3 times a week and I actually challenge myself
Sometimes that’s traditional strength training and sometimes it’s my Lagree machine, but either way I go as heavy as I reasonably can. I want to finish a set feeling like I only had about 2–3 good reps left in me.

4. I do cardio 2–3 times a week and keep it simple
Usually it’s only about 30 minutes at a time. I want the heart-health benefits and I like how it makes me feel, but I don’t spend hours doing cardio. Also, who says you have to do it all at once on one machine? Switch it up if you get bored, I alternate machines- the point is movement and elevated heart rate- so I just get it in how I can.

5. I stopped focusing on skinny and started focusing on strong
This is probably the biggest shift of all. I’m not trying to make myself as small as possible anymore. I used to try to shrink my booty and thighs and now I just want them as strong as I can get them. I want muscle, strength, energy, and a body that carries me well for the rest of my life.

If I can do this, you can too!!!!

XX

Nicole

LINKS TO EVERYTHING I USED

I’m on a spritz kick this summer, and this one does not disappoint. Just looking at it makes me happy. 🧡

Same 3-2-1 ratio as the other spritz, so it’s easy to remember!

Ingredients

•    2 oz Sarti Rosa

•     3 oz Prosecco, chilled

•     Splash (about 1 oz) sparkling water or club soda

•     Ice

•     Dehydrated lime or dehydrated grapefruit wheel, for garnish

Instructions

1.  Fill a large wine glass with ice.

2.  Pour in the Sarti Rosa.

3.  Add the Prosecco.

4.  Top with a splash of sparkling water or club soda.

5.   Gently stir once or twice.

6.   Garnish with a dehydrated lime or dehydrated grapefruit wheel.

Cheers!!

Nicole

One of the things I value most in my life is my girlfriends.

One of my favorite things about our friendships is how we’re always sharing. Recipes that everyone loved. A workout that’s actually working. A great pair of jeans. A kitchen find. A travel tip. A little mindset shift. We celebrate each other, we go deep, we laugh, and we help each other through life.

I wanted a space that felt like that.

A place where I could build a community of like-minded women who want to simplify life, live more intentionally, feel strong, create beautiful things without the overwhelm, and have a whole lot more fun along the way.

Because I truly believe an elevated life doesn’t have to be complicated. Gorgeous meals don’t have to take hours. Feeling strong doesn’t have to mean living in the gym. Style doesn’t have to mean chasing every trend.

Sometimes the simplest things are the ones that make life the most beautiful.

I’m so glad you’re here. Come along with me as we share what’s working, learn from each other, and build lives with more room for the people, the fun, and the beauty that matter most. 🤍