- Author: Melissa -

Hi there! I'm Melissa & I am a firm believer in taking cookies out of the oven 2 minutes under the recommended cooking time. I also love to travel, cook, shop, craft, and live an all around positive lifestyle. Come say hi!
Friends & Family, Gift Ideas

Father’s Day Gift Guide – 10 gifts under $80 (& 9 under $50!)

June 9, 2017 by
"Father's-Day-Gift-Guide"

In this post, you'll find my Father's Day Gift Guide - 10 gifts under $80 (9 of which are below $50)! Father's Day is so special. As I get older, the more I understand setting aside a specific day just to celebrate your parents or who you may claim as 'dad'. It's important to remember that just as we are getting older, so are our parents. This year, I'm able to fly out to California for my younger brother + sister's high school graduation, and am staying through Father's Day weekend! I might be alone here, but I have a much easier time shopping for moms vs dads. It could be just because I'm a girl so I have a better understanding of "girly" gifts, so I figured a Father's Day Gift Guide would…

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My Life, My Playlists

Music Monday; series 3 : 10 Songs I’ve Had on Repeat This Week

June 5, 2017 by
Music Monday || sharing my top 10 songs of the week

  In this post, Music Monday, you'll find my top 10 song recommendations for the week! During work, I tend to switch from listening to audio books (check out what I’m listing to on Audible!) to music. Currently, I’ve been on a huge YouTube + Soundcloud kick so thought it was the perfect time to bring out a new series! Today, I’m bringing back Music Monday where I’m going to be sharing 10 songs I’ve had on repeat throughout the previous week.  I absolutely love music recommendations and finding new tunes to listen to throughout the day, so please share with me what you’ve been listing to below in the comments! I’m one of those people that listens to pretty much every genre and constantly switching music moods, so I welcome any and all…

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Drinks, Holiday Eats, Recipe Box, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

10 Recipes to Bring to your Memorial Day Party

May 23, 2017 by
"10-Recipes-to-Bring-to-your-Memorial-Day-Party"

This post includes 10 Recipes to Bring to your Memorial Day Party! Guys. Can you believe it's already the end of MAY? Where has the time gone! I can't be alone here thinking that it was just Christmas..?! I feel like I need to explain for the silent airwaves that have been taking over GPL lately. Life sometimes has a way of getting away from us, but I've had SO many exciting things going on. I can't wait to fill you all in! For one, I bought a HOUSE! Whaaat! I bought Dj flying lessons and held my breath while going up with him for the first time above Jacksonville. We've taken weekend/extended trips to Charlotte (again), Savannah, and so much more. This weekend we're headed to Dallas! [video width="360" height="640" mp4="https://greenpalatelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG_3859.mp4"][/video] There's so…

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21 Day FIx, Recipe Box, Snacking, Sweet Tooth, Tailgating Must-Haves

Chocolate Walnut Protein Fudge – Super Bowl Goodies Series

February 3, 2017 by
Chocolate Walnut Protein Fudge

      And just like that, we've come to day 7 of my 7 days of Super Bowl goodies series! This week just flew by and really refocused my motivation to play around in the kitchen and post new recipes on a more consistent basis! As a series finale, I thought I'd end it on a sweet note while keeping it nice + healthy (not that I don't adore you, slow cooker lava cake) with some protein fudge! As far as protein powders go, I love the taste of chocolate Shakeology in baking. [I used it in these chocolate covered almond protein balls too!] I always go through a friend to buy Shakeo, and if you're looking to get some, you can find it HERE! If the price is a little too high…

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Recipe Box, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

7 Layer Greek Dip – Super Bowl Goodies Series

February 2, 2017 by
7 Layer Greek Dip

        I'm the [self-proclaimed] queen of dips. I love them! I love how easy they are to make, how there are always tons of variations and new combos to try, and I am really a fan at how everyone seems to gravitate towards them at any social gathering. I tend to stick with the classic favorites. Like my recipes for: Skinny 7 Layer Taco Dip Classic Buffalo Chicken Dip Protein-Packed French Onion Dip Homemade Spicy Guacamole Creamy Roasted Hummus But I've been on a HUGE yogurt sauce kick, so I played around with the idea to incorporate it into a dish to this years Super Bowl, and wahhla! Greek Dip was born + I.Am.Obsessed. I tend to favor dips and foods that have multiple levels of flavor, so since this dip…

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Drinks, Recipe Box, Tailgating Must-Haves

Low-Sugar Strawberry Cucumber Cocktail – Super Bowl Goodies Series

February 1, 2017 by
Low-Sugar Strawberry Cucumber Cocktail

          It wouldn't truly be a super bowl series of recipes if I didn't add in a cocktail in here, am I right? I'm a big supporter of happy hour, but I also need to find a balance with cocktails. I love the fruity drinks, but absolutely hate the headache that comes with those fruity drinks. So, to cut back on that 'sugar hangover', I've started to make a lot of my own cocktails with swaps to lower them in calories, but also sugar. (When I go out to a bar, I swear by grapefruit vodka + water + a lemon wedge.) When I was up in South Carolina for my little sister's graduation, she got me hooked on Effen Cucumber Vodka. I love the subtle taste of cucumber mixed…

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Holiday Eats, Recipe Box, Sweet Tooth, Tailgating Must-Haves

Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake – Super Bowl Goodies Series

January 31, 2017 by
Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake

    I'm at a loss for words on how to preface this recipe. It's not even close to healthy (unlike these chocolate peanut butter brownies). BUT, it's good for the soul; and I'm all about those soulful indulgent once-in-a-time recipes. I have full on heart-eye emojis over here just thinking back on this slow cooker chocolate lava cake. It was seriously amazing; and knew, even though I try to center this blog around living healthy, that I had to share it with you all. Plus, a little lava cake is perfect for days that you save your treats for; aka: this years Super Bowl. I made this cake for a co-workers birthday. I'm huge on bringing crock pot recipes because I can prep the ingredients beforehand, but allow it to cook during the…

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21 Day FIx, Recipe Box, Snacking, Tailgating Must-Haves

Low Calorie Pizza Cups – Super Bowl Goodies Series

January 30, 2017 by
"10-Recipes-to-Bring-to-your-Memorial-Day-Party"

            Pizza is hands down my favorite food + biggest weakness.  I've found ways to make this dish lighter, like this roasted veggie flatbread pizza and even a skinny breakfast (!!) pizza, so I thought using similar "flatbread" material would allow for a lower calorie + lower carb Super Bowl treat while still having that staple pizza flavor. I love recipes that are customizable to specific taste buds + also those with a smaller ingredient list, and this low carb recipe falls in to both categories! By using tortillas, they give that crunch of a crispy pizza, but at a fraction of the calories! That's a win/win in my book. :) These pizza cups take only about 20 minutes to make, so they are perfect for a quick dish…

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