This week on Catching up with the Kelnhofers, I’m sharing ways to help keep your energy up – beyond just a delicious cup of coffee!
There’s nothing quite like starting your day with that perfect cup of coffee. For me, that’s a good French Pressed cup of coffee, with homemade creamer. With 4 kids (3 of which are running around) it’s more in the ‘necessity’ column lol.
I use this kettle every morning, it’s a game changer for heating up water quickly.

Unfortunately, caffeine can be a short lived energy boost. When you’re looking for sustained energy or even a pick-me-up in the afternoon, you want to opt for energizing foods – such as lean sources of protein, high fiber, grains and natural sugars.
Here are some of my favorite recipes that give you energy:

- Energy bites: they contain oats and nuts (and natural sweeteners like dates or honey)
- Lean protein meals with salmon or shrimp
- Avocados and eggs – high energy ingredients and great for vegetarian meals

Check out the latest recipes on SweetPhi.com:

- Tilapia recipe with miso butter – an easy, mild fish recipe that even kids will enjoy
- Meal plan – recipe options to keep you full all week long, with an easy-to-create grocery list.
- Penne vodka with chicken – made a bit more healthy by using yogurt instead of heavy cream
- Peanut butter roundup – 9 of my favorite peanut butter recipes
- Gnocchi soup – soup made in an Instant Pot is the best kind of soup
- Love list – weekly fun finds from the SweetPhi team
- Chocolate cake roundup – it’s too hard to choose, so maybe just make them all!

- Chicken tacos with pineapple tacos – a fun take on a traditional taco.
- Cheese sauce – this only takes 5 ingredients to make and I love using it to make these enchiladas too.
- Margaritas with jam – I was really craving a margarita and these are my favorite ones to make as of late.
My recipe for blueberry cherry muffins with Greek yogurt was a hit with this reader – thanks for commenting!

“These came out SO GOOD and it was easy to follow the recipe! Added extra lemon zest and might try adding lemon juice next time. My husband who swears he hates muffins actually said they were good! Will be making these again with different berry combos!”
These coconut cream fruit tarts are a great option for a date night in. Plus, they are gluten free and vegan – check out this recreation from a SweetPhi reader.

A girlfriend shared this kids nail polish kit when I told her how much Frankie loved doing her nails (more on that below!)

I needed a lighter book after the one I just finished, and found that in The Soulmate Equation – “A sexy, science-filled, and surprising romance full of warmth and wit.”
- Turtle classes – every time I take Frankie to ballet class, Freddie says he wants to go to ‘turtle class’ lol. So, I bought him a turtle shell and he had so much fun with it, lol.
- Snack box – I cannot tell you enough how much we love Universal Yums. The kids know what the box looks like, and whenever it comes in the mail they are excited and actually try all the different snacks (each month it’s a box of snacks from a different country).
- Repotting plants – I had some plant clippings I had propagated and needed to plant, so I just bought 2 planters and some potting soil at Target for pick up, and then planted them with the kids.
- Frankie’s first manicure – Frankie got her first manicure, and she loved it! I got kid safe nail polish

- Sweet Shop – we used an empty box and turned it into a sweets shop, the older 3 had so much fun!
- Sweetie Sam – Sam is just the sweetest little guy and such a loved member of our family.
Since we started out talking about our favorite recipes to keep us energized, I wanted to share a few things I use all the time to help me stay healthier/more energized.

- This Yeti water cup. I got a black one from in-laws for Christmas and it 100% helps me drink more water throughout the day!
- I also use a food processor all the time to make some of my favorite energy bites.
What are your favorite recipes to keep you energized? Just leave a comment below and let me know, I always love hearing from you
Corrie says
Oooh! Thanks for the book recommendation. I added it to my list!
Sweetphi says
I loved it!!! It was such a cute book, the story was more realistic seeming which I liked, hope you love it!!