Watermelon Oreo's... Surprisingly delicious.

{via}

I've struggled my whole adult life with the desire to be the skinny girl - I thought if I were skinny - I'd be happy. Those two things go hand in hand... right?

Wrong.

Being skinny doesn't mean you have it all. It just means you wear a smaller size. And I've learned that. While it was a hard journey... I feel like in the last year I have come full circle with it. I have realized that it doesn't matter whether I'm a size 2 or size 8 or size 16 - you can still be happy, you can still be loved, you can still be successful. You don't gain friends, knowledge, boyfriends, or successes simply by the size of jeans your sporting.

The past few months I have began running, for me. I am one week from finishing the Couch 2 5k program - which is such an amazing feeling. While I ran track in high school - and I have ran here and there throughout the years - I was never the let's go run 3 miles without stopping - kind of girl. But, I have become one. Because I wanted to. Not because a guy wanted me to. Or so I could be skinny for this event or that one. And it's such a nice feeling.

{via}

And almost two weeks ago I began the p90x workout program - after hearing so many people rave about it, seeing so many people have such success with it, and knowing how intense it was - I was skeptical - but intrigued. So I asked Dad {who has completed the program 9 times through} if I could borrow his and two weeks later, I'm still going strong. It's hard, challenging, but so, so gratifying when I can say that I've done it.

Unlike most, I didn't set out with a weight loss goal in mind. And personally, that's helped me. I'm not setting myself up to fail... if I eat three pieces of pizza or succumb to the watermelon Oreo's staring at me at the checkout in Target {which are surprisingly delicious}, I'm not going to punish myself - I'm just going to go a little harder tomorrow. I'm doing this because I want to. Because I can. Because it feels good... if I lose weight in the process... great. But it's not my focus. I just want to be fit and happy. And comfortable in my skin... whether it's a size 2 or size 8.

I'm going to rock it.

And I need to give a shout out to Nikki, who has helped keep me motivated and answered all the questions I have had in regards to anything fitness related. If you aren't following her blog and/or facebook... you're missing out. P.S. She's hosting a giveaway on her blog right now with some Nora & Jac loot!

P.S.S. Watch out for new headbands and bracelets to hit the shop soon! And be sure to "like" Nora & Jac on Facebook to see things before they go live!

Happy Monday, kittens!

Lemon Spinach Pasta Salad. {She cooks}

Pasta Salad. One of my favorite foods in the world... but I rarely make it anymore. However, for Easter dinner, Mom whipped up an orzo pasta salad and it was delicious! And orzo is delicious, why have I never had it before??? I can't wait to get a bag and make some. Sometimes my cooking nerdiness really needs to take a chill pill. ;)

Anyways, this orzo salad had awakened my pasta salad craving and I decided I'd make some of my own. I used to just mix a balsamic dressing with some Italian dressing. But, I didn't have either of those. Nor did I have an balsamic vinegar... so, I just threw something together and it turned out so good.

Lemon Spinach Pasta Salad.

What you need:
Box {or bag} of pasta of your choice
bag of frozen peas {I only used half}
1 cucumber
{any other veggies you may want}

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
large handful of spinach
1 tbsp honey
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 minced clove of garlic
salt
pepper
chili powder

The best part of this pasta salad was how easy it was to make... cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Chop the cucumber into bite size pieces. I used a bag of steam fresh peas so I popped that into the microwave while the pasta was cooking, then poured them into a strainer when they were finished and ran cold water on them to chill them a bit. Rinse the pasta with cold water then combine the veggies and pasta in a bowl.

For the dressing, I put all the ingredients into a blender and let it go until the spinach was blended well with the liquids. Season it to your taste... then pour the dressing over the pasta and veggies - give it a good stir, season more if needed. Serve immediately for a room temp salad or pop in fridge. Mine made about 4-6 servings since I used gluten free pasta and it tends to have less pasta in the boxes than regular. {Why is that?}

This is perfect for an easy, healthy, veggie packed lunch.

What's your favorite pasta salad recipe???

Have a fab Thursday, kids!

Chicken Tortilla Soup {She cooks}

I have aquired this strange habit of pinteresting myself to sleep... some people read, some people count sheep, some people watch TV... me? I pinterest. 

Then I dream of these wonderful concoctions. And usually wake up with ideas of what I'm cooking for dinner. Inspiration strikes me funny sometimes. 

I've been wanting to make Tortilla Soup for awhile but the roommate doesn't like beans, and I tend to overload my soup with beans. {But seriously, who doesn't like beans?!} Then she had decided try to live a gluten free lifestyle {which I think is great - and inadvertently I have too} however, when I used to make this soup the base was a cheddar cheese soup base. Not gluten free friendly. 

Then... inspiration struck. And I decided to give this baby a go with a new recipe I had brewing in my head... it's healthy, bean free {reluctantly}, and gluten free! #winning <-- that's not still a thing, huh? 

What you need:

1/2 sweet onion, finely diced

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small can of diced green chilies

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

2-3 large chicken breasts {I used thighs and it turned out pretty yummy as well}

1 jar of any salsa of your choice

1 can rotel tomatoes

taco seasoning {store bought or homemade}

1 small container {6 oz.} plain greek yogurt

1 bag of frozen corn

Garnish:

Sour cream

Cheddar cheese

Tortilla chips

Or whatever your little heart desires

What you do:

The best part about this soup... it's a one pot wonder, and the longer it cooks on the stove the better. I started this soup as soon as I got home from work one evening and just let it simmer on the stove for probably over an hour until it was dinner time. Or... you can eat it right away. That's my favorite kind of meal. 

Anyways... you probably want to know how to make this, huh? 

In a large pot heat the olive oil on medium, add the diced onion, red pepper, can of chilies, and garlic and let saute for a few minutes. I probably let them go for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. While the veggies are sauteing - dice your chicken up in a bite size pieces. How much chicken you use it totally up to you! 

Pour the chicken broth into the pot and give it a good stir to loosen up anything stuck on the bottom. Add the chicken and up the heat a bit to medium-high. While this is cooking, get out your blender... pour the jar of salsa, can of tomatoes {and their liquid}, greek yogurt, and taco seasoning in the blender and let that puree until nice and smooth. This makes the base for the soup... and it's a darn good base if I do say so myself... pour that into the pot, dump the bag of frozen corn in there as well. Cover, turn the heat to low and let it go for about 20 minutes. Stirring occasionally. 

And that's it. Serve this bowl of healthy, yumminess up and you will have dinner and leftovers {at least for me} for a couple of days! 

**I would flavor check before you serve it to make sure it isn't too spicy. If it is... put a heaping spoonful of sour cream in the pot and stir.**

Serves 6 {ish}.

Happy Friday, buttercups!

Do you have anything exciting planned for the weekend? I gotta do some laundry and work... who wants to come do my laundry?!?!?! ;)

Healthy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo. {SPD Style}

Anyone else in love with Rachel Zoe? I'm so thrilled that her show is back on. I have been following her style career since I was in college. She's just one of those crazy, high strung women that I'd love to have coffee with and talk fashion. {A girl can dream...} I do like to channel my inner Zoe though sometimes and wear my sunglasses indoors. ;)

So... it's been such a weather tease around these parts... warm and beautiful on Sunday to cold and snowy today. And when it's cold and snowy, who doesn't want comfort food? I don't think there's anything better.

I got the idea to make chicken Alfredo and hopped on over to Pinterest to find a recipe. And then - I stumbled onto a healthy version and knew I had to give it a go. And I'm so, so glad I did. It was delicious!

Adapted from {here}
Lightened Up Fettuccine Alfredo

And this is my take...

I know, my food photography skills are seriously lacking... but... it's better than a picture off my phone, right?!

 What you need:

1 bag of frozen cauliflower

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 minced garlic clove

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. fresh grated Parmesan

1/4 c. skim milk

splash of heavy cream

salt, pepper, garlic, Italian seasonings to taste

1 box of fettuccine or angel hair pasta {I used gluten free pasta}

2 large chicken breast, diced 

1 steam fresh bag of broccoli

What you do:

In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil on medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and garlic clove and saute until translucent and fragrant. Add the bag of frozen cauliflower and let soften a bit on medium heat. Pour the chicken broth into the pan and let it simmer on medium-low for about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

Once the cauliflower has soften quite a bit - carefully ladle the mixture into your blender. Puree until very smooth and creamy. I went ahead and added half of my Parmesan cheese at this time and the splash of heavy cream - blend again until smooth. Once it's well blended pour it back into the saucepan... turn to low. Add the rest of the Parmesan cheese, and seasonings to your taste. Slowly stir in the milk and let simmer while your pasta and chicken cook. 

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat olive oil in a skillet to medium - add the diced chicken and generously season with salt, pepper, and garlic - cook about 4 minutes on each side. 

At this time I throw the steam fresh bag of broccoli in the microwave and let it do it's thing. Then let it cool for a minute and dice it all up into smaller pieces. Once the pasta is finished {and drained} pour the sauce over top of it and add the broccoli pieces. Mix well. 

Put a heaping spoonful on your plate, top with the diced chicken and a bit of fresh Parmesan and enjoy a guilt-free bowl of comfort food.

Serves 4.

I was very skeptical on how this sauce would turn out but was so pleased with the texture and taste. It was the perfect Alfredo fake-out!

Have you ever attempted to make an indulgent comfort food, healthy?? How'd it turn out?

I'm linking up with the lovely Katie and Steph for Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. Thursday.

Happy Thursday, lovers! 

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My new obsession {Skinny Water}

This weekend seemed to fly by, yea? Friday night we worked on sprucing up the living room in the apartment - there was a lot of spray paint and glitter invading our place! It turned out exactly as we had hoped {eeeek!!!!}... don't worry, there will be pictures and DIY posts in the future! Y'all, I glitterized a bunny {a ceramic one, don't worry} and it turned out AHHHHMAZING!! 

Anywho, on with skinny water...

This little concoction goes by many names...detox water and sassy water are the two most common. But for some reason I started calling it Skinny Water... so I made up a new name, whatevs. 

It's beyond simple to make, extremely refreshing, and after drinking it for a week I can honestly say - I can tell a difference. I typically drink a lot of water throughout the day anyways, so switching normal water out with this wasn't hard at all. After just drinking this for one day I felt less bloated and more hydrated. That's a win-win in my book!

Ingredients:

1 lemon

1/2 cucumber

10-12 mint leaves

2 qt water

Grab a 2 qt pitcher {or adjust the ingredients for whatever size pitcher you have and your little taste buds} and put the sliced lemon, sliced cucumber, and mint leaves in the bottom. Fill the rest of the way with water then let it infuse overnight. Easy peezy lemon squeezy!

The original recipe for this called for more lemon - but I'm not crazy about lemon water so I just kept it at one - and it still works. 

If your curious about why this works so well in reducing bloating/water weight - this article I found on cucumber water explains a lot of it's benefits!

Happy Monday, lovelies!

Be. More. Awesome.

Yup... I've complained about all the people crowding the gym because of their New Year's resolution... but, truth be told...

I'm one of them. 

I just happened to have belonged to the gym BEFORE 2013. I just didn't make it there in December, and November was a bit of a rough month with me and the gym as well. BUT before that... I was doing okay... that counts, right?

Source

However, somewhere I've found the motivation to get back into working out and eating better. And I've been very successful so far. Surprisingly, I've lost 7 lbs since before Christmas. I'm going to credit being sick to some of that. And the rest goes to my cutting down on my carb, sweets, and booze intake - and getting my bum moving again.

And it helps when my instagram and twitter feeds are full of people and friends doing the same thing. My friend, Nikki and I are doing the Plank Challenge {#plankchallenge} again. Everyday {aside from today - oops} we see how long we can hold a solid plank. Right now I'm at 2:12 - Nikki is almost over 3 minutes. The trick... turn on some good music, get in position, and focus. It's amazing how quickly your core begins to strengthen.

Before Christmas I had started the couch to 5k program. I was into week 3 when the gym and I had a falling out... so I haven't attempted it yet this year, but hopefully this week I'll be able to get back on the treadmill and pick up where I left off. {fingers crossed}

This leg workout. 

And with eating... I think it's just to be more mindful of what I'm eating. I don't want to obsess or restrict myself from certain foods. It's just about moderation. Eating more fruits and vegetables. Limiting my breads and sugars. I've done well with it - I am quite knowledgeable of food and good vs. bad.

Chicken Pesto Bake from SkinnyTaste

My ultimate goal is to lose 20 lbs. But I think setting small goals and rewarding myself during the process will keep me in check and motivated...

Last weeks goal: Work out at least 4 days. DONE! 
Reward: Whatever my heart desires at Starbucks. {I haven't collected on this yet!}

This weeks goal: Complete week 3 of Couch to 5k.
Reward: New workout outfit.

Next weeks goal: Still working on it... I'll be in ATL for half of it... so it'll probably just be managing to get a workout in at all while we're away.

Do you set workout goals? Large? Small? How do you reward yourself? What are your tips and tricks?

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram to see my #plankchallenge and everything else I post. ;)

Happy Monday, lovers! We have a jam packed week of photo shoots at work {including my new niece...Eeeeek!} and I have cowls to make and send out before Friday. Oh, and gym time. And blogging. Jeez Louise, I'm already tired just thinking about it!

Green Smoothie... Say what?!?!

Smoothie's are all the hype right now... ya know, with everyone's get fit New Year's Resolutions and all that fun jazz...

And I tend to stray away from them because they're full of sugar, or I don't feel full, or they just take way too much time to make.

THEN... my friend, Brandi posted a photo of a green smoothie... I asked what she put in it... SPINACH!!! Admittedly, I was kind of grossed out but also slightly intrigued. So I googled "spinach smoothies" and found  the 5 Day Green Smoothie Challenge on The Beautiful Mess blog.

I decided that the last smoothie she listed sounded good - and I had all the stuff...

So this morning, I tried it.

Green Smoothie Recipe {adapted from The Beautiful Mess}

1 handful of baby spinach
1 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 banana
1/2 orange
splash of skim milk
ice

And let me tell ya - this baby was DELICOUS!!! Sooo refreshing! My only wish is that I had put yogurt or protein powder in it so it would have kept me full longer. Tomorrow, I'll try that.

I was completely a skeptic to this whole "Green Smoothie" trend... but I have jumped on the bandwagon and loving it.

Have you tried spinach in your smoothies? What are you favorite recipes??

Happy Friday, kittens!