Snickerdoodle Smoothie.

I'm watching this new dating show... Ready for Love - are you watching it?? I'm not sure how I feel about it yet, I'm a huge fan of The Bachelor... so it's interesting to watch another dating show with a completely different philosophy. And sometimes I just feel so bad for these girls... they get so into the dude on Day 1. Tears and all... already... and it's the first episode. 

I finally turned the sewing machine off and decided to pack up shop for the evening. Sewing is my happy place. I hate when I neglect it for so long... 

And - I completed week 1 of Couch to 5k tonight. This is only the 4th time I've started it... but baby steps, guys. I'm hoping I can actually stick to it this time around... 

Anyways...

That delicious smoothie up there... that's really what I'm here to talk about...

I am obsessed with green smoothies. They have become my breakfast go-to for the past few weeks. And honestly, I think they keep me fuller and have helped me stay on track with healthy eating. There's something to be said for a quick, healthy, and delicious breakfast to start your day off with!

This is one of my favorites...

Snickerdoodle Fake Out - Green Smoothie

What you need:

A handful of baby spinach

1 frozen banana

1 c. vanilla greek yogurt

1/3 c. ground oats {I grind mine in my coffee grinder - works amazing!}

Truvia to taste

Cinnamon to taste

1/2 c. soy milk

few ice cubes

Throw it all in the blender and let it go! I like a lot of cinnamon flavor so I add way more than necessary... just add as much as you'd like. Smoothies are so easy to make and adapt to your palate. I make this one without cinnamon too and it tastes so much like a sugar cookie. 

Have you tried a green smoothie yet? What's your favorite combination??

Linking up with Shanna.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

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?!?!?! ;)

{She cooks comfort food} Four Cheese Mac.

Clearly I have a thing for comfort food. It may seem like that's all I cook... but rest assured, it's just all that's made it to the blog. But seriously, who doesn't love homemade mac & cheese? I think I've met one person in my entire life who doesn't absolutely love a bowl of this deliciousness. 

I think they need to seek therapy. Don't you?

Growing up it would always be such a treat when Mom would make the "real" mac & cheese. When she would bake it in the oven and cheese would get all gooey and crispy at the same time. {my mouth is watering and I'm not even hungry} It was one of my favorite meals then and is still one of my favorite foods. I wish I could eat it every day... 

However, since I shouldn't eat it everyday... I make sure when I do have it. That it's the good stuff. 

Four Cheese Mac. 

What you need:

Box of pasta - whichever shape you like. {I used gluten free pasta}

1 c. cheddar cheese 

1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. Gorgonzola cheese

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese

1 c. 2% milk

2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour {I used gluten free all purpose flour}

salt, pepper, garlic - to your tastes

dash of paprika

What you do:

Preheat oven to 350. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare the pasta according to directions of package. 

While the pasta is cooking start working on your cheese sauce. Begin by making a roux. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, once melted add the flour and whisk until combined and slightly browned {but not burnt}. Slowly whisk the milk into the roux, add seasoning at this time. Stir this frequently until it begins to thicken up - 5-10 minutes. Once it has thickened, remove from burner and whisk in the 2 cups {ish} of cheese. I always season again at this point. Once the cheese has completely melted into the sauce you are ready to combine the pasta and sauce. 

After the pasta has been drained, combine cheese sauce and pasta. You can either do this in the large pot you cooked the pasta in or you can do this in your greased casserole dish. Once combined, top it with a little handful of cheddar cheese and parm. Pop into the oven for about 25-30 minutes. 

Let rest for a couple minutes and then... ENJOY! 

**I have added all types of cheese to this when I make it... however, this is my favorite combination. Also, I think I've mentioned this plenty of times before - but, I really don't measure when I'm cooking so these are all approximations.** 

There you have it, loves... one of my favorite, favorite, favorite foods! 

So word on the street is that Google Reader will be on it's way out soon... here's my little Bloglovin' button if you'd like to follow me there...

Oh, and here's my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram if you please.

Happy Tuesday, dollfaces.

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! 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Energy Bites {Saw it. Pinned it. Did it.}

Y'all... this girl is tired. The past two nights I have tossed and turned so much in my sleep that even the cat got outta bed. I don't know what my deal is... maybe I'm not tired enough? I'm not anxious about anything or super stressed out... just not sleeping. Which then makes me stupid tired - take today for example, I forgot to put earrings in and my rings on. I never forget that. Ever.

What do you do when you can't sleep??

You know what I do?? Make energy bites! {okay, you got me - I didn't make these in the middle of the night, but maybe I should think about that...}

I've noticed the Energy Bites, Balls, Bars - whatever you want to call them all over Pinterest and I've thought about making them a few times but... never got around to it.

Have you seen these? Have you made them?

{Source}

However, in luau of eating healthier these days - and my incessant cookie craving - I thought it was time to give these babies a go...

First discovery, they are stupid easy and quick to make.
Second discovery, they weigh in at about 120 calories per bite. {Which is 120 good quality calories!}
Third discovery, they do taste like a cookie. Like a no-bake cookie without the extra chocolate and sugar.
Fourth discovery, make these. And devour them. {So maybe that's more like an order than a discovery ;)}

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 1/3 cup oats

splash of vanilla

1/3 cup chocolate chips

{I'd have liked to add flax seeds to this but I didn't have any on hand.}

Put all those ingredients in a bowl, mix until everything is combined well. Then roll into little balls... maybe an inch? I don't know... this recipe made about 14 bites. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes then they're ready to eat! 

I won't lie, I tested the energy bite goo dough while I was rolling them. It was pretty tasty! I don't think I'd add much more to them - I kinda like the simpler things when it comes to sweets. But these completely satisfy my cookie craving {okay, that's a lie - but it's close}. I take two to work with me so I can have a mid morning and mid afternoon sweet treat. 

Thank. You. Pinterest. 

Have you made these? Did you add different ingredients?

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

Happy Thursday, lovelies!

Random {Recipe} Rainy Wednesday

...if only Wednesday started with a R - we could have had some serious alliteration going on. Random Recipe Rainy Rednesday... hm, doesn't work so well, huh??

Speaking of random - every, single day I watch my cat go from the floor, to the coffee table, to the couch... as if the coffee table is the portal to the couch. Cats baffle me sometimes.

Please tell me that where ever you are it's not raining... we had one beautiful sunny day then BAM... rain. It's making me beyond sleepy. Kinda just want to crawl in bed and read for the rest of the evening. Anyone else? I think all Ohioan's are suffering from seasonal depression something fierce. We need warmth, sunshine, sand in our toes... what? Ohio has lakes...

Anyways, on with the recipe, Jackie...

Carnitas, Quinoa, Veggies --- Mexican One Pot Wonder.

When I was home a couple of weeks ago I happened to snag a few packages of freshly butchered pork. There's something about knowing exactly where that meat is coming from that makes it that much better. Thank you, Dad and Uncle Kelly!

Ingredients:
Pork Shoulder
1 large jar of salsa
1 onion - diced
1 yellow bell pepper - diced
1 orange bell pepper - diced
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
mexican spices or taco seasoning
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

This meal was so easy. I put the pork shoulder in the crockpot in the morning with the jar of salsa poured over top of it - threw a few dashes of chili powder, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper on it and let it cook all day long.

When I got home I began to pull the pork out of the crockpot and shred it - it had already fallen clean off the bone and began to shred itself. I discarded all but about 1/2 cup of the liquid in the crockpot.

In a large pot - drizzle your EVOO on the bottom and throw in the onion and peppers {you could omit this or add more veggies} let those saute for about 10 minutes on med-high heat. Once the onions are almost translucent put the pork and the 1/2 of cooking liquid into the pot. Stir it to get everything combined - you can add more seasoning at this point if you'd like. I let that cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Next pour the can of diced tomatoes {with the juices} into the pot, add the water, and the UNCOOKED quinoa. {The brand I had was already rinced and drained - but make sure you do that first if you need to}. Let simmer, uncovered on med-low for about 25 - 35 minutes or until the quinoa has uncurled and is cooked through.

I served this with a little bit of cheddar cheese on top and a few tortilla chips for dipping. But it's absolutely delicious just eating it without any extras {that's how I had it for lunch today!}.

And with only 463 calories per serving. It made for a healthy, super easy, and yummy dinner!

Recipe adapted from here.

Happy hump day, loves!

p.s. Don't forget to use code HAPPY for 25% off at Nora & Jac.

Linking up with Shanna for Random Wednesday!

She Cooks {Chicken Stuffing Casserole}

So I'm watching the Grammy's right now and I feel so old. I don't know who 75% of these artists are. I can remember watching it back in the day and my parents walking through the room and they would comment about how they don't know who this person or that person is. And I thought... how do you not?!

Now, I'm feeling that. Is this what getting old feels like? *sigh*

Little things...DIY. Kittens. Fries.

This week it really has been the little things...

Making cute little note cards to send out with my cowl orders. I like the personal touch of the washi tape and you guys... that stamp color turned out to be just the right shade of almost Tiffany blue. C'mon, it doesn't get better.

I love when cats cover up their faces while they're sleeping... it's so precious. I think he was doing it more so because I was painting my nails and it smelled and he was too lazy to move. But it's still so cute. 

Sometimes a girl {especially while pmsing} needs a burger and fries. And perfecting homemade french fries kinda made my day. They were delicious and absolutely hit the spot. 

I was really happy with how this custom cowl turned out. I love the color combination of the mustard yellow and charcoal. It makes me excited to dive into my bag of yarn this weekend and make some more striped things. {If you're interested in a custom cowl - visit my shop!}

I'm linking up with Lindsay for It's the Little Things Friday...

Happy Friday, y'all! I don't have too much going on this weekend - and I'm pretty excited about that. I think I'm just going to take a deep breath and enjoy that. 

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!