Roasted Butternut Squash

Well hello there. Sorry I have been kind of MIA a few days this week, school has started back up and it has been non-stop since Monday morning bright and early. But now, my weekend has begun because I have no classes on Friday (wahoo!). But anyway, how are you doing with your healthy eating? I'd love to know your tips and such in the comment section below! I have been doing pretty good. I have created this turkey/veggie wrap that I have eaten for lunch the past 3 days and let me tell you, it is HUGE and delicious and comes out to be 215 calories! Here's a colorful picture of my lunch, under the photo I will tell you the fabulous ingredients:

Wrap: EVOO Whole Grain Rye 90 calories for a giant one!

Turkey: 2 slices of low-sodium turkey from the deli counter

Spread: Weight Watchers Swiss Spread 30 calories!

1/4 Avocado

5 golden snack tomatoes cut in halves

4 pieces of yellow and orange sweet bellpepper

Cheese: Athenos Reduced Fat Feta (a little less and 1/4 cup around 50 calories)

Mustard: French's Spicy Mustard 5 calories!

My side:

sauteed asparagus and mushrooms sprinkled with pecorino

Now for dinner I am having a grilled turkey patty with roasted butternut squash and here's how I'm roasting it! It's super easy and delicious:

• 1 butternut squash (peeled & cut into 1 inch cubes)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Molly McButter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place squash and ingredients on top and then toss with hands to make sure everything is coated nicely. Then pop it in the oven for 15 minutes and then move around with spatula and then put back in for another 15 minutes or until soft. And then you have roasted butternut squash--a healthy way to eat your carbohydrates! :)

Until next time, stay healthy happy & sassy.

Bon Appetit!

Sweet & Spicy Chicken Salad

Hello Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful Monday whether it was back to school for spring semester classes or just back to work from the weekend. Today for me was back to school for spring semester classes and let me tell you, there are some rude people in this world. Had to deal with a very rude food science advisor that was just not a happy bear but a grumpy old man bear obsessed with Mickey Mouse. But anyway, enough about my Monday blues. Have you been good on following up with your new years resolutions?? I have and I am very proud of myself. I have been eating healthy and balanced--NOT DIETING. Just lower fat content, smaller portions, and exercise! So if you know me really well, you know that I love salads. All kinds of salads--pasta, chicken, crab, veggie, etc! Love it all! So I wanted a low fat version of chicken salad tonight with a handful of reduced fat wheat thins and I think I created a monster. It is deliciously light, sweet, spicy & salty just the way I like it! So here we go:

Ingredients:

• 2 boiled small boneless skinless chicken breasts (shredded or chopped into small pieces)
• 1 tbsp of light mayo
• 1 tbsp of Lone Prairie Farms Strawberry Jalapeno Jam (if you are in TX, this can only be found in your local HEB or you can call them @ (817) 866-2113) trust me on this, it is WORTH THE CALL!
• 1 tsp instantly fresh chives
• 1 tsp instantly fresh dill
• S&P to taste

Mix it all together and you're done! You've got a sweet, spicy, and salty chicken salad! 

Until next time,

Bon Appetit 

Do You Juice? & Fashion Forward Wednesday

Good afternoon everyone! Hope you all are having a fabulous hump day! Let me tell you, it has been raining like crazy all day here. So naturally, my hair is a disaster. But anyway welcome to "Fashion Forward Wednesday". So how have you been keeping your New Years Resolutions?? Well, so far I have been doing great! Usually eating healthy gets old for me, but this time around I have come up with different combinations and such that just mix it up and give me all the flavors I desire. I have several more days left in my holiday break, which I am trying to relax as much as I can before it's back to the school grind. Today has been so relaxing and quiet, I just love this cold and rainy weather. I just curled up on the couch with 6oz of Naked Green Machine Juice, fresh celery and a Laughing Cow Strawberry Cream Cheese Wedge with a stack of cookbooks to accompany me. I have a questions for all of you that you can answer in the comments! It would be great help: Do you juice?? If so, what high-quality juicer do you recommend?

What cookbooks am I reading, you may ask?

Homemade: Irresistible recipes for every occasion by Clodagh McKenna

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten

Celebrate by Pippa Middleton

I have read these books numerous times, I just can't get enough!

Now, on to Fashion Forward Wednesday!

Today I am wearing a tight-fitted dress that unfortunately did not flatter the few pounds I gained during the holiday season. But it was an easy fix! I went straight for my handy dandy long black coat with quarter-length sleeves that can cover up just what you want it to. I wear this coat way too much, people probably wonder if I have more than one and the answer is...NOPE. But anyway I paired this dress with leggings to cover my pale winter legs and to keep warm, of course. Let me apologize for the quality of the photos. I am definitely working on that :) So here we go top to bottom:

Earrings: Kate Spade (several months ago)

Necklace: Roberto Coin

Dress: Calvin Klein (mine is hemmed to make it shorter--since I'm so short! & without the belt)

Coat: Old Navy (several years ago)

Watch: Michael Kors

Bag: Michael Kors

Leggings: LuLu Lemon

Boots: Steve Madden (a year ago)

Nail Polish: Deborah Lippmann

& one more thing. I know you cannot smell me through the computer but let me tell you, I smell INCREDIBLE all thanks to ANGE OU DEMON LE SECRET by Givenchy. I have sprayed it everywhere in my house and car (should I not reveal that?)

Until next time, 

stay happy and sassy!

Lightened Up Eggs Bennie

Good morning everyone! Hope all is well. So, all of you have a pretty good idea that I'm a total foodie. With that being said, I can never pass up a good plate of eggs benedict if it is on the menu at a place I know cannot mess up a good hollandaise. Only problem is, this doesn't squeeze into my new healthy lifestyle. So guess what! I made a lightened up version, one that my waistline gladly welcomes. And I'll be the first to tell you, this is still not comparable to the eggs bennie at the Peacock Alley at the Waldorf. But this lightened up version will satisfy your craving, most definitely! So here we go:

Ingredients:

2 tbsp hot water
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 1/8 tbsp lemon juice
1 Thomas Triple Health English Muffin
4 slices turkey bacon
2 large eggs

First you're going to want to whip out your double boiler. I, unfortunately couldn't fine mine so I had to make one that worked just as good. I took a pot and then a bowl and set it inside.

Next, what you're going to do in this double boiler (or makeshift one) is blend the mayo and hot water until heated throughout which takes about 4 minutes on low-med heat. Make sure to stir frequently, so it is well blended. After several minutes, stir in lemon juice and then set aside. (You can also add yellow food coloring if desired).

Then take bacon and put in non-stick skillet and cook until a little browned and crisp. (I know I have 5 pieces in the skillet, my sister wanted to eat one)

While the bacon cooks, take a deep dish skillet and fill with about 3 1/2 inches of water and heat until tiny bubble are on the bottom (right when it starts to boil). Then crack one of the eggs in a small bowl and then slowly pour into the boiling water. When the egg is ready to flip sides, it will be all white and be floating to the top, make sure to carefully flip it as to not break the yolk. Cook for about 2 more minutes and then take it out. Do the same for the second egg.

Finally take the english muffin and split in half and put in toaster. Once finished toasting, place on plate with insides up. Take 2 slices of bacon and make into 4 pieces and place on one half the muffin, do the same with the other side. Next, place one poached egg on one half, and then another on the other half. Finally spoon a little bit of hollandaise over each half of the eggs benedict. And then for garnish, I sprinkled with a little bit of chopped dill! :)

I served this with coffee and a handful of red grapes. 

Until next time,

Bon Appetit!

Healthy Living--Choices

Hell everyone! Well I'm back from my little time away in Dallas. Which means back to healthy eating. I know a lot of people are trying to eat healthier after this holiday season and it being a new year and all. It has been a while since I have done a nutrition post. So I figured what better way to start off a week with a healthy living post? Over the years I have had several trainers/nutrition enthusiasts in which I have learned a lifetime of information. As I was doing burpees or running sprints, they would talk to me about nutrition and I would soak it up because nutrition has always fascinated me and I love eating healthy and feeling good. And I'll be the first to tell you, that it is not easy--I am the queen of yo-yo dieting. But I had this new sense come over me that dieting DOES NOT WORK. Healthy lifestyle change is the way to go--forget all of the fad diets and just eat healthy. Do not deprive yourself; this weekend I ate half of lox and bagel instead of a whole and was just as satisfied. Same with my beloved eggs benedict (hollandaise can be a killer), I ate only one half of the eggs bennie and was completely satisfied and totally got my fix. Depriving yourself of things you love can ultimately turn into a disastrous binge. So next time you're at a cocktail party and the hors d'oeurvres are just tugging on you, go for it. But go for small portions, just enough to satisfy your craving. I will share with you what I had for breakfast and some of my favorite healthy snacks:

This morning I had 1/3 avocado & a poached egg on 40 calorie whole wheat toast with cracked sea salt & pepper. With fresh pineapple & red grapes and farmstand juice. It was extra filling and delicious. And of course I had a cup of coffee with some Splenda. Although avocados are full of fats, IT'S THE GOOD FATS. They are heart healthy, full of protein, anti-inflamtory, carotenoids, and boost levels of the good cholesterol. So don't be afraid of this green goddess called an avocado!

Now on to some snack options:

Today I had 12 golden snacking tomatoes and a hard boiled egg with s & p. It was completely satisfying. And let me tell you, this golden snacking tomatoes are DELICIOUS! This is an easy way to get a veggie in and a quick protein!

Another snack option:

Okay now let me tell you, I am a peanut-butteraholic. Seriously though, I can eat a whole jar of creamy peanut butter in one sitting. But regular PB is full of fat and unwanted sugars. So I was searching for something that tastes just as great as peanut butter but is more reasonable for my waste line and let me tell you, I FOUND IT! It is called PB2--all you do is mix 2 tbsp. of PB2 with 1 tbsp. of water and stir it until smooth. It is fantastic. I spread it on a Quaker Unsalted Rice Cake and it tastes delicious. I also stack on a 60 Calorie Pack Dried Prunes which makes it sweet, salty and all around delicious!

One more snack option:

Last, but certainly not least is another healthy snack option. 10 small boiled shrimp and 2 pieces of Dried Mango. This was you can get your sweet & salty fix with protein and a fruit. Delicious and filling.

Until next time--lots of love, health, & happiness.

Tart Bakery Adventure

Being in a large city at the moment very much unlike where I am from, there are certain things you MUST see and do. Such as, find the bakery with the best French macarons in the city. And ladies and gentlemen--I did just that. I stumbled upon Tart Bakery at 5219 W. Lovers Lane in the Big D.

Now let me tell you something that you already had an idea about; I have had many macarons in my lifetime and never have I had my favorite flavor (my beloved pistachio) literally melt in my mouth of goodness. Not only was it melt-in-my-mouth good, it wasn't too too sweet to where it was overpowering, it was just sweet enough with hints of pistachio. And the color, well, was fabulous! As I walked into this fabulous little bakery, I was greeted with the sweetest girl. Extremely friendly personalities that just made my experience THAT much more delightful.

I got a pistachio macaron (OF COURSE), raspberry, lemon, & salted caramel. And let me tell you, they are all kinds of fabulous! They look great too, which is a plus because I have seen some unattractive macarons in my life. So having macarons look AND taste beautifully, amazingly, wonderful is honestly...rare. But Tart definitely did it!

(from left to right: Salted Caramel, Chocolate, Passion Fruit, Raspberry, Pistachio, & Lemon)

Let's just say my journey to find the perfect macaron has ended in complete success. I honestly cannot get over it. But wait! There's more! Not only do they have the best macarons in the city, they have a wonderful assortment of fresh (made daily) cookies, French pastries, cupcakes, and more! They are also known for their custom-ordered cookies, petit fours, cakes, & cupcakes. 

My sister ordered the triple chocolate mousse which was absolutely divine (which after eating my pistachio macaron, I didn't expect anything less than divine).

With their pastries and other fun stuff you had choices of glass bottled pink lemonade, french soda, water or a cup of coffee if you wanted something to wettin' your whistle between each bite. I got the blood orange soda. How chic and fabulous is that? Here's me just completely giddy with my tiny piece of perfection in my hand:

To conclude all of my blabbing, let me just tell you this is a must stop when you're in Dallas. It is all things fabulous and just what I was looking for and finally found. 

Thanks Tart Bakery! 

Make sure to like them on Facebook, they are always posting some "sweet" photos!

Until next time, lots of love.

disclaimer: all opinions are my own

Drybar...& Lox

Let me start by saying today was a very successful day. I often feel insecure and self-concious about the way I look because I am overweight. Well today, for the first time in a long time--I truly felt beautiful. It is seriously the most wonderful feeling in the world and I hope all of you readers out there that stopped by feel this way more often than I do. Those of you that know me really well know that I have crazy, frizzy, curly hair that most of the time can't be tamed no matter what I do or how many insanely expensive products I use--just never works out the way I want it to (lioness mane problems--but seriously!). But anyway, my beloved NYC started opening these blow dry bars; strictly blowouts, no cuts, and no color. I have heard about them in magazines and have walked by one on E 76th Street in the Upper East Side, Manhattan (I MISS GOSSIP GIRL!). But anyway we went to NorthPark mall here in Dallas and my eyes immediately caught the signature yellow blow dryer hanging on the front window of drybar. I decided right then and there that I had to experience this phenomenon for myself. And let me tell you, it was just all kinds of fabulous! I walked in to the sweetest girls welcoming me with my choice of champagne, mimosa, coffee, or hot tea (I chose hot green tea if you were wondering). My stylist then took me back to this super chic wash room to wash and condition my hair. And then after she pinned it up and we went back to the chair, she then gave me a menu. I chose the Straight Up blowout which is their signature; straight with a little bit of body. Next thing I know, she's magically almost completely finished. And guess what? SHE ONLY USED A BLOW DRYER. If you know my hair, you understand my amazement. But anyway, drybar made me feel beautiful for a reasonable price and within 30 minutes (not my usual straightening routine that takes AT LEAST an hour). Here are several pictures I compiled from my wonderful experience:

Fashion Moment--

Top/poncho w/ Faux Fur Scarf: Michael Kors

Lipstick: Kate Spade

Earrings: Kate Spade

Pants (although you can't see them): G by Giuliana Rancic

About my food today, breakfast was great--I had my usual hotel breakfast food that I couldn't pass up on, which was Lox on a bagel with all of the fixings:

Tomorrow, expect eggs bennie ;)

As for lunch we had Mexican food, which is not my forte and for dinner, 'twas a complete fail on the restaurants part. I ordered braised beef short ribs with goat cheese polenta, mushrooms, fried shallots with a balsamic reduction. The mushrooms were fabulous but the other stuff was not quite what I had expected. Which ultimately made me sad. I'm a foodie, so I expect fabulous food of course!

Until tomorrow, stay fabulous and beautiful!

love.

Restaurant Review In the Big D--Campisi's

Hello from the big D (Dallas, TX)! Most of my readers are personal friends and family, but if you're not--WELCOME, thanks for stopping by my little, tiny corner of the internet! Reason I am in Dallas is for the Cotton Bowl, that Texas A&M University is playing in against Oklahoma University which is on Friday. We decided to come a few days early so we can wine, dine, and shop! So obviously I won't be in the kitchen the next several days so I decided to share with you all what I eat/have eaten! Today I ate healthy and balanced, until dinner. We are exploring Dallas with a true "Dallasite", so we have the ultimate insiders guide to great food, which is obviously right up my alley! Tonight we hit East Mockingbird Lane and went to the original Campisi's for some great homemade Italian food. Here is a picture of my food (I will explain everything underneath the picture):

Campisi's is known for their crab claws and pizza! I, of course had to try the crab claws and let me tell you, they were DELICIOUS! They were soaked in a lemon butter sauce that was divine. For my entree, I got the Veal Scallopine--piccata style which means the meat was sliced, coated, sauteed and served with a sauce. The sauce was a light lemon butter cream sauce with capers and artichoke hearts. I adore capers and artichoke hearts, so it made it that much better. My side was ravioli with a marinara sauce. You could tell the marinara sauce had been stewed and just cooked for hours, it was great. The ravioli wasn't that great--it was definitely mediocre to say the least. It was not warm at all and the cheese in it had no flavor. But I love strong tasting cheeses, so maybe it was just my preference. But anyway, overall this dinner was a success--it was a local haunt that was a hole in the wall with great food and atmosphere. You could just picture Don Carleone sitting in the dark corner in one of the beat up booths smoking a cigar. The green and red walls were cheesy with the autographs from Scarface & the Godfather hanging on the walls. But the food was great, which is all you can really hope for. 

Here's a picture of me enjoying a fabulous Bloody Mary at the bar called GOSSIP, I considered it my "welcome" drink. Love me some extra olives.

Now I am sipping on some decaf and munching on granola chips, about to do some pinteresting, you can follow me Here!

Until next time, enjoy your night & I will see you tomorrow with a new post with my adventures as a foodie coming from Highland Park.

Lots of love.

New Years Day Fashion

So, I decided today that I will start blogging more about fashion, one of my favorite things. I feel as though plus sized women don't feel that they can look fashionable because they feel like there are limitations to what they can and can't wear. I am plus-sized (working on slimming down at the moment though) and LOVE LOVE LOVE fashion. I have a bad obsession with all things couture. So anyway, I decided to post my outfit for today. I am not where I want to be with my body, but you know what? It's fixable with hard work and dedication which I have proven to have before. But anyway, here is what I am wearing today, I hope it inspires some of you that feel insecure in your body that you don't have to be a size 0 to look fashionable or stylish! Today I am wearing something casual because it is a day spent with family and watching football, of course. I will link to everything I'm wearing (some I cannot find because I got them awhile ago). Happy New Year everyone! Hope you have a blessed day close to family and friends with fabulous champagne and munchies!

White tee: J. Crew 

Mustard Cardigan: Tabitha from Anthropologie (purchased over 2 years ago) 

Pants: INC

Scarf: Anthropologie (purchased over 2 years ago)

Earrings: Kendra Scott

Watch: Michael Kors

Bangle: Kate Spade

Bracelet: David Yurman (several years old)

Shoes: Michael Kors (several years old)

Well, that's what I wore today to all of the New Years festivities. Now, I'm sitting by the fire going through cookbooks--my favorite thing to do. I'll show you the slippers I'm rockin' at the moment:

These amazing slippers are comfy and all things fabulous at the same time!

Neiman Marcus, Derek Lam @ Target

P.S. I'm working on the camera situation at the moment ;) so hopefully my pics will be a lot more fabulous soon enough!

Happy New Year, foodies and fashionistas!