BIRTHDAY RECAP

its hard to believe that my birthday has already come and gone. why is it that days we look forward to for so long pass by so quickly?

my golden birthday was this past weekend and it was blast! full of love, loved ones, laughter and memories made!

i enjoyed a delicious cup of coffee and breakfast with my mom and sister before picking up sp from the airport later in the morning. he flew in town for a long weekend of birthday celebrations !!

we headed straight to brunch with some dear friends!

from there, sp and i decided to enjoy the beautiful weather dallas was offering that day and took a good long walk around the arboretum - it was so beautiful, countless pumpkins everywhere!

momma lane hosted the most fabulous dinner party for my 'golden birthday'!

all i asked for was family style italian dinner and champagne with my favorite people- and of course she went above and beyond! from decorations, a true italian feast and family and friends with new memories that will go down in the birthday history books!!

 

after a fun filled weekend with family and friends, sp took me out on a birthday/anniversary date at what might be my new favorite restaurant in dallas - savor. 

with the park all light up for the holidays, it was so beautiful!

the staff, the food and even the deserts were outstanding- its a must if you are in dallas any time soon. 

we capped off the weekend with a glass of bubbles, of course, at lark in the park.

cheers to a really fun birthday with loved ones and lots of laughter!! 

CHAMPAGNE IS THE ANSWER!

Champagne

is the answer!

with the holidays creeping up on us, its time to think holiday parties and family get-togethers! which for most of us means stocking up on your favorite beverages!

mine is champagne. 

if i had to pick my all time favorite champagne drink, it would just be straight bubbles, super chilled in a pretty glass. second would be a glass of bubbles with a splash of st. germain. it adds just a little hint of sweet and girly!

browsing pinterest recently i came across some fun holiday champagne drinks!

each of them look like they deserve a taste test- shall we!?!

spiced apple-cider champagne cocktail || raspberry pomegranate champagne cocktail

cranberry-ginger champagne cocktail || pomegranate champagne punch

and lastly this beauty!

a society sparkler or: a white peach & cardamom bellini

who wouldn't want to have pretty edible gold stars on their rim at your holiday party this year?!

do you have a signature drink?

or even better- what holiday drink are you serving this year?!

LEMON WATER

good morning pretties- h a p p y   f r i d a y !

recently i have added drinking warm lemon water back into my diet and almost forgot how much i missed it. 

it's great to have first thing in the morning, before your coffee, breakfast and workout. 

here is why this little addition its so good for you and that amazing body of yours:

 aids digestion

cleanses your system

clears your skin

speeds up your metabolism 

balances your pH levels

gets you energized

boots your immune system 

read more about it here, here and here. 

THE BEST PUMPKIN BREAD

y'all - you know i'm not a baker right? it's not my 'thing' in the least. to be honest i have attempted a box-cake before and had to toss it in the trash. see, i told you i'm not a baker!

so yesterday when i attempted this pumpkin bread i impressed myself!

of course there were a few messes.. ie.. almost a cup of flour on the floor and all over my shoes, a coffee break was needed but this bread turned out to be the best pumpkin bread i ever did make!

here is the bread recipe i followed and ingredients needed:

adopted from simplyrecipes

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup (canned) pumpkin puree

1/4 c olive oil

1/4 c applesauce

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c water

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp apple pie spice

(only because i picked up the wrong bottle off the shelf!)

**

and here is the best part... 

the streusel topping you just have to make!

this is the recipe i followed and ingredients needed:

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c all-purpose flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c melted butter

**

**click on the above recipes for directions. 

PROJECT PINEAPPLE | PART 2

a few weeks ago i posted about my 'project pineapple' and told y'all i would keep you posted on the progress. today is progress report today!

this little pineapple grew its roots really slowly...

if the rooting process is any indication, we might be waiting for any type of fruit for a good, long, while.  but finally this little 'plant that could' was ready to being it's next stage of life. 

it moved from a mason jar to a grown-up pot!

i am no pineapple growing expert but heres what i did:

remove plant top with roots from mason jar

prepare pot with nutrient-filled soil

dig deep whole for roots to stand in

cover roots with soil 

water

watch and wait for it to grow!

apparently pineapples are super easy to grow. 

they don't require much work or effort. 

very little water or care...

so grow on little guy!!

CLEANSING: DAY 11 - 21

welcome back- did you read all about my favorite recipes from days 1-10 of the cleanse yesterday?
today i am going to share my favorite recipes with you for days 11- 21, which is when you get to add lean protein into the mix!

i had marinaded chicken the first night (day 11) and it tasted like heaven... maybe it was just that good, or maybe after 10 days of no meat, it just made it taste that much better!!

it was so yummy, i was too distracted from even taking any pictures... 

but here are some of my other favorite 'meat recipes' i really enjoyed: 

p a r c h m e n t p a p e r    s a l m o n

i found this recipe and made it with a little twist...

1 ear of corn

8-10 cherry tomatoes

or 1 roma tomato diced 

1 tbsp thinly sliced red onion

or yellow onion, it works too!

4-6 once filet of salmon

1 tbsp organo

1 tbsp parsley flakes

2 tsp evoo

1-2 tbsp dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

h o w   t o :

preheat oven 375 degrees. prepare parchment paper and fold it in half.

cut the corn off the ear and place in the bottom half of the parchment paper.

add the tomatoes, red onion and drizzle with evoo and the seasonings.

place the salmon filet on the vegetables. drizzle salmon with remaining evoo and seasonings and spread the mustard over the top.

fold the parchment paper over and pinch the edges to seal.

bake for 14-20 minutes, depending on your oven, then unwrap and serve!

 

c h i l i   r u b b e d  s a l m o n   w i t h   s w e e t   s a l s a 

i found this recipe and it was a hit!

the spicy crust is cooled down with the pineapple/peach salsa and makes for a delicious dinner.

1/3 cup pineapple, diced

1 peach, diced

1/4 cup red onion, diced

2 tbps. parsley, chopped

4 4oz salmon filets

salt for seasoning

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili powder

h o w   t o :

-preheat oven to 450 degrees

-in a small bowl combine pineapple, peach, red onion, parsley. mix and set aside.

-place filets on a nonstick pan coated with cooking spray or evoo so the skin does not stick.

-season the top of the filet with salt. in a bowl combine the cayenne and chili powder. sprinkle the powder mic generously over the top of the filets and rub it down so it is well coated.

-cook in the oven for 12-14 minutes.

-remove and top with a few spoonfuls of the salsa

m u s t a r d   m a r r i n a t e d   c h i c k e n 

evoo

1/4 onion - diced

3 garlic cloves - minced

2-3 tbsp dijon mustard 

salt and pepper

organic chicken tenders or breast

in a plastic bag add:
evoo
salt and pepper
dijon mustard
chicken

mix together, make sure the chicken is covered in the mix 

let sit for 4 hour- or up to 2 days

(you can marinate and freeze some if you want too)

h o w   t o :

- heat pan to medium 

- add onion and garlic and sauté until tender

-lower heat and add chicken, slow cooking is better

-cook until chicken is done

serve on bed of salad of over your favorite vegetables

this time around i served the chicken on a bed of arugula and tomatoes and sautéed spaghetti squash and zucchini - it was delicious! 

if you like more sauce, make a simple dressing:

1 tbsp dijon mustard 

salt and pepper

evoo

balsamic 

mix to the consistency, bitterness and texture you like 

drizzle over salad and chicken if needed

here are a few other tips and things i learned from the cleanse:

pineapple was my lifesaver for all things sugar-cravings. trader joe's sells the sweetest and ripest i ever did taste! 

the cleanse and sticking to the cleanse is not easy. it is very temping to give in, especially when you dine out with friends, which i do not recommend unless you have an organic, mediterranean restaurant around that serves vegan options and where not everything is marinaded and/or smothered in butter!

end results. i lots a lot of water weight quickly, but then lost the 7lbs i wanted to drop and reached my goal weight in the 21 days! i stuck with my 4-5 days a week vinyasa yoga routine, added a 5 mile walk once a week and even snuck in a pilates class or two. needless to say working out (maybe not a 5 hour bike ride) on this cleanse was totally safe. i never once felt faint or weak. 

2 of my favorite results that have come from this experience. 

i sleep like a rock, much more solid and deeper sleep than before

i am aware of what goes in my body and what my body needs for nutrients now

if you decide to do the cleanse- ill be happy to share more tips and recipes that helped me make it and stay strong for the 21 days! 

CLEANSING: DAY 1 - 10

i made it!!
if you have been following me along on instagram you've seen me post some #21daycleanse pictures over the past few weeks. well that's because i have been on the standard process purification program, basically to hit the 'reset' button on my body.

the process has been amazing. feeling clean and understanding what i put in my body and what my body needs has been a great lesson. at first i thought i would feel super weak, hungry and tired. but i was able to keep my work and workout schedule just as before and never felt rundown or faint. although there were a few days in the beginning that by 3pm i could have used a nap or maybe just some sugar or caffeine!

here's the skinny:
 days 1-10 shakes and added protein, as recommended by your doctor. fruits and vegetables only.
(supplements include: SP cleanse, SP green food and gastro fiber)

days 11-21 shakes and added protein, as recommended by your doctor. fruits, vegetables PLUS lean meat. like organic chicken, fresh fish and maybe a lean cut filet if you need one!
(supplements include: SP green food and gastro fiber)


r e a l t a l k : the first 2 days i drank a mild green tea with a pomegranate flavor to avoid caffeine headaches. and the first 4 days were the hardest for me. not having a bite of chocolate after dinner (sugar cravings), apple and peanut butter around 3pm and i missed cheese, fresh and melted alike.
after that it got easier. however, your stomach does shrink a little buy day 4/5 and smaller portions fill you up. but by day 8 was really craving something besides fruits and veggies. eating those first few slices of chicken on day 11 were divine!
being around mexican food was the hardest. chips and dip- my weakness. not drinking alcohol was the easy part, i gave that up for 30 days in january and really enjoyed it then as well as this time around.
i still have some carb cravings... chips, pasta, and pizza commercials were painful. until this cleanse i never knew my mouth would actually water over foods... but its a fact- it happened!

f a v o r i t e    r e c i p e s   f r o m   t h e   c l e a n s e :
(below are my favorite recipes from day 1-10)

to keep from getting bored with the same old veggies and tastes every day, it is recommended to try new veggies and new combinations. so i did just that and actually had a few new favorites turn out from it all. im pretty sure the acorn squash dinner will be in my regular rotation!

a c o r n    s q u a s h    d i n n e r 

1/2 acorn squash - backed face down 30min evoo s&p @ 375

1 ear of summer corn - boiled 20min

broccoli boiled until tender 

1/2 avocado 

1 large roma tomato - diced

light drizzle of evoo and balsamic 

1-2 tbsp dijon mustard 

salt and pepper to taste 

g a r d e n    s t e w

1 onion - diced

2 garlic cloves - minced

2 tbs evoo

salt and pepper

fresh oregano and parsley 

> saute the above until tender

then add any and all veggies you love!

i added:

carrots- sliced 

brocoli 

zucchini 

red paprika 

additional options:

eggplant 

mushrooms 

or any of your favorites 

once you've sauteed the onions, etc, add all the veggies, chopped to you liking, reduce heat and let simmer 30-40 minutes    (or until veggies are tender) 

i used my dutch oven to make a big ol' pot of this yumminess!

i loved mixing the raw and cooked vegetables together- this is the garden stew on a bed of arugula. 

by day 3 of the garden stew... i needed a little change. so i pureed the stew and served it over spaghetti squash! so yummy! you can also have spaghetti squash with your homemade tomato sauce - getting creative with vegetables is key to keep you on track with the cleanse. especially during the first 10 days of fruits and vegetables only!

be sure to check back tomorrow for days 11-21!

HAPPY FRIDAY

this is just a quick post to let you sweet readers know i am still here!

i have just been swamped with work, yoga, planning a baby shower, and our newport beach trip is just around the corner too!!

i promise to have a big fat ALL ABOUT THE CLEANSE post up monday morning... its already in the makings. i have all the details on the how-to, some of my favorite recipes i made over the last 3 weeks and the #realtalk on what you can expect and how (not so) easy the first few days were. 

but including today i only have 3 more days left!! 

im thinking a beautiful piece of swiss chocolate might be my first go-to on monday for desert :)

***happy friday y'all***

ps: i am so excited about winning the giveaway over on eat yourself skinny today - thanks kelly!!

cute anthropologie additions to be welcomed into the home soon!

PROJECT PINEAPPLE

maybe its just me, but i have see a few pins on pinterest lately with people saving the tops of their pineapples, planting them and watching them grow. i love me some pinterest ideas and this one seemed easy, free and worth a try. 

so on my past visit to the new grocery store greatness of trader joe's i picked up a pineapple as my 'sweet treat' while on the cleanse.. might i had this is the most tasty and juicy pineapple i've ever cut into. it perfect.. hence i ate half of it while cutting it up for deserts later this week - oops!!

here's part one of  'p r o j e c t   p i n e a p p l e':

cut off the top leafy part

peel back a few layers of the bottom leafs

poke 3 toothpicks or skewers in the sides

sit in a glass of water

...

wait for roots to sprout 

...

part two of  'p r o j e c t    p i n e a p p l e' will follow in a few days on the blog when the roots are ready to be planted! 

in the mean time, i will be enjoying this every so yummy fruit....

MUDSMITH

have you heard of this 'm u d s m i t h' place yet? 

you have?! then why have you not told me about it?!

the hip chick (brook humphries) behind barcadia and acme f&b opened this cozy (and totally hipster) coffee (tap, and wine) bar is tucked into what used to be an old club on lower greenville. behind the massive door you will be greeted by a dark room, filled with what feels like only sunlight. taxidermy deer, elk and vintage animal posters line the walls - very cool. 

you can order a handcrafted sandwich, delicious coffee (truly it's delicious) or a tea of your liking. and i almost forgot- any fresh-pressed juice combo you can come up with!

and by night this den turns into a local wine and beer gathering- smart if you ask me. 

if you have been - whats your favorite item to order off the menu?! 

as soon as this cleanse is behind me i'm headed back for a full cup of coffee and one of those amazing mozzarella sandwiches!

BEST STORE EVER

its finally here! trader joe's made it to lower greenville and its the best thing since sliced bread. (not literally, but you get my drift!)

this place has everything organic at the lowest prices in town. or ever.
we ventured there on a saturday morning (day two of the store being open) and it was packed- but it was so worth it. we probably walked down each isle 5 times and then back up it again. yes, its that great and has so much to discover!!
even their shampoo smells great at $2.49/ bottle - you heard me right! summer in a bottle, for your hair, for under $3. craziness.
surprisingly there was still cookie butter on the shelves.. but it was only 11am... if you haven't tried it, you must. i am drooling over it now until the end of the cleanse.. (i'm only on day 6 or 21... )

if you haven't been yet, your missing out.
trust me, just go.  n o w.