BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS »

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

My top 5 must have hair products

Having healthy hair is very important, it makes you look good as well as feel good about yourself. Your hair ties together your whole outfit, I mean why bother dressing up and doing your makeup if you have dry, dull bedhead?
My suggestions:

Must have #1:
Shampoo. Buy a shampoo that is geared toward your needs. If you color your hair in any way, shampoos that are geared towards color treated hair will prevent your hair from fading and your hair color will last longer.
Clarifying shampoo. I suggest also buying a clarifying shampoo if you use a lot of products in your hair. After awhile, products such as jells, hair sprays, wax, etc can build up in your hair. Using a clarifying shampoo once a week or twice a month will strip your hair of all that funky gunk, leaving it shiny, lighter and healthier. But it is not suggested for every day use as it can strip your hair of nutrients and good-for-you oils.

Must have #2:
Conditioner. Just like shampoo, buy a conditioner that is geared towards your needs. If you have dry hair, use a moisture-rich conditioner. They also make conditioner that is geared towards color treated hair that is great when paired with the color treated shampoo.
Leave in Conditioner. I use a leave in conditioner every day of the week. I use Aussie shine spray that you can purchase at any convenience store such as Target or Walgreens. In the winter especially, the air strips your hair and body of its moisture as the atmosphere is very dry and craves moisture. Just like our hair. To prevent static, stiff and dry hair, and also tangles, I suggest a leave in conditioner. Just spritz on pre-brushed hair and scrunch it in and you are done!


Must have #3:
A heat protectant. Heat protectant is very important in maintaining healthy hair. They come in sprays or gels and are very easy to use. I use Tresseme heat tamer spray that you can purchase at Target or Walgreens, etc. With this spray you can apply it to wet or dry hair, so you can use it before blowdrying, straightening or using curlers. This is a must must must in my opinion. Using straight heat on your hair can cause it to snap and split, but with a heat protectant it forms a protective layer around the hair follicle.

Must have #4:
A good blow dryer. A blowdryer with a hot, medium as well as cold setting is best. For women with curly hair I suggest buying a diffuser to use with your blowdryer to help get those beautiful curls. For those with straight hair, an attachment that aims the air is a great tool. You don't have to shell out more than $25 for a blowdryer either. I bought my pink one at Target :) Did you know that cold air actually sets style better than hot air? If you use curlers or a round brush to style your hair, blast your hair will cold air. It will hold the style better, longer and without damaging your hair like hot air can. Always use a heat tamer!

Must have #5:
A good straightener. A straightener can do more than just straighten, it can also flip your hair out, flip your hair under, and give you gorgeous curls! A straighter should have rounded edges if you want to use it to curl with. Spending a little money is well worth it. You don't want a straightener that catches and pulls your hair or that leaves those awful kinks. I personally have a straightener from Tool Science but I also know that Chii makes great ones and Zoe makes cool different colored and different designed ones at Ulta.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions!

XOXO

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Happy Holidays!


I just want to stop in and wish everyone a Happy Holidays! I hope that everyone got to spend some time with loved ones and I hope those of us who are off of school for a bit are resting up! If you didn't get what you wanted for Christmas, just remember that there are those less fortunate than us out there who didn't get anything. I think Christmas is a good time to give back to those in need, maybe volunteer at the local food bank or soup kitchen. Anyway, I just want to mention a few of the gifts I received for Christmas, not to brag, but to see if anyone wants me to do any reviews on the products.

Here are some of the things I recieved:
1. The Anastasia Brow Kit
2. Festive Fuchsia nail polish by OPI
3. L'Occtaine shower oil
4. Wii Fit

I will def. be doing a review next on the Anastasia brow kit. I love it!

XOXO

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Dark Chocolate and Mint Chip cookies :)

Thinking about a last minute cookie recipe to make for Santa? Forget someone to give a gift to? How about making these amazing dark chocolate and mint chip cookies? I just made 4 dozen of these cookies and they are amazing. To me, they taste just like thin mint cookies from the Girl Scouts. Without further delay, here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups unsweetened baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 2/3 cups (10-oz package) Nestle Toll House Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels

Heat oven to 325*F

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

For this recipe I liked my baking sheet with tin foil to avoid sticking and a mess. These are delish! You can buy the morsels at Target but hurry! I believe they are a limited holiday edition. If you can't find them, try substituting crushed Andies mints.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Christmas is near!

A bit about me:


Eggnog or hot chocolate? Both! Eggnog is probably first, considering you can't really get it at any time of the year


Does Santa wrap the presents or leave them open under the tree? Santa ALWAYS wraps presents :) usually with bright pink wrapping paper :D


Colored lights on a tree or white? Right now I have white lights on my tree but I'm not apposed to colored lights, which I have hanging everywhere else. 


Do you hang mistletoe? No, I never have but I'd like to. Most people thing of Holly when they are actually thinking of mistletoe 


What is your favorite holiday dish? I would have to say anything on Thanksgiving but I think that we are talking about Christmas here so probably cinnamon rolls which we usually have on Christmas morning, then the ham. Oh yummy ham. 


Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes, it depends if my family is working on Christmas day or not. My mom is from Germany and it's traditional to open gifts on Christmas Eve night. And then of course sometimes I bug my parents so much that they give in and we dive in :)


How do you decorate your Christmas tree? I live in a small apartment so I have a mini 3 foot Christmas tree that is pink with white lights, silver tinsel, red, purples and silver ornaments and also small white snow-ball looking ornaments and silver ribbon. Still searching for a tree topper! 

Snow: love it or hate it? I have a serious love/hate relationship with snow. I love when it falls and everything is white and glittery, but then when I go outside and spend 15 minutes digging my car out of a foot of snow I really start to hate it. Can you blame me?


What is your favorite holiday dessert? German gingerbread :)


What is your favorite holiday tradition? Spending Christmas with my parents and usually going to my Uncles for Christmas brunch, seeing him and my aunt and my little cousins 


Candy canes: yum or yuck? Yum! Though I haven't had a single one this year! :(


Favorite Christmas show? I don't have a favorite SHOW but A Christmas Story is my all time favorite Christmas movie. I've seen it twice already this season and it is playing 24 hrs on Christmas Eve!


What is everyone doing for Christmas?
XOXO

Product Review


Hello all! I said I'd be back so here is another blog, this time reviewing a product that I am excited to share. I just had a birthday 2 weeks ago and my boyfriend bought me Benefit Cosmetics' "She Laq" makeup sealer :) I have hooded eyes and couldn't wear eyeliner on my top lids near the lash line. It would always smudge off onto my upper eyelid and form like a mirror image of the liner on the lashes. This makeup sealer was stating that it would seal liner, shadow, blush, lipstick, you name it and it comes with different brushes for different things. When I got it at first I wasn't too sure. It looked like a bottle of nail polish top coat and smelled almost like it too. But after trying it out, I have to say that I LOVE THIS PRODUCT! It does exactly what it says and I am so excited to finally be able to wear eyeliner! I have used it almost every day without any reaction whatsoever and I do not have any bad things to say about it at all. I have so far tried it with gel liner, pencil liner and the almost creamy liners like the ones from Urban Decay that I really love. The product is around $30 and you can get it at Sephora. It is worth the money in my opinion and it seems like it will last a long time :)

Enjoy!

Saturday, December 19, 2009

I can breathe again!


I AM SO SORRY that I have left you all high and dry lately! The past 2 weeks have been insane. I had tests and papers and everything else out there to do. Just a quick update in case anyone is interested. I got a new car :) I used the money the insurance gave me from my accident and then my parents paid the rest. I am so grateful to them! The car isn't my dream car but it is a great car none-the-less. And it is great to have something different to drive, ya know? But then as soon as I got it my tire went flat and it turned out that there was a nail in the tire when i bought it, the whole tire had to be replaced. figures! Then yesterday my classes FINALLY ended for the semester. It felt like a super long semester! Turns out that I only have a few more classes left until I get to graduate :) And my boyfriend just got accepted to an awesome medical internship at a great hospital. I'm so proud of him! My parents just got a puppy yesterday, a little Chihuahua boy that we named Harley. He is a sweet heart. he's a great addition to our already 3 dog full family. he is 10.5 weeks old and is already practically paper trained. Also it was my birthday on the 10th, I turned 22 :) I got some great presents from my best friend (nail polish and makeup! Whoohoo!) and some pjs from my parents. My boyfriend got me makeup as well. Anywho, I just wanted to let everyone know that I didn't disappear and that I will be posting some fun stuff asap :) I hope everyone is well and that they are getting super pumped for Christmas!!
XOXO

Monday, November 30, 2009

Surrounding myself

I've been thinking about it and the best way I have found that I think is going to keep me on track to lose weight is to surround myself with weight loss and healthyness. I'm talking about using healthy cookbooks for cooking, reading nutrition books or success stories on my down time, watching The Biggest Loser, reading fitness magazines, etc etc. By doing this I will not only educate myself but I will also be constantly reminded of my task. Yep, thats my plan and I'm sticking too it. I'm still reading Jillian Michaels book but I'm short on time. I really want to join the gym again. I really liked the gym that I was in last year and I really took it for granted. It was literally a 5 minute or less drive from my apt and it was never crowded and I loved it. If I could have one wish it would be to have my membership back, even if it means driving 10 minutes a day or so to get to it. I wouldn't mind. Alas, I need money for that, so I guess I better work hard. But guess what my readers, I am now on my way out the door to go for a walk/run :)

XOXX

Recipe of the Week #3!


Hey there everyone! Sorry I'm late on the recipe of the week but, trust me, it will be worth it! For everyone who is looking for a great new taste that is packed with a ton of flavor, this Curried Beef dish for you. I have made it both with meat and vegetarian and both times I was not disappointed. As always I will first post the recipe and then the things that I have changed. Enjoy! Feedback is appreciated!


Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 pound beef top round steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
  • 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 2 cups sliced onions
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup tomato juice
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • Hot cooked noodles or rice

Directions

  • In a large resealable bag, combine the flour, salt and pepper; add beef. Seal bag and shake to coat. In a large skillet, brown beef in 2 tablespoons oil; drain.
  • Add the onions and remaining oil; saute until onions are golden brown. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Sprinkle with curry. Dissolve bouillon in boiling water; pour over beef and onions.
  • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender.
  • Add tomato juice and paste; cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Serve with noodles or rice. Yield: 4 servings.


The first time I made it I made it exactly as the recipe said to. And it was great. The 2nd time I made it I decided to try vegetarian, so I added cauliflower florets. So to make the cauliflower curry you follow the directions as specified but skip the entire step having anything to do with the meat. Put the florets into the saucepan BEFORE putting in the tomato paste/juice and put the lid on for about 6 minutes on until the cauliflower is tender. The first time I used egg noodles and the 2nd time I used brown rice. I prefer the egg noodles, use yolkless noodles for a healthier alternative, you can't taste the difference! 


Enjoy!!!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanksgiving

I, Pucciola, would like to know what my readers are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Many bad things happen in the span of a year. I've seen bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, I've seen things fall apart and people get hurt. But in the end, there is always something to be thankful for. This is the time of year that I like to take a minute to stop and think about what is most important in my life.

I am thankful for:

- My family
- My friends
- My boyfriend
- My pets
- My health (what's left of it :P)
- My job
- Being able to go to a university and get an education
- To have a place to live
- Waking up every day
- many many other things

I am thankful every day that I am given, though I may go days of even weeks without thinking about how thankful I am or how fortunate I am to have certain things in my life.

What are you thankful for?

XOXO

Caffeine withdrawals

SO sorry it has been so long since I have last blogged. I'm behind on the Recipe of the Week as well! Since Thanksgiving is coming and that is the last major divider between normal school and finals, all my professors decided that everything was going to be due on the same day. Today, for instance, I had a paper and an exam. So most of my time has gone towards finishing those.

But I wanted to update and share with everyone my fight with Caffeine Withdrawals! DUN DUN DUN! Since I decided to eat healthier (that's not going well at the moment, btw, and that will be a different blog), I decided to give up soda. Visit my blog about water and brita filters and such to catch up. Anyway, I gave up pop and I did GREAT for an entire week. I didn't have any soda what-so-ever and in fact I didn't drink ANYTHING except water and a bit of milk in the morning. I noticed I was feeling kinda awful every day but I didn't put 2 and 2 together until last Thursday. I felt nauseous, light headed, sleepy, had the worst headache ever, and just felt all around crummy. I didn't feel like I was getting sick or the flu, so I just dealt with it. I was sitting in my class one day and it just sorta dawned on me. A friend of mine was addicted to coffee for awhile and she tried to quit drinking it cold turkey and she went through the same things that I was. So I talked to her about it and she confirmed that she thought I was going through the caffeine withdrawals and that I should get some tea or something other than pop to give myself a little boost. Needless to say I went right home and bought a soda! oh my willpower is so small! And I have been drinking almost a soda a day since... I think part of me is afraid to feel sick again without it and the other part of me just plain craves it. I need to do something about it though. I want to get some of that Oolong tea that aides in weightloss. I'll let you guys know how my progress is but let me tell you, this getting healthy thing is NOT easy. Especially with a full day of school, work, cooking, cleaning, pets, boyfriend, homework, etc etc.

Stay Tuned for my progress :) And have a very Happy Thanksgiving

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Minestrone Soup Recipe

Here is the recipe for Minestrone Soup. As usual I will add the original recipe that I got online and then after I will post how I changed it a tad.


Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 can (19 ounces) ready-to-serve minestrone soup
  • 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes
  • 1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

  • In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until heated through. Yield: 8 servings. 

    Editor's Note: The cost per serving does not include optional ingredients such as garnishes. When there is a choice of two ingredients, the cost is figured with the first one listed.
  • Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 221 calories, 6 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 29 mg cholesterol, 901 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 15 g protein

Now when I made this recipe, I added an extra can of Mixed Vegetables: Corn, Carrots and Green Beans. I also cooked this on my stove top, bringing it to a boil until heated through and the flavors really mesh together, instead of the slow cooker. I don't have time to use a slow cooker because I am gone from the house a good amount daily. At the end of cooking, I added a half of a can of Beef Broth because there didn't seem to be enough "soup" to it and also I added a pinch of beef bullion. In the end it was great and my only regret is that I didn't have a nice, crunchy baguette to go alone with it! 

Let me know if anyone tries this!
XOXO

Day 3...

... has been the best so far. A mixup with my boyfriend and I caused me to oversleep this morning and I missed my exercise time :'( But I ate extremely well today. Probably didn't eat enough food though. For breakfast I had a hardboiled egg with mustard, whole grain toast with about a tablespoon of peanut butter and a half a glass of skim milk. I have never been a big breakfast person and when I do eat breakfast, it's rare if I eat anything related to breakfast at all. I'll eat leftover dinner for breakfast, sandwiches, soup, anything but breakfast. But now I find that I really enjoy eating my breakfast and I think it's because I know how important breakfast is for you and I know that I am eating some really great foods for my body. For lunch I ate a salad with kidney beans, garbonzo beans, and 2 pieces of tore up turkey lunch meat. So far I enjoy the salads as well but I know that soon I will get seriously sick of them so I need to look into something better for lunch. For dinner I made homemade minestrone soup with loads of vegetables. My boyfriend loved it too, maybe I'll post the recipe. And later in the evening when I felt the urge to munch, I ate 3 dill pickles. 1 1/4 pickles only have 5 calories. They have 280mg sodium though and I'm not sure if that's ok or not.

So in a nutshell: ate well but didn't exercise. And I'm pretty sure you need to have both for good results...  I have no class on Friday so looks like I have NO EXCUSE not to exercise :)

Stay Tuned

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Brita Filter

I recently got a Brita Filter from Bed Bath and Beyond for I believe $31. It's PINK (of course!) and I love it! Having the filter around with fresh cold water has actually prompted me to drink more water. And it tastes great. I have this thing, where I can seriously taste the difference between certain bottled water brands and the only 2 I would drink were Dasani and Aquafina. Ice Mountain or other brands tasted metallic to me but the Brita filter has no such taste to its water.

Since I am no longer using plastic water bottles which I seemed to be going through like crazy (thus polluting the planet because plastic does not decompose) I also bought a new reusable water bottle to take with me to class. I bought it at Foods For Living which is similar to a Trader Joes, and I believe it is by the brand Green Bottle. It is stainless steel and completely BPA free. You can put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold but can't freeze it. If you are still using plastic water bottles, NEVER freeze it. BPA is a chemical in water bottles that makes the plastic more pliable. By freezing or heating the water bottle, some of the BPA molecules are released into the water and you drink it. Same with plastic wrap and plastic food storage containers. Take food out of the plastic before you put it in the microwave. Glass storage containers seem to be the way to go, though they are a bit heavy and cost around $9 a container.

I will be doing a blog on PBA very soon so stay tuned
XOXO

Day 2...


... was a medium success. Medium.

Before I start I just want to say that I don't plan on updating every day on what I am doing, but I figure since the beginning is the hardest part (to me anyway) of losing weight, that in the beginning I will post my trial and errors so everyone doesn't have to make the same mistakes as me :) just think of me as your own personal guinea pig :)

So last night I couldn't sleep for anything. I tried to go to bed at midnight and I tossed and turned until 1:30am when I finally got out of bed and watched youtube videos until 2:30am when I finally was falling asleep. I was finally able to fall asleep then but when I have to wake up at 7am I was exhausted. I felt sick to my stomach and had to sit on the edge of my bed for awhile trying not to vomit. I decided that there was no way I could go to my classes that early and so I drove my boyfriend to work and came home and slept a few hrs. I feel like I caught up on my sleep but when I headed out to class later in the day I felt drained and tired. I'm not sure if it's because of last night or maybe I slept a bit too much? For breakfast I ate a hardboiled egg with mustard and a cup of skim milk. I planned on eating some toast with peanut butter like I mentioned before but this was super early in the morning and I just went back to bed. When I woke and got ready for school I had a lunch of a small salad with kidney beans, garbonzo beans, 2 slices of thin turkey breast lunch meat that I tore and put into the salad, and a bit of salad dressing. Now let me tell you, it was a hard thing to not eat the entire bottle of dressing. I made a mistake of buying a delicious salad dressing (Kraft Tangy Tomato and Bacon) but I really tried not to use much of it. As Americans we consume a TON of calories in condiments that we don't even think about. A little ketchup here and there, some mayo. Mustard has 0 calories, which is why I chose to spruce my egg up a bit with it. And I'm talking normal plain ol' yellow mustard, not dijon, not spicy brown, because all of those have other things, like sugar, added to them. What I noticed I have been doing well is not drinking pop or juice. Yesterday I had a diet Snapple that I got while on my candy binge, and I did notice after that it was flavored with aspartame. isn't there anything left out there that is flavored with real sugar? And today I had the skim milk and then water. I will be posting about my brita filter next. I didn't work out today, I have the same excuse as yesterday, that it was dark when I got home. I have been racking my brains trying to figure out what to do about it since I have an obvious dilemma so I decided that on Monday/Wednesday/Friday I will work out in the morning before school, that way it wont be dark, and Tuesday and Thursday might just have to be the days that I take a break from exercise. I planned on only working out 5 days a week anyway. This weekend I also plan on taking my measurements so I can see if I am actually losing some weight. I just ordered 2 pairs of jeans in a size 16 so left pray that they fit :) I remember when I was a 9... before this PCOS thing started. Makes me sick just thinking about it. But then I think back a year to when I didn't own a single pair of jeans that fit and I wore the same pair of sweat pants every single day because I refused to get a side 20 pair of jeans. Now I'm back in a size 18 and the jeans I have are lose, so lets hope the 16s will give me a nice boost of confidence :)

Hope everyone is keeping well!
Stay tuned!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Sale!

Trade Secret (a store that is in most malls that sells hair, skin and nail products and also have a salon) is having a sale on MATTE O.P.I nail polish: Buy one get one FREE. This is a VERY good deal considering one O.P.I nail polish is $8.50. I was going to take advantage of this sale but the 2 Trade Secrets that I went to both were sold out of almost every color but white. Any other time I would NOT suggest buying the O.P.I matte colors, even though it is a huge trend right now, because ESSIE is a brand that actually makes a matte top coat. It turns any nail polish into matte.

Don't know what matte is? Take a look:
See how the color has no shine to it, it is just dull, or matte? Awesome, huh?

Day 1...

... was a total flop. I set my alarm for 10:30am since I went to bed at around 2:30am (a friend came over and then after they left I had to read for class). But, of course, I couldn't get myself out of bed. When I'm half asleep I make terrible decisions. I turn my alarm off, I oversleep, I decide to stay home from class when had I been awake I would have realized that that is a horrible idea. Anyway, couldn't wake up and decided I'd sleep just until 11, until a telemarketer called me at 12:30pm and woke me up! AH! so much for the getting up early thing... And now it is 8:30pm and I'm already sleepy. I had class today and then ran errands with my boyfriend and by the time I pulled up to my apt it was already dark :( I don't know what to do about exercising since it gets dark so early and I usually don't have time to exercise until the evening. I guess I will figure it out. But to make matters worse, I have been fighting a lot lately with my boyfriend and I have been very stressed. Stress is badddd for weight loss and so is buying $5 worth of candy that the stress makes you crave! I did have a salad today, though, with kidney and garbonzo beans an I went light on the dressing, so I guess that's a plus. And I made some hard boiled eggs to have with breakfast from now on. I am going to have whole grain toast with a bit of peanut butter and a hard boiled egg for breakfast until I figure out a better GI alternative.... So hopefully tomorrow is a better day, complete with the Biggest Loser for a bit of inspiration.

XOXO Stay Tuned

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Tomorrow is the day!

Hi everyone! I just had to stop in and say that tomorrow is the day that I start changing everything around :) My mom generously bought me a new pair of trainers because I had bought a cheap pair from Walmart and  after just a few uses, they were already hurting my feet. So of course I retired them to the closet and couldn't afford a new pair. Owning a good pair of shoes is so obvious now that I look back on it. Comfortable shoes will make you want to use them, plain and simple. If your workout shoes are more comfortable than the shoes you wear every day to class, work, etc. then working out should actually be a vacation for your feet :) I couldn't find a great pic online, but the shoes that I got are the "womens nike zoom nucleus MC+". I went with my mom to Playmakers, an athletic store in my area, and they actually make you take off your shoes and they watch how you walk back and forth, to see if your feet roll or have any arch to them. Apparently I needed a pretty supportive shoe because my feet roll in when I walk. Who knew? And this whole time I have been torturing myself with shoes made for just normal feet. I did not have time to exercise today, especially because here in Michigan it gets dark at about 6pm. Tomorrow on the other hand, is a new day. Tomorrow I have vowed to get outside with my new shoes, and just go for a walk. How hard can that be?

I'm thinking about making an 80's playlist on my iPod to really give me something to be excited about. I love 80's music. Any suggestions?

Also, I am heading to the grocery store in about an hour to get groceries for the week. Since I live with my bf, I can't (for now) eat 100% healthy, since he is a skinny-mini and he hates having to eat healthy ALL the time. I have cookbooks for GI diets, which I will be doing a blog on shortly, that I like to take inspiration from, and typically it is VERY tasty. The problem is, the recipes require a lot of ingredients which means more money for me to spend. So I'm taking it one day at a time, I will most likely be doing my recipe of the week for a GI recipe, so you PCOSers out there have something yummy to cook for yourself :)

Wish me luck! I will blog regularly to let you know my progress :)

Stay tuned!

Movie Review


Hey everyone! Sorry I have been a bit MIA lately, I have been trying to take care of some lose ends and get homework done, clean, etc. But I did get a chance to watch a movie last night! I watched Julie and Julia, the movie about the girl (Julie) who goes through Julia Childs cookbook and re-creates her recipes. It tells some of the life of Julia Child as well and how she came to write her famous cookbook. I have been meaning to pick up a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which is her cookbook published in 1961. It was the first French cookbook for American women to read and use. Anyway, I thought the movie was great! It was heart warming and really made you want to set a goal for yourself as well. I encourage anyone who loves food, loves cooking, or loves Amy Adams and Meryl Streep (I know I do) to check out this movie :) tell your boyfriend/husband that there is food in the movie and I'm sure they will watch it with you, unlike my bf haha.

If everyone would like me to do more movie reviews, please let me know. I love movies and I consider myself a mild movie-buff. And please leave me some suggestions for movies that you would like me to see!

Stay tuned!
XOXO

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Great Book


Hey everyone, I just wanted to share a book that I have been reading and enjoy it immensely. It's called "Master Your Metabolism" by Jillian Michaels. It is a great, informative book about hormones, metabolism, metabolic disease,  things that are in our food, etc. I learned something new on every single page. There is also information concerning PCOS  as well. I definitely recommend it. I hope everyone checks it out and please let me know what you think when you finally crack it open.

Stay tuned!  XOXO

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Recipe of the Week #2!


Hey again everyone! It is time again for another Recipe of the Week! This recipe is one of my absolute favorites. I have made this several times and also passed the recipe on to my mother who also enjoys it a lot and makes it regularly. Once again I will post the recipe as it came and then I will post any changes I made to the recipe.


The original recipe comes with a fruit salsa, I've never made that part of it, but feel free to give it a go!


I hope you enjoy, please leave comments for any types of food you would like to see next time!
Ingredients

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 medium mango, peeled and chopped
  • 2 medium kiwifruit, peeled and chopped
  • 3 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
  • 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • BURRITOS:
  • 1 pound lean ground turkey
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Crisco® Pure Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup burgundy wine or reduced-sodium beef broth
  • 1 jar (16 ounces) salsa
  • 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 10 whole wheat tortilla (8 inches), warmed
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese






Directions

  • For salsa, combine the first seven ingredients. Chill until serving.
  • In a large nonstick skillet, cook the turkey, garlic, turmeric and cumin in oil over medium heat until turkey is no longer pink; drain. Stir in wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until thickened.
  • Stir in the jarred salsa, corn and black beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Spoon about 1/2 cup turkey mixture off center on each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Serve with salsa. Yield: 10 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 burrito with 1/3 cup salsa equals371 calories , 11 g fat (3g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 553 mg sodium, 47 g carbohydrates, 6 g fiber, 18 g protein 


The only difference that I made in this recipe is I didn't use the fruit salsa. I just use more regular salsa for a sauce. So yummy!


Saturday, November 7, 2009

Tell that little voice to "shut up"!

Some great advice my dad has been giving me since I was young was "any time you think that you can't do something, and anytime you get tired and you feel like you want to quit, and that little voice inside your head is telling you to give up, GET MAD! You tell that little voice to 'shut the hell up' and you keep going!" Great advice. And it really is that simple. I don't know why I can't seem to push myself to do what he says. Every morning there is a voice in my head telling me to stay underneath my covers. That is the same little voice that tells me it's ok to stay up until 2 am when I have class the whole next day. I need to learn to tell this voice to shut up.

My dad was telling me about how he was in the army and he was made to run alllll the time. He said the little voice used to get to him and make him want to quit, but after awhile he started to push it in the back of his mind, he told it to shut up, and he just went for it. He said to me, "I thought to myself: I'm not dead, I'm not hurt and bleeding, I can still run, so I told that little voice to shut up and I ran! And one day someone said to me, 'Ray, you just ran 10 miles'. I ran 10 MILES. And I could keep going. I went on to join a club for frequent runners and I logged 250 miles." That's what my dad did when he told the voice to shut up. What's my excuse? I'm too lazy to get out of bed in the morning. I'm too busy to take 30 minutes from my schedule to take a walk and get some exercise. I can skip this class, 1 wont hurt (which turns into skipping a week).

So I have decided it's time to tell my little voice to SHUT UP! What is really holding me back? I'm a student, going to class and studying is my JOB. I wont be in school forever. If I can get my homework done during the week then I will have the whole weekend to lay around watching The Office reruns.

Does anyone else feel like this? Tomorrow I will spend all day working and getting homework done, next week the little voice will be saying 'toodaloo' because it's time to grow up and live up to what I know in my heart I am capable of.

Who's with me?

Stay tuned!

New Year's Resolutions

Hi again everyone!

So as you all know, New Years Eve is coming up next month already! Time flies! I remember last year thinking how I was going to start all over on January 1st and accomplish so much. I really don't think that I came through with anything that I promised myself, but hey, it's going to be a new year!

Some things just need to be thought about, which is why I'm doing this at the beginning of November!

One thing I know for sure that is going to be my New Year's Resolution:

- Flossing DAILY! Flossing is so good for your teeth and with those floss stick things with the floss already built in, it's a snap! This was my resolution last year as well and I made it a good 6 months before I started forgetting to floss.

- Keep both dentists apts! Every 6 months!

- Lose weight!!!!!! This is a big one! I've been telling myself I need to lose weight for YEARS now. I managed to lose about 20 lbs in 2009 which I'm very thankful for. But I really need to and not (just) for vanity's sake, but because my health depends on it.

- Study more. Now this I think I did a good job of this year but I could always do more. Especially in history.

I'm sure by the time New Year's Eve gets here I will have 10 more ha, but tell me, what kind of resolutions are you thinking of?

Until next time!
XOXO

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Product Review

Hi everyone, just wanted to post a review of a product that I recently purchased.

It's shower gel by a company called "Say Yes to Carrots". I mean c'mon, I own and love bunnies, I just had to try this product. I bought it from Target for a bit pricy $8 but it's a rather big bottle and I figured it was worth a try.

The product so far is pretty good! It has a nice clean smell to it and it leaves your skin feeling very nice. Since I live in Michigan and it's practically winter already (*sigh*), 'tis the season for uncomfortable dry skin. I felt that this product was hydrating and smooth. If anyone is interested, I will do another review later after I have used a bit more, just to let you know if I still like it because sometimes I fall out of love with products.

The website for the product is here if you are interested. They have a whole line of cool stuff and it's all made with natural ingredients, including carrots! Guaranteed not to turn you orange :)

I hope someone gives this product a try. They also sell lip balm, lotion and a few other things at Target.

Stay Tuned!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

What is Fat?


What IS fat exactly? Why is it bad for you? Does it have any benefits at all? Let's find out!


Now before I begin, I am writing this to educate, not to scare. I wrote this blog to help my readers make good decisions about things that they buy, not to freak anyone out. I am also not a dietitian, a certified nutritionist, or a medical professional. I got all my wisdom from classes I took at the University and from the internet. With that said, ONWARD!


Fat is known in two forms: Fats and Oils


Fats are fats that are solid at room temperature. They usually come from animals, for example: lard, fish oil and butter.


Oils are fats that are liquid at room temperature. They usually come from plants and some examples are soy beans, sunflowers, sesame, coconut, olive and vegetable oils. Oils are typically extracted from the seed of the plant and are usually used as shortening, texture, flavor and flavor bases. Oils can also be "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated", which is when things start to get bad.


But I hear you saying over there, Pucciola, just get to the good stuff: what is good for me and what is bad?


THE GOOD FATS:


:::Monounsaturated Fats (MUF's)::: 


Nuts:
- Peanuts
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Pistachios


Certain Oils
-  Canola Oil
- Olive Oil


Avocado (A personal favorite)


These fats lower overall cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol (the bad stuff!) but at the same time, raises your HDL cholesterol (the good stuff!). It's a win win situation. Eat more of these things, they help big time in losing body fat. 


:::Polyunsaturated fats (PUF's):::




Seafood
- Salmon
- Fish oil


Corn


Soy


Safflower and Sunflower Oils


Polyunsaturated fats lower LDL cholesterol (theres that bad stuff again!). Omega 3 fatty acids also belong to this group, which you can (and I do!) supplement with Fish Oil pills, which lowers inflammation and promotes cardiovascular health. 


Now, are you ready for the not-so-good stuff?


THE BAD FATS:


:::Saturated Fats:::


Saturated fats are mainly found in animal fats:
- Meat
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Seafood


But there are also some plants guilty of containing these fats as well:
- Coconut Oil 
- Palm Oil
- Palm Kernel Oil


Saturated fats raise cholesterol, including the bad stuff (I bet you knew already that it's called LDL!) 


:::Trans Fats:::


Now, recall when I talked about "hydrogenated" oils and things of the like? Here's where they come in. 


Scientists took perfectly good oils and "hydrogenated" them so that they would hold up better during the processing procedure and last longer on the shelf. Trans Fatty Acids are formed from this process. 

Where can I find these fats, you ask? 


- In many commercially processed foods 
- Commercially fried foods (*ahem* McDonalds French Fries :P) 
- Packaged snacks
- Microwave popcorn
- Vegetable shortening
- Hard, stick margarine 



But how can we avoid these? It's not realistic to think that you will never need to buy a can of spaghetti-o's for your children, or resist buying that popcorn from the movie theater, but here are some tips that you can try to limit your intake or Trans Fatty Acids.


- Avoid using oils that are high in saturated and trans fats. Use heart healthy Olive, Canola, and Flaxseed Oil instead!
- If you must use packaged foods, try to find things which labels read "no trans-fats".
- Use leaner meats and low fat dairy products to avoid that unwanted saturated fats. 

This is the end of my spiel. I hope everyone learned a little something. This is the first of my upcoming blogs about health! Please leave comments and questions!!


Stay Tuned!
XOXOX

Comments Overboard!

Hi ladies and gentleman, it has come to my attention that for some reason my readers were not able to comment on my blog! I have (hopefully) fixed the problem, so feel free to start commenting!

Stay tuned for some interesting facts about weight, the body, and that technical stuff that is so confusing ;)

XOXO

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Recipe of the Week #1!

My first ever recipe of the week is Terrific Teriyaki Burgers. This is a contest winning, healthy burger recipe that I found online, and it is so amazingly good. This burger has an asian flair to it, but instead of using high-fat marinades and dressings, it uses ingredients found in an Asian kitchen such as green onion and ginger. I  really like it and I hope that you will too! Please feel free to leave a comment and tell me what you think! Love, hate, a picture, anything!


Here is the original recipe that I found online and below it I will put anything that I changed.


Terrific Teriyaki Burgers:
SAUCE:

  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened crushed pineapple
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • BURGERS:
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened crushed pineapple
  • 3/4 pound ground beef
  • 3/4 pound lean ground turkey
  • 6 slices unsweetened pineapple
  • 6 hamburger buns, split and toasted
  • 6 lettuce leaves
  • 6 slices tomato



  • In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, pineapple, ginger, garlic and sesame oil; set aside.
  • In a large bowl, combine the egg white, bread crumbs, onions, crushed pineapple and 3 tablespoons reserved ketchup mixture. Crumble beef and turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into six burgers.
  • Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165° and juices run clear, brushing occasionally with remaining ketchup mixture.
  • Grill pineapple slices for 2-3 minutes on each side or until heated through. Serve burgers and pineapple on buns with lettuce and tomato. Yield: 6 servings.


Nutrition Facts: 1 burger equals 386 calories, 12 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 79 mg cholesterol, 677 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 27 g protein. 


Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2 starch, 1/2 fruit.


That is the original, now here is what I did:


I replaced the ground turkey with ground beef and made it an all beef burger. The reason is because on the website I found it from, a lot of people were saying that the burger was falling apart while they cooked. Using all beef eliminated the problem, so find the leanest ground hamburger meat that you can and use that if you'd like. Also, since I live in an apt that doesn't allow us to use grills, I made my burgers on the stove top. This recipe made 9 medium sized burgers for me, not the 6 that it says in the recipe, but that all depends on how thick you want your burgers. Depending on this thickness, fry your burgers in a non-stick pan (or with some oil) for 3-5 minutes on each side (again, depends on the thickness, keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn). I am the Queen of Burning Things. I really should have a crown. These burgers, I can tell you, still taste good with a bit of a char :P I also used normal soy sauce, not reduced sodium, because I bought the wrong kind. Still tastes amazing! Powdered ginger and garlic can be substituted but the fresher the ingredient, the better.


Happy Cooking! Please leave any suggestions for types of food that you would like to see. Stay Tuned!
XOXO