Recipe of the Week #4!

Ok so I know that I'm doing awful keeping up with the "weekly" recipes, but bear with me :) hopefully this DELICIOUS soup recipe makes up for it! Healthy, yummy and great for those cold winter nights. Thats right, I'm talking about Broccoli-Cheese Chowder!!

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chipped
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flower
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 14-oz cans vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 oz broccoli crowns, cut into 1-inch pieces, stems and florets separated
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until the onion and celery soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add potato and garlic; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in flour, dry mustard and cayenne; cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.

2. Add broth and broccoli stems; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in florets; simmer, covered, until the broccoli is tender, about 10 minutes more. Transfer 2 cups of the chowder to a bowl and mash; return to the pan.

3.Stir in Cheddar and sour cream; cook over medium heat, stirring, until the cheese is melted and the chowder is heated through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

My changes:
I didn't use the broccoli stems, just the florets. I brought the broth/spices mixture to a boil and then added the florets, covered and boiled for 10 minutes. I also didn't add the salt at the end. It tasted great without it and I mean why bother eating more salt if you don't have to?

ENJOY! please comment and let me know if you tried it!
XOXO

How to trick water #2

Once again I am here spilling my secrets to making water more appealing. I was watching TV and I realized that I was craving something seriously bubbly. I think that is the reason that I love soda so much, the fizz. BUT I think we all forgot about the fizzyness that is carbonated water. You can buy carbonated water in many different flavors or just plain. For the latter I recommend cutting 100% juice with the water - a bit of fizz and a bit of flavor.

Happy hydrating!

XOXO

The BEACH diet

On Dr. Oz yesterday he spoke about the BEACH diet. It's a very simple diet, pretty much designed to get you beach ready by summer :)

Here is what the BEACH is all about:

B: Breakfast. Eat a wholesome breakfast every day.
E: Eliminate. Get rid of excess sugars and syrups, such as jelly, junk food and soda.
A: Antioxidants. Eat a diet rich in color. Fruits and veggies are full of antioxidants. The brighter the fruit or vegitable, the better.
C: Chocolate. Now I know everyone is going to love this bit. For a wonderfully delicious snack, eat chocolate. But not milk chocolate, white chocolate, or chocolate filled with caramels and creams, but DARK chocolate. The higher the percentage of cocoa the better.
H: Hydrate. Drink water. The recommended daily amount of water that a women should drink is 9 cups. Spreading that throughout the day isn't so bad. See my "How to Trick Water" blog for some ideas.

Now by following those simple rules and also walking at least 10,000 steps a day and get in some strength training and cardio, and the lbs will just melt away. Trust me :)

Let me know how it goes!
XOXO

How to trick water

Is one of your New Years resolutions to drink more water? Water is amazing for your body, your cells need it to maintain your body, to regrow skin, to build muscle, to burn fat. Yet we just dont drink enough of it. Instead we turn to sodas and sugar laden flavored water. I can totally understand that sometimes water just doesn't taste all that appealing, in fact, it tastes a lot like nothing. Besides buying a Brita filter, here is my #1 tip on how to trick water into tasting a whole lot better: add citrus. You know those lemon shaped bottles with the green caps that they sell in the produce isle of the grocery store? The ones that are full of lemon juice and they sit in your fridge forever? Well a little splash of that into your glass of water will make a world of a difference. I like to add a ton into my water, but even a teaspoon will brighten up your water and give it a little zip and it tastes clean and amazing. Try this tip and let me know what you think, and if you are really feeling bold, the grocery store also sells lime juice :)
XOXO

New Year's Resolutions

Happy 2010 everyone! I am going to dedicate this blog to new beginnings. 2009 was not the greatest year for a lot of people, but lets face it, every time we come to the end of a year or the beginning of a new year, we always think about how much the year prior sucked and we want a fresh start.

So at first lets all think about the GOOD things that we got to do, the things we laughed at, the good times we had with our friends, our families, or just enjoying time by ourselves.

For instance, I was able to live in Europe for 6 weeks. It was one of the best decisions of my life. I was able to visit Paris, Prague, Salzburg, Berlin, Dresden, Weimar (as well as the Buchenwald concentration camp, which is horrible but eye opening at the same time) and a few other places in between. I lived in Germany and took classes 4 days a week and am now one class away from completing my minor in German.

I adopted my 2nd rabbit, as a companion to my first rabbit, Pucci. Her name is Viola and she is a great addition to my family. Pucci absolutely adores her :)

My parents adopted a great little puppy named Harley. I've mentioned him before but he's one of the good things about 2009.

I've kept in touch with my friends, my grandparents, got to see my aunts and uncles and little cousins on Christmas.

I got good grades all year, I worked pretty hard but probably not as hard as I should have.

I'm still with my boyfriend of 4 years, and he just got accepted into a Medical internship at a very prestigious hospital in the area. I am very proud of him.

I got a new car (new to me) this year (even though it was due to the fact that I totaled my other car, but hey we are looking at the positive, right?) and I like it a lot.

And to end this list, I lost 20 lbs. Which isn't a lot, but I'm trying to work at it.

And without further ado, my New Years Resolutions!:

1. Lose weight. I make this resolution EVERY YEAR. But it is imperative for me to feel better, look better and just be healthy. I'm thinking about joining weight watchers but I need to see how much time I have in between school because my classes are all over the place.

2. Floss every day. I did a pretty great job of this in 2009, I would say I managed about 75% of the days to floss.

3. Go to the dentist every 6 months and gyno once a year. I always keep the gyno but I don't really like the dentist, so I need to go.

4. Get back my youthfulness. This doesn't make much sense, but I'm so tired of being stressed out all the time and worried about grown-up things. I want to be happy about small things and do small things to make myself happy.

5. Save money. Money tends to burn a whole in my pocket, as well as through my debit card obviously. I also need to work more so that I can get more money to save. I tend to buy dumb stuff like candy (see resolution #1)

6. Put more effort and energy into my school work. After all, that is the reason I am going to college after all.

And so that is the end of my list. I'm sure there are plenty more rolling around in my noggin, but that is another day.

XOXO

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

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