Kale Salad With Honey Dijon Dressing

Kale Salad with Goat Cheese, Raisins, and Lentils in a Honey Dijon Dressing Each bite of this Kale Salad is a crunchy, zesty delight in my mouth! I never thought kale salad could really be this good but trust me, it literally is. I think it also has a lot to do with the dressing. Something about making your own dressing always takes that salad up a few notches and I love anything with mustard! This healthy satisfying dinner was just right for something green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

Ingredients…
6 cups chopped kale
1 cup cooked lentils (I used green)
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup goat cheese

For The Dressing…
One garlic clove
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard (I used Grey Poupon)
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
A dash of pepper

Click below for directions!

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Skinny Honey-Sweetened Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins *Gluten-Free!*

Skinny Honey-Sweetened Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins *Gluten-Free!*

These delightful melt-in-your mouth muffins come healthier than most! With honey used instead of sugar and no butter, I just could not resist.  I had two for breakfast right after I made them, and they filled me right up.  The chocolate was still warm and with each bite it melted into the rest of the muffin as I devoured those delectable breakfast treats.  The yogurt and apple sauce keeps the muffins moist,  and adds the perfect amount of “I don’t taste low-fat but I am” amount!! These are for sure a must try!!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
2/3 cup honey
2 Tbs nonfat greek yogurt
2 Tbs cinnamon apple sauce
2 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup gluten-free flour (I used brown rice flour)
3/4 cup gluten-free oat flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill whole grain oat flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Note: You can make your own oat flour by putting regular gluten-free oats in a blender or food processor and blending until it becomes fine!

Find the directions and more pictures by clicking below!

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Monthly Highlight: Meet Shafia

Sometimes we all get in a fashion rut, well not this girl. This funky fashionista can inspire a tad pole! From her rocker chic style down to her last accessory…please feel free to be inspired!

1. SO, who is Shafia?  She is this girl, below……..raised in Miami, lived in NYC and recently moved to Boston!

Creative Feature: meet Shafia

You can find her working at LF on Newbury Street, styling everything from mannequins to anything that walks, adding a splash of coolness to everything she touches. She is the go to girl for finding out who people are, what looks good on them, and making it all come together in an outfit that makes you feel like a rock star!

I was honored to sit down and interview my friend, style guru, and fashion inspiration. See below to learn more about what makes this girl rock, her essential items, and of course some AMAZING PHOTOS! 

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Wisdom Wednesday: Be Beautiful Like Yourself

Words Of Wisdom

You are beautiful like yourself. Not like anyone else. Your beauty lies in who you are, your unique qualities, and your spirit.  Radiate this beauty from the inside out! For just that moment when you find yourself comparing your being to others, remember that you are truly beautiful, not like anyone else, you are beautiful just as YOU!

A friend of mine from work told me part of a poem the other day after  mentioning to him that I wanted to work on not comparing myself to others. It goes a lil something like this,

“You are quite the beauty. If no one has told you that before, know that right now. You are quite the beauty. There is joy in the way your mouth dances with your teeth. Your smile is a sign of how sacred your life truly is.”

Find the whole poem here:  “Closer” by Anis Mojgani

Display Your Jewelry in Style

Display Your Jewelry in Style

Displaying your jewelry can be fun and easy without breaking the bank! Using thrift store/flea market finds, dishes that you love, or even checking out stores like Marshalls and Home Goods are all great places to start! Check out how I display my jewelry and some places where you can find similar items!

Display Your Jewelry in Style

More pictures, ideas, and information below!

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Pressure Cooker Spanish Gold Chicken

Pressure Cooker Spanish Gold Chicken

First and foremost, I must express my fondness for my pressure cooker. It has been a life changer in the chicken cooking department. It makes this meal in a jiffy and the chicken tastes like it has been slow cooked for hours as it melts in your mouth! This dish has been a huge hit for dinner parties and with my husband’s belly!

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 Tbsp each: salt, lemon pepper seasoning, ground cumin
4 chicken breasts (if they are big I like to slice them in half)
1 medium leek, white part only, chopped
2 large garlic cloves minced
3 lemon slices, 1/4-inch thick
1 cup pitted prunes, cut in half
1 cup pitted green olives, cut in half
2 Tbsp minced fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme)
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 Tbsp honey

Directions:
1. Get the chicken ready! Grab a medium sized pan and heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.
2. Mix together the salt, lemon pepper, seasoning, and cumin. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken. Place the chicken in the pan and cook both sides for 5 minutes each over medium/high heat until lightly browned.
3. While the chicken is cooking, heat the other 1 Tbsp of olive oil in the pressure cooker. Add the leek and garlic, cook and stir about 2 minutes.
4. Now add the chicken, lemon slices, prunes, olives and thyme to the pressure cooker and give a little stir.

Pressure Cooker Spanish Gold Chicken
5. In a bowl, combine the orange juice, wine, chicken broth, and honey. Pour this mixture over the chicken.
6. Close the lid, bring to high pressure, then lower the heat and cook for 25 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and release using cold-water release method. Remove lid, open, and enjoy! Learn more about the cold-water release and how to use a pressure cooker here or here.

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This recipe is adapted from a small cookbook that came with my Fagor Futuro pressure cooker from William and Sonoma. You can also find the original recipe from the Fagor website here.

Pressure Cooker Spanish Gold Chicken

Wisdom Wednesday: Talk about your joys!

Wisdom Wednesdays: talk about your joys!

Doesn’t it sometimes seem like we put a lot more energy into the negative, giving it power, then talking about the joys in our lives?  Of course we all have problems, some more than others, some a lot more than others. We can acknowledge our problems without allowing them to take over our mind and overshadow the joys. Easier said than done, I know. But can it be possible to let the joy be your speck of light that pulls you out of the dark tunnel? I think it is. We can look at the glass half full versus half empty. We can be resilient.

I googled the person who wrote this quote, Rita Schiano and she is a motivational speaker in my very own state of Massachusetts. She talks a lot about resiliency. Through her numerous books and workshops she helps  people develop and tap into the skills and attitudes necessary to help them overcome  barriers, build resilience, and live a flourishing life. I suppose one way she thinks about being resilient is to focus on the joys in life.

What Being Resilient Means to Me…

Don’t give up, push through and do what it takes to bounce back from any situation.

Acknowledge and then let go of situations and events that you can not change. Give yourself a break.

Know that you are stronger than you think you are.

Remember that time passes and feelings will pass too. Think about that saying,  “This too shall pass.”

 Happiness is a choice, choose it always. Do you want to live your life with a half empty glass or half full?

When you find yourself thinking and doing a lot of talking about those problems, sure you have to let it out sometimes, but then let in the joys. Don’t be afraid or embarrassed to brag about the joys in your life. A joy in your life may be a joy in someone else’s life and you can share that joy together. A joy in your life may remind someone of the joy in their life. Talk about your joys to someone right now, this very second and help remind yourself and others what these joys in life are and what they can look like!

Below is a glimpse of some joy in mine…..Sunlight through the window, my gorgeous, loving, just like his mom dog who I swear I gave birth to and laugh about it everyday because I secretly wish it were true!

Share in the comment stream your joys, it may bring joy to someone else, you never know! The joys in my lifeWisdom Wednesdays: talk about your joys!

Vintage Adventure at Sowa Market

Sowa VIntage Market

Sowa Market is a little slice of heaven! During the winter months, (which is now) just the indoor vintage market is opened but that is enough for me because it is less crowded and I can really get a good look at everything from a 90’s jean jacket to reading a love letter written over 60 years ago. When the warm weather starts rolling around, oh my oh my, this place is like another country. It is filled with food trucks, fresh veggies, home-baked goods, unique one of a kind foods, hand-made crafts…..and of course more amazing vintage vendors inside that travel all summer and stop right here in Boston!!!!!

The way to take on Sowa Market:
1. Make a day of it…because it WILL take all day.
2. Go to brunch beforehand in the South End but MAKE RESERVATIONS or you may have to wait for hours!!! Our fav spot is Gaslight brassiere, a beautiful french brassiere with the most authentic decor inside and scrumptious food. Just a block from Sowa!!!!
3. USE THE BATHROOM BEFORE GOING! Super important because the bathrooms are kinda inconvenient and there is always a line.

We did not take my own advice about making reservations, partly because this was a last-minute adventure with some amazing friends, but luckily we were still able to get a seat somewhere that actually has pajama brunch which is super cool but their food is only so so.

This is us eating so so food but thoroughly enjoying the company of amazing friends! And enjoying this day together (we rarely have days together due to his demanding job, so every second really counts)

Vintage Adventure at Sowa Market

More fun photos and information by clicking below!!!!!!!!

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Skinny Banana-Mocha Smoothie

Skinny Banana-MOcha Smoothie

After waking up a little on the more-than-usual tired side from this past weekend, I needed a healthy way to kick start and rev up my morning.  I am normally a tea drinker, but this morning I needed something stronger, so I grabbed some of my husbands left over morning brewed coffee and put it to the test!  This may be my new favorite chocolate craving cure….a girl needs her chocolate!

Skinny Banana-Mocha Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 large banana cut into chunks
1/2 cup cooked cold coffee (leftover from your morning brew is fine!)
1/2 cup any type of milk (soy milk, rice milk, almond milk…I used almond milk)
1 Tbsp cacao powder (raw chocolate powder packed with antioxidants, magnesium, and iron)
1 Tbsp almond butter
Don’t forget a handful of ice to make it nice and cold!

Directions:
1. Blend it all up! Place the ice, banana, coffee, milk, cacao powder, and almond butter in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Drink ME

Recipe adapted from Redbook Magazine 

Skinny Banana-MOcha Smoothie

Scrambled Egg Muffins with Spinach, Bell Peppers, and Goat Cheese

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All I can say is YUM to this fluffiness of eggs, veggies, and cheese! Have one for breakfast or take one to go for a snack. These scrumptious scrambled egg muffins are a perfect way to enjoy a speck of breakfast any time throughout the day.

Ingredients:

* Make sure to have a muffin pan! My muffin pan holds 12 muffins.
* 12 eggs (I used half egg whites and half regular)
* 1 small red bell pepper chopped into tiny pieces
* 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
* 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
* 1/2 tsp. sea salt
* 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions…
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees f

1. Break the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk away

2. Add the chopped spinach and bell pepper into the bowl with the eggs and mix well

3. Toss in the goat cheese and continue to mix

4. Add the salt and pepper and give a final stir

5. Coat your muffin pan with non stick spray and pour the mixture in!!

6. Finally, pop that muffin pan into the oven for 20-25 minutes. Use a fork to make sure they are finished and there is no runny gooey stuff in the middle.

 

Scrambled Egg Muffins with Spinach, Bell Peppers, and Goat Cheese!