Tasty Tuesday!

Good morning all! Because I’m writing this post in the morning, I thought I’d do a breakfast recipe for todays Tasty Tuesday. I recently bought a Sunbeam Cupcake Maker and I can’t stop using it!

The great thing with this cupcake maker is that it also make muffins and it bakes the batter in just 10 minutes! Can’t beat that when you’re in rush like me this morning and want fresh muffins.

Now that it’s spring, farmers markets are popping up all over the place and I love fresh produce so today’s Tasty Tuesday we’ll be making blueberry muffins with the Sunbeam Cupcake Maker!

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups self-raising flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

9 tablespoons butter, melted, cooled

1/2 cup milk

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Tasty Tuesday!

I know it’s technically Wednesday and I’m supposed to write a Tasty Tuesday post, but I just got back to my apartment after a long day of not being home since 9am this morning. I’m still going post a recipe for Tuesday though (because I already picked one out).

So anyways, I was on Twitter this afternoon and noticed that Shape Magazine tweeted an article about 10 great artichoke dips.

Even though I’m not a total fan of artichoke dip ,the article gave me the idea to do today’s Tasty Tuesday  on spinach and artichoke dip because I am completely obsessed.

I love spinach and artichoke dip because it’s a great treat to share while having a girls night. When having friends over, I love to be a great host by serving great food and wine. Needless to say, I searched and searched for the most healthy recipe I could find. So here it is:

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

4 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves (4 oz.)

1 package (8oz.) 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

Easter Wardrobe

Easter is next Sunday and brunch is something my parents and I always did as family when I was little. Since I started college five years ago, we’ve been making other plans but now we’re starting up the tradition again and I’m really looking forward to it.

My mom called today to confirm our traditional plans for Easter and I just came to the realization that I have nothing to wear to bunch with the family.

Needless to say, I’ve been online shopping all day and came up with some options for not just myself but to also share with others who might be going to Easter brunch as well!

Not only have I been searching for the perfect Easter outfit, but one can’t dare to forget shoes (I’ve also been searching for those too). All dresses and shoes are under $50 so even on a budget like myself, you can still look great!

Macy

JCPenney Pleat Top Dress: $49.99

JCPenney Floral Print Dress: $39.99

Tasty Tuesday!

With my return to writing my blog on a regular basis, I thought I would kick things off with a new weekly post. Tasty Tuesday will include dishes from breakfast to cocktails and every meal and snack in between. Seeing as how I had Mexican tonight I’m now inspired to write tonight’s blog recipe about Healthy Chicken Fajitas with only 160 calories per serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Chile powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 uncooked chicken breasts (4oz each) 

Make Tonight a Healthy Night

When I’m home from school I like to cook dinner for my parents and I. Growing up there was never a night when we didn’t have a family meal together. So I come home from college I like to carry on that tradition and give my mom a break and cook myself. After reading and going through eatingwell.com I found a healthy pasta recipe that’s quick to make so I can spend more time with my parents while I’m home.

Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms & Basil

Servings: 4, 1 1/2 cups each

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest (optional)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper (optional)
• 8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine (or spaghetti)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped basil

Online Workouts

I’m a huge fan of Shape Magazine and it’s website. Every month I look forward to getting my subscription of Shape in the mail and read instantly. I read so fast because it’s my favorite magazine and I love it so much that I get sad when I realize I’ve read front to back. Sometimes I’ll read it a second time because that how much I enjoy the magazine. On those days where I can’t enough Shape I visit their website to what else I can obtain from this great company.

I thought I’ve discovered just about everything on the Shape website. However, it turns out I was wrong when I recently discovered great workout videos I can watch right from my laptop in seconds. They don’t just have workout videos either. They have how to videos, commentary from the celebrities they’ve had on the Shape cover and even videos from celebrities trainers. How perfect is this?! I’ve been getting tired of my current workout DVDs so this is great substitute for a quick workout when I can’t make it to the gym.

 

Dress to Celebrate

With the holidays upon us and New Years Eve only weeks away I want to talk about the different trends that happening this winter season. Here you’ll find the perfect party dress so you can look your best at any holiday party! Because it’s the holidays you’re probably thinking with all that gift  shopping you’ve been doing, you can’t afford to shop for yourself but you’re wrong. And because I’m college student, I wanted to do this budget friendly so everything you see here won’t break the bank.

Holiday Trend #1: Sequins

Right: Jessica Simpson Collection $148

Left: Forever 21 $32.80

 

 

 

Holiday Trend #2: Colorful

Right: JCPenney $69.99

Left: Charlotte Russe $36.50

 

 

 

Enjoy Cookies this Holiday Season

My favorite thing during the holiday season besides shopping till  I drop is making Christmas cookies with my mom. It’s a tradition we’ve been doing together since I can remember and I always look forward to it mid-December. We jam out to Christmas music in the kitchen while baking and frosting for hours. When you spend an entire day baking delicious cookies, it’s hard not to over indulge and gain the lbs in the process. Because this mother-daughter tradition is coming up this weekend I did a little research to find a healthier cut-out cookie recipe. Cut-out cookies are my favorite Christmas cookies so I wanted to find a recipe that I could enjoy with a big glass of milk without feeling guilty because I’m trying to lose some extra weight. Thanks to the people at myrecipes.com I found the perfect recipe for making each cut-out cookie less than 100 calories.

Each batch makes about 45 cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Winter Fun

With the first major snow fall in Western New York, I can’t wait to get out on the slopes and enjoying skiing for another season. My best friend wanted to teach me how to ski and told me I had no choice but to join ski club at the age of 13. I’m glad she did because I’ve been skiing ever since. My all time favorite resort in WNY is Holiday Valley Resort, located in Ellicottville, NY. During the winter, Holiday Valley is my second home; that’s where I learned how to ski and I have a lot of great memories there.

Skiing, snowboarding, snow-shoeing, etc. is great way to get outside in the winter. They’re a great way to fit in your daily workout while getting a double dose of fun! 1 Hour of skiing allows your body to burn 413 calories (based on a 130lbs woman).

Healthy Holiday Fish

I’ve been currently looking for a healthy, but yet non-boring way to add fish to my diet. Thanks to the December issue of Shape Magazine and Executive Chef of Saul Restaurant and the Vanderbilt in Brooklyn, New York, Saul Bolton, I found the answer! It’s called Christmas Cod. Bolton got rid of the holiday pork but kept the omega-3 rich cod and protein-packed beans and added five kinds of veggie. YUM!

Christmas Cod: Serves 4, Prep Time 15 minutes, Total Time 45 minutes

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1 medium onion, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 white turnup, peeled and diced

1 parsnip, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, minced, divided

1/4 teaspoon pimenton (smoked paprika)

1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained and rinsed.

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high; add veggies and half the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add pimenton and bay leaf and cook for two minutes, then add beans and cook for about three minutes or until just heated through. Add remaining  garlic and kale and cook for four minutes.
• Season fillets with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in a saute pan over medium-high. Lay cod in pan and cook for three to four minutes or until a brown crust forms. Flip, then cook for two to three minutes more; remove from pan.
• Divide vegetable-bean mixture among four bowls and top with cod; finish with a squeeze of lemon.