Tea with the Bride-to-Be!

A Bride-to-Be and a Sip of Tea!

In honor of our lovely co-author Grace 

walking down the aisle soon

I thought it was appropriate to share a glimpse into her bridal shower. 

Bridal showers are wonderful.

They are happy

A time to celebrate love

But lets be honest, 

for the bridesmaids who have to plan it

It can be a bit intimidating and a lot of pressure. 

So here are my stress-free tips to planning a bridal shower

Tip #1: Pick A Theme

Parties that have a theme are so much fun! They set a tone for your event 

and it allows your guests to get involved.

 Why not suggest a certain attire? 

 If your theme is a fiesta.. suggest tropical attire or sombreros.

Hosting a brunch?....sundresses

A traditional shower? ..suggest that the guest wear the brides wedding colors.

Make it fun!

For Grace's shower we choose to have a Tea Party theme!

On the invitation we suggested wearing your favorite tea attire of sundresses and hats!

Everyone loved dressing up.

Tip #2: Pick a Color Pallet

By picking a color pallet you can enhance your theme and make everything cohesive.

By adding to make colors in the mix, your decor might end up looking mis-matching and confused. 

Keep it simple. 

For the tea party we focused on light pink and pastel purple.

Tip #3: Details, details, details

Decor can set the mood for your guests. No need to go crazy on the budget. Its amazing what a little tissue paper, candles, and flowers can do. Keeping your theme and colors in mind will help guide you. You cant go wrong.

Try a chalk board sign, homemade bunting banner, and mason jars with flowers for easy decor.

We were so blessed to have our cousin Emily Moher 

create these BEAUTIFUL flower arrangements for the tables!

Tip #4: Food

This aspect of party planning can be the most stressful and lets be honest, pricey. 

The best way to keep your guest and your wallet happy is quantity over variety. Keep your menu simple. 

Most showers are hosted in the afternoon or late morning when its common to have a lighter lunch. 

Think finger food. Something that the guests can socialize and eat at the same time.

We served a fruit salad, veggie platter with dip, deli roll ups (aka pin wheels), pasta salad and a variety of dessert items. This menu was simple and best of all we could do a lot of the prep work the day before. 

 For beverages we served hot tea, ice tea, 

lemon and cucumber infused water and wine (well it is my family after all)

I hope you found some of these tips helpful when planning your event.

Congrats Grace! We are so excited for your big day!

Recipe: Bacon Chicken Pasta Bake

As a working  mother of two crazy toddlers

I need dinner ideas that are not only delicious,

 but easy!

.........Bacon..chicken..broccoli.....

what could be better?

What is great about this recipe is that its great as leftovers

so you can easily pack it for lunch the next day.

Bacon Chicken Pasta Bake

Serves 12

What you need:

4  cups uncooked bow-tie pasta 

1 bag frozen broccoli

6 slices bacon

1 large sweet onion, chopped  

 

1 Tbs Minced garlic 

1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh baby portabella mushroom- sliced

2  cups shredded cooked chicken

 *Time saving tip* Cook a whole chicken a head of time, shred and freeze in smaller portions to pull out for other quick meals. 

1 jars (15 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce 

(feel free to add more if you like it really creamy, I prefer it more like a casserole consistency)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

 

 

What to do:

 

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray. 

 

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add frozen broccoli last 5 minutes. Drain and return to pan.

 

3. Meanwhile- Cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Set bacon aside and drain the majority of bacon drippings. In the same pan, saute chopped onions, garlic and sliced mushrooms until onions become translucent. 

 

4. Mix together pasta mixture, Alfredo sauce, onions, mushrooms and 1/2 cup of the cheese. Spread in prepared baking dish.

5. Top with bacon crumbles and remaining Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve with a leafy side salad. 

 

Enjoy!

 

Wellness: Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing is a breathing technique that I have learned during the Yoga Certification journey I am currently undergoing.  Are you feeling stressed or overwhelmed? This breathing technique is a fantastic way to calm the mind and bring clarity to your emotions. Its one that I use to bring myself to the moment when I feel high anxiety. 

Benefits:

• Balances the right and left hemisphere of the brain
• Instills clarity to your mind and emotions
• Guides your thoughts to the present moment
• Alleviates headaches and feelings of high anxiety
• Helps to normalize the heating and cooling systems of your body

Begin in a comfortable seated position. Begin with a few rounds of full inhales and exhales. 

Bring your right hand out lifting the pinky and thumb out. Support your right elbow with your left hand.

Place your thumb on your right nostril to close it and exhale out of your left nostril.

Inhale deeply through your left nostril

Hold your breath and release your thumb.

Continue to hold your breath while place your pinky on your left nostril.

Exhale out of your right nostril.

Inhale in your right nostril and hold your breath.

Continue to hold your breath while releasing your pinky and placing your thumb and your right nostril.

Step 4:

Continue this pattern of inhales and exhales. 

It may be helpful to say to yourself " Inhale-left, exhale right." until you become comfortable without guidance.

Health Hint: Do not practice if you have a cold or your nasal passages are completely blocked in any way. If this is the case for you, practice using visualization instead of physically blocking nostrils.

Recipe: Not Your Blue Box Mac and Cheese

Oh mac and cheese, 

Who doesn't love a good comfort food

or have it as a staple as a childhood favorite. 

It's so easy to have mac and cheese these days,

and most people grab for that beloved little blue box.

Sadly, that little blue box doesn't love us back...

.. Most of us forget to turn to the ingredient list 

and see what's REALLY in the food we eat.

.. petroleum base dyes and GMO wheat. 

(scary! this can be proven to link to hyperactivity in children) 

Sorry little blue box, 

you are no more welcome for my family to eat!

But how can you give up your kid friendly go-to lunch?

No need, just make your own REAL mac and cheese.

Its easier than you think and you only need THREE ingredients!

Yes, I did just say three ingredients.. Milk, cheddar cheese and noodles! 

Home-style Mac & Cheese

Serves 4

1. Place 3 cups of milk into a saucepan and combine with 2 cups elbow macaroni (I used organic light wheat)

2. Heat to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender. Making sure to stir here and there so your noodles don't burn. 

3. Once noodles are tender, mix in (roughly)1 1/2 cups of freshly grated cheddar cheese until melted. If you'd like it creamier, mix in a few more tablespoons of milk

*may add a dash of salt if you prefer for taste.

4. Once everything is combined and melted, serve up in some bowls and enjoy!

 ** Want to know about the dangers of the "little blue box" - check out Food Babe and her article warning against it.

Wellness: The Power of Aloe!

For those of you who do not know me personally,

my daughters and myself suffer from eczema.

My whole life I have been battling my darn sensitive skin

and nothing has seemed to help.

I've tried the different  prescribed steroid base cream,

but putting so much of that on my skin always made me feel uneasy.

 There must be a better and natural way to reduce inflammation.

One way to reduce inflammation of the skin

is changing your diet.

The other is using all-natural remedies.. like aloe!

Oh Aloe, aloe, aloe....

...such a small weird looking plant..

...but so much POWER!!

Many of you know aloe from your makeup and lotions.

It has great healing properties for skin inflammation, burns and sunburns!

(nice, huh?)

Aloe can be bought in stores,

but why buy aloe when you can grow your own?

and it keeps reproducing!!

Yes, ladies! Aloe can be grown as a house plant!

Extracting your aloe is easy. Simply cut off a a leaf and make a slit lengthwise.

Squeeze the gel out and apply to skin!  

 All natural and soothing!

Start your plants now and you'll be set for summer!

Happy natural healing!

*If you are taking other herbal remedies, please consult your doctor to make sure aloe will not interact negatively with your current prescriptions and herbal remedies. Do not have children ingest aloe orally. Please consult pediatrician before use.

Recipe: Avocado Egg Breakfast

Avocados is a great fruit to add to your morning diet. According to MedicalNewsToday.com avocados have numerous health benefits such as healthy fats, vitamins, fiber and protein. I like to start my morning off with a nutritional energy and protein packed boost and this is my go-to breakfast addition. Its so simple! Tasty additions are salsa, chives or salt and pepper.

Ingredients and Tools:

2 avocados

2 eggs

Cutting board

Knife

Spoon

Muffin Tin

Oven

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and cut the avocados in half.

2. Take out the pit. Spoon out a small amount of the "guts" to create room for the egg.

3. Place avocados in muffin tin

4. Crack eggs and pour into avocado. 

5. Set pan in oven and let bake for 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Crock Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Calling all busy Ladies!!

Here is a great crock pot and freezer friendly meal! 

For those who are just joining us, you will soon learn that I am a little obsessed with freezer friendly meals. Soo easy!

  Today I made Teriyaki Chicken over Rice. SUPER EASY! The best thing about this recipe too is that you can prep it before hand and freeze it all in a Ziploc freezer bag (my new best friend). Thaw and then dump it all into your slow cooker! Dinner is ready when you come home and only one bag to throw away! Easy clean up.


Makes two meals with 4 servings each.
(I made one today in the crock-pot and saved the other in the freezer for an easy meal later this month!)

 

What you need:

- Ziploc freezer bag (to store second meal)

- White rice

- 1 large can pineapple (undrained)

- 1 large onion (cut into large chunks)

- 1 medium bag of carrots

- 4 cloves garlic

- 1 green pepper- chopped in large chunks (optional: I have tons in the garden to use up)

- 4 chicken breasts- cut in half (I used tenderloins instead)

- 1 cup teriyaki sauce (if need GF, check label! there are some brands without wheat)

- Ginger powder to taste

Step 1: Cut up all veggies

Step 2: Label extra bag with directions and content.

           -Add 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

           -Cook on High-4 hours/ Low 8 hours

           -Serve over rice

Step 3: Add meat to bag and crock-pot

Step 4: Divide veggies and all other ingredients between the bag and cock-pot.

Step 5: Start crock pot for desired time. Press air of our bag, seal and freeze for a later meal (lay flat to freeze)

Step 6: Serve over hot rice when done.

This meal took me 10 minutes to prep. I now have a meal ready with barely any work and PLUS a meal with no prep later this month :)

 **When ready to use the frozen meal. Move to refrigerator to thaw (enough to slide out of bag), place contents of the bag in crock pot, turn on, and dinner will be ready when you get home!

Happy Cooking!

Recipe: No Fry French Fries

I love french fries but I don't love the unhealthy benefits of them. I found out how to make my own french fries that are extremely tasty and curb my craving.

Ingredients and tools:

• Baking Sheet
• Oven
• Paper towels or napkins
• 2 large potatoes, peeled.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400.
2. Cut potatoes in half horizontally; cut each half into fry sized pieces.
3. Place in a bowl of cold water.
4. Remove from water and dry thoroughly.
5. Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt.
6. Place fries on baking sheet
7. Bake until brown; flip occasionally.

Healthy Hint: you may substitute for other oils or potatoes.

Recipe: Crock-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This recipe was super quick to prepare and delicious! Will definitely make again and again! Plus, we had tons left over for lunches :)

Ingredients:

2 chicken  breasts- boneless/ skinless
2 cans Ro-Tel  (I used one can and then added diced fresh tomatoes)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn or 1 c frozen corn
1 onion, chopped
2 cans low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 cups of water
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp chile powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
corn tortilla chips (for topping)
sour cream (for topping)
shredded cheddar cheese (for topping)

Step 1: Place beans, corn, chopped onion, rotel, chicken broth, water and spices in Crock-Pot.

Step 2: Place chicken on top (make sure they are covered by some liquid)

Step 3: Cook on Low 8-9 hours or on High 6-7 hours. Take chicken out and shred, then mix back into soup.

Step 4: To serve, top with tortilla chips, sour cream and cheddar cheese.




 Happy Cooking!

Wellness: Tips to Survive Valentine's Day

Oh Valentine's Day, 

That one day a year that supposed to be full of love,

big romantic surprises, and admiration...

..but sadly the reality of this day for most of us

ends in disappointment...

Why is that?

I feel that most of us put so much pressure on this day.

-- If we are single, we dwell on the fact that we may not have that special someone 

to romance us and left with a feeling of  loneliness.

-- If we are in a relationship, we are often disappointed when our high-expectations for romantic gestures are left unmet by our significant other. 

Ladies, perhaps this sounds familiar? 

Here are some tips to get you out of the V-day blues and hopefully relieve some of that added pressure. 

1. Look at Valentine's Day like any other day of the year

Why is February 14 so darn special? This day does not define you or your relationship. This day only has as much significance as you let it.  If you are in a relationship, let everyday be an opportunity to show your love to one another, not just this one day. How your significant other expresses his or her love for you on a daily basis is probably how they will treat you on Valentine's day. Don't put that added stress and pressure on this day, it ends up making this day more of a chore then an enjoyable occasion for them.. If they do change things up and surprise you, be gracious and let your expectation go. 

2.  Pursue your significant other

Ladies there are no rules of dating anymore! If you have a specific vision on how you want this day to be celebrated, feel free to surprise them! You can always communicate with them and plan this day together.

3. Avoid sappy romantic movies

I know I love them too. But if you do choose to indulge in some good ol' chick flicks, just remember that this isn't reality. Relationships are hard and messy. They will never compare with the Hollywood version of love.

4. Try staying off social media

I love Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as much as the next person, but lets be honest, these social media outlets are not always good for us emotionally. Don't find yourself getting caught up comparing how you are celebrating (or not celebrating) to others. Your life and relationship is different then everyone else. This will only leave you feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.  Plus it's good to unplug once in a while to relax. Enjoy something for you. 

So ladies, take a moment to strip away all your expectations so you can do more then just survive Valentine's day.

 Do something for you and just relish in love.... love for those around you...most importantly... love for yourself!

Sending love to all you Dames!

DIY: Inspiration Board

Lately I have realized that I have lost my motivational momentum. I have found when I frequently view images and encouraging words that I get more done and eat cleaner. In honor of my yearning to keep on the path of success I have started my fiance and I decided to create an inspiration board for our living room. I encourage you to try to make one as well!

Supplies:

• Cork board ( to keep the look classy purchase one with a frame)
• Flat tacks
• Magazines that inspire you

Instructions:

1. Hang up cork board in a frequent focal point of your home. 
2. Go through your magazines and cut out pictures and words that give you that feeling of motivation. (you will recognize it as the feeling you get that you want to start doing your dream activity this instant!)
3. Tack the pictures up in a way that makes your board pleasant to look at.
4. You are done! Feel free to add or remove pictures and words as your goals change!

Hint: When creating your board please put up healthy inspirations. You should put up things that inspire you to do beautiful things in your life and to lift you up, not beautiful people you want to look like and shoes you want to buy. You need to look within for happiness.

Recipe: Juicy Roasted Chicken

Have you ever wanted to roast your own chicken, but the though of prepping it and roasting it yourself is just scaring you away? Never fear! It is WAY easier than you think. Whether you are a seasoned pro in the kitchen or just learning how to cook, this recipe is for you!

My husband is not a fan of chicken, unless it's moist and hidden within dishes.  So, I'm always trying new chicken recipes that he will enjoy.

Tonight was my second time making this recipe and both times was absolutely delicious. The celery keeps it so moist and the meat falls right off the bone. Plus, we now have lots of leftovers for future recipes!

What you need:

1 (3 lb) whole chicken- with giblets removed

1 celery stalk, cut into 3 larger pieces

1/2 c. butter

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Step 2: Place chicken in roasting pan. Add 3 tablespoons and celery pieces inside the chicken cavity.

Step 3: Rub the remaining butter all over the outside of the chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Step 4: Bake uncovered for 1 hr 45 min (until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees). Remove from heat and let rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

Wellness: Self Love

Self love takes hard work.Lately I have been feeling a little off balance and wanted to share my realizations with you about how to find yourself, feel more authentic and come back to reality.

"If you can take care of yourself, you can give more to everything else."- Miranda Kerr
Your body and mind need to be taken care of properly otherwise they won't give you the experience that you need in this life. I realized this when I found myself engulfed in what the media and other people were doing, saying and wearing and forgot to slow down and listen to the most important person, myself. I let my feelings of being stuck, unsuccessful, and self-doubt become an excuse to lose motivation for tasks that make me feel good such as working out, eating clean, and positive thoughts. In yoga there is a theory that there are two fighting factors in your head. One is your intuition. The other is your ego. Your ego is that voice in your head that says negative and self doubtful comments to you about your body, life, dreams.. you name it, it will fight against it. Your intuition is that feeling you get when you feel happy, confident, energetic and positive. Meditation, eating clean, and exercise are things that bring us back to our intuition. It is a daily struggle to do the things that help your body because the ego promotes laziness, fear, and self doubt which makes us fail to promote the positive things in life. From this quote I remember the lesson that you need to fight against the ego  to take care of yourself in order to help your body and intuition shine.   


"There is nothing more rare, nor more beautiful than a women being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me that is the true essence of beauty." -Steve Maraboli
When I was feeling down about my self worth it caused me to to stop taking care of myself and start admiring others such as celebrities and successful friends. I viewed them as having better qualities, looks and lives than I did. I found myself stressed when I thought about my daily tasks almost as if to think that some people do not have to deal with the same daily stress and self esteem issues. I clearly needed to WAKE UP!  Every person has the same insecurities and daily stress that they encounter every day. The secret to being accepting of your life and achievements is to realize that you can only look within for happiness and that every human is equally as important. You need to fight against those negative feelings. Individuals that you admire have worked hard  to obtain their achievements and with those achievements comes twice as much stress and insecurities to overcome. I have found that when I get stressed because of the fear of failure or overwhelmed with tasks I just sit still, breath, and repeat the idea that absolutely no one is perfect. All you can do in situations where you feel less than perfect is relax, realize your mistakes and decide on actions to take to make the situation better. 


"Non-violence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him." _Martin Luther King, Jr.
Hate is such a strong feeling. Accepting to feel that way is the easy route. I have learned, when I was engulfed in jealousy,  hate and negativity, that holding those feelings against someone only weighs you down. When I am extremely angry or stressed at someone I try to stop, recollect, breath and view their side. I do not judge if it is "right" or "wrong", I only try and understand. The ego tries to make us feel these hateful feelings so that we are disconnected from other people who , potentially, will help us learn a lesson. By accepting the challenge of understanding the other person you may start to see that they are harboring insecurities and stress. Their insecurities and stress actually has nothing to do with you as a person. For example when I started my new job I was hired on with no prior experience. I would become stressed when I was given a bad review and given constructive criticism on how to change. I started to build up resentment against my boss and self hatred to myself. When I took a step back and cleared my head I realized that my boss was only trying to help me complete the work that I needed to get done in order to succeed. I realized that, with no experience, I was doing a great job and working hard. I now take my job step by step and am not afraid to ask questions. Ever since I confronted my fears and stress I have been excelling in my new position. Life is a never-ending learning experience. Apart of learning involves making mistakes and to be accepting of that fact.

Recipe: Quick 'N' Easy Bacon Green Beans

Need a quick 'n' easy side dish to go with your protein?

Here is my all time favorite "go-to" side dish recipe!

What is great about this recipe is that you can customize it to feed 

your family or a crowd. 

I promise there is no real science to it...

but for those who need measurements (i usually eye-ball it)
here some basic ones....

What you need:

1 lb fresh green beans (trimmed)

1/2 Tbs minced garic

3-4 strips of bacon, sliced

3 Tbs Grapeseed oil or a clean oil of choice 

(I used roasted garlic grapeseed oil)

Step 1: Rinse and trim your green beans

Step 2: Slice bacon into little chunks, add to a medium sized skillet pan. Heat on medium heat for 1 minute.

Step 3: Add beans and garlic to the skillet with  bacon.

Step 4: Drizzle the grapeseed oil over beans, just enough to lightly coat when mixed. 

( I love grapeseed oil because its cholesterol free and one of the cleanest oils. Plus it has a higher burn temp, so it doesn't smoke in your eyes like olive oil)

Step 5: Saute on medium heat roughly 5 minutes or until bacon is cooked and you achieve desired tenderness (I like mine with a little sauteed color to them..yum!)

Serve with your favorite protein!

Enjoy!!






Wanna try a little twist?

Variation: Sub out the green beans for some fresh sliced Brussels spouts!

Happy Cooking!