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Thursday, May 28, 2015

Loving Lunchtime | Healthy Recipes

Hello lovely reader! It's almost Friday!! Seeing as summer is basically upon us, I know many people want to eat healthy and be active, maybe make good on those New Years resolutions that have been sitting on a shelf for the past few months. So, if you're on that boat, then I'm sailing right along with you. While I was away at school, I made a conscious effort to eat healthy and be active (no freshman fifteen was going to come anywhere near me). Granted walking around campus everyday rather than driving everywhere makes quite a difference as well. Now that I am home though, I'm not walking everywhere, so I am making an extra special effort to remain as active as I was before as well as be aware of what I am eating. Throughout the year I had been saving recipes from various blogs, that sounded tasty and were also rather healthy, so I thought it would be nice to share my current three favorite dishes with you. I have made and liked all of them (I am not just going to throw things out there unless I like them). Hopefully you will too and we can make this a regular thing, I know I love trying new recipes especially ones that create healthier options when deciding what to eat. Enjoy!




This first recipes comes from the "Fitness Magazine" website. It is a Baja Style Chicken Bowl. This dish is extremely simple, quick, and customizable. For me, I like to use brown rice, chicken, corn, black beans, shredded cheddar jack cheese, and salsa. I find that it is satisfying as well as filling.

Baja Style Chicken Bowl
-Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat 
-Sauté 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper, 1/4 cup frozen corn, 1/4 cup black beans, and 2 ounces diced cooked chicken 5 minutes 
-Season with salt and pepper to taste
-Spoon chicken mixture over 1/2 cup cooked brown rice and top with 1/4 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons shredded Monterey Jack



This recipe has been my favorite of the three. It is a Grilled Tex-Mex Chicken and Quinoa Wrap and it is delicious! Guacamole, chicken, quinoa, and salsa...yes! I combine all the ingredients, put it in my panini maker and away we go. I found it on the blog "Half-baked Harvest" which has loads of different recipes. Quinoa is a great substitute for rice and I have found that you can get it at around the same price. 

(This recipe is for 4 wraps)
Wraps
  • 4 whole wheat tortillas
  • 1 pound boneless chicken breast
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 1 red pepper, sliced thin
  • 2 cups spinach
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • Spicy Tex Mex Sauce
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • pinch of salt + pepper
Preheat your grill to medium high heat.
In a medium size bowl combine the chicken, olive oil and taco seasoning. Toss well. When the grill is hot, grill the chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from the grill and allow to rest five minutes. After five minutes slice the chicken into strips. Set aside.
To assemble the wraps create and assembly line of ingredients (spinach, quinoa, spicy Tex-Mex sauce, sliced chicken, sliced red pepper, sliced avocado, cheddar cheese and cilantro). Warm the tortillas in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Working with one tortilla at a time lay the spinach towards one end of the tortilla, place about 1/4 cup of the quinoa on top of the spinach and then drizzle a few tablespoons of the Tex-Mex sauce over the quinoa. Layer 1/4 of the sliced chicken on top and the add a few slices of the red pepper and avocado. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and add a few fresh cilantro leaves.
To roll the wrap, fold the sides over the line of food and then roll the tortilla tightly up. Place the wraps directly on the preheated grill and grill for two minutes and then turn ad grill the other side for two minutes. Remove from the grill and if desired cut in half. Serve with remaining sauce.
To make the sauce combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Season to taste. Use in the wraps and then serve with the wraps for dipping.


Last but not least is this Cauliflower Crust Pizza, which I found on "POPSUGAR Fitness". The trick to this pizza is that the crust if made from cauliflower, which cuts the amount of carbs significantly! If you prefer a crispier crust make sure to pat the dough very thin, that was the only issue I had when making mine, but it still tasted great!


Nonstick spray
2 1/2 cups cauliflower, grated (about 1/2 a large head)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Fresh basil leaves, optional
Directions
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and preheat oven to 425ºF. 
Grate the cauliflower using a box grater until you have two cups of cauliflower crumbles. Place in a large bowl and microwave for seven to eight minutes, or until soft. Remove from the microwave and let cool.
Mix in the egg, one cup mozzarella, parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat into a 10-inch round on the prepared pizza pan. Spray lightly with nonstick spray and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden.
Top the pizza with the sauce, 1/4 cup mozzarella, grape tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes. Top with basil before serving.

Are there any healthier recipes that you are loving? If you give any of these a try, I'd love to see! Feel free to link in the comments or tweet me @NEPlainJane Xx

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Fashion Facts | OOTD

Hello lovely reader! Today I wanted to share a quick and easy, casual OOTD with you. I love a good graphic tee, especially ones that are different or have a a good quote, something a bit out of the ordinary. Zara is definitely a go to for just that and even more so if you catch when they are having a sale. 


"Percent daily values are based on every day is a fashion show and the world is your runway." I absolutely love this shirt that is in fact from Zara. I got it a couple of months ago, which can be seen in this haul.

High waisted denim shorts = closet must

Comfy and cute black stappy sandals tie the outfit together nicely.

I kept my makeup pretty natural looking and pulled my hair up with a black scrunchie.

What did you wear today?? Xx

Friday, May 22, 2015

Sweet Simplicity | Naked Carrot Cake

Hiya lovely reader! Happy Friday! Today I wanted to share a recipe with you for a delicious and pretty cake. Now if you saw my post from "World Baking Day", you will know that I mentioned wanting to try and bake a "naked cake", more specifically a one for my mom's belated birthday. Well, yesterday I did just that and am quite please with how it turned out. First a little background though about what a "naked cake" is because if you are unfamiliar with this term, it could sound a bit scandalous (I promise it's not). So, basically it is a layer cake that is only iced on the top and in between the cakes. They can be filled with anything and everything from fresh fruits to chocolates and candy bars. The cake I baked was a carrot cake with brown sugar cream cheese icing. The recipes are below. Enjoy!



(The recipe listed below is for 9" pans, I used two 6" pans so I just divided everything in half and it worked perfectly)

Carrot Cake Recipe: 
3 cups of grated carrots
4 eggs
2 cups of sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of chopped pecans

-Pre-heat the oven to 350º
-Pour the oil over the chopped carrots
-Add the eggs and sugar and then mix
-Add the flour (gradually), salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and the pecans
-Mix well
-Pour the batter into baking pans
-Bake for 40-45 min. (if you use smaller pans like I did, it will take less time, I set the timer initially  for 20 minutes, and then checked them in increments of 5 minutes)

(I also halved the icing recipe and still had some left over, so if you like a bit more icing and make smaller cakes, you should have enough)

Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Icing:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cups of margarine
4 cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Brown Sugar

Mix all these ingredients together and then add the brown sugar in increments of tablespoons until it is to your liking.


Have you baked any naked cakes? What recipes do you like? Xx

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Mother's Day | TBT

Hi lovely reader! Today I thought I'd do a throwback to a couple of Sunday's ago when it was  Mother's Day. This day is special to me as I am very close to my mom and she means the world to me. I've found that as I've gotten older and certain events have come up in life that I've began to take Mother's Day more seriously, meaning that I put the extra effort in to make it a special day for my mom, and remind her how much I love and appreciate her. I decided after this year that I am going to make a point to be with my mom on this day or an elected "Mother's Day" each year. Seeing as I went away to school, this year was to be the first year that I would not automatically be with her. However, I called my dad and we made arrangements that I would come in town and surprise her. So with flowers in hand I knocked on my back door an obnoxious amount of times and surprised the lovely women I call my mother. She was thrilled and said she had no idea, so the surprise was a success! On Sunday, we had a barbecue with at my house with my grandparents. The weather was super nice and we spent the afternoon sitting outside on the patio. I took a bunch of pictures that day, mostly personal ones, but I wanted to share some with you! 


(I saw this on tumblr and thought it was too cute not the share)

First, here is what I wore, I wanted to keep it comfy and casual but still look nice. Paisley printed pants, a white t-shirt, and tasseled sandals. I curled my hair and pinned it in a halo braid, and kept my jewelry minimal with some triangle earrings and a coordinate bangle bracelet. 

We started off the morning with some warm, flaky, icing covered cinnamon rolls. Yes! 

The lovely flowers for my lovely mom!

How did you celebrate Mother's Day? Xx




Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Cheeky Quote Tuesday


Love! Cara Delevingne posted these on Instagram and if anyone knows if/or where these are sold let me know!! Xx


Monday, May 18, 2015

Butter Me Up and Cool Me Down | iPhone Snaps

Hello lovely reader! Here are a round-up of iPhone pics from my final days at school. Happy scrolling! 

I love love love this body butter! The packaging is adorable, it smells amazing, and is a great moisturizer.

Feeling swish with my cool lime refresher on a Sunday afternoon. 

I'm actually quite punctual.

Orange Leaf = Wedding cake + strawberries + oreo, yes please!

Some sun, a picnic blanket, and a pair of Havianas make a make for a lovely outdoor study session.

Ice cream, movies, and friends.

What have you been up to? Xx

Sunday, May 17, 2015

World Baking Day 2015!

Hello lovely readers! I hope you are having a nice Sunday. Today is "World Baking Day"! This day is meant to be all about reminding someone who matters how much you care about them. I personally love baking! My mom is an amazing baker, so I try to pick up tips from her and definitely have grown up loving baking. Now that I am older I am more into trying out new recipes that I see in magazines or on blogs. I also like the artistic side of it, decorating cakes and cookies (not to brag but I can create some pretty on point gingerbread people). So in honor of this sweet day, I thought I'd link all my baking posts in one so that if you are looking for a recipe to try or just wanna have a scroll you can! Even if you don't consider yourself a baker, even a simple sugar cookie can go a long way! The World Baking Day website has tons of recipes! Happy Baking!!!








The next thing I really want to try and bake is a "naked cake"! I think they're so pretty and dainty! This one on DesignLoveFest looks amazing!

What do you like to bake? Any recipes you'd like to share? Xx

Tuesday, May 12, 2015