A to Z

Hello All!

Things have been busy as can be over here. It is ok though because being busy makes me happy. I found this survey and I had some fun answering it!

A is for age: 23

B is for breakfast today: Earnest Eats Cran/orange zest bar & giant cup of coffee (eaten to-go)

C is for currently craving: shockingly nothing, I have a stomach ache from my multiple dinners!

D is for dinner tonight:  does snacking before count? hmmm well lets see #1 big salad & chocolate/ice cream and #2 then a small grilled cheese with milk

E is for favorite type of exercise: recently, YOGA and BODYPUMP (I’m finding I really like weight training)

F is for an irrational fear: too many to mention…but when I little I was afraid of crossing the road

G is for gross food: Okra (the slime=ew)

H is for hometown: London, England

I is for something important: family, friends, financial responsibility

J is for current favorite jam: bon mamam raspberry. THE BEST store-bought jam.

K is for kids: 0

L is for current location: my bed

M is for the most recent way you spent money: At the Gap. On a bathing suit and chambray shirt.

N is for something you need: ……I’m so blessed as it is. But I want health, happiness, and oh $$ for school

O is for occupation: Sales…But hopefully in the future I will be an Occupational Therapist

P is for pet peeve: dumb comments

Q is for a quote: “Live with intention. walk to the edge. listen hard. practice wellness. play with abandon. laugh. choose with no regret. continue to learn. appreciate your friends. do what you love. live as if this is all there is.”

R is for random fact about you: I lived in Tokyo,Japan when I was a baby for a year

S is for favorite healthy snack: any type of fruit

T is for favorite treat: ice cream!

U is for something that makes you unique: I am have dual citizenship

V is for favorite vegetable: spinach

W is for today’s workout: babysitting (that counts right) getting kids in and out of cars is hard work!

X is for X-rays you’ve had: elbow, teeth

Y is for yesterday’s highlight: it was the start of my weekend and cinco de mayo

Z is for your time zone: EST

Once Upon a time

Hey Beautiful Blog!

Things have been really wonderful over here. I just got back from spending the past two days in Philadelphia, we were there for my boyfriend’s Fraternity chartering banquet, and over all I’m in an amazing mood! I love Philly so much and hope to live there in the future.

But lets rewind… let me tell you a story  (aka the highlights from my week ala instagram)

Once upon a time….I made dinner for my family. Stir fry greens & mushroom with tons of delicious garlic and coconut oil, chicken, rice, and avocado. Everyone was happy.

Also during  that time I became obsessed with sunsets. Full fledged obsession in which I spend hours talking about the hues and richness of color in the sky. They make me happy.

Add to list flowers….I’m weird and like to talk about sunsets and flowers all. day. long.

But seriously Wisteria is so stunning! So are lilacs, daffodils, and pansies!

 
oh and fast forward to the weekend…there was this time I got all dressed up. Fancy pants dressed up. It was wonderful. I spent the evening with a prince.

The next day I walked for 5 hours through a gorgeous city and shortly after a shoe change was in order. I bought TOMS. I love them already.

THE END

But not really! Here are some other shots of my trip to Philly

Moshulu…where the banquet was held. so BEAUTIFUL.

Dinner!

Bite taken out of the side

Dessert!

Next Day at the Reading Terminal Market

Although I have been here countless times I always LOVE spending a good hour or two there. They have every food, meal, and dish known to man and its just delicious.

Well I am just so tired. Have a wonderful weekend and I happy Sunday. I have Yoga in the morning! (Woohoo to getting back on the working out bandwagon!)

Bites

Sorry I have been MIA recently. A family member of mine was hospitalized on Wednesday (and is doing better) but I have been caught up with that.

That being said my meals this week have been random and not so memorable. I did manage to snap some pictures of the highlights…

This juicy grapefruit as big as the bowl

This easy, fast, and protein rich snack. Although it was missing some crunch!

Smash burger date! Delicious and indulgent. I had the burger salad and the fried pickles!!

Lastly sushi from last night. Two rolls split with my uncle. One was shrimp tempura topped with spicy salmon/crab meat. The second one was called the devils roll and it was tuna, salmon, avocado, topped with roe. So delicious.

Easter & Flourless dark chocolate cake

Happy Easter Sunday from my family to yours!

Today my Nana, my mom, my Uncle, and his soon to be wife Leslie and I enjoyed a delicious lunch together.

(Sadly my Dad is in London and my brother had to work, restaurants don’t close on Easter I guess)

I was in charge of the dessert!

Now I am no wizard in the kitchen, but this cake I made for my family is insanely heavenly. With as little as 6 ingredients I had everyone at the table swooning. I found the recipe here and made just a few adaptations.

P.s. I really like this blog. I don’t follow the Paleo diet but I have recently cut out wheat from majority of my diet because my tummy really does act funky sometimes. I’ve tried no dairy (that didn’t stick) and a diet low in meat (that definitely did not stick) and since the elimination of wheat my stomach has been feeling GREAT.

Any who following the recipe I gathered the following ingredients:

;

The adaptations I made were the following:

Instead of 3/4th cup maple syrup— I used 4 tablespoons Maple/Agave blend

Instead of 18 oz bitter sweet chocolate—I used the TJs dark chocolate & 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate

Then I topped my cake with cocoa and pansies (which are edible & beautiful!)

The chocolate and coconut oil melting in the double boiler.

p.s. my manicure is still holding up!

Mixing in the 6 eggs + water + maple/agave syrup— stirring vigorously! make sure you wear an apron or you will end up with chocolate all over your sweatshirt

I dusted the pan with cocoa, put it in the pan, and then placed in a water bath. Baked at 275. The recipe called for 50 minutes but I let my cake cook for 65 because it just looked too wet.

I let it cool room temperature for about an hour, took it out of the pan, and then cooled it in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.

Cake cutting pose! Don’t mind my tired eyes I stayed up wayyyyy to late last night.

Overall we decided this cake basically tastes like truffles. Its hugely decadent and rich. In my personal opinion I’d rather eat a cake like this than one with flour. Happy Easter!

Confessions

#1. I have not been documenting my eats these past couple of days. As a wanna be food blogger this is just shameful. Not to mention my pictures are crap. (but I’ll stop hating on myself ) I don’t know if its because I’m busy or things are just hectic, but half my meals are eaten on the move, from the fridge Tupperware directly to my mouth, or plainly I’m too tired/starving to remember to take a picture and I just shovel food in <— Note to self: terrible ways to eat!

The only picture I did capture all weekend was this amazing GREASE fest my friends and I had during a Birthday trip to Atlantic City. I got an awesome wrap with chicken, provolone, and spinach + ate my friends fries.

Plastic trays and all

And this homemade chicken & rice soup doctored with spinach that I guzzled down for dinner

yummy

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#2 I usually don’t treat myself to manicures because A. I think they are over priced B. I get bored with my colors C. I have an awesome collection of nail polishes that I use all the time (obessed with anything ESSIE) and D. My nails always chip (probably because I bite them)…..

however after a ton of nail envy from my friends who love SHELLAC (or gels) I finally caved.

I am in LOVE. 24$ for these shiny beauties that can withstand my nail chipping & biting ways. Not to mention they took legit 2 minutes to set, instead of waiting for them to dry! and they are supposed to last up to 3 weeks, I’ll keep you updated.

RUBY’S ON MY FINGERS

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#3 I love flowers and can waist endless amounts of time looking at them/taking pictures. && this summer my goal is to take some tips from my amazingly talented gardener mother and maybe grow a flower…. Our garden seedlings are going to start sprouting soon!

coral pink daffodils? LOVE

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#4  This is hilarious. I spent way to much time laughing at this and texting it to every person in my phone book. I have a dog and a Cat, and to be honest I think this is truly how they feel.

Sunset therapy

Hii there!

It’s been a hectic week so please excuse my absence. My dear Nana just moved into our house so getting her adjusted and comfortable has been the first priority. But I’m really glad she is at her new home with her family.

My meals throughout the week have been random and sporadic. Here are some of the ones I actually remembered to capture!

[oatmeal with chia, strawberries, pb, and agave]

[Home packed salad: arugula with sprouts,asparagus, and steak]

Sorry don’t mind my desk and big gulp aka diet coke aka liquid crack (I know its bad but I just love a fountain soda sometimes)

[random sushi selection and seaweed salad nom nom nom]

[Dijon Salmon with greens (made by my neighbor) cashew cookie Larabar]

Now onto my blog title! Yesterday I was in a pretty-no good-stressed out-crabby mood for various reasons. And it was about 6pm while Pete and I were driving down the highway and I saw this

and I instantly started to smile. Maybe it was the rush of vitamin D but I honestly felt blast of relief and wave of peace. The overwhelming beauty and sense of calm sunsets bring to the world is remarkable. I don’t know if I’m the only one who feels this but either way I was grateful.

So there ya have it, want some cheap therapy, just stare into the distance and take a couple deep breaths!