Cupping

I am shamelessly a very curious person. I love to try new things and I google everything. Matt comes home to find me doing something insane and weird at least weekly, if not daily. If you read my old blog, you know about the disastrous Oil Cleansing Method I tried in January that left me with acne for the first time in my entire life. Of course that didn't stop me...

I've seen photos of Gwyneth Paltrow, Jen Aniston and various other athletes and celebs with circular bruises on their backs but never knew what it was from- turns out, CUPPING! Naturally, I had to try it. I did a bunch of research and apparently it's very effective for cellulite and other body woes.

I decided to purchase some Accucups online and with shipping it ran me about $25. I had no idea how to use them at first, which is why I ended up with a gigantic bruise covering my forehead:

Before:

 

The photo I sent my friends to show them what I was doing.

After:

 

Please note the circular bruise covering my forehead.

Apparently I was doing it wrong. I took a dab of olive oil and rubbed it over my thighs and suctioned the largest cup there. OUCH. HOLY SH*T. I knew I had finally figured it out because it hurt like a bitch. The oil allowed me to glide the cup slowly over the oil area and I felt it working. Matt stood and watched me squirm and yell, laughing at my ridiculousness. Free entertainment. 

Cupping pulls stagnant blood around and out from between fat/cellulite cells and gets it moving more easily. I'm going to keep trying this daily and see how it works- my thighs are covered in tiny bruises this morning so I know somethings working!

Update 1: Got a bruise on my back! The dark color is an indication of stagnant blood, which means I am doing it right!

Our Last-minute, Impromptu Gourmet BBQ

Saturday night my plans were foiled. Matt had invited some of our close friends over for dinner and I had this gourmet, healthy meal all planned out and ready to go and then I heard those dreaded words: "The fights are on tonight." Needless to say, my dinner plans had gone awry and it was on to plan b. Now, in my house, I don't like to do anything half-ass, so throwing some premade patties on the grill wasn't happening. I gave him a grocery list and sent him on his merry way and got to brainstorming how I could turn this into an awesome "gourmet" BBQ for nine.

The Burgers:

I made half with turkey and half with beef. I threw each in a huge bowl with feta, chopped mushrooms and diced onions and rolled each patty about 1 1/2 inches thick. They guys grilled them and they looked (and smelled) awesome.

The Buns:

I had him pick up whole wheat buns (for health, obviously) and because I didn't exactly have the time to made brioche buns from scratch, I mixed whole milk in a bowl with an egg, whipped them together and dipped each bun in the mix. The guys tossed them on the grill and voila! An impromptu "brioche" bun.

The Beans:

Baked beans can never just be from the can. If you don't have time to make them from scratch, there's always things you can add to spice them up- literally. I opened two large cans into a pot and warmed them. I threw in chopped up bacon, some BBQ sauce, a bit of ketchup, Louisiana hot sauce, cracked pepper, cayenne and red chili flakes. It really brought out a great, original flavor!

The Potato Salad:

My sister, whom I have never seen cook before, made the most amazing warm potato salad... almost like a mashed potato salad I guess? She took new potatoes (aka red potatoes) and boiled them until soft, then drained and mashed them with a ton of green onions, sour cream, some margarine and cracked pepper. I have a basil plant growing rampant so I chopped some up and threw it in- perfection!

The "Onion Rings":

My spiral slicer is my best friend. I ran two white onions through it, and in a seperate bowl I mixed together milk, two eggs, chili pepper, cracked pepper, and paprika. I dredged the onions in the mixture and then tossed them in a bowl of panko bread crumbs. Baked at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes and I ended up with a casserole type of dish to be scooped onto the burgers. 

The In-n-out Secret Sauce:

I wanted to come up with something else to set these burgers apart (as if the onions and feta brugers and "brioche" buns wouldn't do that) so I made my own version of In-n-out's secret sauce which is also very similar to the sauce at Gott's Roadside. It's just mayo (I buy mayo made with olive oil), ketchup, white vinegar, relish and pepper!


My sister and I, very proud of ourselves!

The Finished Product:

Bomb*

*Yes, I am still doing paper plates, plastic cups and utensils. I refuse to have to wash more dishes unnecessarily yet. My bridal shower is in a month, so I can wait until my kitchen is fully outfitted before I get to know that dishwasher any better ;)

Apple Cider Vinegar

I have heard about the magic of apple cider vinegar for many years but have never gotten around to a) buying it or b) trying it for anything other than soaking fruit and veggies. I bought this bottle of Bragg's Raw ACV and decided to suck it up and take a shot- IT BURNED LIKE HELL! But I instantly felt my tummy start to rumble and I knew something was happening inside my body. Each day, whether it be morning or night, I drink a tablespoon diluted in a glass of water and each day my tummy rumbles and my body starts to cleanse.

Things it does that we all need:
Shiny hair, healthy bloodstream, cleanses lymph system (this, to me, is the most important for some reason), cleanses the colon, makes your skin glow, eases joint pain and body aches and just makes you all around more healthy. It really is magic!

Beauty Detox Foods: Greens Risotto

I love Kimberly Snyder, chef and nutritionist to the stars! She feeds everyone from Robert Downey Jr to Fergie to Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan. She's the creator of that green smoothie they all drink (including Hilary Duff, who is my homegirl even if she doesn't know it). She published a book a couple years ago called The Beauty Detox Solution with so many amazing tips of healthy eating that I had never heard before! Her new book, Beauty Detox Foods, totally lives up to its hype and I decided to try one of her recipes for dinner last night: a brown rice risotto with greens. I have a little problem with recipes- I can't stick to them. I basically read them and then do whatever I want! And I never measure anything... so if you're familiar with my blog, you know this, and if not... whoops. Sorry!

Brown Rice Risotto with Greens
1. Whatever your preference may be, use it to steam asparagus. I used a pot of boiling water with a steaming tray, with the asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces. It took about 7 minutes.

2. Cut up any other greens you may be using- I had baby fennel, celery and green onions on hand.

3. Bring some veggie broth to a boil. I used the same water I steamed the asparagus with, and added vegetable boullion.

4. In a separate sautepan on medium heat, add the greens (celery, fennel). Add one tbsp of veggie broth. After a couple of minutes, add another ladle of broth and then add brown rice. I tossed in a yummy bay leaf (housewarming gift from Aysha) and let it simmer until the water was absorbed. Then I added a squeeze of lemon and another ladle of broth. Cover and simmer til the water is absorbed and repeat. Keep doing this until the rice is tender, then add asparagus. Remove from heat and let sit for about five minutes or until water is absorbed.

5. Eat! It's seriously delish, and I didn't even add salt or pepper! (but feel free to if needed).

I had some parisian peas on hand that I steamed with the asparagus- so, so good. And everything was fresh from my CSA box from Farm Fresh to You!

Personal Challenge: Let the Games Begin

So I like to do this thing where I try out new diet fads and cut things out and experiment. Has it ever lasted? No. Has it worked? Meh. Do I have any self control? None at all.

With my wedding dress fitting being May 18, I have less than a month to figure shit out, so two days ago I decided I'm starting with some things I CAN do: no bread, no grains, no dairy, no candy (and no soda- I quit that 7 months ago). How am I doing so far? Sunday and yesterday I had half a Slurpee and a handful of Doritos and tonight I had two bags of peanut m&ms, despite eating like a dream all day leading up to it. Clearly my issue is sugar!!

I am going to try and curb my cravings using soda made w stevia and see how that works! I am also using myfitnesspal to count calories- 1300 a day... More if I exercise! M and I are doing 6am workouts all week so lets see how that goes. I am determined to be healthy inside and look awesome outside- it can be done! And it will be :)

My favorite green juice from Nugget Market- The Dr. Oz with extra spinach!

The Point of it All

Growing up, I wrote. I really, really wrote. I wrote everything and read everything and somewhere around 18 I lost it. I don't know if it was the lack of being grounded and being stuck in my room? Maybe it was learning about parties and staying up late and not having my parents around to tell me what to do? Or maybe it was the lack of beautiful inspiration that caused the words to no longer be where I needed them... which is ironic because ages 18-22 were the most inspirational years of my life in terms of material. Nevertheless, having my own home, a wonderful job with which I have been blessed, and a man that I love have made me see the world in a new way.

I recently visited Her Sea of Love, which is a blog written by a girl I barely know but feel like I've known for years. She has been posting the most beautiful and whimsical photographs and entires to "C," her little girl, since before she was born. Reading it reminded me why I'm here- this blog is not necessarily for anyone besides me and my future. I hope that one day, when I am blessed with healthy little ones, that I can continue to document my and M's journey into and through married life. I want my children to have all of this to look back on- the internet can be SUCH a wonderful thing.

No More Frozen Foods!

I decided to ban frozen foods from the house but there was a major problem- my fiancé LOVES his Jimmy Dean breakfast sandwiches and frozen burritos. I spent the afternoon recreating them, but way healthier! We wrapped them in tin foil and stuck them in the freezer. Genius!

Breakfast sammies:
Fresh turkey sausage, roll into patties
Eggs (I puréed mine in my little blender and baked them in a muffin tin for 7 mins)
Whole wheat English muffins
Thinly sliced cheddar cheese

I used my little blender to whip the eggs together quickly.

Cook, stack, wrap and freeze!

Healthy Frozen Burritos:
Medium sized tortillas
Ground turkey, cooked w a little taco seasoning
Shredded cheese (we used Colby Jack)
Black beans
Egg whites

Mix the egg whites in with the cooked turkey. Put all ingredients onto a tortilla, pretend you work at Chipotle and roll into a burrito, wrap in foil and freeze!

Voila! Healthy, easy and preservativeless!

Put This in Your Garden and Blog it

This warm weather has been making me feel like a million bucks- usually when summer comes I freak out and run to the nearest pair of sweatpants and hide from every public body of water. For some reason (maybe it's being 25, maybe it's having this beautiful new home, maybe it's the wedding, maybe it's because our new house has a pool!) I feel great. I am buying swimsuits right and left, I can't stop thinking about our honeymoon in Costa Rica, and I love love love nothing more than spending time in my garden.

It's such an amazing thing watching my seeds sprout bright green shoots out of the dirt- I cannot wait until they're all big enough to toss into a salad! I think by mid-summer my garden will be at the point where it's possible to not have to buy any veggies at the store anymore! Organic, natural and taken care of by me! It's a great feeling.

Good Morning Sunshine

Every morning for the past month, I have made myself a Body by Vi shake to drink on my way to work.I have lost about 7 lbs just from having these for breakfast- no working out, no major lifestyle changes, just the shakes! In order to make them a little healthier, I bought some vitamins and supplements to toss in, and they make the shakes taste awesome despite its greenish-gray appearance.

How I make my shakes:
2 scoops Vi-Shape by Visalus in Sweet cream
2 tbsp Navitas Naturals organic flax powder (it will clean. you. out!)
1 tsp Navitas Naturals raw camu camu powder (60x more vitamin c than an orange!)
1 scoops Greens+ Original Superfood (more vitamins and nutrients in one scoop than in five servings of fruits/veggies)
1 cup almond milk
Mixed frozen fruit (not much- I usually use a few cubes of mango, raspberry or pineapple)
Handful of spinach (I promise you CANNOT taste it!)

I was very hesitant to try Visalus/Body by Vi because of all the hype surrounding it- I always felt like I couldn't get an unbiased response because everyone wanted to sell it to me and make money! But I don't sell it, nor do I plan to. It's just a great protein powder that keeps you full until lunch and makes the shakes taste great. I am sure that you could use any protein powder, but this one has helped me lose weight, not gain, which I am all about!

My boss and I are both huge foodies- we drive together to all our appointments (I am still training) and we talk about food non-stop. Somehow gumbo, paella and jambalaya came up and I HAD to make it for dinner that night. I found this recipe on the Fervent Foodie, which now happens to be one of my favorite sites.

I didn't use chorizo in order to cut out some calories, and it tasted great without it. I overused the white wine, so be careful with your pours! This recipe is super low in calories one cup is only about 250 cals!

I wish I had gotten a more detailed shot, and please excuse my paper plates- I am refusing to use real ones until we've settled into the house and the guys are used to doing dishes like normal people ;)

Pants-friendly Paella 

From the Fervent Foodie

• 1.5lb chicken breast (cut into 1/2 inch chunks)
• 3 Links hot chicken or turkey sausage (casings removed) (for more authentic flavor, use Spanish chorizo)
• 2 cups yellow onion (diced)
• 1 cup red bell pepper (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley (chopped, plus extra for garnish)
• 14oz can whole tomatoes (drained)
• 2 cups short-grain brown minute rice
• 2.5 cups fat-free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white cooking wine
• 1 large pinch Spanish saffron
• 4oz shrimp (peeled, deveined)
• 1 cup sweet peas (defrosted)
• S&P (to taste)

Chicken rub

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Note:  This pants-friendly paella uses chicken sausage. For a more authentic flavor, sub in a link or two of Spanish chorizo.  Spanish saffron can be quite expensive.  I’ve seen bottles for as little as $6 at Trader Joe’s, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls.

Step 1:  Combine chicken rub ingredients in a medium size bowl or large zip top bag. Add chicken breast, and toss or shake to coat evenly. Cover and marinate in the fridge for one hour.

Step 2:  Heat a large pot coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Once hot, add the sausage. Break apart sausage with your spatula, and cook until no longer pink. Remove sausage from pot and set aside. Add additional cooking spray to pot, if needed, then add chicken pieces. Sear chicken on all sides then remove from pot and set aside.

Step 3:  Add onions, red pepper, garlic, and parsley to the pot, season with S&P, to taste, reduce heat to medium. Cook for 3 minutes, using your spatula to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and crush with your spatula. Season with S&P. Add uncooked rice to the pot and stir to combine. Once the liquid is absorbed, add chicken broth and cooking wine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 4:  Add the sausage, chicken, and saffron to the pot and stir to combine. Add the shrimp, pushing them down into the rice. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the peas. Garnish with remaining parsley.

Per serving: 274 calories, 27g carbs, 4g fat, 31g protein, 3g fiber

Project Garage Storage

A few Saturdays ago, I woke up at 8am and my fiance and our roommate were gone (rather strange for two sleepyheads on a weekend morning) and the next thing I know, they've shown up at the house with a truck full of lumber and grandious plans to build a shelving unit. To be honest, I was expecting three Ikea-looking shelves with brackets*, but that was not the case.

*Please note that M, my fiance, is no handyman. He has never experienced building things or fixing things or power tools. Amazingly, he is not only willing to try it all out, but he's good at it! So proud :)

BEFORE

Wow... I was incredibly impressed at how good they looked and how sturdy they were! The guys had measured everything down to the last centimeter, and the shelves were perfectly level!

BEFORE PAINT

THE FINISHED PRODUCT!

Which Way is Which?

My best friend J and I decided to go on an adventure to what we thought was a junkyard and ended up being... a junkyard... full of awesome finds! They had everything under the sun, from street signs to wine barrels and crates to tires to wrought iron pieces and glass bottles to this gorgeous sign below... which cost me $20! It looks perfect in the backyard, I love it!

Project Dinner Table

Talk about WORK! My mom gave me an old, beat up Pottery Barn dinner table and told me to do whatever I want to it- so I got to work! The legs were white and the top had a glaze over it so I got a heavy duty sandpaper and used every bit of elbow grease in me to sand the entire thing. I think my arms almost fell off at one point... But I kept at it! Note: you HAVE to sand along with the grain in order for this to not be a disaster.

I painted the legs a matte black and sealed them with a semi gloss spray paint. Then I picked up a stain at Ace Hardware, along with a cheapy foam paintbrush and a bag of cloths. The stain color was "Provincial" and I started by pouring it into a paper bowl. I saturated the entire brush with the stain and painted it on going in one direction only. After covering the entire table, I used my crappy cloths (dry) to wipe the entire table down and get off any remaining stain. And that's it! Once dry, I will seal the table with an acrylic sealant, which I have in spray paint form and is really easy to use.

To be honest, this is by far the BEST project of mine to date. It just looks like a million bucks- literally! It looks expensive, and yet I probably spent $20 in materials to do the entire thing. That, my friends, is why I'm all about DIY.

Project Weedwhacker

Our very first project was cutting down one side of our hedges so that we could fit more than one car in the driveway. My fiancé and two friends went to work and chopped the whole thing down in a couple hours- but then we learned there was a LOT more involved than just chopping down some hedges. We needed to rip up the barrier, drill holes and shoot killer into the roots and lay center over the top. We haven't gotten there quite yet- but not for lack of trying! More later... We've got some major chopping and pulling to do!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

My grandmother, who passed away last year, was known for her beautiful roses- she even hosted a floral arranging show on local television in Honolulu. My mother is a genius when it comes to flowers and plants and my dad's veggie garden has been around my entire life- so you can say I *should* have the family green thumb, but I'm still finding out!

The first thing I did when we moved in was start a vegetable and herb garden. Someone once told me to always expect your first garden not to make it because so much time and effort goes into it. I'm definitely learning that, but there is nothing more amazing than waking up in the morning and seeing your seeds have sprouted overnight!

"The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for myrth,
Ones closer to God's heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth."

We're Home Owners!

On March 8, 2013, after 45 days of nonstop work, stress and praying, we received the keys to our dream home! I couldn't be more excited and happy to finally have a home to call our own. Owning a home has changed our lives greatly- Saturday nights have gone from movies and drinks to sanding tables, weekends are now for yard work and building things, and evenings are all about cleaning and decorating... I am finally living my mother's life and I've never been happier.

If you're familiar with my other blog (http://cadysoldblog.blogspot.com/) you know I've always been into crafting, cooking, and trying new things all the time. But this time, it'll all take place in my own home for the first time ever!

Welcome to our lives as we journey from renters to homeowners, from engaged to married and from two people to a family.