ear cuff

I love this swanky ear cuff. It reminds me of Gatsby style a little bit, but is also sort of edgy.  

Obaz.com

high protein quinoa with artichokes, chickpeas & spinach

Getting ready for summer I've basically been living off fruit, veggies, granola and greek yogurt. But tonight I wanted a real dish... you know something off the stove that makes the whole house smell good. Something with lots of flavor.... and something with GARLIC. :)

This high protein quinoa dish was the perfect flavorful way to satisfy and stay on track.

You'll Need:
Quinoa- 1 cup
Broth/Water- 4 cups
Garlic- 3-4 cloves, minced
Artichoke Hearts- 1 cup, drained & chopped
Lentils- 1/2 cup
Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas- 1 can 15 oz. drained & rinsed
Diced Tomatoes- 1 can 14 oz.
Fresh Spinach- 2 cups
Fresh Basil- chopped, to taste (about 1 tbsp.)
Red Pepper Flakes or Cayenne Pepper
Lemon Juice- to taste
Oregano- to taste

In a drizzle of olive oil, saute garlic for 3 minutes. Add broth/water and lentils, turn to high and cook 5 minutes.

Then add quinoa, fresh basil, artichokes, diced tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes or until lentils are tender. Season as it cooks with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, and oregano. Add garbanzo beans last- with about 5 minutes left to cook.

Once everything is cooked-add spinach and mix until leaves are wilted. (Ring will form around quinoa when done, but taste lentils to be sure they're not crunchy.)

Top with shredded Italian cheese for a little extra yumminess.

baked gnocchi with creamy butternut squash

This baked gnocchi with creamy butternut squash is like an ooey gooey mac & cheese and is pretty guilt-free. You can add veggies like sautéed mushrooms or toss some spinach in with the pasta for about 45 seconds. 

Stahlbush Farms frozen butternut squash is the easiest and fastest way to cook squash for a dish like this and then you don't have to worry about it being in season. I microwave it for a few minutes and when you stir it with a fork it basically mashes itself. I buy it at Giant Eagle.

Serves 6

You'll Need
Gnocchi- 16 oz. 
Butternut Squash- 20 oz. (2 10 oz.frozen bags), cooked
1/3 Fat Cream Cheese- 4 oz. (half brick)
Minced Garlic- 2 tbsp. 
Sage- 1 tsp.
Cayenne Pepper- dash
Garlic Powder- dash
Salt & Pepper- to taste
Sharp Italian Cheese like Asiago or Parmesan- 1/2 cup, shredded
Pasta water- 1/3 cup

Preheat oven to 375.

Boil water and cook gnocchi according to package directions. Reserve 1/3 cup of pasta water and drain.

Mix cooked butternut squash with cream cheese and pasta water in medium bowl. Stir in garlic and seasonings. Add gnocchi into bowl and toss to coat. Pour into casserole dish.

Top with cheese and bake 15 minutes. 

no-bake high protein granola balls

These no-bake granola bites are filling, healthy and easy to make. They're high in protein and taste great. The cinnamon helps tie everything together and the salt is a great sweet/salty contrast to the peanut butter. They're also vegan and gluten-free, so they please everyone!

When I made these I did not measure anything, but here are my best estimates (but they're usually pretty close) So add ingredients as you see fit until you get the texture/consistency you want.

Makes about 25 balls

You'll Need:
Oats- 2 cups
Peanut Butter- 1 1/2 cups (creamy or crunchy)
Flax Seed- 1/4 cup
Chopped Pecans or Walnuts- about 1/3 - 1/2 cup
Chocolate Chips- I prefer semi-sweet- about 1/2 cup
Honey- 1 tbsp.
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt- 1 tsp. or more to taste
Cinnamon- 1 tsp. or more to taste

Mix the oats and the peanut butter in medium bowl. I do this by smearing the peanut butter around into the oats using a spoon. 

Then add the rest of the dry ingredients (flax seed, nuts, chocolate chips). Mix.

Add salt & cinnamon-mix. Add honey-mix well.

Refrigerate a few minutes if possible. Form into small balls and refrigerate 30 minutes to firm up.

swim suits faves

I don't think it's any coincidence that with the rise of Nutella in the American market, one piece bathing suits are also back in style. But honestly, I love the look of a cute one-piece bathing suit, especially a retro style. A few months ago I searched everywhere for a high-waisted suit, and now of course, they're all over. 

Here are my favorites so far for this season:

Betsey Johnson Red Red Rose Retro Swim Suit

Deep Blue Glee Navy One Piece

  

       Hidden Cove One Piece

           

Lolli Mixed Floral Urban Outfitters High Waisted Two Piece

Beauty on the Shore Striped Peplum One Piece by Lolli Swim 

edamame, cranberry + sprouts pinwheel wraps

These healthy edamame, cranberry and sprouts pinwheel wraps are high in protein and have a nice combination of sweet and savory with the mix of cranberries and green onions. The edamame adds a nice crunch.

They're great for showers- women love them because they're flavorful, nutritious and pretty. 

You can cut them in small pieces for an appetizer or in bigger sections as part of a main entree for a spring lunch.

Makes about 35 appetizer size bites or 20 half-wraps

You'll Need:
Large Whole Wheat or Flour Burrito Wraps- 7
Light Cream Cheese- 8 oz. (1 brick)
Shelled Edamame- 12 oz. (1 1/2 cups), cooked
Craisins- 1 cup
Green Onions- 1/3 cup, chopped
Sprouts- 1 cup
Optional- sunflower seeds
Optional- Feta- I did not use this time...

Mix together edamame, Craisins and green onions. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Spread cream cheese across first burrito.

Spoon edamame mix over wrap, putting more at the bottom. Top with sprouts.

Fold sides of burrito in. Then roll from bottom to top. Slice in sections as desired. 

banoffee pie

We just got back from our UK trip where I fell madly in love with banoffee pie. It's a delicious pie filled with bananas, cream and toffee/caramel sauce. I had never heard of it before going across the pond, but after a few bites I was already thinking about how I was going to recreate it at home. 

 
The traditional recipe calls for heavy whipping cream, but this is my "healthier" (and easier) version.

You'll Need:
1 Premade Graham Cracker Crust- or make your own: mix 1 1/2 cups cookie crumbs, 10 tbsp. melted butter and bake 8 min. in pie tin at 350.
Dark Brown Sugar- 1/3 cup
Butter- 3 1/2 tbsp.
Carnation Condensed Milk- 1 can
Bananas- 4, sliced
Cool Whip- 1 8 oz. container

To make caramel sauce- melt 3 1/2 tbsp. butter and brown sugar over low heat stirring constantly. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the Carnation Condensed Milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes until thick. You can probably substitute store bought caramel sauce, but it probably won't be as thick.

Spread the caramel sauce over the crust. Chill for 1 hour to firm up (or until ready to serve).

Place sliced bananas on top of caramel and top with Cool Whip. Smooth top- save a few banana slices for topping, if desired.

Serve with a side of vanilla ice cream.

looks that inspired

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile... I've been busy, but I won't make excuses. :) For my first post in the 2013 I thought I'd share some looks that inspired me. These don't include all of the millions of bloggers I check out now and style inspiration photos I pin. These are looks I remember growing up that I think influence my overall style today.

Clueless. This one gets a few pictures, because I remember watching this and thinking every outfit was AWESOME. I still love the sheer long shirt over the skirt and the short sweater over a long button down.

Gwen Stefani in No Doubt. Her punk look made me want to pull on plaid pants and boots and be more bad ass. 

Stevie Nicks. I love her bohemian look with all the layers, hats and scarves.... she is a cool witchy woman. 

Audrey Hepburn. Not to be cliche, but what can I say? Audrey's classically chic all-black look in Funny Face totally inspired me. I love this clean look with the black skinnies and ballet flats.

Bianca Jagger. Studio 54 style.

Sofia Loren. I love the headscarf and the cat eyes.  

I think Pocahontas and Jasmine might have also inspired me, but I won't include those pics...