Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” -Robert Browning

Happy Easter Everyone! I am unfortunately unable to go home for Easter this year, but I am there in spirit with my insanely wonderful family! 

This morning I realized that my bananas were starting to get overripe. That's one of the great things about bananas; they are versatile. Overripe banana's are the key ingredient to one of my favorite recipes- chocolate chip banana nut bread! Anytime someone is having a brunch I recommend banana nut bread since it's delicious and easy to make and keeps well overnight. 

Don't throw out your brown bananas!

 What You Need: 

• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 2-3 bananas (ripe)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3 tbsp. milk
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup nuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 2 spoonfuls of brown sugar
• 1 spoonful cinnamon

Ingredients!

How to Make: 

• Beat oil and sugar together
• Add eggs and mashed bananas to the mixture; mix well

I mash bananas in a separate bowl with a fork

• Mix in all dry ingredients (except the cinnamon and brown sugar) 
• Add in milk, vanilla, and honey; mix well 

• Add in nuts and chocolate chips

• Pour mixture into a greased loaf pan
• Top mixture with the brown sugar and cinnamon 

• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour

Enjoy! 

Cheers X

Veggie Omelet

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast."- John Gunther

After a week of classes and working, I take my weekends seriously (which luckily start on Friday). I am skilled beyond your wildest imagination at lazying around for hours. However, when I do finally drag myself from my delightful cloud of a bed, I love to make a big hearty breakfast. 

One of my favorite breakfasts is an omelet stuffed with vegetables and cheese served with a fruit and yogurt parfait and seasoned breakfast potatoes. I honestly love to cook- whether it is just for myself or for others, and I think breakfast is a great meal to share with a bunch of people, but this recipe is just as easy when made for one than when made for five.

Veggie Omelet, Potatoes, Yogurt Parfait, Blueberry Muffin

Omelet:

• egg whites
• milk
• cheddar cheese
• onion
• bell peppers
• avocado
• vegetable oil

Vegetables I used

Dice your veggies

Use a small amount of vegetable oil to crisp your veggies, cook over medium heat for two minutes.

Egg Whites forming the omelet

Put veggies and cheese inside the egg and cook another minute

Potatoes:

• Russet Potato 
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• tabasco
• salt 
• pepper
• vegetable oil  

Cut potato into quarters
Fill a glass pan 1/2 way with water and put potato quarters inside
Microwave for 4 minutes

Cut potato into bite size pieces  

Place in a pan with oil and butter
Season potato to taste

Cook until brown and crispy 

Yogurt Parfait:

• plain vanilla greek yogurt
• berries (raspberries & blueberries are my favorite) 
• granola
• honey 

Layer yogurt, granola, and berries. Drizzle with honey. 

Enjoy!  

Happy Easter All! X

Blueberry Muffins

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."- George Bernard Shaw

As I mentioned in my last post, I've been feeling sick. Since cooking makes me feel better, I decided to make some comfort food.  I ended up baking a dozen blueberry muffins. 

Finished Product

What You Need:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp honey 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 egg white
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 tsp cinnamon 

How to Make

• Heat oven to 400 degrees F. 
• Line muffin cups with paper liners.
• Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and the salt in a large bowl with a whisk. 

• Add vegetable oil, egg, vanilla, milk, and honey to a measuring jug that holds at least 1 cup,  whisk until combined.

• Add milk mixture to the bowl with flour and sugar then use a fork to combine. 

• Add blueberries and fold the blueberries into the muffin batter.

• Bake 15 minutes

Enjoy!

Cheers X

Under the Weather

'A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything."- Irish Proverb

Unfortunately for me, I tend to always get sick when the seasons change. I have been feeling under the weather for the last couple days. Now, being that this is the second semester of my senior year of college, I don't really have the time to wallow in the self-pity of sickness. I drank three cups of chamomile tea last night and ended up sleeping ten hours. I woke up feeling slightly better and I plan to keep feeling better without missing out on too much more (I missed a senior social and a trip to D.C. with my friends). I am one of those people who believes that you can 100% fake it until you make it. I always try to trick myself into believing that I'm not actually sick. I force myself to try and look halfway decent and actually do something of value.

Fake Happy!

Featured Fashion: Aviators, Chambray Shirt

Today, I made myself get dressed in normal clothes (not yoga pants and a sweatshirt) and I put on makeup. I was looking really pale and tired. I tried to minimize the pallor of a sick person with some well placed blush and bronzer and white eye liner.

My hair is also a disaster and I didn't have the time nor will power to blow dry and style it. Lucky for me, I am a master at messy hairstyles. I did a messy french braid pulled and topped it all off with an embellished headband (great way to dress up my tumbleweed of hair).

French Braid and Embellished Headband

Featured Fashion: Headband

I grabbed my favorite purse and some of my favorite flats to pull myself together and I made it to work.

Kate Spade and Tory Burch

Featured Fashion: Kate Spade Bag, Tory Burch Flats

Luckily work didn't require much brain power and I got to leave early. I used that extra time to go buy some new dresses for Spring. 

Hopefully, I'll be 100% better really soon.

Cheers X

Stay Healthy 

Chicken Fajitas

"We all eat. It would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly."- Anna Thomas

I recently spent a week in beautiful Cancun. I went on Spring Break with some of my best friends and we were lucky enough to stay in a gorgeous time share (honestly, how many college kids get three rooms for 5 girls where everyone gets their own bed?). Major thank you to my beautiful friend who let us all come along. 

The view from our suite

Flowers & sunrise on the resort

 Anyway, we had a great time and made plenty of great memories...despite the Barra Libres (or perhaps because of the barra libres).

 However, once we got back to school I realized just how much I missed the food- especially since we actually ate guacamole with every single meal.

In all honesty, I eat mexican food at least once a week. When I learned I was going to school on the East Coast (where the mexican food isn't exactly up to California standards),  I decided to learn how to make one of my favorite mexican dishes--Chicken Fajitas! And now, I am going to share that recipe with you!

Chicken Fajitas

What you need (serves 2-3):

• 3 pieces of chicken breast
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 orange bell pepper
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• 1/4 onion
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 3 tbsp limes juice 
• 6 flour tortillas

Optional:

• shredded cheese
• guacamole
• sour cream
• black/refried beans 
• salsa

How to Make:

• Marinate your chicken in 1/4 cup of olive oil, crushed garlic, and the lime juice (30 minutes)

• Chop up your onions and bell peppers into thin strips while the chicken is marinating

Cut into 1/2 inch strips

• Use 1/8 cup of oil on a medium sized pan over medium heat. Beware of the sizzling oil! 
• cook your chicken until completely white in the center (approx. 10 minutes)
• Wrap your tortillas in foil and place in your oven for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F

• In a separate pan, use the remaining olive oil over medium high heat and cook your peppers and onions (approx. 4 minutes) 

• Move your vegetables into the skillet with the chicken and toss the ingredients for two minutes
• Serve the chicken vegetable medley with whatever optional ingredients you enjoy 

Cheese, always cheese

• Wrap everything in a tortilla

Enjoy! Especially if you serve with a pitcher of margaritas! 

Also, I love to cook while blasting music, and today I started listening to a new group that I cannot get enough of. One of my good friends recommends music for me pretty regularly, and he is great at it. He emailed me a couple weeks ago about a band called The Oh Hello's and they are fantastic. I love having friends that totally get my musical tastes. Check them out and see if you're as into them as I am.

Cheers X

Spring Beauty Updates

"I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at your leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in pink. I believe happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles."- Audrey Hepburn 

All the snow has officially melted and the weather report is starting to look somewhat promising! Which means I am officially saying goodbye to Winter and welcoming Spring with open arms. Now that winter is over I am updating my wardrobe and beauty routines to fit with the changing seasons. 

Skincare: The winter has been absolutely brutal on my skin. Now that it is finally warming up and the sun is starting to show through I need to protect my skin and get that pre-summer glow going on.

• Body: I spent a week in Cancun, Mexico, and despite my vigilant attempts at lathering up the sunscreen, I managed to get a bit of color. 

Featured Fashion: Bikini Top, Bikini Bottoms, Sunglasses

• After being in the sun, I try to use a lotion infused with Aloe. Currently, I'm using Jergens Aloe Lotion. 
•  I also am a major proponent of body oil. The other night, I was out with my friends and I noticed they were all staring at my legs. When I asked what they were all looking at I was informed they were trying to tell if I was wearing sheer stockings... Nope, just well moisturized legs due to the miracles of oil. Body oil locks in lotion better than anything else. I use Neutrogena Oil.  
• While natural color looks the best, tanning in any form is horrible for you. I usually manage to get a tan even while using sunscreen, but I also supplement the color with self tanning lotion. Every three days I use Self tanner. 
• Face:
• I have yet to find a facial lotion that I really like, but I am vigilant about moisturizing my face every morning and night. 
• My current favorite product line is Mario Badescu's. It was recommended to me last summer and everything I've used has been great. The two products that are currently in rotation are the Healing Mask and the Drying Lotion. 
• Now that the seasons are changing, exfoliation is huge. I just found this Green Tea Scrub which I now love.

Nails: 

Top: Manicure Colors
Botton: Pedicure Colors

• Manicures:
• Typically, I prefer a dark nail. Deep reds, purples, grays, and blues are my go to colors, but in Spring that just seems wrong. 
• Spring Color Palette: Nudes and light pinks accented with gold glitter 

My current manicure

Featured Products: Trade Winds, Chunky Gold Overlay

• Pedicures:
• I am a lot more liberal when it comes to my toes. I have been wearing bright corals and neon colors to set off my tan as well as make me feel like it is almost sunshine season. 

Toes in the sand

Featured Product: Essie's Peach Daiquiri Nail Color

Hair: 

• I put my hair through the ringer. I made the mistake of highlighting it three years ago and now my hair is unintentionally ombre. This means that the ends of my hair are super dead and stripped. However, now that it's spring and it's not so dreary outside I'm actually putting a little bit of an effort into styling my hair. 
• Products: 
• I really like this Miracle Leave in.
• Now that I am styling my hair I use a heat protecting lotion. Redken makes a great Heat Styling Lotion
• Shampoo and Conditioner both come from the Matrix Repair line: Repair Line
• Styling:
• I have naturally wavy hair

What my hair looks like without styling or product

• I prefer to wear my hair with some body in it (it hides the dead ends better than wearing it straight). When I do take a heated product to my hair, it usually looks something like this: 

From the back

From the front 

• I get this type of curl by using a straightener. My go to flat iron is the Chi Flat Iron
• In the Spring, I am a huge fan of braids. I do a lot of french braiding; everything from a single braid to smaller more boho influenced looks.

Simple side braid with an accent headband

Featured Fashion: Crystal headband, Similar top

Make-Up:

• Eye shadow: My eyes are my favorite facial feature of mine so I am always trying to play them up. Winter was great for dramatic eye's, but Spring is a much lighter season. I really like make-up palettes and the one I am getting the most use out of is Benefit's Bright Eyes Kit. I use the kit and a little brown eye liner and mascara and I am ready to go! It's really easy to use and the colors are beautiful. 
• Blush/Bronzers: I am a huge Nars cosmetics fan, especially when it comes to their blush and bronzers. I am now using the Blush Bronzer Duo  in Orgasm and Laguna. The colors are understated and universally flattering.
• Lips: This Winter I was really into a deep burgundy color, but now that it's spring I'm tending toward a nude lip. I am pretty much just wearing chapstick. 

Left: Before Make-up
Right: After Make-up Spring Style

Fragrance: 

• Spring is such a light and floral season that it makes sense for my perfume to reflect that change. I am currently wearing Marc Jacobs Daisy So Fresh. This perfume is an update on the original Daisy scent and is described as "a field of sunshine that bursts with the flirty scent of flowers and the cheerful sweetness of fruits. Its light, woody base infuses a subtle but sharp glimmer of musk for an unexpected twist of radiance." Regardless, I love it and it makes me feel very spring-y.  
• Daisy So Fresh 

Cheers X