Pretty 'n Gold: February 2014

Friday, February 28

Time to freshen up with a cleanse.

The last couple weeks I have been a little emotionally unstable, and defiantly stressed! I can always tell when I'm stressed. I breakout everywhere, I crave crappy food (and give in), and I don't get my workouts in! Being stressed the last couple weeks hasn't come as a surprise to me since this weekend were moving. Although I am excited were buying a house, and I love the house, I cant help but feel anxious and a little sad at what were leaving behind!

The older I get the more I realize i'm a hermit! I don't like change! Its hard for me! I like feeling settled and comfortable. It's difficult to be uprooted and start over, especially with a new town and new people! We really are not even moving that far but it's still new, and for me it's been overwhelming!

But since I can't change the fact that its happening, I need to just control what I can control, and thats myself! So its time to get back in order! Im going to start off with a three day cleanse! I need to get rid of all the yucky toxin's I have been putting into my body!

When I do a cleanse I don't really follow any specific cleanse, cause to me there all the same. So pretty much all I do is drink liquid's; like lemon water, or tea, make juices in my Vitamix, eat raw nuts and fruits and veggies. I don't like to starve myself. Thats not good for your body ever! Pretty much I eat and drink as much as I want as long as i'm only consuming things that fall into the category of raw. Another yummy thing I always buy are Suja juice's. I like to drink their master cleanse, lemon love, green supreme, and glow. They have lots of good nutrients and its easy!

So heres to a weekend of mostly liquids! :)

Heres some juice recipes I found on this cute blog a little dash of darling. Im not planning to follow this exactly cause like I said I just wing it, But this is a good idea of what I plan on whipping up in my Vitamix.

YUM YUM YUM
XOXO

Wednesday, February 26

24.

Twenty Four

Today is my birthday! Crazy to think another year has gone by! So much happened while I was twenty three it almost makes me sad to leave it behind! Oh well I guess, its done and over with! Time to make newer and even better memories at twenty four!

Thanks to my hubby, my family, my grandma and my amazing friends for making my birthday wonderful! Lots of love around here!

Chase isn't usually big on buying me things so I was really excited and shocked when he gave me these cute anthropology boots for my birthday day! He did good! I love him!

XOXO

Tuesday, February 25

Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

Today I have a recipe! And No, its probably not the absolute most healthiest recipe of all times, but its yummy and easy. So here we are, Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas. I have found that most Quesadillas can be bland. But this one is delicious! Seriously, give it a go!

Ingredients

FOR THE QUESADILLAS:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
Cilantro Chopped
1 whole Onion, Sliced
2 whole Banana Peppers Sliced
1/2 Red Pepper Sliced
1/2 Yellow Pepper Sliced
2 whole Chicken Breast
1 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
2 teaspoons Paprika
1 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
desired amount of Monterey Jack Cheese
4 whole Flour Tortillas
FOR THE CHIPOTLE SAUCE:
1/2 c. Cream Cheese
1 tablespoon spicy ranch
1 tablespoon chipotle pepper sauce

Preparation

In a large frying pan, heat olive oil until warm. Add onions and peppers and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Slice chicken breast into strips. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and pepper, coating both sides evenly.

In the same frying pan you used to saute the onions and peppers, now add chicken and cook until done, about 5 minutes depending on the size of your strips. Remove from heat and chop into smaller pieces.

Assemble quesadillas by combining cheese, chicken, and peppers/onions into each tortilla. Sprinkle with Cilantro. Cook until the cheese melts, about 3 minutes on each side.

For the chipotle sauce, combine cream cheese, spicy ranch, and chipotle pepper sauce

Serve sauce on top of or on the side of quesadillas.

Friday, February 21

Party Planning.

One of my best friends recently got married.
Cara was such a beautiful bride.

But of course before the wedding I had to throw her the best bachelorette party! It was so much fun to plan this event! I love to take cute ideas and see them all come together in something amazing like a party!

How fun would it be to be an event coordination??

XOXO

Yummy, HEALTHY Salmon Recipe

I love fish! I could literally eat it every day! Chase on the other hand doesn't love fish quite like I do! Although he will eat it and usually like it, sometimes he has to much of a "mans" appetite for my cooking! He was raised in a family of all boys and I believe his mom really catered to how boys like to eat; meaty, saucy, buttery, and cheesy!

Now, none of those things are bad and they are all delicious, but mixed all together in one dish, every night of the week would personally make me blow up like a ballon. Chase on the other hand has an endless stomach and an amazing metabolism and can eat whatever he wants! (isnt this the case for all women? So unfair)

So as his wife, my life long goal is to find health conscious recipe's that work for both of us! Especially with fish! This recipe, Salmon Florentine is so yummy! Its a good balance of cheesy and saucy without making you feel heavy and full afterwords. And its so full of flavor! This recipe is definitely a keeper! Chase and I both really enjoyed it!

Salmon Florentine

INGREDIENTS

20 oz fresh spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
7 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta
2 skinless salmon fillets (6 oz each), rinsed and patted dry

Heat oven to 350°. Rinse spinach clean. Set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute more. Add spinach, tomatoes, salt, pepper flakes and pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes more. Or until spinach wilts. Turn heat to low add ricotta; quickly stir to combine and remove from heat. Continue to stir until completely combined. Season with salt and pepper. Pack about 1/2 cup spinach mixture on top of each fillet, matching the shape of the fillet. Place fillets on a rimmed baking sheet or in a glass baking dish; bake until cooked through, 15-25 minutes.

Enjoy
XOXO

Wednesday, February 19

Pretty and New
Pretty 'n Gold

XOXO

Tuesday, February 18

run run as fast as you can.

Four more weeks till the race! Im getting excited! Not only can't I wait to get to Moab for a mini vacation and some free time with my hubs, but I am so ready to complete this goal! I love to run, I really do! It's become my time to clear my head and really digest and think about all the crazy going on! My mind feels clean and free after a good run but my body, Well my body doesn't feel that great!

Up until I was 19 years old I had been a highly competitive athlete in the sport gymnastics. Not only was gymnastics hard on my entire body, it was specifically hard on my knees! I have had two ACL reconstructive surgeries on my left knee. Although my left knee will never be the same, on a day to day base's it doesn't usually give me to much trouble! But since I have been training for this half marathon I have noticed pain not only in both my knees but my hips as well! I plan to finish out my goal strong! But after my goal is complete I am going to take a break from long distance running and focus more on strength training!

I love running! But I also love to simply just workout!