Try-it-Tuesday: Strawberry and Apple Juicing!

I don't know what it is about juicing, but it has kind of freaked me out ever since I wanted to try it. Maybe it's because most recipes I found told me to go get roots and extracts that I had never heard about. Hard. Pass.

Or, maybe it's because the machine itself is a beast. And not in the cute way that Maleficent says it. It actually has so many pieces, and I don't know what goes in where, and what comes out of where. Anyway, it freaked me out. You can see how gigantic it is below.

But then the other day, I was reading one of my favourite books called "Who Will Cry When You Die?" and it said to try juicing. It's also #47 on my summer bucket list, so I figured I'd give it a try, seeing as it was my day off.

We have a juicer at home, but I hadn't ever used it, mostly because I forgot it was there (and the above reasons). But I dug it out, blew some dust off and got to work.

Let me just say that it looks way more intimidating than it is! It's seriously the easiest thing ever, and takes roughly 30 seconds, minus cleaning time (which is only a few minutes). I just made a simple apple and strawberry juice, like Robin Sharma suggested in the book.

(Don't mind the post-workout sweatiness....)

It was delicious! All I did was core and cut up an apple and take the ends off of about 7-9 strawberries. Drop the into the juicer and the juice starts coming! It's great! Or maybe I'm just weirdly excited. 

Make sure that you put your glass under the spout before you start juicing though ;) ANNNND, it tastes a million times better if you put some ice in the glass and mix it around so it gets cooler. 

So there you have it! Now you should all go out and try juicing! It's so cool! And of course, delicious. 

Happy Juicing!!

love,

Lo

Summer Bucket List Part 1

Something that I've been thinking about recently is what makes me happy and fulfilled. And I found out a big part of that is goals and doing things I've always wanted to try - not that they have to be really big things (like skydiving...still yet to be done!) but either way, that is what makes me happy and content with my life.

Tone It Up came out with the idea of a #createyoursummer bucket list. So I got to it. I put it on Instagram, but could only fit like 5 or 6 things in the picture.

Side Note: a fun fact about me is that I love lists! I love putting all my ideas down and being able to organize and check them off....at least ideally - I won't talk about how little much actually gets done off them usually. But anyway! Naturally a summer bucket list is the best idea. It's the ultimate Try-It-Tuesday! ;)

So here it is in (almost) all it's glory. My 51 item summer bucket list [I left 2 out ;)] :

1. Road Trip
                             

2. Skinny Dipping
                  

3. Campfire and S'mores
    

4. Outdoor Amusement Park (which makes me wish I lived in Utah by Lagoon - seriously so fun!)
                                               

5. Camping
                                                  

6. Sparklers on Canada Day
                             

7. Beach Day - Sandcastle making is a must.
                   

8. Concert
                 

Backstreet Boys: Check

9. Half Marathon - *SeaWheeze*
      

10. Boating on the lake....anyone have a boat?? I'll make you cookies!
       

Plus I've always wanted to learn to wakeboard! So seriously...someone let me know if you have a boat!

11. Pool Party
                             

How sweet would it be to put glowsticks in the bottom of a pool!?

12. Hike
                                             

13. Make fresh Lemonade
   
                                                                   Recipe here.

14. Buy fresh flowers - I'm sure you know how much I love flowers as seen here, here, and here.

15. Buy flowers for someone else
                                       

16. Drive-In-Theatre

   
         Does anyone know of one? I pretty sure there isn't one in the city, but I'm willing to travel ;)

17. Shakespeare in the Park
   

18. Tie-Dye

19. Movies on the Square
                                

20. Stargaze
                                                   

21. BBQ
              

22. Bowling (preferably glow-in-the-dark)
                    

23. Volunteer (Mustard Seed anyone??)
            

24. Read "Classic Love Stories"

25. Beach Volleyball
                                            

Sorry to leave you hanging, but PART 2 will come out very soon! Keep your eyes peeled! ;)

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

xoxo,

Lo

Getting Fit for the Wedding! A Workout & Recipe!

Hi guys!!

Today is my sister's big day!!! Gah! I'm so excited for her!! Since this wedding has been a large focus the last 4 months this week, I'm continuing with the theme into my Fit Friday post!!

Here's a quick picture of the cute Bride & Groom To Be!!

This is Emily and Russell. (They're models in case you're wondering. Not actually, but I had you going there! But based on this picture, I'm certain they will have beautiful babies).

This is really Emily and Russell. Presh!

Moving forward!

I'm sure you guys know that I love Tone It Up. Last year, they came out with a Wedding Series! They came out with tips and a few great workouts (among other things, if you buy their nutritional plan)! So, I thought I would share with you one GREAT workout that you can do to tone up before any wedding you'll be in, or even attending! Summer is approaching, so you might as well tone up a bit ;) Dreaming of long days on the beach!!...that is if I take a vacation, since there aren't any really close to me. But let's not focus on that now!

Here is the greatest wedding toning routine that you will love! Do it 2-3 times! ;)

Here's the follow along video!

If you go to their post here, you can download a free printable! Or just click and save as here :)

In addition to the workout, Tone It Up also posted about a juice recipe that they have, especially for brides ;) (but really, we all can have it!)

Here's the recipe!

1 cup kale

1⁄2 large cucumber

2 apples

1 tsp. Cinnamon

8 oz. coconut water

Once kale, cucumber and apples are juiced, shake it all up with cinnamon and coconut water. Sip and enjoy.

 Happy Wedding Season! 

xoxo,

Lo

Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers

I feel like I've been on some Mexican kick lately. Last week I made a healthy Crunch Wrap Supreme and now this week I'm making Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers. What can I say, the Mexicans have great flavour!

Anyway, this recipe is relatively easy. I kind of worked off of this recipe from LaurenConrad.com, but altered it a lot.

You need:

1/2 can pre-cooked canned chicken

1 tbsp Taco Seasoning

1 Bell Pepper

1 cup Spinach, stems removed

1 Tomato, chopped

1/2 cup quinoa, already cooked

1 slice Light Havarti Cheese (other cheeses will work just as well)

2 Eggs, over-easy

Directions:

Step 1: If you haven't already cooked quinoa, do so now. It should take roughly 20 min, allowing time to cool. Once it is cooked, pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Cut bell pepper in half and remove seeds.

Step 2: Place drained, canned chicken into pan and sprinkle taco seasoning on top. Heat the pan to medium/medium-high and mix the chicken and seasoning together for 2 minutes.

Step 3: Take chicken out of pan and cover to keep warm. Add spinach and tomato to pan and sauté them for 3 minutes, or until spinach wilts. *I didn't even use any oil here, because it didn't seem necessary with the juice from the tomatoes. Then add quinoa to mixture, allowing it to heat up. 

Step 4: Mix chicken with tomato, spinach, and quinoa mixture. Add half a slice of cheese to each bell pepper. Then add the mixture above, and stuff the inside of each pepper half. 

Step 5: Place the peppers onto a baking sheet, with a non-stick mat, and cook for 15 minutes.

Step 6: When you have about 4 minutes left on the timer, start cooking your eggs, as you like them. Once the timer goes off, place the eggs on top of your peppers and serve. Enjoy!

If you have any questions, let me know! Did you try it? Let me know what you think! I'd love to hear!

Thanks for reading my lovely friends!! Have a great day!

xoxo,

Lo

Try-It-Tuesday: Healthy Crunch Wrap Supreme!

So I realize that today is not actually Tuesday, but these things happen, right? I'd like to think that I was sooo busy with my super exciting and eventful life, but actually yesterday I just went to school, did some laundry, did some church stuff, hung out with an old friend, and "studied" (as in a tried...and got distracted by Pinterest....classic). Anyway, clearly I need some more self-control. Although not having dessert for 6 months definitely takes some of that...so I don't feel too bad. I plan on studying a lot today though, and not that I've written that for all the internet world to see, I have to!

So today I was looking on Pinterest for some hip flexor stretches (more on that later, because my mind is BLOWN!) and my stomach started growling, when I remembered this amazing recipe I tried about a year ago. It's a DIY Crunch Wrap Supreme.

The one from Taco Bell actually isn't that bad calorically speaking. It comes in at a whopping 540 calories, with 7g of saturated fat, "0g" trans fats, 1210mg sodium, 71g carbs, 6g sugar, and 16g protein. So yeah, it's tasty, but is it worth it when you can make your own healthier version at home!? Of course not you guys!! 

The recipe that I found called for sour cream, flour tortillas, taco seasoning (which actually isn't all that good for you), and ground beef. Ground beef is not bad (although the more lean, the better), but I had some shredded chicken that I figured would take less time to make, and would be healthier. Win-win!

My tweaked version of this uses healthier subsitutes so you can feel better about your choices...how cliche does that sound?? But for real. You'll be healthier and probably can have 2 if you really wanted, without the effects on nasty chemicals and such! :) 

So, this is what you need:

(2 Servings)

2 large tortillas*

1/2 can shredded cooked chicken

4 tsp taco seasoning (homemade is wayy better for you!)

2 dollops Non-fat plain Greek Yogurt

1/4-1/2 cup shredded cheese

shredded Lettuce

diced Tomatoes

* I would've preferred a whole wheat tortilla, but my mom just bought these spinach pesto ones that are about 140 cals/serving, so I figured I could use it too.

**If you want more of a crunch, the other recipe calls for tortilla chips. I opted out, but if you find organic or gluten free ones, those would be a healthy substitute! They have some great ones at Costco!

Step 1: Add chicken to skillet with taco seasoning, just to heat and mix. Cook on medium for about 2 minutes, stirring regularly.

Step 2: Assemble all ingredients! This representation was a classic case of "Lauren's eyes are bigger than her stomach", but that just means leftovers, which is a win in my books.

Step 3: Put the tortilla in the microwave for 10 seconds to heat it enough that it will bend easy. Lay the tortilla out, and place shredded chicken, cheese, a dollop of greek yogurt, and top with tomatoes and lettuce. If you want to add the chips, add them after the cheese and chicken.

Step 4: Fold as the photo above shows, folding one edge up towards the centre and repeating in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. Fold so that there is no hole in the middle. The original recipe says that if there is though (like the first time I made it), add a piece of tortilla to the centre.

Step 5: Pour grapseed or olive oil in a pan and cook on each side for 3 minutes on medium-low.

Step 6: Enjoy! It's SUPER delicious!!

love, 

Lo

A Late Favourite Five. :)

HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! Thanks for stopping by! I quickly just want to thank everyone who has read my post on loving yourself/body and being kind to it and to others. It's my most popular post yet! It makes me so happy that people care about what I have to say and are getting something from it! You guys are the best!!

Now onto the business of the day. But not really business - it's actually fun! My favourite five of the week!! Woo!


Favourite Knowledge:

Seriously! Do it!

Favourite New Band:

TWIN FORKS! I went to see Phillip Phillips last night and they were the openers. Blew my mind. So talented. Plus I talked to them briefly after and they were super chill and genuine - very grateful for their fans. They've only been around for about a year, but I expect them to get big soon. Check em out!!

Favourite Snack Idea:

What, what!? Homemade fruit roll ups!! It's like my childhood!

Favourite Escape:

Currently we're having a second winter. Not cool mother nature. So I like to dream of places like this:

I'd be down for Bermuda. 

Favourite Quote:

I think most of us have heard some variation of this before, but it's true. Celebrate the little successes. And when things are less than ideal, think about how you're growing. :)

Love you guys!

Lo

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Greek Yogurt!

I felt like I'd been having the same breakfast for a while last week and so inspired by this smoothie (I still need to try), I decided to mix up this concoction! Basically I just threw whatever seemed tastiest in a bowl! And voila! It's delicious my friends. Give it a try!

1/2 cup unsweetened plain Greek Yogurt

1-1.5 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Cinnamon

3 tbsp Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup Rolled Oats/Oatmeal (either works)

1/2-1 tbsp real Maple Syrup*

*You can also substitute for brown sugar or 1 pack of stevia

Mix all of that deliciousness together and you'll have yourself a dang tasty - and wayyy easy - morning treat! Enjoy my friends!


Peace and Blessings,

Lo