I welcome in the ushering of a new year! Happy end of the second to last month of 2021!!!
HAULS/COLLABORATIONS/ AMBASSADORSHIPS
C/O Etttika
I finally made it back to Trader Joe's after almost 19 months!!!! You know the first thing I wanted was some orchids because TJ's has them in abundance in many colors. Right now, all of the orchids I have are white. I have never had much luck getting TJ's orchids to re-bloom. I saw on different forums other people have had the same issues saying that they use orchids from orchid farms and they are not as good or as healthy as some other retail options.
Well, I have this amazing window in my home where I get full white hot morning light and it turns out orchids can't get enough of it! All of my orchids re-bloom on their own over and over again. Before, I was lucky if my phals stayed alive long enough indoors to enjoy the blooms. So buying the orchids from TJ's was a little bit of an experiment. Well, it's been a few weeks now and low and behold all the blooms you see in these photos bloomed and as soon as the flowers stopped living and fell off they are blooming again. So there you have it, my magic window has cured the TJ's curse.
Last month at the Sunset Market I picked up some natural stones. They had a really good selection, but two of these didn't have a name card available so I don't know what type of stone the white one is except that it is druzy.
Druzy
Green Amethyst
New from MAC Cosmetics
New Fall Collection Tempting Fate
Also shown Ruby's Crew
C/O R.Serio Official
Would not recommend this online "boutique"
CURRENTLY LOVING
New real Shearling & leather heels from Coach
FITNESS:
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM MY SOCIAL MEDIA
I have already stated this on my blog, my eating habits have not changed, I don't work out more- I actually work out less because I hurt myself in February lifting weights. The entire catalyst of my losing weight last year was my medication. I was taking medication and it began to affect my health adversely, by the time I had my annual check up my blood pressure was higher than normal and other things were also happening with me. The very first week I stopped taking this medication I lost 8 pounds of water weight. After that, I just proceeded with my normal diet and my normal workouts and the weight came off on it's own in a very slow process which was over the last year.
I am naturally small, I am usually 120-125 lbs. While on the medication I was taking I was averaging 130-140 lbs which for me at 5'3 was too much. Because I am more physically fit and proactive about my diet as an adult than I was as a teenager or in my early 20's my average weight is now much lower.
Anyway, I just wanted to clarify, I loved how I looked at 140 lbs (and to be honest it doesn't look that much different to how I look now with exception of the fact that I have lost some curves), but it did not make it healthy for me and once I started experiencing adverse effects I could not deny that anymore.
My journey isn't about what anyone else should do, it's just about me and that is why there are very few yoga photos and fitness photos/comparisons over the last year. I have done 2: both were when my health started to get worse in the Fall of last year and I had brand work I was working on and I went back and re-shot some of those photos because the work was not up to my satisfaction. And subsequently, I have 2 comparison photos that have only been posted in my stories.
While I am not telling anyone how to live, I do hope that what I went through might inspire other people who also were quarantined and maybe gained weight.
XOXO
DATE NIGHTS:
TIMPANO HYDE PARK RE-OPENING
Il Ritorno
Downtown St. Pete
EDISON FOOD LAB
HYDE PARK/ DOWNTOWN
GLUTEN FREE MEALS COOKED BY MYSELF- RECIPES AVAILABLE BY REQUEST IF NOT POSTED.
Holiday inspired cocktail sponsored by Empress Gin
- Empress 1908 Gin is a hand-crafted spirit from Victoria Distillers in British Columbia, Canada
- Empress 1908 is micro-distilled in small batch copper-pot stills using eight botanicals: juniper, rose, coriander seed, grapefruit peel, ginger root, cinnamon bark, butterfly pea blossoms and the Fairmont Empress Blend Tea.
- The butterfly pea blossom imparts subtle earthy notes and an all-natural indigo hue with a stunning secret to reveal: with the addition of citrus or tonic, Empress 1908 transforms from vivid indigo blue to a delicate soft pink.
- Empress 1908 is all-natural and gluten free
#EmpressFL #EmpressGin #EmpressAtHome #ad #sponsored
Recipe (Tiktok tutorial here)
Ingredients
2 oz Empress 1908 Gin
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 oz Simple Syrup
Ginger Beer to top
Rosemary Sprigs & star anise for garnish
Method:
Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker except the Ginger beer & garnish. Shake and pour over crushed ice.
Top with Ginger beer and garnishes.
Nando's Peri Peri chicken with Portuguese Rice
Tiktok tutorial here
INGREDIENTS:
For the Sauce/Marinade (everything can be roughly chopped and placed in the blender.
- 1 Red Onion
- 4 Cloves of Garlic
- 1 Red Pepper (I used a ghost pepper)
- 2 Red Bell Peppers
- 1-3 Jalapeños, seeded
- 2 cups of Cilantro (leaves only)
- 1 TB Dijon
- 2 Limes, juiced and zested
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 cup of Olive Oil
Chicken
- 8 Chicken Thighs, Bone-in
- 2 Limes
- Salt
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Bring a pan to medium low heat with some olive oil.
- Combine the red onion and all of the marinade ingredients, other than the olive oil, to a blender.
- Blend ingredients together and then slowly drizzle in olive oil.
- Add chicken to a large container and pour enough marinade over to generously coat the chicken.
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Season the leftover marinade with salt to taste and extra limes (this will be your hot sauce for the chicken).
- Once the chicken has marinated, preheat your oven to 425F
- Season the chicken with salt and place on cast iron flat pan or a tin foil lined baking sheet.
- Roast the chicken until it has reached an internal temperature of 165F. (about 30 minutes for bone-in chicken thighs)
- Serve chicken with the hot sauce (this goes great with some rice and beans!)
NOTES:
This recipe makes a lot of marinade/hot sauce so you can freeze the remaining sauce.
marinade the chicken
NEXT
Portuguese Rice
Tiktok tutorial here
Ingredients
Portuguese Rice
Ingredients :
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
- In a 4-quart medium saucepan heat the oil over high heat until hot. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, red pepper, and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the water, parsley and cilantro and bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir well. When the liquid returns to a boil, stir again, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook the rice undisturbed for 20 minutes, or until the liquid is dissolved and the rice is tender.
Grilled Chicken w/ Parmigiana Reggiano Alfredo
12 ounces fettuccine or other long pasta
Pink Hymalayan salt
1/4 cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiana Reggiano, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
Step 1
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente. Drain, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking liquid.
Step 2
Transfer 1 cup pasta cooking liquid to a large skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer, then whisk in butter, a piece at a time, until melted. Whisking constantly, gradually add Parmigiana Reggiano, making sure it’s completely melted and incorporated before adding more.
-Add pasta and toss to coat, adding more pasta cooking liquid as needed, until sauce blankets noodles completely. Serve topped with pepper and more cheese.
-Grill chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and butter until 160 degrees internally. Remove from grill and slice. Lay chicken and its juices across the Alfedo and sprinkle with parsley.
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