Since I pretty much put onions in EVERYTHING, I think I've developed eyeballs of steel. That being said, I've had many readers ask me if I had any tips and tricks to help stop the burning/crying when cutting them. Over the years, I think I've found 3 ways to help with this problem. Each way on it's own is helpful, but if you can do all 3, I can almost garuntee you won't shed a single tear! 1) Put the onion in the fridge for 1-hour before you cut it. Without getting too technical, the stuff ... [ Read More ]
Fitness Tip: Workout for 10-15 Minutes Before Dinner
Tips To Kick-Start a Healthy Life Style By Guest Blogger: Jaimie DeSantis FUN FACT: Doing a quick 10-15 minute workout prior to your last meal of the night is a great way to open your muscles up for nutrition. Supporting your muscle repair will help with muscle growth and will in turn boost your metabolism in the long run! This allows the muscles to be able to: A) Absorb carbohydrates readily B) Replenish the loss of Glycogen, which is energy stored in your muscles C) Replace Amino ... [ Read More ]
5 Holiday Gifts for the Foodies in your Life
With the Holidays just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share my top gift picks for your foodie friend or family member! With food being such a huge trend right now, there are so many great things on the market. Here are my 5 favorites: 1) Love with Food Box: Of all the monthly subscription boxes out there, this one is my favorite. I've had it for about 6 months and I plan to give it too all my foodie friends this year. Basically, once a month, the Love With Food box ... [ Read More ]
The Challenge Begins! | Week 1 Meal Plan
Is everybody ready to get healthy?! I know I am... After an amazing 72 hour trip to Mexico (and eating way too much), I'm totally ready to cleanse my body and get started! Remember to keep a record of your points everyday and report them to me on Sunday (I will put a form out in a post on Sunday). Here is your shopping list for the week: Vegetables: 3 heads of romaine lettuce Bag of carrot sticks 6 celery stalks 1 Spaghetti squash 1 onion 4 tomatos 1 bell pepper 1/2 pound ... [ Read More ]
My Romantic Dinner at Citè Restaurant
Chicago's skyline is probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Every time I look at it when I'm driving home from work, it literally takes my breath away. As a result, since I moved here, I've been searching for a great restaurant at the top of one of the many sky scrapers. After asking around, a few friends recommended I head over to Citè located on the 70th floor of the famous Lake Point Tower (rumor has it Oprah used to live in that building). I am headed off to Mexico for ... [ Read More ]
Happy Thanksgiving: 5 Things I am Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families! I wanted to take this opportunity to express the 5 things I am most thankful for (besides my blog, which you all know means more than anything to me). 1) My Parents: Where would I even be without them? I literally don't think I could have more supportive and loving parents. I am so proud of the way they have raised me and l can only hope to raise my kids half as well. They've always believed in me, talked to me like an adult (even when I was ... [ Read More ]
Fun with Chopped Salads
I try to keep my diet mainly low carb (although lately I haven't been to good at it). As a result, chopped salads are a life saver for me. I love the combination of lots of different ingredients and the ability to make all different kinds if salads and switch it up so I'm not getting bored. Since the Get Healthy Challenge is coming up (and there will be a lot of chopped salads), I figured I'd give you a run down of some of my favorites. Remember, as long as it's low carb, you can basically ... [ Read More ]
Recipe: Butternut Squash Soup with Calvados
It's starting to get chilly out! Chicago saw it's first snowfall today and I felt inspired to pass along my DELICIOUS Butternut Squash soup laced with Calvados. I got the inspiration for this recipe from the "New England Soup Factory" in Needham, Massachusetts. I've altered it a little bit to suit my tastes and I think you'll really love it :). Oh, and if you don't know Calvados is, it is a delicious apply brandy from France that adds an incredible depth of flavor to this soup. This soup ... [ Read More ]
2 Ingredient Recipe: Chia Seed Pudding
Last weekend, Dan's cousin, Erica, came to visit us. Although it's so fun just having her around, admittedly, her best contribution to the weekend was her Chia Seed pudding recipe. This 2 ingredient treat makes the perfect breakfast and gives you amazing sustainable energy to get you through the morning. It's sort of reminiscent of a tapioca (except SO much healthier). 2 Ingredient Recipe: Chia Seed Pudding This 2 ingredient treat makes the perfect breakfast and gives you amazing ... [ Read More ]
Honey Sesame Chicken and Broccoli w/ Jasmine Rice
Who doesn't love delicious Chinese take-out (especially on a cold winter night)? My favorite dish is sesame chicken and broccoli over rice! I literally live for the delicious crispy chicken covered in sweet, sticky sauce. Despite how amazing it tastes, let's face it, this stuff is loaded with sugar, fat and pretty low quality ingredients. Last night, I found myself craving some Chinese sesame chicken and was determined to create a my own version (since I'm trying to eat healthier). Not only ... [ Read More ]
