2 shades of fabulous from j. crew

yesterday, j. crew released another round of new arrivals from their spring collection. unfortunately if you looked up "broke" in the dictionary, a picture of me is what you would find. still, a girl can dream right? some of the pieces are not my style, but a few really caught my eye. the product i am most obsessed with is the two-toned metallic heels. mixing metallics can be tricky and j. crew did it without fail. these shoes go with anything... from jeans (especially those fabulous high-waisted ones below) to skirts! they are a must-have for my closet! here are just a few of the things i am lusting over from the newest batch of spring arrivals!

mixed metallic gladiator high-heel sandal

collection neon dot jacquard short

scallop-leather merino tee

point sure hightower skinny jean in drifter wash

photo floral dress

(all images credit jcrew.com)

well this week has been a busy one but on the bright side, i took my last two tests of the semester until finals start! i can't believe that there are only two weeks left of class. can't believe it, but can't wait for them to be over. this semester has been a tough one so i am happy to see it come to an end. summer is calling my name and i am excited for hot days by the pool, spending time with friends and family, working at LEONA and living in nashville!

i know i probably shouldn't, but my weight has been on my mind lately. it went down a little bit after the cruise but i have a hit a plateau and have the fear that it will continue to rise instead of stay the same. i would like to drop the few pounds i gained on the cruise but my body is clinging to them. my mom says this is a good thing but it is definitely bothering me. i have come to realize that weight issues are always going to be mental for me and i know that they shouldn't be. as long as i am healthy and happy, the number on the scale shouldn't matter. however, these past few days, my weight has been nagging at me. its hard to put into words and its hard for others to understand. i continue to eat healthy and workout daily so i am not sure where to go from there. hopefully this will go away in the next few days.

tomorrow is the day i prove myself as wonder woman! not really but i have quite the busy day to end the week. for diamond girls (or spring sports ambassadors) i have to work the annual sea-ray relays track meet for the majority of the afternoon and then it is straight to relay for life until nine. a work out and trip to the grocery are on my list for the morning! fingers crossed i make it through the day so that i can enjoy the spending the day with my parents and brother who will be here for the orange and white game!

xoxo,
clp

productive saturday & 2 recipes

it is only 3:00 and i am worn out! i have had quite the productive saturday so far! it started relatively low-key, with my morning coffee, one of my new favorite breakfasts of mueslix cereal with almond milk, sliced banana and dried apricots sprinkled with cinnamon, OJ and the today show. i then went to sweat it out at real hot yoga! i hadn't been in a while and it was quite the workout! i swear i was even sweating from my kneecaps... (TMI i know). after hot yoga, i came home and made a cornbread salad (complete with spinach, corn, green peas, onion, tomato and buttermilk and ground pepper) and also sliced up a pear with some cranberry cheese for lunch.

after lunch, i set my sights on the kitchen. i have a pretty busy week ahead of me starting tomorrow afternoon so i wanted to go ahead and make some things for my lunches and breakfasts this week. i made up a batch of my go-to granola, which will be yummy with kefir and fresh fruit. i also hard-boiled a few eggs (just put in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes and voila!) for sandwiches or wraps. this warm weather has me wanting not only pimento cheese but also chicken salad so i decided to make both this week since the pimento cheese keeps well! these are all classic recipes, but lightened up (no mayo!) and modified a bit!

lightened-up jalepeno pimento cheese

1 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt

1 4 oz. jar diced pimentos

1/2 small can diced jalepenos, plus 1 tbsp of juice from can

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

 1 8 oz. block Cabot jalepeno light cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 8 oz. block Cabot sharp extra light cheddar cheese, shredded 

1. combine all ingredients together and stir well. serve as sandwich, as a dip with cut vegetables or wheat crackers, on sliced tomatoes, or melted in an omelette! 

(slightly adapted from Southern Living)

greek yogurt chicken salad

6 oz. shredded white chicken (i used canned)

1/2 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/8 cup chopped pecans or almonds

1 tsp honey

pepper, to taste 

1. combine all ingredients together and stir well. use a pastry blended to chop ingredients more. serve as sandwich, as a dip with cut vegetables or wheat crackers or on sliced tomatoes.

(slightly adapted from The Yummy Life)

needless to say, i am very much looking forward to my lunches this week! this week really starts the push towards the end of the semester. i am working the vanderbilt vs. UT baseball game tomorrow afternoon and then my week consists of classes, meetings, projects and tests. friday i will be working the sea-ray relays meet and also participating in relay for life. a week from today is the orange and white game, which mama, daddy and phillip are coming up for so i am looking forward to that as well as my chapter's senior recognition banquet next sunday. hopefully i will be able to come up for air at some point, but if not, i'll be back on here as soon as i can! 

xoxo,

clp 

p.s. last night i saw divergent. it was so much better than i expected and i definitely recommend it! i was a hypocrite and saw the movie before reading the book but it is waiting for me to read on my kindle tonight! 

a twist on traditional mexican: baked tacos

mexican food is my favorite food. i think i could eat it all day, everyday, but then i might have a slight probably wearing the clothes i like to wear. though its not the most diet friendly cuisine, there are ways to make it healthier which i hope to continue to share! my favorite way to make mexican healthier is to simply swap veggies for chips! i like to slice up either jicama or bell peppers to dip into salsa and guacamole! another way is to use small, soft corn tortillas. they are only 45 calories a piece and can be easily made into hard taco shells if desired! tonight's supper recipe is one that is relatively easy and a change up from traditional ground beef tacos!

baked tacos

1 lb extra lean ground beef

1 recipe homemade refried beans

1/4 cup salsa

2-3 tbsp homemade taco seasonings

8-10 hard taco shells (homemade recipe below) 

shredded cheese and your favorite taco seasonings

1. preheat oven to 400.
2. brown ground beef. drain any fat. add salsa, beans and seasonings. 
3. spoon mixture into taco shells. 
4. place filled shells into a casserole, standing up. sprinkle with cheese.
5. bake for 10-12 minutes or until heated through. 
6. serve with your favorite toppings!

homemade taco shells

1. using 6 inch corn tortillas, wrap in a barely damp paper towel and steam in microwave for about 30 seconds. lay the tortillas on a clean working surface and spray both sides with cooking spray. carefully drape each tortilla over bars in the oven rack.bake at 375 until crisp, about 7-10 minutes (watch carefully). 

(recipes slightly adapted from One Good Thing by Jillee) 

it is fro-yo friday! after supper tonight i am going to get some frozen yogurt and to see divergent with one of my friends! perfect girl-date for a stormy friday night! have a wonderful weekend!

xoxo,

clp

easy single girl pintos

pinto beans and cornbread: a southern staple. and for some reason, also a meal that has been on my mind. however, since i didn't have the time or patience or mouths to feed to soak a large pot of beans, i came up with this quick and easy single serving recipe for some southern pinto beans! of course, i had some of granny's cornbread with it and also some tomato relish to add in an extra kick of flavor!

easy single girl pinto beans

1/2-3/4 cup canned pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 slices bacon, chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup vegetable broth 

1/2 jalepeno, chopped finely 

salt and pepper, to taste

cayenne pepper, to taste

water, enough to cover beans

1. combine all ingredients in pot and bring to a boil. 
2. reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer. you want the beans to develop a sort of "bean broth." if they start to cook down too much, add a bit more water. stir occasionally and mash some of the beans. (i probably let mine simmer for about 15-20 minutes). 
3. serve warm with cornbread and chow-chow or tomato relish! 

this isn't a go-by-the-books recipe so do whatever works for you! if you don't want your beans to be mushy like mine, add less liquid and don't allow to simmer as long. this recipe doesn't do justice to the pintos that you would find on my mama or my grandmother's stove, but it serves as an easy, healthier substitute to the southern staple (and it has the health benefit of loads of fiber!). tomorrow i am using the remainder of the pinto beans in a favorite recipe of mine: oven baked tacos! be on the lookout for that recipe coming soon! 

xoxo,

clp