Pre-Spring-Break Diet Recipes

If you can cook for yourself you're already at an advantage in getting thin for beach season. The more you make your own food, the more control you have over what you put in your mouth. Unfortunately, there is no perfect diet that will make you thin without working your ass off exercising. But when you combine those two factors, it's your best bet at getting in shape. That, and every time I think about eating something greasy and delicious I look at a picture of a Victoria's Secret model.
Here is some of the food I've been making to help fight the winter jiggle:

Strawberry and Mint Salad:
10 Strawberries
2 Cherry Tomatoes
2 Peaches
Chopped Mint
Dash of Olive Oil
Dash of Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Chop up all the fruit (yes, the tomato too), add the mint on top and then drizzle with the olive oil and then the balsamic.
I'm not much of a lettuce eater, so this is what I like to eat in stead. It's gorgeously colorful and super tasty. This will serve 2 people at 180 calories each.

Vegetable Soup:
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
2 Large Carrots, grated
1 Leek, finely chopped (sometimes I vary with 2 celery stalks)
4 New Potatoes, grated
1 can of Flageolet Beans, drained
1 Organic Vegetable Stock Cube, mixed with 4 1/4 cups of boiled water.
Salt/Pepper to season
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Put 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into a pot and sauté the onions over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Add the grated potatoes and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add the leek and heat everything until the vegetables are tender (about 3 minutes). Pour in the vegetable stock and keep on the heat until it boils, then take off the heat and slowly puree in a food processor or blender. Once it's all blended to a consistency you like, pour everything back into the pot and turn the burner on low heat. You can add in Chili flakes if like it spicy (they increase your metabolism too) and extra salt/pepper to taste.
Once it's boiling again, add in the can of Flageolet Beans and cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.
This recipie will give you around 4 to 6 servings, so its a good one to keep in your fridge when you're trying to lose weight.

Seasoned Wild Rice With Tomato & Avocado
1 cup wild or brown rice
15 cherry tomatoes (cut in halves)
1 avocado (cut up in bite sized pieces)
A few sprigs of cilantro (chopped finely)
2 minced cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Cook the wild or brown rice as directed on the package it came in. Once it's ready, mix all the ingredients together, taking care not to smash the avocado, and then add salt and pepper to taste. You can also try adding tobasco or sriacha hot sauce. I actually just tried out this recipe for the first time tonight and thought everything looked pretty all chopped up on my cutting board, so I took a picture.

These are just a couple examples of what I try to shove down my throat instead of pizza and burritos. I also like to drink green tea, go out in the cold weather, and substitute soda and juice with water to boost my metabolism. Also, I've never been a munchies person but if you are, learn to fight off that urge when you smoke pot. It's easy once you've mastered it. Please know that I would never encourage crash-dieting and that it's a bad idea. While an appropriate amount of restriction is effective, you still must eat in order to maintain a healthy metabolism. I don't want to get angry emails so please do as I say. ALRIGHTY?

Thoughts on... The God-Damned-Legging Crisis

I've been doing casework for my Urban Sociology class in Uptown and im not sure what it is about run-down neighborhoods, but everywhere I look I see chicks sporting the combination-made-in-hell that consists of a pair of 5-dollar leggings in conjuction with full-butt underwear. Maybe welfare checks can't cover the cost of a good thong, but if my hard-earned tax dollars are going out to you motherfuckers, maybe you can skip your next sack of crack and head to target and spend $4.25 on a pair of underwear that won't make my eyes bleed when I see you walking ahead of me in those crappy-ass leggings. As if the cheap, thin fibers of your piece of shit leggings being completely see through werent enough of an eyesore, you had to throw in a pair of granny panties to just complete this horrendous display upon your ass.

I'm not being a snot, I have seen this before in areas that arent so crappy, but there definitely seems to be a concentration of this trend in the areas with the largest amount of income stemming from the sale of crack.

I used to be really against wearing leggings as pants, mainly because it's a real hit-or-miss fashion choice. And as far as I'm concerned, girls like the one in that picture should probably adhere to that rule. But if you have an attractive ass and a pair of underwear that can hide under the fabric, and they're a decent quality pair of leggings that leave a little to the imagination, I'd say it's ok to sport a pair. Cause lets be honest, getting your ass checked out is a great self-esteem booster.

Thoughts on... Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser

In case anyone who reads this hasn't been able to infer by the way I talk about it, I am incredibly OCD when it comes to my hair and skin routine. My hair is strong and healthy, but my irrational fear of split ends (I just looked it up and cant find a term for it) keeps me constantly scouring over ingredients in my hair products to make sure I am doing it good. But that's another story for another post.
I have difficult skin. It's not prone to breakouts or oiliness but it gets incredibly dry in places that it shouldn't, (like the creases in my nostrils and my T-Zone). If that's not problem enough, I get hives. Mad hives. I don't know what causes them, but on a frequent basis I'll find one or more red itchy bumps on my face that itch like crazy and only get worse when I touch them.
I've used Neutrogena products a lot in the past and I've gotta say, I've never been so satisfied with a brand overall like Neutrogena. It's not overpriced and works incredibly well. This cleanser is no exception either. It has a non-soap formula, so it's super nice to dry skin. The only issue I have with it is that I prefer a cleanser that is a makeup remover as well, and this didn't do a great job of taking off my mascara. (I've used Neutrogena's Fresh Foaming Cleanser and it was wonderful at taking it off).
While I'll probably use the rest of this bottle, I don't think I'd buy this product again just because I don't want to have to use makeup remover and cleanser. I might consider recommending it to my friend who has an intense fear of soap though. I'll give this a 3.5 out of 5.
Is this becoming a product review blog?

Oh, Mexico. Oh, Dear.

I've just received word from my mother that I am being shipped off to Mexico for spring break. While that's most college kids' dream come true, it can't be that fun being hauled off to paradise with your parents and little brothers. I suppose it would be kosher to get drunk around my parents though, since I will be of legal age down there.

This also means that my pre-spring break diet must now be in full effect, no exceptions. It involves alot of spinning and pretty much not eating anything I like. My goals don't fall short of impossible, and I don't intend on compromising. Perhaps I'll post a sample of my diet regimen in the near future.

I actually don't aim to lose much weight, it's more of a toning thing. I'd like to not be so soft-looking when I grace the sand with 6-foot-tall European women who don't wear bikini tops. They already have the shirtless advantage, they don't need to look any more hotter than me than they already do.

As if I don't have enough to be stressed about right now. It's like they purposely put midterms the week before spring break so you don't look forward to it too much.

Where the Drinks are Hotter Than the Chili Sauce, and the Boss is a Cat Named Joe

No, unfortunately I did not spend my weekend in a honky tonk down in Mexico. I did have tons of fun though when I trucked on down to Indiana University for an early V-Day visit to ma boi.

Over the course of the weekend, I came to three conclusions: 1. Valentine's Day is NOT a big deal. 2. Guys in bands are hot. 3. If you're going to hide from everyone you know, don't black out in your hiding spot.

Why did I decide that Valentines Day isn't a big deal after all? Because the only people

that really want it to be special are the ones that don't have a Valentine that particular year. Sure, I've spent years without one before. But on the years I've had a Valentine, it's the same shebang every time. Theres a date, or maybe a gift exchange, or both. Usually theres some lingerie involved, and more than usually you get laid. But stuff like that usually happens to people throughout the other 364 days of the year too! But we never appreciate when it happens spontaneously. We only seem to appreciate that shit on the days that we are expected to.

How did I determine that guys in bands are hot? Well, lets see. It's a commonly known thing that girls will find a guy in a band to be attractive for that sole reason. Sure there are exceptions, but even super ugly guys will find girls swooning over them if they're in a band (cough

Gerhard Way cough). On Friday I went to a party that was kind of a show as well. It was a house party with a few bands scheduled to play in the basement. The lead singer of one of the bands is ridiculously gorgeous even before you find out he plays guitar and sings. Sure, my boy gives me shit for how I apparently get "calf eyed" around this guy whenever I see him. But theres no harm in looking, is there? While I deny I have calf eyes for this guy to my boy's face, a lot of it is true. I would never try anything with this guy, he has a girlfriend who I've met before and get along with, but it is incredibly hard not to find him extremely attractive. At the show, as soon as he came on stage, all these girls rushed toward the front and got pretty into what his band was playing. He even covered "Down in Mexico" by the Coasters and finished off with "The Weigh

t" by the Band. So, not only was his band awesome but he covered two of my favorite songs. Sorry all you non-band guys out there, but its true. Guys who play music are sexy.

After the show, I stumbled back to my boy's house and he and his roommates decided to have people over. I've got to say, I felt like I had the tolerance of a fucking brown bear that night because I pounded shot after shot and shotgunned shitty beers without feeling the slightest bit sick. I did however, feel completely obliterated as 1am started to roll around. For some reason, I was embarrassed of this and decided to hide somewhere where I could get a little un-fucked-up without people giving me shit for pooping out so early. I decided a closet was a good spot and proceeded to pass out before I even knew it. Next thing I know, I get plopped on my boy's bed and I'm being lectured for making everyone worry about where I was. I couldn't really speak that well, yes I was that smashed, but I did manage to laugh a little at the absurdity of it all. He was nice enough to take my earrings out for me and let me black out again until 11am the next day. I NEVER sleep in that late. I'm pretty sure I was still drunk when I woke up too.

Over all, it was a super fun night but like I said, don't hide when you're about to black out. People will freak.

I had tons of fun this weekend, and I hope anyone who reads this did too. Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Beauty Top Five

I am heading out of town this weekend and unlike most girls, I like to keep my luggage as condensed as possible. If I'm flying, I will shove and cram everything into a carry on sized bag so I don't have to deal with the baggage claim. If I'm taking the bus or train, I aim to fit everything into a backpack. Keeping this in mind, I would like to share with you the 5 beauty products I would bring with me no matter what:
1. Proclaim Glossing Polish:
This is seriously the only thing I ever put on my hair. The best thing about having dark hair? It's gorgeously shiny. This makes it even more so! It also will smooth out frizz on humid days but never weighs my curls down. I use the original, but if you put heat on your hair or color it, they make a heat and color protecting version too.



2. Buxom Mascara:
Unless I'm going out, I try to keep my makeup to a minimum. If I could only wear one thing on my face for the rest of my life it would be this mascara. Have you heard of Cover Girl Lash Blast? Well this is the good version of it. It's a little expensive for mascara, but you can build it to make your eyelashes look long enough to be fake. At 18 bucks, it's a little expensive, but I've had my current one for about 4 months now and it hasn't dried out and still works great.



3. Curel Ultra Healing Lotion:
I like my skin to be baby soft. And I've finally find the best lotions that do just that. This lotion is super thick and lasts for ages. I have a little travel sized bottle of this for when I go places, but I keep a big one of these in my bathroom. While I would only bring this lotion while I travelled, at home I like to combine this with Palmer's Olive Butter Formula Concentrated Cream (for my elbows and feet and such) to create the ultimate baby skin.



4. Benefit Benetint:
This combined with my favorite mascara will bring you from day time to night time in a few swipes. It's a lip and cheek stain, which I think is a brilliant idea since your natural lip and cheek color should be somewhat uniform. I find its best to layer it on, and although the directions tell you to apply it in dots and then blend I usually like to just swipe it wherever I want it and then blend with a brush. Did I mention it smells AMAZING?





5. Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid:

I've gotta keep my teeth looking pretty and white, don't I? I really haven't had any success with whitestrips or any other form of bleaching, my teeth are ultra sensitive. However, I have used this toothpaste and while it cant make someone's teeth as white as bleaching can, it certainly does a pretty good job! It's a little on the expensive side, which annoys me but I usually get CVS discount coupons in the mail and use them to buy this and anything else I hate paying full price for.


So there you have it, my top five beauty products of all time and my packing list for the weekend. Happy Valentines Day (and night) everyone!

Hello Snow!

And I mean the kind that falls from the sky. I woke up Wednesday morning literally buried in the white stuff. Despite how much I was missing summer in my last post, the whole 18 inches of snow really eased my bum this week.

2 days off from class? Yes please. It was like a weekend in the middle of the week!
First thing on my blizzard to-do list? Jumping into snow drifts off 2 story balconies! Yep, it was pretty amazing landing into 8 feet of powdery goodness after soaring through the crisp winter air. While I don't recommend anyone trying that on the regs, the conditions on this day were most ideal.

Moving right along, I had my first encounter with homemade ice bongs this Tuesday. I don't mean a bong that holds ice in the chamber, I mean a bong made entirely of ice! Yep, I pretty much figured out how to do it myself, and I've gotta say, it's not that hard! I had a guy friend that got into making them over the summer, but winter really is the best time to make them! They last much much longer because the cold weather doesn't melt them as fast. I think I'll post an ice bong how-to in the near future.

I didn't really have as much of an exciting time on day 2 of the Snowpocalypse, mostly just got caught up with my schoolwork and did a whole bunch of laundry.

So I guess winter still has a lot to offer after all! And while I still have to worry about frost bite and my dress shoes getting ruined by salt for the next couple months, at least I've found some great ways to get creative and avoid the cabin fever!