Hey Guys! I’m back with a fun and easy meal idea! This was a total salvage use-up, with wrinkly tomatoes I stole from my mum that were headed to the garbage and some fennel she had laying around! With some other bits and bobs it became a perfect bit of sauce for penne. I love fennel, it has this flavor profile that reminds me of the spice blend in mild Italian sausage, just without the meat! The natural sweetness comes out as you cook it down. This dish is naturally vegetarian, and vegan if you omit or swap out the parmesan cheese, so this is a perfect dish for when you don’t know all of the food preferences of a guest. Tomato- Fennel Penne $5.32 for 4 or $1.33 per serving (but really… 59 cents a serving if those tomatoes were going in the trash) ~15 wrinkled tomatoes (salvaged from…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doW0cPG81EE] Hey guys! I hope the couple of weeks of May have been treating you well, it finally decided to become spring here in Edmonton, with a dash of summer, so I’m enjoying the change in temperatures and the sunshine. This post should really be called “March and April plus Half of May Favorites” since I didn’t do a favorites video in the last few months! I didn’t feel like I had much to say, but in the past few weeks I’ve been realizing… oh I have been loving things! They’re just completely integrated into my life so I don’t realize as much. Beauty: Exfoliating face wash Gel moisturizer – Under $10! Nars Laguna bronzer Josie Maran Coconut Water Eyeshadow Clothes: Lavender long sleeve no longer available, similar here, here, here and here Joe Fresh short sleeve on sale! Blue jacket- similar here, here and here Payless sneakers- no longer available,…
Hey Guys! If you follow me on social media (Twitter, Instagram or Facebook), you may have noticed that I have been rocking a new accessory: I mean… you may not have noticed my break from TBGB at all… but if you did, and you don’t follow me on social media… that is why. On May 9th I did a number on myself and grabbed a 345 degree Celcius skillet handle, straight out of the oven. If you’re wondering where my pot mitten was… it was on my left hand. Who knows why. Fast forward about an hour later, after I determined that my bubbling skin would in fact NOT go back to normal if I “just kept it under the cool water a bit longer”, a ridiculously attractive urgent care doctor informed me that I had sustained second degree burns. There’s a reason why my personal directive (yes, I have…
Hi guys! And a very Happy Mother’s Day to anyone reading this that is a mom! So many moms are amazing individuals, and there are so many women who step into mothering roles that are amazing individuals, too! I really believe that it takes a village to raise up awesome kids into happy, healthy adults and moms (and what I like to call “extra moms”) are so important to that. I hope you’re all being appropriately showered with love today! I started contemplating what I’d like to say in what I jokingly referred to as “my ode to my mom” about a month ago. My mom is a bonafide badass. She’s done everything from being a political lobbyist, to working with the elderly, to being a solo parent, to holding down the fort while my dad was away (a lot, for work), running a successful business with my dad, and…
Hey Guys! It has been a little while since I posted a new blog, which is partly attributed to it being playoff season (late games are killing me!) and partly attributed to life just being… life. But I’m back sharing my thoughts on if you can save or if you need to splurge when it comes to micellar water! I’m the type of person where if I’ve found a great product, I’ll use it and use it forever. That said, when something is expensive… I’ll tend to try to find more affordable options too. That was the spirit that lead me to seeking out a more affordable option than my much beloved Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water. And I found one! Please check out my full review of the Garnier SkinActive Micellar water and how it holds up when compared to the Bioderma Sensibio here: [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqYuTiM9680] You can watch the…
Well, I made it around a month. Not my best but… there were 3$ pints of strawberries that I just couldn’t deny myself. I also really wanted fresh dairy. So after thirty days of not buying groceries, I bought a few things. This no-buy isn’t firmly over, I’m still trying to work out of the meals and proteins I have frozen and my shelf stable items, but I’m running out of things like eggs and in my house… that just won’t do. March was a pretty easy month to not be buying groceries. I had a hospitality suite at work for three days and lots of invites out to my family’s place. I also did a cooking class that sent me home with three+ days’ worth of food. I think as I go forward my “no buy” will just be modified- if I need eggs or a fresh item,…
Hey guys! There’s just something about spring that I love. Maybe it’s that the sun is out longer, or more birds in the trees, or just bright green everywhere, but I love it! Here in Edmonton it’s still snowing periodically, but you can feel spring coming still. The sun is warm now, melting snow and ice to make way for green grass and tree buds in April and May. With spring often comes invitations to early weddings, bridal showers and if you’re lucky, a baby shower or two! I find these days a lot of events are much more informal, you’re well dressed in a nice pair of jeans and a pretty top, but for some only a nice dress will do. And that’s ok! It’s always fun to dress up every now and again, but if you have multiple special events, it can get pretty expensive quickly. My…
Hey! Fish tacos are 100% one of my favorite indulgences in life. The crisp lettuce, spicy fish, cool and creamy avocado-lime crema and bright pico de gallo… it’s all so, so good. Plus, it’s actually pretty healthy (if you can force yourself to eat in moderation). Unfortunately a lot of the fish you get in fish tacos out a restaurants is breaded and then fried… so this is totally a make-at-home thing if you’re looking to keep it healthy! I love to make enough spicy fish and fixings to have tacos 2 ways- once for dinner as traditional tacos, and once as a bowl for a nutritious, low carb meal. I figure if I’m going to put in the effort, it may as well last me a few meals!. Fish Tacos 2 Ways! Makes 4 meals for $12.71 or $3.18 per serving For the crema: 2 avocados 1/4 cup greek yogurt…
Dieting, or making major life changes to be healthier, can be difficult enough to begin with. Add in that it can be isolating because often we make poor food choices when gathering as a group, and suddenly becoming healthier can become very lonely. One of my very best friends has been on a health and fitness journey for over a year (check her out over at Life as Alyx, she posts some of her healthy recipes there!) so when I ask her over it’s usually her “cheat” meal, but even so I try to provide her with options to make it a bit more healthy for her. I support you, so that means I support your goals, too, right? Recently she came and visited with another friend of ours and we were having a “celebration” dinner of sorts. I wanted to serve something decadent, festive and fun- but I…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_XcYd5uyX4] Hey guys! Another month has passed, and I had some super fun favorites! Not a whole bunch of things, but a few that I have really loved. As a side note, I had this video edited all nicely with titles and the like and… when it uploaded, they disappeared. I clearly need to start editing in a new program. Sorry! Instead you get random clips of me drinking and swearing. Not the worst, right? Food: Oikos Yogurt These snack sized “dessert” yogurts have been amazing! I often crave something sweet at night or am hungry after getting home from my periodic evening job. These greek yogurts fix both of those issues! And the portion control helps me not overeat. Wholly Guacamole Minis Ok. These are amazing! I know loads of people would love these for a quick snack with chips dunked right in the package, and yes, I’ve…