Eating Healthy for One

My boyfriend recently got a second shift job, therefore I eat dinner alone now :( But rather than taking this sadness and alone time to craft amazing and wild dinners, I started exploring with different stir fries, salads, and much more light and healthy options that I usually just don't do because I am feeding a male. I've had a few great meals that were super light but filling and delicious! I thought I had to share for any others out there that want a good and healthy dinner on the lighter fare. I don't have any pictures of the ones I've made so far but I will start taking pictures soon.

Fun Fact: Spinach is the only vegetable that is more vitamin rich when cooked!

1. Ahhhmazing Summer Salad
2. Sautéed Broccoli Salad
3. Refreshing Greens Salad
4.  Rich Veggie Delight
5. Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

1. Ahhhmazing Summer Salad

Ingredients:

• Rinsed Spinach

• Sliced Strawberries

• Crumbled Goat Cheese

• Glazed Pecans or Walnuts

2. Sautéed Broccoli Salad 

Ingredients:

• 1 Head of Broccoli

• 1-2 Cups of Spinach

• 2-3 Cloves of Garlic

• 1/4 cup Chopped Onion

• 1/4 cup of cilantro

• Black Pepper

• 2 tbs of Butter

• Parmesan Cheese

• Balsamic Vinegar

Simply douse a large skiller in butter and saute garlic. Add in onion then broccoli. Cover and stir occasionally until cooked. Add in spinach and cilantro and stir with desired amount of pepper and balsamic. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve!

3. Refreshing Greens Salad

Ingredients: 

• Spinach

• Arugula

• Sugar Snap Peas

• Avocado

• Parsley

• Cherry Tomatoes

4. Rich Veggie Delight

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup Chopped Onion

• 1/2 cup Shredded Brussel Sprouts

• 1/4 cup Chopped Carrots

• 1/4 cup Chopped Celery

• 3 Cloves of Garlic, Diced

• 2-3 tbs of Butter

• Salt and Pepper

• Dash of Cinnamon

• Tomato Sauce

Simply sauté all ingredients together until browned. Add tomato sauce and simmer shortly. serve with parmesan cheese.

5. Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 

• Balsamic Vinegar

• Lime Juice

• Black Pepper

• Olive Oil

• Finely chopped Garlic

Whether you are on a diet, always eat healthy, or just want to eat better, I hope these recipes serve you well! Enjoy :)

Super Bowl XLIX

So many great things about this years Super Bowl! 

Not only did the game hold my attention, the Half Time Show was impeccable... Katy Perry riding a giant robot tiger...Missy Elliot... The costumes! All of it was great, even the brief few moments that Lenny Kravitz was there.

Commercials were... so-so, kind of a hit or miss if you ask me. Oddvertising, emotional reckage, some of those ads were just a bit too much for me, but I'll be showing some of my favorites below.

Of course my favorite part of the Superbowl, as always, is the opportunity for appetizers. Every year I try and outdo myself for creative appetizers. This year I decided to remake an appetizer that I had tried about ten years ago. Baked Ravioli! Super simple and incredibly delicious, just glad I was able to snap a picture before it was gone!

Ingredients

• 1 bag Frozen Mini Ravioli (or normal sized, or tortellini)

• 1 cup Tomato Sauce

• 1/4 cup Pesto Sauce

• 1 cup Olive Oil

• Seasonings of Choice (garlic powder, pepper, salt, parsley and cilantro are what I used)

• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

• 1/4 cup whole milk or cream

Instructions

Begin by pre-heating the oven to 300 degrees. In a medium sized bowl, mix together oil and seasonings and ravioli. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and pour mixture directly on. Stick in pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes, possibly shorter depending on amount. Check and stir every 5 minutes or so. While cooking, begin adding sauce ingredients together in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add milk and cheese last. Ravioli and sauce should be done around the same time. Pour sauce into bowl and display ravioli on a plate and serve to the wild beasts. Just make sure to get a few in before they are ravaged by your guests who will act as if they haven't eaten in a week. Happy appetizing! 

Now for the commercials! 

#3 Come Back to the Sea - Carnival Cruise

Those emotional strings were pulled...

#2 Budwiser's Lost Puppy

What can I say, I love puppies, horses, farms, and Budwiser... it got to me.

Drumroll please...

#1 First Draft Ever - Avocados From Mexico

Yes, my favorite ad was the quirky First Draft Ever! I loved everything about this ad; it was funny, cute, and damn do I love avocado's! 

That's all folks, until next year... Happy end of football season ;)

Online Portfolio Creator

I decided I needed to get my online portfolio started and get my work into the view of the public. I believe it is a good idea to have all of my digital works that I am proud of available at the click of a button to anyone that wants it. For any digital media professional, having your works in a collaborative space is a smart thing to do. Even if  you are not looking for work, someone may find something they like and connect with you regarding it or your future. It is never a bad idea to make yourself more known and enhance the opportunity for networking.

After researching hard on online portfolio creators, I landed on Coroflot, an awesome website that allows you to create your own custom profile and portfolio, as well as apply for jobs and search salaries, read media related articles, and much more. this site has changed the way I search for jobs and has given me a lot of insight into the digital work world. I highly recommend this site for someone who has digital and media skills that they'd like to show off but don't have the time or skill to code a website themselves.

I was able to make my landing page profile with a short description about me and a few examples of my work. It then leads you to my portfolio where I can add as many projects as I want. Within these projects I can add pictures, videos, documents, or anything else that went into that particular project. Take a look for yourself at my online profile!

If you have any feedback, inquiries, or suggestions, please leave a comment. Also if you think you have a better site than Coroflot, let me know! Thank you and I hope this helps you on your search for a good place to create your online portfolio.

Children's Art & Science Program

My Kickstarter got accepted!

I am trying to achieve my goal of starting an art program for kids focusing in science and nature. This after school program would start in Boulder, CO and help kids create and learn about nature and science, and hopefully spread to other parts of the country. Field trips, science lessons, and many many art projects to enhance children's love for the outdoors and expressing themselves creatively are my main goals. With technological advancements, so many kids these days come home from school and sit in front of a TV or computer screen, with their minds numbed. It is important to get children using their imagination, getting their hands dirty, and exploring the area in which they live.  This program is here to create that excitement and challenge that they are missing in the afternoons. CASP's mission is to have these kids be with other children in the same age group, learning about geology, chemistry, physics, and art in a simple way that will entice them to want to learn and create more! Donations would fund rent for a studio/class space, art supplies, guest speakers, van rental and gas for field trips, and legal certifications and forms that must be processed in the event of opening a business. 

Please help me reach my goal of $5,000 to get the program up and running to begin Summer 2015 for day camp! Learn more here!

Avocado Slicer & De-pitter Invention Review

Holy Guacamole!

This thing is awesome! My boyfriend gave it to me as an early Christmas gift while I was making breakfast on Sunday. Normally I wouldn't accept an early gift, but I asked if it would make breakfast better, and it sure did. Not only is this nifty gadget super functional, I found it fun to use. Maybe I'm just a freak, but I went out and bought a bunch of avocados and am planning on making the best guacamole ever for a party tomorrow night. I have always loved avocado, and even cutting it normally with a knife, but now... now, I better watch myself before I go eating 12 avocados a day. They are delicious, and in moderation good for you, so I must pace myself and feed others because there is no way I can not use this thing everyday. It's awesome!

You can buy it online at Williams-Sonoma for $9.95 or find it on amazon

Apple Rose Tarts

Holiday Baking?

Try a tasty yet beautiful dessert that won't put you in a food coma after dinner!

Ingredients:

4-6 Apples of choice
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp Cinnamon
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour


Instructions: Boil 1 1/2 cups of water in a medium saucepan with 1 cup of white sugar. Thinly slice apples and add to saucepan, boil for 3-5 minutes. Cooking time depends or the variety of the apples, but slices should be transparent in the end. While boiling, prepare the dough, flatten and cut into 1-2" by 5" rectangles and drizzle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Let the apple slices cool aa bit in a colander and place on paper towel. Place the slices horizontally while layering slightly over one another until the rectangle is mostly covered. Roll from one end tightly and pinch the dough when you reach the other end to secure the rose. Place on parchment paper or in cupcake liners. Repeat until desired amount are created. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350.

Magic Milk

Arts & Crafts: Indoor Fun when the Outdoors Act up.

When the snow won’t stop falling, the rain keeps coming, or the wind won’t slow down, sometimes you have to choose the indoors and get creative. Although you don’t have nature to learn from, there are experiments that and science projects that can teach you other things, like physics and chemistry. Here’s a fun trick that will allow you to see some crazy colors and flows in a way that nature cannot replicate.

Ingredients

• whole milk

• food coloring

• dish soap

• salt 

• oil (vegetable or canola)

Directions

In a wide shallow bowl or deep plate (the shape of the container alters the design, so play around a bit if you’d like). Fill the container ¾ with whole milk. Use the food coloring, 2-4 colors, about 3 drops each, in varying areas of the milk. Following, add a few drops of dish soap, or draw a circle of dish soap, or any other design (different designs will alter reactions). Watch for a few minutes as the colors swirl in various vortexes and flows. You can add more dye for less white in the designs. By adding salt, you will see a reaction in the flow of the colors. Adding oil traps the colors to create color bubbles that don’t mix with the flow. 

              Before Salt                                                                                  After Salt