::covet::

Cavalli is definitely one of my favorite designers and I am seriously wanting his latest collection...would make the most perfect Fall wardrobe.

Roberto Cavalli Floral-Print Silk Gown $2,945 CAD

Roberto Cavalli Gold-Plated Swarovski Crystal Bracelet $2,120 CAD

Roberto Cavalli Leopard-Print Silk-Satin Pants $1,025 CAD

Roberto Cavalli Military Wool-Felt Jacket $2,535 CAD
 

Roberto Cavalli Printed Silk-Chiffon Top $1,090 CAD

Roberto Cavalli Sequin-Embellished Jersey T-Shirt $940 CAD

-S.*

{Source: Net-A-Porter}

::health:goals::

I am just sitting here, dreaming about junk food. And seriously anything is at my finger tips in the University cafeteria. I just got to display a little will power. Especially on my first freakin' day! 

I did have shrimp teriyaki (shrimp, rice, sprouts) which totalled up to around 450 calories for lunch, which isn't bad at all. Tonight I will make a nice light salad...I will try and stick to carbs at least once a day (like, if I have toast for breakfast, then it's protein and veg for the rest of the day). 

I am also drinking lots of teas (green and chamomile) and trying to stear clear from pop and wine with dinner (although one glass never hurt anyone...or two, lol). 

I am going to go over some diet books that I have...probably the South Beach diet or look through the little diet book that came with my Tracy Anderson DVDs. 

I might do a workout as well. I need to get into it...I guess I gotta set small goals. Baby steps. If I don't succeed with regards to that then I am bound to mess up. 

I am sure everyone has some weaknesses...for instance, my boyfriend LOVES sweets and chocolate...and I am the exact opposite. I love salty foods...some of my vices are salt, potatoes, pasta, vinegar, cheese and wine. Those can be totally tricky to get away from. 

I am also not a huge fan of raw veggies unless there is a lot of dressing on them, but I am completely content with steamed ones with a hint of salt. Yum. 

Since beginning my new healthy eating, I am going to try and avoid processed foods and fizzy drinks.

Of course you can definitely have a cheat meal during the week...some people even have a cheat snack once a day...I am going to try and really stay strong. If I feel like having that greasy chicken burger I am going to think back about what my planned cheat meal is and whether I want that or if I just want to throw it all out the window (not the whole diet) and go with the wanting of it right then and there. 

For example...this weekend, I want to eat lots of potatoes...well, not LOTS but I want that to be my main portion of my meal...because I love them. So all week I am going to try and avoid super starchy foods or anything buttery and salty. 

I am glad to say though that I went up to the caf and totally steered clear from the pizza place and the fountain pop machine. Instead I just have a nice cold bottle of water to tie me over until dinner, which is going to be cucumber salad with sour cream and vinegar dressing. 

Even though I would LOVE to have potatoes with that meal...I will have to hold off. HAVE TO! 

I am definitely craving salad though right now so I am looking forward to my mini dinner. 

Which leads me to the next recipe.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Snap Peas

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: Serves 4

Level: Easy

Ingredients

4 chicken cutlets {about 1-1/4 pounds}, patted dry

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

All-purpose flour, for dredging

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 scallions, thinly sliced

8 ounces mushrooms {button, cremini, shiitake or a combination}, quartered 

1-1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 cups sugar snap peas, stemmed and halved lengthwise

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoons oil to the skillet. Dredge 2 chicken cutlets in flour, shake off any excess and place in the skillet. Cook until golden, about 1-1/2 minutes per side; transfer to a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the other 2 chicken cutlets. Cover the dish loosely with foil; place in the oven while you prepare the vegetables. 

Add the butter to the hot skillet, then add the scallions and mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms brown, about 4 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil, scraping up an browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 4 more minutes. Stir in the snap peas and heat through; season with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken topped with the creamy vegetables. 

-S.*

{Image Credit: Antonis Achilleos}

::speed:recipe::

Eggplant-Parmesan Sauce

Directions
Soak 1 pound cubed eggplant in warm salted water, about 15 minutes, then drain and squeeze dry. Season 1 cup flour with salt and pepper in a bowl. Beat 2 eggs with 1/2 cup milk in another bowl. Mix 1-1/2 cups flour and 1/2 cup grated parmesan in a third bowl. Dip the eggplant in the seasoned flour, the egg and then the flour-cheese mixture. Fry in 1/4 inch olive oil over medium-high heat until golden; drain on paper towels. Mix with 4 cups marinara sauce. Toss with rigatoni. 

-S.*

{Source: Food Network Canada Website - Photographed by Kang Kim}

::the:proletarian::

The Proletarian by Baldovino Barani.

 

 

 

 

-S.*

{Source: Baldovino Barani Official Website}

::interesante::

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

There are so many interesting things that happen on a daily basis...so many nuggets of knowledge that you accumulate throughout your weeks, months, years & lives that you have to share it with people. 

I find that some individuals can be incredibly narrow-minded and not give certain aspects of conversation a chance and that seriously irritates me. 

At the end of the day - you can't really do much about it except sit and stew and wonder why that person just doesn't get it! 

I think that we definitely need to keep an open mind on a day-to-day basis and take into account everyone's opinions {even though at times I can be seriously bull-headed}. 

That's why I am going to try and share as many appealing articles as I can with you guys. Give people that follow this blog a chance to learn something new and interesting on a daily basis. I guess that is why I do this. I think that a lot of information that is out there just doesn't get to the general population of younger people. 

It can have anything to do with health and fitness, to mental health and things that go on in the world that we just don't pay attention to. 

Don't worry, I'm not going to go on political rantings and such...just little things here and there that caught my eye and I found intriguing. 

I'm also going to post a series of mini-recipes, going to try to do that either today or sometime this week. 

Or I might actually start with that shortly. 

Also - it's new magazine day! Woohoo! I hope that there are some new mags out there {particularly fitness ones} and we shall see later on this afternoon. 

On another note, the weather is becoming increasingly chillier here in Canada and I am in desperate need of a new winter jacket. 

Anyone have any idea's on where there are some great jackets out there I can get? 

Today I am going to start my diet and share with all of you how my progress is going. I might end up putting some before and afters as well just to give you all an idea. 

I guess all in all what I am trying to say in this post is that I am going to try and get a bit more personal with my writing. 

This way, a lot more people can relate...and even ask some questions that I could try and answer. Either way, I hope everyone is having a great start to their Tuesday mornings and hope you are all keeping warm wherever you are - that is...if you have cold weather. Lol. 

"We were so hooked on blogging that we spent every waking moment with it. Our personal lives and our blogging have sort of merged together and it has become something that we live day in day out." - Zuzana Light on her blogging journey with her husband Freddie. They have one of the greatest fitness blogs out there now. Check out: www.bodyrock.tv. Very inspirational.

-S.*

{Photo Credit: bodyrock.tv}

::photo:of:the:day::

Rooney Mara by Mert & Marcus for Vogue US November 2011.

-S.*