::major:covet::

Does anyone seriously have this book?? It might have a black background too and not necessarily white.

I can't seem to find what it looks like inside - although I hear it is jampacked with photo's and is the perfect coffee table book. 

I have been reading her biography and am just obsessed with Kate and have since I was little {just like I have an obsession with Audrey Hepburn}.

They have it on Amazon but it is expensive! Like $60!

Anyone know what it's like LEEEEMMMMMEEEE KNOW! 

I'll also let you guys know about the biography that I am reading about her. 

I'm going to bug people on Twitter now. 

Now I am off to watch my guilty pleasure show "Real Housewives of Vancouver" and I WILL post recipes and such tomorrow so stay tuned! 

Hope everyone is having a lovely humpty-dumpty day! 

xo

-S.*

::shrimp:scampi::

There is a recipe out there that I have seen time and time again but never tried and to be quite honest, I am not sure why. 

My best bud Keverino got me the book:

and this is the book where I found the recipe, just randomly opened it to skim through {I haven't actually read it cover to cover as of yet} and this recipe made my mouth waaaater. The picture looks yummy! So I will share it with you. It's in the seafood section on page 112.

Bon Appetit!

Shrimp Scampi

"Ever wonder how some people can give great dinner parties on short notice? They have a secret: fast, "fancy" dishes they've long since mastered. And adding show-stopping side dishes like asparagus never hurts the presentation."

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds large shrimp

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2/3 cup bottled clam juice or reduced-sodium, low-fat chicken broth

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Salt to taste

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon cornstarch blended with 1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

1. Shell the shrimp. If you wish to devein, make a shallow cut along the back of each shrimp and remove the black vein.

2. Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add oil and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. 

3. Add shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until almost cooked through, about 3 minutes. Add clam juice, lemon juice, salt, and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Cook until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 1 minute. 

4. Wish slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to serving plates. Bring liquid in skilled to a boil, stir in cornstarch mixture, and cook, stirring, until sauce is lightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley and spoon sauce over shrimp.

Some More Ideas...

Scallop Scampi: In place of the shrimp, use large sea scallops and add them as in Step 3. Cook the scallops for only 1 minute before adding the clam and lemon juices. Cook one more minute.

Add more garlic if you are a true garlic lover!

Serve with rice and steamed asparagus, with fresh pineapple for dessert.

Health Points...

Despite a reputation for being high in cholesterol, shrimp are actually good for your heart. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, zinc, and vitamin B12, and their cholesterol levels, ounce for ounce, are not much different from that in lean beef or poultry. 

Asparagus contains asparagine, a phytochemical that acts as a diuretic. The vegetable also contains rutin, a flavonoid that helps to maintain blood-vessel health, and saponins, compounds that prevent absorption of cholesterol. 

*Each Serving*

Key Nutrients

210 calories; 35 calories from Fat; 4g Fat; 1g Saturated Fat; 0g Trans Fat; 40g Protein, 2g Carb, 0g Fibre; 480mg Sodium

Blood Pressure Nutrients

12mg Vitamin C; 70mg Magnesium; 425mg Potassium; 85mg Calcium

There! Sounds delicious and oh-so-simple. I am definitely going to be trying this recipe out sooooon. And there are some tidbits there that I am sure you had no idea about so you are that much smarter today! :D 

I'm getting hungry.

Ps. Sorry the layout of this is a bit odd. I am having troubles with blogger today.

-S.*

{Source: Image from Google Images}

::indian:chickpeas::

When my Pappafranz was down for a business trip he had a day or two to hang out with my Sis and I - they decided to end up coming to visit me where we went to an Indian restaurant for lunch. It was the first time I went out for Indian and it was absolutely delicious! The food was amazing and not heavy at all. I love how they use all these different spices in their food and it just tastes incredible. 

So I decided that I was going to start dabbling in some Indian cooking and got a cookbook from Bal Arneson called "Everyday Indian". It has a bunch of fast and healthy Indian recipes and as I flipped through the book one instantly caught my eye that involved chickpeas. I love chickpeas. So I decided that I'm going to share the recipe with you. You can find it in her book on page 98. My only complaint about the book is that there aren't many photo's in there. I would have loved to see more pictures - that is one of the best parts of a cookbook of course!

Bon Appetit!

My Mother's Chickpeas

"Chickpeas take a long time to cook, so usually I make a big pot and freeze them. I soak them overnight in hot water and boil them the next day for an hour until I can crush them easily with a fork. I have used the canned chickpeas many times as well, and it doesn't change the flavour of the dish. If you use canned chickpeas, drain them, and rinse them with fresh water before adding them to the sauce."

Ingredients

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes

1 green chili, finely chopped (more for garnish)

2 tsp Chana Masala

1 tsp salt

2 cups cooked chickpeas {or one 14 oz can}

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro {optional}

Directions

Place the oil, onion, garlic, and ginger in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, green chili, chana masala, and salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Add the chickpeas to the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Turn the heat off, cover the pan with a lid, and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro or chopped green chili if desired. Serve with brown rice and Papaya Chicken {page 132}.

Serves 4 

I know, I know. I didn't post the Papaya Chicken recipe...if you guys want it then let me know and I will be more then happy to share! :)

Hope you enjoy!

Oh - and the image isn't from the cookbook - I decided to just choose one from Google Images that looked similar to the one in the book. Just FYI. Lol. 

-S.*

{Source: Image from Google Images}

::my:birthday::

Happy Birthday to me!!

Well...my birthday was yesterday and I am not entirely sure why I didn't post yesterday since I sat on my ass pretty much the entire day but I am here!

Actually, I cleaned for most of the day, went for a quick walk and patiently waited for my boyfriend to get off work - and he was late because he went out to get my birthday present *the day of*. But I am not surprised because he does that all the time. 

It was - overall - a good birthday-day and evening save a few hiccups that got me a bit upset but whatever. I am going to do a birthday part II today because I can and I think I deserve it. Especially since I still had to cook yesterday - and I cleaned...so...

Anyways...I have been down in the dumps lately - I am still unable to find a job but I really need to step my game up in that regard. I have to get myself out there more. 

I am excited to announce that this weekend I am going to go to an open house for a school that I want to apply to. It's the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and it is something that really interests me. 

So *yay* for me! :))

My Sister is going to California this weekend with her bf and I am quite jealous! So I wish her and her bf safe and happy travels and fantastic weather! Which I am sure they will have regardless. 

On another note, I got some fabulous gifts from loved ones!

First of all, check this monogrammed goblet from my Sister. It is sooo cute and I love it!

I loooove it and had a little toast with the boyfriend last night from it. I don't want to use it because I don't want it to break! If it ever did then I'd be heartbroken!

My Sister got me a few things - same with my parentals which I LOOOOVE. 

And then here is what the boyfriend got me and brought to the house with him last night!

To be quite honest, I had a hunch that this was what I was going to get and I LOVE it!! 

A lovely Panasonic iPod/iPhone dock. I love it! Now I can listen to my Polish radio station and lounge music super loud! I am not sure where I am going to keep it...right now it is in the bedroom but it will be perfect to take outside and it charges on its own and is wireless too! So my phone doesn't have to sit in there. It is also a CD player - how cool is that, seriously??

I love it! Thank you Travy! :)) 

So yea! I wanted to share some of the things I got with you guys and how my day went. 

Like I said, today will be birthday-day for me part deux. 

This time we will order take-out and spend the day out in the backyard. 

Oh, which reminds me, I finally planted my veggie garden and the bf planted a lovely flower garden in front of our windows but I will share pics of that with you later. 

It sure is purdy and I just got in from watering them. 

It is a warm day today but no sunshine. 

Thunderstorms for the next few days apparently! I was hoping for one last night but alas - no thunderboomers. 

Anyways!

I hope everyone is having a lovely and happy hump day!

xo

PS. Sorry for any typos or grammatical errors ;P - I don't feel like spell-checking today. Lol. 

-S.*

::mediterranean:halibut:sandwiches::

Well, I have been keeping busy on my end. Dropped of some resumes and hope to hear from someone soon for an intervieeew. It is hard this time of year as students are taking all the jobs since they are done for the school year - no, this is not an excuse. 

The weekend was a fabulous one but went by sooo fast. Saturday was a good one, road-tripping to 'Sauga and then Sunday was yard work and sitting out in the sun reading. Which wasn't too good of an idea as I got a sunburn! Baaaad. 

But I worked in my garden and now all I have to do is buy more dirt for it along with my veggies and my herbs.

I also got my information for the school that I am interested in going to - the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and there is an open house on the 27th of May which I am going to drag the boyfriend to so I am excited to check it out. :))

Then in the very beginning of June there is the Toronto SuperShow - fitness expo that I am sooo excited to go to. Tickets are only $15...hm..which reminds me, I should probably buy those tickets. Okay, will do that after this post. 

So, I have ben promising a recipe and haven't provided so I am going to give one to ya now!

It's from the latest cookbook by Giada De Laurentiis {she is currently on her book tour for this one} and it's called "Weeknights with Giada". 

So many amazing and healthy recipes with lots of images. Love this book! :)

Bon Appetit!

Mediterranean Halibut Sandwiches

Growing up in Italy, I spent many days on the beaches of the Mediterranean. This sandwich combines some of the area's best ingredients and flavours, including fresh fish, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, capers, and arugula. I love to pack up the sandwiches and bring them down to the beach near my home, where Todd, Jade, and I can have a dinner picnic.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray

2 {6-ounce} halibut fillets, skinned

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil, for drizzling

1 load of ciabatta bread, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise

1 garlic clove, halved

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 tablespoon capers, drained and mashed

Grated zest of 1 large lemon

2 packed cups {2 ounces} arugula

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450F.

Spray a small baking sheet or glass baking dish with vegetable oil. Season the halibut on both sides with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through and the flesh flakes easily when poked with a fork. Set aside to cook completely, about 20 minutes. 

Remove some of the dough from the top half of the bread. Brush the cut sides of the bread with olive oil. Put the bread on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until light golden. Remove and rub the cooked surface with the cut side of the garlic. 

In a medium bowl, comine the mayonnaise, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, capers, lemon zest, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 

Using a fork, flake the cooked fish and add to the mayonnaise mixture. Mix until incorporated. Spoon the filling on the bottom half of the bread. Top with the arugula. Add the top half of the bread and cut into 4 sandwiches. 

I am pretty sure that this recipe is in the new issue of Women's Health as well. Not that it matters either way, you can get it there, the cookbook or here now. :) 

But I highly recommend you get the book because it is jampacked with so many delicious recipes. I am definitely going to be trying this light and delicious looking recipe sometime this week or weekend. :) 

Oh, and according to health.com - this recipe has only 419 calories which is great!

-S.*

{Source: Page 62 of Weeknights with Giada - Image from Google Images: Health.Com}

::hit:the:books::

I haven't posted a recipe in such a long time...I realized this as I was going through past posts and there is one, like...3 or 4 pages behind. So I have to start posting more recipes! 

And of course they are going to come out of my fabulous cookbooks that I have. :) 

There are more cookbooks out there that I want to get my greedy little hands on! 

Alas...I gotta watch the salt still...so there is one book I want to share with you guys that will be perfect for that. One that I can definitely try a bunch of recipes out of without having to worry about sodium and such. 

I will be posting a recipe, once I find one! I have a feeling it will be a Giada recipe. Oh, which reminds me, she is on the cover of the new Health magazine. I love her!! 

Anyways...enough rambling. 

I am going to share with you guys my book wish list. I always call it a wish list because there are a lot of books out there that I want to read - not just one or two. There are a lot of things on my wish lists...such as Gaspari protein powders, NYX glitter liners, more chandelier earrings...I could go on. But nothing beats books. They make me so happy, just like magazines. I simply and absolutely love to read. 

And I think everyone should read and by sharing books that I have read or want to get, then maybe someone will want to do the same and their passion for reading will begin or grow further. 

My Sister is the one that told me about this book. She was looking at it at the store when she called me and I was instantly intrigued when I checked it out on Amazon.
Another great thing about Amazon other then getting a great deal on books is that you can sometimes look through the books online - as if you were flipping through it at the store.
I know how to cook...but I could definitely use some more tips and learn the right way to cook certain things or execute recipes the proper way.
I can totally make a mean risotto but I can't fry an egg if my life depended on it.
I am not even joking.
There are two books by Mark Bittman that are called "How to Cook Everything" but this one "The Basics" is what intrigues me more. And it has over 1,000 photo's so you really can't go wrong.
I think this book dropped $5 since I last checked, so even better. :)

{"How to Cook Everything - The Basics" by Mark Bittman - $21.00 CA}

EyeWitness Travel guides are definitely the best. I have one for Poland and I am able to learn about the history, touristy areas, the best places to eat, the coolest places to see, all in one little book.
Therefore, of course I want to get a copy of the Italy version. This is where I was born! And I would love to learn more about the country. I am also currently learning Italian and just have an obsession with it...even adore fiction novels that take place in Italy more than anything.
You have to be a little careful when ordering these guys online. Since they update these quite often.
This is the most recent version of the travel guide.
The other versions have different covers...it is tricky to figure out which is the most recent version but I seemed to do just fine here. ;)
Oh, and every single page in this book is full colour with a tun of photo's.

{"Eyewitness Travel - Italy" by Dorling Kindersley - $20.69 CA} 

Ahh...good old Idiot's Guides...to be quite honest, I love these books. They have A LOT of information in there and just so much to learn from and it is written in such a simple format that anyone can grasp the information without problems.
I am looking into schools lately and am really interested in nutrition so a book like this would be essential to someone that is interested in a career in a field such as this one.
I am sure even people that aren't persuing a job such as the one that I would ultimately like to have would read a book like this to become healthier and even lose a few pounds in the process if need be.
So it definitely is packed chock-full with nutrition information and some recipes in there to boot.
The only downside is that I doubt there is a lot of full colour photo's in there or photo's at all but I am more interested in reading through the nutrition aspect of clean eating.

{"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Clean" by Diane A. Welland - $15.16 CA} 

If you guys actually reeeead my blogs {just kidding}, you'll know that I have had some problems with my blood pressure being a little high. As I have mentioned in my post; it is definitely not something to be taken lightly and even though I am not at a high risk I just can't lead the same sort of lifestyle as I did before. I'm no longer in my early 20's, I'll be 30 soon {omg, so gross}.
So I really need to start taking way better care of my body but where to start with regards to food I sometimes ask myself. So what better way then to get a cookbook that tells you what you should be eating that features a DASH plan {a specific diet plan for people to follow to lower their BP}, not only that, but this book has a tun of pictures and even a whole bunch of information regarding your blood pressure.
This book gets great reviews and the cover makes me hungry - even though I don't even eat beef.

{"Eat to Beat High Blood Pressure" by Robyn Webb - $15.68 CA}

Since reading Gail Simmon's book I have been trying to find a book similar to it. There is a book out there called Kitchen Confidential and I hear it's a little "brutal" to say the least. I just love how whimsical, girly and fun Gail's book is. And this was the closest thing I got to it while skimming through the Amazon site.
AND, it tells you just what the cover states - how chefs stay skinny!
*Cough*Giada*Cough*
But seriously, I read an itty bit of the beginning and am intrigued and would love to read the book and obviously learn how some of the greatest chefs stay slim and fit!
So it's pretty self explanatory here. :)
It is a tad pricey though.

{"Smart Chefs Stay Slim" by Allison Adato - $17.24 CA}

The last two books are fiction novels but some of my favourite authors. Stephen King and Dean Koontz {we can't forget Harlan Coben too but I haven't perused his books as of yet}. 

You can just check out what these two books are about on Amazon as it would take up quite a bit of space on here but let's just say they both sound creepy and am sure are well worth the guilty-pleasure read. :))

{"The Long Walk" by Stephen King - $8.99 CA}

{"Hideaway" by Dean Koontz - $13.36 CA}

I've realized that money doesn't grow on trees and that some of these books are a tad expensive. Maybe that is why a lot of people don't read. I don't know. But I do know that for myself, it is money well worth spent. Because sometimes I go back to some of these books and reread them again and again. I definitely go back to a lot of the cookbooks {obviously} and other books where I learn certain things and try to apply to my daily life. 
I read a great quote a little while ago...and it has stuck with me to this day.




"People don't realize how a man's whole life can be changed by one book."
~ Malcolm X from The Autobiography of Malcolm X

-S.*

{Source: Images from GoogleImages or Amazon CA}