Grillz

I love a lot of foods, but I reallyyyyyy love anything grilled. I think it adds such a great flavor to anything from a steak to an ear of corn. I also really dig the fact that despite adding such nom-ness, it can be a pretty healthy cooking technique!

My apartment in Houston has an awesome grill. It's very fancy and I'm a little terrified of it. My guy friends can use it, but I got tired of waiting around for them to stop fishing under highway overpasses (don't ask) and took matters into my own hands. Well, Santa Shar Shar's hands. I asked for a George Foreman grill for Christmas and I'm in love. It's a relatively cheap way to create that grilled yumness in your apartment kitchen all year (you know, for those of you that have to worry about winter. It's 75 degrees in HTown today). The G (as I affectionately call it) is great because it is designed to drain fat from whatever you're cooking, but if you have another indoor grill preference (or you aren't afraid of an outdoor one), do yo' thang.

I've been living off of turkey burgers for the last week. I crumbled a leftover one into some scrambled egg whites the other morning and it was awesome. They are healthy as hell and really filling. They heat up well and only took me 6 minutes to make. Plus, I get to toss on some of my favorite toppings (tomato, red onion, avocado) and get some vegetable game going. I could eat red onion like an apple. Look.

Form a line, boys

Turkey Burgers (From "Beach Ready Now")

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground turkey (I get extra-lean, but you get whatever you want....or what's on sale)
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. dijon mustard (I used whole-grain and it was just as fly)
• 1 Tbsp. mild hot sauce (like Frank's or any Louisiana Hot Sauce...do not put a tablespoon of Tabasco in this, ding-dongs)
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
• 3 Tbsp. minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 3 Tbsp. brown rice flour (or whatever flour you got, DON'T GO OUT AND GET THIS IF YOU A'INT GONNA USE IT)
• 1 egg

Instructions

1. Mix ingredients well. Makes six turkey burgers. I grill on the G for about 6 minutes. Use a meat thermometer if you have one...I'm no Iron Chef. 

                                                                           Lol, so artsy.

Enjoy :)

Cheap Makeup I Dig

Anyone who knows me pretty well knows I have little to no self-control when it comes to Sephora. I'm like a kid in a candy shop where everything is free and your mom's not looking so YOLO and grab 12 of those big, swirly lollipops.

Embarrassing fun fact: Did you know that if you spend a certain amount of cash money there (Sephora, not the candy shop) in a year, you can walk in and get your makeup done for free? Literally, all you do is show them this little red card. It's mortifying/one of the proudest moments of my...er, someone I know's life.

So, in an effort to cut down this little addiction healthy habit, I'm going to let you know about a few of my favorite, ballin' on a budget finds in the beauty world.

1. "Yes to Cucumbers" Face Wipes, $5.99 for a 30ct pack

These little buddies smell like the spa. They are 98% natural and full of healthy things for your skin. No crazy chemicals up in here. They also sell ones specifically for eye makeup removal (side note: WHY DOES MY WATERPROOF MASCARA LITERALLY NEVER COME OFF?????)  Get them at Target (where sometimes I snag 'em in a bundle pack for cheappppp) or pretty much everywhere now. Their whole "Yes To" line is fire. 

2. Covergirl's trunaked Eyeshadow Palletes; $11.99

I'm highly annoyed I didn't know about these before I shelled out $50 for some other eyeshadow. These are such awesome neutral tones that'll look great on everyone. They have three different compilations: Goldens, Roses, and Nudes. I've always loved CG's eyeshadows, the pigmentation is awesome and they stay on all day. 

3. Lip Smacker Red Raspberry Lip Balm; $2.50

Y'all, if you ever need to get a beauty product for my mother, the one and only Shar Shar, this is it. One time, in the early 2000's, they stopped selling this in stores. I'm relatively confident my mother bought some in bulk and we still have them scattered throughout the house. Don't mess with Red Raspberry. I've had a lot of lip balms in my day, but man, this OG balm is as good as it gets. 

4. The Original Beauty Blender; $20

Okay, so you're probably thinking it's a $20 sponge and that I'm cray. I am cray, but that's not the point. This little beauty will take the place of at least three brushes in your collection. Flawless foundation application? Check. Contouring on fleek? You got it. Blush for daysssss? Word. Highlighting like a boss?  Duh, homie. Seriously, I love this sponge. Makeup artists swear by it....and so do I. 

Okay, so those are a few of the must-haves I use on a daily basis. Let me know what products you like to save on....and I'll post about what I splurge on soon :)

Love,

Shannon

Cheesy Chicken and Green Chile Lasagna

Now listen, I don't toss the word "lasagna" around all willy-nilly. I grew up eating super delicious real, homemade Italian lasagna. This is not that, but this is one of my favorite things I've made since I started eating (mostly) clean. Delicious and cheesy and some good ol' Tex-Mex. In Texas, green chiles (specifically, Hatch green chiles) are a big deal. And they are nom city. Make this and you'll understand why. Also, it's gluten free, so go on with you gluten-free self.

Cheesy Chicken and Green Chile Lasagna
Serves: 6
From: Dashing Dish and Allison Cazenave's Beachbody blog

1.5 cups  Cooked, shredded chicken breast
1    cup   Low-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup   Low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup   Low-fat, plain Greek yogurt
4oz can   Green chiles
2 T         Diced jalapeños
1 tsp       Cumin
1 tsp       Chili powder
1/4 tsp    Salt
1/2 tsp    Garlic powder
4             Corn tortillas
2 T         Low-fat, shredded cheese (pick what you like)

1. Preheat oven to 425F and spray a medium sized baking dish with cooking spray
2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together chicken, mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, yogurt, green chiles, jalapeños, and seasonings. Combine well.
3. Layer 2 corn tortillas on the bottom of the baking dish. Plop a whole one in the center, rip the other in half and place on each side of the whole one. Like a tortilla Venn diagram.
4. Using a spatula or spoon, scoop half of the chicken mix onto the tortillas. Smooth it out.
5. Layer 2 more tortillas and then put the rest of the chicken on top of those bad boys.
6. Top with 2 tablespoons of a low-fat shredded cheese (I went with Mexican)
7. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is nice and melted.

Optional: I like things spicy, so I added a few slices of PICKLED (or fresh if you feel like testing your palate's sanity) jalapeños on top before I served it (Served it? I slapped it on a plate and watched "Throwdown with Bobby Flay", let's not kid) .

This was awesome as leftovers for a couple of days. Also, there are no pictures because I ate it too fast. No regrets. It's delicious.

Nutritional Info:
Per serving
Calories: 200
4g fat
17g carbs
22g protein

Enjoy <3

Shannon

Putting the "Die" in "Diet"

First, carbs were the devil. Then it was sugar. Then it was meat so full of antibiotics that you'd think it had a UTI. And we all heard about MSG. And then GMO's. And maybe LMNOP's, IDK. Literally millions and millions of dollars are spent every year on fad diets. Here, chug this lemon juice and cayenne pepper and you'll lose 10lbs in three days and basically sweat glitter. 

Weight is something I've struggled with my entire (almost) 26 years. I don't ever remember a time when I was happy with how I looked in a bathing suit or that I didn't feel guilty for eating a huge baked potato with sour cream and REAL bacon (get them Bacon Bits outta my face). I would try out some of the crash diets, and they'd work for a week or two, then I'd mess up and be right back where I started, except I felt worse. I remember being 16 years old and doing the "South Beach" diet. Now, I'm not knocking the SBD, but no 16 year old girl should force herself to eat celery and those low-cal cheese spread things every day for almost two weeks. I lost something like fifteen lbs in fourteen days. Now, I'm not a psychiatrist or nutritionist or therapist, and while that isn't classified as an "eating disorder", it sure as hell was some disordered eating. I learned to have a love/hate relationship with food. And looking back on that, it makes me pretty sad.

Why? BECAUSE FOOD IS THE GREATEST, YA PUNK. I'm not talking a bag of potato chips and some sugary candy; I'm talking real, beautiful, food-magazine-worthy food. (Real talk:While my selfie game is strong, my food styling skills aren't, so y'all don't judge me). Crispy, roasted vegetables are bae. Fresh watermelon in the summer is too legit. Eating healthy doesn't have to be boring, processed meals or frozen food. It doesn't have to cost you $200 a week. It can be you, pretending to be on "Chopped" and prepping some fine-ass bell peppers to stuff with ground turkey and fresh mozzarella while dancing around your kitchen to the soundtrack to "Rent" (just me?).

So, forget the word "diet". It's dumb. It's unrealistic. It sets you up for feeling like you're in a food prison where the only thing you can eat is baked chicken and steamed broccoli (just roast the broccoli with a little olive oil, garlic powder, salt n' peppa). You aren't going to see "diet posts" from me. I'mma hit you with some sweet recipes that are good and good for you, ya dig?

I'll post one later this afternoon.  Stay tuned. Also, I swear all these posts aren't going to be novels. I'm just giving you some backstory. Everyone loves a good plot. I think. Hush.

Shannon

Broke and (Some Would Say) Bougie

Why, hello there. Nice to see you. Thanks for stopping by.

Enough pleasantries. I reallllllllly wish I didn't have to be writing this. I want to be eating sushi at one of Houston's best restaurants after a day that started with a nice massage and was followed by a small spree at my favorite Galleria stores. Sadly, my imagination is just too damn good and my bank account is just too damn low. And I'll be real real with y'all, that lifestyle is not too spectacular for getting that Beyonce body either. Who wants to work out when you live in Houston and you could eat 100 tacos and drink some fly margaritas instead????

I'll try to not get too dramatic. I know that this may sound whiney and spoiled, but please know that this is not my intention nor attitude about this at all. You best believe that I wake up every day so incredibly thankful for the life I've been given and the opportunities I've had. My family is the bomb, my friends make me laugh every single day, and I'm lucky enough to work for two amazing companies that motivate me like crazy. But, being a new nurse doesn't exactly equate to having dolla dolla bills to drop at Sephora or Dior. Especially when the word "budget" makes me mildly to moderately nauseous.

But I'm trying. Really trying. I'm starting to cook more. This means I'll save money and eat better. Win-win. I'm paying off my credit card bills. I am looking in my closet more and finding pieces that I had completely forgotten about (seriously, still got the tags on 'em). I'm getting ready to start my doctorate degree in the Fall and think it would be kinda cool to not have to worry about whether I can, you know, afford toilet paper. And y'all, I'll budget and all that but I will NEVER skimp on good TP.

So, this blog is to share the trials and tribulations of staying on track, financially and physically. Getting healthy. Setting myself up for a better future. This is starting to sound like a Lifetime movie. I'll share recipes I've found (and made successfully....no Pinterest fails, promise. Unless I blow something up, because lolz), sales and deals on all my favorite brands, and things I learn along the way about becoming a really good version of me. We'll laugh, I'll probably cry (but not until 48 hours after I get my eyelash extensions replaced,ya feel me?), and we'll just see how it goes.

Let's do this thang,

Shannon

ps- "Champagne and Water" comes from my mother, the one and only Shar Shar. She once told me that I have "champagne taste on a water budget....not even beer!" She gets me.