Summer Style

Is there anything better than enjoying summer and the sunshine in a sundress? Summer is my favorite season and I can't think of anything I'd rather throw on than an flowy, colorful dress. This summer has been filled with sunshine, fun hangs with friends, travel and shoots with my favorite cousin! 

A couple of my favorite pieces are below and they're the best because of how versatile they can be. Perfect for a casual day walking around or dress it up for a night out. Both items were purchased at Kittsona. The handbag is from The LionHEART Collective. 

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Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Ok, so I am came across this incredible Strawberry Basil Lemonade recipe from What's Gaby Cooking and I needed to make it. Its pretty much everything I love in one glass. Strawberries, lemonade, basil & a little sweet!! Since I pretty much have the biggest sweet tooth ever. Also, its the perfect combination of homemade lemonade and fresh fruit puree. 

This drink can be even better, because its perfect with a little vodka or gin, too! Depending on what event I'm going to or who's drinking with me, I will add either sparkling water or gin or vodka. Its perfect both ways! 

Anyway, this is my new favorite drink and I am pretty much obsessed, so you should be too! Oh, and you should grab some lemons and strawberries and make this over the weekend! 

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes

Ingredients:

8-10 Strawberries tops removed
8 Lemons- Juiced
4 Cups of Water (Still or Sparkling)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 fresh basil

Directions: 

First juice the lemons and add to the pitcher. Add the water and the sugar to the lemon juice mixture and stir until dissolved. With an immersion blender, blend the strawberries and basil for 10 seconds or until completely pureed. If you don't have an immersion blender, use a food processor or blender and add separately to the mixture. Stir and serve over ice! 

Watermelon Feta Arugula Salad

Happy Monday!! We are still going strong & are on our Motivation Monday Week 5 post & recipe!! I just returned home from New York and am definitely needing something light, healthy & filling to eat throughout the week! 

I'm pretty much obsessed with watermelon & usually eat is all summer long & this watermelon, feta & arugula salad is the most delicious thing you will ever make! I know the flavor combination may sound odd, but there is a perfect hint of sweet, and zesty and the feta goes perfectly with the arugula and watermelon. Oh and its extremely light and refreshing as well as low in calories...bonus!! 

So what you'll need is arugula, feta cheese, blueberries (optional), watermelon, honey, salt, an orange, a lime and fresh mint leaves. First whisk together the juice of the orange, lime, honey and salt. You can also add a little olive oil to the dressing if you want to tone down the sweetness and zest of the other ingredients. Then cut the watermelon into pieces and add to the arugula and blueberries. Finally, sprinkle the feta cheese all over the salad to your desired amount. 

After you have combined all of the dry ingredients, drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly together. You will absolutely LOVE this salad. It is the perfect thing for a picnic, lunches or a BBQ. 

I can't wait for you to try it! Make sure to post a picture & tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below!  

Serves 2-3
 

Ingredients: 
1 orange
1 lime
2 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup feta
2 cups of watermelon
3 cups arugula
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of blueberries (optional) 
Handful of mint leaves

Chicken Quinoa Arugula Salad + Feta

Happy Monday!!

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! I can’t believe how fast it went by. If you were anything like me, I tried to spend most of my day outside on Saturday, because the rest of the weekend was just dreary! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good Minnesota Spring rain and thunderstorm, but I am ready for more sun!!

So over the weekend, I decided I wanted to make something really healthy for the upcoming week ahead that stayed well for a couple days and was perfect for lunches! Meal prepping is SO important for me, otherwise I tend to resort to eating something that is quick & probably not the healthiest! So from now on, get ready for ‘Motivation Mondays!!’ I will be making healthy, quick & easy meals for your Monday mornings to bring to work or eat throughout the week!

For the very first week of Motivation Monday meals, I decided to create my own spin on a quinoa salad that I’m pretty much OBSESSED with!  Here’s what you need to do:

Salad: First take a cup of quinoa + two cups of water and bring it to a boil, then simmer for 10-15 minutes until the water is gone.

While the quinoa is boiling, take 2-3 chicken breasts, seasoned with salt & pepper, and broil/grill/bake, them in the for at least 15-20 minutes. I really like to get my chicken at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, because they have a great variety of free range, non-GMO chicken breasts!

In the meantime, while both the chicken and the quinoa are cooking, slice one red bell pepper, 3-4 Persian cucumbers (the little ones), 1 jalapeño, 1-2 cups of Arugula, some feta cheese and of course, some avocado to mix together. If you are looking for some amazing feta cheese, go to Trader Joe’s and get the Feta cheese that is still soaking in the brine! I am so obsessed with it!  After the quinoa and chicken have finished cooking, cut the chicken breasts into pieces and mix together all of the ingredients with the quinoa.

Dressing: The dressing is SO simple, all you need to do is get some EVOO & a lemon. Drizzle about a ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil over the quinoa salad and squeeze the half of a lemon over as well. I also like to zest some of the lemon peel to give the salad even more of a fresh citrusy flavor. And that’s it for the dressing, so easy!!

If you make this recipe, please tag me on Instagram and share with me OR feel free to leave a comment or suggestion of any alternative ways to make this salad with other ingredients! If you have suggestions or ideas for other Motivation Monday recipes you’d like to see me make, let me know!! I hope you enjoy this amazing Chicken Quinoa Salad!

Serves 5

Preparation: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

2-3 chicken breasts

¾ cup feta
3-4 Persian cucumbers

1 red bell pepper

1-2 cups Arugula

1 avocado

Handful of cilantro (optional)

Spring Picks

I know I have been talking all about Spring and warm weather, but I can’t help but get excited! Us Minnesotans wait for warm weather to come around, for far too long every year, and I am personally obsessed with warm weather, sunshine and the opportunity to wear cute tops, shorts, dresses and all of the incredibly cute pieces that are in style right now!

So since I am incapable of waiting, I went out shopping to check out the new Spring trends and new outfits to wear for this Spring. After stopping at almost 3-4 different places, I noticed patterns and lace everywhere! The bohemian, whimsical, festival theme of clothing is still around and didn’t go away after last season. But, instead of carrying pieces that mainly consisted of floral and Aztec-type patterns, lace took a prominent place in almost every placed I shopped. In addition to see-through lace patterns, off-the-shoulder shawls are what to buy and keep an eye out for this Spring as well. This nonchalant, care-free, bohemian look and feel, not only looks great with a simple piece underneath, but doubles to keep you warm as well.

Lastly, another trend for this coming Spring season is the high neckline on tops and dresses. High necklines are flattering for all body types and pair great with necklaces.

The first combination that I put together was a beige, high neck, suede dress paired with a white lace shawl over it. Both of these pieces were purchased at PRIMP Boutique, a local business here in Minnesota.

The second outfit I chose for this Spring, was an off-the-shoulder white lace sheer top. This top is perfect for a casual look during the day paired with jeans or to dress it up, pair it with black jeans and heels. This top was also purchased at PRIMP Boutique.

The last outfit combination that I picked for this Spring season, was of course another, long-sleeve cream, lace shawl with a design on the backside to make the piece more interesting! I paired this with a loose grey & white top lined with embellishments on the bottom. The shawl can be found at Francesca’s & the grey & white top can be found at PRIMP Boutique.

I can’t wait to share more of my picks with you! Please comment or feel free to share any of your awesome picks for this upcoming Spring season! I hope you enjoyed this post and found some Spring-spiration from it!