2 Ingredient Banana Bread Cookies. #MyLifeHasChanged

OMG! I am just reblogging a blog from SkinnyTaste which is my favorite recipe blog. I made these this morning with mini chocolate chips so mine were three ingredients but they were delicious and just cured my sweet tooth for 2 points this afternoon. 

 

These are truly HEALTHY, quick, and tasty cookies. #OBSESSED #TRYTHEMTODAY #OMG #CANTWAITTOMAKEMORE

Here is the link to the recipe!! 

Have a great Thursday and stay warm inside - preferably baking these cookies!

XO, 

Rachel 

Jimmy Choo Thrifty Shoe Swap!

So I love shoes. Shoes are one of my favorite things to buy. When I pull out one of my Black Label Ralph Lauren gold and patent leather heels - I instantly feel like a million bucks. Probably because I spent close to that on the shoes. That's one of the problems - sometimes amazing shoes are really expensive and you just have to splurge once in awhile to really get exactly what you want. I have about 8 pairs of REALLY good shoes. These are ones I only wear on special occasions and when they are not worn, they are kept in their original boxes, in their dust bags, tucked safely away.

Jimmy Choo came out with this absolutely FAB line of glitter heels. I think they are gorgeous. They are the perfect shoe for anything special. You can wear these with a simple LBD and that's all you need. Check some of these out. DROOL.

I am pretty much obsessed with them - and of course anything I tend to love that's in Neiman Marcus comes with that pesky whole paycheck thing - these bad boys start at $595.00.

My favorite pair I think was these crazy blue ones for $695.00 at Bergdorf Goodman right now.

I would totally wear those with a gorgeous white dress in the summer or on the Fourth Of July or really to any formal or fun event where I want to feel fancy and playful but hell no I am not going to spend that much money on something so trendy and redic...BUT!! I will spend $15.00!!

The other day, while strolling TJ Max, I found these bad boys by Nine West! They are actually really beautiful and were on the clearance rack! $15.00 I can handle. =]

I guess the moral of the story is - there is always a lesser expensive swap for most things and something crazy like glitter shoes, you are better off taking that route. There are some things where you just have to buy the real deal lock stock and barrel if you really want them but think about durability, wear-ability, and long term potential when making that choice.

Now to go TJ Max and get you some Glitter Pumps!

Happy Saturday!

Rachel

High Five For Friday!

Hey All! It's been a bit since I posted and I missed you guys! I love people's High Five for Friday posts so I thought I would throw one at ya today!

1) Yesterday was Valentine's Day and I am usually a single girl on this day and that's totally OK because I LOVE Valentine's Day anyway! Yesterday though my sweetie brought me some gorgeous flowers to work and we went out to Charcoal  where we had a ridiculously delicious meal specially picked out for Valentine's Day. It was YUMMY and I wore a dress that I just bought that day at the Zoe's Sale. I have blogged about before. 

2) I love this dress that I got at the sale! It's cashmere and silk and has pearls and rhinestones in it. I bought a ton of amazing things but this dress is my favorite find. I also love this self pic because for some reason I look ridiculously skinny - which I am not but I will take this angle any day!

3) It's Lent and I am doing my ritual Facebook cleanse. I LOVE me some Facebook but the break is healthy and good for me. I live for me more and don't worry about posting and checking in everywhere I go. I always seem to have crazy and fun things happen during this time - or life changing things. It's weird but it's like God knows I am off Facebook and plans my life accordingly.

4) I made this recipe from Hungry Girl the other night - and OMG. LIFE CHANGING! SO easy and good. Men will be impressed and you will lose weight!! This was absolutely delicious. Check it out and try it!!

5) Sunday I had an amazing girls brunch at the Melting Pot with my favorite girls in the world. It was wonderful and so fun having all my peeps in one room to share a delicious meal. My heart swells every time I see this picture!

Have a fantastic week my friends!

XO,
Rachel

Frittata!!

I love cooking healthy quick meals. When I read a recipe, if it has more than 6 ingredients (not including salt and pepper) I usually move on! One of my favorite super tasty, quick and easy things to make is a frittata! Even the word itself is fun. Say it with me right now: Fri-tta-ta!!

They are super easy and the best part is they are PRETTY!

They are also cheap to make and you can use up all your leftovers. They are gluten free and you can make them a million ways. Guys will be super impressed with your cooking skills if you do this for them. They will be even more impressed if you do it effortlessly in 6 inch heels. 

This recipe was a homerun this morning for my cousin Britney but can be enjoyed any time!

For the veggie one I made this morning, you’ll need:

• eggs
• some kind of cheese you like (anything works, I used Laughing Cow!) 
• tomatoes (large ones make pretty slices for the top!)
• zuchinni cut into small pieces 
• carrot shreds
• mushroom slices  
• fresh basil
• pinch of garlic powder
• 2 large scallions (or 1/2 a red onion) sliced very thin
• 3 large handfuls baby spinach
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Cast iron skillets are the best when making frittatas. It creates a more even heat and the finished product is always much better without the bottom burning!

In your large skillet over medium heat, melt a small pat of butter and sauté garlic and shallots/onions until soft.

Next add your halved cherry tomatoes and zucchini slices of mushrooms and any other veggies and add sea salt to taste. This is important! You want your veggies to have flavor so make sure you salt them while they are cooking. Cook veggies until soft but not falling apart. Then add 3 big handfuls of baby spinach and stir in until lightly wilted. You could also add bacon or sausage crumbles if you want. I love veggie ones though!

On the stove top, raise the heat to medium high and pour in wisked eggs with cheese evenly over the vegetable mixture. Stir in the eggs and cook for a few minutes until the eggs start to set.

At this time, preheat your oven and set to “Broil”.

Reduce stovetop heat to medium-low and cook until the frittata is almost set but the top is still runny, about 2 minutes. Next place large tomato slices on top and put the skillet in the oven under the broiler until the top is set and golden brown on top, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and let the frittata stand 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittata from skillet and slide the frittata onto a plate to cut into slices.

Here is the one I made this morning - I used fresh basil on the top.

YUMMO!

XO,
Rachel 

Tuesday Top 10: Beauty Essentials!

Hey Folks! So I love hearing about peoples top 10 tried-and-true-can't-live-without beauty products because they usually come from a lot of trial and error and save me a lot of trying products that suck before finding a good one. Here is my list of everyday beauty ESSENTIALS! Over the years, I have done the $300 facial creams, $50 dollar mascaras, and tried the cheapest things on the market, too. I have done it all. Now I know where to invest and these products below are ones I have been buying and using faithfully foreves.

1) Mascara is super important. If I had to choose one makeup thing and live with only that the rest of my life, I would choose mascara. Here is my favorite, "Maybelline The Falsies" in VERY BLACK. It works amazing and is like 6 bucks.I do 2-3 coats.

2) I use a variety of foundations and keep trying new ones. I haven't found anything I couldn't live without but the BEST powder I have EVER used - is Clinique Double Powder in Matte Beige. You can totally just use this and no foundation. I have been using this for 13 years and I buy several at a time. Don't pile it on TOO thick though because then you will look like you have too much makeup on.

3) So I have super oily skin and throughout the day, I need to blot the oil. DO NOT put on more powder like I mentioned above - that's how you look "cakey". These oil strips are my savior!! I use two or three a day and stick the used ones in my co workers desk once in awhile to make her scream. I used to blot my face with tissue paper before these oil strips came out. I am OBSESSED with these.

5) I love a great eyeliner. My friend Karen started me on MAC's black eyeliner in "Smolder". It stayed on FOR DAYS and it thick and yummy and super dark. I LOVE IT. I don't wear it on my short days at work...I will just wear a generic Cover Girl eyeliner but for nights out, long days, or if I am on camera, this is the best eyeliner on the planet.

6) MAC Eyeshadow in "Mulch". It's the most gorgeous neutral/brown eyeshadow. I use it on everyone when I do their makeup and on myself almost everyday. Sometimes I blend it with purple or pinks. Sometimes I apply a light amount for a natural look or sometimes I apply a lot when I want to look like a hussy. I LOVE IT!!

7) I love to do two things at once - LORAC duo blush and bronzer does that. It's perfection.

8) The best nude lip color on the PLANET is BLANKETY by MAC. I even blogged about it last year here!!

9) False eyelashes. They transform your ENTIRE face. I wear them for special occasions or just when I want to look super hot. When applied correctly, they make you look like a Playboy centerfold in 3 quick seconds. Use a ton of eyeshadow when you wear them.  These are the ones I use and I get them at Sally Beauty Supply.

10) Positive thinking. We as women can get so down on ourselves. We don't look a certain way or need to lose a certain amount of weight or whatever. It's so easy to fall into this trap and believe me, I have and I work at it all the time.

All the false eyelashes and makeup is just fun, not real. It all starts from within and my number one beauty tip for you ladies (and fabulous men if you've made it this far!) is to remind yourself of everything you are - instead of everything you are not. Look in the mirror right now if you can or just repeat after me: "I love and approve of myself. I am thankful for today. I am thankful for the person I am". And tell yourself this - everyday.

XO,
Rachel

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna!

Happy MLK All!

I wanted to share a yummy recipe I made with spaghetti squash...my latest food obsession!

Strands of roasted spaghetti squash are layered with marinara sauce, mozzarella and ricotta cheese, then baked in the oven until the cheese is melted and all the flavors bake together. Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian!!

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 lasagna Calories: 291.0 • Fat: 13.7 g • Protein: 19.6 g • Carb: 21.0 g • Fiber: 2.7 g


Ingredients:

• 2 cups marinara sauce (I used Wolfgang Puck or if Rao's is available, use that!) 
• 3 cups cooked roasted spaghetti squash 
• 1 cup part skim ricotta
• 8 tsp parmesan cheese
• 6 oz part skim shredded mozzarella (I used Sargento)

Directions:

See instructions on how to cook spaghetti squash in my "obsession" post a couple days ago.

Preheat oven to 375°.

In four individual 5 x 7-inch oven safe baking dishes, ladle 1/4 cup quick marinara sauce on the bottom of each dish. Top each with 3/4 cup of cooked spaghetti squash and spread evenly. Top each with 1/4 cup ricotta.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges begin to bubble; uncover and cook an additional 5 minutes.  That's it! You can also personalize it with extra veggies or meat if you want. Possibilities are ENDLESS!

It was delicious and great for a lot of people allergic to gluten or vegetarians that can eat cheese. I will be eating it this week at work!

Enjoy!

XO,
Rachel

DIY Expensive Shoes

So after my crazy blog about Crocs, I thought I should do something more enlightening and useful for my fashion friends. You know how I feel about Crocs - but let me tell you of my favorite styles for comfort and style of shoes - Coach makes a great wedge. Coach shoes, for the investment price, are a good value and also go on sale so wait and get a good price. I have bought several pairs on sale at department stores and Norsdtrom Rack. All my Coach shoes have lasted a long time and they are really cute.

Here's my favorite pair -  a wedge with black patent toe:

I also like these:

The accented toe peaking out under your dress pants adds visual appeal and style. I was all over here like, "I wish Coach would come out with gold toed wedges, or turquoise or orange!"

Weeeellllll...my friend Kate came up with an awesome idea. Just paint the suckers!! So I got some wedges from the thrift store that actually were super cute for the experiment and metallic paint. 

Tape off the section of the shoes you want to paint and viola! You have "Coach" wedges that are a fraction of the price and flipping cute!

So if you own a pair of plain shoes that need a little pick me up, here's the solution! Paint those suckers!!

XO,
Rachel