Finalllyyyyy I am in some colder weather! Never thought I’d say those words… lol.
It has been super weird experiencing “fall” in LA. There really is no drop in the temperature and it’s still just straight up hot. Maybe in the morning it gets a bit cool, but other than that… full on summer in my opinion. 😂
This past week I went to Wisconsin for the first time to my boyfriend’s parents lakehouse. (Eeeep!)
So pretty there I couldn’t believe it! Totally reminded me of Canada with all the falling leaves and the gorgeous nature. About. That. Life.
So naturally I had to take advantage of the leaves like the basic b I am and take a bunch of pics. Because, I can’t EVEN. 😉
After we spent a few days in Wisconsin we are back in Chicago now. Spent the day downtown yesterday and filmed a little vlog! Will share later this week.
Hey everyone! It’s been kind of quiet here this week, eh. I took a bit of a break for Thanksgiving, and I’ve been traveling this week for family things from LA –> Illinois –> Wisconsin –> Illinois. Right now we are back in Chicago, and going to spend the next two days here.
Super stoked to explore Chicago, have never been before and I’ve heard fantastic things. Deep dish pizza is going to be in and around my mouth today. 😩🍕 I am going to look like that 5 year old kid eating an ice cream cone with half the cone just all over her face 😂 Can’t. Wait. 👌🏻
Anywho, while I am exploring Chicago today, I put together this video where I share my best budget beauty hacks. The most powerful one I share costs $0… Yeah. That’s right, $0.
The reason this video is so great is I am someone who does spend a significant chunk of money on high quality beauty products. That being said, if something is expensive just for the sake of being expensive… I won’t buy it. When I use budget friendly products, it is only because I truly believe that product does the best job.
Don’t want to ring-a-ding-ding my own bell or anything, but I killed it.
This vlog is all about how to cook Thanksgiving dinner, in 8 minutes! Well, the video is 8 minutes… dinner will take you all day to cook lol. But that is the point! Thanksgiving is a journey. You will laugh, you will cry, you will also probably get drunk. It’s a beautiful thing. 🍷
While vlogging my Thanksgiving dinner this weekend, I may or may not have endured some battle scars in the form of burns, cuts, and scrapes. This as due to simultaneously trying to film + cook…
BUT IT WAS SO WORTH IT. 👊🏻
The menu includes: The World’s Best Citrus Herb Turkey, Smashed Potatoes, Roasted Root Veggies, Not-Your-Basic-Gravy, and Cranberry Sauce.
I purposely didn’t make stuffing or dessert because I have about 10 other dinners to go to this week, and those are hella dangerous items. I will eat it all. ALL.
So, this is a “healthy Thanksgiving.”
The “healthy” is in quotations, as you will see how much butter and cream goes in to this whole situation shortly 😂
If you can, try and buy organic and free-range turkeys. I do my best to support small farms whenever I eat meat, because the mass meat market is brutal and ethically raised animals is where it’s at. J
Kkkk doing this.
Please Google how long and at what tempt to cook your bird, and defrosting instructions if necessary. It is sooooo different per size of bird, and depending on what your oven is like. I can’t have that kind of responsibility weighing on my shoulders. LOL. So I am basically just telling you how to season + general cooking strategy that worked out VERY well for me.
I’m telling you, this is straight up the best turkey recipe ever. My friend made this for me a few years ago, and I added a few twists to it, and below is the magic that that is.
OBSESSED.
KKKKKK NOW STARTING!
The turkey
– Remove the giblets and whatever else is inside (sometimes they put plastic stuff there)
– Cook those as you may, I choose to not cook them cuz I can’t deal
To stuff the turkey
(You may need to adjust based on how large your bird is. Ours was small, 8 lbs)
– 1 lemon
– 1 lime
– 1 orange
– 8-10 garlic cloves
– White onion, quartered
– Rosemary + thyme + marjoram other spice mix
– Salt + pepper
For the pan:
– Chicken stock in the pan, just an inch or so
– A few glugs of white cooking wine
– Extra rosemary, thyme, and marjoram
+ whatever extra citrus slices/onion/garlic couldn’t fit inside your turkey
On top of the turkey
– 1 stick butter, melted
– ½ lemon zest
– Whole lemon juice
– Pepper
Wash and slice up everything that goes inside the turkey. Place the fruits and onion on the bottom of the cavity and everything else at the top. Don’t be shy, fill that beauty until it is STUFFED!! Anything you can’t fit in, put in the bottom of the pan. Add your chicken stock + wine to the base of the pan.
In a medium bowl, melt your stick of butter and add the lemon zest, juice, and pepper. Mix together and pour lovingly over your turkey baby. Add extra pepper on the turkey after and if the butter was unsalted, add a bit more salt too.
Now it’s ready to go in the oven.
No matter the size of the turkey, broil at 400 degrees for the first 30 mins.
Remove from oven, put a tent on the turkey. It’s really important that the tent is sealed, and no moisture can leak out. We want the turkey to bake in all those citrus juices.
Cook at 325 for however many hours you need for your turkey to be done.
For the last 10 mins, broil at 500 to make sure the top is nice and browned. Let sit for 5 – 10 mins before eating.
**Please note: if you put the veggies on the lower shelf below the turkey, they will take WAY LONGER than 60 mins to cook. If the turkey can be side by side with the veggies, do that.
Smashed Potatoes
Garlic Oil (this is actual crack)
– 10 – 15 cloves of garlic
– 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Start the garlic oil first. In a small saucepan on medium-low heat, heat up the oil and garlic til it fizzles. Be careful the garlic doesn’t start to brown or get hard.. that means it is done too soon. Let it cook for about 40 mins til totally soft.
Set aside, and just let it chill in it’s pan.
Smashed Potatoes
I can’t say enough good things about this. This recipe was inspired by Chrissy Teigen! AKA it’s amaze-balls.
– 2.5 lbs of baby red potatoes
– 1 stick of butter (4 oz)
– ½ cup heavy cream
– ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
– 2 tablespoons chopped chives + more for serving
Put your potatoes and water in a large pot, bring to a boil and simmer until soft (easily stab-able with a fork) about 25 mins.
In a separate pan, combine your heavy cream, melted butter, and pepper
Once the potatoes are cooked, mash them enough so you have a chunky and not totally smooth texture. Don’t mash them to smithereens. Not good. We want some skin to stay in tact.
Add the heavy cream and butter mixtures to the smashed potatoes, and fold it in. Also add about 1/2 cup of the oil your garlic was cooking in and ALL the garlic cloves. Add the chopped chives. Try not to die it’s so good.
Cranberry Sauce
THIS IS THE BEST.
I AM A GOD.
UR WELCOME.
(All modesty is now gone. Sorry not sorry ;). )
– 3/4 cup white sugar
– 1 cup water
– 4 cups fresh cranberries
– 2 teaspoons orange zest
– 1 teaspoon nutmeg
– 3 tbsp orange juice
Combine water and sugar in a pot. Dissolve sugar. Add the cranberries in, heat at medium-low and simmer til cranberries start to pop. Add orange juice, orange zest, and nutmeg. Simmer on medium low heat and let reduce.
Remove from heat… done!
Not-Your-Basic Gravy
This is a gravy like no other. It will be a lighter citrusy gravey. It’s different, and it’s fabulous. U will luv.
– 1/4 cup butter
– 1/4 cup flour
– 4 cups turkey drippings (aka the chicken broth + wine + drippings in your pan)
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper
– 2 tbsp heavy cream
Melt butter in a pot. Slowly whisk in flour. Add the turkey drippings, reduce to a simmer for 10 – 15 mins.
Not only did I let my freak flag fly throughout the entire video 🎏 (there were so many f-bombs I had to stop editing them out because it was too much lol) but I also shared the specific reasons why I love the food items shown so much. 🍉
Food + nutrition have always been a huuuuuuge thing for me. I need to be healthy 80% of the time so the other 20% I can eat nachos + In-N-Out + pizza… etc etc etc. For real though. 🍕 80% of the time my body is a temple and 20% I just straight #YOLO.
Because, life is too short not to eat the burger, fries, milkshake, and cake too. 🍔🍟🍰
#realtalk 😂
If you want to know some of my fave foods to eat in that 80% of the time I am being healthy, check out this vid!
❤️ 💛 💚 💙 💜
Here are links to all the food items I mention in the video:
It was a battle and a half getting this podcast recorded. My friggin recording thingy (that’s the technical term) broke halfway through the episode and it took foreverrrrrrr to fix. By that I mean it took a day. But I am impatient so in my brain that is foreverrrrr. 😉 A bit of a rage-enducing delay on my end… but all is well as the show has FINALLY aired! 🎉
This is the first ever Skinny Belle – The Podcast episode all about fitness. And how to keep that bod rockin’.
First, I share all the details of my lifelong fitness journey. And when I say ‘share’, perhaps I mean ‘over-share’. hahaha. #truestory. Really didn’t leave any detail out when it comes to highs and lows of my personal fitness.
Yes, we got into the fat college years. The shame. 😂
Point being, I go over all my learning experiences from this fitness journey and oh-so-smoothly transition into talking about my top tips to stay fit that I employ in my day-to-day life. 💪🏻
One topic discussed is how accomplishment fuels accomlishment. This is a big one for me, and I mentioned a book that really helped me called “The Power of Habit” which is a great book on why we do what we do. The author goes into why we build habits, and how we can change them to be more productive habits. A fabbity fab read for me, so check it out if you’re into that.
In my “How to Stay Fit – 4 Simple Tips!” podcast episode, I shared strategies to stay motivated in your fitness that are super practical and easy to use every day! 💯
Check out the episode, either on iTunes or Soundcloud, and let me know what you think! 💞
This one is all about Adulting. The struggles of being a less adulty adult, in the big bad world out there. I think a lot of you will relate to some of the things I talk about in this episode, namely: how the f do you do your taxes, going to the lady-doctor, pervy random dudes, car insurance issues, and so much more ridiculousness.
Basically I talk for 25 minutes about all the struggles I’ve had with adulting. From one hilarious story to the next, this is a very “millennial” post. 😂
Check it out, and if you like the show, please subscribe and rate Skinny Belle – The Podcast ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ on iTunes! 🙏🏻
#GIRLBOSS CORE WORKOUT is all about packing the best core exercises into one routine, that you can do with absolutely no equipment! 💪🏻
Obsessssssed with this workout, because it makes your waist SO SNATCHED. I love it. The abs will be poppin’ if you keep this one up.
**Best way to do this Skinny Belle workout? As you watch pause to read the move descriptions, watch the demo, and then go at it yourself! 😄 Also, I have included time-stamps below if you want to skip ahead. 💕
– Put your arms on the floor at your sides, and press your hips up
– Squeeze them glutes… hard 😉
***This is a favourite of mine. It feels amazing when you have super old person hips like me. 👵🏻 The flexers stretch right out and just feel ahhhhmazing.💯
All the ingredients, prepped and ready to go! My god this recipe is good. 😵 Deathly good.
#GloryShotzzzz
Our beautiful fish, after I accosted it with a chilli garlic rub 🐟
Thank u to this fish for giving up it’s life for my dinner. You are appreciated 🙏🏻
Is this too many photos for a food post? 😂
Like I said. SEXUAL.
Honestly you guys, I can’t even.
Please excuse the explicit nature of this recipe title. Grandparents, if you are reading this, please avert your eyes and move along to the next post.
BUT THESE FISH TACOS ARE SO DAMN GOOD THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY TO DESCRIBE THEM OTHER THAN SEXUAL.😩
I am sorry. But I cannot be silenced. 😤 These are AMAZING.
Legit when I made these last night, my boyfriend goes: “Wow, I had no idea you could go to the store, buy these ingredients… and make something this good.”
Which is awesome on one hand cuz he was V impressed with the meal, but at the same time… what about all the other meals I lovingly put together for us? Are THOSE not as impressive?
LOL. Forever being difficult 😉
Alright.. I am weirdly salivating and sweating a bit while I write this. Probably because I know I am having leftovers for lunch in a bit and my body is readying itself for the onslaught of fish tacos. It’s a process. 😅
Okie dokes, without further adieu, here is my “Sexual Fish Taco” recipe.
Serving size: 4 people
**How to best follow this recipe: Read through the ingredient list, and prep each ingredient as listed BEFORE you start cookin’. And clean as you go. It will make your life wayyy easier, promise.
Taco Toppings
2 small heirloom tomatoes🍅, one red, one yellow. Dice them.
*Once you have prepped all the above ingredients (it will feel like you are chopping for 10 years but it is WORTH IT), and cleaned your kitchen as you prepped you dirty mongrel you, here are your instructions:
Green Pepper Hot Sauce
Put your peppers, garlic, and 1/4 cup of water into a blender. I used my boyfriend’s magic bullet and I am pretty sure our smoothies will now be spicy until the end of time. Blend until the mixture is almost smoothe, some small chunkiness is okay.
Pour the mixture into a bowl, and add golden brown sugar, fish sauce, lime zest, and lime juice. Set aside.
Spicy Mayo Sauce
Mix together your mayo and Sriracha. Start with 1/4 cup Sriracha and keep adding until you are satisfied with the level of spice.
The Fish
In a large bowl, mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, chilli powder, minced garlic, cayenne, salt, and pepper. This mixture should be quite thick, remember we are making a rub not a sauce. One at a time, cover each fillet of fish in our spicy rub.
Heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat with 2 – 3 more tbsp of EVOO. Cook the fish, about 3 mins per side depending on the thickness. It should look chargilled and be able to flake apart when it’s done.
ASSEMBLY OF THE TACO
YOU MADE IT!!! 🎉
This is the moment of glory. GLORY. 🙌🏻
I like to heat up my taco shells right before I assemble my taco on a medium hot pan. Makes them even more delish.
Basically put together your taco however you like. Just make sure you use all the ingreds in the “Toppings” section.
I like to put the mayo first, then fish, then veggie toppings, then spicy green pepper sauce, then avocado, + lime juice and perhaps some more mayo if I’m feelin’ bad. 😜
This is literally the best fish taco I have had since moving to LA. Which in a way disappoints me, because I heard the fish tacos were fab here.
**Side note: If anyone has any unreal fish taco spots they can recommend in LA it would be greatly appreciated! Email me: robyn@skinnybelle.com or dm me on instagram.
If you are having people over this is actually a great thing to cook, cuz most of the work is done in advance. Which means you can focus on your friends and margarita instead of slaving in the kitchen when they arrive. 👍🏻
Thought I would take to my internet diary (aka Skinny Belle) and do a little journaling since I am clearly not falling back asleep anytime soon.
Uhg.
Usually I am a good sleeper, but tonight I guess not lol!
2 am is a funny time. You will wake up feeling a certain way and thinking certain things that you can’t really control. At least, I feel like I can’t. 😜
How am I feeling?
My hips friggin hurt, and I am slightly hungover. Just slightly. LOL.😉 It is Friday, after all. 🍸
But for real, my hip pain, is probably the most annoying thing in the entire world. THE ENTIRE WORLD. It’s this deep aching which feels like it’s in my bones, but is totally just my muscles being all tight and messed up. 😣 I am obsessed with staying healthy and forever young, and really dislike waking up with my body aching in the middle of the night. Probably need to go back to my physio again at some point. Anywho, if you see me rolling my hips on instagram, which I occasionally share on my stories like the instagram whore I am, that is why. 👵🏻 #SeniorMoments
I legit cannot wait until I can be a full on cyborg. I’m talking being part robot. Genuinely, I think that would be absolutely amazing. THINK ABOUT IT. Just replace them hips with mechanical ones! Would be so awesome. And I basically would be Superwoman. That’s pretty cool too.
Anyone watch Archer? Just like Barry in Archer except not evil. LOL. **If you’re not watching Archer, you NEED TO. I crushed through all 7 seasons or whatever in a sickly short period of time. NO REGRETS. 🙅🏼
The computers will probably take over one day, soooo I’d like to be on the record that I am pro robot/cyborg… in case any of the futuristic robos are reading this now.
Just sayin’.
Moving right along…
What did I wake up thinking about tonight?
This is going to sound completely ridiculous… but skiing.🎿 I am getting major FOMO that all my friends in Vancouver will be heading up to Whistler soon for the first snowfall. It is actually making me kind of homesick, as lame as that is to admit. Literally, feel like a toddler even saying those words. 😂
I guess that’s what happens at 2 am lol. The deep shit comes out.
Anyways I should probably get back to bed meow. Have a big weekend ahead.
Tomorrow I organized a brunch with some of my Alpha Delta Pi sisters living in the area. Was so cool, I joined the Facebook group for ADPi Alumni in LA and posted basically saying… “heyyyyy so I’m new here and have no friends, who wants to be friends?” and a bunch of super cute girls replied, and I am SO EXCITED to meet everyone at brunch tomorrow! 🍳 Sororities are the freakin’ best. I have an entire post planned on this but ima save it so it’s a bit more timely, like around the time girls are going to college. Not in the middle of the semester lol.
Also this weekend my boyfriend and I are going to do something super touristy together. We decided we wanted to go see all the big “sights” in Los Angeles because neither of us have seen most of them. LOL. Go figure. So the touristing shall begin. He had a great suggestion as to what we should see earlier today… but I honestly cannot remember. hahahha.😂 My bad. 😉 Guess I shall find out tomorrow.
Final note before I am back to bed and the weekend kicks off tomorrow: if you are reading this, I love and appreciate you. I feel like the people who read Skinny Belle, just get me. In a weird but awesome way. ❤️
That’s it for tonight’s late-night diary entry. Before I get super weird on you (it is basically guaranteed to happen) I am going to sign off.
Pce n’ blessings, and in the words of Ellen Degeneres, be kind to one another.
