This recipe is the perfect thing to make if you have some extra time on your hands one night. I made this last weekend, and thoroughly enjoyed myself throughout the entire process. It is a bit of a slow cooking meal, but ohhhh boy is it worth it. If you feel like taking your time one night and making a delicious meal for friends, this is the perfect dish!

Disclaimer: this recipe becomes even more fun if you consume a very generous glass (or two…..) of wine. 😉

And I knowww that pasta is not a healthy meal. But, I am all about balance! If you are craving pasta one night, have the pasta! Just not every night and keep the portions reasonable. I make my bolognese sauce “Skinny Belle” by using turkey instead of beef! Way less fat and way better for you.

What’s in it:

• 2 pounds ground turkey
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 large diced peppers (red, yellow)
• 1 large white onion
• 2 finely shredded carrots
• 5 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup red wine
• 2 cans 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 small tomato paste can (4 oz)
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• small handful of fresh (or dried) basil
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup fresh parsley finely chopped
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese

Get your wine ready friends… because here are the steps (which are unusually long for me haha!)

1) Chop up all those yummy veggies.

2) Cook 2 lbs of turkey in a non-stick frying pan, and set aside once its done. It should be browning just a little bit.

3) Get a nice big pot out. Seriously get the biggest one you have because this recipe makes lots. 😛 Put your olive oil in, heat to medium and add in the onion, carrots, and peppers. Add in the garlic last. Cook all this together for about 3 minutes.

4) Add in the wine and let simmer for about 1.5 minutes.

5) Now, toss in your basil, thyme, and oregano.

6) Add crushed tomatoes and the tomato paste.

7) Put in the salt and bay leaves.

8) Simmer for an hour. This is when your friends and wine come in realll handy 😉 )

9) And FINALLY, add in parmesan (<– cheese is my first love in life) and parsley. Simmer for another 25 mins.

10) Remove the bay leaves, and ENJOY!!!

I don’t usually make meals that take quite this long, but this was SO delicious it was definitely worth the wait! And it makes so much that I have tons of leftovers. Great news for everyone.

Comment below and let me know if you give this a go, or share your own bolognese recipe! And a big Happy Thanksgiving to my friends in the United States! <3

x,

When I thought about writing this post, I debated with myself if I really needed to share my hair washing routine with the world. Yes, yes I do. I am basically morally obligated to tell you this. Haha! 😛 Since we are talking about hair today, I figured I would share some crazy hair photos from my modeling this summer in Milan (shot by the amazing Attilio Cusani!)

Okay let’s get down to it. I only wash my hair 2 – 3 TIMES A WEEK. Max. I can hear you now… “Eeeewwwww! You only wash your hair 2 – 3 times a week? Nasty.” Okay now, it’s not nasty!! Let me explain.

The more you wash your hair, the greasier it gets. So if you wash it every day, your hair will become accustomed to getting its daily wash and actually end up being oilier than before. So, it is better to wash your hair every few days, and get your scalp used to less frequent washing.

Another reason you should only wash your hair a few times a week is to keep it healthy. The more you wash your hair with harsh chemicals (found in shampoo and conditioner,) the more damaged it will become. It is really good to let the natural oils in your hair condition it a bit!

Keep in mind that this is what works best for me! All hair types are different and the ideal hair-care routine changes based on your hair type. I have quite dry and fluffy hair so I find that mine looks better when I wash it every few days.

To make sure my hair stays soft, I also like to do my Coconut Oil Hair Mask once every few weeks.

There you have it, friends! What is your hair care routine?! Tell me in the comments below!

x,

Okay so I would by lying to you guys if I didn’t tell you all that I eat at La Taqueria on a very regular basis… like every two weeks if not more. Why? Because it is freaking AWESOME and I love it. I feel like the Mexican food scene in Vancouver has only recently started to improve in the last few years, and in my opinion La Taqueria was one of the first major players in Mexican food game. 

Now just to be clear, we aren’t talking about nasty fast food “Mexican” food… but the real traditional and yummy good stuff. AKA tacos. ALL. THE. TACOS. La Taqeuria makes “pinche” tacos, which are authentic soft shell Mexican tacos. And oh boyyyy do they make them well. Drooling just thinking about them again haha.

I wasn’t so hungry when I went the other day, so I only ordered 3 tacos. Usually I get four (for only $9.50 such a steal!!) and pretty much instantly regretted not getting the 4^th taco. Anyways, my favourite tacos are: Al Pastor, Tinga De Pollo, and Pescado. If you go to La Taqeruia you have to try these out. Promise? Check out their full menu here to see the other flavours they serve!

So I have this weird habit of trying to sound like I speak fluent Spanish when I go La Taqueria, and order my tacos in my attempted Spanish accent. I feel like they look at me funny when I do it, but I will forever and always continue because it makes the experience way more fun. Haha!! 😛 Also, if you don’t live in Vancouver and are having a major taco craving after reading this, check out my homemade fish tacos! They are also super yummy. 

Hope you are all having a great day! 

x,

The other night we snapped these photos just before heading out for dinner. It gets dark so early now… it’s crazy! I can’t wait until the days start getting longer again, is it bad to say that already? Haha 😛

I love mixing different fabrics together in a simple outfit. It makes the look way more exciting! Here I am wearing my Aritzia furry coat, on top of an American Apparel crew neck sweater. Such a cozy sweater and coat combo for winter! I was nice and warm in these babies. My pants are my Citizen “Rocket” jeans, which I mentioned before because they are so comfy that I just can’t stop wearing them! So what if I wear the same pair of jeans an abnormal number of days in a row… I’m wild like that. 😉 The little sneakers I am wearing are by Cole Haans. I really love this look because it is casual, yet fab at the same time because of the furry coat. Perfect for me!

Anyways, this weekend has been so nice and chill! I mostly stayed home and cozied up, with the exception of going out on Friday night. When the weather gets chilly like it is now, I am always so tempted to just stay inside and keep warm! How has your weekend been? Hopefully it has been a fun!

x,

Hi everyone! Hope you are all having a great week so far. Today I wanted to share one of my favourite salads. This one is super simple and only has 4 ingredients! Quick & easy, my kind of salad. 😉

Spinach is crazy good for you. From improving your skin/hair to bettering your bone health, this little leafy green does it all! As for the yummies (see my other salad recipe for what a “yummy” is), this time I used avocado, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, and red onion. AKA the most delicious things! 😀

What’s in it:

• Spinach
• Avocado
• Feta Cheese
• Red Onion
• Cherry Tomatos
• Your favourite balsamic dressing
• OR a simple homemade balsamic (2 tbsp olive oil, 1.5 tbsp balsamic vinegar, squirt of Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, and a drop of maple syrup)

Start by putting as much spinach as your heart desires in a bowl. Now take that beautifulll red onion and slice it up really thin. Add that in. Throw in your cherry tomatos, and chop up that avocado into large chunks and add that too. Hungry yet? 😛 Finally, add the best ingredient of all… FETA!

Surprise surprise, I love cheese. Haha. Keep in mind everything in moderation though. Your salad should be sprinkled with feta, not made of 90% feta (which if I am being real is what I want to do all the time… but, self-restraint friends.)

Finally add your favourite balsamic dressing, or use the recipe I put above! And that’s it! SO delicious and nutritious. Make sure to add some more protein (ie chicken) if you are having your salad as a meal.

Do you have a favourite homemade balsamic that you make? Let me know in the comments below, it is always nice to get new recipe tips! 😀

x,

Late night snacking is a super easy habit to slide into, and can lead to negative health effects over time… mainly excess weight gain. Late night snacking is basically any food that you consume after dinner. For me, this usually used to be when I was lurking around the fridge with the door hanging open having little bites of everything haha! I was definitely guilty of being a serious night snacker! 😛

Getting into the habit of snacking at night is a dangerous cycle. As you are chowing down on your junk food of choice (rarely is a night time snack a healthy snack) you are getting fuller and fuller before bed. When you wake up in the morning, chances are you will still feel full from the night before. This will make you want to skip breakfast. Eating breakfast is soooo important for your overall health (<– post coming on this soon!) and skipping it will mess up your eating schedule. Bad news for everyone. So, how can you stop those nasty little (or big) late night snacks from happening?

Here’s the skinny:

1) Brush your teeth after dinner! This is such a simple little action but it seriously helps you think twice about reaching for the chips. This works for me mainly because I am lazy and don’t want to have to brush my teeth again (anyone else with me?! Haha)

2) Eat a good dinner. If you deny yourself during dinner time, it will just catch up with you later at night when you are reaching for the fridge doors in the wee hours of the night. So make sure you have a healthy filling dinner that wont leave you hungry an hour later.

3) Drink tea! I find drinking my favourite tea or hot water with lemon at night a great distraction from mindless snacking. The warm drink will satisfy you and keep your hands busy so you aren’t looking to grab some junk food.

4) Do something at night OTHER than watching TV. Watching TV at night can be a major snacking trigger. It is an un-engaging activity and many people find themselves craving treats while watching their favourite show. Try reading a book or doing another hobby you enjoy at night. It will keep you distracted and be way more enriching than watching TV anyways. 😛

These tips have worked great for me, and helped me stop my late night snacking habit! What do you do to avoid late night snacking? I would love to hear your tips in the comments below! <3

x,

The other day I found this cute colourful sweater at H&M! It is a great simple piece for fall. I am all about chunky sweaters in the fall season so this one was just perfect for me! My leather skirt (skort?) is from Zara in Prague. This is actually the first time I have worn it even though I got it a few months ago! Just didn’t find the right top for it until now. 😛 The sandals were purchased at Zara in Barcelona, aka my favourite place to shop these days haha.

Hope everyone is having a great weekend! I am off to make some dinner and have a cozy Sunday night in. 🙂

x,

Gold. I hit GOLD, everyone. Seriously I just threw this Pumpkin Pie Granola together the other day and did not even realize what sort of wizardry I was concocting. Then I tasted it…. The best. 🙂

I knowww that the official pumpkin-mania month is over, but you can still enjoy as many pumpkin flavored treats as you like! Not to mention, this skinny “treat” is super good for you! No guilt added here.

This recipe has no refined sugar, and every ingredient is whole and natural. The fiber in oatmeal actually helps with weight control as oatmeal makes you feel fuller for longer! So chow down my friends.

What’s in it:

• 2 cups raw, whole rolled oats
• ½ cup (or more, I definitely put more lol) chopped pecans
• ½ cup sultana raisins
• 4 tbsp real maple syrup
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• pinch of fine sea salt
• 3 tbsp pumpkin spice mix (I found mine in the bulk section of my grocery store!)

Mix all the delicious ingredients above into a bowl. Bake at 300 degrees farenheight for about 10 minutes! Enjoy on top of non-sweetened greek yogurt, and add some fruit if your heart so desires. Hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

x,

Did something a little bit different this weekend, we took a trip to interior BC and went off-roading up in the mountains! It was such a cool adventure. The foliage is quite different from Vancouver, and we saw so many beautiful lakes and mountains on our drive. It was also super chilly up there, so I was sure to wear my warmest coat! 🙂

One really interesting part of our adventure was this old run-down vacation resort that we came across. It looked like it had been a super popular lodge at one point, but now looked more or less abandoned. We went inside the main room of the lodge to check it out and actually ended up meeting the husband and wife team who have owned the resort for 40 years together. Totally different experience… I am so glad we went inside and explored!

x,

Okay so that title might have been a little bold, I don’t actually know if this is the best steak in the world because I haven’t tried all the steaks in the world…. But it’s pretty damn close if you ask me! Since the weather has been so great in Vancouver (these past few days,) I figured I would share my favourite BBQ steak recipe. I learned this recipe from my Grandma, and it is seriously unreal! So simple, and so delicious.

What’s in it:

• Beef tenderloin steaks (Costco sells great ones!)
• Mustard (Maille Old Style Whole Grain Dijon is my fave)
• Fresh pressed garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil

Start by covering your steaks in as much fresh pressed garlic as you like. I am really generous with my garlic because I find lots of it gets lost in the BBQ anyways. Next, generously cover those steaks in your mustard! The last step is to cover them in extra virgin olive oil. Let these babies sit on the counter and marinate for about 30 minutes, to get that flava flave right in there.

After your steaks are done marinating, fire up your BBQ and let it heat up. To make a great steak the BBQ should be really hot (around 500 degrees.) Once the BBQ is at the right temp, throw those steaks on for about 6 minutes per side. How long you BBQ them for really depends on how rare you like your steak and how thick the cut of meat is. So use your judgment on this one! Just make sure the BBQ is really hot so you get that delicious seared outside. Yum, yum, YUM!

I served my steaks with a simple salad and BBQ’d potatoes. For the salad I mixed together butter lettuce, chopped strawberries, sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil leaves. I served my favourite Yogurt Tahini Dressing as the dressing on this beautiful salad.

My potatoes are magic. I’m telling you… MAGIC! All you do is take some small potatoes and boil them until they are cooked. Drain the potatoes and put them in another bowl. Cover em all up in olive oil, and whatever spices you have in your house. Here I used dried basil, oregano, thyme, and parsley. Add some salt and pepper, and toss them on the still-hot BBQ! They only need a few minutes and they will brown right up and have that awesome BBQ flavour.

Brave the chilly weather and fire up your BBQ to enjoy a beautiful steak dinner!

x,