Merry Christmas!

Happy holidays to all. I'm really glad I could have this day off to spend with those I love. Today I've baked a pumpkin pie, protein chocolate muffins, and finally made a Christmas cocktail to sit down and relax before dinner (roast beast and mashies). The drink is a Christmas Cranberry Coconut Mojito, and is very refreshing with a hint of Floridian holiday! All you'll need for one drink is 

- an ounce of Bacardi

- 1/4 ounce of Malibu rum

- handful of fresh or dried cranberries

- 1/2 of a lime

- fresh mint leaves (mine were picked fresh from my step moms garden!)

- agave nectar

- soda water

- ice

Put mint, lime, cranberries, both rums and agave in the bottom of a tall glass. Muddle together, twisting the muddler at the bottom to release oils from the mint. When you have sufficiently released all of the oils and juices, put ice in the cup, top with soda water and stir (or shake) gently. If you're shaking watch out for exploding shakers! Another good idea for the other half lime and remaining mint is to muddle it up alone in soda water and agave and pour the remaining into an ice cub tray. Then, whenever you're craving an easy Mojito, throw the ice cubes in a glass and top with rum and more soda water. As it melts it will become another delicious Mojito!

Delaying Sex

Have you ever entered a relationship that got very intimate very quickly, only to watch it crumble just as quickly a month or two later? This seems to be a recurring trend as more and more people become immersed in the “hooking up” culture. Hooking up seems to be everywhere – TV shows, the Internet, and blockbuster movies such as No Strings Attached and Knocked Up. But what does this seemingly innocent term really mean? Many people have different definitions, but in this context I am going to use Justin Garcia's definition of “brief uncommitted sexual encounters between individuals who are not romantic partners or dating each other.” In brief, it is physical relations without long-term commitment. And while many studies have found that this is perfectly healthy for both males and females to engage in, it raises the question what its effect on healthy relationships might be.

Why are couples engaging in sex early on more often than before? For one, I believe that the high sexuality used in media has an impact on individuals of all races, gender, and ages. We all know that sex sells, and those in charge of commercials, media, albums and movies may know that even better. Therefore we are seeing more highly sexed images, lyrics, and plots in our everyday life. The American Association of Pediatrics states that “casual sex and sexuality with no consequences [depicted in the media]” is running rampant. So when individuals are bombarded with this idea that casual sex is okay, and everyone is doing it, they are more likely to engage in it themselves. Besides, sex is fun and it makes you feel closer to your partner. Why not give it a try before you get too invested?

Well, not so fast. Many studies have found that there is a link between delaying sex and more stable relationships sprinkled with better communication and more trust. Which all makes sense, if you think about it. If you give yourself time to get to know a person before engaging in sex, you will be able to communicate what feels good to you (leading to better sex), and what you’re thinking and feeling (leading to more satisfying relationships) among other things. Unfortunately, the opposite seems to happen. Googling “talking to your partner about getting tested” comes up with many results on how embarrassing it is and how uncomfortable it can make both of you feel. While sex is an embarrassing subject for some people, I believe that if you are close enough to someone to let them please you sexually, it shouldn’t be too hard to talk to them about getting tested (or what it is that you like in bed, among other sexually charged topics.) And waiting to have sex with someone helps you increase your communication skills before you delve into the complicated relationship that having sex can sometimes create.

            It is also found that when couples have sex early on, the reward parts of their brain can keep them in relationships that they may not otherwise want to be in, according to Dean Busby, study researcher of Brigham Young University's School. People can experience a sort of sex haze, in which they think they are interested in someone as a sexual partner, but it is just due to the hormones that are released during sex. This can be problematic when couples are not otherwise compatible, but think that they really care about one another. Down the road it can lead to volatile breakups and emotional scarring. If you wait to have sex with someone, you can learn if you really like them as a person before all those hormones start to interfere.

Finally, it is an age-old fact that men like the chase more than they like anything else. If you make them work for the sex, they will value it a lot more because they worked so hard for it! (And no woman wants an easy man, either.) As a sidenote, this is not all to say that everyone should avoid casual sex. Not at all. If you want to have sex with someone because they turn you on, by all means go ahead. But if you like someone and see yourself being in a long term relationship with them, delaying sex may lead to a healthier and more satisfying relationship in the long run.

Nudes

The best guys to send nudes to are guys with girlfriends, cause they're definitely gonna delete that shit.

My friends keep asking if I've been smoking crack but I think I'm just in love.

Do me a favor

Do me a favor and DON'T tell me if my ex hook up is here. I'd rather my surprise at seeing him appear genuine, and then I don't become immediately self conscious and desperate looking. We may not even run into one another, and it saves me the heart attack. Thanks! Xo

Guy in the car next to me eating a Popsicle,

Don't be shy. Do your thing man no ones judging you.

.

I love how Brent booty calls me at five pm. Isn't there a time frame for that shit?

BLT wrap with Ezekiel tortilla, grape tomatoes, Applegate naturals uncured bacon, avocado in place of mayo, and spinach instead of lettuce!

Yum

Spicy 15 Bean Chili

Hola guys. Happy Wednesday ! Today's my moms birthday. Hopefully I age like her she looks damn good for 50 and drinks like a fish! Have you ever been talking to a guy who thinks he is sooooo cool and thinks that you care about this conversation when in reality you don't.. My life right now. Like lay off I don't think you're cool.. Anyway! Chili recipe:

Ingredients:

1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes

1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 container cherry tomatoes

15 bean "soup" bag (can be found in the dried bean section. Comes with bag I 15 types of beans and a packet of soup mix. Throw soup mix away immediately)

1 jalapeño

1/2 sweet bell pepper

Cayenne

                              Chili powder

        Crystal or your preferred hot sauce

                              Frozen corn

                            1 small onion

                           2 cloves garlic

                              Olive oil

Method:

1. Soak beans over night in water. The bag should tell you exactly what to do but just make sure they're covered in water and they will expand! So make sure the bowl is big enough

2. Next day, caramelise your onions and garlic in a medium sized pot with salt, pepper, and olive oil

3. Add cans of tomatoes, and all the veggies. Chopped into small pieces. Let boil. Add cayenne, chili powder, hot sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cover and let simmer as long as you want (longer the better)

5. Uncover and serve with some reduced fat sour cream!

Easy right! Enjoy

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Flour Free Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut ButterCoconut Cookies

What a mouthful! I had a hankering for something sweet after I finished laying out today, but didn't want to wreck my day by chowing down on some cookies even though I was really REALLY craving them! I decided to come up with a clean recipe for some cookies instead!

Makes 16 small cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup steel cut oats

1/4 cup chunky peanut butter (all natural - the only ingredients should be peanuts and salt)

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

One ripe banana

Unsweetened shredded coconut

3 tablespoons dark chocolate

1 tsp agave nectar

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Combine all ingredients in one bowl and stir or mix until it forms a nice dough

3. Roll into balls and then roll in shredded coconut

4. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes

These cookies turn out a bit more like muffins than cookies, but are incredibly moist and not too sweet! The coconut on the outside toasts up so nicely and is the best part id say! They aren't too high in calories, but still be careful how many you eat! They should be a treat not a meal :)

Cucumber Sub with Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

I've been thinking a lot and I think the new theme of this blog is going to be "getting stoned while staying skinny" instead of the advice column it's turned into. This is because really all I've thought about over Christmas break is food and the state of my waistline. Smoking every hour on the hour tends to happen a lot more when I have no job, no classes, and a steady supply of great weed thanks to LD. So today's awesome recipe is great while high. Lots of crunch and flavor! I call it a cucumber sub, because there's cucumber in place of the bread. Awesome right?

Ingredients:

One medium cucumber

Canned chicken or shredded chicken breast

Small onion

Greek yogurt (abt two tablespoons)

Salt and pepper

Vinegar of your choice (1tsp)

I started out by cutting the cucumber open and deseeding it. I also shaved off some of the skin so it was easier to chew. The you combine all the chicken salad ingredients, and feel free to throw anything else in there. Mix and fill your little cucumber subs! Delish, clean, and low cal. Perfect snack for after that jay ;)

Chocolate Cinnamon Protein Bars

My mother is driving me absolutely mad! I now know that I will never ever ever move home after college no matter how great it seems. She's doing this "cleanse" for the new year, and today consists of only liquids which is making her a complete cow. Then when she couldn't take it anymore and reached for some string cheese, I commented on how if she was doing a cleanse she should have something more natural and she was again mean. And she keeps complaining about her stomach and headache. Well, I've been doing clean for a few weeks now and I've never felt better but she won't listen . Oh well! Today I made a few things because I'm about to go back to that hell hole that is UF and the food there :(. I made some protein bars to take with me for before class, and also some chilli because I've been craving it! The protein bar recipe was adapted from he and she eat clean and it's below. Upon tasting them, they are definitely "proteiny." Great flavor but not too terribly moist. And I just realized I forgot to add flax seed! Shoot. Oh well, they have a great flavor and the dough is better than the finished product, so I don't blame you for licking the spoon!

Ingredients:

2 cups oats, roasted in the oven without oil for 15-20 minutes

1 cup natural peanut butter no sugar added

1/2 cup 100% pure agave nectar (they used honey here)

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 cup clean protein powder (I used chocolate, makes it delilsh!)

2 tbs 85% cocoa dark chocolate

2 tbs pecans, chopped

1 tbs cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and pour the oats into a pan to bake for 15-20 minutes.

While they are baking, chop your chocolate and pecans into small chunks, then combine all ingredients into a bowl.

When the oats come out, roll them into the dough but allow them to cool.

Then, place on a dish (I use a casserole dish) spread out evenly, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool, then cut and store! Yum! Enjoy. Ill post the chilli recipe tomorrow!

So I do take back what I said about my mom.. she's a great lady and I love her a lot. Even when she's being a monster :) She really loved these bars for her cleanse. She couldn't stop talking about them! Give them a try.

Most of my getting high lately has consisted of obsessing over healthy food and eating, so sorry about these food posts. Today for lunch I had spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce and a salad with lettuce picked from our garden with a dressing of oil and vinegar, garlic powder, and salt with eggs ham and ground flax seed. Yum! Only about 300 calories but so filling. I also had a clementine, my absolute favorite fruit. Clean and delicious! I dreamt last night about eating to my hearts content at a holiday party which is seriously the best, but when I woke up and felt nice and thin I was pretty happy. It's so nice to be away from that sorority house with all its shitty processed foods. For real, once I asked our chef what was in the marinara sauce and she added heavy whipping cream. Why? No wonder I've been feeling my fattest despite eating smaller meals. Hidden calories! I don't even want to know the ingredients in her food... Love Nina, hate her fattening food. When I got back its gonna be strictly salad bar and veggies and fruit. I don't even trust the chicken, so it looks like I'm gonna have to get a clean protein powder. I'm also gonna bake some protein bars to take with me!

Farmageddon

After realising that my life long dream is probably to become a healthy farming hippie artist chef, the universe sent me a message. I stumbled on this documentary on Netflix called "Farmageddon" which is about small, organic farms being taken down and run out of business by the FDA. It's super interesting and makes me want to eat clean even more! Check it out if you have Netflix or I'm sure you can find it on YouTube.

"Closure"

"We don't want closure, we want to be the ones to end it this time."

For a little while I was hooking up and basically dating this guy who shall go unnamed. I obviously thought we were going to date, because that's what always happens when I start talking to a guy. But this guy was different. He was a player and loving the game. He had piles of commitment issues, along with that bad hair... But I digress. When he broke it off, I went a bit nuts in a way I had never gone nuts over a guy. Like making sad playlists and laying in bed for days watching Tangled and eating everything in sight. That was not my proudest moment, or period of time I should say. However, a few months later when the mention of his name didn't send me reeling into tears, I started talking to my friends about it. I think my favorite line was "I'm over it, but I kind of wish I just had closure." If you have told yourself this before, listen to me crazy lady: the closure is that you two are not together. He doesn't want to be with you, probably because he is a fucking idiot because we all know you're fabulous, but nonetheless he is no longer interested. So, do yourself a favor and realise that it is just your ego that is making you think you're so in love with this guy. The first time you're rejected by a guy it is a huge blow to your ego. It makes you think WHY you weren't good enough for this one, and since you always want what you can't have you start to trick yourself into thinking he was really perfect. You look back on his good qualities, while forgetting that he is in reality a skinny, whiny bitch. When you think you want closure, you really just want to mend that ego by getting back together with him an then being the one to break it off. Admit it, it's true. But the more you try to get him back so you can execute this devious plan, the crazier you look. It'll happen, believe me. So save yourself a lot of trouble and stop trying to get this "closure." Find someone new, because chances are this jerk is 100% not worth it. And, as soon as you are TRULY over his stupid ass, he'll come crawling back to you talking about all the mistakes he's made and how sorry he is. Trust me, they always do. Tighten up before this becomes your only friend:

Post Work Out Delicious Shake

I had a great workout today that consisted of a seven minute warm up, a p90x type workout for 25 mins and then some yoga. Afterwards, knowing I needed protein but not hungry at all I decided to experiment with my new protein powder! Chocolate flavoured protein, water, frozen blueberries, scoop of peanut butter, scoop of flax. Blend it all up and you've got a yummy filling low cal post workout shake! The end of mine.. Drank it before I could document

FOMO and seeming like a bitch

I don't know about you guys but I always freak out about missing out on something fun and also seeming like I don't want to do something fun and seeming like a bitch for not going out. One word: relax. My friends don't respond all the time. It doesn't make me hate them. Also, you don't always have to go out. Trying to find a way to go out tonight was  way more stress than it was worth. Yes, I am in my bed and blogging and it's not even the best post. Kind of a loser, but much less stressed loser. And tonight probably wouldn't have been too much fun. My stress levels have been so high all night. And honestly, I talk about all this clean eating and exercising and how eating badly will kill you but what will really kill you is the stress. So I need to calm down and if you're anything like my friends and I I'm sure you need to as well. Just relax and be happy and do whatever YOU want to do because yes, you want to have experiences and memories, but you also don't want to die from all the stress going out caused your weak body. Not to mention all the alcohol ingested.

Me right now