Recipes: A Mexican Feast!

It's a rainy day in the lower mainland today, and this usually means that if I'm not at work, I'm bored. So, usually I try to find something to do, and today it was making an elaborate mexican dinner!

I actually love spicy food, but it usually doesn't sit right with me (perhaps because a lot of it is quite greasy) but I tend to avoid it. I have a cookbook at home that I bought that I have yet to cook anything out of, so I decided that today would be a good day to read it, find some yummy recipes and, because I can't leave anything alone, change the recipes and make them my own! There were a whole bunch of awesome mexican recipes in there, so I thought I would give them a go and a have a yummy theme dinner!

I made a spicy black bean dip and guacamole served with warm chips, and shrimp and/or chicken fajitas!

Let me start with the Black Bean Dip, because it was what I was most weary of, but turned out SOO yummy. I've never really had anything like it, and I love it! We ate so fast I didn't get many pictures, but man was it delicious!

Black Bean Dip

1 19oz can of Black Beans; drained and rinsed thoroughly. 
4 cloves of garlic; minced to a paste
2 tablespoons of light cream cheese
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp white vinegar
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1/4-1/2 tsp of Chipotle chili powder.*

*use to taste really, I used 1/4 tsp and it was plenty, but you might like more!

Combine everything in a food processor, mix until combines and has a dip like consistency (it's pretty easy to tell when all the beans are mashed up!) Put all the dip into a microwave safe dish, cover and heat 3-5 minutes, or until warm to your liking. Stir and serve with tortilla chips!

It is delicious, healthy and spicy! Definitely worth giving a try!

Some black bean dip and guacamole!

Secondly I made Guacamole, which I have also never made before, but it was so easy I should always just make it myself.

Guacamole Dip

2 avocados
1 clove of garlic, mashed to a paste
1/4 cup onion (I used yellow)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
dash of chipotle powder (could use regular chili powder instead!)

Mash avocado in a mixing bowl (or I mixed mine in the food processor), add additional ingredients, mix until well combined. Serve with tortilla chips!

And lastly, for the main course, I made orange and lime marinated shrimp and chicken fajitas!

Orange and Lime Marinade (for chicken or fish)

1/3 cup Orange Juice
1/3 cup Lime Juice
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs olive oil
dash of chili powder

Marinate chicken (if using chicken) for 30 mins+, if using shrimp or fish only allow to marinate for a maximum of 20 minutes.

Grill or panfry chicken until tender (I chopped mine into bite sized pieces pre-marinade, so mine didn't take too long to cook) and grill or pan fry shrimp 2-3 minutes until cooked.

Served with cooked peppers and onions, cheese, any of the dips listed above, sour cream or anything else you love with fajitas. Heat up tortillas until warm, serve and enjoy!

Everything was delicious and totally worth the effort of making it all myself, and I will definitely be showcasing my black bean dip and guacamole at the next gathering that I can! =)

Blog, and be happy!

Kyleigh.

Review: My New Blender!

So I've wanted a personal blender for a long time... and while they aren't very expensive I just struggled with the thought of having two blenders at my house because that just seemed ridiculous!

However, the blender we have at my house is like a high powered beast of a blender. Seriously, it might as well be industrial with how loud and crazy it is. It's not exactly the best early morning blender, unless you want to wake up the whole neighbourhood! Also, I loved the thought of a personal blender being so much easier to clean and maintain since you blend the smoothie into the to-go bottle! It makes small, one person portions too, so there is much less waste than using a full sized blender. (I always seem to make enough smoothie for 4 people instead of just me!)

Since it was my birthday this past weekend, I decided that now was a good time while I have a few extra dollars in my pocket to go a buy the blender I always eye at various stores.

I did quite a bit of research on personal blenders because many of them have the blades built in to the bottom of the to-go mug. This was something that bothered me a little bit, and something that I think a lot of people don't think about! It kind of made me feel a little unsafe thinking that if I blended something and the blade broke inside the smoothie that I wouldn't know until the smoothie was finished! So, I set out to find a removable blade blender... and believe me when I say those things are NOT easy to find.

I looked all over the place at different blenders, and there are quite a few companies that make personal blenders. From Hamilton Beach all the way to the Magic Bullet, there are usually sections in the appliance area of a store dedicated to small blenders, however there was always one of two things:

1. The blade was built into the bottom of the mug, or
2. It was damn expensive!

I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend 99$ on a blender that I will literally use only for early morning and post work out smoothies! I could buy a whole new big blender for that much, so it just wasn't reasonable or necessary to spend that much on a mini blender.

Finally I saw the blender I ended up getting yesterday. The Oster MyBlend blender.

This is actually the perfect blender. It's compact, easy to use and easy on the wallet at only 34.99$, which includes the 600ml sports-style bottle. It's pretty high powered for being so little, and gets everything blended up in no time.  It's also great because they sell the bottles on the side in various colours, so the family can each have their own smoothie bottle!

I used it this morning for the first time and it was awesome. Thus far, I give it 5 stars! =)

So, if you need a mini blender, I'd definitely suggest this one!

Healthy smoothies to go for the win!


Blog, and be happy.

Kyleigh.

A weekend update!

Well I have just been a super neglectful blogger lately. It's not that I haven't had things to blog about but for some reason I just haven't had time to really sit down and write it out! I've been pretty stressed out lately, so I guess blogging hasn't really been on my mind. 

However, no matter how bad things get, good things still happen like this past weekend for example! We went to whistler and had a wonderful time celebrating birthdays and partying our faces off! It was so much fun spending time with great friends and just letting loose! 

We also stopped off at the Brittania mine museum on our way home from whistler on Sunday. It was super cool, I hadn't been there since I was like 8, and Alex never had so we had lots of fun exploring the mine! 

So, this week is a week of celebration. I'm going to de-stress, relax and celebrate MY life, because I was born 22 years ago this coming Saturday! If nothing else, I'm glad to be alive in this beautiful place and enjoying my friends and family!

I hope you all have a wonderful week, enjoy it and celebrate a little for me! :) 

Blog and be happy, 

Kyleigh 

My Mother's Day Project.

I can't believe it's already May. In a month and a half I will be 22... not that that's any sort of milestone but I'm just not sure where the last year went exactly.

Anyway. Since it's May I've decided that I am going to spend the next two weeks (or at least the few days off that I have for the next two weeks) working on a project for my Mom. Mother's day is only a couple of weeks away, and I think it would be fun to put together a basket of stuff for my mom that I spent time making, rather than running out and buying a bouquet of flowers at the last minute or something. I also feels like mom's always cherish things you make for them way more than something that comes from the store... even if you aren't 6 years old anymore.

Pinterest has offered me many ideas, and I'm excited to see how many different things I can make for my mom before Mother's day!

I've seen so many cool things from making jewelry, making candles, putting together recipes in mason jars and making things for out in the garden! I am going to scavenge the dollar stores (of which it seems a new one pops up every week or so..) explore my local thrift shops and set myself a dollar limit so that I don't go too far overboard. I always seem to have the best intentions and get myself into a place where I just can't get everything finished in time!

If I have the time I might put something together for my Grandma too! 

Anyway, I am loving spring, absolutely adoring this beautiful sunshine outside my window, and looking forward to the wonderful May we are about to have!

Do you have your Mother's day gifts organized yet? You only have 12 days!

Blog, and be happy!

Kyleigh. 

From the Mouth of a Hairstylist: Hair Masks

So, it's been a while. These past few weeks have been stressful and busy and so I haven't had much time to think about a blog post, but I was inspired today to walk you through hair masks and why they are so important to the coming spring and summer weather! 

Hair masks should be a very important part of your haircare routine, if they aren't, you should make it an important part! As we move away from the harsh (and humid, in this part of the world anyway) winter, you hair could really use a boost before you throw it into the equally damaging sun! 

Almost every single haircare company makes a hair mask, whether your do your beauty shopping at your salon or at your grocery store. From L'Oreal to Oribe and every company in between there are so many to choose from it's hard to tell what sort of mask you might need, so I thought I would point out a few of my very favourite masks for you to try!

1. Bumble and Bumble Deeep.

This is definitely one of my absolute favourite products ever. In the bumble and bumble description of this product:
"For the chemically dependant or seriously parched (colour junkies, styling abusers or sun worshipers) a protein masque to revive lifeless locks"
This is the masque to go to for dry, damaged and over processed hair. Enriched with protein, this is a weekly masque designed to replenish hair's lost shine, bounce, and over all health. It smells amazing, and works like a charm the first time, and with every time you use it your hair gets stronger and stronger! Plus, it smells awesome and you can leave it on for quite a while to really help restore your hair.
Sold in a full size and a travel size at all Bumble and Bumble network salons, and at your local Sephora, it's an awesome product and worth grabbing on your way out of your winter jacket and into your bathing suit!

2. Kenra Platinum Recovery Mask

This is an awesome mask for colour treated hair. Designed for those of us who colour maybe a little too often, this recovery mask does exactly as the title suggests... it helps your hair recover. It smells like candy, and since it's a 5 minute mask, you can use it right in the shower! Making hair feel smooth and revitalized, it is definitely an awesome product and worth using as a weekly mask for less damaged hair, or a daily conditioner for those who could use a daily boost!
I use this product all the time, and dedicated a whole post on it here. I love it, and it works great on my most fine textured hair! 
Available where all Kenra products are sold, it is an awesome product worth taking a look at!


3. Joico K-PAK Reconstructor

This reconstructor is the epitome of reconstructors. This is the absolute best for those who have crazy damaged hair. Another 5 minute mask, it completely restores hair back to it's healthy condition. I have seen it work miracles, and it is incredible. Filled with protein and moisture, this mask is best suited to thick, dry or curly hair, but can work well in moderation on finer hair as well.
Available at Joico network salons and at select grocery stores, Joico is available to the general public quite easily! This is an awesome product for those dry summer months!


Outside of those available for purchase, the DIY craze (which is totally awesome!) has produced some awesome hair masks you can make at home yourself! There are so many out there that its impossible to try them all, but I have found ones made with egg base or avocado base to provide the best repair!

The DIY masks are also great because if you find that your hair is extra thick, making a little extra mask is often cheaper than spending 30$ every time you need to do a mask!

So, this summer I challenge you to try a few hair masks. Put it on your hair, wrap a towel around your head and lay out in the beautiful sunshine for 30 minutes, and be amazed how awesome your hair feels! Whether you go to the store and try a few different bottled brands, or you have a girls night and try to make your own, it can only help the health of your hair!

Enjoy the sunshine, and for the love of your hair,

Kyleigh.

Happy Anniversary to Me, and A Deep Thought.

So yesterday was a pretty big day. April 3 is always a busy day of the year as it is both Alex's birthday AND our anniversary. Why? Who knows for sure. It wasn't exactly our first date, but it was pretty much the first day that we acknowledged the fact that we were a couple, and it just stuck. (Plus, Alex can never forget it because it's his birthday... he thought he was a genius until he realized he had to buy me a present on his birthday. :D)

Anyway, we have been together for 3 years! It's crazy how time flies when you are having fun! It was a nice evening filled with a yummy dinner, cake and TV shows! Nothing is quite as nice as just spending some quality time together.

He also got me these:

So pretty! =)

So while yesterday was a wonderful change from my normal stressful life (well sort of...) Some things lately have not been so easy.

After one of my coworkers had to suddenly leave the salon due to severe illness I realized that life is, indeed, very short and that you can't always put the needs of others before your own needs. You need to spend your life bettering yourself and putting yourself in the best position to succeed, which is something I have always known but have not always put into practice.

I read somewhere this quote from an annonymous source, it said "Never let false guilt get in the way of bettering yourself." It's probably the best advice I've read since I started to re-evaluate my life.

I always let false guilt get in the way. I am always afraid that if I do something that is good for me that people will hate me or be disappointed in me, and that makes me feel so bad. I am always putting other people ahead of myself, and I don't think that's the best way to make a name for yourself in the world.

I have decided that in some aspects of my life I need to take charge and realize that some things aren't personal. Some decisions that you make have to be for you and your life, and not for the good or convenience of others. I have decided to set some changes into motion, and I am excited about it.

I hope that you all have had a wonderful start to your April, and I hope that spring brings you an opportunity or a desire for change like it has for me! 

Blog, and be happy.

Kyleigh. 

A springtime update!

Ahh. Spring! It actually feels so much like summer this weekend I pulled out dresses and wedge shoes and I felt amazing! Unfortunately it doesn't look like the heat is going to stick around, but man is it nice while its here. Can't wait to enjoy it some more! It has definitely taken my mind off of some things that I really needed to think about and absorb, and now I'm feeling a little more refreshed and capable of getting through the next little while!

Anyway, unfortunately I have had to take a small blogging hiatus from my blog series due to some unforeseen things to do with work and what not. This week is also super busy as its Alex's birthday and our anniversary, and so I have to take a breather and try to enjoy these next few weeks and try not to get overwhelmed. Basically, my only goal is to survive, which means not stressing myself out over trying to get blog posts done! They shall return, but I need to deal with many things before I get myself back into the groove of sitting down and writing! So for that I apologize! I really love writing them, but for now I just have to take a deep breath and try again later!

Anyway, I hope you are all enjoying this awesome weather as much as I did this weekend! Back to a busy week tomorrow! Just remember to breathe!

Blog, and be happy!

Kyleigh