The Perfect Healthy Summer Recipe!

Happy Memorial Day! I am on a little 4-day hiatus enjoying the long weekend with my family, so I thought it would be a great time for a blog friend of mine share a delicious yet healthy recipe. This is perfect for all of the upcoming summer cookouts we all enjoy! 

Hi, everyone my name is Jessica and I blog over at SweetLove & Ginger. First of all I want to say thank you so much to Liz for letting me guest post for her while she’s away. It is really a great honor.

My blog is mainly about food, but I like to intermix a bit about myself, my life, hobbies, and my own fitness journey as well. One of my main focuses is maintaining a healthy balanced diet founded in clean eating. I don’t think that eating clean should be a chore, but something to be embraced as a lifestyle. I know it’s not easy for a lot of people but it doesn't have to be as hard as a lot of us think it is. I try to share this idea by simply sharing recipes that are usually easy and always flavorful and satisfying. All the thing that we are looking for right?

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite clean eating recipes. I love to make this up in the beginning of the week so I have an easy, satisfying lunch to grab on my way out the door. It’s also been a big favorite at parties and gatherings, even non clean eaters say it’s great!

Clean Tuna & Pasta Salad

1 cup tri-color brown rice rotini pasta

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 (12 oz) can of BPA-free, unsalted canned tuna in water

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 cup diced red, or yellow pepper

1/4 cup diced red onion

½ cup loosely packed basil leave, diced

½ cup loosely packed parsley, diced

Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together vinegar, oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper, and set aside. In a large bowl toss all other ingredients together including pasta. Drizzle dressing over the top and serve. (Serves 4)

To make this a complete meal on its own I like to serve it onto of a bed of mixed baby greens, spinach or topped with some fresh alfalfa sprouts. It a super versatile dish that can also take the addition of just about any other vegetable, such as beans, shredded carrot, cucumber, cheese or avocado. This preparation just happens to be my absolute favorite. Hope you enjoy.

If you are looking for more clean eating recipes, meal ideas, or menus please go check out my site. 

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Learning to Love the Skin You're In

Hi everyone! My name is Maegen; I am a friend of Liz's, and I am guest posting for her today since she is out of town on business. 

Have you ever thought if you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self? It’s something I think about all the time.  I wish I could tell myself to be more self-accepting at a younger age.

Even now at the age of 26, I’m learning it’s not all a competition. Your self worth is not judged by physical beauty, even though if you would of asked me that 5 years ago I most certainly would have had a different answer.

When I was a young girl, let’s say even at the age of 12, I was already flipping through magazines comparing myself to the grown women in them. I had brown eyes and brown hair, but how I longed to be a blue eyed blonde haired beauty. Even at that young age, I remember being set on undergoing surgery if needed to get the body I wanted.

I thought if I had an enviable body, then I’d be happy. I don’t regret any of the choices I made, but it has taken some growing up for me to realize that real beauty is not on the outside- and this is something I hope to help other young girls with.

Everyday we are inundated with sexy images- women’s bodies are sexualized in the media and many young girls and women think that is how they should look like in order to be happy.

I’ve done it all- I’ve done swimsuit modeling, promotional modeling, swimsuit contests, NPC bikini competitions- things I never thought I would have been able to do. And many people thought that was glamorous.  Now I have nothing against anyone leading a healthy lifestyle and looking to be fit and healthy, I’m just saying it could be problematic if your mind is not in the right place to begin with.

Throughout my “modeling” career, I judged my self-worth based on how I looked. If I was in a swimsuit competition and didn’t place, I would wonder what they other girls had that I didn’t. Was it because they were skinner? Was it because she was prettier? What was I even doing here?

Those thoughts are never good and do more damage than anything. As I have gotten older, I saw what this type of behavior was doing to me. By leaving it all behind, I have been able to learn who I really am and what I really want to be known for.

No matter what I did that I thought would make me feel better, such as lose weight, fix my hear, buy the best make up, even some plastic surgery- It was only temporary. There was always something else I wanted to fix..until I finally tried to let it go.

Am I completely over this way of thinking? Of course not, but I’m getting better.  Instead of focusing on competitions involving looks, I’ve now vowed to be run a race every month. I’m aiming towards a half marathon sometime this year.

If I could go back in time and talk to my younger self, I would tell her that what you see in the magazines and in on TV isn’t reality. Reality is what you can do for yourself and how you gain happiness in other ways- even if it’s just the small things. Travel as most as you can- do things you never thought you would- set goals- be happy.

For more information and post on topics impacting young girls and women today, follow my blog at www.creatingconfidencetoday.com.

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Get to know Karly while drinking a Pants Off Dance Off.

I am currently laying on the beach (probably with a fruity drink in hand) so my BFF has decided to take over my blog. The amazing Karly Kim has answered some hard hitting philosophical questions so we can all get to know her better. 

1) If you survived a plane crash and it was only you and one celebrity on an abandoned island, who would it be and why?

Leonard DiCaprio, because his Jack Dawson instincts would hopefully kick in and he would figure out a way to let me live.

2) If you were on a FIRST date with a super sexy man and he told you that he loved you during dinner, how would you react?

That's happened to me before.  He told me he loved me and asked me to move to Texas with him.  And I was like, "last time I was in Texas it was really humid.  So, probably not."  And then we made out for a minute.

3) Miley Cyrus asks you to twerk with her on her next MTV performance. What do you reply?

Twerking and I have a love/hate relationship 

I would have to decline because I have a healthy relationship with my parents that I'd like to maintain.  

4) A production company wants to make a movie about your life. Who do you cast to star as yourself? Why?

Lucy Liu for Asian accuracy purposes.  Jennifer Lawrence in my dreams so I could meet her.

5) What song would you choose as the theme song to your life?

Oops... I Did It Again 

6) Describe your perfect pizza. 

Cheese.  I'm a minimalist. 

7) What is the funnest birthday you have ever had?

When I was 8, my dream was to ride in a limo.  For my birthday, my parents rented one for me and my friends to ride around town in, we went to McDonald's and saw a movie.  Every birthday since hasn't been as magical.  

8) If you could make a million dollars as year doing any occupation in the world, what would it be?

Dog walker.  But only dogs that I liked and on my schedule. 

9) You were told you won a free trip to Turks and Caicos. You can wear the clothes on your back and only bring 5 other objects - what would you bring?

1.  A bikini

2.  My camera

3.  Sunglasses

4.  Gum

5.  Tina Fey

10) You created your alcoholic beverage for a popular bar in NYC, what do you call it? 

Pants Off Dance Off

Be sure to follow her blog. Because if you don't.

You will have to answer to me.

And we all do not want that to happen.

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Take Five, Orlando: A Guest Post

I am excited to introduce Stephany, whose goal this year is to write 50 guest posts. I was happy to have her come and visit me over on my space, and when asked what I wanted her to write about, it was an easy choice: Travel. Stephany has compiled a list of her top 5 amusement parks in Florida, seeing that she is from Orlando. Without further ado, here is Stephany! 

My Top Five Favorite Amusement Parks

There are a lot of things I love about living in Florida, but one of my favorite things is how close I am to Orlando and the plethora of amusement parks that abound from there. It's easy to go for a weekend, or even take a day trip up to a park, and Orlando remains one of my favorite cities. There is always something to do and so much to choose from! In honor of my love for all things theme parks, I wanted to create a list of my top five favorites (and yes, everyone should visit each one!):

My Top Five Favorite Amusement Parks: 

5. Epcot - Epcot is a foodie lover's dream. The park is lined with cuisines from around the world. You can start off with a sauerkraut in Germany, move on to tacos in Mexico, and finish with pastry in France. The absolute best part of Epcot is the food, hands down - but there are other experiences to be had. You can man a spaceship, "fly" over the Earth, and build your own sports car (and see how it performs on the track!). If you love food, this is one of the must-stop's in Orlando.

4. Magic Kingdom - Magic Kingdom (or more commonly known as Disney World) is happiness on earth. Even as an adult, I am filled with childlike glee every time I come to this park. There is so much to do and see that it's impossible to get to it all in one day. My favorite rides include Space Mountain (an indoor roller coaster), Splash Mountain, and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (an interactive ride where you score points and try to beat other passengers). I also adore the Carousel of Progress, which showcases changes in the way we live and technology throughout the years. It's fascinating to me! I was able to watch my nephew (who was three at the time) experience Disney World for the first time ever and it was magical.

3. Animal Kingdom -  Animal Kingdom is one of the newer theme parks, built in 1998 and it's easy to see why it was the fourth most-visited theme park in the U.S. in 2011. There's something for everyone at this park: thrilling rides, incredible musicals, delicious food, and a safari ride that cannot be missed. It's one of those parks that's impossible to get sick of!

2. Islands of Adventure - There is so much to love about Islands of Adventure, not the least being it's where the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is located. Although, I have to be honest and say I have never actually been to the WWoHP. The last time I went to Islands of Adventure, it had just opened so the wait to even get into WWoHP was over 2 hours long. (And I had not yet read the series, so it didn't hold much interest to me.) WWoHP aside, Islands of Adventure has a lot to offer. They have my favorite roller coaster The Incredible Hulk, a fun interactive Spiderman ride,  and the you-will-get-wet Jurassic Park River Adventure. It's more superhero and adventure-focused than any of the other parks, which is probably why it's one of my favorites to visit. 

1. Sea World - As a hardcore animal lover, Sea World is easily my favorite amusement park in all of Orlando. The biggest attractions in Sea World are all the different shows. You can experience the wonder of Shamu, the hilarity of the sea lion show, or the excitement of the dolphin show. You can feed sea lions and dolphins. You can see the penguin or shark exhibit. Or, if you're up to it, you can try out a few of the rides like Kraken and Manta. It's really a place that everyone can enjoy, kids and adults alike.

An Orlando vacation is not really a relaxing vacation, with all there is to do and see, but it is a fun one! It's pretty much a given that you will have an enjoyable time - whether you love roller coasters, fun shows, or delicious food. There is something for everyone!

Note:**I actually have not been to ANY of these yet! 

Have you ever been to any of these parks? What is your favorite amusement park? What would be your "top 5 ____" where you live? 

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Hot Sauce

Please join me over at Kim's blog, Yep They Are All Mine, where I talk about a Hot Day in The Life.

She is a fellow Northern California girl and she is doing everything I wish I was doing this summer -- going to Lake Tahoe, hanging out with friends, and living it up! It makes me miss home to read some of her posts!

Speaking of Tahoe, I will leave you with this tidbit. Last time I was there, I ate at Jakes on the Lake, which was delicious and is right on the water. HERE is the menu.

Happy Monday everyone!

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