Saw It, Pinned It, Did It - Sweet Potato Crisps and Smoky Chipotle Yogurt Dip

Today I'm doing something different, linking up with two blogs I love: A Beautiful Mess and Keep Calm and Carry On for a feature called Saw It, Pinned It, Did It. Perfect for those who pin and never get around to doing the actual pins!

This is the original pin: How delicious do these look?

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They were super yummy! I didn't take pics of the after product,  just the before.

See the recipe I used here.

Seeing this recipe made me crave sweet potato fries. I was already on a cooking roll, so I decided to whip these up and see how they turned out. I really liked them, but be warned, like 3 and you will be stuffed. I made them too big, first of all, the second batch I made smaller and they were much more crispy. I also didn't have a wire rack so I just put it on parchment paper.I was super happy with the dip I made. You can use it with sweet potato fries as well.

Smoky Chipotle Yogurt Dip

1 cup plain fat free greek yogurt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon chipotle pepper powder

Check out Steph and Katie's link up!

Pink Shirt Day

Today is Pink Shirt Day, a campaign for Anti-Bullying.

I am one of the many that was bullied as a kid. My high school was a lot like Mean Girls, except a lot less glamorous, and not even remotely funny. One thing I learned from that is to not let people treat you like crap, because no one deserves to get treated like that. Period.

Even though those days are long behind me, and since I don't have kids myself I don't really have to deal with bullying any more  but I want to stay aware of it and not just by wearing a pink shirt. This coffee shop posted this picture on Facebook that I thought was so true.

I strive to be the opposite of a bully. I want to make people smile and laugh. I want to help people. Today I bought my sweet retired personal training client a pug birthday card and a Starbucks gift card just because I thought it would make him feel happy. We should ALL strive to be kind and help each other. There is so many things you can do to be kind to others, and I believe that kindness has a ripple effect.

Spring Wish List

Spring is my absolute favourite for clothes shopping. I have been really trying to weed out my closet lately. My wardrobe has never been that fantastic. I have a ton of dresses, a bunch of old office clothes that I keep trying to get rid of but somehow think I might wear in a non office setting, and workout clothes. That's it. I wear a uniform for work (track jacket & capri tights) and I love it. But what do I wear the rest of the time? I am always struggling to find something to wear. I recently got new skinny jeans/jeggings and I LOVE them. They're super soft and stretchy and don't feel like jeans at all.

 So that's one wardrobe item that will be great for spring. What else have I got my eye on?

Shorts! I really want denim shorts in jean and white!

I saw this shirt on Pinterest with white shorts and I love this idea!

A pretty sundress that I can wear all summer 

Some pretty colored wedges

Also loving these!

What's a spring wish list without a bikini from Victoria's Secret? Obsessed with this mint color.

What's on your spring wish list?

Things to be Happy About on A Monday

Well, it's Monday.

Mondays get a bad rap, really. It's a fresh new start to the week and a brand new weekend to look forward to. Although it's not really fair for me to say that because I've had Sunday/Mondays off for most of my adult life. Don't be jealous though, all you people going for brunch on Saturdays and sleeping in while I'm headed to the gym with the biggest coffee I can find. I can't complain though, once I'm there and with my clients I'm a happy camper.

Anyways things I'm happy about today in no particular order.

• It's my favourite TV night. It's the glorious night where my PVR gets filled up with all my favourite shows that I watch throughout the week. A loaded PVR makes me so happy. I used to say that I was happy when the movie theatre was full of movies I wanted to see, but no more. My PVR has replaced the movies. Most exciting is the embarrassingly addicting Bachelor! I think today is the second to last episode. Of course, I cracked and checked Reality Steve so I know who he picks. Shame.

• My furbaby is finally feeling better and back to her normal energetic self.

• Mac has a new collection based on Archie's girls! Although I will probably not be able to bring myself to purchase trendy expensive makeup, it's so fun they're doing this and I love looking at it! See the full collection here!

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• It's only 23 days until Spring! I can tell by all the glorious colors in the mall that the pretty colors in nature will be showing up soon. I can't wait for my flowers to pop up on the patio! I've already started hearing the birds chirping which makes me so happy. Spring turns into summer which turns into beach days and sundresses and tans and sangria which makes me want to do a crazy happy dance.

• My new blog makeover. This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I noticed that simpler blogs are so much nicer to read so I've kept it really simple but pretty. I love looking at it and it makes me more excited to blog more often. There's a lot more I want to do in the blogging world! 

• This week, my parents, and two of my best friends both moved closer to me. Two of my best friends are moving into together 10 minutes from my house and I'm totally going to crash their sleepovers with pink wine and girly movies (be prepared, ladies). Another one of my best friends already lived close but she's also moving to a bigger place today and I'm so happy for her. Having all my people so close to me makes me feel warm and fuzzy like a blanket fresh out of the dryer on a rainy day. LOVE!

And that is why I'm loving this Monday!

The best little money saving tip ever!

I am always looking for ways to save money. Let's face it, Vancouver and it's surrounding areas is ridiculously expensive to live. So money saving tips are very interesting to me. This isn't about sales or coupons or anything like that, but how to actually put money away for a rainy day, vacation, whatever.

This can either be done with cash or online transfer. It takes place over the span of a year. Week One, you put 1 dollar into the savings account. Week Two, 2 dollars. You continue on each week, increasing the amount you put away by one dollar. The most you ever put away is 52 dollars at one time. Between Leigh and I, we get paid each week so this works out perfectly. At the end of the year you have $1370 to go towards a vacation or whatever you want! How awesome is that? Read more about this tip including how to do it in reverse on the Chateline site by clicking here.

Exciting News!

I am super excited to announce that my blog has a new look AND a new domain name!

Please just type in www.lifeoftaren.com to get to my blog!

xoxo,
Taren

Quinoa Mac & Cheese

I've been meaning to post this recipe for months. I've made it a bunch of times and pretty much have told everyone who would listen how awesome it was, so now it's time to finally post it.

I have made it with reduced fat sharp cheddar, and it was amazing. The original recipe can be found here and she uses veggies in it, which makes the options limitless. I also made it with reduced fat 4 cheese (the pre-shredded bag) and it was even more amazing. This is kid friendly and husband friendly. It's also healthier than other mac and cheese options, although quinoa still counts as a carb. It feels a lot less heavy than pasta though.

Quinoa Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained 
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• good pinch of salt
• a few grinds of seasoning salt
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 3 cups water
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup nonfat milk (or almond milk)
• 1.5 cups grated cheese, plus some for sprinkling on top

Instructions

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add quinoa and garlic, and cook, uncovered, 3-4 mins, or until grains start to turn opaque.
2. Add 3 cups water and add seasonings. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 mins or more, until the quinoa is cooked.
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Whisk together eggs and milk in a small bowl, add to quinoa along with the cheese. Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt.
4. Pour into baking dish and add Panko bread crumbs for a delicious crunch.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese and bread crumbs turn golden brown.
6. Dig in!

xoxo,

Taren

Why I Heart My PVR

I went through a period a few years ago where I hated TV. I think it was after Friends ended. It felt like nothing was ever on except for stupid reality shows so I never watched it. I haven't had a TV in my bedroom for probably 8 years and still don't. However, since having a PVR I have decided that TV is awesome and PVR's make life a million times better.

Here's why:
1. It gives me something to do in my downtime other than reading. I'm a ridiculously fast reader, which gets really expensive when you go through a book a day! I'm still reading a lot but not burning through books as fast. My downtime is when most people are at work and my vice versa. In my breaks, I take my dog for a walk and do stuff around the house but sometimes I just want to RELAX! Some days by the time I get home I have to be in bed in an hour to get up early the next day.
2. I once read this article that said having a PVR improves your relationship. I totally agree, Leigh and I have our favourite shows that we always watch together and it's such nice quality time since we don't really go out to restaurants any more. I kinda wish there were more shows we both liked!
3. You no longer have to sacrifice a social life to have a favourite show (or say like...ten) you can just record them and go about your life! Unless you have a needy puppy that breaks your heart to leave at home but that's a whole other story...
4. NO COMMERCIALS!! Such a waste of time.
5. There are so MANY GOOD SHOWS now!
A few I'm loving: (had to find some new ones now that Gossip Girl and Desperate Housewives are over. For a married semi-well behaved girl, I sure like the TV Drama :-P)

Leigh says this show "tries too hard" but I think it's hilarious! Must be my immature humor.  

 I've watched this show almost from the beginning. I rented Season 1 from Rogers Video (hey, remember video stores?!) and tried to get everyone hooked. Mission accomplished!

The new 90210 has no Donna or Brenda, but it still has enough drama in it's characters 20 year old lives to keep me hooked. Sad or awesome? Eh.

My sister in law got me hooked on Revenge. So good!! Not normally my type of show but again, it sucked me in.

*hangs head* so ashamed. I can't help it. It's hard to NOT watch. I do fast forward most of it because lets face it, it's pretty much the same every. single. season. This show is best watched with wine and girlfriends and minus a cynical sarcastic husband. :-P

 Another show my sister in law got me hooked on. It really plays out almost like a movie and I'm always surprised by the plot twists. I've always loved fairy tales so not that shocking.

My newest obsession, Hart of Dixie. I am more in love with the town than the show, but it didn't keep me from watching the entire first season in a week. See this post for why I belong in Bluebell, Alabama.

So that's it (I know, only 7!) for my favourite shows. I usually spread them out during the week so I have something to watch if I'm in the mood for TV.

Anything I could possibly be missing out on? What's your favourite show(s)?

xoxo,
Taren

Life Lately

Some naughty bloggers like myself tend to occasionally go awhile without blogging. When I notice one of my blogs that I read hasn't been updated in awhile, it makes me wonder what they've been up to. So I decided I'm going to update you in case you were wondering what's going on in my world.

Work has been pretty busy! I LOVE training people. It's seriously the best job ever. Last week my client told me that he wanted me to be his trainer forever, and another client lost 9 pounds. I always knew I'd love helping people but I never realised how fun it would be to connect with people and build relationships with them. Love.

In not so good news, my poor puppy has kennel cough. No idea how since she doesn't go to a doggy daycare or anything like that. Possibly from the dog park, we did take her on the holiday last Monday but it was a gong show I didn't even know existed in dog parks and even Miss Up-For-Anything Layla was not into it AT ALL so we left. She'll be fine though, I have cough medicine and some immune drops to give her.

My hubby bought me a Bench jacket for Valentine's Day. He's on this kick where he insists on me having things that are good quality and lasting. Which makes sense oddly. He even enouraged me to buy Hunter boots! Best purchase ever for Vancouver living. Okay, Tri-Cities living.

On the fitness side of things, I have been working on building some muscle. I don't plan on doing any more shows any time in the near future, but I one thing I did realise from my show last year is I do not have enough muscle. I did build some, because even now that I'm not in "competition shape" I look a lot better than I used to at a higher weight. However, spring/summer are around the corner and I always want to be my best self! I'll be posting some fitness updates in the near future.

That's all for now, I promise I will post again very soon!

xoxo,
Taren

Where I Belong

So....I kinda haven't blogged in awhile. I set this crazy goal of doing 30 projects in 30 days during the busiest month I've probably ever had. I'm not even sure how many I ended up completing, I really should list them all out and blog about them. However instead of blogging in my downtime I've been watching the first season of Hart of Dixie.

During the first episode of this show, I had one thought. Why am I not living in this town? I was born to live in this town. I realised pretty early on that I'm not a city girl. But the type of place I fit in doesn't seem to exist in this part of the world. It exists in Bluebell, Alabama.

I would so love to be sipping lemonade wearing a summer dress right under that patio umbrella.

Sigh. Heaven. I guess I will have to live vicariously through Rachel Bilson.

xoxo,
Taren