What am I grateful for today? Not being in the middle of this.
(Photo from BBC.com)
What is 2000 km across and moves at 150m/s (330mph)? This terrifying hurricane brewing on the north pole of Saturn. Taken by the Cassini spacecraft, which arrived at Saturn in 2004, this vortex is big enough to cover the UK twelve times!
Here’s another shot of the planets surface.
If you are planning a trip to a rainforest, make sure your male companions don’t wear cologne. Researchers at the Bronx Zoo compared dozens of scents and discovered that jaguars are attracted to the cologne Calvin Klein Obsession for Men. (Wildlife Conservation Society)
Rihanna- Stay ft. Mikky Ekko
I love food. Everything that’s bad for you, is pretty much my favorite.
Such a tragic love story.
In my quest for healthy living, its been incredibly difficult to discipline myself to healthy soups and salads. It’s not easy to make healthy eats when you have a husband with a palate for all the manliest, carb-filled, most delicious meals ever.
On top of all that, I hate spending longer in the kitchen than I need too- Cuz really-
So I always have to find or create interesting, nutritious, filling and easy to make meals…No biggie.
Today I made a stunner. A juicy, aromatic broiled salmon with a heaping side of a crisp cold quinoa and lentil salad.
So delicious, I could eat freely and not feel guilty. More importantly (and miraculously) the hubs actually loved it and wants this every single day from now on. Be careful what you wish for darling.
Broiled Herb Crusted Tandoori Salmon- 10 mins- Serves 2
2 Salmon Fillets
1 flat teaspoon of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Basil flakes
1/2 teaspoon Thyme flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
pinch of salt
1/2 tablespoon fried onion (or finely chopped fresh onion)
1 1/2 tablespoon Tandoori Masala- if you want a more softer taste, use only 1 tablespoon (I use the Kissan Brand)
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Mix all seasoning ingredients and oil together in a baking dish. Coat salmon fillets on both sides, gently massaging the herbs into the fillets.
Set oven to low broil, and dish in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, change the broil setting to high and leave for another 5-10 minutes (checking frequently to make sure just the top gets nice and browned).
While those babies bake…..
Lentil and Quinoa Cilantro Salad
1 cup organic quinoa (cook with 2 cups chicken broth + 1 cup water)
1 can of lentils
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced roma tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red onion
3 stalks chopped green onion
1 cup diced cilantro
Dressing
1 lemon
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
3 ‘dashes’ of Herbamare seasoning (see how to make the substitute below)
1/2 tablespoon fresh minced garlic (or jarred)
Directions
Cook quinoa according to package directions- Substituting the chicken broth to water 2:1 ( so 2 cups broth per 1 cup water). Quinoa is easy to make but can get mushy if you don’t watch it. Check and stir it regularly, once you see the desired firmness you want of the grain- take off the lid and let the remaining water evaporate. Let cool and put in the fridge.
Except for the dressing ingredients, combine all the other fresh ingredients in a bowl and mix. Put in fridge to cool and crisp.
In a cup, combine dressing ingredients and mix well. Adjust taste accordingly by adding more Herbamare seasoning or lemon.
Just before serving- in the fresh ingredients bowl, mix in the dressing thoroughly. Add cooled quinoa and mix well.
The dressing coats the fresh ingredients to give the crisp, garlicky zest. The chicken flavour in the quinoa is a softening accent and compliments the taste!
Enjoy!
xox
Additional: Herbamare Seasoning Substitute
My brother got me completely addicted to Herbamare Seasoning, just a little bit on any salad makes a huge difference. Unfortunately it can be hard to find, so out of desperation one evening I made my own!
Ingredients
Instructions
This new year I finally started taking steps to be a ‘new’ me.
With a very important birthday coming up, I’m starting to feel my age- not just on the outside, but inside as well. This year I want to be in the best possible shape and really try to set the pace for having a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle.
Step 1 was to radiate positivity. To stop looking at the bad things in life and accept that they are only moments. Rather, I should focus on getting back to that excitement of the unknown, the endless possibilities and make it my own.
Step 2 was to undo damage from stress and lack of spa time and get myself back to being the bomb Victoria’s Secret’s vixen I know I am. Well, at least on the inside!
I had 5 major area’s I wanted to fix: Overall health, clean energy, hair, skin/nails and weight.
****PLEASE NOTE that this system works for me. I recommend that you consult a doctor or dietitian before you make your own supplement plan****
Now the vitamins are just a base- obviously eating habits, exersize and general outlook on life has a lot to do with internal health. But we gotta start somewhere!
For weight management + energy I wanted something that would amp up my metabolism and help me burn fat more effectively. A B-50 Vitamin was my lifesaver.
Vitamin B-50 is a complex of B-1, B-2, B-6, B-12, Biotin and Folic Acid. It assists your body’s enzyme system, which gives you energy. It ALSO keeps your nervous system balanced (I always feel so fresh and lighthearted after I take it). Plus it gives you an electric yellow pee! Which is totally unrelated, but quite amusing.
For hair and nails I started taking a, well, hair and nail supplement. Also including Biotin, I literally saw my hair growing back (along with regular coconut oil massages) and my once brittle nails are like horse hooves.
For my overall health I started taking Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin D.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (or fish oils) support heart, joint, brain and eye health and work overtime to reduce the risk of heart disease. If you aren’t regular with eating superfoods, this is the one for you!
Vitamin D is what you should be getting from the sun. In the long Canadian winter, we have a lack of this so it’s important to take these supplements. Vitamin D allows for absorption of calcium for strong bones and teeth. An added plus is that allows allows for a healthy immune system by supporting colon, breast, prostate, ovarian and heart health. Be careful with your Vitamin D intake (consult a physician) as it is possible to have too much, which is very hard on the liver.
Many women have a high risk of iron deficiency, or anemia. Taking a natural Iron supplement is important as it carries oxygen in the body, aids in the production of red blood cells, supports immune function, cognitive development, and vital for proper cell growth! Especially after our monthly friend visits us and you’re tired, or if you’re always cold- you may have a slight iron deficiency- start taking this before it gets worse!
And last but not least, to get my skin glowy and fresh again– Vitamin A! Vitamin A helps to protect the skin from free radical damage and speeds up the cell renewal process giving you a healthy glow. I started taking it for acne, and it has worked miracles!
**Again, these are the exact vitamins I use and have gotten amazing results. It may not be the same for everyone, but if you do want to start ‘fixing’ your problem areas, a good place to start is from the inside out. Consult a doctor or dietician to make sure you are taking the right supplements for you!
With so many pills, I sometimes forget to take them all (I keep the bottles in the fridge to maximize their potency). As embarrassing as it may seem, I use one of those old people pill boxes to remember to take them every day, 7 days a week. It really helped in keeping me on track and consistent- and I’ve seen major results. Don’t judge me.
xox Kiikx.
We love getting our daily Note from the Universe. Puts a smile on our face and humbles us.
It’s like we got up on the right side of the bed every morning! Highly recommend that you subscribe to it.
| It’s as if everyone has a built- in, happiness-now button, which can instantly change how they feel, not matter what’s going on in their lives.But for many, most of the time, they prefer not to push it.
Go on, push it real good – |
The third eBay and CFDA collaboration handbag designs are out exclusively on Harpers Bazaar! The proceeds from these “You Can’t Fake Fashion” bags will go towards fighting the global counterfeit trade.
Whether you think the cause is important or not (with extinction, poverty and world hunger to worry about), there are 90 unique CFDA designers to choose from. I mean really, if you’re gonna buy expensive designer bags I guess you might as well buy one with proceeds going towards something or other. It’s a win-win!
Handbags range from simple/boring to borderline lust-worthy (my fave is the Prabal Gurung). Bidding starts at a very affordable $100.
A tad late, I apologize. But here are some of the amazing things that happened in the world last week.
The prehistoric Antarctic Lake Vostok yields new bacterial life!
Facebook likes can detect your personality? Uh oh.
The conclave gathers to chose the new Pope at the Sistine Chapel today. Don’t know how the whole shin-dig goes down? The process to choose a new pope.
Google is releasing a talking shoe. yes. a. talking. shoe. Like Get Smart, but so much more fashionable. Still a concept, but cool nonetheless!
Chai and a Kiki 