the key. [pseudo fried rice]

you know when you're heading home after the longest, most exhausting day ever and you're starving, but you know that anything you try to make at home will take at least 20 minutes and chipotle is just... right there?

yeah, you know. i know. we all know. 

now, you've probably read in about a thousand health and fitness magazines that the key to eating well is to prep in advance so healthy food is right at your disposal, and it may seem like you don't even have enough time to do that! not even on weekends! but you do. i promise. and they're right. if you know you have a delicious, nutritious meal just waiting for you in the fridge, you'll be far less tempted to stray from your normal nightly commute and spend the extra money on something not as good for you. 

all it takes to make a giant batch of brown rice and 4 pieces of chicken breast that'll last almost a week is less than 5 minutes. here's what you do: 

defrost the chicken (that you will have bought on sale at the grocery store and frozen weeks ago) in a bowl of warm water while you're at the gym. place the chicken in a ziploc with olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, salt and a ton of spices before you hop in the shower. hop in a robe, put on some slippers and boil a  pot of water on the stove. turn on the oven to 375, put the chicken in a dish to then place in the oven, pour the rice into the boiling pot, and go sit down on the couch for 45 minutes while you watch sex and the city. or chopped. or house hunters international. retrieve chicken and rice, store in a tupperware, and BOOM DONE.

simple as that. and then you leave yourself with the option of having a healthy, super quick meal on a casual tuesday night.

pseudo fried rice

1 piece baked boneless skinless chicken breast

1 cup spinach

1/2 an avocado or 2 tbsp guacamole

1 egg

1/2 cup brown rice

soy sauce

garlic salt

while heating up the rice and chicken in the microwave, saute the spinach in a pan until wilted. combine spinach, rice, avocado or guacamole, and cut up pieces of chicken in bowl and top with soy sauce to taste. fry one egg on the stove (or pop in the microwave for 45 seconds, checking at the 30 second mark), and place on rice mix. sprinkle with just a touch of garlic salt. enjoy :)

xo jordan

sick of spinach.

so here's the thing.

i'm getting really sick of spinach. i keep eating it because i know it's "good for me" (blah blah blah, whatever. so is frosting, right?) and trying to mix it into things so i can't taste it so much...but i obviously know it's still there. so i'm trying new things...

1. lavash chicken quesadillas.

trader joe's whole wheat lavash bread is so freaking tasty, i can't handle it. i love the texture and subtle flavor. top it with some of tj's chunky guacamole (made with greek yogurt for less fat and calories!), a tablespoon of cheddar, a handful of spinach and balsamic baked chicken for one of the easiest, yummiest meals ever.

2. kale crisps.

it would be wrong to call these kale chips because let's face it, most of the pieces of kale that come in the tj's bag are about the size of my fingernail when roasted. perfect for a salad, not so perfect for "chips." in any case, i spray these bad boys with some pam olive oil and sprinkle some garlic salt, pop 'em in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, and then shovel them in my mouth. you should, too.

3. coconut panko shrimp.

straight up - you need to go make these. for 8 tiny shrimp, the whole thing takes about 2 minutes to prepare and 12 minutes to bake. adapted from gina's recipe at skinnytaste, i basically took one egg, a few tablespoons of panko flakes, a few of shredded, unsweetened coconut flakes, and some whole wheat flour and prepared these like little chicken cutlets...but with shrimp! bake them on a lightly oiled baking sheet at 350 degrees for 12 minutes (or until coconut starts to brown) and there you have it. WINNER. put them on top of a spinach salad + cucumber because it's healthy...

4. cinnamon raisin grilled cheese.

y'all know i can't live without my ezekiel sprouted grain cinnamon raison bread. toast up a couple slices and put a few thinly sliced pieces of sharp cheddar in between and you'll experience a party in your mouth. if you like having something sweet with every meal like me, you need to make this as soon as humanly possible. this bread is heaven alone, but with cheese? just stop.

so there you have it, that's what i've been eating, amongst lots and lots of other things. happy friday everyone, and have a lovely weekend!

xo jordan

life update.

okay guys, i mean it this time. i'm back to blogging...and regularly. which means at least three times a week. i promise :)

before we can simply resume our relationship, i feel the need to present you with a life update of sorts. these past few months of summer (since it's always summer in LA), have brought a lot of change, inspiration, motivation and growth. i started a new job, joined a dance crew, met lots of new and wonderful people, ate some amazing food, traveled to new parts of california, experienced things out of my comfort zone, spent time with family, and made a plan for the next year or so. let me fill you in.

cousin and puppy-cousin!

my new job hostessing is at restaurant in Los Feliz called MessHall. it has awesome food, drinks, company, staff, managers and vibes. if you live anywhere near LA, you should join us. 

as for the dance crew, i cannot express in words how happy i am to be part of such and amazing group of talented, hard-working dancers. we're called the Show off Dolls and we do a fusion of burlesque, hip hop and jazz. so far we've had two amazing gigs after just a few super productive rehearsals and i know the future holds incredible opportunities for us. 

being part of a group out here is so important to me because i not only get to make new friends, but i also love being able to perform out here regularly. it's ridiculously fun and also great practice for when i'm, ya know, dancing behind katy perry and christina aguilera ;) plus, and this may sound absurd, i absolutely LOVE rehearsal. maybe because it brings me back to my childhood and hours upon hours of rehearsal for dance competitions, but i do love it.

lola lush is my doll name ;)

i have also *surprise surprise* finally started studying for the GMATs, which i plan on taking in november. i'll be applying to several schools, but the goal is the UCLA Anderson School of Business (a full time program...but i know i'll still have time to dance) so i can get my MBA in marketing, with a concentration in media and entertainment. whew, that was a mouthful! 

much like my love for rehearsal, i weirdly enjoy getting new school supplies and products. i don't think most people get excited about studying for exams, but i've been so focused that i've actually been studying 6/7 days a week. hear that, mom and dad? :)

on "set" at a mansion in beverly hills. can't complain!

so there you have it. a very brief overview of my crazy, ever-changing life. mix all of the above with last-minute auditions, workouts, babysitting, modeling, cooking, baking, partying, taking class, sleeping, and now blogging. see you in a few days!

xo jordan

belated birthday post. [FOOD.]

since it's been exactly a week since my birthday, and also happens to be the first day of september, this is probably the last appropriate day for me to post all the yummy food i consumed on the day i turned 23.

my parents came into town for about 65 hours to celebrate (best birthday present ever) and our main activities consisted of eating, walking around, eating, laying down, eating, sitting by the pool, eating, and driving. oh and more eating. our first stop? Roscoe's chicken and waffles. 

you've seen these on my blog before, i believe. i just can't seem to get enough of this perfectly sweet, doughy waffles and crispy, salty fried chicken mix! my mom was dying to go, so i couldn't very well let her go back to New York without having been yet again...

for dinner, we dined at Prosecco, my favorite little Italian restaurant here in Burbank. connor came with us and we all ate far too much, none of which is pictured. apologies. and i won't even tease you by describing our incredible dishes...but i will show you this lovely photo of my mother reading and dipping in the pool at my parent's hotel - what we did all afternoon before the eating resumed...

on my actual birthday, my request was to go to Bea Bea's, my favorite breakfast place. can't complain about a weekend full of favorites :)

that would be french toast with strawberries and nutella. to die. and i ate almost the entire thing, too.

that last slice was consumed about 14 hours later, post drinking and birthday party festivities. we skipped lunch for shopping in santa monica and driving along the PCH to malibu...not to mention being far to full to eat until dinnertime. we ate at Gladstone's, one of my parents' favorite places in LA. they used to go there a bunch when they lived here :)

i only snapped a photo of my entree - seared ahi tuna over goat cheese mashed potatoes and green beans. perfectly cooked, perfectly tasty.

i came home to a new tradition connor and i have for celebrating our anniversary in this apartment and being roomies. it's our first anniversary, but second time commemorating the occasion with hostess cupcakes and cheap champagne. last year we ate on the floor in my room, this year we upgraded to the kitchen counter :)

if you're wondering about birthday cake, since i clearly hadn't eaten enough food or even sweets already, don't worry. my parents got me 3 enormous pieces of cake from The Alcove in Los Feliz, which were enjoyed over the following 3 days by both me and connor. we had chocolate peanut butter, carrot cake, and red velvet. i obviously did not waste a single moment snapping away photos of my cake before i shoveled it in my mouth, but here's a lovely picture someone else took because they had more patience and will power than i did...

okay, i'm done. i won't even go on to tell you about the jar of nutella that only lasted 4 days. oh wait, i just did. best birthday of all time.

xo jordan