grain bowls - 2 ways.

i've been throwing together these super easy bowls with plenty of veggies, fiber, and protein for lunch and dinner almost everyday. i'll probably want to switch it up soon, but as of now, they're still delicious! feel free to swap out the grain, veggies, or anything else. that's the best part about them - they're customizable to your taste and what's in your fridge!

asian farro bowl

for one.

1/3 cup or so of farro (i used TJ's 10-minute)

frozen edamame

~10 pre-cooked, de-veined, tail-on shrimp

cubed avocado

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce

garlic salt to taste

prepare farro as directed. defrost shrimp and edamame. mix everything together. eat :)

mediterranean quinoa bowl

for one.

1/4 cup or so of quinoa (i used TJ's organic tricolor)

quartered cherry tomatoes

diced cucumbers

chickpeas

cubed avocado

garlic salt to taste

greek yogurt feta dip with zaatar spices (from TJ's)

prepare quinoa as directed. mix everything together. bada-bing, bada-boom!

until next time.

xo jordan

tried and true.

guys, i know.

i've disappeared again. i was swamped with b-school apps, essays and the like, pluuuus there were the holidays, my vacation at home, and many days of working at the restaurant. mad apologies.

and it's not like i haven't been whipping up things in the kitchen, because i totally have. in fact, i've probably been experimenting even more this past month because, ya know, the holidays basically requiring shoveling in cookies and other various baked goods. i wanted to share with you some of the things i've been making that pretty much blew my mind with their deliciousness. i wish i could at least credit myself with the photos, but i can't even do that. for shame.

1. Hearty Pumpkin Chicken Soup: please, oh please, make this immediately. i've been eating it everyday for the past week and i don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

2. Pumpkin Chiffon Pie: for when you really, really want pumpkin pie and don't want to feel sad about your figure afterwards. and the gingersnap crust? drooling.

3. Chewy Gingersnap Cookies: the best. hands down.

4. Pumpkin Amazeballs: an easy, healthy pre or post-gym snack.

5. 2-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie: i'd be lying if i said i didn't make this everyday for 3 weeks for dessert...

so there you have it, some new recipes to try. and apparently mostly of the orange variety? interesting...

i pink-swear promise with a cherry on top that i will be on here more, especially since i know i have some new readers...hey y'all :)

xo jordan

DIY: tj's paper bag garland. [happy holidays]

what do you get when you mix a bajillion trader joe's paper bags, procrastination, and christmas?

this ridiculously adorable, festive, cheap and easy to make garland! plus, it's totally sustainable. the bags do say to reuse and recycle...

i know what you're thinking, a kindergartener could've made it...but isn't that half the fun? ;)

grab your supplies: 

3-4 trader joe's paper grocery bags (depending on the length of your garland)

scissors*

clear tape*

red bows*

*can all be found at your local dollar store

the first step is to gently remove the handles from the bags and tape them together to form the base of the garland. you'll want to wrap the tape all the way around (instead of just putting a small piece over one side) to keep everything nice and sturdy.

then, cut off the panels on the bag (not the bottom, though!) and cut out strips in the width of your choice. i made mine about an inch in width actually cut off about 2 inches off the top of the strips too, just to make the rings a little less cumbersome. also try to keep as much red writing on each of the strips as possible so the garland looks more colorful!

tape the ends of the rings together, too. you can use a small piece for these guys to conserve some tape. :)

next, assemble the garland. pop each of those rings onto your "string," allowing enough room for them to lay flat next to one another and to fit a bow in between. then, take your bows and tie them around the garland wherever you'd like. if the pipe cleaner on the bows is too big to fit around the base, just bend the "string" in half. 

*i placed about 5 rings in between each bow and taped the 1st and 5th rings down around the bows once the garland was hanging to make sure none overlapped or covered the bows.

tack the garland up onto the wall, put up some christmas lights, and you're good to go!

merry decorating :)

xo jordan

5 foods making my life better today.

food makes me happy, it's as simple as that :)

try these if you're in need of some new eats for fall:

1. tj's nonfat greek pumpkin yogurt. i have no words. NONE. it's like...ice cream...yogurt? but creamy...really, really creamy. with spices. and oh my goodness it is amazing.

2. pb & banana quesadillas. i make the peanut butter with PB2 (since i'm incapable of having a jar of real nut butter in my house for more than three days...), slice up a banana, toss it in a soft, doughy tortilla, fold it in half and sprinkle it with cinnamon. best dessert-y, filling, nutrient packed, protein-y, healthy breakfast ever.

3. tj's ginger cats cookies. confession - these didn't last more than 60 hours. oops.

4. brussel sprouts with bacon and garlic. easy peasy and perfect for autumn!

5. dates. in a salad. or more specifically, this salad. arugula + dried cranberries + dates + goat cheese + apple + shredded carrot + drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. so awesome.

 happy monday, lovelies.

xo jordan

showtime!

so i've been a little m.i.a. the past few days, but it's for a good reason this time! promise.

i'm in a show!

fully aware that picture is the tiniest thing ever, but there will be many more photos to come. i'll be performing with musical comedian Stephen Sorrentino at the El Portal Theater in North Hollywood today through sunday and i'm super excited :)

hopefully i can squeeze in a post between now and the end of all this performance madness (the good kind), but if not, come out and see the show if you're in the LA area!!! it's pretty awesome. more about it here.

xo jordan

breakfast in bed. [healthy indulgences]

sometimes you just need to have a little treat to start your morning off right...and sometimes you need to eat that treat all cozied up in bed with a hot cup of coffee while reading your favorite blogs...

and by you, i mean me.

pumpkin cream cheese stuffed cinnamon raisin french toast

for one.

2 pieces ezekiel cinnamon raisin sprouted bread

1 large egg

3+ tablespoons skim milk 

cinnamon (to taste)

pumpkin cream cheese (light whipped cream cheese + pumpkin puree to taste)

maple syrup (for topping)

take a wide bowl or plate with sides and combine egg, milk and cinnamon. coat each side of bread for 20 seconds and place on pan over medium heat. cook until golden brown on both sides. repeat with other slice. coat one piece with pumpkin cream cheese, top with the other, and drizzle with maple syrup or other toppings of choice!

i really want to try this with nutella...and/or strawberries...and/or carmelized bananas. oh goodness, the possibilities are endless! best healthy-yet-indulgent-breakfast-in-bed ever. also, this happened: 

can you tell i'm ready for fall? this may be the first time since spring that my weather forecast doesn't say anything higher than 90 degrees. haaaaaaallelujah!

xo jordan

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