DIY Container Garden

I have found that the older I get, the more focused I get on the weirdest tasks or ideas. First it was crochet, then it was baking, now it's growing herbs. Look out world.. old lady Paige coming through.

All joking aside, I love the idea of growing my own plants and herbs. This idea came to me one day - simply because I love adding fresh herbs to my meals, but they ALWAYS go bad in the fridge when I buy them from the store and don't use them fast enough.

Now... a little back story about my black little thumb... I have killed every single house plant I've ever owned. Yes.. even the two cactuses that I joked about DIED. How does one kill a cactus you ask? I have no idea. I blame Ikea. I think it was defective. RIP cacti. 

Anywho.. so here we are. Once again crossing my fingers my plants don't wilt and disintegrate. I planted Basil first because apparently it's the heartiest to plant, and the easiest to keep alive. Yes, I laughed at that too when I read it online.. and then I got some Oregano seeds and went wild with those. Next came Rosemary, and then I decided wildflowers would also be fun.

Now let me also just say that I live in the city, on the 17th floor, and that means I can't run around in overalls outside gardening, and hoeing all day. Ok I just wanted to say hoeing because it made me giggle. BUT that just means I get to container garden. The old lady in me just jumped for joy.

Have you even looked at container gardens on Pinterest before? SWOON.

If you haven't, I highly suggest it. Unless you have things to do. Then I don't suggest it. Because Pinterest is a major time-suck and I'm totally ok with that.

Just look at these creative ideas:

Link from Pinterest

Link from Pinterest 

Link from Pinterest

Link from Pinterest

Needless to say, the sky is the limit with these adorable little container gardens! My teeny tiny garden is small, and maybe not quite as cool as these, but still really fun and mighty.

.. and knock on wood.. I haven't killed too many yet... Yes, too many. Two containers I did throw away, but I still have 7 that are alive and kickin! That is a success I would say.

 Okay so lets get started on creating the container garden of your dreams!
First get some cheap-o planters. These came from Winco. Yes I got these at a grocery store. Sue me.

I loved the texture and the shape, but the color was too boring for me so I picked up some spray paint from Wally World -- Make sure you get spray paint that sticks well to plastic (it will say so on the spray can), but if you have some spray paint lying around somewhere - use that! That's totally fine.

Here is the spray paint I used -- Rust-oleum has great coverage. It only took me two coats to cover my planters!

Then you're going to want to lay down some cardboard or some paper so you don't get spray paint on your balcony.. or the ground.. or on yourself for that matter. Comprende?

Let your container dry for a few hours in between coats to make sure your paint doesn't peel off. Once it's dry, you can fill it with dirt aka soil and whatever seeds or plants your little heart desires!

Then -- I got really excited when I realized I could use some of my chalkboard spray paint I found at Walmart to paint these weird little containers I found at Target that were on sale for like 40 cents. Booyahhh. 

My little balcony garden 

Look how adorable these turned out! I found these little cups at Target in the kid's kitchen area for really cheap. They were a HIDEOUS color before I painted them, and I'm so happy with the result! I probably should have drilled holes in the bottom for drainage, and I still might do that, but my plants are growing so well right now -- I am beyond thrilled with my little project. Look at those happy little Herbs.

I've been really careful not to over-water these suckers. Next time I think I will drill holes and add some little vintage plates for them to sit on -- Which I still might do!

Happy Planting! Go wild :) 

xoxo

P.

Ps. Make sure you buy organic, non-gmo seeds. You want to have happy healthy plants that won't make you sick. Okay.. Carry on.

Tofu Scramble: 21 Day Fix Approved

You absolutely.. without a doubt.. HAVE to make this Tofu Scramble. I don't care if you're following the 21 Day Fix or not. I don't care if you're vegan/vegetarian or not. I don't care if you hate tofu. You're trying this recipe.

Step 1 Collect the ingredients.

+ Firm Tofu (non-GMO)

+ Red Bell Pepper

+ Garlic

+ Red Onion

+ Spinach

+ Nutritional Yeast

+ Turmeric

+ Garlic Salt

+ Vegetable Broth

+ Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Step 2 Start your engines*

Note *This step is optional

Step 3 Chop up one clove of garlic

Chopping up garlic just HAS to be the most fun. I love smashing it with the knife, and then peeling off it's skin. WHOA. That sounded way creepier than I intended it to... anywho.. you know you love it too. Don't lie.  Chop it into small pieces while your pan is heating on low/medium heat. 

Step 3 Time to get acquainted with Mr. Onion

Ain't he a beaut?!

Chop the onion up so that it will fill about 1/2 of your green container.

Then, spray your pan with coconut oil cooking spray.. 

Now it's time to marry the onions and the garlic together on low/medium heat. Don't be like me and throw them in on medium/high heat. The garlic will start to burn and you'll have to start over. Oops.. Wasn't me. Lets just say I have experience in setting off my smoke detector.. but it's okay. I promise you it will all work out just fine.

Step 4 Get your trusty, low-sodium veggie broth out and put a little-teeny-tiny-splash of broth in with the garlic and onion to help them along.

Keep stirring the garlic and onion around so it doesn't stick to the pan. Again.. you learn things in the kitchen. Things you can't seem to forget.

Step 5 Gather the nutritional yeast, garlic salt, and turmeric together

So.. now you're going to put 3 TBS nutritional yeast, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 pinches of garlic salt, and 3 TBS water into your magic bullet or blender... and blend that puppy up until it's mixed thoroughly.

Yep.. I really did just say that.. Yellow, the color of.. egg yolks, folks.

Moving along.

Step 6 Get your tofu ready..

Cut it into a nice little square so that it measures out to be 1 red container.

THEN -- this step is pretty important.. but of course I didn't take a picture of it, so I hope you're still reading along..

Sandwich the tofu between two paper towels and squish the tofu down as much as you can to get all the water out of it. When using firm tofu, it's nice because it has less water content, but you still need to squish the water out of it. Repeat this process if necessary. 

Now comes the fun part.

Step 7 Crumble the tofu into the pan so it looks like scrambled eggs.

Yes.. I AM aware of how un-appetizing this looks at this very moment in time, but have faith. I promise you I'll deliver..

Results that is.

Not the actual tofu scramble to your doorstep.

That might be kind of difficult.

Really awesome.

But really difficult.

Step 8 Add the spinach and your red bell pepper at the very end of the cooking process

Add these two ingredients at the end so they maintain most of their nutrients. The longer you cook vegetables, the more it depletes their nutrients. 

The spinach and the bell pepper combined should measure out to one-half of a green container.

Step 9 Put it in a bowl.. or plate.. whichever you prefer

Once the spinach is wilted a bit, it's time to plate your food up. Or in my case, bowl it up. 

Step 10 Top with some liquid aminos (Bragg's or Coconut Aminos are my go-tos!)

Bam! You're all done! Eat up and enjoy :) I know you will!

Ingredients/Measurements:

+ Firm Tofu (non-GMO) - cut one "brick" of tofu to measure out to 1 Red Container

+ Red Bell Pepper - 1/4 Green Container

+ Garlic - 1 Clove

+ Red Onion - 1/2 Green Container

+ Spinach - 1/4 Green Container

+ Nutritional Yeast - 3 TBS

+ Water - 3 TBS

+ Turmeric - 1 tsp

+ Garlic Salt - 2 Pinches

+ Vegetable Broth - 1 Splash

+ Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or coconut aminos) - 1 TBS (to your liking)

Let me know if you have any questions! 

Stay tuned for one more week of the 21 Day Fix. 

xoxo 

P.

OMG Pancakes..

If only you knew my real life obsession with pancakes.
Like... If I could marry pancakes I would.

Something about the fluffiness, and the maple syrup makes my heart smile. I could literally eat pancakes 5 times a day and never get tired of them.

You'd have to roll me home, but it's cool.

Turk just gets me..

I also have an unhealthy obsession with finding healthy pancake recipes that live up to my standards.. this is one of the BEST pancakes I've ever made and I'm super proud.

I also invented a sunflower seed pancake yesterday, but that will have to wait until I perfect it. That one has potential though, man.

So I found this recipe online HERE..

And then I proceeded to tweak it so it was even BETTER.. See my updated recipe below :)

I can hardly contain my excitement at this point.

 

Come to me my pretties...

OMG.. Please look at that glorious pancake stack. #madpancakeskillz

and yes.. this syrup is probably made with god knows what.. but the ingredients don't look THAT bad, and calorie free means I can bathe in maple syrup without having to have you roll me home. So it's a win win situation. You're welcome.

My Recipe

(Adapted from Fountain Avenue's)

Serves One.. Or maybe that's just me.

• 3 egg whites
• 1 egg 
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 pinch sea salt
• 1/4 cup sprouted oat flour
• 1.5 scoops protein powder (I used Quest's all-purpose protein pow)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• helluvalotta cinnamon... just dump it in

Smother that sucker in Walden's Pancake Syrup and tell me I'm pretty..

Optional: Top with greek yogurt, berries of your choice, and a sprinkle of stevia if you're feelin extra sassy.

Happy Hump Day!

xoxo

P.

21 Day Fix: meal prep your way to success

A little back story on why I chose to start the 21 Day Fix:

I have watched Autumn's infomercial for a little over a year now, and every-time I saw her pop up on my TV - for some reason, I just couldn't make myself change the channel. Mesmerized by her abs and liveliness. I wanted that.

Fitness and Nutrition is something that I am very passionate about, and for some odd reason, 21 Day Fix seemed like a fun way to track my food intake MORE accurately.

For the past few years, I've literally tried everything to shed these last few pounds of weight that haven't left my sides (literally) since my senior year of high school. Frustrated and worn down I wanted something new to try and I'm hoping it works.

My life has been full of counting calories, weighing food, counting macros, and everything else in between. I work out constantly and obsessively and still see little results -- which is why I started to realize that my nutrition must be the one that's off.

I was eating extremely healthy -- but technically, eating too many calories, even if it's 2000 calories of apples -- will still make it hard for your workouts to counteract those extra calories. 

Which is why 21 Day Fix will be a fun challenge to help me watch my food intake and get shredded while I'm at it :)

I just love this quote, "Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes." It's SO incredibly true.

I started the 21 Day Fix a week ago, and although I have only lost a mere 1/2 pound, I can truly say it has changed my entire mindset when it comes to HOW much I've been eating, and HOW much I was eating things out of balance (too much fat/carbs & not enough protein).

--- 

Here are the containers you get -- One Green (veggies), One Purple (Fruits), One Red (Protein), One Yellow (Carbohydrates), One Blue (Healthy Fats/Nuts), Two Orange (Dressings/Seeds)

photo via: eatingbirdfood.com

The best way to be successful while using this program is to meal prep. Let me break down what a week's worth of meal prep looks like for me.

I do this on Sundays, and although it takes a big chunk out of my day, it's better than stuffing my face when I don't feel like cooking.

On that note, let's get started! 

Breakfast

One Purple -- One Yellow -- One Red

For breakfast I have one yellow container of rolled oats, one purple container filled with a banana, and one red container filled with greek yogurt -- then I top it all with cinnamon and a little stevia. Perfect! Now I'm fueled up and ready to take on my day. 

Snacks

I really enjoy eating a little blue container of nuts/seed mix while I'm at work. I buy this trail mix in bulk to save money and the hassle of mixing your own nuts and raisins and seeds together is well worth it.

I also like to pack one purple container of berries to take with me - I pre-portion them out into little snack bags so they are easy to grab and go.

Sweet potatoes are my jam! Slice and dice them how ever your little heart desires.. and then..

Season them generously with cinnamon... and I mean generously.. my mouth is watering just thinking about the smell of warm sweet potatoes and cinnamon roasting in the oven.

How good do these look? I told you I'm not crazy.. well maybe just a little bit, but they're so good you'll thank me later. Promise.

Remember when you were a little kid, on your way home from school, and you'd think about eating a jar of peanut butter and some oreos? No? You're joking right... maybe that WAS just me but - regardless - 2 tsps of Peanut Butter and 1.5 Scoops of protein powder shaken up with unsweetened coconut milk (or water and ice) make a pretty close second.. or third.. okay maybe forth. But you still get some peanut butter. So I wouldn't be complaining.

Lunch

Lunch is an easy concoction of one green container kale/spinach mix, and one green container romaine lettuce.. yep, that's two greens. One container of dressing of your choosing (orange container) -- Mine happens to be this one. YUM -- Panera Bread Dressing: 30 Calories per serving. Not too bad ingredient-wise either.

Now it's time to prepare that chicken..

I buy the frozen Chicken Tenders from good 'ol Trader Joe's -- Then I set them on a baking sheet covered with foil, and season them generously. It's my favorite thing to do. SEASON ALL THE THINGS.

Spice up your life! and your chicken. I especially love Mrs. Dash seasoning because it has no salt. Woohoo! 

Next up -- You're going to cover said-chicken with low sodium vegetable broth. Not about that salt-life. Bloating is nobodies friend. Nope. 

Pour a little veggie broth over the chicken and pop it in the oven.

  

Bake chicken at 350° F and then, once it's finished cooling down a little, cut it into little chunks and portion it out into your handy-dandy snack bags. Then pop them in the fridge.. because salmonella is also not your friend.

Dinner

Are you ready for this one? It's the fanciest meal out of all of these. Don't believe me? Look.

BAM!

I portioned out some chicken for dinner (one red) and then I measure out one serving of veggies after I've steamed these puppies in the micro for about 6 mins. #wifeme. For the leftover veggies, I save the next few servings for the rest of the week. Fresher is always better when it comes to veggies, so I wait to cook this until I need to. 

Grand total = 3 Greens, 2 Purple, 4 Reds, 2 Yellow, 1 Blue, 1 Orange, & 2 tsps. 

Everyone's amounts may be a little bit different depending on what calorie bracket you are in, and what your goals are.

Hopefully that helps a little bit!

Leave your comments and questions below & follow along as I continue with this program.

xoxo

P.

Where have I been?

You might be asking yourself where I've been and what I've been up to lately. 

Well friends, hectic is a word I'd like to use to describe the past few months of my life. Work has been so incredibly stressful and I can't wait until the end of February when things will slow down a little for me. 

Do you ever get that feeling that you're just surviving and trying to get through the week so you can enjoy the weekend? That's been my life lately.. and because of that, I decided it was time to start a new hobby and find something new I was passionate about.

SO... I present to you MY NEW STORE! I launched my Etsy site finally: GO LOOK>>> sparklepaige.etsy.com

 I could not be more excited in my entire life. Owning my own business has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. When I was younger, I would sketch out store layouts of what my boutique would look like one day, and I would spend hours dreaming up names for my store and searching real estate sites for the best store locations. I kid you not.. I was 12 when I decided a boutique was my absolute dream.

I guess I should have known that going into college I would end up doing something fashion/clothes/business related ... Instead my path has been less than perfect, but that's okay. That's part of the journey.

I still have big dreams to open up a brick and mortar shop one day, but for right now my little etsy shop shall do just dandy.

Yesterday, I went to the thrift store and found soooo many cool treasures! I found lots of cool records, and I searched the bookshelves for hours for hard bound covers that had the best colors. 

I also scored some vintage bed sheets that I'd been eyeballing for two weeks - so I finally caved.

Thrift stores are my absolute weakness. I could find a use for every single item I pick up, I swear. 

Last week I found a cake ball maker. Did I need it? NO. Did I want it? Absolutely. So guess who has a new/old cake ball maker? You're looking at her!  4.99? Damn. What. A. Steal. 

Is that a giraffe, an elephant and some Kerr jars?? WTH. Don't ask.

Anywhooo... 

The rest of this weekend, I started organizing the rest of my things and started sorting through all my craft supplies that have slowly been accumulating. Old lady much? It's becoming a problem.

I'm a bit of a craft supplies hoarder.

You know that kid that was always stoked to get a brand new box of Crayola crayons and a fresh new watercolor palette and some funky erasers... you know that kid? That's me. Still to this day. If someone just wanted to make my day, they could buy me some brand new notebooks, some colored pencils.. any kind of Back to School necessity and I would be on Cloud nine. I've always been attached to art supplies and office supplies. I covet them. 

Needless to say.. I have a million new acrylic paints, pencils, watercolors etc. It's like a mid-life crisis where you revert back to your elementary school self with your Lisa Frank peachies. That's my life. Hmm.. I wonder if Ebay has any Lisa Frank??? BRB.

Anyways. I hope your weekend has been as old school as mine has been. I'm quite enjoying it actually.

Now I'm off to do some laundry and all the chores I dreaded as a kid that are now a necessity as an adult unfortunately. Bummer. 

xoxox

Sparkle Paige.

Pretty please go look at my store!! It's brand spankin new and I love my cute little headbands.

Also.. follow my shenanigans on instagram: instagram.com/sparklepaige

Leave a comment on one of my pics saying you read my bloggity blog blog. 

LOVE YOU GUYS.