Monday, March 30, 2015

The 10 Best Recipes Of Typical Domestic Babe

I was browsing back through my recipe archives over the weekend, and realized that I had just posted my 50th recipe this month!  Cooking has always been such a huge passion of mine; one that was cultivated from spending hours with my grandmother in her small kitchen as a young child.  It's definitely been a lot of trial and error over the years, but I firmly believe that I'm truly myself when I'm in my kitchen, relaxed with a glass of wine in hand, putting the final touches on an amazing dinner that I'm about to serve to my family. 

With that being said, I wanted to thank you all for reading my blog, and giving my recipes a try!  It really does bring me so much joy to share these with you!

Below, I've posted my 10 favorite recipes from the Typical Domestic Babe recipe archives {please don't judge, some of my older pictures are horrible!}, and really hope that you try one or two of them out.  Happy cooking! xx




Blueberry Sour Cream Banana Bread {view the recipe here}





Classic Tomato Crostini {view it here}





Ginger Pad Thai w/ Chicken & Veggies {view it here}




Oven Roasted Tomato Soup {view it here}





Gourmet Greek Salad {recipe can be found here}





Farmers Market Guacamole {view it here}




Healthy Cherry Crumble {view the recipe here}





The Best Skinny Mango Margaritas {view it here}






Traditional Tuscan Ribollita {recipe available here}




Vegetarian Eggplant Shakshuka {found here}






Have you tried out any of these recipes in the past?  Hope you all have a great week! xx


Friday, March 27, 2015

16 Week Bumpdate

Happy, happy Friday friends!  As of yesterday, I am officially 4 months pregnant and couldn't be more thrilled about that fact.  So many exciting changes are happening over here, and I thought it would be fun to document my pregnancy by posting bumpdates from time to time on my blog.  I've always enjoyed reading along as my favorite bloggers documented their pregnancy journeys and I really hope that you enjoy this new portion of my blog!

So lets get started....







How Far Along?   16 weeks


Total Weight Gain?  6 pounds so far and feeling really good about that number.  I've been trying to eat as clean & healthy as possible to nourish this little one.

 
Maternity Clothes?  Yes, and no.  Tops are all still non maternity and some of my baggier boyfriend style jeans still fit perfectly fine.  I've always, always gained weight in my legs {thick thigh club member over here, holllla lol} so most of my tighter skinny jeans I've just completely given up on and shoved into the depths of my closet for now.  I did recently purchase maternity jeans from A Pea In The Pod, and HOLY HELL those babies are basically the best thing ever invented {beyond comfy, how do women go back to regular jeans after wearing those?!}, and I love that most of my favorite denim designers make maternity versions.  I'm totally not one of those girls who will be trying to squeeze into my non maternity clothes for as long as possible and am ready to embrace my changing physique and maternity fashion.

 
Gender?  Not sure yet.  This little one likes to keep us guessing :)


Cravings?  Chocolate protein shakes made extra thick with lots of ice, peanut butter & half a banana.  I have one every day! 
 
Miss Anything?  Wine and margaritas.  We ordered a case of wine from our favorite vineyard when we were in Italy and it's just sitting in my wine fridge haunting me!


Exercise?  In the first trimester it was absolutely non existent.  Recently I've gotten more energy back so I've been taking brisk 3 mile walks 5 times a week for the past few weeks {wearing my heart rate monitor & aiming to keep my heart rate around 140}, swimming laps in our pool {hence the golden tan I've been sporting recently}, and I just started with prenatal yoga & pilates.  It feels really good to be active again!



Symptoms?  Feeling really good although my nose is constantly stuffy {but only in my right nostril} and that is especially annoying when I'm trying to sleep at night & I'm also SO thirsty 24/7.  I've never drank so much water in my life!


Mood?  Excited!  I keep thinking about how our little baby {who's the size of an avocado this week!} is half Adam & half myself.  I could daydream for hours wondering what pieces of him and what pieces of me he or she might have.....Adam's naturally curly hair...my Italian olive skin...his smile that instantly just melts me....only 6 more months to go until I get to meet this little one who has already captured my heart.


Baby Movement?  I can't feel anything yet, but we had an ultrasound last week and that little cutie was moving around like crazy - full somersaults included!  



Best Moment This Week?  Nothing that really stands out, I just feel so blessed to be given this gift.  I had a lot of dark moments last year and I had such a negative outlook on my ability to get pregnant.  To be here now, writing my first bumpdate is a really special experience that I feel so grateful for.


Looking Forward To?  Our ultrasound next month & finally finding out if we're having a boy or girl - I can't wait to start shopping :)






Thanks so much for reading & following along!  Hope you all have a great weekend! xx

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Spring Beauty Refresh

Hi, friends!  Admitted beauty junkie over here, and this time of year makes me itch to start trying out all the new spring/summer beauty products that are hitting the shelves right about now.  I love to update & refresh my makeup just as I would update my closet, adding new pieces to compliment what I already own.

What's currently caught my eye?  Lots of soft, blush pink + anything that gives you that fresh, luminous, au naturel glow.

Full deets are below.


Shop These Products (from top left):

The absolute prettiest silky matte sheer pink shimmer blush {found here} //  Dior Rouge Dior Brilliant lipshine {in color bonheur available here} //  Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum {provides SPF 40 coverage! here} //  A luxuriously lightweight highlighting fluid from Chantecaille highlights skin & delivers anti-aging properties {get it here} //  Tata Harper Volumizing Lip & Cheek Tint {100% all natural + non toxic available here} //  Moroccanoil Body Buff Fleur de Rose {exfoliates dead skin & sounds heavenly! here} //  YSL Volume Mascara {I've been dying to try this!! found here} // Philosophy 'Iced Mint Lemonade' Lip Polishing Sugar Scrub {a limited edition here} //  Bobbi Brown Electric Nude Cheek Palette offers 2 gorgeous coral-pink shades and one shimmering highlighter {looks sooooo pretty! available here} //  I've been dying to try Million Dollar Tan Sunless Tanning Lotion {need to pull the trigger on this asap. here}




So. Much. Goodness.  Anything catch your eye? xx

Monday, March 23, 2015

How To Style Your Bookshelf

Decorating our Restoration Hardware bookshelf was such a fun project for me.  From the beginning, I had a very clear vision of what I wanted; gender friendly and somewhat masculine {not overly girly}, a neutral color palette, an array of interesting antiques combined with contemporary accessories, and lots of great books in subjects that reflect both of our personalities.

Read on to see how it all came together...






From the moment that I placed the order for our HUGE bookshelf, I knew exactly how I wanted it to look and I set out searching Pinterest + the depths of the internet for a little bookshelf inspo.  It didn't take long to realize that what I was envisioning wasn't really out there {and if it was, I certainly couldn't find it}.  Yes, the bookshelf images on Pinterest are beautiful and well photographed, but I was disappointed in how overly feminine everything looked; so much lacquer with pink & gold accents....seriously how do men live in these homes!?  I wanted our bookshelf to be a statement piece that reflected both Adam's personality, as well as my own.




I just love that little zebra figurine!  It reminds me of our honeymoon in South Africa.

Sticking with a neutral color palette allows all of the decor on the bookshelf to flow together.  I also chose books that had a neutral colored spine in subjects that we are both passionate about; art, travel, cars, architecture, fashion, and history.  We both love to travel, and I've tried to get into the habit of picking up a hard covered book on the area we travel to whenever we're on vacation.  It's a nice little reminder of your travels and functions as unique home decor!




I grouped together books according to color and used them to elevate various objects of curiosity.  The small binoculars are an antique that I picked up locally, and were used during World War II.  I am fascinated by history, and have always loved the untold stories that are found in antiques.




A lot of the books + contemporary accessories were purchased through One Kings Lane which is a great place for finding one off pieces.




I tried to vary the way the books were stacked, placing some of them horizontally to use for displaying urns & unique vases, and stacking others vertically.  I also tried to vary the textures of the pieces that I displayed; an aged terracotta urn, a smooth white lacquer box, and a wooden bowl.  Since they're in the same color family, they all balance each other out.

The white lacquer box displays a brown agate on it's top, and I use the box for storing votive candles.  When we have guests over for dinner, I love to fill the bookshelf with votive candles to create a warm ambiance.  



A glass antique demijohn serves as a bookend, while the cream colored linen boxes house loose photographs.



This is perhaps one of my very favorite pieces on our bookshelf!  I found this French terracotta pot that dates back to the 1800's and just love the patina that has developed over the years.  I potted a African Violet in it for a bit of earthy greenery on the bookshelf.




The finished product!  Below, I've linked a few decorative objects that are similar to what I used and a few others that would be perfect on your bookshelf....





 Thanks for reading! xx



Friday, March 20, 2015

Whole Wheat Mediterranean Pasta Salad

We've been grilling it up over here quite a bit lately.  We received a really nice BBQ as a house warming present when we moved into our new casa last September, and I'm embarrassed to say that we just started using it recently.  You guys, where have I been?!?  It's so convenient to grill up chicken, steak, and even veggies with virtually no clean up afterwards - count me in as a BBQ convert!

Now that the weather is starting to warm up for most of you, I thought I'd share this delicious, and healthy whole wheat Mediterranean pasta salad that I threw together over the weekend.  Unlike most pasta salads, you won't find any fattening mayo in this salad.  What I did use was an abundance of fresh & healthy ingredients; whole wheat noodles, baby spinach + arugula {I love the spiciness in arugula!}, sun dried tomatoes {you could always sub these out for grape tomatoes if desired}, artichokes, capers, olive oil & balsamic vinegar, and fresh basil to name a few.  The result was SO good!  This makes the perfect side dish to accompany grilled chicken, but also has enough flavor to serve on it's own.

Hope you enjoy!




Ingredients


3 cups dry uncooked whole wheat pasta noodles {I used fusilli noodles}
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar**
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups baby spinach
1 1/2 cup arugula
1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced into bite size chunks {if using sun tomatoes in oil, be sure to blot off excess oil with a paper towel}
2 tbsp. capers, drained
3/4 cup quartered artichokes, chopped
1/4 cup olives, sliced {any kind of olives you prefer}
1/4 cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese {I used a potato peeler to thinly shave off slices of the cheese}
Freshly torn basil for garnish



**  I've made this pasta salad twice, the first time with white balsamic vinegar & the second time {as photographed} with regular balsamic vinegar.  The white balsamic vinegar is is a little lighter, and if you choose to use this I would suggest adding the juice of 1/2 a lemon into the pasta salad as well to brighten it up a little more. **



Directions


Prepare pasta noodles according to manufacturers suggestions.  

Once your pasta is cooked & drained transfer to a large bowl.  Add in the olive oil, vinegar, and salt & pepper to taste and stir well to combine.

Next, fold in the spinach, arugula, tomatoes, capers, artichokes, and olives.  Gently toss.

Just before serving, finish with the Parmesan cheese & fresh basil for garnish.









I hope you have a great weekend!  xx

Monday, March 16, 2015

Cravings - What I've Been Eating Lately

Now more than ever, I've really been monitoring what I put into my body.  The number 1 reason being I really want to nourish my baby with real whole & nutritious foods {preferably organic whenever possible}, but in all honesty, I'm also terrified of gaining too much weight.  Don't get me wrong, I'm all for gaining the healthy amount necessary for growing my baby, but the thought of just kind of accidentally letting myself go scares the bejesus outta me!  lol

I'm definitely not monitoring my calories, nor am I tracking my carb intake.  I've just been listening to my body & try to eat as clean & healthy as possible.

Here's what I've been chowing down on lately....


Snacks



Veggies w/ spicy hummus.  I eat this nearly every day!





These are so yummy and ring in at 110 calories each.




I've never been a huge cottage cheese lover until recently.  I love combining it with fresh fruit!




You guys, I am OBSESSED with this stuff!  I eat it with multi grain tortilla chips, with carrot sticks, or with my eggs in the morning - I could eat this all.day.long!




More veggies + hummus....



These bars are my favorite; they're 100 calories and contain only 1 dried apple + 10 cherries.  Nothing else.  :)



Breakfast



Pregnancy is weird - I have never been a huge fan of eggs {unless they were drowned in hot sauce} but now I LOVE egg whites!  I make these egg white scrambles probably every other day and load them up with whatever fresh veggies we have on hand.  This particular one was asparagus + zucchini with fresh herbs from my garden and a small amount of feta cheese on top.



These gluten-free frozen waffles from Whole Foods are pretty healthy and really easy.....




I like to pile on the fresh berries and finish with a small drizzle of honey.




I came up with a fool proof way to make frittata!  I'll share the recipe with you guys soon!  It's super easy {no special pan required} and the presentation is amazing.



Low-fat cottage cheese paired with sliced strawberries, nectarines, pineapple, raspberries & blueberries for the win!  I finish this with a super small drizzle of honey for a little extra sweetness!




Sorry for the terrible lighting in this shot!  This is a sprouted raisin english muffin, topped with all natural peanut butter, sliced banana, and a drizzle of agave nectar.  Also pictured: a Pink Lady apple {my faveeeee!}.




Another egg white + veggie scramble.  This one is asparagus + mushrooms paired with a slice of high fiber multi-grain bread.  I don't like butter on my toast, but instead will lightly drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top.  So yummy!



Fruit cravings daily = lots of smoothies!






What type of blogger would I be if I didn't post a picture of avocado toast?!   ;)



Lunch + Dinner


Not too many pictures, but still worth sharing...


 


Brown rice wraps are so good!  I love them with spicy hummus, and loaded up with veggies.  I always add a dollop of fresh salsa on top for extra flavor.










I made a shaved corn + quinoa salad that I paired with a homemade vinaigrette.  Super simple + delicious!






I made this whole wheat Mediterranean pasta salad last night for dinner, and it turned out SO GOOD!  I need to tweak a few things, but will definitely share this recipe later on this week.  We paired this with grilled chicken....





Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches are a HUGE craving for me right now, and I'm obsessed with this superfruit jelly spread from Crofter's.  It's made with Acai berries, Morello cherries, pomegranates & red grapes and contains no added sugars.



Indulgences

And lets get real.  I'm definitely having my fair share of sweets + indulgences.  I'm just trying to do it in moderation and not go overboard with the indulgences.


 
There is a Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop a few blocks from my house and we have definitely made our way over there a few times!  Ben & Jerry's is the ONLY ice cream that I'll indulge in because all of their products are 100% non GMO {which is super important to me during my pregnancy}.  My faves are the Cherry Garcia & the Half Baked Fro Yo!!!



Nothing better than Key Lime Pie with a burnt marshmallow topping!  **drooling**





A few quick notes:


Not pictured but is a hugeeee craving for me right now is Kettle Chips Salt & Vinegar flavor - I can't get enough, but only eat a few handfuls and then throw the bag out because they are d.a.n.g.e.r.o.u.s for me! 

We do all of our grocery shopping at Whole Foods which is SO expensive.  I wish there was a Trader Joe's closer to us, but the nearest TJ's is a good 45 minute drive from our house.  We do have a small veggie + herb garden which does help cut some costs, but for the most part it's almost always Whole Foods for us.

We always eat Kosher meats in our home.  Yes, we are a Jewish household, but in all honesty, there's a reason that Kosher meat is just better.  Kosher meat is basically the equivalent of organic meat {no hormones, no antibiotics, all natural, etc} but Kosher meat takes it a step further.  The animals are inspected by a certified veterinarian prior to the animal being killed.  The animals must be disease free, and can not have any broken bones, no injuries, etc, and then they are killed in the most humane way possible by a man who must be specially trained in this method which is quick & painless for the animal....no stress hormones released in the meat.  There are tons of studies that are available online if you want to read up on this.  As a small side note, my girlfriend who lives in Russia told me that it's well known in Russia that Kosher meat is much better, and whenever she {or her friends} travel, they always request Kosher meals on the flights {even though they're not Jewish!} because they just know that the meat is so much healthier, and doesn't contain all that other crap!

Non GMO products are huge for me right now.  I've been doing quite a bit of reading about the effects of GMO's on babies in utero during pregnancy and the results are scary!  I know that buying organic products can get real expensive real fast, but there are tons of small local farms who can not afford to be organic certified, but still are committed to not using GMO seeds.  Always good to look into!


Thanks for reading!  Have a great week! xx



Friday, March 13, 2015

Weekend Wish List: Take Me To The Beach

This week was a blur!  One of my very best girlfriends was visiting me, and I was SO sad to send her off to the airport this morning.  We had such a great time loungin' by my pool, going out for lunches, grilling dinners at home, and being absolute beach bums {girl time is just the best!}.  I live only a few blocks from the ocean, and the weather has been absolutely perfect lately here in Miami, so it was inevitable that we spent a great deal of time soaking up the sun at the beach.  

Today's weekend wish list is filled with beach essentials that I have either purchased recently, or have majorly caught my attention.





Shop These Items:


White scalloped bikini {SO affordable! Top & Bottom} //  Breezy Panama hat {just purchased this and LOVE it! here} //  Chic cotton gauze sarong {available here} //  Ray-Ban sunnies {need this fun blue color for summer! here} //  Knotted tank cover up {so cute! found here} //  Sunscreen {our fave for beach/pool days! here} //  Valencia beach tote {the perfect beach/casual tote! I purchased this last summer and love it! here} //  Affordable leather flip flops {available here} //  Must have beach blanket {found in a variety of colors + patterns here} //  The absolute best-could-not-put-it-down-please-don't-ever-end-book that I've read in a while {found here}





Anddddd just in case you need a little warm weather inspo in your life, here's a couple snaps from my recent beach days ;)






Please leave any feedback/questions/comments down below.  I love hearing from you!  Have a great weekend! xx
 

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