I'm Back!!

Wow I can't believe I haven't posted in about a Month!! I really missed all you guys. Well I'm back now so you can look forward to many new posts I've been working on for my blog and Instagram account. So much has happened during my time not posting. I've moved from Canada back to Texas, which I'm very excited about, and I'm now looking at colleges. I honestly love Texas so much I'm so happy to be here but I do miss Canada sometimes. The food in TX is amazing though, I'm pretty sure I've gain like 20 lbs since I've been here. Luckily I've located the nearest Wholefoods and Trader Joe's, I need them like I need oxygen seriously. Well that's all for now! I'll have tons of new posts coming y'all's way soon I promise! Thanks for bearing with me. -Alex 

Roasted Chickpeas aka The Best Snack EVER

Okay so I just want to start off by saying my Dad and I were making and snacking on roasted chickpeas before they were the trendy cool snack they are today. Since he is from Pakistan he is already a chickpea fan and he passed that love of chickpeas on to me from like birth. So I've been eating chickpea basically since I could chew. Roasted chickpeas are a great, healthy snack that provide a good amount of protein and fiber to help keep you full. They are a fantastic substitute for chips and you can basically flavor them however you want! The options are endless. 

My personal favourite is just plain old roasted chickpeas with salt, pepper, and grapeseed oil. All you do is take a can of chickpeas rinse them and then toss a few tablespoons of your oil of choice on them. Then add your spices and put them on a pan to roast. Cook them for about and 1 hr on 375 or until brown and crunchy. You can store them in little snack packs for about a week in your pantry. So instead of grabbing a bag of chips grab a bag of these little babies! 

Biore 1 Minute Self-Heating Charcoal Face Mask Review

I was at the drugstore the other day when I saw these Biore Charcoal masks. Honestly the self heating and charcoal are what drew me in because I heard charcoal is really good in helping draw out gunk from your pores and the self heating just sounded really nice during these cold winter months. They cost around $7 dollars I believe and you get 4 packets. I took some pictures of my first time using a packet that I'll share with you guys. Please excuse my makeupless face!

The excitements is real guys. 

And it's on. It was very easy to apply and I loved the self heating. It also smells amazing!

Washing it off. When you rinse it off it heats up again which feels really great!

And it's off. My face felt super clean and refreshed. I will definitely be taking these on my trip to Europe to give my face a little pick me up whenever I need one. 

Sick Day Essentials

Today I woke up with an awful cold and it couldn't have come at a worse time either. I'm in the middle of packing for our trip to Texas and then Pakistan and Europe but since I'm not getting anything done today I thought why not share my sick day essentials with you guys. So let's get into it!

 Green tea is one of my sick day staples. It's full of antioxidants and the warmth is so soothing on your throat. 

I don't take multi vitamins on the daily but if I feel like I might be coming down with a cold or like today, if I wake up with one I will start taking it in the morning until I'm feeling better. This one is one of my favorites because it also helps your skin and gives you a nice glow, which is nice when you're sick and look like death. 

SMOOTHIES are definitely must sick day must have! I literally cannot stress how much they help me and how good they are when you're sick. They deliver so much nutrients and antioxidants which I feel like is exactly what you need when fighting off a cold. I have the recipe for my Power Smoothie on my blog if you want to check out what I put in mine! 

Okay so this essential sounds a little gross but I swear it helps, eating raw garlic. Now don't freak out, it's definitely not the BEST tasting thing ever for sure but it's bearable and I swear by it. I've done a lot of research and many people say that eating raw garlic helps soften their colds significantly and also eases symptoms. If just chewing on a raw clove is too much for you, you can try a trick my mom uses she takes 8-9 cloves, 6-7 cherry tomatoes, half a red onion and then blends them together in a food processor. Then add a little salt and pepper and it's almost like salsa just REALLY garlicky.

My last essential is Lemon Water. It helps wash down the garlic and will help you heal faster. You need to drink a lot of fluids when you're sick and lemon water is my go-to. I have a hard time drinking plain water when I'm sick so lemon water became my staple because the light lemon flavor helps me get it down. 

Well that's all my sick day essentials, let me know what yours are down below. I'd love to know what helps you guys through your colds! 

Come Dine with Me

Okay so this is probably one of the MOST requested posts that I've ever been asked to write. I'm not sure why people want to know what I eat all day but hey you guys asked so I'm giving it to you. Let's get into it then. So I started keeping a food journal about a week ago just to see exactly what I was eating so here is what I usually eat on a given day. 

For breakfast I noticed that I rotate between these different meals. Either a huge smoothie, two fried eggs and a mango, or a PB&J and chocolate milk. These are like my breakfast staples. 

For lunch I usually had some either chicken breast with salad or a whole bunch of raw veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, etc. and half a chicken breast with some hummus for the veggies. Sometimes I will just have whatever my moms cooking if I don't want to make my own lunch. That includes homemade burgers, veggie pasta, and sometimes different Pakistani meals.

For dinner I rotate around with either a GIANT smoothie(so I get enough calories) if I had a big lunch, an egg white omelette loaded with veggies and some kind of fruit on the side, or a few slices of chicken breast with vegetables and hummus(again) 

Now for snacks I usually had about 2, 1 in between breakfast and lunch and 1 between lunch and dinner. My snack options are usually half a cup of cottage cheese with fruit and honey, an apple with some almonds(sometimes it's different fruit depending on what I have), and raw veggies with hummus.

Drink wise I usually have either unsweetened tea, lemon water, or plain water. Water is basically my go to especially with a little lemon squeezed in there. I don't drink coke very often if I do it's usually only on a holiday. Once in a while I treat myself to a Starbucks Frapp but not very often. 

This is just kind of an example of the main staples I eat in my diet. Basically I try to eat very whole, organic foods it that doesn't mean I don't treat myself because I do. During the week I kept this food journal I treated myself to a slice of chocolate cheesecake, and also on a different day some cookies. It's all about balance and making sure you don't go overboard with the treats. I aim to eat about 1500-1600 calories a day sometimes more depending on my activity and workouts for that day. If I am doing a big workout one day I will usually up my calories to help my body repair but if I'm say going on a trip and will just be sitting in the car all day I drop the number of calories down a bit. Now I NEVER go below 1200 calories because that isn't enough for anyone and will send your body into starvation mode. You guys can adjust the calories you need based on all your factors like activity level,height and all that. I hope this post kind of helps give you a glimpse into my food world and what I eat. Let me know how you liked it below! 

Flashback Friday!

Today I'm flashing back to when I got the privilege of joining my parents on a trip to the school we have opened in Pakistan and delivering some supplies and goodies to the students. It was such an amazing trip and was so humbling. These kids want to learn so bad much more than students here. Are school allows kids who can't pay to still attend so if it weren't for our school at least half of the 400 students wouldn't even be in school. We took backpacks and candy to all the students as well as some new books and supplies. The kids were so excited because they had never seen any American candy before. I was so blessed to be a part of that fantastic trip. Here are some pictures of my parents and I with the students and teachers. 

Power Snack!

I have literally found the perfect snack guys. Like it is so versatile and can be used as a pre or post workout snack, it's low cal and loded with protein. It is Cottage Cheese!!! I'm kind of obsessed like I'm not gonna lie I go through about a tub of cottage cheese a week. It's such a healthy low cal snack. Half a cup is only 100 calories and you get 15 grams of protein! My favorite brand is the Nordica.

I thought I would just share a few different ways you can try it so that you guys could hop aboard this cottage cheese obsession with me. Here are the recipes. 

This is one of my personal favourites. You take strawberries(or any fruit of choice.) and then add a little honey to sweeten the cottage cheese up. It's so simple and delicious. 

If you're having more of a sweet tooth you can try this recipe. Just add some dark chocolate chips,dried cranberries, and walnuts. This is packed with goodness yet totally satisfies your sweet tooth.

This is similar to the recipe above except I used pineapple instead of strawberries and because the pineapple is so sweet you don't need the added honey. 

Another great way to get in some cottage cheese is throw it into a smoothie. This is good for people like my mom who can't stand to look at it. You still get all the protein from it, and it makes your smoothie extra creamy. Plus you can't even tell its in there. 

These recipes are so filling yet light enough to have before you hit the gym and they will definitely help you power through your workout. I hope you guys like these and if you try them out let me know. I know I'm hooked. 

Wanderlust and Waterfalls!

I was looking through some pictures from my 4 months in Europe last spring and I thought I'd share some with you all. These pictures are from basically the middle of nowhere in between Switzerland and France. We're driving back to my cousins house in Switzerland from France and were crossing through the mountains when we noticed these little waterfalls spewing from the mountains. So we took a little detour through freakishly tiny, slightly creepy roads until we wound our way to the falls. We parked our car and then took a little hit up to the little waterfalls. The area we were in was beyond gorgeous and was pretty remote except for a tiny little village. We were able to walk right up to the waterfall and put our hands under them. It was definitely an experience to remember. 

This was the amazing view from the road. 

How cute are these little waterfalls though??

 

My dad was beyond excited to be there as you can see:)

On our way down from the area where the waterfalls were we stumbled upon a little stream so of course my brother and I had to have a quick splash around!

The water was actually freezing that day but I still couldn't resist. 

Valentines Day Treats!!

Valentine's Day is only 2 days away so I figured why not do a V-Day themed post? I'm super excited about this Valentines Day, me and one of my BFFs are both single and sick of missing our exes so we decided hey let's be each others Valentines. I've been working on a great surprise for her :) Anyway back to the post, I am going to share two cute little recipes that you guys can make and even give away to your own Valentines. 

The first recipe is Red and Pink sweet pretzel treats. They are super easy to make all you will need are a back of striped Hershey's kisses, square pretzels, and a bag of the Valentines M&Ms. All you do is take the pretzels and put a Hershey's on each one and bake them for about 3-4 minutes or until they are soft, then put an M&Ms on top of the Hershey's and push them down. These make great little treats. 

The second recipe is probably the easiest thing you will ever make. All you need is a bag of marshmallows, strawberries, skewers, some melting chocolate, and a bag of two bite brownies. All you do is take your skewers and put on a few marshmallows, strawberries, and brownies. Then take some of the melting chocolate, melt it, and drizzle it across your dessert kabobs. These are so easier to make and taste delicious! 

I hope you guys like these, if you try either of them let me know how you liked them. Have a great Valentines Day! 

Brussel Sprout Chips!

Okay so I thought I would share one of my new favorite snacks with all of you. And that is, Brussel Sprout Chips! I kid you not these chips are absolutely delicious and can convert any brussel sprout hater I guarantee. They are super easy to make plus insanely healthy as well. Here's how you make them. 

Take your sprouts and cut the back stems off, then peal off the leaves until the sprouts are about the size of nickel. Do this to all your sprouts then take all the leaves and toss with a little oil of your choice,I use coconut, and season to your liking(I prefer salt and pepper but use whatever you like). Then put them in the oven at 350 for about 5-7 mins or until golden brown and crunchy. You can also take all the nickel sized leftover sprouts and roast them as well to use as a side to lunch or dinner so they don't go to waste. 

There you have it. They are so easy to make and really help satisfy you when you are craving a bag of chips plus they are like no calories. You can play around with tons of different seasonings so get creative! Let me know how you guys like them if you try them. 

Coconut Oil Day!!

Okay so today I decided to give myself a little pampering. I love putting coconut oil in my hair. It helps keep my scalp and hair moist and healthy plus it's supposed to help stimulate growth(here's hoping anyway). I'm in the process of growing out my hair so if it's supposed to help growth I'm all for it.

 I also tried something new today, oil pulling. I've been hearing all great things about it so I decided why not? Oil pulling is the process of swishing coconut oil around your mouth for 20 minutes. It's supposed to work wonders. Here are a few supposed benefits. 

Today is the first time I've tried it so let's see what happens. If any of you have tried it let me know? Did you like it? Did it work? I'm so curious about it. 

Make Up Haul!!

So I went make up shopping!!!! I was running low on some key items specifically foundation and mascara so I went and picked up some new products. Here's what I got

For foundation I picked up the Pixie tinted moisturizer and the Cover Girl 12 hr moisture foundation. I picked up 2 Pixie tinted lip balms. I love Pixie brand because they are paraben free which is wonderful. I also picked up 2 Marcelle mascaras, one for volume and one for length and an Almay Healthy Lenghs mascara. All are in the shades blackest black. Lastly, I picked up the L'Oreal illuminating primer. In the non make up category I picked up the Biore self heating charcoal face masks which I can't wait to try, some make up sponges, and the age perfect by L'Oreal for my mom because it was on sale :) 

I'll let you guys know how I liked all the products after I've had a chance to try them all out. Let me know if you guys have tried any of these products below!

Who Wants Waffles?

Okay so breakfast this morning was freaking amazing! I tried the Blueberry waffles by Vans and they were absolutely perfect., I'm literally in love. 

I mean what's not to love. They are gluten free, dairy and egg, and sweetened naturally. You can have 2 for 230 calories. They are a great, healthier treat to have at breakfast and I will definitely be buying them again. 

I topped mine with some frozen blueberries because I'm kinda obsessed with blueberries if you couldn't tell. Let me know if you have ever tried any of the Vans waffles and how you liked them. 

Sweet Potato Chips

Okay so I am kind of obsessed with making homemade Sweet Potato Chips right now. I've always loved them and used to buy the Terra brand but now that I've tried making them I'm in love. I bake mine in the oven and the come out amazing. I let mine stay a little softer but you could crunch them up as much as you'd like, it's totally up to you. They are such a healthy snack, Plus this way they aren't fried which makes them much healthier and it's cheaper too.  Here's how what you do 

Take a sweet potato and slice them into really thin slices, I use a mandolin because they have to be thin. Then toss them with some grape seed oil, salt and pepper(you can use any seasoning you'd like really it's endless possibilities) then lay the chips on a baking sheet lined with foil and grease lighty with either coconut or grasps seed oil. Place them in a oven heated to 350 for around 40-60 mins depending on how crunchy you want them. And voila your very own healthy sweet potato chips. Enjoy. 

Pakistan

In honour of throwback Thursday I thought I would throwback to my trip to Pakistan last spring! My family and I stopped into Pakistan on our way to Europe to visit my dads side of the family. It had been about 6 years since the last time we'd been there so I didn't remember that much about it. It was a great trip though I loved seeing all my family, I have over 50 cousins and around 16-17 aunts and uncles. There's definitely never a dull moment! My grandparents live out in the country in a little village so we have to drive from Islamabad(capital city) to the village which takes around 6 hours. Not my favorite part of the trip I'll have to admit, after flying for almost 24 hrs a 6 hr drive is the last thing you want to do. I usually just stick on some music and sleep. Once we get to the village our whole GIANT family is waiting at our grandparents house to meet us which is amazing yet kind of overwhelming because of how many people there are. Plus I mean we look awful from all the traveling so the last thing you want to do is be surrounded by people you haven't seen in years. I love being out in the country though, we have a huge wheat field in the back and I love to go out there. It's the most relaxing place in the whole house.  They don't have stoves so we have to cook on fire, which for 2-3 weeks is actually fun but I don't think I could do it forever. My grandparents also have tons of chickens and goats so naturally we have baby chicks and baby goats every time we go and they are absolutely precious. One of the biggest downsides of the village is that there are no toilets. This is literally the worst because all we have is a hole in the ground where you squat. Luckily they have toilet paper which kind of helps make the squat hole a tiny bit better. Going to Pakistan definitely makes me appreciate my very blessed life I have here. We take so many things for granted, simple things like stoves and actual toilets. Many people in the village can hardly afford food for their families let alone luxuries like tvs, iPhones, and computers. It's a very humbling and eye opening experience to see just how blessed we all are to have all these normal everyday luxuries that people over there will never have. My parents and I actually started a school in our village for all the girls and boys who couldn't afford to pay for school and it is thriving! We have over 100 kids and growing. I will be writing a post on our visit to the school soon.  Here are some pics from our trip I hope you guys enjoy them! 

Here is myself and two of my favourite little cousins.

 Two of of my favorite little girl cousins. 

Me and my dad. 

My aunt and I working on dinner, this is our "stove"

Wheat Field, which I'm twinning with!! 

Taking a ride to the market with my little cousin. 

Did a little impov Photoshoot in the wheat field because "hey, why not?"  

My precious baby cousin!! 

Henna!