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Roni

Fitness

Book Club: Bikini Season

For someone who basically grew up in a library, I have to admit I’m pretty upset with myself that I don’t spend more time reading. Which is why I forced myself to put down the remote, stop watching reruns and actually read something for once. I mean, it’s summer for Pete’s sake. I should be outside on the porch, not cooped up inside.

I wanted to start light, something that wouldn’t take too much brain power, but still might be fun to dig into. So I did what any penny pinching person might do, I hit up the discount rack at Barnes and Noble. You’d be surprised, not everything in there is a bad read. Just means not everyone is flocking to the same titles.

So I fished out this title, “Bikini Season“. All you men out there, I already know I lost you because it clearly screams girly novel. Which it is. I’m not denying it.

The story follows four women struggling with their weight and their lives. They turn their monthly cooking group into a weight loss group, but it also becomes a therapy session for all of them. Particularly the main character who is struggling with whether or not she is about to marry the right man (a very pushy, possessive soon-to-be-doctor who is as hansome as they get.) And while it may seem super cheesy, I actually really was drawn in by the characters and their stories, what made each one tick and trying to figure out how they would turn their lives around. Single, married, ready to be married, or handling health problems, these ladies were tackling it.

I have to admit, I did not try the recipes in the back of the book, but I think I might. They looked interested and some of them were allegedly healthy. (And included Weight Watchers points value.)

So I do recommend checking it out and I even have a copy if anyone wants to borrow it. It’s a fairly fast read and perfect for taking to the beach.

Grab a copy for your Kindle here: Bikini Season, Kindle Version

July 23, 2014 by Roni

Food, Sweet

Real Watermelon Jello Shots

"Real" Watermelon Shots

BBQ time means watermelon. But when the majority of those attending are adults, well, it just makes sense to make Jello shots. However, those little cups get messy and then there is all the trash that comes with it, so we found another way to make Jello shots without all the plastic trash and to make it look cute. Plus, it wasn’t that much work! Just a lot of gelatin.

Katie will probably kill be for the above picture, but to be fair, she knew a picture was about to be taken. Just proof that we did, in fact, eat them, and I will say they were delicious!!

The below picture is just to give you a sense of how we filled the melons (you’ll need that for later when you look at the recipe.) So clear out the fridge and make some! We’ve been talking about doing this to all kinds of fruit for a Jello shot “fruit platter” with lemons, limes, oranges, and strawberries. How fun would that be?!

"Real" Watermelon Shots

“Real” Watermelon Jello Shots

Gather
1 large watermelon
4 3-ounce boxes of watermelon Jello
2 1-ounce boxes of unflavored gelatin
4 cups of vodka (plain or watermelon flavored)
4 cups of water

With a large knife, carefully split the watermelon in half, lengthwise. It will now be in two halves. Scoop out the fruit, leaving the rind and less than a 1/4 inch of fruit. Set fruit aside for snacking later. Place watermelon rind in a glass baking dish with sides. It will act as a bowl for the Jello shots. Keep it in place with paper towels, so it won’t tip.

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add gelatin and watermelon Jello to a large bowl. Add boiling water and whisk until gelatin is dissolved. Add 4 cups of vodka and stir until combined.

Pour mixture into one half of the watermelon until it is filled to the top. If using a large watermelon, you may only need one half. If a small watermelon, you might use both halves.

Place is refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours or until gelatin is hardened. Once hardened, remove from fridge and slice into 1-inch pieces. You can cut them once again so they look like wedges. Refrigerate until the party.

July 21, 2014 by Roni

Fashion

Double the Pattern, Double the Fun

This morning I couldn’t help myself. I was in one of those moods where you just want to go a little crazy. Just a little. Why not double the patterns up in my outfit. Right? And this is super cute! Mostly because I love teal and orange together, but also because even alone, I love these patterns.

Crazy? Not so crazy. You can pair two patterns together, just one has to be less busy than the other. So I paired this bold orange stripe with my favorite teal geometric shorts, then topped it off with a simple long chain with a teal pendant. Voila! Instant outfit, only three pieces.

For a closer look at the short pattern:

Double the Pattern Stripes and Geo

Mix your patterns and share them with me. I’d love to see how you’re styling your summer outfits. Below, check out some stripe and pattern options to double the pattern in your own closet. And remember, complimentary colors can go a long way in helping your outfit feel like it goes together.

Double the Pattern:

July 18, 2014 by Roni

Fitness, Health

Drink Black Coffee

BlackCoffee

When I was little, I didn’t grow up in a household that drank coffee. My mother was more likely to drink iced tea or put a kettle on the stove to steep blueberry tea than she was to put on a pot of coffee. Which is why, it seems odd to me that for Christmas I asked for a Keurig and I have at least one cup a day.

My grandparents, on the other hand, were the only ones I really knew who drank coffee. My grandfather would pour his into a to-go mug so he could take laps around the campground (they owned it), mow the lawn, or open up the pool for guests in the summer.

It wasn’t until I was in college that it was more prominent. Long hours in the library, late nights studying, attempting to wake up on a Sunday morning. You get the point. It was there. But at that point, it was coffee drowned in sugar and cream so people could stomach the bitter taste of cafeteria-brewed sludge (no offense SMC). Even when we went to Dunkin Donuts, the cups were in a film of sugar or the coffee was consumed in the form of a Coolatta. A Dunkins was in walking distance of campus, so let’s just say it got a lot of business from students.

I went through another basically coffee-free phase when I moved in with friends after college. I don’t even remember a coffee machine being in our apartment, but I’m pretty sure one of the boys had a morning cup of Joe. The rest of us considered it, but it wasn’t driving our mornings.

By the time I got a job out of college and back into coffee, everyone I saw was drinking it in any combination of non-fat-three-pumps-of-this-or-that-syrup-and-maybe-I’d-rather-have-the-full-fat-milk-please.

But when I realized my waistline was growing, and went into full let’s-count-every-calorie mode. Out went the sugar and cream from my coffee, I drank it black (which I still do today). Out also went a lot of other junk food, but the point was, I went from 100 calories a cup to 5 calories a cup. (Believe me, I wasn’t drinking just one cup a day.)

Sure, a 95 calorie deficient doesn’t seem like much. But add it up. if I drank two cups a day for a week, that’s an additional 1,330 calories – an entire DAY of food.

So every time I hear someone say they’re getting their second large coffee with extra cream and extra sugar, I worry. How can we keep blaming each other for how unhealthy we’re living. Little changes could make such a drastic difference. I’ve gone from double digit pant sizes to the entire other end of the spectrum. And it started with making healthier choices.

Plus, black coffee isn’t as bad as it seems. You can actually tell the difference between good coffee and bad coffee.

And I know this is a long rant, but I beg of you all, take a minute to reconsider your morning coffee, try it black. It has so many benefits, but when it’s covered in calories, you might as well be having a bowl of Cheerios doused in sugar or a banana dunked in chocolate. (Although very delicious, defeats part of the point.)

Ok, rant over. Back to the kitchen.

July 15, 2014 by Roni

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