Where's Wednesday?: Market Fun

Who says going to the market can't be fashion-tastic?  Honestly, carrying my nice leather bags to the market can be a little annoying, especially when I'm picking my fresh produce.  Had I seen these adorable, pragmatic totes before, I would have snagged one already.  West Elm sells a variety of market totes, but the ones above are a few of my favorites.  The best part?  They are made in the U.S.A. and cost only $18!  Other than carrying them to the market, you can store your laptop in them as well.  You hit two birds with one stone!  Personally, lugging my InCase bag to the coffee shop just for my laptop can be troublesome at times, so this is good news for me.  Who could hate such a steal?  Grab a tote while they're still available!

Growing up, the sandbox never appealed to me. Even now, I wrinkle my nose at the thought of playing in one.  My playground, unfortunately, is Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  Despite frequenting Trader Joe's every week, I am always still delighted by the products sitting on the shelves.  Our familly's seasonal favorite from the store is the pumpkin bread mix.  Normally, my mom uses walnuts and dried cranberry, but because we ran out of the latter ingredient, we decided to improvise: walnuts, pecans, and raisins.  1/4 of the mixture wasn't topped with extra nuts since my rather fastidious brother has changing preferences.  While the bread baked in the oven, the fall scent of pumpkin spice permeated the living room... and I loved it!

1 Pumpkin Bread Mix 2 large eggs 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil 1 cup water 1 cups of walnuts 1 cup of pecans *margarine (use butter if you wish, but we prefer healthier alternates) optional: 1/2 cup dried cranberry

*Rather than mixing the margarine with the bread mixture, we coat the pan with margarine.

12 servings Calories per serving: 230 (using butter but fewer if using margarine) 18g sugar per serving

Save yourself the atrocious calories and sugar in the bread sold at stores and Starbucks by baking some right at home.  If you want to treat yourself to an even healthier alternative, buy the pumpkin bar mix. You'll be clocking in only 160 calories per serving.

Happy Wednesday, my beautiful readers!

Love, Pristine Christine

Throwback Thursday: Gettin' Ready for School

Top (left to right): Herschel Settlement Mid-Volume $55; MCM $540; Essl 'Austrian' backpack $124 Bottom (left to right): Baggu Backpack in Fig $42; Jansport Hoffan $40; Herschel Pop Quiz Backpack $70

Nowadays, it's difficult finding a mid-size backpack under $40.  Talk about inflation, increasing costs, and the principles of supply of demand.

Since pre-school, going back-to-school shopping has always been like visiting a candy store for me.  I have to try hard to resist the temptation of buying every nice pencil case, backpack, notebook, folder, and pen.  The one thing I adore about backpacks is their customizability, practicality, and durability (4 years on average).  Because I like to stand out, I always bought mine in eye-catching colors. In high school, I carried a baby pink Jansport, so I stood out in the crowd; in college, I owned a beautiful hot-pink Jansport.  From even half a mile away, you could spot me.  While I am an avid follower and admirer of fashion, I don't believe in lugging around laptops and school supplies in shoulder bags or totes.  Thus, to help you ease the pain of being trendy without looking dorky at school, I selected a few of my personal favorite packs, ranging from $40 to $540.  I'm all about finding the right tone that showcases personality and that perseveres seasons (neon is rarely fitting for Fall).

Getting ready for school also suggests kicking out the junk food and bringing in the nutritious goodies.  #tbt!  Snack of nostalgia: Wheat Crisps with Dip

Snackin' Right: 1. Wheat Crisps (Trader Joe's Reduced Guilt Wheat Crisps: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_XT_OAL8QRt0/TUi0q0ukmXI/AAAAAAAABVc/6bCetXLh0mw/s1600/IMG_7195.1.jpg) 2. Trader Joe's Spinach and Kale Greek Yogurt Dip (http://www.whatsgoodattraderjoes.com/2012/09/trader-joes-spinach-kale-greek-yogurt.html)

14 wheat crisps (140 calories) + 4 tbsp of dip (60 calories) = 200 filling calories (avoid consuming empty calories)

My parents, especially, my mom would always say to me, "College years are your best years. Enjoy them to the fullest."  How true her words remain.  I just graduated from college 2 months ago, and I already miss scrambling to ship boxes of belongings to Chicago and catching flights to reunite with best friends.  However, life moves on, and I must learn to continue friendships even if we're all dispersed across the country. C'est la vie.

Happy Back-to-School!

Get ready for some fun Friday Fashion tomorrow! Until then...

Love, Pristine Christine

Where's Wednesday?: In the Kitchen at Home--The Ultimate Veggie Wrap

Ingredients: 8" Whole Wheat/Sprouted Grains Tortilla Hass avocado Red leicester cheese with red chili and bell pepper (Trader Joe's) Tomatoes Alfalfa sprouts Iceberg lettuce Vidalia onion creamy dressing

1. Wash and rinse the veggies in water 2. Lightly warm up the tortillas for about 20-30 seconds 3. If the avocado is large, then use 1/4 of it. If it's small, then cut 1/2 of it.  Using a spoon or fork, spoon the avocado out of the skin and onto the area slightly below the center of the tortilla. Press and spread the avocado across (forks works best for this). 4. Dry the alfalfa sprouts with a paper towel and place the amount you desire on the avocado spread. 5. Cut tomatoes into thin slices and repeat Step 4. 6. By now, you should have cut the lettuce head in half and torn the leaves from the stem.  If not, do so. 7. Toss the lettuce leaves lightly in a tbsp or 2 tbsp of dressing (adjust it accordingly). 8. Place an appropriate amount of lettuce on tortilla 9. I like to slice an ounce of Trader Joe's red leicester cheese with red chili and bell pepper into pieces and add them to tortilla as well. 10. Fold opposite sides of tortilla inward and roll the final product for closure. Prep time: 10 -15 minutes

There you have it, folks.  Easy peasy, tasty, healthy wrap prepared right in your kitchen.  If you don't have time, grab a bowl of fruits to go with your meal. If you do have time, season some microwaved potatoes (5 minutes) with herbs and garlic salt and grill them in olive oil on a pan!

Staying fit in order to maintain both figure and health does not mean giving up fat or carbs. Just remember to consume complex carbs (whole wheat, non-refined, fruits, sweet potato, other veggies) and healthy fat (ex. omega-3 fatty acids) not simple carbs and saturated fat.

Until tomorrow...

Love, Pristine Christine