Liebster blog award

Such a big thank you to Hilliary of Happily Ever Healthy!  She has an amazingly cute blog (It's a "must" on my daily read list). If you've never seen it, go check it out!!!! :D

Last Tuesday, She gave me this award:

Here are the rules of the award:
1. Copy and paste the award on your blog

2. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you
3.Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog
4. Hope that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.

So drumroll please!!! Without further ado...

My top five picks:

1.  Molly @ Hungry Hungry Runner
2. Meg @ Life of Meg
3. Alyssa @ Fashion Fitness Foodie
4. Stefanie @ The New Healthy
5.  Colleen @ Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill

Yaaayy! I love spreading the blog love! 
It fits perfectly with the fact that as soon as Halloween is over, I'll be in full Christmas mode :)

[source]

Happy living (and safe Halloween!), 
~Princess

Exams+Toaster Waffles+Train = Healthy Cookies

Yowza!!!
It feels like forever since I last posted! Blame it on school, and this terrible thing called midterm exams.
Microbiology was like a mini cupcake, short, sweet, and no regrets after. I got 90%!
My other two classes (Nutrition and Food Science) also went well, and my last class (Statistics) went... let's just say there were a few blank answers. Numbers are tricky okay?!

Anyhow, now I have much more time to do important things, like be on my computer :)

And this weekend, I'm hopping a train to Toronto.

[source]

 I'll definitely bring some healthful Halloween cookies for my special friend.

I was thinking these:

Pumpkin Peanut Butter Cookies

Skinny Chef

No, no, definiitely these:

Caramel Apple Granola Cookies

He Makes She Makes

No, for sure these:

Coco Bats

Skinny Chef

We'll see :)

Happy living, 

~Princess

P.S.

In case you are wondering, Nature's Path Flax Plus Toaster Waffles make a perfectly acceptable Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner during exam week.

I would know...

Scones for Everyone!! (You too homeless man down my street!)

It started as any other day.
I was just doing a little coffee run on Ste.Catherine Street (one of the main shopping streets in Montreal).

 [source]

There are many homeless and begging people on this street, and I always wish I could do more to help. Anyhow, one particular elderly man I saw had a sign asking people for any food they could spare! There's NO WAY I could just turn away from that. So I picked up an extra scone when I bought my coffee:

He was so happy! But I think I was even happier. Small gestures just make you feel all warm and fuzzy.

When I got home, I still had that darn scone story on my mind. Why not google scones?? I searched through many recipes, looking for tasty, healthier, and more creative options. I couldn't help but share the best:

Blackberry Coconut Chocolate Scones

Wellsphere

Avocado Scones

Family Fresh Cooking

Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cherry Scones

Healthy Green Kitchen

It's sooooo going to be a scone weekend :)

Happy living,
~Princess

Macadamia Madness & Happy Toast :D

I LOOOOOVE the nut butter section of the grocery store.

Seriously, I could spend maybe 15 minutes just staring at the beauty of the scrumptious peanut, hazelnut, almond and cashew spreads.

Why??

2 reasons:

1. Simply, nut butter means happy toast:

2. It fills your belly with a little protein and fat to help you have energy all day! There's nothing worse then finishing breakfast and being hungry again right after!

So I decided to buy this coolio nut butter I had never tried before**:

 **please note my brave and courageous behavior of trying new things!! 1 point for the princess!

Macadamia nuts are a high energy food, full of antioxidants, fiber, protein, minerals and monounsaturated fat (the good fat the helps reduce LDL [bad] cholesterol). Plus they taste great!!!!!

But I'm not going to stop there! What else can I use this creme de la creme for?
I was thinking maybe...

drizzle over this recipe I found:

Pineapple-Coconut Cereal

 (from Cafe Johnsonia)

It'll be like a tropical vacation from this rainy weather. I think it's a plan :D


 Happy living,
 ~Princess

Butternut Coconut Curry

Another weekend! Another chance to relax! Also...another chance to get prepped for the busy week ahead!

I decided to make a healthy dish that I could freeze now and eat later during the hectic week when I am feeling lazy overwhelmed with life :)

I was inspired by these recipes:

 Tofu and Butternut Squash Curry, Kitchen Daily

Squash and Coconut Curry, BBC Good Food

The final ingredient list:

-butternut squash
-tofu
-green pepper
-green onions
-medium curry powder
-light coconut milk

v

 And SHA-BAM!!!

I hope my roommates won't be surprised when I burst through the front door at the end of the day screaming "Coconut butternut curry!!!! Yesssssss!"  But...I think they're pretty used to that behavior by now :)
Happy living,
~APrincess

Macaroons, straight from Paris!

You know what I love about a healthy eating lifestyle?

The fact that it is actually GOOD to occasionally indulge.

A good example of this is when your roommate's mom visits from France and brings your own box of 100% Parisian macaroons!!!

 I think green first :)

Happy living,
~Princess

Healthy Strawberry Shortcake...for Breakfast!

This weekend, I thought my special visitor should get a special breakfast. The first morning started with this:

 Strawberry Shortcake Scones

(adapted from bakingforhersoul)

Here's a shot right before it's eaten!!

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan Margarine (you can use butter too)
• 1/4 cup SO Delicious Coconut Milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• yogurt or whipped cream
• tub of strawberries

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar together.
3. Using a pastry blender, or your hands, cut the cold Earth Balance into the dry mixture until it’s evenly mixed throughout the dough, like pea sized chunks.
4. Mix in the coconut milk and vanilla extract until thoroughly combined, and gather all of the dough into a ball.
5. On a floured surface, roll out the dough until it’s between 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch thick.
6. Using a cup, cut out even sized scones and place on sprayed baking sheet.
7. Make a mixture of a tiny bit of coconut milk with equal amount of powdered sugar and mix together. Brush onto the tops of the scones, and sprinkle with granulated sugar (optional).
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Remove and allow to cool fully.
9. Top with yogurt or whipped cream and strawberries.


 SO GOOD! There was actually a comment from my boyfriend that this is one of the best recipes I've made him :)

It also gave me a chance to try out my new coconut milk:

 I'll post about Thanksgiving tomorrow!

 Happy living,
~Princess

Life definitely never goes as planned!

This is what I hoped today's blog post would be based on:

Someone special in your life that deserves a little cookie love? I found a recipe for these delicious looking hunks of wonderful while I was searching the web:

Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Spelt Flour Healthy and Gourmet

And this is what actually happened:

Have you ever had a boyfriend arriving on a train in less than 25 min, and you still have to straighten your hair, find something nice to wear, fix your makeup, overall beautify yourself, arrive at the train station in style, AND BAKE COOKIES?!

If you ever find yourself in this situation, I highly recommend running to the nearest convenience store, purchasing a pouch of Betty Crocker Double Chocolate Chunk cookie mix, frantically baking them, and then arriving to pick up said important person just on time.

In all other situations, I recommend making the healthier and probably tastier version :D

Either way, it gives you a chance to fill your cookie jar:

 Happy living (and Canadian Thanksgiving!)
~Princess

Princess for the win!!!

The new issue of Clean Eating Mag is in!

 I could pretend to be normal and hold in my excitement, but life's too short.

In other news, 

GREEN TEA RICE CAKES?!

not sure whether to be impressed or sceptical...

I'll have my green tea loving boyfriend try them out first. That's what boyfriends are for, to taste test. ;)

Happy living, 

~Princess

Letter to the Princess: Tasty munchies

Thank you for your question ANONYMOUS reader! (gotta love supportive family)  <3

Dear Princess,
I was packing today for a rather long trip that I'm about to take, and I thought I had everything I needed. Comfy shoes? Check. Headphones? Check. Three books, four magazines, and a catalog to read between layovers? Check. But tasty munchies? None!
What kind of goodies do you stash in your skate bag when you're on the go?

I am truly a Princess of snacks! I always have an emergency munchie or two in my bag.

I'm not sure why I always started to make sure I have food on hand...maybe it's because I turn into a raging tantrum throwing beast when I'm hungry :)

ANYWAY, I always bring some back up food with me, so starving is far from possible!

THE PRINCESS'S 2 MAIN "ON THE GO" FOOD GROUPS :)

1. BARS

2. PACKETS

Of course you can always never go wrong with a healthy homemade trailmix!!!

 Glow Trail Mix

All this goji barry and dark chocolate goodness from Keep it Skinny

Hearty Healthy Trail Mix

This dried fruit, nut, and granola masterpiece from Eat Clean Diet

Tropical Trail Mix

This recipe combo of pineapple, coconut, and macadamia from laurajcampbell

So wherever you go, you can have that "I just ate something delicious, and it was healthy!" smile on your face :D

Happy living, 

~Princess