Sunday in the Country

J and I went to Sunday in the Country yesterday. It was an all day country concert where we saw The Henningsens, Maggie Rose, Randy Houser, Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert, and Gary Allan. It really couldn't have been a more beautiful day! We started with a tailgate in the morning where we met new friends then moved into the pavilion to enjoy the music. My outfit worked well transitioning from a warm day to a cool night and I couldn't have been more comfortable. I'm already excited for next year.

Now it's time to get back into the swing of things this week after a long Sunday. I can't believe September is about to be over.

Fall Country Concert

Let's get one thing straight. I am not a fashionista. I definitely try to keep up with trends and I like to think that I have good taste. Tomorrow J and I are going to Sunday in the Country - an all day country concert at an outdoor pavilion. I try to go to this concert every year and it never lets me down! The weather is going to be perfect during the day and it always gets a little chilly at night. My solution is a button down chambray shirt so that I can roll up the sleeves during the day, a scarf, and leggings. I will be super comfortable and be able to stay warm once the sun goes down.

I had been staring at the gold and crystal link bracelet from J.Crew Factory for like six months and I bought it today, finally. I know it's a lot of J.Crew and Loft. Don't judge.

Get the look:

Factory classic chambray shirt $40.50

Ponte Leggings $49.50

Factory printed tissue scarf $29.50

Factory gold and crystal link bracelet $24.50

Bow earrings - Loft Outlet $12.99

Gold watch - Loft Outlet $19.99

Steve Madden Cindi Boot - bought last season

Chocolate Glazed Banana Bread

My mom loves chocolate. When she saw this Banana Bread with Chocolate Glaze on the cover of Cooking Light this month she immediately came to me and asked me to make it for her. Oh yeah, my mom hates cooking and avoids it at all costs. I have no idea where my love of cooking and nutrition came from. Anyways, I made it for her today and it came out so amazing. It makes the whole kitchen smell amazing too! 

You can find the recipe here. It was really easy to make, not a lot of ingredients, and I'm pretty sure most people like banana bread. The chocolate drizzled over top makes this banana bread recipe extra special.

Jewel of Winter

I got way too excited at the grocery store when I saw that pomegranates are back on the shelf. I absolutely love eating these all throughout the fall season. The tiny pink arils just burst in your mouth with a sweet and tart juice. Pomegranates are considered a "superfood" because they are packed with antioxidants. People always rave about antioxidants, here's why: they neutralize free radicals in our bodies that can lead to aging and disease.

Honestly, I just eat the arils by the spoonful. You can also add them to a spinach or kale salad, your morning yogurt or oatmeal, or cook the arils down to make a sauce or vinaigrette. Don't forget you can extract the juice and add it to a cocktail, duh. FYI - to eat a pomegranate you need to cut it down the middle and pick out the arils from the inedible white membrane parts. It takes a little bit of work, but it's worth it.

Photo Frame Collage

The weird empty space on my wall was really bothering me. So I figured the best way to use the space was make a small photo frame collage. I had just made some beautiful frames and decided to buy a couple more inexpensive white frames to spruce up the room. I usually go to Michael's for just about anything because they always have coupons. I'd say the collage turned out super cute. I can never get enough pictures of friends, family, and J into my space.

White frames: two 8x10, one 5x7, and two 3.5x5
Seashell frames: one 5x7, one 5x5, one 4x6

Not Your Mother's

I have long hair and I intend to keep it that way. I'm pretty sure J would hate me if I cut it... I have tried various shampoos and conditioners for long hair and have found that my favorite is Not Your Mother's Way To Grow Long and Strong shampoo and conditioner. I was surprised to find that this brand is so affordable ($5.99 for most products). I like to switch up my shampoo and conditioner every once in a while, but I think I'll be sticking with this one for now. These products smell great and my hair is so soft after a shower. Side note: the conditioner doesn't lather super well, but I promise it's still great.

Check out more products for all kinds of hair from Not Your Mother's:

Kinky Moves Curl Defining Hair Cream

Beach Babe Texturizing Cream

She's a Tease Volumizing Hairspray

Beat the Heat Thermal Styling Spray

Greek Quinoa Salad

If you haven't tried quinoa yet, you should. I'm definitely a fan of this trend. At first, it was a weird texture for me to get used to, but by finding recipes with flavors I like it was easy to enjoy. Here are a couple facts for you - quinoa is an ancient grain that cooks quickly and is gluten free with an added bonus of fiber and iron. Quinoa is also a "complete protein" meaning that it has all nine essential amino acids which generally only applies to meat sources. Nice, right! To cook quinoa, simply add twice the amount of water as quinoa (be careful, it doubles when it cooks) bring it to a boil then cover and reduce to a simmer until all the water is absorbed. 

I love all kinds of Greek pasta salads so I tried it with quinoa and it totally works. Make this for lunch or as a side dish for dinner.

Ingredients

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Pinch of salt and pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup quinoa, cooked

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1/2 English cucumber, diced

1/2 cup feta cheese

Directions

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, oregano, red pepper flakes, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil, set aside. 
2. Transfer cooked quinoa to a bowl after it has cooled. 
3. Add the tomatoes, olives, red onions, cucumbers, and dressing. Stir to coat. 
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Just before serving, sprinkle feta cheese on top.

Terrapin Tailgate

It's football season which means tailgates every weekend. Yesterday was University of Maryland vs. West Virginia University in Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium. It was almost the perfect day to tailgate, the rain didn't start until well into the game. Food and drinks were plentiful along with enough Maryland pride to go around. I brought my delicious Black Bean & Corn Salsa, as usual.

Being able to see graduated friends and sorority sisters is always a plus. Not to mention a Terrapin victory!

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

I'm telling you this is the easiest, fastest, and cheapest thing to make when you need to take food somewhere. And duh, this salsa is delicious and healthy! J and I are meeting up with friends to tailgate for the Maryland vs. WVU game (go Terps!) tomorrow. Every time I bring this dish to share it's gone in minutes. 

Make this for your next tailgate or football watching session and you won't be disappointed.

Ingredients
15.5 oz can black beans
8.5 oz can sweet corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 bunch scallions, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Juice of one lime

Directions

1. Drain black beans and corn. 
2. Put everything in a bowl and mix. Ta da! 
3. Don't forget scoops tortilla chips for dipping. (Told you it was easy.)

Mexican Happy Hour

Getting acquainted with happy hour is a must. Spending time with friends while eating cheap appetizers and drinking fun drinks needs to be part of your routine. Last night two of my best friends and I met up for some Mexican food and margaritas, or as I like to call them 'margs.' It was a much needed, middle of the week outing. As usual, I ordered my favorite Sangria Swirl Margarita.

Getting served at a restaurant is fun, but so is making your own (skinny) margaritas at home. Don't settle for a bottle of tequila and a mix. Below are a few fun recipes I dare you to try.

Best Skinny Margarita Recipes:

Skinny Traditional Margarita

Skinny Raspberry Margaritas

4 Skinny Margarita Recipes

DIY: Seashell Frame

I am a serious seashell collector. I'm really not joking. Whenever I go to the beach for a week I come back with a boatload of shells. I pride myself on being able to find the best or most interesting ones. So obviously I need something to do with them. Summer may be just about over, but seashells are beautiful year round. If you're like me then you probably have some leftover shells hanging around. Check out what you can do with them.

What you need:

1. White frame with a flat surface (any size)
2. Store bought starfish (optional)
3. Craft sand
4. Your seashells
5. Hot glue gun
6. Craft glue with a sponge applicator

Instructions

The sand will be a little messy so make sure you have a space that's easy to clean up. Start by rubbing glue over the entire frame. Sprinkle a layer of sand onto the frame and let sit 2 minutes. Shake off any excess. Place seashells on the frame in a way that you like. Use the hot glue gun to glue shells to the frame one at a time (do not move the other shells, otherwise you may lose your spacing). Let sit for 30 minutes or longer and now you have a new beach inspired frame!

Surprise Splurge

My latest splurge was this Michael Kors 'Kempton' Nylon Tote. It's perfect and I love it. This bag is under $150 from Nordstrom and doesn't totally break the bank. Of course I'm on a budget, but that doesn't mean I can't spoil myself from time to time. My excuse for this purchase is getting a new internship. Which may also mean a small shopping spree for new clothes... Who knows!

Here are more of my favorites (for under $200):

Longchamp 'Le Pliage' Tote

Kate Spade 'flatiron - loretta' Tote

Michael Kors 'Signature' Tote

A College Weekend

Let's be real. This weekend all I did was indulge. Probably not the best thing for my body, but hey there is no better way to spend the weekend in your college town. For starters J and I had a movie night on Friday complete with a bottle of Pinto. Saturday consisted of a carb loaded dinner with friends, then chatting over wine, then out... Oops. To round out the weekend nicely, J and I went to my all time favorite bar and watched some football. We made sure not to forget our draft mugs.

Now that it's Monday I think it's time to get back to my usual routine. I always like to start the week off fresh.

Homemade Granola

You might ask what is the point of making homemade granola if you can just buy it? My answer to that is 1. You can change up any granola recipe and make it your favorite 2. It lasts forever and 3. It just tastes better. I make a big batch of this about once a month and I eat it almost every day. My usual combination is using it as a topping on my favorite vanilla nonfat Greek yogurt. 

I want you to try this recipe. I promise you'll like it more than any store bought granola you can find!

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup pistachios, chopped
¾ cup shredded sweet coconut
3 tablespoons chia seeds
¼ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup vegetable oil
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. 
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, chia seeds, coconut, and brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine maple syrup, oil, and salt. Combine both mixtures and pour onto 2 sheet pans. 
3. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. 
4. Mix in dried cranberries. Transfer to an air tight container and use whenever.

Espresso Cheesecake Brownies

Amazing is the best way to describe these Espresso Cheesecake Brownies. I knew I would love them no matter what, but the flavor of espresso makes them extra special. Last weekend J and I went to Pennsylvania to visit friends and family and these little desserts did not disappoint. Pair them with coffee after dinner and you might accidentally have more than one.

You can find the recipe here. I love finding blogs that have recipes that are actually as great as they sound! When I find a blog I love I always make sure to try at least one recipe and save it.