Just a random thought of the day.

I've been stressing over this for some time now.

 

I really need...need to stop feeling apologetic for who I am, what I look like, what I say and what I feel. Who doesn't like me for me can just deal with it. It isn't my problem.

 

That's all. For now.

 

I thought I'd throw in some Irish countryside. Ain't it lovely. :)

 

Dairy-free pineapple & rum muffins! ♥

Last night as I was getting ready for bed, this idea to make cupcakes/muffins popped into my head. I always get the best ideas as I am falling asleep. Since I am on lent until Easter, I don't eat meat or dairy, therefore I had to improvise and use dairy-free constituents.

 

 

Basically, you can use any kind of batter. In this case, I had to read the ingredients and make sure there was no milk derivatives in the mixture. In my pantry, I happened to have a pineapple batter, hence why I named the specialty pineapple & rum muffins. :)

 

A few months ago, perhaps longer, I was in the store, in my baking mode, and I bought sprinkles and decided to add it to the mixture, along with a few drops of rum. Then, I added organic, unsweetened soymilk. I poured in little by little until I felt it was enough. However, to make only the ten muffins that I did, I only used half of the batter. Since I practically live by myself, there is no one in the house that will eat them. My mother might have one or two just so she doesn't hurt my feelings. :) (Love you, Ma....)

 

Here is a doozy! Since I also had these beautiful paper baking cups (I found some from Thanksgiving and Halloween which I can't wait to use) I was terrified to have them in the oven. Thankfully, I googled it and found out they are oven-proof!

 

I put the oven to 450 degrees, and occasionally I took it down to 350 degrees or so. In about fifteen to twenty minutes, they were brown and delicious, ready for consumption.

 

 

These look delicious, too!

 

♥♥♥♥♥



Healthy Eating.

Most of my teenage life and now that I have entered adulthood, I have struggled with weight. I have been slim, super skinny to overweight so many times in my life that I have nearly lost track. Most (slim) people cannot fathom what yo-yo dieters go through, therefore they proceed to judge what they do not understand. It is hard, especially growing up in the Serbian culture, where people as they greet you will bluntly point out your flaws, such as "Wow! You have gained weight!" Or, "You are too skinny! Eat, eat, eat!" Not many people will reserve themselves and remain polite, thinking it is in their right to criticise you. And the people that often make those comments have been and are much heavier than me.... I'd like for them to take a good, hard look in the mirror and begin to fix their own flaws before they find faults in others. Now then, I've been trying to eat healthier. Now that summer is here, I started going to the pool to get my tan, I felt that it was more appropriate to eat lighter foods. I am not fat, so there is no strict diet and exercise program that I have to follow, but the better I eat, the better I feel about myself.

1. Sauteed vegetables: one of the common foods that I make. Since there is oil involved I have switched to EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil). First I chop up an onion, allow it to sautee for a few minutes, or until it turns a light brown color. Then, I add whatever other vegetables I decided to cook. To this dish, I've added asparagus, brussel sprouts chopped in three or four halves, and finally, mushrooms. I didn't dice them as usual, I wanted to be able to crunch into them.
2. Salads! Lately I've grown an appetite for salads. I fried up some hash brows the other day and I had one leftover, so I tossed it into the salad, along with one half of an avocado. On top, I drizzled some low-fat Italian dressing I buy at Aldi.
3. Lastly are fruits. Bananas have become my favorite in the past few years. Although I have to be careful in what store I purchase fruits, because not every store has the best and tastiest quality. Bananas, pineapples, apples, oranges are some of my faves. I've been unsuccessful at finding good strawberries. They're always too sour for my taste and they end up rotting in my fridge.