GlamSmartz

Hello Glams! As you know I love food. I am a self proclaimed Foodie! I have committed myself to the Paleo Diet for sometime now. That change has really helped me get identify my weakness in food and stretched me to be mindful of what I eat.

So over the weekend I’ve made Paleo style lemon bars, applesauce, cornbread, faux mashed potatoes, and bacon wrapped meatloaf. Yes, all of that between Saturday and Sunday! Lol I just love cooking.

Lemon Bars recipe:
1.5 cups almond meal
2 heaping tbsp coconut oil melted
2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp maple syrup

Mix the above and push flat in a 9 by 9 greased pan and bake for 10-15 at 350.

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp lemon zest
4 tbsp coconut oil

In a saucepan on low place eggs and maple syrup and zest and continuously stir until it begins to thicken (applesauce/yogurt consistency). Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil at a time, stirring and waiting till it melts, then adding the next tbsp of coconut oil. Lastly add lemon juice and stir till it thickens back up.

Pour thickened lemon topping on top of baked crust and set in fridge for 1-2 hours. For a flair, zest more lemon on top as a garnish.
This recipe was shared with me from a fellow Instagram friend, “Paleoonthego.” Visit her page and blog, she has some great meal ideas as well!

Next, Applesauce:
Unfortunately my Hubster didn’t fell well. I wanted to doctor him to health, that involved me making Applesauce.

Recipe:
3 Apples of any sort (I used gala)
**10 apples
1 Tsp cinnamon
**2Tsp cinnamon
1 Tsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
**3 Tbsp honey
Dash of sea salt
(**if you’re doubling recipe)

Wash and dice apple into 1-inch cubes put them into a pot and fill it half way with water. Cover and cook on medium high until fork tender.

Drain the water saving some of the liquid. Put boiled apples into blender/processor. Next add all of the rest of the ingredients. Leaving the leftover liquid out. Then blend until desired consistency. Only use leftover apple water if the blending/mixing requires it.
There you have it. Enjoy warmed or chilled.

For the sake of not having a lengthy post, I’ll do the next two recipes on the next post. So keep an eye out!

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com

It is no surprise that I am a Do-It-Yourselfer in as many areas of my life as possible. But today, it’s all about the at home manicure using “I Love Nail Polish,” nail lacquer.

I ordered six of the Ultra Mini polishes. The Ultra Mini’s are 3ml at 3.75 dollars each. They came in a nice bubble envelope that was in a pretty Tiffany&Co. Each polish was individually boxed and label with the name of each color.

The overall package presentation was great. I really appreciate the hand written note on my invoice to acknowledge the slight delivery delay. The owner Barbra did not only notice it, but included an extra ultra mini polish to rectify the delay. That means the world to me, accountably and customer service.

All of the polishes that I ordered were glittery so I decided to use an “I Love Nail Polish,” as an accent color.

For starts in regards to the product Pros:
-I like that it doesn’t have a strong smell. Some lacquers are very offensive and unbearable to use.

-The brush paints well and has a full smooth brush applicator. I can appreciate that the brush compliments the polish.

-The polish has great luster and sheen, especially when finished with a Top Coat.

-I painted my nails five days ago and my 2 accent nails have yet to chip. (I’ve had two heavy kitchen days cooking and cleaning. So I have not been the most gentle on this set)

Cons:
I don’t have any. And that’s not often to be able to say such.

Here is my current manicure with accent nails by I Love Nail Polish as well as additional colors used:

You can visit I Love Nail Polish and check out the variety of nail polishes available. Just go to www.ilnp.com for used polish and more. There are many collections the newest one, is a Hologram Collection.

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com

There are some foods that hard to be replaced no matter how much you try to “healthyize” them. (**Made up word but you understand me.) I had to reprogram my taste buds it has been a great exploration! I mean that in a good way too.

Let’s take on the Famous Taco:

Now according to Paleo this entire item is not wrong. The wrong part is the corn tortilla and cheese(depending on how strict your Paleo Diet is.). Neither items are allowed on the Paleo Lifestyle. So I sat out to make:
Taco Lettuce Wraps

Here’s what you’ll need:
•Clean ground meat any amount hormone, steroid free
•Salsa with clean ingredients(nothing that requires Hooked on Phonics to say)
•Romaine Lettuce Hearts or any Lettuce
•Chili Powder, Onion Powder, and Garlic Powder(1 & 1/2 tsp of each)
•Diced Tomatoes Salt free(read label)
•Taco Seasoning(beware when buying this and reading labels many contain corn starch, corn syrup, and other not needed fillers. Look for a clean one, I happened to have 3tbp of Tone’s Taco Seasoning that I brought from Sam’s Club. While that was not the cleanest, it was cleaner than those I saw at Kroger’s that day.

Reading the labels take a great deal of my time when shopping. But my thought is I don’t want junk in my kitchen. So I weed it out before it crosses the front door.

Ok now back to cooking…

-Brown the meat
-Once browned add the seasonings in any order
-Next layer 1cup of salsa to 1/2cup of tomatoes and continue until the entire can of tomatoes are gone
-Clean the Lettuce and any other veggies you’d like to top your wrap with. I used mushrooms and more salsa.

Finally ENJOY!

This was a quick and easy meal to prepare for the week. So have at it! Make Taco Wraps, chicken lettuce wraps, Philly wraps, just have at it and make it yours.

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com

Hello Glams!! I’ve missed you so much! I have, so I wanted to share with you on my progress. If you follow me on any of the social networks, you’ve seen my hash tag “Paleo.” I’ve been asked by many wondering what it is.

Paleo eating is eating pre-industrialized and commercial. What I mean by that is before the factory line started and the need to expand shelf life. I eat in season and clean foods. So that means meats, veggies, seeds and nuts no additional fillers. Yes, it does cost more, but my body feels much better now. Not to mention clear skin too.

Before the my fears of what I can’t eat settled in, I explored what I could eat. I enjoyed the journey of making my favorite meals in a healthier way. I’ve also added a few extras to my chef belt.

Let me call the truths over the last month:
-I have lost weight and several inches
-I have more energy
-I am focused
-I don’t crave bad foods as much
-I have developed a serious taste for veggies
-My body is toning well and looking cut
-I’m fitting clothes that I couldn’t this time last year!!!!

I have been sticking to this plan for close to a month now. I found that Saturdays when traveling was my greatest challenge of days. Monday through Friday, I have it in the bag that’s due to preparing my meals for the week on Sunday. For me preplanning works.

Paleo is a style of eating. I’ve learned running and cross fit training are ideal exercises for this plan. I train with the “C25K” application on my phone for running and other sources for body training. Now I want to report my measurement changes in a week and a half’s time:
Waist-.5 in
Hips- 1.5 in
Thighs(Left and Right)- 1.5 and 1 in
Biceps (Left and Right)- 1.5 and .8 in
Chest- 1.5in

My entire body is becoming more symmetrical. Of course I like that!
So there you have it. The proof is in the pudding. I’ll check back in, in a few weeks with an update of my progress. For meal updates you can visit me here for recipes and Instagram for more current ideas.

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com

Hello Glams!! I hope you are having an amazing day and your Spring forward didn’t hurt you too much. My lost hour was a bit rough. I want to help make your spring transition easier for you and your family.

How can I do that?
We can start with breakfast. Breakfast helps the body to carry on the day. Many times it is overlooked or wrong food choices are made. Here is a quick fix for breakfast.

Egg Drop Frittata Ham Cups (Lol delightfully named by Hubster.)

What you’ll need:
Cupcake pan
Non-stick spray or butter if don’t have a non-stick pan
Knife
Spoon
Sliced Ham(Aim for clean preservative, hormone, antibiotic free ham)
Eggs
Green pepper
Salsa(I look for clean preservative free salsa)

Let’s Cook:
-Preheat oven to 350
-Dice the pepper(to a size to match chunky salsa)
-Next Line each cup with 2 slices of ham if it’s on the thin side or 1

-Crack one egg in each cup of the pan
Or you can scramble each egg then pour it into the ham cup.

***the picture shows both. The white cups are the “dropped” cups, the yellow are scrambled.***

-Add a pitch or more of peppers in each cup
-Add 1 TBP of salsa per cup
~~~Once all of your pan is done, bake them for 35-40mins depending on your oven.

There you have a full protein, filling breakfast. This can be served alone or aside veggies, fruit. Each cup should hold 1 a whole egg, 1spoon of salsa, and a little more than a pitch of peppers. These refrigerate very well and reheat well. Enjoy!!

I say prepare at least 2 cups per person.

The finished product:

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com

I hope you had a great weekend! Now Spring is on the way blooming…

Here’s a clip of my NYC and Valentines Experience.

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com

Hello Glams!!! I am all about keeping a fun and spontaneous exercise routine. I brought the DVD, Black Girls Workout Too. Can I say that I am now in love with squats!! Lol I know that’s an odd thing to say.

I stalked the Instagram of Lana, who is one of the fitness instructors on the DVD. This is a mother-daughter team based from Atlanta and they are busting, burning, and eliminating those fat cells!!

And with Instagram pictures like this:

Why wouldn’t I try this program?

I always prefer DVD’s that do not require a great deal of equipment. For this program you’ll need 2-5lbs dumbbells and a mat if your surface is too hard for you. That’s it! The DVD is $25.00 and comes with a meal plan. The meal plan I have not found it to be useful.

I am a week and a half into the program and I can say my backside is IMPROVING!!! I love it and my arms are becoming more lean and cut. I have full body pictures to post and I will post comparison via Instagram. So follow me there and keep and eye out.

***Also for those of you wanting scenes of my Stellar Awards weekend, click here…

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com

The biggest thing that affects my ability to follow any diet plan is freedom. With respects, I do know that freedom is what initially landed me a size 24/28 and super morbidly obese. But as a foodie, I enjoy good food, creative cuisines, however it must be done in a healthy manner for my quality of life to continually improve.

I have followed the Paleo style of eating for little over a year now. However my ability to follow it outside of the weekend was challenging. That’s when I preferred Weight Watchers, you logged everything and knew what could be eaten it just needed to be counted.

After a year of yo-yoing with in the same 5-10 pound range in 2012. I learned the importance of personal accountably all the more. So enough of my story, let’s get to cooking Paleo style!!!

Ingredient List:
6 Bell Peppers
2lbs ground beef(grass fed is always better)
1 onion
1 garlic clove or minced garlic
3 tbp Italian seasoning
1/2 tbp sea salt (depending on taste)
1/2 black pepper (depending on taste)
2 tbp Thyme
2 tbp Basil
1 -28 oz. Can of diced tomato italian flavored(be sure to check ingredient list, no sugar, or odd preservation chemicals )
1-28 oz. Can plain diced tomato (be sure to check ingredient list, )
2-3 Tbsp EVOO

•Start with Cleaned peppers inside and out, place them in a with the tops cut like below. Be careful not to cut too high up or the core stem will be empty(a few of mines are that way)

set that aside

•Dice the onion
•In a pan on med heat sautéed the onions in the EVOO for mins. Then add the beef.
•As it browns add the garlic if minced use 2tbp, and salt/pepper next. Stir in the additional seasonings, lastly the tomatoes just pour in the entire cans.

Once browned
•Spoon in the filling all the way to the top.
•Once filled sprinkle pepper with paprika(optional)
•Set timer for 45min and Bake 375 degree

***About 20 left on the timeer***
•I added the tops back sprinkled EVOO along with sea salt and pepper until the timer went off.

And there you have it!
Paleo friendly stuffed peppers. You can play around with the spices as you’d like. I made a set for my Mom and added cheese. The door is open just enjoy the cooking process and hopefully you’ll also enjoy the delightful taste.

If you do try this please tell me how his works for you!

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com

Hello Glams good day! I hope your day has been fantastic. I stumbled across a new detangler and it’s Olive oil! All of this time I have brought products labeled “Detangler” or a certain conditioner. I’ve been natural for three years and three months and I recently stumbled on this! You may have already known of this jewel, I’m not sure. But I had to share.

The Olive Oil… I’m adding another reason to the list of why this is a staple product for me.

I learned of this nee use while taking out my braids from a sew in (protective style). My hair was braided for six and a half weeks. Here was my process:

•Oiled hands and hair
•Starting from the ends combed my fingers to detangle. As I moved up more oil was applied (or if it product build up was in a section)
•Patience is the key. I allowed my hair to absorb the oil then proceed to separate my hair and detangle.

That’s it!!! No need to bother with purchasing so many separate products. If you would like, just keep it simple.

Buy a large jar of Olive Oil and consider its many uses…

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com

Hello Glams! I was searching through my Pinterest, and what did I find? Homemade Spa remedies! While going to a spa is nice and relaxing, there are times that only you can do it the way you want it done. Or, why not save the money for a handbag?

It’s your world and you deserve the best of both worlds.

Go raid your kitchen pantry for your latest spa session.

Happy Spa time Glams! This is perfect to shed the winter dead skin and prepare for the refreshes spring You!

Until next time Glams…
Love, live, and be Glamorous!!

***Please post any comments/questions. If you enjoy the contents of this blog please subscribe, it’s free!***
If your feeling social, GlamSmartz is available on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, follow and like us. Being Glam never ends!

For commissions, collaborations, advertising opportunities on the site, or just to say hello, please email:
GlamSmartz@gmail.com