Guest Blog Post: 5 ingredient fast and easy vegan recipes

This post will be featuring a guest-blogger! Caitlyn’s blog consists of a collection of easy-to-make vegan recipes that are no more expensive than a meat-eater’s grocery bill. She has shared 4 of her favourite 5 ingredient recipes for this week’s post. Whether you are exploring an alternative diet, transitioning to veganism/vegetarianism, or already there, these recipes will make dinner-time easy!

5 Ingredient Falafel

• 1 can chickpeas (400g), drained
• 1/2 red onion, peeled & finely diced
• 1 tablespoon of parsley
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

Combine chickpeas, onion, parsley, cumin and flour in a blender until texture is a thick paste. Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten. Fry in 2 inches of oil on medium heat for 2-5 minutes. Serve with hummus and vegetables in a pita or in a salad!

5 Ingredient Cheese Sauce

• 1 tablespoon margarine (I recommend Earth Balance)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup almond milk (I use unsweetened Almond Breeze)
• 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a skillet or pot, melt the margarine over medium heat. In a blender, mix together the flour, almond milk, margarine and nutritional yeast until all clumps are gone. Add sauce to any pasta, steamed vegetables or even add some chili powder for tortilla chip dip!

5 Ingredient Soup

• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (411g)
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf (optional)

Combine all ingredients and let the soup come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low let simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Serve with by itself or add any amount of noodles/couscous.

5 Ingredient Stir-Fry

• firm tofu, diced
• 1 cup of whole grain minute rice
• 1 Kikkoman stir fry seasoning mix packet
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups of Asian style frozen mixed vegetables

In a large pan, add 1/4 cup of water and seasoning mix. Meanwhile, fry tofu in a separate pan with the vegetable oil until the tofu is golden. Add the mixed vegetables and tofu to the seasoning mix pan and fry until the vegetables are cooked and sauce is thick. Serve with rice or by itself!

Lazy Girls Guide To: Dressing up Leggings

Lazy Girls Guide to: Dressing up Leggings

As a die-hard legging enthusiast, I have developed a few tips and tricks over the years to help give my boring leggings a little more style. Because let’s face it, you never know who you’re going to see at the library.

To all my university girls out there – what comes to mind when I say midterms? No, I mean like aside from panic attacks and all-nighters? That’s right – endless days at the library.

As girls who have committed themselves to a cubicle for full days, we know that being comfortable is the key to survival. Cue your leggings.

Try printed or textured leggings

 Comfort is king – but casual can be cute! Mix up your standard black leggings with your favourite patterns. Not big into printed pants? Try something with a visual texture, like a salt and paper to give your look a little extra!

 Add a bold scarf

 No energy to hunt for anything besides your go to leggings and over sized white t-shirt? Mix up the monotony of your get up by throwing on an bold scarf. Bright colours can help your outfit stand out, and overstated patterns pair well with simple staples!

 Change your shoes

 The shoes you wear with your leggings can help to change the entire tone of your outfit. To dress up your leggings, throw on your favourite pair of black leather boots. The black on black helps to streamline your outfit, and the leather helps to hide some of the yoga-pant-like-comfort while dressing up what you can see.

For a more relaxed look, wear your favourite flats or ankle booties with a boyfriend shirt for a look that says comfy casual, but still trendy.

 What’s your go to look for leggings? Let me know in the comments below. Happy studying!

3 tips for 1 outfit: Day to Night

As fashion favouring women we know that, after getting out of bed, picking out an outfit is the hardest part of our morning. There’s so many questions we need answers to before we can pick an outfit: what’s the weather doing, how do I want to wear my hair, do I have time to shave my legs. This is certainly not a process we have the luxury of repeating twice in one morning.

But as women on the go, we often have schedules that require us to go from day to night. Whether it be work to meeting,school to party, or somewhere in between, here are 3 quick tips to help you to take your look from day to night:

1. Layer – Just like your mom taught you for those in between fall days. Jackets and camisoles are great ways to make your outfit daytime appropriate. Got a dress that’s ready for your after work date but a little risqué for the office? A well coordinated camisole works wonders. Spaghetti straps? Rock a blazer for a little extra coverage.

2. Accessorize- I’m a firm believer in accessories making or breaking an outfit. Throw on a patterned scarf in the morning and switch it out for a statement necklace that night – you’ll change the lines as well as the tone of your outfit.

3. Amp up your makeup- My makeup for day is almost always much more subtle than my night time look, but making the switch from day to night doesn’t have to take you more than five minutes. Pack your foundation for any touch ups, your eyeliner for a more dramatic look, and your favourite bold lipstick to give your look that extra oomph.

What are your favourite tips for a full day of fashion? Let me know in the comments below!

Introduction

 

What I want to do with this blog is show all different types of busy women the easiest tips and tricks for looking their best while in a rush. It is my belief that every woman has the right to feel beautiful on a daily basis, and I’m here to help make sure that happens.

Remember when you were a little girl, and your mom’s makeup and clothing seemed so glamorous? The way the lipstick could totally brighten her face or an evening dress could make her look so beautiful. I do. I promised myself when I grew up and had my own dresses and makeup I would always look just like my mom before she was ready for a big event.

And then I grew up.

It’s not that I like makeup any less now, actually if we’re being honest you could say over the years I’ve developed a bit of a passion for the duo. Okay, if we’re actually being honest I have a full blown obsession, but who’s judging?

Anyways, my problem isn’t that I don’t love looking my best, my problem is I have no time. I’m a full-time student who works two jobs and volunteers on the side – while still trying to look good while searching for a full time job in the beauty industry.

To make myself look like the way I wanted to in the time I had, I had to figure out fashion and beauty cheats. Ways that I could look like I had spent an hour getting ready this morning instead of 15 minutes. Ways to be Sleepless in Sparkles.

Let me know in the comments section below if there are any tips or tricks you want me to cover, and be sure to check back every Monday for my latest post.

Until then, stay Sparkly.