OOTD: Prints & Navy

It's only Tuesday and I'm already feeling pretty exhausted. I think the fact that it's darker outside when I wake up now is totally throwing me off. Oh that extra hour...how I miss it.

This morning I made a conscious effort not to wear black...let's see how I did:

Blouse- LOFT
Skirt- BCBG
Cardigan- Express
Shoes- Jessica Simpson
Belt- it was my grandmother's

I mentioned I was getting my hair colored this weekend (just the underneath part) because the highlights were too bright/yellow-toned.  I'm happy with the result and overall my hair feels so much better.  I think the bleaching dried it out a lot.  I also had it cut (split ends, begone!) The underneath will lighten a bit over time, which I'm 100% okay with as I kind of like that naturally-faded look.

The first thing I said when I walked into my office today was "I have an announcement: I cooked last night." I was so proud of the delicious meal I made last night that I just have to share it here. I worked from a recipe I found in Glamour Magazine.

It's a pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes, broccoli and Parmesan cheese. We added the grilled shrimp.

YUM! You can find the recipe in Glamour's issue with Kate Winslet on the cover.  Personally, I like to get inspired by a recipe but I don't always follow it perfectly. I add or take away things based on my preferences---but recipes are nice because they give you an idea of what foods complement each other and how to prepare everything (which can be a foreign concept to newbies like me.)

Hope everyone has a lovely night!

xoxo,

Veronika.

Sunday Soup: My First Attempt at Cooking Healthy!

Cooking and I, we have a mixed history.  I'm not one of those people that loves to grocery shop for ingredients and then cook something awesome. I don't enjoy any part of it really.  However,  in my quest to eat healthier and incorporate more veggies into my life, realized I'd have to cook in order to accomplish that goal.

I hate following recipes. I kind of google what I want to make and then loosely follow the recipe and add or take away whatever I like. I know that's probably a silly approach, especially for someone who can't really cook well...but it makes cooking a little more tolerable for me.

I enjoy baking (hello cupcakes!) but I can't seem to wrap my heart around cooking.  It takes a lot of effort and like I said above, I hate following recipes and having to buy every.single.ingredient. that needs to go into the recipe.  I use recipes more like a guide instead of a set of distinct instructions.

While grocery shopping today, I decided I wanted to make a healthy, veggie-packed soup.  I googled a soup recipe on my iPhone as I shopped and picked up some of the ingredients that appealed to me and added some of my own favorite veggies.

I'm quite pleased with how my soup turned out! 

Ingredients I used:

• Onion
• Garlic Powder
• Black Pepper
• Carrots
• Tomato
• Sweet Green Peas
• Zucchini
• Light Red Kidney Beans
• Great White Northern Beans
• White Potatoes
• Organic Chicken Stock
• Parsley

My H loved the soup too---though he did add more salt and spice to his. I'm okay with a lighter tasting soup but he likes his a little spicier.

Though it takes awhile to peel and chop everything, I'm really glad I took the time to do it because now I'm more confident about exploring more and trying different recipes (or recipe guides, as I like to use them.)

Are you a cooking novice like me? How did you finally get yourself excited about cooking? Let me know because I could use more motivation!

xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- I have a giveaway coming up this week!  Look out for that :)

OOTD: Zara Black Dress & Cooking Healthy Meals

Today I decided that H and I would try to cook 2 new meals a week.  I got this awesome cook book from my amazing friend Ed for my birthday called "Eating Well Serves Two" and I must admit I haven't ever really used it.  I would like to learn how to make yummy, healthy meals now so when we have kids I can just whip it up effortlessly.  I sometimes think I should buy myself one of those cute, girly aprons to encourage myself to want to cook more. LOL. Maybe that's just the push I need.

Today I wore that new black dress I purchased at Zara on Saturday.  It's really comfortable. I did wear a slip with it because though it's not sheer, it's not perfectly opaque in the skirt area either and it's better to be safe than sorry. It's just a cheap, nude, skirt-slip from Target.

Dress- Zara, size M, $39.50
Shoes- Jessica Simpson
Necklace- Forever 21
Bag- MbMJ

I blow-dried my hair this morning and I definitely feel the lightness and different shape it has since I got it cut. I know it doesn't look drastically different (it's not) but it feels a lot lighter and more manageable and Stephanie definitely took my layers up a ton (and they needed it!)

What are some of your favorite healthy dinner ideas?  If you know of any great cooking blogs or have any recipes to share, post them in the comments below! Thank you <3
xoxo,

Veronika.