Quinoa & Chick Pea Stir Fry

So earlier today I discovered a delicious alternative to fried rice...by accident. 

I was in the kitchen preparing a bunch of meals for the next few days when my stomach started grumbling for lunch. I had some quinoa leftover so I decided to heat it up with some veggies in a pan. I sprayed a little of my favorite Trader Joe's Coconut Oil cooking spray in the pan along with the quinoa and set the heat on medium-high. Then I heard the distinctive gnawing sound of a bunny rabbit and ran over to find my pet rabbit, Luna chewing on a baseboard. I chased her down, picked her up, and secured her back in her cage with a chew toy. That whole time my quinoa was sizzling away on the stove.  When I came back I stirred it around to find that the bottom layer was now darker brown and a little crunchy. At first I thought I had completely ruined it but after a quick taste test I decided to let the whole mixture "burn" a little. I kept stirring it periodically and added in some chick peas with a little garlic salt. After about 8 more minutes I determined it was sufficiently crispy. I was pleasantly surprised by my little accident and it ended up tasting just like fried rice.  As for the veggies...they ended up being eaten with hummus. :) 

Sorry this photo is a little blurry. It wasn't well planned.

Hope you all have a great day!

Courtney

Video: Oil Pulling Update!

Good Morning, all!

As promised I made a short video with my update from my oil pulling experiment.

Check it out here: My Experience With Oil Pulling



Let me know if you have any questions and I'd be happy to help or point you in the right direction.
 I'd also love to hear about your experience with oil pulling so you can comment on this post, in the comments section on the video, or tweet me @imperfectperla.

Have a great day!

Courtney

Homemade Healthy Nutella

Oh, Nutella. Whoever decided to combine hazelnuts and chocolate into a creamy spread was a genius.  

I was in the experimental mood last night and noticed a small bag of hazelnuts in my cabinet that I bought in the bulk section of Whole Foods. So I decided to try to re-create that delicious hazelnut spread with a healthy twist.  Then, like I do with all my at-home experiments, I used my husband as a guinea pig. Consensus: he loved it.  My husband loves Nutella more than anyone else I know so I think we have a winner! 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of raw hazelnuts
• 1 Tbsp of chocolate protein powder. I'm using brown rice protein. 
• 2 Tbsp of raw cacao powder
• 2 Tbsp of chocolate almond milk*
• 5 Tbsp of coconut milk creamer*
• 1 1/2 packets of stevia
• 2 Tbsp of raw sugar. 

Steps:

1. Add just the hazelnuts to a food processor and blend until it turns into a meal/flour texture. 

2. In a separate bowl combine the remaining ingredients and mix together using a fork. 

3. Once the chocolate, milk, and sugar mixture is well blended add it to the food processor. 

4. Blend in the food processor in 1 minute increments, stirring the mixture well each time. You can stop blending once you have reached your desired thickness. If your mixture is too thick then add a little more milk and continue blending. 

5. Transfer your spread into a bowl and let it sit in the fridge overnight. 

6.Spread it on toast, mix into pancakes, or eat it by itself on a spoon for a little treat. ;) 

*You can substitute for any type of milk you like. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and get a chance to try this yummy recipe. Let me know how it works for you and I'd love to hear about any of your cooking experiments. You can leave a comment below or tweet me @imperfectperla. 

Have a lovely day! 

St. Patrick's Green Piña Colada Smoothie (No Alcohol)

Happy (almost) St. Patrick's Day!

I'm not really into corned beef and cabbage so I'll be mixing up a different St. Patty's treat. The weather has been so nice I thought I would put a summer spin on my smoothie and make it a piña colada minus the rum. 

Recipe:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (as always you could use any kind of milk you like)
• 3/4 cup of water
• 2-4 handfuls of spinach. Spinach blends down very easily so you really can add as much as you want. 
• 4 pineapple slices
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1 tbsp of chia seeds
• About 1/4 cup of coconut flakes
• 1 packet of stevia
• A few drops of green food coloring for extra green color

Blend it all together and enjoy!

Are you making any other treats for St. Patrick's Day? Let me know in the comments!

Have a great day!

Courtney

TGIF!

Happy Friday!

My brother in law sent me this today and it just cracked me up so I had to share it. If you watch my YouTube videos then you'll know how obsessed I am with my new bunny. If you haven't seen my YouTube channel featuring our little rabbit you can check it out here

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap

Welcome back!

I just posted a new video on my YouTube channel here reviewing the Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap. This stuff is really amazing. I bought mine at Whole Foods but I have seen it in basically every health food store I've ever been to so I can't believe it has taken me this long to try it. The price is not bad at $9 for a 16 oz bottle. or $10 for a 32 oz bottle. It is concentrated so a very little goes a long way. It's certified fair trade, certified organic, cruelty-free, and vegan.

The best thing about this product is its ability to multi-task. This soap can be used to clean just about anything. Just as the bottle states it is an "all-in-one" cleaner. I have used this as a face wash, body wash, floor cleaner, and shaving soap. It can also be used as a shampoo (both human and pet). If you are going to use it as a floor or household cleaner you need to dilute it. Use 1/2 cup of soap per gallon of water. I am not sure if I will use it as a shampoo since I color my hair and I think it might strip the color. As a face wash I found it really unclogged my pores and left my skin feeling very fresh. It did leave my skin a tiny bit dry but I always follow cleansing with a moisturizer so it's not a big deal.

Have you tried this magic soap? I'd love to hear your thoughts about this product.

Let's Talk!
Twitter: @imperfectperla
YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheImperfectpearl

Tips For Oil Pulling

Good Afternoon!

I just wanted to share a few tip on successful oil pulling that I forgot to include in my last post.

1. It is best to do it first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. If you are like me and need a cup of coffee to get things going in the morning then just drink 8-16oz of water and do the oil pulling. Then brush your teeth and try not to drink anything other than water (hot or cold) for 1 hour after oil pulling.

2. If you don't have time to do it in the morning then do it at night! The same rules applies. Before bed, drink your water, do the oil pulling, brush your teeth, and hop into bed.

3. Always use cold-pressed organic oil.

4. Don't feel bad if you can't swish for the full 20 minutes. Start out doing it 5 minutes and work your way up to 20.

5. Always brush your teeth after oil pulling. For extra whitening I like brush with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.



I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions or advice regarding oil pulling.

Tweet me:@Imperfectperla
YouTube: www.youtube.com/TheImperfectpearl or search Blush&Bunnies
email: cwlinguistics@gmail.com
Instagram: liveloveandtiu

Have a great day!

Courtney

My Journey Into Oil Pulling. Does It Work?

I was inspired to take another journey into oil pulling by lovelyreverie_ on Intsagram. She posted a photo about oil pulling and it got me thinking. I have tried oil pulling a couple of times inconsistently and while I did notice a whiter smile, I don't think I was consistent enough to fully reap all of the benefits.

I did some additional research and came across an article claiming that oil pulling could be a cure for headaches or migraine. As a frequent migraine sufferer I am open to just about any suggestion to relieve my pain.

Oil pulling is where cold pressed organic oils are swished around in the mouth for about 20 minutes each day. Coconut and sesame oils are the most popular to use for oil pulling. I use coconut. This process of swishing the oil in your mouth is supposed to help kill bad germs that live in your mouth. Apparently the oil also  "pulls" germs and toxins from other parts of your body via your mouth. After the time is up you spit the oil into the trash so that no toxins are reabsorbed. It is not recommended to spit coconut oil into the sink because this type of oil solidifies at temperatures below 75 degrees meaning you could possibly clog your pipes.

Other possible benefits of oil pulling include:
~Less cavities and bad breath
~Whiter teeth
~Promotes healthy skin
~Helps maintain a healthy liver
~Corrects hormone imbalances and possibly help relieve PMS symptoms
~Help boost immune system
~Helps relieve allergies or other sinus problems


So here I go once again! I started today, March 11th by lightly melting some cold pressed coconut oil and swishing it my mouth for 15 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night. I am going to challenge myself to do this everyday for the next two weeks to see if I find any improvements in my migraines, teeth, or overall health. I'll be sure to update you with my findings.

Have you ever tried this? I would love to hear about your experience, opinions, or general thoughts! Let me know in the comments, tweet me @Imperfectperla, or email me at cwlinguistics@gmail.com


If you are interested in learning more about oil pulling here are some articles I found really helpful:

http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/oil-pulling-the-habit-that-can-transform-your-health

http://wellnessmama.com/7866/oil-pulling-for-oral-health/


Have a great day!

Courtney

Affordable and Beautiful: Wet N' Wild Spring 2014 Nail Polish Collection

Spring is right around the corner (I hope!) and with it comes lots of new spring beauty items.

Today I wanted to share with you some watches and a review of the Spring 2014 Wet N' Wild limited edition nail polishes. I have been a huge fan of this make-up brand since I bought my first lip gloss in the 7th grade. The brand is always affordable, good quality, and not tested on animals.

I am also a huge fan of nail polish in general because something about changing the color of my nails just makes me happy.

There are six polishes total in the Spring 2014 collection but I only picked up four of them because the other two were very similar to polishes I already own. These polishes are $1.99 each and I found mine at Walgreens.

Here are the four I tried:

Elegance is a subtle pink frost. The color is buildable so you could go with just one coat for a natural shine or build it up for a more intense baby pink color. I found this color changed a bit depending on the light and it can come off more silvery than pink.

This swatch is two coats of polish with no topcoat.


Champagne Toast is a frosty goldish beige color. The color is very neutral toned and also subtle like Elegance. I am quite fair complected with cool undertones so I have to build this one up to be really noticeable. This one might end up mostly as a toe color for me this summer when I want to go bare but not naked. I think this would be particularly pretty if you have skin with warmer undertones.

This swatch is two coats of polish with no topcoat.


Valet Tag is a satin grey color with a tiny hint of shimmer. Although the shimmer is subtle I think it really helps this polish look chic and not drab. Normally I wouldn't gravitate towards grey nail polishes but I actually like this color as a soft transition from Winter into Spring.

This swatch is two coats of polish with no topcoat.


Sophisticated is a very sheer opal-blue polish with shimmer. This one can be kind of tricky. It is so sheer that I don't think it looks very nice on its own. It is however a very lovely topcoat as you can see in the picture below. The opal sheen gives darker colors a little oomph.

This swatch is three coats of polish with no topcoat. My index finger is one coat of navy polish with Sophisticated as a topcoat.

My Overall Impression:

I really like these new polishes. Except for Sophisticated, the pigmentation is very nice. The formula is very smooth and easy to brush on. The brush has the same square manicure-friendly style as all the other Wet N' Wild Megalast polishes so that's always a winner in my book.  I am a huge fan of neutrals so I think I will get a lot of use out of these this Spring. My favorite is the shade Elegance because I think it looks cute and girly but not too immature. I'm hoping this shade will make me appear a bit more sun-kissed once the weather warms up and I can justify using self-tanner.


I hope you enjoyed my review and I would love to hear your thoughts about these polishes,other polishes, the Spring, or about anything health and beauty related. :)

Have a great day!

Courtney

Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes" Recipe

Good Evening! Or Morning, or afternoon....depending on where you live. 

I just got done eating dinner and taste testing a new recipe I tried out today. Like always I cant't just keep these things to my self. Oh no. They must be shared! :)

This is a recipe where you take a head of cauliflower and make a substitute for mashed potatoes. This recipe is 100% gluten-free, vegan, and delicious. 

 It still has the same texture as mashed potatoes and basically the same taste but with more nutritional value. Cauliflower is a great source of protein, potassium, dietary fiber, vitamin C, K, and B6.   

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1 1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp garlic salt or just plain salt depending on what you prefer

A pinch of black pepper

2 Tbsp of unsweetened almond milk. You could also use unsweetened soy milk. 

Directions:

1. Chop up your head of cauliflower and add all pieces to a large pot of slow boiling water. You can use every bit of the cauliflower except for the leaves so don't be afraid to add both the florets and stems. 

2. Once your cauliflower bits are tender drain the water and add the cauliflower to your blender along with the almond milk. 

3. Blend on lowest setting until the mixture is well blended but a few lumps remain. If your blender has a pulse setting, use that. 

4. Pour the mixture back into the pot and place it on low heat. 

5. Slowly mix in the salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast one at a time. 

6. Remove the pot from the stove and serve!

While the recipe itself is vegan I sprinkled a little cheddar cheese on top and it was quite tasty. ;)

This was my first time making this recipe and I was pleasantly surprised. It really does taste just like mashed potatoes! 

I hope you enjoy this dish and have a great day!

Courtney

Protein Brownie Bites

Nom, nom, nom....

Here is my recipe for some delicious little brownie bite treats.

What You Need:

•  3/4-1 cup of chocolate protein powder. Mix in 3/4 cup first and if the mixture is too water add in the rest.  I use the Nutribiotic Brown Rice Protein Powder. 
•  1/4- cup of stevia or 1/3 cup of regular sugar.
•  1/4 cup of  soy milk creamer.
•  1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
•  1/4 teaspoon of salt.
• 1/2 cup of egg replacer or 1/2 cup of egg whites.
•  1/2 teaspoon of raw cacao powder.
• 1/4-1/2 cup of nut butter (I used almond but you can use whatever kind you like)  

To Prepare:

• Mix the egg/egg substitute, soy milk creamer, and protein powder together first. 
• Then add in the rest of the ingredients and mix until well blended. 
• Bake on 350 for 20-26 degrees, keeping an eye on them until a toothpick comes out clean.  

NOTE: You could substitute the soy milk creamer for any type you like (coconut milk, almond milk,etc)

I think these treats are best served warm. They are also delicious with a little nut butter spread on top.


Buen Provecho!

Courtney

Check out my new YouTube Channel!

Hello everyone!

I want to share some fun news with you. I decided to start a YouTube channel. Woo hoo!!

I started this blog and now this channel as a sort of self-care project. My day job involves hearing about a lot of traumatic events so it's good to have a positive outlet to relieve stress. Plus I think it might be fun!

Head on over to My YouTube Channel to check out my first few videos. Please subscribe and leave comments telling me what other kinds of videos you would like to see. You can also Tweet me your requests or comments @imperfectperla.

Some of my future video ideas include:
~Health product reviews
~Cooking/baking tutorials
~Craft DIYs
~Budget-friendly videos
~Beauty, makeup, and fashion
~Motivational and self-care topics
~ Your requests! :)

I hope you're having a great start to your week!


Courtney