Easy Dinner Recipe: The Loaded Salad

I get asked almost weekly about healthy dinner options that are easy and simple to make. The Loaded Salad is just that. It's the easiest dinner to make, its full of nutrients, and tastes like a gourmet salad you would get at a fancy restaurant! It's on my weekly dinner rotation over here and I'm sure it will be on yours too once you realize how easy it is to prepare! 

The secret to this recipe is that you can customize it in any way you'd like! You can add more veggies, different seasonings, beans, meat, etc. I always add sautéed zucchini to mine though because cooking zucchini in onion, garlic, avocado oil, and spices makes the tastiest "dressing" to put on top of the mixed greens. 

I am excited to see how you customize your own Loaded Salad! Here's how I make mine...

The Loaded Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice (I use basmati)

2 cups chicken stock, bone broth,or veggie broth

1 tablespoon ghee or butter

2 zucchinis 

4 garlic cloves

1 small onion

mixed greens

1 lemon or lime

1 teaspoon Turmeric

1 teaspoon Cumin

1/2 teaspoon Coriander

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder and/or flakes

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

& Any other spices you'd like to add!

*1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro & parsley (optional)

Instructions:

Rice

-In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of brown rice, 2 cups broth, and 1 tablespoon of ghee to a boil

-Add in two cloves of chopped garlic to rice, cover, and cook on low for 20 minutes

Zucchini

-Add two tablespoons of avocado oil to a large skillet and heat on high

-Stir in two cloves of chopped garlic and a small onion and cook until onion turns translucent

-Add chopped zucchini to skillet and cook on medium, stirring frequently

-Add all remaining spices to skillet (turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, salt, pepper, etc)

-Cook until zucchini is soft (about 10 minutes)

*Add zucchini mixture to garlic rice and mixed greens! Squeeze half of a lemon or lime on top and voila! 

Share below any modifications you made! I can't wait to see how you make your loaded salad!!

xo,

Lo

Fall Playlist & Current Favorites

Okay so I know it's not Fall quite yet but I have been loving all things Fall lately and wanted to share! This Summer has been amazing in so many ways but I'm really excited about the changing of seasons. Even though the weather doesn't change much in Hawaii, there is just an excitement about Fall that I love. I love that people are getting back into routine and we are also gearing up for holiday season!

There's a lot coming up for me in this upcoming season! I will be traveling to the mainland, island hopping, launching a full-length e-book, and my skincare business will be launching a new product! 

I created a Fall playlist that encompasses all of those emotions. It's moody and intentional but there are also some up-beat songs reflected in there too. My Spotify Playlists are always changing too as I find more songs I love and so feel free to follow me on Spotify if we have similar tastes in music! 

Things I'm currently loving:

What I'm currently reading...

I read this beginning of this book at Barnes & Noble the other day and couldn't put it down! If you are into modern day novels with real-life issues, you will love this! 

What I'm currently eating...

This pizza crust is my favorite, ever! It's made with almond flour and so it is much healthier than most other gluten-free pizza crusts and it still tastes sooo good.

What I'm currently wanting:

I saw this on Amazon the other day and just thought it was so stinken cute! A pineapple essential oil diffuser?! um yes, please. 

My new pillows for my couch and I am LOVING...

I just got these a couple weeks ago and have already gotten so many compliments on them! I also think that the price is so reasonable and the quality is amazing! 

What I'm currently smelling...

I'm starting the Fall candles early this year. This is my favorite Fall scent of all time! 

I know this post is so so random but I thought I would just do a little update and share some of my favorite things! Do you like these types of posts?? Let me know!!
 

Have an amazing week!

xo,

Lo

August Bucket List & Intentions

Happy August! I can't believe the last month of the Summer is already here! Summer has gone by way too fast for me but I'd be lying to say that I wasn't excited for a new season. Fall is my absolute favorite season of the year! There's something about Fall that reminds me of new beginnings & possibilities. Okay, now I'm getting carried away... lets talk about August! 

I've decided to start a new series on the blog and share my "bucket list" and intentions each month! I wanted to call it a bucket list because I want to add things that make me go outside of my comfort zone and be intentional! I added some things to my list that I have wanted to do since I moved to Hawaii and so this month I am being intentional about making them happen! 

A big theme in August for me is intentional. I want to be intentional about my work, my possessions, my friends, my money, etc. This month I want to step back from the hustle, bustle, clutter, and noise to gain clarity and stay focused on my priorities. 

1. Log off all social media every Friday night to Saturday night

This is probably the most important intention I have this month. I LOVE social media but recently it has cluttered my mind and brought too much excess "noise" into my life. I have found that I am most creative when I have time to let my mind wander and so I am committing to a social media free 24 hours every week to give myself time to reflect! It may seem like nothing to you but for someone who works completely online, 24 hours away is HUGE! 

2. Read 30 minutes a day

One thing that I have slacked on in July is reading! I feel the most inspired when I am constantly reading and so I am committing to taking a work break and reading 30 minutes a day even if I have a million things on my to-do list! 

3. Snorkel at Sharks Cove

One thing that has been on my Hawaii list since I moved here is to snorkel at a popular free diving spot outside of Sharks Cove in North Shore Oahu! I'm determined to make it happen this month though because there are no waves this time of year so the water is perfect for snorkeling! 

4. Invest time into new friendships

I have made some amazing friends in our new home but there are still so many people I have met here that I would love to get to know better! This month I want to intentionally plan coffee dates and beach days to deepen friendships and get to know new friends better.

5. Buy Nothing

I would be lying to say that this won't be a hard one for me. If you know me, you know I love to shop! Since I am working on being more intentional with my possessions, I want to spend the month de-cluttering and minimizing things that don't bring me joy and so I am going to make it a goal to buy nothing as it comes to clothes, shoes, etc! The only exception to that will be when I host a Noonday trunk show for a friend later this month! ;)

6. Surf on the South side 

One of the things that my husband has been trying to get me to do since forever is to surf the South shore of Oahu. I have only surfed at one spot on North Shore and I am super timid to go surfing anywhere else! I know that I need to get out of my comfort zone and just DO IT, though, so I'm aiming to cross it off my list this month!

7. Eat greens in every meal

Eating leafy greens is SO important for your health and it's sometimes easy to go an entire day without those amazing nutrients! This month I am aiming to eat some type of leafy greens for each meal, every day. I plan to put spinach into my smoothies every morning and then add greens into salads at lunch and steamed for dinner. 

8. Create a Capsule Wardrobe

I have been watching and observing the capsule wardrobe life for years and have never tried it out myself! Since I am aiming to be more intentional in every area, I want to try out a capsule wardrobe and see what I think of it! Would you want me to write a blog post on my experience? Let me know in the comments! 

Thats it! Those are my intentions, goals, and bucket list experiences I want to accomplish in August! I want to encourage you to make your own bucket list & intentions! Share one of them in the comments below- I would love to know what you are aiming to focus on next month! 

xo,

Lo

Summer Wardrobe Essentials: Part 2

Here is part two!!! In this post I will be sharing my favorite for swim, shoes, and accessories!! 

If you missed part one, click here to see my favorite summer pics for tops, bottoms, and dresses! 

SWIM

A Go-With-Everything & Well-fitting One-piece swimsuit: 

I am SO GLAD one-piece suits are on trend because they are everything classic, elegant, and comfy! I have been loving my Billabong one-piece and that Becca One-piece is EVERYTHING. It's the most comfy and flattering one-piece that I own! I wear these with cut-off shorts and they are perfect for hiking, boating, and basically any other Summer activity!

SHOES

Go-With-Everything Sandals:

These are actually my VERY FAVORITES. The tan Sam Edelman gladiator sandals I have been wearing since highschool! I was so sad that they discontinued that style a few years back and then I was ECSTATIC that they brought them back this season! My old ones from highschool are totally falling apart at this point and so I just bought some new ones! YAY for staple pieces that you never get tired of! I got the white slides too because they are a little bit more fancy but will still go with everything! I also linked a super affordable tan slide version from my favorite online boutique, Red Dress! 

ACCESSORIES

A Pair of hoop earrings & statement earrings: 

Since I don't wear a ton of trendy clothing, I'm all about wearing trendy accessories like fun statement earrings to spice up an outfit! That being said, It's almost embarrassing how many pairs of classic gold hoops I own... don't judge me, they are a STAPLE! I have these beaded statement earrings from Red Dress Boutique in a ton of colors because I LOVE how light-weight they are and the shape is so fun and unique! 

Classic Sunnies: 

Hi, I'm Lauren and I'm addicted to buying sunglasses. Seriously though, I feel like a good pair of sunnies can instantly elevate an outfit. These three are my must-haves for Summer! If you are more of a minimalist type of gal, then get the gold retro aviators... they are SO GOOD. 

The Perfect Summer Bags:

I'm the type of gal that pretty much finds a bag I love and then wear it until its completely worn. I don't get new bags very often but I absolutely looooove these! I got the Top Shop bucket bag and I love how much it can hold! All of these options will pretty much go with any option I mentioned above and thats what I love about neutrals! 

I have never done blog posts like this before and I would LOOOVE your thoughts! Do you like fashion posts? hate them? Are they helpful? Would you like to see more? Please leave me a comment and let me know your thoughts!!! I hope you find some looks you love through these posts and if you do decide to get anything, take a pic and send it to me on Instagram! I'd love to see you in these looks!! <3 

xo,

Lauren