delish | Style by Beauty

The Best Minestrone Soup EVER!

November 9, 2017

cold weather equals soup season in our household, and since my 4 year old will eat a pizza/pasta only diet if given the choice, i rely on soups to give him the most veggies and protein possible. i ate a ton of different soups while growing up, and have a lot of favorites but minestrone has always been in the top 5. when perusing the Food Network app one day looking for inspiration on a new soup recipe i stumbled onto Mario Batali’s Minestrone Siciliano.

from the get go i adapted this recipe for my tastes and our family and it has been one i make at least once a month during the Fall/Winter seasons. packs a ton of veggies into one serving with the added saltiness of prosciutto, take a look at the recipe below and make sure to make a big batch, this stuff goes FAST!

Our Favorite Panzanella Salad

August 17, 2017

– this is a salad you may have seen here before in various forms, it is a favorite of ours and one we both make for ourselves and families at least once a week. that’s why we had to share this five minute salad again with you all along with some alternate suggestions should you be inclined to switch it up! follow along below to check out the recipe again:

My Favorite Flavored Waters

July 19, 2017

– i’ve been on a quest to live a healthier life since having my son, though there has been quite a few bumps in the road! you have been here with me through every step and i feel it’s only fair to continue to share even the small changes i make in my day to day life with you in hopes that it inspires you to also make better choices. the journey started 3.5 years ago as a means to shed my pregnancy weight and as i was challenged with thyroid issues, scheduling conflicts and lack of support i changed my focus. now i aim to make healthier choices on a day to day basis in order to increase my success rate and just have more energy! these flavored waters started as a way to eliminate or control the amount of processed sugar me and my family consume on a day to day basis but have actually turned into a quick and fun mixology session in the mornings. now don’t get me wrong, we indulge from time to time, you’re not looking at a non-dairy, gluten free vegan here ( although i admire those that are ) so the occasional bag of Lays potato chips or sour keys find their way into our house but these flavored waters have me energized and really enjoying our fresh summer produce in a totally new way, check out a few of my favorite concoctions below:

Confetti Popcorn

February 14, 2017

– there are few things i like more in life than snacks. i’ve always been one to prefer the salty and the sour over the sweet and this popcorn recipe combines both salty and sweet for a fun Valentines/Galentines option whether your having a party or staying in. when looking for fun popcorn type recipes i came across a bowl covered in sprinkles that our girl Erin from Sparkle Media posted and the idea for Valentines Confetti Popcorn was born! read on to see how i made this my own:

Five Minute Salad

August 25, 2016

– as a woman with a busy household and a man who has never cooked ( other than to poach eggs) a salad as a meal has become a staple in my home. as long as you have the ingredients you need on hand they are easy and fast to assemble and become quite addictive. long before i met my Italian i have loved a Caprese salad, and for me it’s one of the easiest salads to whip up and also can be transformed into other salads with different ingredients in a pinch. check out my go to below:

SBD Favorites: Cadeaux Bakery

August 19, 2016

– i had the pleasure of visiting Cadeaux Bakery on Powell St just west of Main shortly after it first opened to do a bridal photo shoot, we used some of their cakes and treats in the shots. they just happened to be closed the next day and generously let us take any sweets we wanted home with us! that was the end ( for any type of will power) and the beginning of a delicious obsession with quite a few of my forever favorite treats, take a look:

SBD Favorites: Pure Bread Bakery

August 12, 2016

– it’s no secret that both Oz and i are big foodies, but did you know we have a passion for eating local? that’s why we are so excited to feature one of our favorite bakeries/coffee shops: Pure Bread Bakery. this little gem can be found at 159 West Hastings st a little down from the corner of Hastings and Cambie streets.

– what makes this locally run establishment different in our eyes is the way they display the plethora of scrumptious goodies they have to offer:

– HOW do you resist taking an entire box ( or two ) home with you?! this staggering visual of delicacies awaits just beyond their front door and as they make almost everything except the bread and pies in house ( those are made at their shop in Whistler and delivered each morning) the place smells AMAZING.

Veggie Rice Bowl to the Rescue

July 28, 2016

– i have long been obsessed with rice bowls, i think it was my first Cactus Club experience with their Thai Chicken Rice Bowl that set it off. it’s still on their menu and is a go to of mine even now. this rice bowl recipe was inspired by one i found on Pinterest and is vegan but you could easily add chicken, salmon, shrimp or prawns for the meat eaters ( myself included). it also makes a fantastic party option if you’re attending any get togethers or back yard BBQ’s this long weekend. especially so because it is meant to sit at room temperature, and actually tastes better that way, left overs are fantastic too and doesn’t it just look spectacular? it will easily impress and you will forever have people asking for the recipe.

Overnight Oats

April 22, 2016

– i have to admit i resisted the trend of overnight oats for awhile, and it was hard as the colorful bowls were all over Pinterest. i turned the corner and embraced this easy and healthy option when i was doing a bit of research on diets best for hypothyroid sufferers such as myself. i developed hypothyroidism late in my third trimester of pregnancy ( it runs in my family) and long story short it has been a continuing journey to try and get the rest of the pregnancy weight off, so instead of continuing to eat spin classes like breath mints and see little to no results i decided to take a serious look at my diet.

– after much research a modified Paleo diet has started to work ( along with my daily syn-thyroid pill) and by modified i mean i do not do dairy free, i like cheese. so that brings me to my daily breakfast routine featuring none other than this gorgeous, if not slightly patriotic dish that is so easy to make you may not believe me; see the recipe below:

Easy Sunday

April 17, 2016

A Sunday well spent brings a week of content and a delicious and easy sunday breakfast will do just that

~ there’s something about waking up on Sundays that instantly makes us want to have breakfast. we start planning on Saturday, what we will eat, drink, serve, use, and then do whatever prep work we can or need to do the night before so the morning will go smoothly. easy sunday, where you relax, rest up and prepare yourself for the week ahead.

~ in our perfect world, every sunday would be an easy sunday but working as freelance makeup artists, we’re lucky if we even get one Sunday off, especially during bridal season. for those rare, unicorn easy sundays, we like to treat ourselves, and our families to some delicious brunch meals.

A Sunday well spent brings a week of content and a delicious and easy sunday breakfast will do just that

~ pancakes could not be more simple of a breakfast item to make and to enjoy. they are quite versatile; you can mix up a variety of flavors, toppings and syrups, even get creative with your shapes. we’re simple girls so round is the name of our pancake game.

~ our pancake recipe is a pretty basic, standard one. we haven’t experimented too much with the recipe itself yet but we do like mixing up our toppings. we tried a ricotta topping for this breakfast and it was delicious. combined with our favourite berries and it hit the spot.

A Sunday well spent brings a week of content and a delicious and easy sunday breakfast will do just that

Ricotta Topping

1 cup ricotta

3 tablespoons icing sugar (more or less to your taste)

1 tablespoon lemon rind

~ combine all three together et voila! it’s that simple. we topped our with some syrup and then berries.

~ an easy sunday well spent brings a week of content so treat yo’self ! we’d love to hear about your favourite breakfast dishes. let us know in the comment section!

thanks for stopping by!

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