Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It kick starts your body and prepares you for the day ahead as well as keep you full until lunchtime. It is very crucial to eat something in the morning as you will not work as efficiently on an empty stomach. Recently, I found out that I have a very acidic stomach due to the way I have been eating for the past few months. I would have a small breakfast, a very unhealthy lunch (juice and a cookie), and after my dinner I would eat a lot of junk food. Even thinking about how I used to eat makes me feel incredibly gross. So, I decided to make a change in my diet and start feeding my body properly and taking my daily vitamins. For this post, I put together two breakfast ideas that are easy, delicious and perfect for those who struggle with transitioning to a healthier diet like myself. 

1) Steel-Cut Oats 

I have been doing a lot of research lately and I found out that oatmeal is good for acid reflux. It has many benefits as it is a whole grain food which neutralizes the acid in your stomach, has a high amount of fiber which empties the stomach easily, absorbs the acidity from other food and the list goes on. Oatmeal is great as it can be customized to your liking with added ingredients you love to eat. This is the recipe that I have been making for my breakfast and really enjoying. 

Ingredients:

- 3 cups of water

- 1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (you can use whichever milk you like)

- 1 cup of steel cut oats

- 1 tablespoon of margarine (you can you unsalted butter or even coconut oil)

- 1 ml of salt 

Additional ingredients include: dried cranberries, cinnamon, and agave nectar.

Directions:

i. In a medium pot, pour the water and almond milk together and bring to a simmer over medium heat. While the mixture is heating up, melt the margarine in a skillet or a pan over medium heat as well. Once the margarine starts to sizzle, add the oats and stir the mixture until it is golden brown and aromatic (about 2-3 mins). Toasting the oats gives the oatmeal a richer and more decadent flavour. 

ii. Add the oats to the water and milk mixture and stir together. Turn down the heat to a medium low and let the mixture simmer lightly for about 20 minutes. Stir on occasion until the mixture is nice and thick. 

iii. Stir in the salt. Continue to stir the mixture occasionally and keep the oatmeal on low heat for about 10 minutes. By this time the oatmeal should be creamy and ready for toppings. 

iv. Remove the oatmeal from the heat. Now is the time to add the cinnamon (I sprinkle this on randomly) and dried cranberries (about a handful) for some added flavour.

v. And now you're done! Portion out the oatmeal so you can have it throughout the week. To warm it up, just add a little bit of almond milk to the oatmeal and put it in the microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Drizzle on some agave nectar for a hint of sweetness and mix it in with the oatmeal. It should be warm, delicious, and ready to eat.

2) Ezekiel Bread and Jam 

Ezekiel Bread is absolutely amazing. I used to eat white bread religiously but since my change in diet I wanted to venture out and try different kinds of bread. This one has sealed the deal for me. It is made from organic, sprouted whole grains and has no added sugar. It contains wheat, millet, barley, and spelt which are types of grains, as well as, soybeans and lentils which are types of legumes. It's the kind of bread that doesn't make you feel heavy and bloated after eating it. In fact, it makes me feel the complete opposite: light and weightless. For my recipe I chose blackberry jam but you can choose whatever topping you want.

Ingredients: (it's so simple! only two ingredients) 

- 1 slice of Ezekiel bread 

- Blackberry Jam 

Suggested toppings: almond butter, unsalted butter, peanut butter, other types of jam, avocado, sunny-side up eggs, etc. 

Directions: (you probably know what to do but I'll just tell you what I did anyway) 

i. I keep my Ezekiel bread in the freezer to stay super fresh. So, I take out one slice, wrap it in paper towel, and place it in the microwave for 20 secs to defrost it a little bit. 

ii. Next, I put the bread in the toaster oven and lightly toast it. After I take it out of the oven I cut it into four little pieces and spread the blackberry jam on top. Voilà! Pretty simple, right? If you still feel hungry after this I would suggest having a nice fruit to get some natural sugar in your body and satisfy your stomach. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and try out these recipes for yourself. Have a Happy Friday!!

love xena

Hello! I hope you are having a great day and summer so far. I have recently gone shopping and accumulated some new goodies that I have been using non-stop and really loving. So, I thought I would make this post to share some really great products which are affordable and essential for the summer. 

For the ears: Conscious by Broods (one of my all-time favourite bands new album)

For the hair: Organix Coconut Oil Weightless Hydrating Oil Mist (makes hair smell great and tames flyaways)

For the lips: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm (smells nice and looks great on all skin tones)

For the face: Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Correcting Powder in Translucent and Real Techniques Powder Brush (the powder is translucent so it works on all skin tones and the brush is great quality, really soft and gentle on the skin) 

For the nose and mind: Blueberry Twist 3-Wick Candle by Bath & Body Works (this smells absolutely incredible and fills the whole room with its fruity potency)  

For the eyes: OAKLEY Stringer Mate 55mm Wayfarer Sunglasses in Clear/Blue (just keep in mind that I got these four years ago and they are on the more pricey side but besides that they look super flattering and eye-catching on)

love xena

June was a good reading month for me. I read 6 books in total (3 physical books and 3 on my kindle). I was pretty good at juggling reading for pleasure and studying for exams (even though it was very hard choosing between the two). Since it is now summertime, I have more time on my hands which means more time to read (yippee). So to start off my first blog post, here is my June wrap-up. 

The Last Star by Rick Yancey:

Read: May 30, 2016- June 4, 2016 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

This is the last book in this series so I recommend reading the two previous books before reading this one. I read The 5th Wave and The Infinite Sea in May and I became very intrigued with this series. It contains a funny main character named Cassie Sullivan, who is all alone after the waves of an alien invasion hits Earth. She is on a mission to stay alive and save her brother, Sammy, who has been taken away to a place called Camp Haven. Along the way she meets, Evan Walker, who is a walking mystery. She has to decide whether to trust him and let him help her find her brother or face possible death doing it on her own. I will not go into further discussion about the series as I do not want to spoil anything. However, I will say that I am happy with the way Yancey wrapped up this series and I would recommend it to anyone interested in aliens, science fiction, or dystopia.  

Buy the book here. A movie was also made on The 5th Wave and you can watch the trailer here. 

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West:

Read: June 4, 2016- June 6, 2016

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

This was my first summer contemporary read of the year! It has a sweeter than sugar romance that will make your heart melt (I know mine did). This book is about a 17 year old girl named, Gia Montgomery, whose boyfriend breaks up with her in the parking lot of her high school prom. She has to think quickly and find a fill-in boyfriend so she can still go to prom and save face. She sees a cute guy waiting in his car to pick up his sister and decides that he's the one. They have a simple arrangement: be her fill-in boyfriend-- two hours, zero commitment, and a few lies. Let's just say things get complicated when she starts falling for the fill-in. Walls start crumbling down and lies are revealed. Gia is left to discover who she wants to be as a person and who is willing to stay in her life. I definitely recommend this to those who want a short summer contemporary that involves love, friendship, character development, and finding one's self. 

Buy the book here.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson:

Read: June 6, 2016- June 11, 2016

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

Morgan Matson has done it again. I had previously read two other novels by her (Second Chance Summer and Since You've Been Gone) where I fell in love with her writing and characters. This book was no different. It is about a girl named, Andie Walker, who always has things planned out. She is a politician's daughter and has learned to take care of herself over the years. That is-- until the scandal. Now, she has to live in the same house as her dad and walk a numerous amount of dogs...for the whole summer. Things are not looking up for Andie until the day she meets Clark. He opens her eyes to new things and somewhat changes her life. Now the romance in this book is not the damsel-in-distress-in-need-of-saving type. It is simply about a girl and a boy who fall in love and learn to make their lives sync with each other's. HANDS DOWN RECOMMEND TO E-VER-Y-ONE. But seriously, this book did start off a bit slow but picked up pretty quickly and has become a summertime favourite. Plus, the main male character, Clark, is probably my favourite male out of all the ones Morgan has written about. If only he existed in real life, sigh. A girl can dream, right?

Buy the book here. 

NOW... Onto the Kindle Books.

Read: June 13, 2016- in progress 

Rating: N/A (still reading)

This book contains mature content so it is recommended for readers 18+. I have officially fallen in love with the Addicted Series by Krista & Becca Ritchie. They are twin sisters who wrote this amazing new adult romance series which includes fantastic characters who you see grow with each book. It follows the lives of the Calloway Sisters (Lily, Rose, and Daisy) and the men in their lives (Loren Hale, Connor Cobalt, and Ryke Meadows). I have already read 4 books and have 6 remaining...I know it's a lot but I'll get there eventually. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is in the mood for a steamy romance. 

Buy them here, here, and here.

 love xena