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chioma.ihekweazu@gmail.com

Food

Culinary Pursuits: Seafood Quesadillas

February 22, 2014

Oh my goodness guys, have I got a treat for you. So a couple of weeks ago after my first day at work, my sister and I went out to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. I ordered this unbelievable seafood quesadilla with tilapia and shrimp and it has been on my mind since. While delicious, I know that it probably wasn’t the healthiest so I set out to make a much healthier but equally yummy version. I’m pretty sure I succeeded. Without further ado I present to you my seafood quesadilla made with jerk tilapia and jerk shrimp, goat cheese, diced red onions, low-fat part skim mozzarella, fresh mangos, and a tiny bit of fresh marinated mozzarella. As usual this dish was pretty quick to make, but oh so incredibly good. It’s my favorite concoction thus far. It’s perfect for my spicy food lovers, my vegetarian friends, and meat-eaters too. Pretty much everyone!

Ingredients:
Medium-sized shrimp
2lb bag of individually wrapped tilapia fillets (I only made 5; the bag has about 10 or so)
1 container pre-diced red onions
Olive Oil
Grace Jerk seasoning, spicy (from Walmart)
Goat Cheese
Low-fat Part skim mozzarella
La Tortilla High Fiber Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas (from Publix)
Fresh marinated mozzarella (from Trader Joe’s)
1 mango
Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spray pan with non-stick canola oil
  3. While the oven is preheating take 1 tablespoon of jerk seasoning and evenly apply to each tilapia fillet (I cooked 5 at once, but feel free to cook as many as you like and adjust cook times accordingly).
  4. After all of the fillets are covered sprinkle on 1 tablespoon of diced red onions in the center of each fillet.
  5. Drizzle on olive oil over each fillet (about 1 teaspoon).
  6. Place fillets in the oven for about 25-30 minutes.
  7. While the tilapia is baking, remove the tails from shrimp.
  8. Pour the shrimp into a bowl along with three hearty teaspoons of jerk seasoning and mix together (I used my hands).
  9. Cook shrimp stovetop for 7-10 minutes at medium-high heat.
  10. While your shrimp is cooking slice and dice your mango into small cubes and set aside in a bowl.
  11. Once the tilapia and shrimp are done cooking, begin assembling your quesadilla.
  12. Cut up one tilapia fillet and take several pieces of shrimp and add them on your tortilla wrap.
  13. Then add two teaspoons of diced onions, two tablespoons of goat cheese, 1/4 cup of low-fat part skim mozzarella, two tablespoons of diced mangos, and a small chunk of fresh marinated mozzarella (I didn’t measure this but it was probably no more than a tablespoon’s worth).
  14. Place your open faced tortilla in the oven for 3-5 minutes (or until cheese begins to melt)
  15. Take out, fold over and slice in half.
  16. Enjoy!

Have a wonderful weekend!
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Food Style

New Place, New Space!

February 14, 2014

It’s been almost two weeks since I moved into my new place and it has been a whirlwind. I must have offended Mother Nature somehow because she was not trying to work with me. I was supposed to move into my apartment on Wednesday, the 29th, but because of snow I had to push that back to Friday, and then because of indirect effects of the snow I wasn’t able to move in until Saturday. Everything worked out in the end though so I’m very grateful. I started my new position on the 3rd and so far it’s been great. The people I work with are really nice and that’s helped make my transition much easier.  Funny thing is we just dealt with another bout of snow, so my office was closed for a couple of days. I think Atlanta officials wanted to be extra cautious this time after how disastrous things were a couple of weeks ago. Anyway, I’ve had my fill of snow. It was fun for a little while but now I’m ready for warm weather. Fortunately the forecast for next week looks very promising, sunny and in the sixties, so I’m all smiles. Here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks:

Moving day attire! Who says you can’t be cute and comfortable?!
The Sunday after I moved in my sister and I hit up this brunch spot and I ordered this insanely delicious Cajun Shrimp and andouille sausage hash and she had the equally delicious apple pie stuffed french toast.

After my first day of work we went to a Mexican restaurant and for dessert I had to order churros with ice cream! I’m always down for some churros.
Getting ready to go out and buy yet more stuff for my apartment.
The first thing I made in my new kitchen was baked chicken and squash.
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Decor & Entertaining Style

Furniture Shopping

January 23, 2014

Fortunately we’re not dealing with the “snowpocalypse” that our northern friends are currently enduring but it’s still pretty cold here in the Palmetto state. Despite that I managed to get out and do a little furniture shopping. My move is next week and while I’m really excited, there’s a lot to get done. Today I was on the hunt for an accent chair.  I checked out my favorite thrift store and found a great option but unfortunately the chairs were being sold as pairs and I only need one. I also checked TJ Maxx and found some beautiful chairs but they weren’t exactly what I had in mind. The hunt continues…

Coat: Asos, Top: Topshop, Jeans: Forever 21, Bag: Gifted (Just Fab), Shoes: Dolce Vita, Watch: Asos
just fab
tj maxx
Gorgeous chairs from TJ Maxx. I seriously love these. I’m still contemplating getting them as dining room chairs!
I hope you all are staying warm wherever you are! Happy Humpday!
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Food

Healthy Food Must Haves

January 21, 2014

I love trying new healthy foods but there are certain items that pretty much stay on my grocery list. One because I love them, and two because they’re so versatile. Check out my healthy food must haves below:

A few of my must haves

  1. Sweet potatoes – The possibilities are endless for a sweet potato. You can stuff it with lean meats or vegetables, make home made fries with it or hummus, or have it as a side with some seafood and a salad. Get crazy!

  2. Goat cheese – I love goat cheese. If it’s savory, chances are I’m putting goat cheese on it. I use this for egg white omelets, sandwiches, sweet potatoes, pasta dishes, salads, and roasted vegetables.

  3. Kashi Cereal – I have the same thing for breakfast every morning. A bowl of Kashi cereal. The kind I eat has 10 grams of fiber, 13 grams of protein, and only 160 calories in one serving (1 cup, dry). You just can’t beat that!

  4. Vanilla Almond Milk – I use this for my cereal every morning. It would also be great for smoothies and as an alternative to dairy milk in muffin recipes.

  5. Trader Joes Rolled Oats & Chocolate Chips Fiberful Granola Bars – I LOVE THESE BARS! I have one each morning with my bowl of cereal. It has 9 grams of fiber and 120 calories per bar. Add that to the fiber count from my cereal and I’ve already had 19 grams of fiber before 9:30. Most people don’t get that much fiber in an entire day! Did I mention these taste so good?!

  6. Chicken Sausage – Most of the items on this list I’ve been eating for a while but this is a more recent discovery, and I can’t imagine going without it. You can use it to make a loaded sweet potato, eat it with spaghetti squash, or make a chicken sausage dog.

  7. Chobani greek yogurt – The people at Chobani know what they’re doing. Their greek yogurts are so decadent and they truly taste like dessert. One serving usually has at least 10 grams of protein. My favorite is pineapple, but I also love apple cinnamon, mango, and their key lime flip.

  8. Bananas – I love my fruits – pineapple, pomegranate, and peach (pretty much any fruit that starts with a “p” and is a little tart), but bananas are my staple. They’re so simple, and you can eat them in a bazillion different ways. On their own, in smoothies, dipped in dark chocolate to satisfy your sweet tooth, or make some whole grain whole wheat banana bread when they get extra ripe.

  9. Spinach – You can use spinach as the base of a salmon and goat cheese salad, in a grilled chicken sandwich, a vegetarian lasagna dish, or in a banana pineapple smoothie.

What are your healthy must haves? Tell me below in the comments!
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Food

Culinary Pursuits: Holiday Leftover Club

January 6, 2014

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2014 has been treating you well. Now that the holidays are over *tear*, I wanted to bring you a recipe to get your year off to a healthy start and hopefully get rid of any leftovers you may have. My sister came up with this and it tasted great. I asked her what she dubbed her creation and she decided to call it the Holiday Leftover Club. The name says it all. If you’re struggling with what to do with your holiday leftovers (and mailing it to me is out of the question), then you should definitely make this. It’s so simple.

Ingredients:
1/2 of a medium sized sweet potato, mashed
2 cups of spinach
~1 handful of turkey
2 slices of 100% whole wheat whole grain bread
Directions:
1. Completely skin the sweet potato.
2. Once skinned, slightly dampen it. I wet my hands and then pat it on the sweet potato.
3. Wrap the sweet potato up tightly in saran wrap and heat it up for 6-7 minutes (or until soft and
mushy).
4. Cook two cups of spinach with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. You can add salt and pepper or whatever
seasonings you prefer.
5. Toast two slices of bread on the stove at medium high heat until browned. You can toast it with a
little garlic butter or use the spray form of extra virgin olive oil which has 0 calories.
6. Heat up your turkey for about 30 seconds. Make sure not to heat it up for too long or it will
become tough and jerky-like.
7. Take your sweet potato and mash it with a fork. Spread it across one slice of toast.
8. Add your spinach and turkey.
9. Enjoy!
You can thank my sister later. For now, enjoy your sandwich!
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Style

You’ve been so Good to Me, 2013

January 1, 2014
After a successful thesis defense. Cloud nine would be an understatement!
On the way to graduation!
My sister’s first time making the turkey and when I tell you she nailed it I mean she NAILED IT! Turkey has never disappeared so quickly in my house.
Getting ready to go Christmas shopping!
Going out for a celebratory dinner with my mom after landing my fellowship.
This is an outfit I wore to church a couple of Sundays ago. I swear I’ve never gotten so many compliments on an outfit. I’m ending 2013 on a very fashionable note!
I don’t really like alcohol so this is what I’ll be having when the clock strikes 12.  Peep my sparkly NYE nails! They’re graphite by Chanel.

2013 has been nothing short of incredible.  The good completely overshadowed the bad and I am immensely grateful. There were so many things I was able to accomplish this year from finally starting this blog, graduating with my masters, and landing a pretty awesome fellowship that I’ll be starting in the New Year. The growth I’ve experienced both personally and professionally has been beyond anything I could have dreamed of at the end of 2012. With all of that being said, I am so excited about 2014. I’m excited for the people I’ll meet, the opportunities to travel, to write and connect with more of you on this blog, and to continue to grow as a person. I hope you all have a safe and amazing night, and a spectacular New Year! I’ll see you on the other side:)

Lots of love,
Chioma

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Uncategorized

Encouraging Words: “Your Past is a Learning Tool”

December 10, 2013

There are a lot of changes getting ready to take place in my life, and as exciting as it all is it’s also a little scary. Change makes me reflective, so I’ve been spending more time lately thinking about my life. Generally, I’ve been thinking about the goals that I’ve set for myself (personally and professionally), and the relationships I have with people.Instead of harping on the negative or what I perceive to be as “mistakes” in my past, I’m choosing to appreciate them as life lessons. I’m looking at how I can change my thoughts, my words, and my actions, so that history doesn’t repeat itself. It’s much more helpful to view your past in this way. You’re not dwelling on the negative or bothered by it, you’re just learning and growing from it.Here are some lessons I’ve learned from my past:Put yourself out there (be a bit more extroverted). While it seems scary, I think it’s doable. It just involves sharing a little bit more of yourself (your sense of humor, your smile, your interests) with the world. Introverts are incredible people (and I speak as one), but we tend to be more guarded, and as a result I think we can miss out on some amazing opportunities.

Speak your truth (your morals, beliefs, values, etc). Whatever your truth is, speak it and own it. In a society obsessed with followers, likes, and retweets, we sometimes stop speaking our truth because it’s not popular opinion. We feel like we have to fit into a box or use a specific formula to be accepted. Well, who cares?! Speak your truth because someone out there is going to be able to relate to it, and could probably benefit from it. Also, it’s very powerful when you can stand up and say this is who I am and make no apologies for it.

Have more faith in yourself. Whether it’s translating your passion for baking into a dessert shop, becoming a medical doctor, or designing a clothing line, believe that these aren’t just pipe dreams, but they are goals that through hard work and determination can actually manifest.

Use your past as a learning tool. I hope you all have a fabulous week!

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