What My Family And I Will Be Serving This Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is super near and I couldn't be happier that my family and I will be hosting Thanksgiving Dinner this year! It's only going to be 8 people total so its definitely going to be more of an intimate gathering.(Myself, my 3 sisters, 2 of their boyfriends, mom and dad, and my grandma Lita.) I know a lot of people are still planning their Thanksgiving menu, or maybe you are having a potluck Thanksgiving and are still not sure what dish to bring. To help you get ideas, here is what we are planning to serve for this Thanksgiving:

 1st and Foremost...the turkey.

My mom can really cook it to perfection. She says the trick is simplicity. She washes it, dries it, applies butter inside and out, and sprinkles some salt. Then she wraps it tight with foil to keep it moist. Cook at 300 degrees for 6-8 hours (depending on the weight of the turkey) And most importantly, dont check on it constantly!! Opening the oven disturbs the cooking process. :)



As for the side dishes,

Green Beans

Classic Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes


Try adding some low sodium chicken broth to bring out an even creamier and silkier texture.

Chile Con Queso

My sister Jennifer makes one heck of a Chile Con Queso! Ive been told its really simple, but I still have yet to get the recipe. "__"

Pinto Beans

And Very most importantly....Tamales


No holiday is complete in my household without tamales. As a family full of latinos, we just cant resist! And the funny thing is, living in California, we HAVE to have the tamales coming from our hometown of El Paso, TX, or else is just wont be the same. 




Yummy! AND FOR MY FAVORITE PART, THE DESSERTS!...

Yams with Marshmallows

Pumpkin Pie

Pistachio Fruit Salad (made by yours truly!)

I wish you and your family a Beautiful Thanksgiving!! 

xo

Stop Waiting

Thanks to the beautiful Shauna Niequist (author of the book Cold Tangerines), I have learned that so many of us are just waiting. Waiting to become whatever it is we think we are about to become. Waiting for that "moment" or that "day". Truth is, the life you have been waiting for is already happening all around you. And generally, I dont even see it because Im too busy waiting to become whatever it is I think I am about to become. The Big moments are in ever hour, every conversation, every meal, every meeting. So stop waiting. And live In the moment. Because the real big moments are the ones you probably havent even acknowledged. Love, April xo'

SWAG

Saved With Amazing Grace

Listening to Yourself

I wanted to share this with you today because whether we all realize it or not, the world around us moves very fast at times and it can seem as if so much is going on, to the point where sometimes we forget what we are doing and why we are even doing  those things in the first place. We are always listening to the world (whether it be watching tv, the news, going online, working, studying,etc) that we forget to listen to ourselves. I know that I have had way too many times where I get caught up in the world and I forget where I stand as a person. Sometimes you realize it and other times you don't even realize how caught up you can really be. And so I believe that just how this quote is saying, couldn't be more true- you need to literally step aside from whatever it is that you are doing, and literally remind yourself of who you are and where you want to be. Once you do that, you can jump right back in with a sense of really knowing who you are and where you stand. So the next time you feel the slightest bit caught up in everything around you, just listen to yourself. After all, it is your life. :)


Love,
April

My Wishlist:

RMS Living Luminizer

Fresh Umbrian Clay Mask

 Joyce Meyer's The Confident Woman

Trilogy Rosehip Oil

Planning a Polka Dot Birthday Party

My older sister's 27th birthday is coming up and Im so excited because that means I can jump on the party planning bang wagon. YAY! She made it clear that she doesn't necessarily want a "party", but that definitely does not mean that I cant decorate the house for her!! My sister Jackie (I call her Koala....long story) is the most beautifulest person you could ever get to know. She always puts people first before herself and thats why I love her so much.
But anyway, I decided that her party is going to be polka dot themed and the colors are going to be black,white, and pink (her fav.color combination). YAY! I already pre ordered her cake, which of course will have polka dots on it, and as far as the decorations go-  im thinking of incorporating as many things that I can that have polka dots. I wanted to show you guys these pictures that inspired me to even throw a polka dot party in the first place! It looks like it can be so cute!

xoxo

Dried Dates

Oh my goodness gracious, dried dates are my weakness. I just visited my local famers market where they had all different kinds of dates (which I was surprised to know that there were plenty of different kinds), but can I just say that dried dates are so yummy. I bought two pounds of Empire Dates which are supposed to be a tad less sweeter than Medijool Dates. I couldnt really tell the difference between the two, but gosh they are all so yummy and pretty healthy! Not only that, but I heard that dates with a little bit of nut butter make an excellent energy and protein snack! 


Well...hope you guys are enjoying your day so far! 
xo
April

Soon to be hanging on the walls of my room...

                                                           One of my favorite portraits!

Lentils: shot of iron

Looks yucky...tastes amazzzing!!!! <3

Todays workout

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1LVFFzi_f0
and some part of:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5mYC9xUtDA

Morning!

The usual: oatmeal and vitamins :))

Oatmeal is old fashioned with almond milk, cinnamon, stevia, and maqui powder. 

Really want to make these!!

yummy!

Yogurt dots! Put little dots of yogurt into the freezer and this is what you get!Would love to take these yogurt dots with me to class. (and when I mean class I mean school and when I mean school I mean college...)

Yummy healthy lunch

Mixed Garbanzo bean salad w/ veggies

Gym time

Disneyland

The little sister God forgot to give me. <3

Once I saw this-Forget it.

Packed some healthy snacks for Disneyland..

Camera less today :(( till tomorrow.... xo!!!!!

Look what I found sitting on top of my fridge...

Girl Scout Cookies!! aagh! Temptation!!! :0

_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Even though Im not a big fan of minty sweets, the thin mints are my favorite!!!

My absolute fave

Frederic Fekkai Sheer Shine Mist. Smells lovely on hair and the shine is light and beautiful....never oily.
Can be found at Target, Sephora and Amazon. Retails around $12-$19. <3 Does anybody else have a different hair shine mist that they love??

study study study

1 am and Im studying. :( My bed is calling me!!!!!! #focused (at least for now ;)