Cassie DeNisco

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My Favorite Summer Salad Recipe

There is no better feeling than eating a salad made entirely from your own garden. I’ve been really obsessed with knowing exactly where my ingredients are coming from lately so this salad recipe is a culmination of that. There’s a secret ingredient to this summer salad ingredient and it’s a chopper. Getting salads into bite size pieces not only makes it easier to eat but I swear it makes it taste that much better.

The salad chopper I have is from Amazon and you can find it here. I absolutely love it because you literally throw everything into a bowl and then just take the chopper and go to town. Chopped salads are so good and a great way to get all of your nutrients in without feeling like you’re eating too much. Here’s the recipe!\

summer salad recipe
Ingredients:

Greens of your Choice (I love spring mixes with spinach)

Hard boiled egg

Tomatoes

Avocado

Red Onion

Cucumber

Protein (sometimes I add chicken, or bacon, or chickpeas)

Pepita Seeds

*fun add in is cheese (I like a cheddar)

Dressing of your choice

Directions:

I started off chopping salads by just trying to chop everything whole however it is good to cut everything up a little. This really helps to even out everything and make it all the same size. I also was a huge over-chopper. I would just keep going until it was small pieces but everything lost its integrity. Make sure to use a big bowl so there’s room and just put everything in and chop. Add in your dressing last, mix and enjoy!

I love making chopped salads like this one. It’s a great salad recipe if you have produce that’s starting to look iffy so you’re not wasteful. Another awesome thing about salad in general is you can really customize it so that everyone in your house can make their own! The more toppings the better for a salad in my opinion so happy chopping!

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Find more summer recipes from me here!

My Melissa Wood Health Review

For me, working out never was that fun. I never really found anything that really spoke to me or made me feel as great as everyone says you’ll feel. A real spark came when I discovered the Melissa Wood Health method and her app. Her workouts became game changing for me and inspired a whole new perspective on working out and getting in movement each day.

One thing that initially drove me to try her workouts was finding her on Instagram. She had a 10 minute video and after doing it, I was so freaking sore! I never felt that kind of soreness before from other workouts so I knew I was on the right track. She does a mix of pilates and yoga flows which always uses every muscle in your body. I leave each workout feeling like I used and toned my entire body, not just one area.

I also love the convience of her workouts. She often talks about how important movement is each day, even if its just a few minutes. When I started her workouts, I didn’t believe that but now I’m doing her flows at least once everyday, sometimes even twice. Melissa has the calmest voice and is so encouraging during the tough workouts.

On the app, all of her flows state the length directly on them so it makes it so easy for me to fit something in everyday. I have no excuses when she has something that’s only 8 minutes and is seriously killer. Her method really changed my entire perspective because I can get in something simple each day but take out something that will better me. I swear I have never looked at a workout routine like that before ever.

The Melissa Wood Health method talks about mind and body , which I have absolutely noticed a difference in myself. The app is only $100 for the entire year (what a deal) and she posts her weekly workout schedule on her website www.melissawoodhealth.com in case you want to follow along. I generally just choose whatever I’m feeling that day or base it on time.

Whether you’re looking for beginner workouts or challenging yoga and pilates flows, this app has it all. I highly recommend checking it out for the 7 day free trial because I am so sure that you will become as obsessed as I am.

Let me know your favorite workouts in the comments below and be sure to follow me on Instagram @cassiedenisco. For more fitness posts, click here.

Green Juice Recipe You Need to Try

I have been on my fresh green juice game these past few weeks so I am so excited to share my recipe with you. This green juice recipe is so good and just leaves you feeling great. There are so many health benefits to getting your greens in everyday and the perfect way to do that is through this green juice recipe. To create these juices, I use my NutriBullet. I don’t have a juicer and just found that even though it takes a little longer because of straining, this works just as well as a juicer would’ve.

Ingredients:

1 Celery Stalk

Handful of Greens

1/2 a lemon

1 inch chunk of ginger

1/2 a cucumber

Handful of Carrots

Directions:

This is seriously so simple! Just add everything into your NutriBullet and blend. Depending on the day, sometimes I add a little water just to thin it out if it’s too thick. Next comes the straining. I just take very fine holed strainer and start to pour the juice through it into another container. I do this again, but this time straining it into whatever I plan to drink it out of. I love these reusable cups from Amazon!

I’ve been really working hard to get my greens in everyday during quarantine and making a juice has seriously helped. When I started making juices, I literally almost couldn’t drink them because I thought they were so gross. I would add apple or watermelon to them to sweeten them up and make them interesting to eat. Now, I am literally obsessed! I have this juice every. single. day!

Let me know in the comments below if you try this and be sure to follow me on Instagram @cassiedenisco!

Summer Glow in Winter

It’s finally that time of year where most of our summer tans have disappeared. Have no fear because a good self- tanner will help to have you glowy and bronze in no time. I love making sure I have a summer glow in winter. One of my absolute favorite self- tanners is by Loving Tan. Not only do they have natural products, but they also have a built in anti-orange so that your tan will never look like an umpa loompa.

I love all their products but my top two are the Ultra Dark Tanning Mouse and their Gradual Tan Lotion in medium/dark. They seriously help to keep my tan looking natural all year round. I also highly recommend trying out their own tanning mitt because it absolutely will make a difference in the look and duration of your tan. Using these products literally gives me such a natural, healthy glow in the winter when the sun is definitely not as strong. Now that you know my products, here’s my routine!

My Routine:

  1. About 1-2 days ahead of when you plan to tan, take a shower and shave your legs. I like to do this a day or two before I tan bc sometimes the tan gives me little hives with fresh legs.
  2. Right before you tan, take a shower and exfoliate your skin. I use an exfoliate glove in order to really get the dead skin off. Exfoliating is key to an even and long lasting tan.
  3. As soon as you get out of the shower, put whatever tan product you plan to use on a mitt and start working it into your skin in circular motions. Make sure you really blend the product in to make sure you don’t have streaks. I like to start at the bottom of my body with legs and work my way up.
  4. As soon as you’re done tanning, put on loose fitting close and plan to do a rinse in about 6-8 hours. (Sometimes I skip this step and just rinse at my next shower)
  5. For the week with your tan, don’t exfoliate in the shower and pat dry when you get out. This will help to preserve your tan.

With following this routine, I usually will be tan for a solid 5 days. On the 6th and 7th days my tan does start to fade so thats generally why I tan at least once a week and make sure that I follow all of these steps.

Now of course being tan all year round might not be everyone’s cup of tea. There is just something about being tan that makes me the happiest. Not only am I more confident in my own skin but I just have that summer vibe in the cold and dreary months of winter. Having the summer glow in winter really helps to keep me happy and motivated for summer. Recently, I just found a really great face oil that tans but I’ve only used it once. I’ll let you know if it works well in my January Favorites post!!

  • Before
  • After

Follow me on Instagram @cassiedenisco! And don’t forget to check out my latest blog post here!

My Quick Dinner Recipe

quick dinner recipe

I’m back with a super yummy quick dinner recipe. This is probably one of my favorite meals for fall and winter because its a one pan meal. This means you literally chop it all up and then put it on a pan in the oven and you have a meal in no time. This quick dinner recipe can be made vegetarian. You also can easily swap out any of my ingredients for something that you love. I love meals like this that you can easily swap out ingredients for whatever is in season. It helps to make healthy eating that much easier. Let’s get into my favorite quick dinner recipe.

Ingredients for Quick Dinner Recipe:

Brown Rice

Sweet potatoes

Carrots

Broccoli

Brussel Sprouts

Chicken breast

Olive Oil

Directions: (it’s literally so easy!)

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
  2. Start by chopping everything up into cubes or just smaller pieces.
  3. Place veggies on one side of pan and the chicken on the other. Sprinkle the olive oil over just the veggies.
  4. Put it in the oven until the chicken is fully cooked and the veggies are to your liking. It’s usually about 25-30 minutes for me.
  5. Plate with brown rice and top with salt, pepper, or any other seasonings you love.

Guys I wasn’t joking when I said I had a recipe by Chef Cass. I’m so so obsessed with making this because it makes great leftovers. This quick dinner recipe also can be meal prepped on a Sunday night and used throughout the week. I absolutely love this recipe because it’s so yummy and easy to make! Let me know if you have any other easy one pan recipes that you are obsessed with in the comments below!

Check out my Pinterest for more recipes @cassiedenisco !

Click here for my last post!

Acai Bowls at Home

acai bowls

It might be fall but I still love acai bowls for breakfast! Not only are they super delicious but they also keep me full all morning. The real key to acai bowls are the consistency. My recipe is guaranteed to make you the perfect bowl each and every time. Feel free to alter my recipe however you’d like or use it as is. I absolutely love acai bowls and I even have included a hack to making them even easier.

Ingredients:

Frozen acai packets

1 Banana

1 c mixed berries

1/2 c almond milk

1 scoop collagen peptides

1 scoop of protein power (any flavor)

Directions:

  1. In a blender, I prefer the Nutri bullet, blend the acai, 1/2 of the banana and the mixed berries.
  2. Once somewhat blended add the collagen, protein powder, and blend.
  3. Gradually add the milk. Make sure you only add it a little at a time so that you can ensure it stays as a bowl and doesn’t turn into a smoothie.
  4. Put it in a bowl and add whatever toppings you’d like. I love banana, granola, honey, and coconut flakes!

Acai bowls can take awhile in the morning but if you pre make a huge bowl of it and freeze it, you can defrost a little each morning and just add your toppings. I also find that if you are still hungry after having a bowl, you can add some type of nut butter to increase your protein which will help you stay fuller longer.

I love acai bowls and they can be such a fun treat in the morning or at any point during the day. You can make them exactly however you’d like which makes it the best and easiest way to switch up your morning breakfasts.

Don’t forget to check out my pinterest for more recipes and check out my last recipe for apple crisp here!

My Go To Fall Dinner Recipe

With fall right around the corner, my dinner recipes start to be quicker and easier to make. With getting back into the routine of working at night, I like to make sure that whatever I’m having for dinner is easy enough to either prep before I go to work or something that I can easily throw together once I get home. Today I’m sharing with you the easiest teriyaki chicken and veggie recipe for a fall dinner recipe!

Ingredients:

Chicken Breast (Cubed)

Soy Vay Teriyaki Sauce

Stir Fry Veggie Packet

Brown Rice

Directions:

  1. Marinate the cubed chicken breast for 1 hour in the Teriyaki sauce
  2. Once marinated, cook chicken in a large pan on top of stove on medium heat. Cook until the pieces have turned white.
  3. Add the veggie pack to the cooked chicken in the pan and add 1/4 c of the teriyaki sauce on top.
  4. Make your rice (I used the Trader Joe’s Freezer bag brown rice, click here) and you are ready to eat!

I wasn’t lying when I told you this recipe was so fast. I like to prep the chicken before work and then once I get home I throw it all together and I have a pretty healthy meal. I also sometimes make this recipe without the chicken so it’s perfect for my vegetarian friends too. You just have to be careful about this teriyaki sauce and the amount of sodium you’re intaking but this meal is so yummy! This fall dinner recipe is perfect for on the go nights or a cozy night in. Hope you enjoyed this quick little recipe, don’t forget to check out my Pinterest for more recipes or my latest recipe on the blog! @cassiedenisco

Kissing Toxic People Goodbye

In case you need a reminder, people should be in your life for only one reason and that is to add to your happiness. But, I think for so many of us we have those people in our lives who we love so much but they don’t add to your life, they only take away from it.

For so long, I was allowing people to be a part of my life because of the idea that I “couldn’t live without them”. Here’s a new flash: you don’t need to rely on anyone to live. Without getting into details or naming names, just know that I have seriously lived through so many friendships that I held on to because I believed that the person meant well and that whatever they were doing wasn’t on purpose, but boy was I wrong.

When you’re going through hard times in relationships with anyone, there’s always the person that longs for the nostalgia that is associated with that person and that always is me. I constantly long for how friendships used to be or how people used to make me feel. I would let that constant fear of letting someone go who was once a huge part of my life dictate how I would act and react in situations.

I’d like to think of myself as someone who’s pretty assertive and doesn’t take bullsh*t but like I seriously have a soft spot for people that I genuinely care about at love, which I think we all do. I swear that this constantly leaves me upset and heartbroken because I never can let go, no matter how awful a situation is. Toxic people come in all shapes, sizes, genders, and personalities so not every situation will feel the same but just know that if someone isn’t constantly there for you and helping you better yourself, then they probably aren’t the best people to surround yourself with. They’re the friends that ghost you for months or the boys that try to control you and not allow you to live your life. They’re also the family members that don’t accept who you are or try and manipulate situations.

A huge reason why I know I let toxic people stay in my life longer then they’re welcome is because I have a fear of being alone. Crazy, right? It’s something so stupid but it seriously made me allow so many people to be in my life and treat me horribly. It’s hard to realize that people are toxic when you’re actively being their friend but afterwards you can see all the red flags you should’ve seen beforehand. Toxic people have no place in my life anymore so it’s time you cut them out of yours as well.

I always tell my mom I want this quote on my headstone when I die: “No matter who the toxic person in your life is, you cannot justify how they treat you because you love them”. This is the serious message that I want all of you to take away from this blog post. You deserve better and you are enough. I know it’s seriously so hard to believe that, especially when you are all alone but just know I believe that for you and I am routing for you. I’ve been through this myself and it all gets better. You have to believe me when I say let’s just get rid of the toxic people in our lives so that we can start living our best life in 2019.

6 Ways to Save the Planet as a College Student

@jordanmavradesigns

It’s so important now more than ever that we start to realize that similar to our bodies, we only get one earth. We only have one chance to treat it right and to enjoy the beauty and resources we get from it. For years I never cared at all about reducing my consumption or making switches to more eco friendly products but now it’s seriously all I think about. Here are my favorite ways that college kids like us can save the planet.

  1. Bring your own bags to the store

I absolutely love stores like Urban Outfitters or Lululemon that give away free reusable bags with every purchase. It really helps to not use plastic but most grocery stores aren’t so helpful. I went on Amazon and found a pack of super cute reusable pink bags that were so cheap but I also know they sell them literally everywhere. What do you actually use that plastic bag for after you bring your groceries home? Probably nothing, so you might as well bring your cute one from home. Pro tip: as soon as you bring your groceries inside, just put the bags back in your car so you’ll always have them.

2. Plastic straws aren’t cute

That iced latte you just got from Starbucks might taste good but it might kill your favorite little sea animal in a year. Seriosuly, if you’re bored do some research on what actually happens to plastic straws, it’s not pretty. I made the switch to glass or silicon straws at home. There’s also some cute travel straws that you can bring out with you wherever you go. Pro tip: ask for a nitro lid when you’re at Starbucks. You can still enjoy your iced drink but won’t need a straw for it.

3. Read what’s in your makeup

Guys this one was so shocking to me. Just because a makeup product is certified safe for your face, it doesn’t mean its safe for the planet. Certain preservatives in things like moisturizers have been linked to mutations in aquatic life. (Those poor animals!) Also, things like microbeads in exfoliators have been showing up in lakes and completely messing up the ecosystem of them. I know it might be so hard to give up your favorite products but with so many clean makeup brands popping up, I am so sure you can find something you and the planet will love.

4. Invest in reusable containers

This one a lot of us already do but single use plastic containers definitely are awful for the environment but they’re also so expensive. Think about how many containers and Ziploc bags you’ve purchased and then just thrown out after. Brands now make reusable bags that are basically Ziplocs but you never have to throw them out. You also can find really good quality plastic and glass containers that will last you for the rest of your life. Also, try your hardest to not drink bottled water. I know how convenient it is to buy that case of water but just get a gallon for your fridge and a cute reusable water bottle.

5. Educate your friends + family

I think this is my biggest tip. So many people don’t live their lives thinking about the environment most of the time because they think it’s too hard to make changes to their life or more expensive. Little changes here and there seriously will make a huge difference. The best way to change something is to educate people about it.

6. Donate!!

Even if you can’t give a lot, there are so many organizations out their that will benefit from your small donation. I love Project Aware, which is a global force of divers that work with communities to form policies for Marine conservation. Another organization that I love is the World Wildlife Fund. First, I think its so cute that you can symbolically adopt an animal with your donation but aside from that, this organization works to preserve endangered species and help keep animals safe. Make sure you do your research and donate to organizations that will do go for not only animals but also for the planet.

The planet and our environment is something I am seriously passionate about. The way we treat it right this second will seriously affect how we will live the rest of our lives’ and our kids. Making super small changes now will help in the long run and its cooler to be for the environment then against it. Hope this post inspired you and you start making more environmentally friendly choices in the school year!

Here’s a few of the products I suggested:

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

My Healthy, Fresh Salsa Recipe

Fun fact about me: I won first place for this salsa recipe I’m about to share with you. I was only 10 and it was a 4H Fair but it still counts and this recipe is seriously so yummy and healthy. To be clear, chunky salsa is seriously the only was to eat salsa so enjoy this colorful and easy recipe!

Ingredients:

4 medium size tomatoes

1/2 medium size red onion

1 small hot cherry pepper

Handful of cilantro

Handful of basil

Handful of parsley

Directions:

Seriously, this recipe is SO easy! Just finely chop up your herbs and cut up your tomatoes, onions, and peppers to be about the same size. Add them all together and mix. I like to let this salsa sit over night in the fridge before eating it so that all of the flavors have time to set and mix together.

I know how much effort it is to make your own salsa but it seriously is so worth it because of how much healthier it is. Store bought salsas have so much added salt and preservatives so that they can last longer. I know the convenience of them but knowing exactly what’s in your food I swear makes it taste so much better. And, when you’re at a party, you have the added pride of telling people you handmade that yummy salsa!

P.S. this salsa would also be so yummy in a burrito bowl or on top of chicken

Don’t forget to follow me on Pinterest @cassiedenisco for more recipes!

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