Cassie DeNisco

3 Minute Breakfast Recipes

July 13, 2019

With back to school and work quickly approaching, I am always looking for ways to save time in the morning. It is so hard to find time to eat healthy when your schedule gets super crazy but I promise you these two breakfast recipes take only 3 minutes and are a great start to your day. Not to mention, they’re the same ingredients so grocery shopping is super easy.

Ingredients:

Plain Quick Oats

Ground Cinnamon

Nut Butter

Bananas

English Muffins

Recipe 1: English Muffins

I like to use the 100 calorie English Muffins and toast them in the toaster so that the nut butter will melt. Then I put peanut butter, bananas, and cinnamon on top. This breakfast is super quick but has enough to it to keep you full for the day. This recipe is only about 300 calories depending on how much peanut butter you use.

Recipe 2: Oatmeal

I am going to give you a life changing hack: put your oats in a cup with a little water and put them in the microwave for 1 minute. Seriously, try it! It works and helps cut down time in the morning. I then add some collagen powder just to get some added nutrients. Before I top the oatmeal with banana slices and peanut butter, I like to put my cinnamon in first and mix it all up. Again, this recipe is so yummy and literally took only 3 minutes. This recipe with the collagen comes in at about 395 calories but I think the collagen really helps the oatmeal keep you fuller for longer.

What I love most about these recipes is that they both use the same ingredients. It helps to make grocery shopping for your week so simple because you’re not buying a million different things. Also, with having two different variations of these ingredients it helps to not make you get tired of what you’re eating because you can easily switch it up. I hope you enjoyed this recipe and be sure to subscribe for more low cal, quick breakfast recipes!

Vegan Starbucks Lemon Loaf

June 25, 2019

I have two go to sweet treats when I go to Starbucks: birthday cake pop and lemon loaf. Both are so yummy but super sugary and not the best to have. Starbucks is also pretty expensive for just a slice of a loaf cake so I made it my mission to find a recipe similar to Starbucks’ lemon loaf that would be much cheaper and healthier. I finally think I have found the perfect vegan recipe so here it is!

Ingredients:

Loaf

– 2 c Flour

– 3 tsp Baking Powder

– 1/2 tsp Salt

– 3/4 c Sugar

– 1 c Dairy Free, Unsweetened Milk

– 1/2 c Vegetable Oil

– 1/4 c Lemon Juice

– 2 tbs Lemon Zest

– 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Icing

– 1 c Powdered Sugar

– 1/4 c Lemon Juice

– 2 tbs Lemon Zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9″ by 5″ loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Stir all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, mix together all wet ingredients.
Slowly add dry ingredients mix to the wet ingredients mix.
Pour batter in loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes. Remove and place aluminum foil tent over it to prevent the top from browning.
Put it back in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes more or until a toothpick inserted is clean.
Let cool and prepare glaze by mixing powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until combined.
Drizzle icing over cooled loaf and place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to set!

Although the cook time is kind of long, this loaf turned out so yummy. It is definitely so similar to the Starbucks Lemon Loaf that you probably will want this loaf over their’s any day. It has way less sugar and is a lot healthier of a treat. Let me know if you try this recipe out or if you want me to make more Starbucks recipe dupes in the future!

4 Ways to Heal Your Sunburn Fast

June 18, 2019

I get asked all the time how I get so tan over the summer. I used to lay out in the sun with only tanning oil on but once I became more aware of the harmful effects of sun damage to your skin, I quickly made skin care my top priority. This post is dedicated to healing that painful sunburn that we all get a least once a summer.

Quality Sun Tan Lotion

Let me tell you, this may seem like the most obvious tip but a lot of people don’t take the quality of their sunscreen into consideration. Quality suntan lotion is generally a little more pricy then the cheap stuff but it is so worth the cost. For example, this Hawaiian Tropic’s sunscreen has built in moisturizers so that even if your skin starts to burn, it has moisturizer on it to start working fast to reduce the burn. I also love Sun Bum’s products as well. It’s important that you’re getting quality suntan lotions so that you can prevent the burns before they happen and prevent long term skin damage.

2. Don’t Exfoliate or Peel Your Skin

It might be extremely tempting to sit and peel off that dead skin or use an exfoliating scrub in the shower but DON’T DO IT!! Stripping off that dead skin prior to it naturally coming off will leave your skin extremely damaged and stripped of the moisture that it needs to recover. That dead skin is helping retain the moisture that your skin will need to heal. You can purchase Sun Balm’s to apply to the peeling skin that can help speed up the process of your the dead skin coming off if you don’t like the way it looks.

3. Moisturize Immediately

I swear by this tip to keep my skin tan and not getting burnt. Even if I’m red after being out in the sun, whenever I get out of it I make sure to use an “after sun” moisturizer that is designed to help replenish what my skin lost from being out all day. Moisturizing is your best friend in the summer and so many people neglect this step. I really believe that moisturizing after I get out of the sun and using a sun lotion infused with moisturizer, I get the best tans that are long lasting.

4. Solarcaine

I was so surprised when people have never heard of this product. Solar Cane is basically used like aloe except its in a spray bottle and is cooling when applied. I don’t like to use aloe because it’s too sticky for me and also rubbing damaged skin isn’t the best idea. This product does the job of aloe except works so much better for some reason. I’ve seen people who get the worst sunburns put this on right after being in the sun and they’re not even pink. I highly recommend getting this and adding it to your after sun routine. It also will help take away the pain and burning sensation that sunburn leaves.

I also just want to put out a disclaimer that being out in the sun all day is not good for you. I love laying out and getting tan but as I get older, I realize more and more how harmful sun rays can be to your skin. A once in awhile sunburn is not the end of the world but please be cautious this summer because sun damage is irreversible.

My Collagen Smoothie

June 17, 2019

Whenever I finish a workout, I love making some type of smoothie or protein shake. Lately I have been making collagen smoothies to support my hair, skin, and nails as well as get my daily protein intake in. Adding collagen to your diet will seriously help keep your skin younger and healthier for longer. Collagen also helps to keep your nails strong and can help to grow out your hair. Aside from the beauty benefits of this smoothie, there’s plenty of protein in it that it could even replace a meal.

Here’s the recipe!

1 Banana
3/4 c Mixed Berries
Handful of Spinach
1/2 c Milk (I usually do either cow’s and almond)
2 scoops Collagen Powder
1 scoop Protein Powder (I use vanilla)

I first like to put all my fruit in. I like to use frozen berries and bananas because it helps to make the smoothie cold and wake me up. Then I put my powders in and milk. I finish off with the spinach because I usually like to fill my Nutribullet up to the top with spinach. This makes it so easy to get your veggies in for the day!

This smoothie has almost 50 grams of protein just from the powders and milk alone. This smoothie is my go to post workout or even in the morning for breakfast. Just as a reminder, it is best to have fruit first thing in the morning or earlier in the day because of how quickly it digests.

Collagen is so so so important for your skin and I highly recommend that you start incorporating it into your every day routine!

My Skin Secrets

June 7, 2019

As I get older, I get more passionate about skin care. In high school I struggled with simple, hormonal breakouts but of course to me it was the end of the world. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t wear makeup, even to workout or teach a dance class because I was so insecure about my skin. Today, I rarely wear makeup, even on special occasions. People always ask me how I cleared my skin and got it to where it is now, so today I am sharing my top skin secrets with you!

Don’t Over Exfoliate

I feel like for most of us when our skin is breaking out, all we want to do is take it and scrub away all the bacteria. Now, a little exfoliation has been proven to help break away dead skin cells, too much exfoliation can strip your skin of the important oils it needs and lead to more breakouts! I noticed that once I switched from a face scrub to a more gel like cleanser, my skin immediately felt more hydrated and looked better. Exfoliation is definitely important but I recommend only about once or twice a week because you only need to strip the skin of dead skin cells and not oils that are going to help rejuvenate you. Here’s the scrub I use once a week!

Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating Cleaner $7.99

Face Brushes are a Must Have

I was so late to hop on this train. I ended up ordering the cheapest one I could find on Amazon and immediately noticed my pores and blackheads disappearing. I like to use the most fluffy brush head that it came with and put some of my face wash on it every other morning just to really deep clean my skin. Not only do skin brushes provide deep cleansing but they also help to stimulate circulation.

Don’t Sleep In Makeup!

This tip might be common sense but its probably the hardest one to follow. Believe me, I know how hard it is to come home and take off your makeup and do your entire skin care routine but it is so important. There are so many products on the market now that basically melt your makeup right off. I love this Clinique one. While you sleep, your skin is resetting itself after a long day. You should not let your skin go to bed dirty because you’re just going to clog your pores. Even if you don’t do your full routine, keep some micellar water right next to your bed to at least take off your makeup.

What You Put in, Is What you Get Out

I think this is so crucial and honestly underrated. You can’t expect your skin to change overnight if your not nourishing your body with the nutrients it needs. Great skin comes from within and the types of foods that you’re eating. Now, this is not to say that you can’t eat that pizza or those french fries but you need to make sure that you’re eating more things that have known skin benefits than the unhealthier foods. This book called Eat Pretty is my holy grail with eating for beauty.

Water is Everything

Drink your water! If there is only one thing you do from this blog post, it has to be to drink more water. Water is so essential to your entire body’s health but for me, water is the key to my clear and beautiful skin. I like to drink at least 100 oz of water a day and I promise you, drinking water and upping your water in take will do wonders for your skin. Water really helps you to stay hydrated but also to flush out toxins. I swear that when I don’t drink enough water the day before, the next day I can immediately tell in the look of my skin.

Know Your Products

Once I decided to dive right in to skin care and actually caring for my skin, my face transformed. For a lot of us, walking into Sephora or Ulta’s skin care section is so massive that you never know where to start and then you look at the prices and are so turned off. Buying products that are natural, clean, and a little pricier are definitely worth it in my book in reassuring that I am using the best for my skin. I also think that using products within the same brand is so important as well. A lot of times, skin products are designed to be used together so its important to follow the directions. I know that Drunk Elephant is definitely a bran that works best when put together and I also think that Clinque is too!

I hope these tricks help you in your journey to flawless skin. I know that without them, I would still be struggling with my skin. Let me know in the comments down below if you do any of these already or if you have any secrets of your own you want to share!

My Vegan Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

June 5, 2019

My oatmeal cookie recipe is probably the best that you’ll ever have. I personally hate raisins but this cookie has so many other flavors that you don’t even realize the raisins are in it. It’s also vegan but you can of course substitute the vegan butter with regular butter in order for it to not be but I highly suggest trying these cookies vegan before you judge them. These cookies are awesome because most of us have these simple ingredients at home already. Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 c All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/8 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 c Vegan Butter/Margarine (make sure it’s softened)
1/4 c Sugar
1/2 c Brown Sugar
1 mini unsweetened apple sauce cup
1 tsp Vanilla
1 -1/2 c Oats
3 mini Boxes of raisins (1 c Raisins)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Mix the vegan butter, sugar, and brown sugar with a hand mixer or an electric mixer until everything is well combined
Add the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, applesauce, & vanilla
Add the oats and raisins last, mixing until everything is well combined and the dough is kind of sticky
Use a spoon and place the cookies on to a baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper
Bake for 9-10 minutes or until golden on the edges

As you can see, these cookies are soooo easy to make. I usually make about 32 each time with this batter and they’re perfect to bring to any party or barbecue this summer. The best part is that they’re vegan so you can enjoy the dough guilt free. If these cookies aren’t sweet enough for you, I highly suggest adding a little maple syrup to the batter. I hope you enjoyed this recipe and use the hashtag #cassiescookie if you try them out!

What I Eat in a Day

May 23, 2019

intermittent fasting + food combining

I fell in love with food combining when I realized how great it is in reducing bloating throughout the day. Food combining isn’t necessarily a “diet” but it is a lifestyle change. It basically revolves around how you eat certain foods and what you eat with them. I also like to follow a pretty loose interpretation of intermittent fasting, where I’m only eating for around 8 hours a day, starting around 11:30am and ending around 7:30pm. I say loose because sometimes I love a good midnight snack or some mornings I wake up hungry at 7 am.

One major rule of food combining is to eat your fruit first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I like to have my fruit at around 11:30 and then drink lots of water for the next 30 minutes before I eat anything else. This is so important to do because fruit digests so quickly so if you eat it any later in the day, it will just sit in your stomach on top of everything else that takes longer to digest and cause bloating. My all time favorite fruit is watermelon and it’s the perfect summer ” pre-breakfast”. I am not usually a breakfast eater other than my fruit but if I’m headed to teach or to a work out class, I’ll reach towards some greek yogurt and granola or an english muffin with peanut butter (not food combining but still super yummy). Both are high in protein so they help to hold me over until lunch.

Another important rule of food combining is to either eat a protein with a veggie or a starch with a veggie but don’t mix a starch and a protein. Because both starches and proteins take long to digest, mixing them together leads to that really sluggish and tired feeling. Mixing them with a vegetable separately helps to speed up digestion and help you feel lighter and less bloated. For lunch I love to do a huge salad with lots of greens and veggies. Because its almost summer, so many great veggies like zucchini and tomatoes are in season so I love piling them on my salad. This day I decided to put grilled chicken on my salad but sometimes I’ll also put some baked salmon. My all time favorite dinner is lemon salmon with steamed broccoli. It really fills me up but doesn’t leave me bloated heading to bed.

I can’t stress enough just how important water is as well. I like to drink at least 100 oz of water a day. I find that by drinking water not only does it help my moods but I also have the clearest skin because of it. Water doesn’t seem appealing to a lot of people but adding lemon or cucumbers can actually help make it taste better. I also love treating myself to a cute water bottle because it makes drinking so much water in a day fun. I find that because I drink so much water, I never really have to reach for a snack during the day. I am usually full enough from meal to meal that I rarely will reach for something else.

I always like to treat myself to a dessert if I ate pretty healthy for the first half of the day. I’m a sucker for Golden Oreos or B5aby Goldfish. I don’t often treat myself but I love to indulge when I know that I’ve been eating so well. I like to finish my day off with some sort of tea. My two favorite kinds are green tea and mint tea. Both are great for digestion and help me really detox my body after a full day of eating!

When I initially looked in to food combining, I was like oh that will never work. I was so happy when it actually did. Making simple choices in eating can really help bloating and that overly full feeling. For so long I had been just not feeling good about myself after I ate because I was just always so bloated. Once I actually took the time to try this new way of eating, I realized that I can have such a better relationship with food and eating healthy. I feel like dieting and living a “healthy” lifestyle is all about what makes you feel good. The way I eat in a day might not be exactly for you or what you should do but food combining is definitely something to research if you had some of the similar problems I had.

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