• 3 Ingredient Chocolate Mousse Squares

    As my first semester of online classes ends, I can ffiiinnnalllyyy start chipping away at the list of blog posts I had all intentions of posting months ago! Now that there aren’t any essays due to leave me drained and with writer’s block, here’s something chocolatey, fudgy, and rich to kick off the content on a sweet note! But hey, an easy and relatively healthy dessert recipe is always welcome, right?! Oh, and they’re vegan too!

  • Fool-Proof Chickpea Salad

    This no-cooking-required recipe was originally made as one of the Cutie Foodie’s contributions to the Super Bowl Sunday spread. And let me tell you, for being SO incredibly simple, this ended up being quite the super-bowl of light and refreshing deliciousness!   Here’s what you’ll need: 1 can garbanzo beans 1 can corn kernels 1 large avocado 1 large plum tomato 1/2 large red onion juice of 1 lemon salt, pepper, & chopped cilantro to taste     Directions: 1. Thoroughly rinse your garbanzo beans, removing the skin.  Although tedious, allowing the running water to naturally loosen the skins and popping each chickpea from its plastic-like casing is a vital…

  • 7 Days of Self-Care

     If you’ve been a Cutie follower for some time now, you’d know just how important self-care is to me and my philosophy of living a healthy and positive life. While I can list the reasons as to why taking care of yourself first isn’t selfish, I’ll admit I also spent the beginning of 2019 not taking care of myself myself. Essentially, I was going through the motions with my gas light ON; and as we all know, you can only push farther for so long until the tank is empty and you roll to a stop.  I’ll be honest, when that happened to me this past February, it was a…

  • A Day in the Life on Vacay

    Hi, if you’re new here, I’m Shannon. I’m a foodie. I’m also the uptime of a creature of habit and love my routines and rituals more than the average person. However, I’ve taken the Christmas-to-New Years break to practice what I preach — to allow myself to be selfish. To relax, and to spend quality time with my family before reverting back to my extremely self-disciplined self. So, I’m saying “Hola!” while oceanside in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico, and I’m going to share with you what a typical — or should I say untypical — day looks like here. Keeping it authentic here on day three! Read on as I…

  • Fitness is Cute, Too

    Growing up as a dancer had a huge impact on who I am today. Aside from teaching me what it takes to master a skill and gifting me with lifelong friends, I gained a passion for learning about my body — how to fuel it, nourish it, and move it in order to live healthfully.  Since graduating high school and no longer having scheduled, implemented dance classes, I’ve now channeled that into a fitness regime. Others may say I’m addicted to the grind, but I’d just say I love moving my body in a positive way. I love having a huge space and filling it. I love bettering myself. Most…

  • Your Guide to NYC Avo Toast

    Let’s be cheesy and put it this way: Manhattan is the avocado to my toast! It’s ever-changing and always on-trend, despite the fact that it creates most of those trends.  Inevitably, this got me thinking: How well does the greatest city in the world* do the greatest brunch dish in the world*? The open-faced sandwich has worked its way up the social ladder, and is now THE thing to do. Yes, avocado toast is no longer merely something to eat. It has become something to do! Just ask the nearly 1 million posts featured on #avocadotoast. The Internet became obsessed in 2016, and have you checked your Instagram feed lately?…

  • Sweet Heat Summer Shrimp Salad

        This Sweet Heat Summer Shrimp Salad (phew, try saying that 5 times fast) is a refreshing and delicious dish — great paired with chips to turn into a party salsa, or equally yum with a fork on its own!   I tried to come up with something that defies the struggles of being invited over a friend’s home for a party: whether that be worrying whether or not there will be food there to meet dietary needs or having to contribute a dish, yet not wanting to simply buy a fruit platter, but also not wanting to make a mess of your kitchen while trying to prepare a…

  • How to Get Ready in 20 Minutes (or Less)

    We all know that pressing ‘Snooze’ for those extra 5 minutes of much-needed sleep come with some consequences. Believe it or not, there are ways to master your morning routine in 20 minutes (or less) without looking like you just got ready in 20 minutes (or less)! Yes, it is possible to still wear your hair down and yes, it is possible to still wear makeup, and no, it’s not as impossible as you may think. Here are my secrets: 1. Shower & prep your hair the night before. Shave your legs in the PM and time off your routine in the AM. To avoid frizz, spritz in a product…