Sweet Potato Veggie Burger

I never would of thought I'd end up loving veggie burgers. As someone who used to be a proud carnivore and thought meat was the holy grail of food, I have been proven wrong. That probably stems from me watching way more vegan and vegetarian videos lately that I have ever watched in my life, even though I'm not either of those, yet. Veggies are our friends and can taste good if you give them a chance. 

Behold, my first veggie burger. I wasn't expecting anything great or to taste something I would want right away again. This sandwich shot me down real quick. It was originally supposed to be a falafel burger recipe that I saw on Tumblr. Through the process, I basically changed the whole entire recipe, made it my own and hoped for the best. In the end, thats pretty much what I got. 

This recipe was super easy to make and is great for those who don't own a food processor. Every veggie burger recipe I came across needed a big food processor to accommodate the ingredients. I just used a blender for the small stuff and mashed everything else up by hand.  

Makes 6 patties 

Ingredients

1 can of garbanzo beans

2 medium sweet potatoes 

half of an onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil

half of a lemon, juiced

pinch of salt

panko bread crumbs

Directions  

- Bake sweet potatoes, after pinching them with a fork, in an oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

- While sweet potatoes are baking, pour garbanzo beans into a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork

- Dice onions into small pieces 

- Once sweet potatoes are done, add them to the bowl, skin on

- Mash into bean mixture and then incorporate onions

- In a blender or Nutribullet, add olive oil, fresh basil, lemon juice and salt. Blend to combine

- Pour olive oil mixture into bean mixture and mix well

- Store in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to an hour 

- When done chilling, form mixture into patties of desired size. 

- Add panko break crumbs to both sides of the patty 

- Cook patties onto an oiled skillet, about 5-6 minutes each, over medium low heat until brown crust forms on both sides

I couldn't believe how delicious these were. Then again, they're my first veggie burgers so really don't have anything to compare it to. I'm still sure they were pretty awesome. 

I didn't have any burger buns, so I put the patty in-between two thick slices of french brioche bread, topped with mozzarella cheese, organic spring mix with herbs and ripe vine tomatoes. 

I'm sure ill be having these for lunch every day for the next 2 weeks.

NYC treats

Just look as this little pile of delightful nuggets.

As a New Yorker, I am ashamed to say this was my first time at the Doughnuttery. After seeing it countless times on The Food Network and The Cooking channel, I was always pretty eager. It wasn't even my plan to go there yesterday, but since a friend and I some extra time to spare, we thought we would take a quick stroll through Chelsea Market. 

I hate to say I havn't spent much time in the market either. Living in Westchester, I have the big city at my finger tips and rarely take advantage of it. I'm hoping to change this soon. 

As we approached the Doughnuttery, I could smell the warm fried dough in the air. When I got up to the counter, it was just as I expected from watching it on T.V. The conveyer belt was right there at the front of the counter and you can see the process of the doughnuts being fried. The fryer poured the batter into a big funnel that dropped and shaped the mini doughnuts into the oil. It went down what looked like a little river of oil, was flipped over by a conveyer paddle, and was then fried on the other side. 

Not only are you seeing how these doughnuts are made, you're getting them fresh out of the fryer and then you get to see them tossed in whatever flavor you desire at that moment.   

When you go, you're not just getting little doughnuts, you're getting an experience. 

Biting into these is a whole different story. Light and airy but oh so rich in flavor. Sweet but not overly sweet and you cant just eat one. It's safe to say these are perfect little doughnuts. 

If you are in the New York area, this should be one of your stops. 

Of-course on our stroll I couldn't just stop for one thing. I love Gelato. Even though I can never find anything comparable to Italy, I get close enough sometimes. L'Arte del Gelato is small ice cream counter when you walk in the entrance of Chelsea Market. They have a bunch of different flavors to choose from. Since it's hard to choose just one, I chose three. 

Caramello al Sale, Mascarpone, and Zuppa Inglese. Carmello al Sale was salted caramel that had a pronounced salty flavor, which is great if you prefer that saltiness more then something overly sweet. Mascarpone is kind of like Italy's version of cream cheese, except lighter but rich tasting at the same time. 

Of all three, my favorite was the Zuppa Inglese. This was egg nog gelato. This past winter, I have formed such a loving relationship with egg nog, where it has to be so delicious for me to truly appreciate it. This flavor was so pleasing that I found myself going around the other flavors just to get to it. 

I couldn't even make it to the bottom of the container because by then I had sent myself in such a sugar rush. I don't regret it thought. My heart was happy. It was a great visit and I'm planning to go back very soon.  

What I've Learned

Self love. It takes dedication and self reflection. It doesn't only mean giving yourself a compliment or a manicure every now and then. It means surrounding yourself with what and who is good for you. Self love is a journey, and when you embark on that journey, you realize that there is way more out there that you can open your mind to. Along the way, you learn what you're capable of and acquire new ways of thinking. 

I can also tell you what self love does not mean. Holding yourself to such a high standard where  you think you're above everyone else. Many times, I experience others insinuating that they are confident because they know they are better then someone else or they judge and pick apart another persons flaws to make themselves feel better. We have all been guilty of this. I am not perfect and neither is anyone else. But, when you make an effort to go on a journey and really find what it means to love yourself and hope it inspires other people, you learn to judge less. As you learn to judge less, you learn to not tear others down in a negative way. When you finally come to a point where trying to find a flaw in someone else no longer serves you or your ego, you realize that many others have yet to discover this. You realize, your mindset has changed. 

The first impression you may have is that these people are untrustworthy, mean people who just want others to suffer at their own expense. That they're selfish and don't care about anyone else's feelings. Honestly, those used to be my first thoughts. Now, I think about it a little differently. 

These are the people who need to learn self love the most. The ones who constantly tear town others or say she's too fat, she's too thin, and she's not pretty enough are reflecting exactly how they feel about themselves. 

As much as we can tell the ones who do this that they are wrong and they are bad people, we would only be sending more negativity out. My hope is that they could realize that they may be hurting others, whether they realize it or not, and hope they too will embark on a journey for themselves. 

There are a few things you can do to shift your mindset and realize if you tend to focus negativity on others instead of looking at your self positively. 

1. Spend some time alone

Take yourself out of your usual social surroundings. Sometimes our thoughts can be manipulated by the thought patterns of others. You may think everything that comes out of your mouth is your own opinion, but it can be skewed by someone else point of view.  It's all energy being mixed together. 

2. Write in a journal

During this time alone, spend some time writing your thoughts down in a journal. Whatever comes to your mind, just jot it down and let it flow. Most of the time, our truest thoughts are what we don't say out loud. 

3. Keep track of when you have a negative or judgmental thought

Write down these thoughts and why you have them. Determine where they came from and see if it's connected to a negative way you feel about yourself. 

4, Keep track of any positive thoughts

When you face and work through the negative, the positive makes its way through. See if you notice any positive shifts of thinking in your daily life. Whats amazing about this is your positivity spreads to others, and this doesn't only benefit you, but also those you come in contact with.  

5. Meditate

Sitting in peace with no thoughts at all can actually cleanse your mind. If I'm in a hectic situation or just need a break in my day, meditating can help me center myself. When I open my eyes, I feel like I'm starting fresh. 

Continue your journey

This journey isn't only about being less judgmental, it's about discovering your capabilities. It's no longer about ego, it's about true self confidence. You then are more confident to do things you never thought possible and embark on other journeys in other areas of your life, and encouraging others to do so also. 

We live in a world where the mentality of being competitive and tearing down others to feel better about ourselves is all too common. During my journey to realize that this is not the way, I hope to help others stop and think. Positive thoughts can spread like wildfire if you send them out. So, think positive about yourself and the next person who comes your way, you never know how much they need it. 

Just remember, you are amazing and are fully capable of reaching the highest point of self love.

Enjoy the journey.  

This post was inspired by the the book "Spirit Junkie" by Gabrielle Bernstein which really helped me along the way. I can't take credit in finding this book myself. This also goes out to the one who recommended it to me, Jessica Pineda, who's positive energy is always being spread.   

Secrets of a Stylish Man

The Beauty industry is often focused on celebrating the styles of women and we often forget to focus on our stylish men. This month at the Beauty Box, we're focusing on mens hair and fashion by celebrating styles of the past and how much they have evolved. 

Let's take a look at some of the current trends that are taking over the hair industry. 

Master colorist Danielle Delong perfected the look of silver metallic hair on our male client. Being in the industry for over 6 years and also being the one who taught me everything I know, she's extremely talented.

The metallic hair craze has had a huge impact on women in the hair industry, but men are wearing it just as well. Brendan's metallic hair amped up his look and proved that more men should definitely be making the switch.

In this video, we see Danielle transform his brunette locks to silver fox.

Aside from Danielle working her color magic, one of our Master Stylists, Lindsey Jennex, made her way into Westchester magazine where she shared her take on popular men's hairstyles throughout Westchester County. Lindsey, being one of our Bumble and Bumble network educators, is extremely passionate about the many ways her clients can keep their look fun and edgy while being clean and well put together. 

Our staff at the Beauty Box is constantly on a creative journey and working as a team is our secret to success. We receive inspiration from everything around us and express it through our creativity. We hope we inspire you and see you soon at The Beauty Box. 

First YouTube Video

Making YouTube videos has always been something I wanted to do. It's so much fun to create something and be able to share it with the world, especially today, since social media has given us the ability to reach millions of people. 

For years, I have been watching YouTubers. Between makeup gurus and nutrition lovers, I would sit there and wonder the process of how all of their videos were made. I told myself I knew when I would be ready and finally this past week, I was. 

Purchasing my camera gave me the push to finally upload a video. I didn't want to do anything too complicated, so I made it short and simple. It was alot of fun and I cant wait to do more. 

I'm trying to be as nutritious as I can these days, with a few exceptions,  so even my chocolate pudding has some good stuff in it. I actually felt like I was eating dessert so I'm assuming this is going to be something I'll be making a lot from now on. 

If you're trying to be healthy also but still have a sweet tooth, this is great for you.

Recipe

- Half of an Avacado

- 1 Frozen Banana 

- 2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter 

- 1 Tablespoon of Raw Coca Powder 

-1 Teaspoon of Organic Cane Sugar

- 1/4 of a cup of Almond Milk

Blend together in your blender or food process. Garnish whatever you desire and enjoy. :)

Powerful Anti-oxidant Tea

Lemon Ginger Tea

The more negative things I hear about the medical industry, the more I love looking into letting my food be my medicine. I've realized that although it's amazing to have access to any type to medical doctor who has had years of experience, nutritional doctors also have a very crucial part in todays society. We live in in a world where we are constantly given medication after medication and eventually pills aren't the solution to the problem, they are the cause. Many others who surround me are realizing this to and they are also researching into holistic medicine and following doctors who aren't all about prescribing pills.

I didn't look into any of this until I started having some serious health issues of my own and I have also seen the quality of life of a friend dramatically change as she started going the all natural route.

Before I get into what I am talking about, i'll give a brief description of my medical history.

In 2011, I started having some serious symptoms of headaches, dizzyness, severe low blood pressure, intense brain fog, light headedness, constant swollen lymph nodes and severe chronic fatigue.

Fast forward 7 months later, I was diagnosed with POTS syndrome and was told there was no cure and I had to just live my life every day managing my symptoms.

Another 4 years later, I had decided that it was time I invested in Invisalign since I had always wanted straight teeth. I found a new dentist and started my appointments to get my trays made.

This is where the story starts.....

In my X-rays, she had found a massive infection that was eating hole through my jaw. Turns out, this infection was brewing in my tooth for at least 4 years, coincidentally when my immune system issues started.

Two root canals and a pulled tooth later, the infection had started to clear up and my bones are still in the process of growing back. I am currently walking around with metal braces on and no front tooth. Loads of fun.

Throughout this process, I was on 2 types of antibiotics and was taking them for the course of over a month. 

After I finished my round of antibiotics, I noticed a weird film on my toungue. I didn't think anything of it and then developed some flu like systems. Since I get sick whenever the seasons change, I thought this was just the usual common cold. After this, I got sick the next month and the next month. Each time my lymph nodes completely swelling but oddly enough, I had no pain. I decided to take a look in the back of my throat to see what was going on.

It was gross. the back of my toungue had a thick white and yellow coating on it. I was completely alarmed and had never seen this before. Over the next two weeks, I went to the hospital twice and was sent home both times after being told it was just "mucus buildup" and it would clear up in a week. That never happened.

My guess is the overuse of antibiotics gave me a case of candida, which grossly enough is the overgrowth of yeast in the body, including the mouth and causing severe oral thrush.

During all of this happening, a close friend was having amazing results from holistic medicine and special diets that were made up by nutritionists. That's when she gave me this tea recipe.

Before I say any of this, I am NOT giving anyone medical advice. This is simply the experience I have had.

My friend told me to start drinking a cup of this tea every morning. Sure enough, I would get up, boil up some water with fresh slices of lemon, fresh ginger, cinnamon and honey. Every morning I drank it on an empty stomach. This tea is so good that it's easy to want it in the morning.

It has now been a month since I have been drinking this tea every morning and everyday the white coating on my tongue has been disappearing, to the point where it's almost completely gone and I haven't gotten sick. I have also seen a big improvement in my menstrual cramps. Usually, I am in agony unless I take something the day before it starts. I was shocked that I could fully function, at work, without taking anything at all. I am not saying that this tea is the complete cause of my symptoms getting better, but as soon as I introduced this into my daily routine, I saw positive changes. 

There are so many health benefits from the ingredients in this tea. Fresh ginger, as well as cinnamon, is an anti-oxidant and powerful anti-inflammatory. Ginger is also great for relieving nausea and other other upset stomach issues. I gave this tea to my mom when she had a 24 hour stomach bug and it helped her queasiness. Lemons are full of vitamins such a as vitamin C and vitamin B6. Having lemon water is also a great was to start the morning and get your metabolism going before you eat any solid foods. 

I really encourage everyone to drink this tea once a day for a month and see what it does for you. At the very least, it's warming during the winter so no matter what happens, it's a win - win!


Recipe

2 servings :

1 inch slice of fresh ginger, chopped

half of a lemon, juiced into water and then slices thrown in 

Dash of Cinnamon 

Bring to a boil and then Simmer for 20 minutes. Pour into mugs, top with some honey and enjoy!

Embrace your curls - Favorite curly hair products at the moment

Wearing my hair curly used to not be an option for me. I always hated my curls and would straighten and blow dry them until every strand was straight. I've learned to now embrace them. Whenever people see me now, they ask me what I did to my hair because they didn't realize my big hair was natural. I'm on a kick where I love my curls and it's actually a lot more easier then sitting in front of the mirror while constantly blowdrying. Less time and patience. 

With curly hair comes the need for great products. Every head of curls is different and it takes a lot of time for someone to find their favorite products to use. I'm lucky I work in a salon because I can do an endless amount of experimenting and using  different products together to see what works. 

Right now I am loving Bumble and Bumble and Kerastase for my curls. Many would think since these are the products we sell at the salon I work in, of course I'm going to advertise these. It actually took me a while to get to like Curl Fever by Kerastase. I was always so against gels because I hated any type of crunchiness in my hair. I was always someone who liked my hair to feel textured and not like I just put a glob of glue in it. My mentor was always telling me to just try it because she loved it. Finally, I did and I am so happy about it. Its actually part of the reason I'm wearing my hair curly on an every day basis because I know my curls are going to come out great. 

As for Bumble and Bumble, I will always love the surf line. It allows me to have beach hair all year round, and the packaging looks pretty awesome to. I use all of these three products for different things and each one is important. 

Kerastase Curl Fever - This is a gel that adds no crunchiness to your hair while still having some hold. I don't like the stiff feeling. This keeps helps keep my curls in tact without looking crusty. 

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray - A sea salt spray for a beachy texture. It feels like you just stepped out of the ocean. Since its winter, there is no humidity in the air to help my hair get some volume. I use this at my root while its both damp and dry and it keeps my hair from looking flat and greasy. 

Bumble and Bumble Surf Infusion - A lot like the Surf Spray, this also gives the hair a beachy texture but is infused with oils for some added moisture. The original surf spray is great for the summer but in the winter, my ends need more moisture since curly hair tends to get very dry. I get the same beachy texture without the frizzy, dry feel. 

Granny Gray

Gray hair isn't just for the old and wise anymore. Metallic blues, violets and silvers are all the rage in the hair industry at the moment. Young girls everywhere are going through the process of turning their tresses into silver strands.

What many clients don't seem to realize is the process it takes to get to these tones and keep their hair looking perfectly silver all the time. It takes time, money, and a lot of patience. 

My client Michelle told me months ago that eventually she wanted silver hair. Being that she is also a hairdresser, she understood it would take a while. Especially since her hair was darker at the time and we wanted to keep it as healthy as possible. 

The first time Michelle came to me was in August. Our first task was to knock out the orange tones in her hair and match the banding that she had up against her natural color. She wanted to start growing out her base so that in the future we didn't have to battle previous color while lightening.

Our first session 

She then came to me again in October. I gave her a full head of Balayage and worked on getting her as light as I could, with the help of Olaplex of-course. Olaplex is a must, especially with big processes like these. We happily got her to a creamy blonde at her ends, keeping her a little rooty towards her base. 

Second session

In December, we were ready to get some more blonde into her hair and try out some silver pieces. When Michelle came in, she had oxidized to an orange tone towards her root and some yellow towards her ends. Since her ends were still very light, I went in with a Clear gloss and 40 volume because I thought lightener would be to harsh. Clear and 40 volume is a great way to shift someones color a half a shade to a few shades lighter without the use of bleach. I also gave her a partial highlight with foils to give her some finer, lighter pieces up at the roots. 

Before and after third session. 

After third session

After everything was rinsed, I toned her hair with L'Oreal Dialight 10.21 =15

volume and Olaplex. Afterwards, I low-lighted her with Guy Tangs' Demi-Permanant Kenra Metallics line. I used 8VM towards her mid shaft and 9VM towards her ends. 

After blowdrying her hair, her lowlights were nowhere to be found. I then realized I had purchased the wrong developer for the Demi Permanent metallics. Even though we were disappointed that her color wasn't what we were going for, the blonde still looked beautiful and she kept it for a while. 

This past week, she was finally ready to take the plunge and go for the full silver look. This time I made sure I purchased the right developer. 

I went back in with clear and 40 on her ends to lift out any yellow or brassy tones. Her ends came up to a white blonde while she still had a lot of yellow-orange in the mid-lengths. At her root, I went in with 7SM = 9 volume for a Deeper, Silvery tone, hoping it would knock out all of those brassy tones. At her ends, I went in with equal parts of 8SM and 9VM equal parts and Olaplex. She processed for 25 minutes and we then glossed with 10.12 Dialight 6 Volume and Olaplex. 

The result was gorgeous, even though it still wasn't exactly what we were looking for. Her mid shafts were not light enough to pick up the silver tones we were hoping, even though her ends took to a beautiful silver. 

These kind of colors take a lot of patience! For best results, the hair should always be taken up to a pale yellow - white blonde. Michelle's' hair wasn't exactly what we were expecting, but color isn't always 100% predictable. I do think that adds to the fun of it. We still are LOVING the way her hair is looking! 

A week later........

New Years came and went. The feeling of new beginnings and possibilities are in full swing. 

It's been 1 week since I posted about all my goals and resolutions I wanted to accomplish for the upcoming year. In my mind, my everyday schedule was supposed to be upgraded by this time. The feeling of positivity was to be felt everywhere. Unfortunately, this didn't happen. 

As we rang in the new year, I was getting a cold. A really bad one. It didn't take much time for me to be strapped to my bed with no willingness to move. My motivation and resolutions were put on the back burner. 

My biggest fear was to lose track of my goals all together and never start them. Keeping motivation is hard enough as it is, especially when you don't feel well. I had a lot of time to think while I was laying in bed. I kept telling myself I couldn't lose track of the small impacts I wanted to make on my daily life. 

Each day I was sick, I would try and pick which day I was going to start implementing my changes. After organizing and organizing, I realized I was doing it all wrong. Why do we continue to say "tomorrow". I'm so guilty of this and by the time comes, "tomorrow" is gone, as well as our chance to get going. 

I realized that instead of talking and thinking about my goals, I had to just start them right then and there. Even though I was in the middle of a fever and sweating through everything I wore, there was no reason why I couldn't do something at that very moment. 

So, if you have goals and resolutions that you've already given up on, don't. Just think to yourself, what can I do right at this very second that will take me one step closer. Its so easy for us to lose track, that's why It's important for us to stop, think, and bring yourself back to awareness. 

Just came to bring you this update and help you remember why you set your goals in the first place. Stay inspired and imagine what you can accomplish! 

Life Changing Brownies

New Years Day. It's currently 3:48 PM and I'm still in my pajamas. Some people would think that's irresponsible and unacceptable but I really don't care. My energy today is limited. I'm pretty sure the rest of you are in the same boat though. I'm assuming this day is filled with alot of hangovers and regrets from celebrating the New Year. So, I'm bringing something to you that might not totally cure your hangover, but you definitely wont regret making. Brownies.

This recipe is adapted from the Barefoot Contessa herself, the queen, Ina Garten. To me, she's fabulous in every way. I have yet to try a recipe from her that didn't widen my eyes or warm up my heart. I bring her recipes into my home from her amazing cook books and continue to please hungry stomachs with them.   

These brownies don't taste like regular, store bought, box made brownies. I can't describe the looks of happiness I get when anyone bites into these. They are rich, chocolatey goodness that you wont be able to stop eating. They're also super easy to make. No mixer or fancy tools are involved which is great if you're not one to keep any of those gadgets at home. Actually, I lied. You need a food scale to measure out the chocolate. Besides that, it's perfect for a day where you don't want to put any effort in, like today. 

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter 

8 ounces plus 6 ounces Hershey's semisweet chocolate chips

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate

3 extra large eggs 

1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa 

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract 

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


Directions 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 by 12 baking pan. If you don't have this exact size it's okay. It can be a little bigger or a little smaller. 

Melt the butter, 8 ounces of the chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate together in a medium bowl set over simmering water. Allow to cool for 15 minutes. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature. 

In a medium bowl, sift together 1/2 cup of the flour, the baking powder, and salt and add to the chocolate mixture. Toss the remaining 6 ounces of chocolate chips and the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour in a medium bowl and ass the to the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly in the prepared pan. 

Bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake!

Allow brownies to cool completely before you cut into bars.

If you really want to have a ball, pour some caramel on them. Just pour it all on. Add some marshmallows, nutella, whatever you like. 

If you want an easy recipe for caramel, check back into my posts. I have the recipe in there somewhere. 

Enjoy the deliciousness. I'll be wishing you good fortune into 2016.