Dinner: Lemon Editon

Yesterday my family was gone for the day and wasn't coming back until dinner time. I had an urge to cook dinner and was in the mood for something light, but not salad. After starting my day off at spinning, I went to Trader Joe's in hopes that something would catch my eye. When I first walked in stalks of brussels sprouts were on display and I decided that they would be really yummy with a lemon twist. Then I stumbled upon lemon pepper and knew I could make something super flavorful. The chicken was absolutely amazing, I let it sit in the fridge for bout 4 hours before cooking it (hence the awful lighting in the picture of the final product.. thanks again daylight savings) which allowed to absorb more of the lemon juice and maximize the flavor. The whole things probably took me an hour to prepare just because of all the lemon zesting/squeezing, but it was totaly worn it! I added a little bit of rice for a carb which was delicious with the juice from the chicken! 

Chicken 

chicken (2.1 lbs serves 4-5 people) 

1/4 c olive oil

1/3 c white cooking wine

2 tablespoons minced garlic 

1 teaspoon thyme

lemon pepper (use as much/little as you like) available at Trader Joe's

A shake or two of salt 

2 tablespoons lemon juice

lemon zest from 2 lemons 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

Heat olive oil + minced garlic on medium/low heat for one min

Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, salt 

por mixture over chicken

add lemon pepper on top

cook for 43-45 min depending on thickness of chicken 

(loosely based on this recipe)

Brussel Sprouts 

1 stalk of Brussels sprouts

Olive oil

2-3 Lemons for juice 

Lemon pepper 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

cut brussels sprouts in half and toss with lemon juice + lemon pepper in a large bowl

place on baking sheet

drizzle on olive oil and additional lemon pepper 

Cook for 40 min (move around every 15 min so they cook evenly) 

Add additional lemon juice half way though cook time

Let me know if you give this dinner a try!

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea

Friday Favorites

We made it though another week! I have been able to get a lot of things checked off of my to do list thanks to the short week, and I am looking forward to a relaxing long weekend. After staying up late to see the results of the election on tuesday, I have needed to catch up on my sleep.  Today I am heading into Boston to meet up with one of my friends that does not live in my town. We are planning on doing some shopping on Newbury street and catching up as we haven't seen each other since the end of last winter! 

One: Sweetgreen

My friends and I all love sweetgreen and when ever we go into the city it is a must have. For those of you who have never heard of it, sweetgreen is basically like the salad version of chipotle. There are every kind of greens imaginable, rice, quinoa, vegetables, etc. that you use to create your own salads. On tuesday I tried a warm bowl for the first time which had kale, rice, chicken, apples, butternut squash, and goat cheese. I was a bit apprehensive to try it, but it was amazing! If you have a sweetgreen in your city I highly recommend stopping by. 

Two: End of Cross Country

Last night was our cross country banquet which officially marked the end of the season. It's weird to think that I will never run in an xc meet again, however I know that I will continue to enjoy the sport for year to come... bucket list items include run my first half marathon and run the Boston marathon at some point! 

Three: Happy Birthday Julianna! 

Today is Julianna's 18th birthday! She is currently away in the Caribbean (#jealous) but I can't wait to celebrate with her when she gets home! 

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea 

Make the Most of Your Day Off

Do you ever just have a rough couple of weeks and then finally everything changes for the better? As I said in my first term recap, this fall has been extremely hectic, however this week has been a breeze and it has been so rewarding. We had tuesday off for the election since my school is a voting precinct, and tomorrow we have off for Veterans day, making this a lovely three day week. Although it is nice to sleep in and just lounge around the house all day, I have been trying to make the most of my days off. Having a productive morning truly refreshes you, and then allows for more enjoyable afternoons and evenings. Over the past few days, I have found a few things that are great to get done on a day off or on a weekend to feel better about your day. 

Clean Closet // With my birthday and Christmas just around the corner, I have been cleaning out my closet to make room for some new winter items. I absolutely hate having a super small closet, however I guess it is kind of a blessing in disguise as it controls my shopping habits. Earlier this week I brought a few trash bags up to my room and made piles of everything I want to donate, and then a separate pile for things to list on postmark or eBay. Having a closet full of clothes you will actually wear streamlines the process of getting dressed in the morning or getting ready for an event, and who doesn't love to have a little extra time to sleep?

Organize Desk // I have a difficult time focusing and being productive when my desk is covered in clutter and unorganized. By the end of a week, papers start to pile up and miscellaneous items get shoved into cabinets which is never good. If you just take 15-20 minutes of your day off to clean off your desk and reorganize the drawers, going back to school or work will seem so much nicer the next day. 

Make Plans With Friends // On tuesday afternoon, my friends and I took the boat into Boston and grabbed dinner together. Although it did not take up the entire day, the change of scenery and getting into the city made the day off feel a little bit more exciting! 

Morning Workout // There is really no better feeling than starting your morning out with a good workout. If you know you have the day off, try and go to a morning class to jumpstart your day. Treat yourself to some extra sleep and sign up for something a little later than your weekday 5 am class. 

Go to a Coffee Shop // Even though you have the day off, you can still use the time to get ahead on assignments. Go to a local coffee shop with a friend and chat for a little bit, but then both agree to motivate each other to work. Placing yourself in a different environment will make the task seem more manageable, plus a little caffeine never hurts, right? If you can crank out some work in a few hours you will thank yourself later when you can relax after a long day.

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

Cold Weather Skin Products

Tis the season of cold weather and dry skin. Every year around this time my lips start to get super chapped and my skin goes into a never ending cycle of dryness. Because this tends to happen every year, I have found a few products that seem to work well for me. Just a little background, I have very sensitive skin and tend to breakout easily. So, if you are in a similar boat these products will likely work will for you! 

Lips// Every night I use vaseline lip therapy before I go to bed and find that it is much more hydrating than any chapstick. It works like magic overnight on super dry/cracked lips in the winter. Last winter I purchased a sugar chapstick for the first time after hearing a friend rave about it and will never go back. The $24 price tag is kind of ridiculous, however it lasts for a while and is great to have on the go. 

Face// I am extremely apprehensive to try new face products for fear that they will make me breakout horribly, so I just stick to what I know. I have been using cetaphil moisturizing cream for at least the past four years and have no reason to make a change. This was recommended to me by my dermatologist and keeps my skin moisturized without making it super oily. I apply the cream in the morning at at night after washing my face and it keeps my skin from getting dry in the cold. 

Legs// I always use the eos shaving cream because it moisturizes your legs while shaving and then I apply the St. Ives oatmeal and shea butter lotion after I get out of the shower. This combination will keep your legs smooth all throughout the winter- plus the lotion isn't greasy and dries fast! 

What are your go to products?

xoxo,

Catherine

Preppy by the Sea

First Term Recap

Last Friday marked the end of the first term of my senior year. We had a ton of long term assignments due last week, hence why I was a bit MIA on the blog. It's hard to believe that I am 1/4 done with my last year of high school. Because I am the oldest in my family, I did not really have any idea as to what "senior fall" would be like. So, today I am going to share my experience over the past three months of school.

All of high school I have heard people go on and on about how miserable junior year is, but none really talks about the challenges that arise during senior year. When I arrived at school in September, everyone was so excited to be seniors and about the year ahead. However, by week two I was in for a major reality shock. As a senior you not only have to balance rigorous courses, sports, clubs, and a social life, but you are in the midst of one of the most stressful processes, applying to college.

I started my college applications over the summer (highly recommend) which was incredibly helpful in reducing my stress level this term. However, even if majority of your applications are completed, there are still a ton of things that need to be sorted out at school. I honestly was in my counselors office everyday for the first few weeks of school making sure all of my recommendations were set, signing record release forms, and sending test scores. Now that first term is over and almost all of my applications have been submitted, I feel such a sense of relief. Although it will be stressful waiting to hear back from schools, I can't explain how much weight is lifted off of my shoulders now that everything is out of my hands... I know it sounds crazy!

Though most of this past term was consumed by all things college, my friends and I have been going to so many events at my school which has made this year the best year (so far)! We spent the entire day at school for homecoming watching the games and working various tables for clubs and sports, followed by our last homecoming dance. Additionally, our soccer teams have been doing super well again this year, so we have gone to a ton of their games! My cross country season ended this Saturday, but the season as a whole went very well and I was so happy to set my 5K PR in my last season!

Senior year has also pushed me to try new things and get out of my comfort zone. Last week, my friends and I spontaneously signed up for the lip sync. If you told me I would do that last year I would have told you that you were insane, but it ended up being so much fun. We did it to All I Want for Christmas is You and dressed up in all things Christmassy. We tied for third place so I would consider it a success seeing as we started practicing the day before :)

As a whole the first quarter of senior year was hectic, but I wouldn't change it. I'm only a fourth of the way into the year, so I can't offer a ton of insightful information about senior year but I hope this helped to set some expectations for those who have yet to go through it. This next quarter is going to be a big one, I turn 18 and might know where I am going to college... fingers crossed everything works out!

xoxo,

Catherine 

Preppy by the Sea