Recipe: Quinoa Tomato and Spinach Salad

Posted on May 21, 2013 | Leave a comment

I missed cooking.

Just over a month ago I had knee surgery. To say it was a walk in the park (hardy har har) would be a big lie. I had my good days, and my bad days. On those bad days, I just wanted to be in my kitchen.

When I went to see my doctor last week, he said my knee was internally healed! So exciting. Let the rehab begin. But what this also meant was, I get to stand up and cook. Of course, my Mom and I took a trip to the market celebrate. Look at these tomatoes on the vine!

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I also got tons of baby organic spinach. This week is about easy meals for me that I can make in one go, and store for the week. Bright simple flavours!

One thing I know I can do for myself is loose a little chunky monkey weight to ease the pressure on my knee. Comfort food out, delicious nutritious food in. Let’s go!

Quinoa Tomato and Spinach Salad

What You’ll Need – 1 cup servings

  • 3 cups of cooked quinoa
  • olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 4 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 4 cups on baby organic spinach
  • 1/2 a lemon
  • salt, pepper, dried parsley and nutmeg to taste

What To Do

Heat a bit of olive oil in a big pan on medium heat and add in garlic.

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Once the garlic starts to soften, add in quinoa and cherry tomatoes.

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Once stirred and warmed, add spinach.

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Wait until the spinach wilts and remove from heat.

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Toss with lemon and spices and serve hot or cold!

Take a measuring cup and portion out lunches for the week. Enjoy :)

 

 

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5th Birthday: Stephanie Fusco

Posted on May 14, 2013 | 2 Comments

Stephanie

This is it. The last profile in the series – Stephanie Fusco!

Stephanie and I, like Amira, decided to go on a date. We had followed each other on Twitter for quite some time, chatted almost daily on Facebook about our similar careers, and met briefly at the Grey Cup (I was exhausted, wasn’t a great first impression I am sure)! I think it’s amazing how as adults we can find people that make so much sense in our lives in the oddest places (like Twitter, I love that social platform). Plus, show me your friends and I’ll show you your future – I surround myself with those who keep me inspired and motivated.

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Stephanie is a Community Manager at Proximity, and she works on some pretty impressive clients. In a quick amount of time, she has proven herself to be the best of the best, in the city, in her position. Most know Stephanie for her incredible blog – Leopard is a Neutral – and her ability to find the perfect Pink Tartan dress. Plus she has the cutest dog, Chloe, proving you can have a fur baby and a career.

Here are Stephanie’s answers to shankell.com’s 5th Birthday questions:

What motivates you to get up every day?

My undying fear of what can happen overnight on the Internet gets me out of bed. I’m 95% serious about that. I wake up every day not necessarily knowing what I’ll be dealing with at work, but knowing that my Starbucks coffee and loving partner will get me through it. I also love where I work and who I work with – never underestimate those two things.

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If you could change 1 thing about your career what would it be?
I wish I had gone with my gut when I got out of school instead of spending a year at a job that really didn’t inspire or challenge me. Overall, I’m very happy with how things have gone so far. Can I wish for more hours in the day?

It’s shankell.com’s 5th birthday, what would you tell your 5 year old self?

Never stop loving pink & sparkles; keep being outspoken no matter what anyone tells you.

I think we’re our truest selves at age 5 and I wish I had embraced that more throughout my life. Also, when you see Legally Blonde don’t assume you are going to be a lawyer because she also loves pink & sparkles. You’re better off writing for your blog than studying for the LSATs.

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Inspiration comes in all forms, what was the last thing that inspired you?

It’s probably really cliche to admit this as a community manager, but I read Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s book (Lean In) over March Break and it really made me think. It’s all about being a woman in the workplace and she forced me to re-evaluate how I handle things and how I’m planning my career.

Your advice to career focused women in 1 sentence would be:
Don’t assume that you need to take a straight path to success – it’s often a twisted road with smaller successes at every turn.

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We’re so similar it’s adorable! To get in touch with Stephanie, head to her website – stephaniefusco.com!

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5th Birthday: Amira de Vera

Posted on May 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

Amira

This series keeps on rollin’!

4th in line – Amira de Vera! I love how Amira and I met. We communicated on Twitter, figured out we were meant to be friends, and decided to meet over dinner. Have you gone on a play date with someone you don’t know? Get on our awesome train. With wine and tapas, we were fast friends!

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Hanging out with Gail on the patio at e11even!

Amira is an Entertainment and Lifestyle Publicist who hustles. She works harder than anyone I know in the business. Moving here on a whim, she joined the team at Pennant Media Group. From office to the see-and-be-seen events in Toronto, Amira does it all, in a pair of heels. She is also a pint sized cutie with the sweetest Man at her side, proving – you can have it all!

Here are Amira’s answers to shankell.com’s 5th Birthday questions:

What motivates you to get up every day?
I am one of those lucky people that love what they do and so my job is one of the main things that motivates me to get up every day. I work with some amazing people and getting to share their talents with the rest of the world is always such a great accomplishment for me and motivates me to do better every time.

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Photo Credit Ryan Emberley

If you could change 1 thing about your career what would it be?
I have the privilege to be able to work with some of Canada’s greatest talents, some big and some on the verge of becoming big. A lot of the times, because we are Canadians, we are very reluctant with sharing what we do and that’s something I wish to change in the entertainment industry here in Canada. Stateside, everyone has a publicist because they’re very proud about what they do there. In Canada, there’s always been a fear of coming off as arrogant, when it’s the exact opposite. We need to be more proud as a country about our people, our talents and stop comparing ourselves to the States, that’s the only way we fight the battle of finding our own identity and what it is that makes Canadians so great. It’s all about supporting one another and loving and being proud of what we do – whether it’s acting, directing, singing or even winning a court case, it’s an accomplishment that should be shared with the rest of the world.

It’s shankell.com’s 5th birthday, what would you tell your 5 year old self?
Never do anything that doesn’t make you happy and never be afraid to dream big!

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Photo Credit Eikona Photography

Inspiration comes in all forms, what was the last thing that inspired you?

The people around me always inspire me. One of my favourite quotes is “Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future”. I truly believe in that saying. Always surround yourself with people who will only make you better and keep you challenged and that’s what the people in my life do for me. Seeing them excel at what they do and work hard to keep getting better is my number one inspiration and motivation in my life.

Your advice to career focused women in 1 sentence would be:
Keep learning and always have the mindset that you don’t know everything. That I believe is the only way to grow and get better at what you do, especially in the field of Public Relations where things can change on a daily basis.

Photo Credit Ryan Emberley

Photo Credit Ryan Emberley

She’s a cutie! To get in touch with Amira, head to her website – amiradevera.com!

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The Exclusive Abercrombie & Fitch

Posted on May 7, 2013 | 2 Comments

I felt really sick last night.

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Not from that. I felt sick because my knee was making me nauseous (still
recovering…) and because I read an article about Abercrombie &
Fitch.

When I was 16, I bought a pair of green sweatpants from Abercrombie &
Fitch and I loved them. They had a baby pink and white stripe up the
legs and Abercrombie in white spelled on the tush. Two zippers at the
ankle increased the flare, and I wore them like that to show off my
skater shoes. Only recently did I toss them, they’d seen better days.

Currently, I’m ashamed I even wore them.

“That’s why we hire good-looking people in our stores. Because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that…Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.” – Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries (via Business Insider)”

I am not saying anything about the size of their clothes. I am not
their demographic and there are far more companies than Abercrombie &
Fitch that limit their sizes. I was floored on my last shopping trip
when I saw the size of a small in Aritzia – sized big enough for a
doll. These companies need to collectively start making clothes that
don’t resemble the ones I had hanging in my Barbie’s dream house.

My issue is their “cool kids” approach. As we struggle against a
growing epidemic of bullying, here’s a clothing company for teens
saying, “a lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong.”

Sorry?

Who are you, Abercrombie & Fitch, to give fuel to the little brats who
torture other students in school? Do you have no heart?

I stood in Starbucks recently listening to a group of “mean girls” talk about another girl in line. These were the cool girls that ”belong”.  Coincidentally, wearing your short shorts. Nasty pieces of work. And here you are sending a horrific message empowering them! Why not try being inclusive in your messaging? Your pricing already weeds out most of the North American population. There is no reason to so boldly state that some kids are better than others.

Exclusionary, well I hope you’re so exclusive that parents won’t allow
their children to buy clothing from your store. As an adult, Mike Jeffries, you
should be absolutely ashamed of yourself. You should know better.

Also, your stores smell like crap.

Pic found here.

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5th Birthday: Kat Stefankiewicz

Posted on May 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

Kat

This series just makes me smile :)

3rd up – Kat Stefankiewicz! We met at a patio launch party at e11even 2 years ago. While sipping on cocktails and nibbling on delicious bites to eat, we bonded over hosting a Toronto sports team and dancing!

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Kat is a triple threat, combining Sports, Social Media, and a passion we share – dance. I think it’s Kat’s demeanour that really separates her from the crowd. She interviews people, and therefore has to talk for work. But, she listens intently. She is the former Captain of the Toronto Raptors Dance Pak, the In-Game Host of the Raps, Host/Reporter over at NBA TV Canada, and has a sense of style that is unmatched. Plus, she blogs over at katstefankiewicz.com.

Here are Kat’s answers to shankell.com’s 5th Birthday questions:

What motivates you to get up every day?
Well the message on my alarm reads, “Get your butt out of bed. Today is a good day.” so I feel like I’d be disappointing mister alarm clock if I didn’t. When you love what you do and are able to find a balance of absorbing just as much as you give from your day, it’s addicting. My heart is happy when you’re happy, and I’m a lucky lady to be engaged in an atmosphere that makes people smile.

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If you could change 1 thing about your career what would it be?
Since I was young I never wanted to miss a thing. I grabbed at every opportunity. I learned that it’s okay to not be able to do it all. I also learned that you need to hustle to get where you want to get because someone is always better than you. There are days in my career that are over capacity. That said, I always want more. I stand on two legs as a host, actor, dancer, writer and choreographer, constantly searching for more challenges and inspiration. I am also currently working on a device that allows me to be in two places at once. I’m kidding. Kind of.

It’s shankell.com’s 5th birthday, what would you tell your 5 year old self?
Live in the moment. You spend the first half of your life planning your future and the second half reliving your past. Imperfect perfection is beautiful. Just you is enough. Give into the weight of good and bad days because they are all there for a reason and one day you’ll know why. Find the meaning of balance because it saves you. So do naps. Naps save lives. And as Miss Kelly would say, wear pearls to the ballpark! Never lose that sassy, vulnerable, free spirited kid in your heart. That’s who will help get you through.

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Inspiration comes in all forms, what was the last thing that inspired you?

I have been practicing yoga for about five years now and at first I was attending with a workout mind frame but now it’s a therapeutic escape for me. In the hustle of big city life I believe in finding something to equal you out. When class got hard this past week, my yoga teacher said “Do this pose like you want to live life.” Think about it.

Your advice to career focused women in 1 sentence would be:
Work hard, stay humble, never stop learning and leave a positive impression on everyone you meet because the world is a small place and your optimistic energy will bring you victory.

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She’s awesome, eh. To chat with Kat follow her on Twitter!

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