POSTGRAD EATS: EASY AND HEALTHY TURKEY-SPINACH MEATBALLS

In the interest of being healthy, I have been trying hard to make more food myself instead of buying pre-made frozen food from Trader Joe's. I don't have a lot of space or time to make complicated recipes, so I am always looking for easy, healthy recipes. I know that I had seen turkey and spinach meatball recipes floating around, but for whatever reason I couldn't find one when I decided to make them. Instead, I combined this recipe from Slimsanity and this recipe from Skinny Taste to make my own version of the meatballs. By no means am I an expert in the kitchen, or a food blogger, but I wanted to share the recipe because it is easy, cheap, and delicious! 

Excellent quality photos, I know. Ha!

• 1/3 Cup Reggiano Parmigiano Cheese
• 1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs 
• 3 Cubes Frozen Garlic (I use Dorot)
• A few stems chopped Parsley
• 2 Tbsp Garlic Salt
• 2 Tbsp Pepper 
• 1 Cup Frozen Chopped Spinach
• 1 Egg
• 1 Package Trader Joe's Ground Turkey Breast

Makes 15 meatballs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Thaw Frozen Spinach
• Combine all ingridients in a big bowl and mix well
• Roll into golf ball size meatballs and place on baking sheet
• Bake in the oven for ~20 minutes, until the tops start to brown

Serve meatballs over zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or No Oodles with tomato sauce. Refrigerate any extra meatballs and eat within a few days. I also toss the cold meatballs on top of my salad when packing lunch, and they are really good with salad too!

POSTGRAD LOVES: DARK LIPS FOR FALL

As I mentioned before, I am not on board with the 'YAY FALL!' train. I am still grasping at Summer, and lucky for me, our summer in San Francisco is just getting started. One aspect of Fall that I am looking forward to is dark lip color. Lipstick has quickly become my favorite beauty product, and I love experimenting with all sorts of colors. I have dark hair and medium tone skin, so I feel like brights and darks look best on me. Good thing, because they are my favorite shades! Last Fall and Winter I frequently wore a really, really dark red that was almost maroon in color. This year, I really want to get as close to a black lipstick as possible, without looking like a costume.

1. Maybelline Color Sensational in 'Deepest Cherry' $6
2. MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick in 'Lush Life' $22
3. Revlon Colorburst Lacquer Balm in 'Enticing' $7
4. NARS Lipstick in 'Liv' $32
5. Make Up Forever Rouge Artist Intense in 'Satin Black' $20
6. TOPSHOP Lip Bullit in 'Bewitched' $10



Image Via

GET THE LOOK: JEWEL TONE BEDROOM

I came across this bedroom on Pinterest in the sea of all white, minimal, swedish-chich bedrooms. I immediately loved the jewel tone, teal headboard with the eggplant colored pillows and all the quirky accents around the room. I pulled look-a-likes for my favorite pieces in the room and I think they all could fit with several styles of room. With a different duvet and wall color, the decor could easily take on a feminine and glamorous or bohemian and luxurious aesthetic.

Image via The Handmade Home

Headboard, Joss and Main $250

Alarm Clock, Casa $13

Rug, Zinc Decor $349

Agate Drawer Pulls, Anthropologie $18

Velvet Pillow, H&M $13

Bolster, Wamsutta $40

Nightstand, Prepac $150

Lamp, Kirklands $40

Ampersand Print, Etsy $20

POSTGRAD LOVES: ZARA BAGS

As silly as this may sound, I don't really like to wear my work clothes outside of work because they feel boring and un-special (is un-special a word? Probably not). I've always been like this, even when I worked retail and had to dress pretty trendy. Lately, I've been on the hunt for a new work bag, but I was having trouble finding a bag that was professional, affordable, and nicer than a store like F21 or H&M. Bags are one part of my wardrobe that I like to invest in, but since I don't picture myself using this bag much outside of work, I don't want to make a huge investment. Enter Zara. I was casually browsing the Zara site and came across their handbag section. I was floored by the collection of work appropriate bags that had nice shapes and cute details. And all of them are so affordable! Now which to choose...

Also worth noting, they have so many cute bags right now aside from the ones shown here. Some beautiful light pinks, bright reds, and fun shapes!

1. Shopper Bag $60 - 2. Leather Shopper Bag $159
3. Shopper Tote Bag $70 - 4. Two-Tone Mini City Bag $80
5. Office City Bag $100 - 6. City Bag with Front Pocket $119

(I just realized that Zara has many different bags all named 'Shopper', strange!)

FRIDAY LINKS: LABOR DAY SALES

Happy long weekend everybody! Instead of my usual links, I'm sending you toward all the amazing sales going on. I'll try to update as the weekend goes on.

What I wish my shopping weekend looked like!

• AmourVert: Additional 30% off sale with code LABORDAY30
• Anthropologie: Additional 20% off all sale items
• ASOS: Up to 70% off plus an additional 10% off with code HAVE10
• Barney's Warehouse: Additional 30% off sale items and 20% off women's bags
• BaubleBar: Jewelry STARTING at 50% off! I already ordered this tiny gold '8' necklace.
• Club Monaco: Additional 40% off sale items and additional 50% additional off clearance items with code HEYFALL
• Gap: Everything is on sale up to 40% off, no exceptions! I love these slip-on sneakers, so on point for fall.
• J. Crew: Additional 40% off sale items with code WEEKEND
• Lulu & Georgia: 25% off with code LABORDAY25
• Madewell: Additional 30% off all sale items with code YESYES
• Nasty Gal: Sale starting at 30% off to over 60% off
• Nordstrom: Up to 40% off
• Old Navy: Everything up to 50% off
• Publik: Additional 30% off sale items
• Ruche: 30% off full priced items
• ShopBop: Over 7,000 items on sale
• Sole Society: Tons of shoes under $25 and lots of cute jewelry too
• Stella and Dot: Additional 25% off sale items
• Urban Outfitters: Additional 40% sale items off in-store online

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES TO HAPPY HOUR

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of happy hours. It feels like a crime against 20-somethings to not want to partake in post work drinks, but every time I'm out at a happy hour I spend too much money, consume unwanted calories, and end up eating crappy take out because I'm hungry and it's too late to cook when I get home. Not to sound like a bore, I just prefer to keep my drinking to the weekend. When I get together with my friends after work, I prefer to suggest something fun that won't leave me feeling bad the next day.

SurfSet Class at Sweat Republic
Image via PureWow

1. Hold a Healthy Potluck - My friends and I have potluck dinners almost weekly. It's nice to be in our own apartments and have plenty of space to chat and catch up instead of sitting in a crowded bar. Last night, I had my friends over and everyone brought their favorite healthy dish.

2. Take a Creative Class - Have you or a friend always wanted to learn how to sew? Or arrange flowers? Or make jam? Try looking up a classes to get your creative fix after work. If you are in San Francisco, check out Workshop SF, they hold all kinds of classes from brewing your own ginger beer, to letter press, to making succulent terrariums.

3. Sweat It Out - I usually hit the gym after work, but happy hour can take up my gym time. Invite your friends to a fun class at the gym, even better if it's a class you haven't tried before. I've had my eye on the SurfSet class at Sweat Republic in SF for awhile now. It's a cardio and toning class that takes place on top of a surfboard that is balanced on three medicine balls. It sounds intimidating to try by myself, so I could use the support of a few friends! Alternatively, look up trampoline parks in your area. I've been to House of Air in San Francisco, and it was so much fun. Plus, the next day my legs were sore.

4. Visit a Museum - A lot of museums have free Tuesday night admission. Check the ones in your area and get a cultural fix after work.

5. Learn From a Lecture - Browse through Meetup.com and find a lecture that suits your interests. In San Francisco, we have so many dedicated to tech, but you can also find lectures and meetings on nearly an topic you can imagine.

6. Try an Urban Hike - If you are a city dweller (especially in our hilly city), take a walk around a neighborhood you don't usually hang out in. It gives you plenty of opportunity to chat with your friends, find new restaurants and stores, and discover pretty views. It's one of my favorite ways to see San Francisco.

Image via Chronicle Books Blog

My point is, you don't have to sacrifice your health and fitness goals for your social life or vice versa. Try something new, have some fun, and push outside your comfort zone.

ALL HAIL THE DAHLIA

It's pretty obvious that peonies rule the wedding and blog world, but I much prefer dahlias. Dahlias (along with stargazer lilies!) are my favorite flowers and I am so happy they are coming into season now. Dahlias come in a variety of colors, but also a variety of shapes. Some have long fluffy petals, others have petals that curl down and make a spike shape, and some have very short petals that curl up and make a compact little flower. Yesterday, I saw bunches of beautiful, full, fluffy dahlias in a variety of colors at Whole Foods and had to stop myself from buying 10 bunches.

Dahlias that will last longer than a few days:

1. Perfume, Givenchy 'Dahlia Divin' $110

2. Dahlia Necklace, 31 Bits $54

3. Powder, Paul and Joe 'Dahlia' $28

4. Bra, Dita Von Teese $85

5. Candle Holder, CB2 $20 (Also separates in to two holders!)

6. Lipstick, Givenchy 'Rose Dahlia' $36

7. Earrings, Bauble Bar $24

8. Nail Polish, Dolce and Gabbana $25

9. Candle, Dayna Decker 'Dahlia Absinthe' $64