New Website

Hey All,

Thank you to everyone who has came to my page, showed love and read my content. A lot has changed and I now have a new website with updated blogs, design work and illustrations for you to check out. Go to www.aishabranch.com to see more of my new website and blog and how you can be involved.

Thank you!

Aisha

Reminder: Check out Eating To Live!

Hey Friends!

As you know, I have been on a journey of weightloss for some time now, so I haven't been posting as much fashion/faith stuff as I used to. Well, for those who are interested in following my journey in the nutrition world, make sure to visit my website www.eatingtolive.co to get updates on my fitness journey, healthy recipes, nutrition tips/advice, and also continue to follow my faith journey through there!

Eating to Live focuses on getting fed through healthy food and the living word. It's a mix of being fed physically, mentally, and spiritually because as a holistic nutritionist, I believe it is more than just physical that needs healing. 

As for this account and my continued love for fashion, I am in the works of transitioning away from this website to a new one with some other awesome things in the works! I can't share anything yet but although I may not post nearly as much, know that I will not be gone for long. Made with Zeal will soon have it's own site and more fashion to come!

If you still want to see me day to day, make sure to follow my social media accounts! 

Love you guys!

xoxo

Aisha

Fall Fun

What is your favorite item for fall? 

I have to admit, I love many things about fall, but one of my favorite items is 1) the cute cardigan below and 2) the awesome booties I got from Target.

I love cardigans for fall because they are great for layering and i love how they have the ability to make your waist look smaller. By hanging down from your chest it creates an illusion that your waist is small. That is why often times I wear black with cardigans because it creates even more of an illusion. It is kind of like wearing baggy shirts... when you get the right one, it can be very flattering because it hides areas you don't like. 

I love these booties because who doesn't like black booties? They are such a staple! But I also love these particular ones because they are black but have brown wooded heels which make it easy to team many different colors with the shoes. A great way to team black and brown together!

What are your favorite fall pieces this year? I would love to have you share with me! 

Homemade Alfredo with Ground Turkey and Zucchini Noodles

Happy Monday! 

As some of you saw from my social media yesterday, I made some yummy homemade zucchini alfredo- grain free! It turned out amazing! 

It isn't paleo- but I am working on a recipe for paleo alfredo because I have tried different recipes and they haven't been my favorite. So more to come for paleo alfredo!

Even though this recipe is not paleo, it is grain free and has all natural, non-processed ingredients! Better yet, it is super simple to make!

Ingredients:

Protein of choice (I used ground turkey from Whole Foods. Go for free range, organic, all natural, grass fed meat if possible- it is less processed!)

1 zucchini squash

heavy whipping cream

1 block of parmesan cheese

1/2 stick of butter organic unsalted

*You will need a spiralizer for the zucchini

Serves: 2-3 

Preparation:

1. Shred the chicken or place the ground turkey in a skillet on medium high. I typically mix garlic powder, sea salt and no salt/all natural herb seasoning.

2. While the meat is cooking, place 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream and 1/2 stick of butter in a saucepan. Keep in on low so the cream (&cheese wont burn)

3. Shred the parmesan cheese and stir in the cream/butter mix. Add to taste. I love cheese so I make mine really cheesy :)

4. Once the meat is almost cooked fully, in a separate pot, bring water to boil. Once it is boiled, add spiralized zucchini. Let cook for 5 minutes.

5. After zucchini is softened, dump the zucchini in a strainer (zucchini holds water so I recommend keeping it in the strainer for a couple minutes)

6. Add zucchini to place, add cooked meat and alfredo on top! I will ad a bit more cheese and some cilantro (it adds such good flavor!)

7. Enjoy!

Although the alfredo is fatty- remember that fat is essential for your body to run at full capacity. Furthermore, studies show that saturated fat can actually be good for you so don't be scared that you may ruin your diet with having the meal once in awhile. 

Leftovers? Make zucchini spaghetti with all natural tomato sauce tomorrow! :)

I hope you love it!

Aisha

Let Your Light Shine Thursday Link-Up!

It's that time again!!

Let Your Light Shine Thursday!

Morgan and I met in 2008 and became roommates shortly after that. The first word that comes to mind when I think of Morgan is exuberance. She is so full of life, energetic, lively, vivacious, a go-getter, cheerful and has a smile that lights up a city. She has inspired me to be live life to the fullest because she is the perfect definition of it … I am so thankful to call her my friend! You’ll know exactly what I am talking about just by reading a tid-bit about her in the interview below. Meet my gorgeous (inside and out) and talented friend, Morgan!

Go ahead and say hello to Morgan personally by visiting her blog, Construction2style!

1- Where are you from?

Born and raised in the small town of Roseau, MN. Went to school in Long Beach, CA while living in Huntington Beach for 5 years. I now reside in Otsego, MN but we will be on the move soon enough!

2- What is your blog about and what do you primarily talk about?

I blog over at construction2style.com alongside my husband about our home remodels, renovations, DIY projects and of course our little guy, Greyson.

3- How did construction2style come about ?

When I first met my husband, Jamie in 2011 I was blown away by his carpentry skills. I was always showing him pictures of things I loved and without question he would build it for me in no time. Jamie is extremely creative and has a good eye for design. We started collaborating on furniture ideas and started working more together on these projects. We had so much fun I told him we needed to start a blog so I could show off his talents. At first we just blogged about DIY projects and then he bought his first home to flip towards the end of that year and we started to blog about his home renovations and remodels as well.

4- Tell us a bit about yourself. What are some of your hobbies? What do you like to do outside of blogging?

Do bloggers have hobbies?! Haha! Once you become a home renovation blogger your hobbies (outside of renovating your home) become limited! :) Especially when you blog about DIY projects, work full time and have a husband and son to take care of. Any free time I do have I am usually spending that time reading.

5- How has your life changed since being a mother?

Honestly, besides being overly obsessed with another little human being, it really hasn’t. People always warned me to “do things now while you still can.” I don’t understand that comment and probably never will. I am doing more now than I was before. If anything, it makes me want to work harder to set an example for my son and build us a brighter future! I’m a mom and I still enjoy my family, work, read, drink wine, hang out with my girls, travel, attend events, you name it! The one thing that I have noticed that changed is we can no longer spontaneously run to a movie in the theatre. Not that we did that often, but it is something we have been craving to do but really can’t without a plan.

6- What is the most rewarding thing about being a wife and mother?

My role as a wife and mother are irreplaceable. Noone else- EVER- can have my role, and that is an indescribable feeling and pretty cool. I absolutely love being a mother but I love being a wife even more. Once you are married there are no rules or boundaries. You create the life you want with your partner. We wanted a family and for that to be priority (we are still wrangling out the number details… ). In our household, there are things Jamie and I are both good and really bad at. Fortunately we balance one another out and in turn that has led to us needing, wanting and appreciating one another. Jamie can’t make food for the life of him and I have accepted that and now always make dinner. I don’t have any patience for matching our socks, so he always takes care of that! He needs me, wants me and prides me, and that is a reward. Not one single time in the years that I have known him has he left my side without giving me a kiss goodbye and saying thank you (even on the bad days). We remind ourselves of the promise we made to serve one another not yearly on our anniversary but daily.  

7- What is something unique about you that other’s may not know?

Oh boy...I’m a pretty open book so there isn’t a lot of things people don’t know. I texted a few of my close friends and asked them this question and they said: “You’ve had a job since you were 5. You are from a town 5 miles from Canada. Senior year of high school you were voted “workaholic.” Your grandpa served as United States Secretary of Agriculture under Jimmy Carter. “Your positive outlook on life is so contagious and that is clear for everyone to see. You bring so much joy to everyone that’s around you and truly make people want to be better! I think the reasons why you live life to its fullness is for a few reasons that people may not know. Not only were you genetically made up a happy person, but with the passing of your incredible father, the incarceration of your brother and your love for Christ, your outlook on life is something that can’t be taught. I’m proud to call you my best!!”

8- How do you stay inspired?

Jamie inspires me and I get to wake up and go to bed with him every night, so I am constantly being energized. My work also inspires me. Luckily, I get to go to a full time job at a marketing agency that is full of creative people. Everyday I am inspired by the people I surround myself with.

9- You make being busy look easy, how do you do it all?

The busier I am the more I get done and the easier it is. It’s weird. I love lists. I make yearly, monthly, weekly and daily lists. I look at my list every night for the next day and I wake up and get it done. I don’t sit and ponder. I get moving!

10- How do you let your light shine? (this could be anything really. From being intentional about being kind, volunteering, helping your kids, etc …)

Every single morning I pray that somehow God can let his light shine through me. I always want people to be able to see Christ through me through my behavior, not my words. Throughout the day I try to stay as positive as I can (I definitely have my moments) and I smile...A LOT. It’s one of the easiest things you can do to brighten someones day, simply smile.

  Please contact me or Aisha L. if you would like to be featured on #Herlightshines for our link ups! Email: aishavandy@gmail.com and alcstyling@gmail.com  

Now go ahead and link up!

RULES:

1. Link up your favorite post this week - It can be related to faith, fashion, food, family, or whatever else you would like to share that helped you shine your light from the week!

Don't worry if you don't have a blog to link up - just leave a comment with how you let your light shine this week!

2. Follow Rooted in Salt & Made with Zeal on Bloglovin, or any other social media outlet (FB, Twitter, Instagram, or GFC)

3. Link back by using the button above or your own link.

 

4. Visit other blogs and meet new blogger friends!

 

Each week we will be choosing our favorite posts to feature and share with you all! So link up for your chance to be featured!!

 

Linking up: WIWT, Treasure Tromp, Week's End

-A

Follow me: || Instagram || Twitter || Pinterest || Bloglovin

An InLinkz Link-up

Tips on Fighting the Urge of Sweets and Carbs

Hey Loves!

I was going to do a typical "Grain free check in" but I thought I would share tips on how I fight the urge of what everyone loves- sugars and carbs!

I have only been grain free for a month so I am not at all an expert- in fact I am still very much learning. But in the month, I have lost 8.5 lbs and have seen healing in so many things including my skin, my sleep, my attitude, etc!

The first thing people typically ask me when I tell them I am making grain free a lifestyle is "How did you stay away from sugars, breads and other carbs? I don't know if I could do it, I love carbs too much!"

Well, I will be the first to say it wasn't easy- especially the first week. But I learned some valuable tips that have helped me stay away from sugars and carbs without hating the grain free lifestyle.

1. Start off the day with a lot of protein. When I first started grain free, I would start my day with greek yogurt and fruit, but because I would get hungry again by lunch and crave sugars, I decided to try something different and start with having eggs first thing in the morning before I left for work. When I did this, I felt full until about 10:30, which is when I ate my yogurt and fruit. That way by lunch, I was not starving so I ate my packed lunch and didn't crave any sugars or carbs.

2. Don't be shy with eating fats! You heard that right. That is one of the first things I learned from a nutritionist when I wanted to make a lifestyle change. We have been tricked into thinking fat free is better but did you know our bodies need fat to properly run and process food and information? I learned a fun fact recently: our brain is made up of 70% fat! So why are we depriving our fat brain of fat when it needs it to run at it's full potential? When I started eating fat (like full fat greek yogurt and more nuts), I realized I stayed full longer, I didn't feel bloated and I wouldn't crave those bad carbs.

3. Drink a lot of water. I know you probably have heard it a million times, but it is no myth. Drinking water has so many benefits from helping your body detox, to giving you energy, and keeping you full, longer. We all know our bodies are made up of a ridiculous amount of water, so once again, why deprive it of something it needs to run at its full potential!?

4. Always have a snack nearby. One thing I have heard a lot is "It's hard to get on a diet like that because I am always on the go". Well, something that has really helped me is to always have a snack nearby. For example, I pack celery and carrots everyday as well as almonds. & in case I am super duper craving sweets, I have a super small stash of 85% cocoa chocolate at my desk. But to be honest, I haven't needed to touch it because I always grab my other snacks first!

5. Find Substitutions. There are so many alternatives now-a-days of eating the foods you love (like pizza and spaghetti) without including the sugars and grains. For example, one substitute I have found is using zucchini as noodles (using a spiralizer) and then making my own homemade sauce (to guarantee no hidden sugars) or buy organic, no sugar added sauce (which you can get at whole foods). It is delicious and guilt free. Go ahead, try it!

Hopefully these are easy tips on how you can take that next step towards a healthier you! The best advice, take one step at a time... there is no need to rush! (Do you know that song? HA!)

Have a great day!

Dear Jesus

Dear Jesus,

When I thought about writing this letter to You, I felt in my heart I had so much to say. But as I start this letter, I realize I cannot put all that is in my heart for You in writing. There are not enough words to ever describe how much I love and appreciate You, how I feel so unbelievably blessed to know You and how fortunate I feel that I get to spend even a moments time in Your Presence. Everyday with You is new and I love waking up with You being the first thing on my mind. At times, I feel You so close as if You were in flesh right next to me, but even better, I know you are living inside me. It never gets old how magical that is. That I can be in perfect unity with my Creator who is perfect even though I feel so imperfect most of the time. Everyday I think about Your marvelous love and sacrifice and it humbles me. You have showed me so much mercy that I cannot even fathom it sometimes. You have given me so much grace that is so abounding its overwhelming. & your love... is like nothing I have ever experienced before. Your love, Jesus, keeps me breathing. It keeps me going. It saves me. When I was so lost in guilt and shame, You reached out to me with Your loving hand and helped me up. I felt so broken, so sad, so alone and when no one was there, You were. When no one knew my pain, You did. & You took it from me. You took my pain as your own and exchanged it with forgiveness, love and freedom.  How can I ever repay you? How could I ever experience that and continue to live as I was? To continue to live a life without You? It wasn't an option. You were the only One there who held me and told me all will be okay. The only one who knew how to comfort me in such an awful situation. Who took me for what I was and loved me unconditionally. You brought me to a better place than I had ever been. I didn't deserve it, I couldn't believe all the things you promised me after all the horrible things I had done. How in the midst of my sin, You came to me and showered me with Your love so strong it was like a crashing wave. You overwhelmed me with Your promises all while I had nothing to offer you. That was the day I realized my life would never be the same. & it hasn't. You have changed everything Jesus. You took a wretch like me and made something beautiful out of my life. I look around on a daily basis and get overwhelmed by all you have given me. I see days only getting better and better. & it's all You, Jesus.

 I desire You everyday, every second, every breath. My heart cries out for more while still coming into realization that such a love is true. I catch myself asking "How can it be?", that such a love is real. That I am worthy of love despite my sin and unworthiness. How because of what You have done, You see me as blameless. How I have done nothing and You have done everything- & call me Your child. I cry tears of joy just thinking about it. & how no matter what, Your love for me never changes. Nothing can come between us. I am so thankful for that. I am so honored and privileged. When I think about those things and all you have done for me, nothing else matters. The world seems to fade away, all the things I fuss over all of sudden go away with the wind. Only peace covers over me when I think of You. You are my peace. You are my all- consuming fire. My secret place. In Your presence I am changed. 

I couldn't imagine my life without you, Jesus. My one desire is to know more of You. You have my heart. You are the love of my life. 

You have changed my desires, Lord. My one desire is to know more and more of You all my life. I want to be guided by you with every step I take.

You are truly my best friend. & so much more than that. 

I wanted to write you to say thank you and I love you, too.

I pray that everyone will get to experience Your wondrous love.

"Who lifts the poor and heals the blind
Who trampled death for all mankind
Who stands for all with arms stretched wide
My King forever Jesus Christ"

Your daughter,

Aisha