MOVING ON

Tomfoolery and Bright was originally created as a means by which to share what inspires me on a day-to-day basis. That said, I felt that the blog lacked focus. One day I’d write about food, the next day about the Royal family, the next about my favourite hair styles and then on to moisturisers! Tomfoolery and Bright was overdue for an update and more importantly, a clear purpose and definition. 

I found that the most popular blog posts were those concerning food, nutrition, fitness, and health. And so, with my growing interest in health and nutrition, I decided that with moving forward I was going to pursue a blog about these very topics.  

Visit my new blog Live Free From to find out more!

DOLPHIN SHORT

I kept calling them running shorts (which, I guess they are), but when I found out this style of short is actually called 'dolphin,' you can imagine my excitement. It only makes them that much cuter/awesome! Here's (more) proof that trends from decades ago can be worn stylish today:

Ashley Tisdale in a relaxed charcoal grey pair of dolphin shorts.

Miranda Kerr goes floral on floral with this more fitted pair.

Another relaxed fit (and thrifted) by Sincerely, Jules.

And the original dolphin short (with matching top and visor, of course).

What's your latest fashion obsession?

images via mail online, the glitter guide, sincerely jules, and in the 80s 

WEEKEND SALUTE (WITH SPICY ASIAN MEATBALLS)

My lack of posts can only mean one thing. Finally, I'm finding things to keep myself busy, like auditioning and training with my acting coach and work and auditioning some more.

Despite being extra busy lately, there's one thing you can bet I'll always have time for, and that's making yummy food to keep my belly happy. To help salute the weekend, below is a recipe for Spicy Asian Meatballs. Moist and juicy, and full of flavour!

Spicy Asian Meatballs
adapted from Health-Bent 

1 lb. ground pork, preferably antibiotic- and hormone-free
1 egg
1/2 tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tsp. grated ginger
salt and pepper

1. Mix pork, egg, and flour in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, combine well.

2. Heat a large skillet with a light coating of cooking spray on medium-high heat. Using your hands, form small 1 1/2-inch meatballs and place in hot skillet. Cook for a few minutes until initial side is browned. Cover for another 2-3 minutes until meatballs start to cook through, then turn or toss the meatballs, so every side is golden brown. The total cooking time for the meatballs should be around 10 minutes.

3. Once meatballs are cooked, transfer from pan to a serving dish and garnish with extra green onion. Enjoy on their own or with your favourite dipping sauce! 

Makes 25-30 meatballs.

In addition to work this weekend and Sunday brunch (I love Sunday brunch), I have lots of prepping for the week ahead. I'll be on-set working for part of the week, I'm being called upon by R's company to train some new staff, and I'm baking 200 and some specialty cupcakes for a corporate event, never mind the auditions I have to look forward to. Let's hope I can get some relaxation and much needed quality time with R before all chaos ensues. 

(And, so long as I have the chance to post, stay tuned next week for a new fitness series and my latest fashion obsession)

Have a lovely weekend, all!

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images via healthy and happy, the glitter guide, and pinterest

DRESS TRENDS

It's wedding season. Or something like that. Whatever the occasion, now is the perfect time to find that pretty little dress to make whatever special day sparkle. Whether a friend's wedding, a brother's graduation ceremony, a garden party at your aunt's, this season's hottest trends can be found in dress form, and in a wide range of affordable (and some not-so-affordable) prices.

Here are my picks for this season's dress trends:

Off-the-shoulder and bold hues.

Go feminine with head to toe lace.

Bright colours--enough said!

Florals (and an elegant high neckline).

Lace, peplum, and this season's cut-outs.

Off-the-shoulder watercolour.

From top to bottom: 
1/ Lucienne One-Shoulder Dress in Silk Chiffon (& bright green!) by J.Crew, $290  
2/ ASOS Lantern Dress in Lace, $87.83  
3/ Crepe Knit Sundress by J.Crew, $198  
4/ ASOS Swing Dress in Floral Print, $38.64  
5/ Peplum Lace Dress by GoJane, $26.50  
6/ Honor Gold Dress in Watercolour Floral Print, $66.75 

What's your favourite dress trend this summer?

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images via j.crew, asos, and gojane 

WE LIKE IT HOT

Anyone who knows me knows that I love spicy food. Really spicy food. 

Here's a quick and easy recipe for a spicy sauté I made the other day for lunch with some leftover pork sausage:

Spicy Sausage with Corn Sauté 

1/3 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 pork sausage, cooked and sliced
jalapeño pepper, minced
squirt of lemon juice

1. Heat a non-stick pan on medium-high heat. Once pan is heated, sauté corn and pepper until heated through. Add sausage to the pan and season with salt and pepper.

2. Once mixture is heated through, serve and garnish with jalapeño pepper and lemon juice. 

Makes 1 serving. 

Try This: Make it a meal and add a side of roasted sweet potato and sliced avocado. Dinner's done!

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WEEKEND SALUTE

This past week at Tomfoolery & Bright:

summer's stripes on stripes
a full belly at Toronto's Underground Market (TUM)
these No-Bake Energy Bites
and, who said pizza parties were for kids, anyway?

This weekend is about to come and go in a flash. My football team, the Lady 'Roos, are headed to Ottawa early tomorrow morning for a game and then back again on Sunday. I imagine most of the weekend will be spent sitting in a car. At least it will be spent with some fun gals (I guess we can look at it as a road trip of sorts...)! In preparation, I'm looking for easy-to-make snacks for the road, like these: 

An easy seed and fruit trail mix.

No-Bake Energy Bites (from earlier this week) or a variation.

Veggie sticks in a cup with dip!

Simple veggie roll-ups (could use nitrate-free turkey, too, or keep them vegetarian and add hummus).

Or protein-packed muffins like these!

What are your favourite snacks to take on the road?

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images via taste, the pioneer woman, mark's daily apple, and spearmint baby 

PIZZA PARTY

As a kid, I went to numerous birthday parties where we'd build our own pizzas, Mom would pop 'em in the oven, and they'd be ready in minutes. But what about a pizza party for adults?

Back in February, R and I went to our friends, E and M's place for dinner and they did just that. They created a build-your-own-pizza bar with enough ingredients to last them the entire rest of the week. It was such a simple idea, yet I just never really thought of it for a dinner party. It was definitely a more casual dinner party, but that's what I loved about it. And, just a few months later, I set up my very own pizza-making dinner party. 

The great thing about doing a build-your-own-pizza bar is that you can prepare everything in advance, and it's inexpensive. Plus, you can't really go wrong with pizza, even for those adult friends who never grew out of their picky eating habits. 

Depending on how much you want to spend on ingredients and/or how much time you have to prep, your ingredients might vary. Here are the ingredients that I think make the best pizza-making bar:

whole grain pita bread

artisan flat breads

make your own dough

make your own gluten-free dough

olive oil

pesto 

tomato sauce

mozzarella, preferably fresh

feta cheese

parmesan or Romano cheese

goat cheese

pepperoni or sausage

grilled chicken

prosciutto

bacon

onions

mushrooms

sweet & hot peppers

tomatoes

spinach

arugula

pineapple

olives

roasted garlic

roasted veggies like zucchini/artichokes/tomatoes

fresh basil 

Swap the soda for a good bottle of wine and make your next dinner party a grown up pizza party! 

What are your casual dinner party ideas for a relaxed evening in with friends? Share them!

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images via sofia a charlotte, dashing dish, and pinterest