Sunday, March 30, 2014

WEAR: Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar

Just a quick beauty shout out post. 

I wore my new Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics lip tar yesterday. One coat of this lip gloss managed to last me through seven hours of shopping, drinking, and bipolar New England downpours. I have never experienced such a great product in my life. It is long lasting, not drying (considering the coverage and wear), and absolutely divine in color. And, oh yeah, it's vegan and cruelty free. Well worth the purchase!

I took the following steps:
1. Primed my lips with Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (or EOS balm ball or any of your favorite clear chap stick)
2. Brushed on my Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (don't you just love the name?!) matte Lip Tar in Hush (antique bridal pink)
3. Delicately rehydrated at random with chap stick while running my errands when my lips felt dry. (Only happened twice in 7 hours and drinking a glass bottle of deep red Harley tea did not even phase the lip tar).

*Just a note - you may want to lip-line in step 2 if you use a dark color to prevent feathering outside your lips. 

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics lip tar

also wearing
eyeshadow: Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette Suspect
eyeliner: Sephora retractable waterproof in Brown
mascara: Covergirl Eyelights in Black Ruby
brows: Ardell brow defining powder in Taupe


Wednesday, March 12, 2014

EXPLORE: February Recap and RunKeeper Review

So it's a couple weeks overdue, but here's the report for February's "daily exercise" goal.

Did I exercise every day? No, but almost :).

Did I increase activity over January? Yes.

How do I know? Runkeeper. It's an app on my iPhone.

Now, truth be told, I thoroughly miss the Noom CardioTrainer that I had on my droid. Unfortunately it does not exist on the iPhone and I'm not sure if anything will ever be able to replace the hole it left. After trying a few other iPhone apps and being dissatisfied, RunKeeper has come close to filling Cardio Tracker's void.

RunKeeper is accurate. I recently discovered that I can set the tracker to start and stop by movement. This helps to track walking with my dog (not that it's hardcore exercise.. but everything counts!) I can track a multitude of activities and the calories/distance/speed seem right so far for walking, jogging, hiking, and cycling.


From my dashboard Reports I can easily see that my exercise has increased over January
I can also easily see that I need to STEP IT UP for March, if I ever want to lose any lbs! To burn a pound of fat takes 3500 calories. Burning only 3800 in a month is piddly, but it's a start <so I won't discount too, too much>.
I have synced it up to MyFitnessPal (an app where I track my calorie intake) so my exercise calorie deficit is sure to be incorporated into the weight control equation. 


Tracking exercise and food intake has been immensely helpful in controlling my weight over the last few years. I highly recommend it. Even if a paper and pen is your tool!




EAT: What (ELSE) to do with Corned Beef Leftovers

Corned Beef and Cabbage. My Irish side <nearly 50%> LOVES this stuff. LOVE LOVE LOVES!
With a vacation coming up soon that's taking me away from home for St. Patty's, I had to make ours a little early. Monday, due to kitchen supply limitations, I used both the crock pot and stove top to cook up some corned beef and cabbage for the boyfriend and my parents. A mixture of stout, onion, carrot, potatoes, cabbage, and the more lean flat cut of corned beef rendered quite a good meal.

And here we are, Wednesday night, with no corned beef left <tears>, but a lot of potatoes and carrots. That combined with some boredom, I decided to <take a break from online shopping and TV>, to cook late at night. Obviously, the go-to leftover dish from this meal is some hearty, corned beef hash. My problem with that is, we're veggie heavy and meat deprived here. I decided to start with that as an idea, and it clicked - I have three pieces of bacon in the fridge, I don't need to eat right now, but I do need breakfast tomorrow.

Necessity truly is the mother of invention! I give you...

Hash Breakfast Casserole:
Time: 45 min
Servings: 8

Ingredients:
4 slices bacon (preferably, I only had three and it worked) or 4 oz of corned beef if you still manage to have some
2-3 boiled potatoes
1 boiled carrot
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I had cheddar and mozzarella)
1/2 cup milk
6 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:
1. Chop 
Chop the bacon, potatoes, carrots, and onion into a 1/2 inch dice.
2. Cook
In a nonstick frying pan over medium heat, cook the bacon for 2 minutes until some fat is rendered. Add the onion to sweat and render more fat. In this recipe, instead of draining, we are using the fat to cook the vegetables. Add the potatoes, carrots, and ground pepper once the bacon looks crisp and the onion looks translucent. Since the potatoes and carrots are already boiled, we are really just trying to caramelize a bit - so cook for a minute or two more. Turn the heat off and leave the pan on the burner.
3. Mix
In a glass measuring cup, measure the milk and crack 6 eggs. Beat lightly with a fork until combined.
Coat a 9 x 13 glass pan with cooking spray. Spread the potato mixture on the bottom. Top with sprinkled cheese. Lastly, pour the egg mixture over. 
4. Bake
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 28 minutes or until set.
5. Enjoy
Cut into eight pieces. 
6. Reheat
This works really well for preparing ahead of time. Reheating in the microwave for one minute and 30 seconds on high is just right <lucky for the boyfriend who has to wake up early the rest of the week>. 

Variation: This would have been awesome with some spinach, but I unfortunately did not have any on hand. If you do, mix 6 oz fresh baby spinach in with the carrots and potatoes in step 2.

Chop the vegetables
Cook the bacon and onion

Mix the eggs and milk

Spread the mixture evenly in a 9 x 13 glass dish

Sprinkle with cheese

Bake at 350 for 28 minutes

Cut the cooked casserole into 8 and enjoy!

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Blogging Newbie Apology

Blogging is difficult. Apologies for not keeping up with it the best I should. I have a newfound respect for people who blog. Planning out ideas, taking pictures, making things look pretty (and sound pretty) has been taking me upwards of a week per post. That is definitely not what I bargained for, but I do find the release of thoughts to internet rewarding.

Truth be told I’m not trying to spout my ideas as ultimate end all be all, and I’m definitely not a subject matter expert on lifestyle. This blog is akin to an online diary, with just thoughts to internet paper, hoping that putting it all out there will remind me to stick with my goals as well as maybe help another with theirs, whatever that may be.


So enough of that…time to enjoy what’s left of this beautiful weather today. I'm thinking a nice dog walk with Chet and maybe a jog for me after. Stay tuned for the wrap-up on February’s goal.

Friday, January 31, 2014

WEAR: Winter Sick Girl Outfit

It's that time again: winter. A time for snow and snuggling. A time for getting sick as a dog.

I don't like being sick. And thankfully for me, less than healthy diet be damned, I don't get sick too often. Lately though, I find myself living with a real life carrier monkey (my boyfriend works in healthcare). Whatever's going around, chances are, he gets it. I usually quarantine him at first sight of illness to a different bedroom and wipe everything he touches with rubbing alcohol and gloved hands, but sometimes, alas, my fate is to fall ill.

This past week we have been battling some old world, dysentery-esque unpleasantness. Nothing to really brag about and get sympathy for, I'm still alive and sans hospital visit, but nevertheless I'm uncomfortable and really not cute right now

(proof)


If you are sick, I implore you (and try my best to do the same) to stay at home and get better soon. Inevitably, you will have to leave the house however while still under the weather. No, don't rejoice that you can now wear leggings out in public. It still is VERBOTEN to wear leggings out in public unless you are that girl from Instagram who makes money from her belfies Jen Selter.

So if you aren't Jen Selter, here is a list of key items for a sick girl to try and keep it cute when leaving the house:



Lip Gloss - something to help the chapped with a little tint: Neutrogena MoistureSmooth in Fresh Papaya ($8.99 at Ulta before applicable coupons)
Mascara - something to help your tired eyes: Covergirl Exact Eyelights in the appropriate complimenting color to your eyeshade ($8.99 at Ulta before applicable coupons)
Drink in Tow - something to replenish electrolytes: VitaCoco pure coconut water

Top - a hooded sweatshirt really helps hide less than perfect hair: anything sans stains and little nubs


Pants - leggings VERBOTEN!: try skinny jeans with a little stretch instead... like MidRise Rockstar Skinny ($34.94 before coupons) from Old Navy
The higher rise kind of feels like your tummy is being hugged!


Footwear - all winter long in New England: LL Bean boots ($109)

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

EAT: Pretty Green Vegetables

My aversion to vegetables started in early childhood. I remember staring down boiled yellow squash with disgust and anxiety, sometimes for hours, until either my parents’ relented on their “eat your vegetables” mandate or I was stealth enough to whisk it away to garbageland in a napkin. Call me scarred for life by that stringy-yet-mushy pile of bland. Hence the reason for my 2014 goal of incorporating more vegetables into my meat and beer dominated diet.

Fortunately for me, I do have an affinity for leafy greens. After mistakenly eating an entire plate of raw baby spinach from a salad bar as a teen, I realized this vegetable was my friend. It was a pretty green color (sucker for pretty), versatile enough to pair with virtually any protein, and very delicious sautéed with garlic (whether fresh or frozen). With such a good experience with spinach, I branched out to other green vegetables as an adult – Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, etc.

Having a balanced diet not only allows you to smugly brag to your less healthy friends, but it allows your body to work most efficiently. And yes, a balanced diet needs more than meat, cheese, and beer. Vegetables contain many nutrients your body cannot make on its own. 


Spinach – contains more iron in 6oz than the equivalent amount of hamburger. While eating it raw has nutritional benefits, so does cooking it. For instance, raw spinach is significantly higher in folate, vitamin C, niacin, riboflavin and potassium however not the way to get the most iron out of the vegetable. Boiling without salt and draining actually increases iron by roughly a third. Also beware – frozen has only about half as much iron as fresh. Finally, it’s good to note that spinach should not be your only source of iron nor calcium, as the oxalates within the vegetable prevent those from being absorbed by your body.

1 cup sautéed provides: 41 calories, 100+%DV Vitamins K and A, 35%DV Iron
Source: www.whfoods.com

Conclusion: Incorporate into diet as both raw and cooked for maximum nutritional absorption.

Broccoli – Another vegetable high in Vitamin K and A, this is a great vegetable to include in your diet if you are currently supplementing for a Vitamin D deficiency, as both nutrients help metabolism of Vitamin D.

1 cup steamed provides: 55 calories, 100+%DV Vitamins K and C, 80%DV Vitamin A, 15%DV Vitamin E
Source: www.whfoods.com

Conclusion:  Include a serving (as part of a 2-3 times a week cruciferous veggie routine) for maximum benefit and be sure to not overcook these little guys, as it will decrease both the nutrient value and appeal of the food to picky eaters.

Brussels sprouts – As with broccoli, steamed sprouts can provide some cholesterol-lowering benefits, because the fiber within the little sprout does a better job teaming with the body’s mechanism to excrete cholesterol this way. And who wouldn’t love to know that Brussels sprouts top the list of cruciferous vegetables for the amount of cancer protective Glucosinolates?

1.5 cup steamed provides: 84 calories, 100+%DV Vitamins K and C, 25%DV Vitamin B6
Source: www.whfoods.com

Conclusion:  Include a 1.5 cup as a serving (as part of a 2-3 times a week cruciferous veggie routine) for maximum benefit and be sure to not overcook these little guys, as it will decrease the amount of good stuff and increase the amount of sulfur smell in your kitchen.

***Note***As with changing anything about your diet, consult with your doctor first, as I am NOT a health professional nor dietician; just a regular person who’s done a little research.

SBT Sautéed Lemon Garlic Spinach
Total Time: 10 min.
Yield: 2 one cup servings

Ingredients:
2 pounds baby spinach leaves
1 TBSP virgin olive oil
2 TBSP minced garlic (6 cloves chopped)
**that pre-minced stuff is nasty, buy whole cloves and do the work yourself**
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp plus a little more of kosher salt
1 TBSP unsalted butter
½ Lemon

Directions:
1. Clean
Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.
2. Sauté
In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add all the spinach, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt just to help the spinach release water. Cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted.
3. Finish and plate
Transfer the spinach to a serving bowl and toss with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a 1 tsp of sea or kosher salt. Do not discard all that nutrient packed water the spinach releases – make sure to keep it all and enjoy hot!

SBT Quick Roasted Broccoli
Total Time: 15 min
Yield: 2 one cup servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
nonstick cooking spray

Directions:
1. Preheat
Preheat oven to 400°F. Convection will move things along quicker, but bake works just fine.
2. Prep and Maximize Nutrients
Trim the leaves and tough ends from the broccoli stalks, before cutting the entire head into small florets. Let sit for 3-5 minutes, as this will help facilitate nutrients.  In the meantime, cover a large baking sheet with foil and a thin coat of olive oil. You can coat the sheet with a brush or a small rubber spatula works too. Arrange the broccoli florets on the sheet, leaving ample space between them - too close and they will steam each other rather than roast. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper and mist with a nonstick cooking spray.
3. Roast
Roast for 10 minutes or until tips of the florets are crisp but the broccoli is still bright green.
Bright Green = Nutrients; Greenish brown = you went too far.
4. Caution
These are addictive and you may eat them all before you remember to share.

And lastly for when you ARE NOT watching your fat and sugar intake...
Not Your Mother’s Brussels Sprouts
recipe courtesy of Stew Leonard's Newington CT

Ingredients:
1TBSP unsalted butter
4 strips low-sodium bacon diced 1/4 inch
1/2 small red onion small diced
Two 8 oz. package Stew Leonard’s shaved Brussels Sprouts
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 oz. Water
Salt pepper to taste

Directions :
1. Render
Add diced bacon to a frying pan, pre-heated at med to high-heat, and render bacon till crisp
2. Saute
Add butter. When melted, add onions and continue to cook onions until translucent. Add Brussels Sprouts and water. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes
3. Finish
Add maple syrup and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.







Friday, January 10, 2014

EAT: Healthier Friday Pizza Night


As an Italian-American living in the Northeast, it may come as no surprise to learn Friday is pizza night. And living in the pizza belt for 30 years, choices are endless for delicious, crisp, cheesy, goodness. The problem I am facing now is how does this fit into my New Year’s Resolution to eat more vegetables but also eat less fat ? Sure, I could order a pie with vegetables instead of meat toppings from any place in New Haven which would be heaven, but it would also come with a still high caloric price I am trying to avoid.

So making my own pizza came to mind to help keep tabs on the calories. But I have such snobby standards given I have eaten from the best places in the country for years. It has to be thin, crisp, and out of this world New Haven delicious.

First came finding the perfect sauce. Yes, I can make a good sauce (thanks, Mom and Grandma) but when you want pizza, you usually are in the mood for easy. Cut to store bought.

My choice, you ask? Sclafani Filetto di Pomodoro. It’s my go-to sauce when I do not want to put in the effort making my own. If you want your pie a little spicier, mixing it 50/50 with another of Sclafani’s – the Fra Diavolo – works well.  Other picky sauce approved options if you cannot find Sclafani on sale are Victoria’s Marinara (you may know them for their Vodka sauce) and Nature’s Promise Organic Tomato Basil from Stop & Shop.

Now when it comes to adding vegetables, some people prefer their pizza white rather than red. If you are that person, forget about the store bought and mix up a béchamel-like sauce on your own. My simple white pie solution is a mixture of low fat ricotta or cottage cheese, a grated hard Italian cheese (Parmeggiano or Romano), and a milder cheese such as smoked provolone or part skim mozzarella. A blend from Target’s Market Pantry will do the trick as it combines Parmeggiano with Mozzarella for an easy addition to my cottage cheese.*When using cottage cheese, drain using a coffee filter to remove excess moisture otherwise you may compromise the crispiness of your crust and may require extra cooking time.

Remember with pizza, a lot is up to your taste. I love crispy, thin pizza, but if you prefer it a little thicker, stretch the dough a little less. More cheese and no concern for fat? Pile it on. Whatever you do, keep it simple and have fun.

SBT Pizza Dough

Adapted from Bobby Flay http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/pizza-dough-recipe/index.html
3 3/4 cups bread flour
**bread flour is the key to New Haven thin crispy crust. If you can't find bread flour, you can substitute it with all-purpose flour but I cannot guarantee you’ll love the chewier result**
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 envelope instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
**you can cut this by ½ tsp if you are watching sodium intake, but realize this is a key ingredient to crisp the crust as well**
1 1/2 cups water, 100-110 degrees F
 **Too cold? Lazy, inactivated yeast. Too hot? Dead useless yeast**
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray for greasing the bowl
Semolina flour for dusting the cookie sheet
1.       Combine
Measure out all dry ingredients to a stand mixing bowl.
2.       Mix
Add the water and oil to the dry mixture and mix until dough forms on low
3.       Knead
If using a high quality stand mixer, continue to mix the dough at a higher speed for 5 minutes. And do watch this process, as there have been times when making yeast dough that I almost lost my mixer off the edge (of the counter).
If you do not have a high quality mixer, knead the dough for 5 minutes on a well-floured surface.
4.       Let rest and rise
Using the cooking spray, cover every inch of a glass bowl. Transfer the dough ball to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap for an hour to rise. If not using today, refrigerate up to 3 days (after that, weird yeast esters start to form and you’ll have more of a sourdough on your hands than pizza crust).

SBT Crispy Thin Formaggio Pizza

½ recipe Pizza Dough above
1 cup Sclafani Filetto di Pomodoro
**or your favorite marinara**
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella blend
1.       Nonstick
Generously sprinkle a foil lined 13 x 9 cookie sheet with semolina flour or cornmeal. Trust me, you need the coarse crunchy stuff here, as neither your typical baking flour nor nonstick cooking spray work for this destickifying application. And yes, I recommend a cookie sheet rather than a pizza stone. I find those things to be highly overrated and difficult to clean.
2.       Stretch
Take your dough between two dry hands and stretch. If you can’t stretch in the air without making holes, it’s ok to use a rolling pin on the cookie sheet surface. Either way, stretch into a somewhat rectangular shape as close as you can to the pan edges. The dough will fight you like hell. After a couple minutes of stretching let it rest in the shape you have it and go at it again later. It will be more willing to cooperate the second time around.
3.       Sauce
Once the dough is stretched, spread your sauce all over, leaving a ½ inch perimeter. If you like crust, leave more of a perimeter and cut down on the sauce.
4.       Sprinkle
Sprinkle the cup of cheese evenly over the sauce
5.       Bake
Bake at 475 for 11 minutes or until desired level of crisp. If you have a convection oven setting, 475 will almost get you to New Haven brick oven quality.

SBT White Broccoli Pizza

½ recipe Pizza Dough above
White Sauce:
1 cup 1% cottage cheese, drained in coffee filter to remove excess water
½ cup shredded mozzarella
½ cup shredded parmeggiano
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 medium clove garlic minced
1 tablespoon milk
12 oz frozen broccoli florets
Ground black pepper
1.       Nonstick
Generously sprinkle a foil lined cookie sheet with semolina flour or cornmeal. Trust me, you need the coarse crunchy stuff here, as neither your typical baking flour nor nonstick cooking spray work for this destickifying application. And yes, I recommend a cookie sheet rather than a pizza stone. I find those things to be highly overrated and difficult to clean.
2.       Stretch
Take your dough between two dry hands and stretch. If you can’t stretch in the air without making holes, it’s ok to use a rolling pin on the cookie sheet surface. Either way, stretch into a somewhat rectangular shape as close as you can to the pan edges. The dough will fight you like hell. After a couple minutes of stretching let it rest in the shape you have it and go at it again later. It will be more willing to cooperate the second time around.
3.       Sauce
Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl and season with pepper to taste. Once the dough is stretched, spread your sauce all over, leaving a ½ inch perimeter. If you like crust, leave more of a perimeter and cut down on the sauce.
4.       Sprinkle
Sprinkle the cup of cheese evenly over the sauce. Add the broccoli on top. I like my broccoli oven roasted, so I put on top of the cheese. If you do not want your broccoli roasted, reverse the order.
5.       Bake
Bake at 475 for 11 minutes or until desired level of crisp. If you have a convection oven setting, 475 will almost get you to New Haven brick oven quality.