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QVC New Beauty Fall/Winter Test Tube

October 23, 2012

 

This quarter’s QVC New Beauty Test Tube that arrived a couple of weeks ago, came just in time! I had recently run out of both of my Wen Cleansing Conditioners and was using something else that I didn’t like as much.

I was also in desperate need of a new eye firming product since my crow’s feet seem to be getting worse by the minute and there’s no room in my beauty budget for some much needed botox! :-)

The QVC New Beauty test tube always include great products that I’ve never tried before and some that I’ve never even heard of.

Here are the eight awesome products in this quarter’s test tube.

  • Wen Cleansing Conditioner  (I received the Tea Tree formula.)
  • Perricone MD High Potency Eye Treatment
  • philosophy full of promise restoring cream
  • Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse
  • bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss
  • Smileactives Tooth Whitening Pen
  • Perfect Formula Daily Moisture
  • Mally Evercolor Automatic Eyeliner

 

Of the products I’ve tried so far, my favorite is the philosophy full of promise restoring cream.

A 2 oz. jar sells for $65.00 which less than the $90.00 for a 2 oz. jar of the Algenist Firming and Lifting Cream that we both loved from last quarter’s test tube. I’m still not sure, though if this one works quite as well as the Algenist.

 

I also love the Perricone MD High Potentcy Eye Treatment because I do notice a little tightening around the outside of my eyes, but at $98.00 for a .5 oz. bottle, I don’t think I’ll be buying this any time soon. I’m going to try to make the .17 oz sample last as long as possible.

 

I really like the Living Proof Full Thickening Mousse, too. I had never heard of this brand before, but this stuff really works! In looking at the QVC site, I noticed that this product has won several customer choice and best of beauty awards. If you have thin or fine hair; this mousse is definitely worth a try. Since I have quite a bit of hair already, I use it sparingly and only put a little at my crown for some added body. It retails for $26.00  for 5 ounces.

 

 

I really like the way the bareMinerals lipgloss feels and I love the scent, but like most lip glosses, it doesn’t stay on for very long.  I’m also going to start using the Nail Daily Moisture soon and will report back if I see some improvement in my sad little fingernails.

Thanks again, BigSis! I can’t wait to hear what your favorites are from this test tube.

Note from BigSis: I’m glad you’re enjoying the Test Tubes, LilSis! I haven’t tried many of the products from this quarter’s treasure trove yet, but I have used the Dr Perricone Eye Treatment and I absolutely LOVE it! It’s a serum rather than a cream, so it melts in immediately, and it WORKS. Also, I’ve never used a product that cooperated with under-eye concealer as well as this treatment does. There’s no pilling or caking at all. This is a winner!

~LilSis

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Knee deep in…

October 7, 2012

 

Double Chocolate Oat Vegan Cookies

 

  • Cleaning up the DVR, and loving ABC’s new drama “Last Resort”. I’m hooked with the first episode!
  • Satisfying a craving by snacking on extra crispy tater tots, and wondering why they aren’t more appropriately labeled as extra tiny tots instead. They’re so teeny!

Tiny Tater Tots

 

  • Loving this new fall pedicure color. It’s called HRH (I think for Her Royal Highness), and it’s from Butter London.

Butter London HRH

  • Planning dinner of quinoa with shitake mushrooms and something with kale from Nava Atlas’ “Wild About Greens“.
  • Looking for a new iPhone 5 case. Any recommendations for a cool but sturdy one?
  • Enjoying/spoiling my sweet little healed-by-the-hand-of-God boy who used up another life last weekend. Wondering how much I can sell a kidney for to pay for his medical bills and the only thing he’ll eat right now.

Ashy Poo 10-12

 

 

~BigSis

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Hatch Chile Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Avocado

September 15, 2012

Tofu Scramble Top Close

If you’ve been vegetarian for a while, you’re probably like me. You’ve eaten a lot of tofu scrambles; some good and some less than great. Ok, some are downright horrible.

The worst ones are boring, bland, mushy, and total dullsville. Since tofu has essentially no flavor of it’s own – that’s why we can easily transform it into Kung Pao or chocolate cream pie with a flick of the wrist – you have to ADD goodies to it to get awesomeness.

In my opinion, the best tofu scrambles are spicy and flavorful with a little veg thrown in and a nice firm texture with some crispy bits. That’s what I was going for with this recipe, and I think I made myself pretty happy.

I should probably call this a tofu saute rather than a scramble since I kept the cubes pretty chunky and didn’t break them up much. I’m mostly calling this delicious though. It’s not only the best tofu scramble/saute I’ve ever made, it’s the best one I’ve eaten. Here’s how you make it.

Hatch Chile Tofu Scramble with Spinach and Avocado

1/2 cup mild hatch chiles, roasted, cleaned, and chopped
3 large cloves garlic, pressed
1 package firm tofu, diced chunky
3 Tblsp water
1 tsp Braggs Liquid Aminos
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp Penzeys Forward Seasoning
1 Tblsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup baby spinach, very firmly packed and roughly chopped
2 Tblsp chives
1 large avocado, diced
Olive oil as needed for sauteing

Tofu Scramble Hatch Chiles

In a large non-stick skillet, saute the chiles and garlic in 2 tblsp of olive oil for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper while they’re softening. Remove from the skillet and set aside while you prepare the tofu.

Add another bit of olive oil to the same pan, and add the chunky cubes of tofu. Arrange them in one layer so that all of the cubes are in contact with the pan. Toss them around every few minutes to get a golden color on all sides. This may take 10 to 15 minutes.

Tofu Scramble Uncooked

While the tofu is browning, mix your wet sauce ingredients together in a small bowl: the water, Braggs, onion powder, Forward Seasoning and Frank’s Red Hot Sauce.

Tofu Scramble Browned

Once the tofu is evenly browned to your liking, add the chiles and garlic back in, sprinkle in the sauce, and stir to distribute evenly. Add in the nutritional yeast and the spinach, and mix together.

Tofu Scramble Spinach

Cook over medium low heat until the spinach is wilted and the sauce is absorbed into the tofu. The sauce, yeast and chiles meld together to make the most incredible coating that I wish I had more of.

Tofu Scramble Done Pan

Add the chives and serve immediately with the diced avocado and a tiny touch of salt on top. Serves 3 or 4.

Tofu Scramble Close

Notes: 

  • Hatch chiles are available for a short period of time at the end of the summer, so if you don’t have a stash in your freezer, don’t despair. The Hatch flavor is amazing, but there are acceptable substitutes. I would probably add in a jar of diced green chiles from the mexican aisle in the grocery store, along with a finely diced jalapeno or two. Just add any chile you like. Chipotles would be good too, and you can find them on the same aisle packed in a jar with adobo sauce. Just be careful and start with a tiny amount, since these dudes can be super hot.
  • I used Trader Joe’s super firm tofu, and froze it and defrosted it to get a firmer texture. If you like more of a scramble, just skip the freezing/defrosting step and use a firm tofu. Break it up a little bit as it’s cooking.
  • I like the flavor of Braggs, but you can easily substitute tamari, soy sauce or plain ol’ sea salt.
  • Add in any other veggies that you like. I think that onion, asparagus, broccoli, kale and mushrooms are all super happy in a tofu scramble.
  • Penzeys Forward Seasoning is amazing (and salt-free), but don’t fret if you don’t have it. It’s a spicy little blend of black pepper, onion, paprika, garlic, turmeric, thyme, basil and rosemary. Just substitute what you like. Pepper, paprika, turmeric and thyme would be a good start. Cumin is also found in lots of tofu scrambles; I’m just not a huge fan, but you use what you like. It’s your dish! Make it delicious and make it your own!

Tofu Scramble Top Plate

 

Note from LilSis:

I think this looks scrumptious and I would definitely make it for myself, but unfortunately, if I tried to serve this to my meat and potato lovin’ guys as a meal; they would probably laugh, thinking it was a practical joke!

~BigSis

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Algenist Firming and Lifting Cream

September 8, 2012

Earlier this week I mentioned that I received my New Beauty Test Tube from QVC for this quarter. BigSis has been receiving these fun quarterly products from QVC for a while now and she was sweet enough to sign me up to receive one each quarter!

We both received ours around the same time, which has probably been a little over a month now and I started using a couple of products as soon as I could get this cute little pink cylinder unpacked! :-)

I love the the Laura Geller waterproof primer and the Jose Maran Argan Oil, but my favorite product out of this quarter’s goodie box of surprises is, without a doubt, the Algenist Firming and Lifting Cream.

Here’s how Algenist describes this product:

This ultra-firming and restructuring cream tightens and lifts while reinforcing the skin structure. The unique combination of Alguronic Acid + ProPeptide3 boosts production of skin’s key structural proteins: elastin, collagen, and proteoglycans to rebuild firmness and tone the skin. Facial contours are redefined to create a more toned and sculpted appearance.

After we had both been using this product for a couple of weeks, we chatted on the phone about it. I thought it was my imagination that I noticed results within just a couple of weeks while I was just using it once a day. When BigSis told me that she was using it twice a day and she definitely noticed a tightening in her skin, I immediately started using mine twice a day.

My skin is definitely tighter, yet softer, and I think, maybe, just “maybe”, some of the wrinkles are a little less noticeable!

Here are Algenist’s 3rd party Clinical and Consumer Testing Results.

A third-party clinical study of 20 women, aged 45 to 60 years, examined the ability of the Firming & Lifting Cream to firm the skin and increase elasticity over 10 and 28 day periods. Through scientific measurement, the Firming & Lifting Cream is clinically proven to increase skin firmness and elasticity by 15% in 10 days.

We’ve both tried a lot of skin care products and different creams that claim to work miracles; some working better than others, but this one definitely gets 5 stars from me.

The 1/2 oz. sample size will probably last another week or so, so I would say I might get six weeks out of it. The only drawback I see right now is that the 2 oz. size of the Algenist Firming and Lifting Cream is $94.00.

When I get my beauty product budget back up to par, I do think that it would be worth it because the 2 oz. will probably last almost six months.

Note from BigSis: I agree, LilSis! I do think this product tightens my skin. Now, I’m not saying it looks like I’ve had a facelift or anything that dramatic, but I did notice that my jowls weren’t quite as droopy after I used this cream for just a few days. I had the opportunity to test another Algenist product in a previous Test Tube. I got a nice size jar of their Anti-Aging Moisturizer, and I liked it just as well as the Firming and Lifting Cream. A 2 oz. jar of it sells on QVC for $90, which is a bit pricey so I haven’t bought it. I think the alguronic acid must be effective for our kind of skin, since both of these products contain it.

One good thing about QVC is that they put together “try me” kits where you get several products to test, rather than having to buy full-size items before you know if they work for you. I wish they had a kit with both of these products in it, but all I see now is a firming kit and an anti-aging kit.  One last note: Algenist’s web site says that they do no animal testing, which makes us happy!

~LilSis

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QVC New Beauty Test Tube Time

September 4, 2012

A few weeks ago; I was pleasantly surprised when the UPS driver rang the doorbell and dropped off a package containing another New Beauty Test Tube.

BigSis sent me my first one a few months ago but I didn’t know that she signed me up to receive one each quarter. :-)

THANKS again, BigSis.

Here are the eight awesome products that came in the Test Tube this quarter.

  • Algenist Firming and Lifting Cream
  • Laura Geller Waterproof Eye Spackle Pen
  • smashbox Photo Finish
  • Mally High Shine Liquid Lip Color
  • philosophy love sweet love shampoo, bath & shower gel
  • bliss lemon+sage body butter
  • Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
  • Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner

I haven’t tried all of these products yet; but so far I really like the ones that I have used. Stay tuned; I’ll be back in a day or two to tell you about my favorite.

And, I think BigSis might agree.

~LilSis

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HAPPY LABOR DAY!

September 3, 2012

Fortunately, we both have the day off from work and will be trying to get a little R&R!

We appreciate all our readers and wish everyone a Blessed and Happy Labor Day. :-)

 

photo credit: maorlando on Flickr

~LilSis

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Apple Cider Vinegar Purifying Hair Treatment

August 19, 2012

Cher Apple Cider Vinegar

Maybe we don't want our hair QUITE this shiny!

 

Did you know that apple cider vinegar is actually good for your hair? You might think it would dry out your hair and scalp, but that’s not the case. I have very dry hair, and have been using this natural treatment for a while with only great results.

Apple cider vinegar purifies the hair; removing product build-up from the hair and scalp. It adds softness, body and shine.

It’s a natural product, it costs just pennies, and most of us probably already have it in our pantry.

Here’s how you do it:

  • Make sure that you use apple cider vinegar, not white distilled vinegar. I’ve used the more expensive organic apple cider vinegar in a pinch, but I usually just buy the cheap store brand and haven’t noticed any difference. I know organic is always preferable when it comes to what we put in and on our bodies, but in this case I’m not stressing about it.
  • Shampoo your hair as usual, rinse and towel dry. Gently sprinkle the vinegar onto your head aiming for your scalp rather than the hair ends. I say “gently” because you do NOT want a drop of this vinegar flying into your eyes! I probably use around 1/4 cup of vinegar, but you don’t need to measure. Just keep sprinkling until you feel like your head is saturated.
  • I usually do this over the sink instead of in the shower since I want to leave it on for a while. I think the chance of getting vinegar in your eyes in the shower is greater too, with all that water spraying around. If you’re doing this treatment in the shower though, make sure the container you take into the shower isn’t glass.
  • Once you get the vinegar on, massage it into your scalp and work it around, again being careful to protect your eyes from any wild splashes. Work it through to the ends, and use a wide tooth comb to distribute it. Be careful, wet hair is fragile.
  • Leave the vinegar on for a few minutes. I usually aim for around 15 minutes.
  • Thoroughly rinse the vinegar out in cool water. I think cold water adds shine too because it closes the cuticle of the hair. Massage your scalp to rinse free any build-up the vinegar has dissolved, and rinse, rinse, rinse.
  • Condition and style as usual.

You might notice a lingering trace of vinegar aroma for the next couple of days when your hair is wet, but once it’s dry there’s no tell-tale smell. No one will accuse you of smelling like a salad!

I like to use this treatment once a week if possible to keep product build-up to a minimum. Give it a try!

 

Photo credit: Rapscallion’s Flickr Photostream

~BigSis

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The Best Vegan Trader Joe’s Products

August 11, 2012

Trader Joe'sThere’s a lot to love about Trader Joe’s; not the least of which is that they carry plenty of vegan products and they’re easily identified with a “V” on the front of the package.

We’ve only had Trader Joe’s stores here in Texas for two months now, and I’ve already made three 90-mile round trips to stock up on products that I can’t get anywhere else. These are some of my favorite vegan Trader Joe’s products so far.

I’m planning to keep updating this list, and to make it easily accessible from our home page. If you have any favorite items I should check out, let me know!

 

Snacks

  • Pretzel Slims: Everything
  • Reduced Guilt Pita Chips with Sea Salt
  • Wasabi Roasted Seaweed Snack

Pantry Staples

  • Brown Rice Medley
  • Harvest Grains
  • Diced & Fire Roasted Organic Tomatoes with Organic Green Chiles
  • Artichoke Antipasto
  • 100% Spanish Organic Extra Virgin Garlic Flavored Olive Oil
  • Almond Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds
  • Cranberry Apple Butter
  • Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Nuts

  • Sliced Roasted Unsalted Almonds
  • Whole Roasted Unsalted Almonds
Bakery
  • Kalamata Olive Bread

Sweets

  • Dark Chocolate Nutty Bits

Refrigerated Items

  • Organic Tofu Veggie Burgers
  • This is Not a Tub of Cream Cheese
  • Chunky Olive Hummus
  • Cut and Cleaned Bag of Kale
  • Tangerine Juice
  • Reduced Fat Mayonnaise

Frozen

  • Chicken-less Mandarin Orange Morsels
  • Falafel
  • Dorot Crushed Garlic

 

For a complete list of Trader Joe’s vegan products,
please see the guide on their web site.

~BigSis

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Caesar BLT Pasta Salad

August 5, 2012

Caesar BLT Pasta Salad

This is another super simple and delicious summertime pasta salad.

I don’t normally eat much pasta; but there’s something about the Summer that makes me want to experiment with different cold pasta salads. (And, I’ll admit that I’ve never really been a fan of cold pasta salads.)

We have a lot of cookouts with friends in the Summer and not only are pasta salads easy to throw together, but they also feed big crowds and are a perfect side dish for grilled chicken, fish or burgers.

Last weekend I took Bry’s favorite Angel Hair Pasta Salad to his birthday celebration with the family and several of his hungry fellow sailors. It was a hit, as usual, but we managed to save one small dish of leftovers for the birthday boy. :-)

The Seashells with basil, tomato, and garlic pasta salad that I made for our 4th of July celebration was also a huge hit with all our friends and with a lot of our readers. A big thanks to all our new readers that found us via Pinterest!

I found the original recipe for the BLT Pasta Salad on Food Network; but I adapted it, like I always do.  I don’t know why, but I just can’t follow a recipe exactly as written. I’ll read it a couple of times for inspiration and will almost always change it up.

I decided to nix the milk, sour cream and mayo in the original recipe and try some yummy Caesar dressing instead. Then I thought I might as well throw in some black olives and Parmesan to make it more like a Caesar salad.

It did not disappoint.

Caesar BLT Pasta Salad
(adapted from Food Network)

16 oz. mini farfalle (bowties)
1 lb. bacon
1 pint sugar plum tomatoes, sliced
1 c. Gardini’s Caesar dressing
1 c. sliced black olives
1/2 c. parmesan
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
Juice of one lemon
4 c. chopped romaine lettuce

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water to al dente, then drain. (I cooked mine the night before and tossed it with the olive oil and lemon juice and marinated it in the refrigerator overnight.) This keeps the pasta from sticking together.

Cut the bacon into bite size pieces and cook in a large skillet until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard the bacon grease; leaving just a tablespoon or so in the skillet. Add the sliced tomatoes and garlic and toss in the skillet for just a couple of minutes to cook the garlic and soften the tomatoes. Then let sit until cool.

Since the pasta is nice and cold from being refrigerated overnight; just mix in the Caesar dressing, bacon, tomato mixture, olives and Parmesan, then toss in the chopped lettuce at the end and it’s ready to go! Serve at room temperature.

Again; simple and delicious.

Note: I’ve made plenty of pasta salads with spinach but this is the first time that I’ve made one with lettuce; and, at first, I was a bit skeptical as to how it would turn out.  But, my hungry, meat and potato eatin’ guys raved about it and all my friends loved it.

Obviously, you want to serve this salad pretty soon after it’s made so the lettuce doesn’t get all limp and wilted; but we snacked on it hours later and it was still very good.

I really hope you’ll try this one. Enjoy!

BigSis’ Vegan Twist:  Adios to the bacon and parmesan for starters. I wouldn’t sub a faux bacon, since most that I’ve tried wouldn’t stay crispy in a moist salad. Many aren’t vegan anyway. To replace the salty flavors from the bacon and cheese, I’d use a really flavorful kalamata olive, some capers, and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.

We also need to cut the Caesar dressing since anchovies are part of the traditional recipe. We definitely want the Caesar flavors in this recipe but without the fishies, so we can make our own dressing or buy one. I think this recipe for vegan Caesar salad dressing sounds awesome. Follow Your Heart makes a vegan Caesar salad dressing if you don’t want to make your own. That should do it!

~LilSis

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Pineapple Mango Salsa

July 24, 2012

Pineapple Mango Salsa

A few weeks ago, a friend of ours caught a huge fish just a few miles off shore and we were lucky enough to be there when they brought it in so he sent us home with about three pounds of freshly caught fish.

Due to the type of fish this was, we decided to make fish tacos with it and I made this Pineapple Mango Salsa at the request of my son. I love fresh mangoes but I’m not crazy about them with onion.  As a matter of fact; I don’t eat raw onion at all. But, I made it anyway; cause that’s what moms do. :-)

But, that being said, this Pineapple Mango Salsa that I found on Pioneer Woman was a huge hit at our house. I didn’t change anything, so if you want to try it, here’s the entire recipe for this Pineapple Mango Salsa. Instead of serving it on fish tacos, you could serve this salsa on nachos as Pioneer Woman did.

It would have been nice to photograph this salsa actually on a fish taco, but as usual, when the guys are around, there’s barely any time at all for me to snap a pic or two!

~LilSis

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Meet BigSis & LilSis

We’re sisters and we love to talk. What do we like to talk about? Plenty!
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