January 18, 2009

Here’s a quick alert for the MAC fans out there.  I just got an email for FREE SHIPPING today and tomorrow only.  This offer ends January 19.  Use promo code 2DAY.  There is another promotion currently running for free shipping with any $60 purchase; it doesn’t require a code.

If you’ve been eying the new MAC Brunette Blonde Redhead Collection but haven’t made it to the mall yet, here’s your chance to grab some of those limited edition products with free shipping.

MAC Brunette Blonde Redhead Collection

Get shopping, girls!

~BigSis

January 18, 2009

Whether you call it a resolution or a goal or whatever, I know that many of us – most of us – are trying to eat better this New Year. I certainly am trying to. I wonder how you’re all doing so far now that we’re a little over 2 weeks into January?

For me, the first step toward a healthful day of eating is a great breakfast followed by a second great breakfast! First breakfast on weekdays is always a 6 am smoothie made with vitamin powder, ground flax seed, unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze, a splash of juice (orange or cranberry usually), and frozen blueberries and strawberries. That’s it. I whip it up in my new pink KitchenAid blender and I’m set for 3 hours.

Second breakfast is around 9 or 9:30 and is a serving of McCann’s Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal nuked in the office microwave. I do splurge and put a pat of real butter (gasp) on it. I heard from our Aunt C that her daughter-in-law puts a drizzle of olive oil on her oatmeal, so I tried it today, and it wasn’t bad!  It needed a dash of salt, but I think I could get used to it.   Weekend breakfasts may have a little more variety since the time crunch isn’t in turbo mode. I might skip the smoothie and have a banana, and then later have a couple of scrambled eggs on wheat toast. No matter what though, I never skip breakfast.

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I totally believe that to be true. Without a breakfast of some kind to get your body going and rev up your metabolism, you start the day out sluggish and droopy. It’s been shown that kids who eat breakfast do better in school and tend to be healthier overall. And did you know that eating breakfast will actually help you lose weight? We might think that skipping a meal saves those calories and that we’re ahead of the game, but that isn’t only untrue, it has just the opposite effect. Want more info? Check out this WebMD article on losing weight by eating breakfast.

I hear all of you out there saying “I’m not hungry in the morning so I’ve never been able to eat breakfast.”  I found some interesting info on WikiHow that will tell you how to change that, and show you how to feel like eating breakfast.  Just because you haven’t been a breakfast eater in the past doesn’t mean that you can’t become one!  Maybe the solution is something as simple as changing what you perceive breakfast food to be.  You don’t have to eat cereal or eggs; anything that you enjoy for dinner or lunch can become breakfast.  I went to RecipeZaar and searched for breakfast, and found 1970 recipes!  There has to be *something* there that you would enjoy eating in the morning!

Vegetarian Big Breakfast (Flickr photo by Ellesil)

LilSis, I know that love of breakfast is something that you and I share, along with Big T!  I still remember that great breakfast he made for me and SisMama and all of you when we were visiting last June…biscuits, roasted potatoes, fruit salad, and eggs with mushrooms and asparagus!  There’s something really awesome about someone making you breakfast, don’t you think?  What’s your favorite breakfast, LilSis?

~BigSis

January 17, 2009

We’ve been talking about beauty and skin care products a lot recently, so I have to ask a question that’s been on my mind. I want to be transparent, so I’m not going to hide this vulnerability. Tell me I’m not the only one who suffers from this anxiety and insecurity. Please tell me. Here’s how it goes. I have to go into a department store to pick up one of my can’t-live-without-products, like the foundation I finally found that covers just the right amount AND doesn’t cause any breakouts AND matches my skintone AND isn’t too dewy or too matte.

Prescriptives Flawless

This should be a quick little errand, right? Bing bang boom. Wrong.

For me, it causes dread and a serious amount of anxiety that sees me looking on the Area 52 website to find something that can help me relax. Because I know that when I – a normal, confident, professional woman – march up to the counter with my request, I’m going to feel like the Hunchback of Notre Dame with a bad case of leprosy within minutes. I can’t just pay for my purchase and leave. No, no, no, that would be too easy. The salesperson has to try to up-sell me or cross-sell me, or whatever the heck they call it. I’m bombarded by:

“Have you tried our new eye cream? It really works on those wrinkles and puffiness and crow’s feet”.

“Would you like to make an appointment for me to give you a makeover, dear?”

“Do you use our new wrinkle-erasing-lifting-super-duper-youth-restoring-magical-miracle-night-cream? I think it would really help you. Let me give you a sample!”

“Would you like for me to recommend a product to help with that redness/those wrinkles/that dryness/your oiliness?”

By the time I slink away to my car, I feel like the most flawed woman ever to approach the counter. Now, in my mind, I’m droopy, dehydrated, shiny, dry, red, pale, wrinkly, baggy, saggy, and puffy. All at once! In reality, I do have my own little challenges like every woman does, but usually I’m content with what I have to work with. Not overjoyed, (I AM forty-something, for cryin’ out loud) but content.

So I’m wondering. Is it just me who feels like a frappin’ troll after they’ve just handed over their hard-earned money for a product? Should we pay for someone to insult us? Maybe it’s worse for me since I had skin problems as a teenager, and so I’m over-sensitive to salespersons’ “suggestions”? Maybe the dermatological afflictions scarred my self-esteem more than my skin, and I’m still reeling from it years (and years) later, even though I spent a bajillion dollars last year for six Fraxel laser treatments, and my skin is in better shape than it has been since I was 12 years old? I have the feeling that my anxiety, insecurity and paranoia in this area are more common than I know. Does anyone share this with me, or do I need to get in touch with someone like www.PsychCompany.com and arrange some psychotherapy? Give me some support, sisters, before I bow to the pressure to make all my purchases online!

~BigSis

January 16, 2009

LilSis, I’d love to give you an update on the Borba cellulite products.  I started using the Firming Body Cleansing Serum ($20) almost 60 days ago.  I liked it immediately and I still like it.  It seems to firm and just feels energizing on my skin.  The Serum contains Hyaluronic Acid (a humectant which is said to promote the skin’s natural ability to hold onto moisture), Heptapeptide-1 (which is supposed to help firm and tone the skin while fighting free radical damage), plus Guanabana Fruit Extract, Diamond Powder, and Hydrolyzed Spandex Fiber.  If you know what those ingredients are, you’re way ahead of me!

Since I liked the Serum, regardless of my ingredient ignorance, I ordered two other products to complement it.  I got the Firming Body Trio which includes the Serum plus Firming Micro-Diamond Body Polish and Firming Diamond Shimmer Contour.  I’ve been using the Serum and the Polish on alternate days, and the Contour Cream every day.

The Body Polish contains Diamond Powder to exfoliate and improve microcirculation, Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid to help refine and retexturize surface skin, plus Vitamins A and E, Colloidal Oatmeal, Soy, Cucumber, Aloe, Hydrolized Spandex Protein, Heptapeptide-1, Guanabana extract, and Papain.

The Contour Cream contains Diamond Powder and Mica which are supposed to provide multidimensional radiance and contour to diffuse the look of imperfections. It also has Guanabana Extract, Shea Butter, Cucumber, Aloe, Hydrolized Spandex Protein, Papain, Salicylic Acid and Glycolic Acid.

I’m not a BeautyBrain, so I can’t tell you what all those ingredients are, and if the claims that Borba makes concerning them are reasonable.  What I can tell you is that I PROMISE I am seeing results after using this trio together for only a week!  I’m SO not kidding, and I’m NOT on the Borba payroll!  I have used plenty of anti-cellulite products that moisturize and not much else, but this line is different.

Borba Firming Cellulite Trio

The Borba products do not have any caffeine that I can see (again, I’m no BeautyBrain), which makes their effectiveness even more surprising.  What I’m seeing is tighter, smoother skin with no nasty caffeine side effects.

I’ve been ordering through the Borba web site, but I just found the products on QVC.  QVC has the firming trio for $48, plus shipping.  I paid $60 on sale, but the regular price for the trio is $80.  Doh!  Guess where I’ll be doing my ordering from now on!  Comments on the QVC web site mention the unpleasant smell of the products, and I have to say that I’m not in love the scent of the cream. The good news is that it disappears pretty quickly so it doesn’t bother me at all.  I don’t notice an undesirable fragrance in the body polish, and I actually like the fresh scent of the serum.

Overall, I would highly recommend the Borba Body Firming Trio, and the QVC price makes it a great deal as well as effective!  So far, this is the best firming product line I’ve used.  If you know of something better, let me know so I can test it!

~BigSis

January 14, 2009

It’s time again!  What time?  Time to get your creative thinking caps (or chef hats) on, because the 44th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off is here!  The deadline for recipe submissions is April 20, 2009, so you’ve got over 90 days to come up with a brilliant original recipe.  The categories this time are Breakfast and Brunches, Entertaining Appetizers, Dinner Made Easy and Sweet Treats.  Be sure to check out the web site for all the rules.

$1 million cookie!

The $1 million winning recipe in the last contest was the Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookie submitted by Carolyn Gurtz from Maryland.

Last time, 2 years ago, SisMama and I entered the contest with a few original recipes of our own, and although neither of us made the finals, it was great fun!  It was the first time either of us had entered, so this time we should have a little better idea of how the contest works and how the recipes need to be submitted.  Hopefully we learned a little from the experience, and will do better this year.  SisMama and all you cooks and bakers out there…start your ovens!  Don’t be intimidated by the number of entries the contest will get or by the enormity of this competition.  Someone has to win, and it may as well be you!  You could be the winner of ONE MILLION DOLLARS!  Now get in that kitchen and rattle those pots and pans!

~BigSis

January 12, 2009

Hooray for Urban Decay!  How can a company with only two products in my makeup drawer have an enormous impact on my daily makeup routine?  I don’t have the popular Urban Decay Lounge or YDK Eyeshadows, Greed Lip Envy, Midnight Cowboy Lipstick, or Catfight Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in my stash.  Nothing but two little beauties: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion and 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils.  I don’t like to say a product is life-changing, but these guys are incredible!

LilSis and I talk all the time about what MAC eyeshadow snobs we are, but without a good eyeshadow base, we’d be cheating ourselves out of a lot that a high quality product has to offer.  A good eyeshadow primer will grab onto your shadow, and enable it to last longer while intensifying the vibrancy of the color.  Fading and creasing will become an instant thing of the past!

Even with a great eyeshadow like MAC, you still have plenty to gain by taking a few extra seconds to apply a base.  I resisted adding another step to my morning routine, but I finally caved and tried some products that were recommended to me as base: MAC Paint in Base Light, Bourjois Survolteel Waterproof Eyeshadow in Beige, and Bourjois Shimmering Shine Liquid Eyeshadow in Beige Metallique.  As far as I can see, these particular Bourjois products aren’t available any more.  My experience is that they’re all great as long-lasting shadows, and I especially like them for muggy summer days when my chances of creasing climb to 100% along with the humidity.  As a base for other shadows though, I think they’re too thick, plus they bring color and shimmer with them so any shadow you put on top of them is going to change.  Maybe for the better, but it’s going to change.  Plus, it takes me way too long to get the application even and smooth, and I just don’t have that kind of time (or patience) in morning crunch-time.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

I much prefer the invisible Urban Decay Primer Potion.  The Primer Potion goes on clear and you can’t even tell you have it on.  You use a very very small amount;  I spread it around quickly with a small concealer brush but you could smooth it on with a fingertip if you wanted to.  Then apply your eyeshadow on top as usual.  You won’t believe how much difference it makes!  Today, I put my makeup on at 6:30 am, worked all day, worked out at the gym, did a bunch of errands, took care of the furkids, made dinner, cleaned up the kitchen, and at 9:00 pm, my eyeshadow looks like I just put it on!  I’m SO not kidding!  The color is true and there is literally NO creasing!  Try this Primer Potion now!  It may be the best $16 I’ve every spent on a product.  I agree that the cutesy container leaves a lot of product inaccessible, but you can do what Clumps of Mascara does, and hack into it!  That’s what I’m going to do!

The other Urban Decay product I’m crazy about is their 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil.  I like automatic pencil eyeliners usually because I don’t like fiddling around with a sharpener whenever the pencil loses it’s point,  but I’m willing to make an exception for the 24/7, which is a normal-needs-sharpening pencil.  This super-creamy pencil glides on like butter, and then you have 30 seconds or so to smudge it around or blend it as you wish.  Then it’s ON baby for the rest of the day!  No fading, no disappearing, no creasing.  It’s totally waterproof, but disappears easily at bedtime with a swish of Lancome’s Bi-Facil.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencil

I have the Glide-On Pencil in 4 colors and none of them are boring.  I have 1999 (plum with teeny gold glitter), Bourbon (brown with teeny gold glitter), Lucky (brilliant deep copper), and Covet (peacock green).  My favorites are Bourbon and Lucky.  Bourbon is a great snappy bronzy brown, but don’t be afraid of the glitter…I wouldn’t even call it glitter.  It’s just a little pizzazz!  Lucky is a fabulous color for blue eyes!  Try it!  1999 doesn’t show up much on my skin, so it needs a deeper shadow color on top of it, which I always do anyway to help set any liner pencil I use.  I’m not sure what to do with Covet, maybe someone can give me a suggestion of how a blue-eyed person can wear peacock green liner without looking like a peacock.  I have my eye on a couple of other colors:  Underground (metallic taupe), and Ransom (deep purple with subtle silver sparkle) or Lust (bright iridescent purple).  At $16 each, you can afford to try some fun colors, even if like me you need a little guidance in wearing them!

You can order Urban Decay through their web site, but you can also find their products at Ulta, Sephora and department stores.

~BigSis

January 11, 2009

It’s been a gorgeous crisp day here in Dallas; perfect for a little computer work, a little housework, and a little cooking.  Since I didn’t want to make a trip to the Wally Mart, I had to find dinner ingredients in my house.  What I came up with is Spinach Quiche, but with a simple tomato sauce served alongside to make it a bit different and to add some extra flavor.

The quiche is LilSis’ recipe, that she got from her friend, E, when she lived in New York.  We’ve both been making it for years.  It’s a great simple recipe, and I don’t think it’s as decadent as some recipes. I always make mine without a crust, I just don’t think it’s necessary and it adds a bunch of simple carbs and fat grams so I skip it.  This time, since I’m trying to eat as well as I can but I still want good food, I’m trying out Cabot 50% Light All Natural Cheddar cheese.  I got 2 pounds of it at Sam’s Club the other day, so that’s what I had.  It worked out wonderfully.  It tasted good and cheesy, and didn’t melt away into the quiche like a full-fat cheese does.  The shreds held their shape a little more; I think you can see some areas of intense white cheesy goodness in the photos.

The tomato sauce is just a simple combination of cherry tomatoes, fresh garlic and seasonings.  If I had fresh basil and shallots on hand, I’d use them, but you can really use whatever you have and whatever you like.  I really liked adding the sauce to the quiche!  I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it before!

Spinach Quiche with Tomato Sauce

Spinach Quiche

4 eggs
1-1/2 c milk (since I’m not a milk-drinker and never have any in the house, I use half evaporated milk and half water)
1 10-oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, liquid pressed out
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of pepper
Few shakes hot sauce (to taste)
2 c grated cheese (cheddar, parmesan, monterrey jack, gouda or any combination of cheeses)
2 Tblsp flour

Whisk together the eggs, milk, spinach and seasonings.  In a small bowl, toss the cheese with the flour, then add to the wet ingredients.  Mix together and pour into a greased pie plate.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, until set and golden brown.

Tomato Sauce

4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tblsp olive oil
2 c cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt to taste

Seasonings of your choice. I used:

1/2 tsp minced dried garlic
1 1/2 tsp freeze-dried shallots
1/4 tsp dried granulated onion
1/4 tsp shallot pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp sugar
Few dashes of hot sauce

Saute the garlic in the oil for a few minutes, but don’t let it brown.  Add the tomatoes and seasonings, and simmer 10 minutes or so until the tomatoes start to soften.  You can leave the sauce chunky, but I prefer to whir it around a little bit with an immersion blender.  With a small quantity like this, watch out though.  I sprayed tomato sauce all over my countertop and backsplash, not to mention myself!  Keep sauce warm until quiche is done.

An easy Sunday Supper!

Cut yourself a slice of quiche, and spoon the sauce over it.  Sprinkle with a little parmesan if you have it.  Bon appetito!

~BigSis

January 10, 2009

My Pink Power KitchenAid Kitchen is now complete, thanks to SisMama!  I posted some photos of my pink kitchen last fall, but one thing was missing.

The Pink KitchenAid Blender!

I had been using a white Oster blender that I bought when I got out of college (we KNOW how long ago that was!).  I was determined to hold off on the pink KitchenAid blender until the Oster passed away, but even with everyday smoothie duty, the darn thing would just not quit!  This Christmas though, SisMama blessed my little kitchen with the pink blender, and I donated the Oster to the women’s shelter store here in Dallas that’s my favorite charity.

Thanks, SisMama!  My happy little pink kitchen is so much fun to be in!

My pink KitchenAid triplets!

Now, if that old Black and Decker white hand mixer would just poop out…

~BigSis

January 8, 2009

For me, the party’s over.  I mean the eat-pretty-much-whatever-is-in-front-of-me-food party of the last 3 weeks or so.  There was the Christmas party where I ate too much cheese and crackers, and the family Christmas where I ate too much of everything.  Then we have tons of leftover sweets and snacks that we just can’t toss, right?  Before you knew it, we had New Year’s Eve with it’s snack-fest, and New Year’s Day with cheesy buttery cornbread that was leftover to haunt me for days.

Now, the party’s over.  Whatever is left in the fridge goes in the freezer or the trash-o-rama.  It’s time to get back on track, and I’m actually looking forward to getting back to my usual disciplined plan of eating.  I think we all feel better when we’re eating healthfully; I know I do.

One of my go-to healthy recipes is hummus, and I’m really glad to know how good it is for us.  Chickpeas are full of protein and fiber, plus zinc, folate, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus.  For vegetarians, hummus is an excellent source of protein, especially if you aren’t a fan of the meat analog products or soy in general.  The peas have a very negligible amount of fat, so the primary fats in this dish are the healthy fats from the small amounts of olive oil and tahini.

Bowl o' hummus loveliness!

LilSis assures me that hummus is a snack and not a meal; and I know in her household of guys it would never suffice as a meal.  But for me it is frequently a weeknight meal, when combined with grape tomatoes, raw mushrooms and blanched asparagus as dippers.  My favorite basic recipe is very simple and very lemony and garlicky.  You can whip it up in a food processor or blender in just a few minutes.  The blender will give you a creamier texture, but the food processor works just fine.  This recipe will make a good size batch of hummus, but I find that it lasts really well in the fridge.

Bring on the pita chips!

HUMMUS

(adapted from Veganomicon)

2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon for sauteeing
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
1/4 cup water, more or less
Seasonings to taste:  Penzey’s Lemon Pepper (healthy amount), Shallot Pepper, Toasted Onion Powder, and salt.

Saute the crushed garlic on very low heat in the 1 tablespoon olive oil for a few minutes, but don’t let it brown. Set aside when done.

Meanwhile, add half of the drained chickpeas to the blender or food processor, along with the olive oil, and pulse a few times until pureed.  Then add the rest of the chickpeas, the garlic/oil mixture, lemon juice, tahini, and seasonings.  Pulse again a few more times until the mixture is creamy, stopping to add a little water as needed to reach the texture you wish.  Store in the fridge.  The flavors improve after the hummus has chilled it’s heels for a while.

For a variation in flavors, add fresh herbs (chives, parsley, dill, etc.), sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, hot sauce, other dried seasonings (cumin or paprika, for example), or olives to the hummus.  Your imagination is your only limitation!  I want to try adding a bunch of roasted garlic next time.

I like to serve the hummus at room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil on top.  Healthy, filling, and delicious!

~BigSis

January 6, 2009

Ok, so I was sitting in a doctor’s office recently, thanks to the Nasty Virus.  I was skimming through a magazine, and stumbled upon an article that quoted a dermatologist as saying that Rogaine ALWAYS grows eyebrows back.  Seriously?  Who knew?  I guess it makes sense but I never thought of it or heard of it.  The derm said that you use a dab of men’s Rogaine 5% on a Qtip, and apply to the area of eyebrow you want to grow.  You do that twice a day til you get furry little caterpillars, then you do it once a day for maintenance.

Fuzzy Caterpillar by Chuffinpuffin (Flickr)

I wasn’t ever an overplucker, but my eyebrows are a tad thinner than I’d like, and the outer edges pretty much fade away to nothing.  I think I’m trying this little tip!  Anyone heard of this or tried it??

~BigSis