May 8, 2010

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, and I could make a strong argument for the fact that we should celebrate animal moms too.  You know I'll take any excuse at all to talk about animals, especially babies!  Here are some of the most adorable little babies you'll ever see!

Can you believe this little guy weighed just 6 pounds at birth?  Einstein is a pinto stallion, and is said to be the smallest horse in the world.  Be sure to watch the video to the end so you can see him try to buck.  So cute I can't stand it!

These adorable lion cub triplets were just born January 27th at the Bronx Zoo. Can you guess their names?

They don't actually have names yet, but they need them, and you and I can help name them.  Just go to the Bronx Zoo web site and cast your vote beginning May 16th.  Now watch these adorable guys frolicking and playing, and just try not to smile!  I want one!

If you have a favorite baby animal video, you know where to send it!  Meanwhile, Happy Mother's Day to all you human moms, and animal moms too!

~BigSis

May 7, 2010

I LOVE Fridays! Is there anyone out there that doesn't love Friday? For most of us, Friday marks the end of a hard work week and the beginning of a relaxing weekend! Right?

BigSis and I were talking the other day and we decided that since we both love our Fridays, we're going to try something new. We're going to take this day to share with you something that we find to be fabulous. And if it's something extraordinarily fabulous, we may have to call it Fantabulous Friday!

So, to kick it off today, here are a couple of things that I find to be quite fabulous!

Ever Hip Creme Sheen from MAC Give Me Liberty of London Collection

Not only is this limited-edition shade, Ever Hip, a perfectly fabulous color for me, but I find the glossy white case to be equally fabulous.

Fabulously decorated case!

The case is decorated with an exclusively created flower and bird pattern for the MAC Give Me Liberty of London Collection. I don't know what I'll do with the case when the lipstick is gone, but I won't be recycling this one.

Urban Decay Summer of Love Shadow Palette

This Urban Decay Summer of Love Shadow Palette is nothing less than fabulous! This gorgeous palette was a surprise Mother's Day gift from BigSis that I just received in the mail two days ago and I'm already madly in love with it!

Sexy, Shimmery, Silky-Soft Shadows!

I tried one of these shadows when we went out Wednesday night and I can tell you that this eyeshadow is going to give MAC some competition! This lovely palette came with a fabulous 24/7 Glide On Pencil and travel size Sin Eyeshadow Primer Potion. The mirror and the magnetic cover are also fabulous, so what more can I say?

FABULOUS!!

And lastly, today is an especially fabulous Friday for me because this is where I will be today. 🙂

We'll be in the desert for a Father Son Golf Tournament and I will be by the pool in the fabulous ‘almost 100 degree' weather catching up on some magazine reading while the guys are golfing. I couldn't ask for a better way to spend two days! 🙂

I hope you have a Fabulous Friday!

~LilSis

May 6, 2010

It's a leafy green vegetable.

No!  It's a yummy crunchy chip.

Actually, you're both right.  We're talking about kale chips!

I know, you're skeptical.  Even though I KNOW the health benefits of eating kale, I just don't like it much.  It's bitter and pretty tough, especially when it's raw.  I never really had a kale dish I liked much. Until now!

You can drive to Whole Foods and buy a small bag of kale chips.  They're delicious, but they're $7 or $8.  No joke.

Or you can make you own.  Now, pay close attention because this is pretty darn complicated.  To make kale chips, you go to the store and buy a couple of bunches of kale (organic if you can get it).  You come home and wash it, dry it and tear it into pieces.  Then you spray it with a touch of oil, season it, and bake it til it's crunchy.  Then you eat it and feel very, very virtuous.   😀

Kale Chips: before baking

Kale Chips

2 bunches kale (I like the curly kind)
Nonstick cooking spray (olive oil or canola)
Your favorite seasoning to taste

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Wash the kale and dry thoroughly.  Pull off the tough center rib and tear each leaf into medium-size pieces.  Place onto a baking sheet and spritz with a touch of oil.  Sprinkle with whatever seasonings you like and toss the kale to evenly coat with oil and seasonings.  Be careful with the salt; it will intensify as the kale shrinks and your chips will be way too salty.

Bake until the kale is dried out and crispy, 20 to 23 minutes.  I like mine lightly browned and pretty crispy.  Enjoy as a snack, or as a garnish on soup.

Note: I seasoned with very little salt, plus a big dash of lemon pepper and a salt-free Penzeys spice blend called Mural of Flavor.

Kale Chips: after baking. Not pretty, but delicious!

~BigSis

May 3, 2010

Is it really May already? I must say this every month, but it does seem like time is flying by faster than ever before.  I know we had an early Easter this year but where did the rest of April go? We've got Mother's Day already right around the corner and before you know it we'll be celebrating Memorial Day and the Fourth of July!

But before we get ahead of ourselves, we've got Cinco de Mayo sneaking up on us in just two days. So, whether you're looking for an easy appetizer to take to a party or you're cooking for a large group of friends and family, here are some of our all time favorite recipes that are perfect for a Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Hatch Green Chile and Garlic Goat Cheese

Ceviche Salad with Avocado, Cilantro and Green Chile

Super Simple Guacamole

Roasted Garlic Dressing with Green Chilli

Homemade Pita Chips

(This is a terrible photo, but this soup is perfect topped with grated cheese, sour cream and toasted tortilla strips)

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Classic Tortilla Soup

Spinach Mushroom Enchiladas

Shrimp with Garlic and Chile Pepper

This next recipe is one of Bry's favorite appetizers but every time he makes them they're gobbled up so quickly we never have time to take a photo! Yes, they're that yummy!

Bry’s Stuffed Peppers

15 fresh jalapeno peppers
1 pound Italian sausage
1 (8 oz) cream cheese
1/2 pound bacon

Cut peppers in half lengthwise. Clean out seeds with spoon. Set aside on foiled lined cookie sheet. Saute sausage and drain. Add the cream cheese to the sausage and mix well.  Spoon into peppers and wrap 1/3 slice of bacon around each pepper. Bake at 350 for approximately 20 – 30 minutes. Put under the broiler for a few minutes to further brown the bacon, if desired. Drain on a paper towel, then serve warm.

And, lastly, we can't forget about something sweet.

Mexican Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats

Hopefully, we've given you a couple of ideas to help you with your celebration, but whatever you decide to do on Wednesday, have a safe Cinco de Mayo! 🙂

~LilSis

April 30, 2010

Aldi stores have finally come to Texas!  We've been looking forward to their arrival for a while, partly because we heard Trader Joe's stores are owned by one of the Aldi brothers.  We hoped that TJ's would follow Aldi here, but we're hearing now that is only wishful thinking.  Boo!!  For now, we'll have to settle with exploring Aldi stores.

Aldi stores are marketed as being basic, no-frills, and low-priced grocers.  I visited a new North Dallas store, and found those claims to be true.  The store was very small, with concrete floors, and products stacked in their shipping cartons instead of arranged prettily on shelves.  These are not warehouse club stores, but that is the feeling you get: bare and stark.  Prices are clearly marked on tags above the product.

No frills also means you bring your own bags and bag your own groceries.  You must deposit 25 cents to get a grocery cart, refundable when you return the cart to its home.  You should know too that Aldi brands eliminate the use of coupons, and Aldi only takes cash and debit cards – no credit cards or checks.

Another important note is that you'll see very few familiar brands at Aldi.  During my initial 15 minute breeze-through, I only saw 2 or 3 identifiable brands.  That means you're going to need to spend some time looking at products and reading labels to figure out what you're buying.  You can't just grab your favorite granola bar and know exactly what you're getting.  You'll have to do some research in the aisles when you first shop at Aldi.

On my first trip, I spent $14.59 on 7 items, an average of just over $2 per item.  That's already a good sign, right?  It seems like everything I buy at the Wallymart or SuperTarzhay is $3-something or $4-something.  When's the last time you bought something that was $2?

Here's what I got (I know it's an odd random list!) and how it worked out:

• Tuscan Garden Large Black Olives $1.19 – Perhaps on the medium-ish side, but good flavor as far as canned black olives go.

• Fit & Active Instant Brown Rice $1.35 – I've always made regular brown rice so this was  my first taste of an instant version.  It wasn't quite done after 5 minutes of simmering and 5 minutes of steaming, as the directions stated.  After another 3 minutes of simmering and steaming, it was fine. Not fabulous, but ok.

• Benita Guacamole $2.99 – Wow!  Great!  Just like the Wholly Guacamole two-packs; it tastes like it might have come out of the same kitchen.

• Fit & Active Dried Cherries $3.49 – The best dried fruit I've ever had.  Really!  These cherries were plump and full of tart sweet flavor; not dried to leathery death.  Next time I'm grabbing a bag of the dried blueberries too.

• Grandessa Garlic Vinaigrette $1.99 – Slightly sweet for me, but a high quality dressing.

• Millville Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars (10 pk) $1.69 – That's not a typo…you get 10 bars for $1.69.  Granted, they are small bars.  Very small.  But they're tasty little guys that my coworker says are a dead-ringer for Quaker's chewy granola bars.  They weigh in at 100 calories-3 grams fat-2 grams protein-7 grams sugar.  These are too candy bar-ish for me, so even though they were yummy, that's not what I want from a granola/energy/protein bar.

• Fit & Active Mixed Berry Fruit & Grain Cereal Bars (8 pk) $1.89 – These tasted exactly like Nutri-Grain bars to me, but may be a touch smaller. A great value for an 8-pack of bars.  They have 130 calories-3 grams fat-2 grams protein-13 grams sugar.  Delicious, but I don't want this much sugar in a bar so I wouldn't buy them again.

Overall, I thought these products were a fabulous value for the money.  The quality was consistently excellent, even though the prices were sometimes unbelievably low.  Will Aldi be a weekly stop for me?  Probably not.  I don't buy a lot of processed foods, and the majority of Aldi's offerings are not what I routinely buy.  I do see Aldi as an occasional stop for a few items from time to time, like that amazing guacamole and the scrumptious cherries!

~BigSis

April 27, 2010

When we were on our tour of downtown Chicago last week, we happened to pass Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill on North Clark Street. We all wished that we could stop and eat lunch there but we knew that we didn't have time so we'll have to plan that for another visit. Passing Frontera Grill reminded me that I bought Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday cookbook sometime last year and have yet to cook a recipe from it.

I decided to browse through his cookbook yesterday to find something to make as a side to go along with the Chicken Enchilada Casserole that I had planned for dinner. And since Cinco de Mayo is only a week away, I thought this would be a great time to try one of his recipes.

I ended up making the Roasted Garlic Dressing with Green Chili. Rick Bayless says that this is one of the most versatile dressings that he makes and that grilled onions and radishes have gone into the roasted garlic-dressed romaine salad at Frontera Grill since the day they opened. He also suggests that it's great on top of a salad of sliced tomatoes and cilantro, which is what I decided to do. This recipe makes about one cup.

This recipe was quick and easy yet had a terrific flavor because of the roasted garlic and chiles. Salad dressing is not the best recipe for photographing, but this dressing was perfect drizzled on top of this tomato and cilantro salad.

Roasted Garlic Dressing with Green Chile
(from Mexican Everyday)

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (I only used 1 serrano)
3/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
Salt

Set a small dry skillet over medium heat. Lay in the unpeeled garlic cloves and the chiles. Roast, turning frequently, until soft and blotchy brown in spots, about 10 minutes for the chiles, 15 minutes for the garlic. Cool until able to handle, then slip the skins off the garlic and roughly chop the chiles (no need to remove the seeds).

Combine the garlic, chiles, oil, vinegar and a scant teaspoon of salt into a blender jar or food processor. Process until smooth. Taste and season highly with additional salt if necessary. Pour into a jar and secure the lid. Refrigerate until ready to use. Shake well immediately before pouring out.

~LilSis

April 25, 2010

We can't leave our Chicago chat without talking about the food!  If you mention Chicago, some people will think about Wrigley Field, Soldiers Field, Millennium Park, the Sears Tower ledge, the Navy Pier, the lake, and even Oprah.  But lots of people I know will think about the food!

There are lots of fancy restaurants in Chicago that might come to mind, like Charlie Trotter's and Tru.  We didn't eat at any fah fah fahncy places, but we did use the ladies room in The Gage!  Does that count?

We had a crowd of people with us and were super busy all weekend, so fine dining wasn't on our agenda.  There really wasn't time to spend on that kind of a meal, and we didn't want to break the bank either.  The weekend was about spending time with Bry, and celebrating his Navy graduation and LilSis' birthday on Sunday.  So where did we eat?  We WERE in Chicago, so we had to check out at least a couple of the foods that Chicago is known for!

Portillos in Chicago

What says “Chicago” more than hot dogs and Italian beef?  Our first night in town, we headed for Portillo's.  Portillo's is known for their hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches (juicy or dry), polish sausages and burgers.  There are close to 50 Portillo's locations now, and all of them are in Illinois and Indiana except for two in California.  This place was crazy!  It was packed with customers eating and two full lines of customers waiting to place their orders.  I couldn't eat much there – even most of the salads are not vegetarian friendly – so I ended up with lettuce and tomato salad, but I really enjoyed the decor and the feel of the restaurant.  And I did sample their french fries: crispy, tender, hot, crinkle fries…delicious!

You can't come to Chicago without having pizza, right?  We headed to Gino's East since there was one close to our hotel in Great Lakes.  The restaurant looks and feels like a pizza joint in any other place in the country, but the pizza is all Chicago.  We loved that we could all get an individual-size pizza (thin or thick crust), plus a salad and a drink for only $5.99.  Not bad!  LilSis got the thin crust, and I wished I had done the same because it was scrumptious. I got their “thick golden crust” since I thought that was more authentically Chicago-like, but it wasn't what I expected.  I imagined a tender thick crust like Uno's, but it was a cornbread crust that I wasn't crazy about.  The toppings were great though; I just should have asked more questions before I ordered.

The day that we zipped around downtown Chicago on the double-decker bus tour, we were famished and happened across Cosi as we were leaving Millennium Park.  Our group included all ages and all kinds of eating preferences, and Cosi's menu satisfied us all.

The ambience reminded me of Starbucks, and it's my understanding that Cosi started out as a coffee shop and added food later. It was a good move!  We all loved the flatbread that comes with soups and salads, and is used on sandwiches too.  It's great soft bread untoasted, but when toasted it gets nice and crispy on the outside.  Our group tried the fire roasted veggie sandwich, cobb salad, tomato basil soup, bacon cheddar turkey melt, and the chicken club.  It was all delicious, and affordable.  There are bunches of Cosi restaurants in the Chicago area, but none in Texas.  Boo.  This is my kind of food!

We also ate at a couple of chains that are maybe a little more generic, but still really good.  You can't go wrong with Jason's Deli in a pinch.  Who doesn't love Jason's?  It's another place with a menu big enough and good enough to satisfy pretty much anyone in your group.  I have one near my office and eat their Spinach Veggie Wrap minus the cheese all the time.

At the airport, some of us grabbed a quick sandwich at the Potbelly Sandwich Shop.  I have a Potbelly right down the street from me here in Dallas, but I'd never been there although I've heard it's good.  I wasn't disappointed.  The veggie sandwich on whole-grain wheat bread was excellent, and I love that you can request “Thin-Cut” bread on any sandwich, which gives you 1/3 less bread to deal with.

So there's your quick and cheap tour of Chicago eats.  Overall, it seemed to me that Chicago cuisine is pretty “meaty” and not super-veggie friendly, but it's clear that Chicagoans are really passionate about their food!  We're hoping to visit Bry again in a few months, and when we do, we'll no doubt eat a bunch more and report back on it!

~BigSis

April 21, 2010

While Bry was enjoying the Cubs game with his dad on Saturday, several of us took the opportunity on a beautiful sunny day to see some of downtown Chicago.  What better way to do that than the Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Tour? Luckily, Bo recommended this tour as the best way to see downtown without doing miles and miles of walking.

It was a little chilly and windy…duh, it IS Chicago…but we did a similar tour of New York City several years ago and loved it, so we were psyched for this day.  You can see everything and do it at your own speed, plus you get the feel of the city a little bit since you're experiencing all of the sounds and smells as well as the sights.

We took a ton of photos, and wanted to share some of our favorites with you.  Chicago: we'll be back for more of you as soon as we can!  We had a blast!

Chicago Theater

Macy's (2nd largest department store on Earth) Still has Marshall Field And Company sign.

Chicago Trolley & Double Decker Co. Tour (yes, the bus was furry.)

BigSis & LilSis on top of the Double Decker

The Art Institute of Chicago Museum: Michaelangelo is misspelled!

Chicago Picasso (showing off a Blackhawks helmet)

Sears Tower Ledge: look at the people in the clear dangling cubes!

Millennium Park

This Mirror Girl model was doing a photo shoot in Millennium Park

Millennium Park Brick Face Fountain

Millennium Park Brick Face Fountain

Posing with the tulips in Millennium Park

BigSis in front of The Bean

The Bean in Millennium Park

The sisters bein' goofy at The Bean!

And, last but not least, you can't talk about Chicago without talkin' about ‘Da Bears'.

Soldier Field (Go BEARS!)

Towards the end of the tour, it got a little too chilly to ride on top of the bus so we had to go down below, which is why we have no photos of the Harbors or Navy Pier.  We may have to go back this Summer to capture some of the activities down by the water.

We could see Bry again before he ships out and while there we could take another Double Decker Bus tour when it's warm enough to stay on the top of the bus for the entire tour! We don't mind looking like tourists!

And next time, we'll make sure to take photos of all the infamous Chicago food! Chicago pizza, Chicago dogs, more pizza, beef sandwiches, more pizza, gyros…

We could go on, and on, and on about the food in Chicago!  🙂

~LilSis

April 20, 2010

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! I know it's Tuesday but it feels like Monday to me since we just flew back home last night. Have ya missed us? Maybe just a little?

We don't normally run off and leave for five or six days without something new here on BigSisLilSis, but this past week was a crazy week for us.

Last Thursday, we all met in Chicago to attend Bry's graduation from his Naval Basic Training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, IL. The graduation was held at RTC on Friday, April 16th and was unlike anything I've ever attended and an event that none of us will ever forget.

Division 159 (Bry is 4th from the back in far left row)

It was a much anticipated, emotional, and fun-filled weekend for all of us. Bry wasn't able to have overnight liberty but we spent as much time as we could with him during the day. He made my birthday on Sunday even more special by being able to celebrate it with me and spend time with the family. Here are just a couple of shots from Sunday.

Bry with his proud Mom, Grandmother, and Aunt!

It took motivation, determination, and discipline for Bry to accomplish this goal and I can't even try to put into words how proud we all are of our new Sailor!

Our proud Sailor

It was pretty hard to leave Bry on Sunday without turning into an emotional mess but somehow I managed to keep a stiff upper lip. He'll be in Great Lakes for seven more months for his A Training and I'm not sure when I'll see him next, but hopefully I'll manage to get back up there this summer. He's happy, excited about his training, and looking forward to his future with the Navy so I can't ask for more than that.

While in Chicago, we managed to do a little sight seeing downtown so we're planning on sharing a couple of those photos with you within the next day or two. It might take us a couple of days to get back into the swing of things! 🙂

~LilSis

April 13, 2010

Do we have any avid Urban Decay Primer Potion fans out there? I bet we do. But if you've never tried this product and need a little help keeping your eyeshadow on all day, you'll want to try it! You will absolutely notice a difference with this potion on underneath your eyeshadow. It will last all day with no creasing! Promise.

But, I still have one little complaint about this product. The shape of this container leaves a lot of the product inaccessible and therefore it goes in the garbage with the container when you can't get any more out. Last year Urban Decay made an announcement about the new wand and how the angled shape of it would help get all the potion out of the container. I've been using the new wand for months now and not only do I not like the new wand but I don't think it helps at all. It may be time for another hack.

In case you missed it, last year I published an Urban Decay Hacker Tutorial with some step by step photos and instructions to help you hack into your bottle. These are just a few of the photos to give you an idea as to how much product is wasted.

Take a sharp knife and saw off the top.

Look at all the product hiding in there!

It's a messy job but well worth the effort!

Look at all the potion that was saved!

That's a lot of product that would have ended up in the garbage!

Maybe this is a silly question, but, why not just change the shape of the container?

~LilSis