February 16, 2009

Going out to dinner tonight? Who doesn’t love Outback Steakhouse or Romano’s Macaroni Grill, right? Well, unless you’re a 320 pound linebacker who is trying to pack on the calories, you better beware!

One would hope that big name chain restaurants would be trying to include healthy options on their menus. BUT that is NOT the case! Unfortunately, most restaurants haven’t figured out that we might go out to dinner more if we were offered more healthy choices.

I love it when Hungry Girl posts these nutritional facts on entrees from well known restaurants serving up dishes with astronomical amounts of calories and fat grams. Check out her latest Girls Bite Out post.

Romano’s Macaroni Grill used to be a family favorite of ours and HayHay’s choice for his family birthday dinner every year. But we stopped going there a couple of years ago. Over 2100 calories and 141 grams of fat for Parmesan Crusted Sole? Are you kidding?

The Pollo Magro Skinny Chicken is the only healthy choice on Macaroni Grill’s entire menu at 320 calories and 5 grams of fat, but I can’t say that I would go there to order that. You can grill a better chicken breast at home!  And, I’ll make my own salmon, too, thank you very much! I ordered the Simple Salmon one time back when we were still enjoying picking up orders at the curb. When I ordered the salmon, I wasn’t aware that it contained 32 grams of fat.

Oh, and the prize for the Worst Food in America goes to one of HayHay’s all-time favorites, Outback Steakhouse’s Aussie Cheese Fries with Ranch Dressing!

Outback Steakhouse's Aussie Cheese Fries

Did you know that one order of those yummy cheese covered fries contains 2900 calories and 182 grams of fat? WOW!

I really do enjoy going out for a nice dinner! I just wish that more restaurants would include some nutritional facts on their menus.  I have heard that Applebees offers a lighter menu, so I’m going to research that a bit. Now that I’ve done a post on some of the worst choices we can make when we eat out, maybe I’ll do one in the near future on some better choices!

~LilSis

February 15, 2009

MAC Hello Kitty is here! Meow!

Here kitty, kitty, kitty!  This MAC collection has been talked about, whispered about, blogged about, and meowed about more than any other MAC collection in recent memory.  Talk about anticipation!  Will MAC’s Hello Kitty collection live up to all the hype though?

The collection features Hello Kitty Mild and Hello Kitty Wild products, including two shadow quads, glitter eyeliner (I accidentally typed litter eyeliner…I guess litterbox wouldn’t be an appealing color.  Ha!), mascara, powder blush, beauty powder, eyelashes, lipstick, lipglass, tinted lip conditioner, pigment, glitter, and nail lacquer.  There is also a line of Hello Kitty accessories like a brush set, bracelet, purse mirror, makeup bags, tote bag, and a stuffed Kitty.

I got an email from MAC on Saturday with a free shipping offer on a $60 purchase, so I skipped over to the site to see what kinds of Hello Kitty goodies I might be tempted by.  Well, guess what?  Bunches of items in this collections are already sold out, and I don’t know if they’ll be restocked or not since the Live Chat feature on the MAC site isn’t available on weekends so I couldn’t ask.  I’m afraid this is a case of once it’s gone, it’s gone. My advice would be to grab what you want in this collection without delay, either through the web site or a retail store if you’re fortunate enough to live near one as I do.

If you think about hot pink, lavender, silver and deep sea green, you’ll have a picture of the colors in this collection.  They may not be for everyone, but that’s the fun of MAC.  If you wait five minutes, something new will come along that you’ll love.  Plus, who knows?  You may have never thought about a lavender lipstick, but when you try it, you find that it’s perfect for you.  Some of these colors and products wouldn’t be appropriate for my office life, but there are some standouts in the collection that I want.  You KNOW how I love pink, so this collection is right up my alley!

• Hello Kitty Lipglass in Nice Kitty (sheer neon pink with blue pearl) and Fast Friends (sheer bright intense purple with pearl).

Hello Kitty Lipglass

• Hello Kitty Lipstick in Strayin’ (frosty mid-tone pink).

Hello Kitty Lipstick

• Hello Kitty Blush in Tippy (mid-tone blue pink).

Hello Kitty Blush

Are these the cutest containers you ever saw?  I’m hissed off that I waited too late to get the nail lacquer, the tote, the purse mirror and the lip conditioner!

It looks like MAC Hello Kitty is a hit!  Get your favorites before they’re gone!  Even if you don’t need anything, or you’re watching your beauty product budget, at least go check out the collection video!  It’s fun and mystical in kind of a MAC Alice in Wonderland way, but the sado-masochistic Chippendale’s guys with the giant Hello Kitty heads scare me a little!  See what you think!

~BigSis

February 14, 2009

Psyché et l’Amour (Cupid and Psyche). Painted 1798, Oil on canvas, exhibited at the 1798 Salon.

When you think of Valentine’s Day, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Flowers, chocolates, and Valentine’s cards? Probably. I think Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that most of us don’t even think about how it actually originated.

The holiday is named after two among the numerous Early Christian Martyrs named Valentine. The Roman Martyrology, however, only mentions one Saint Valentine and he was buried north of Rome on February 14th. If you’re interested, here’s more about Saint Valentine.

Modern Valentine symbols include hearts, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. In Roman Mythology, Cupid is known as the God of erotic love and beauty. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved Cupids. I’ve had a print of this painting in my bedroom for many years.

Cupid and Psyche as Children (L'Amour et Psyche, enfants) William Adolphe Bouguereau

I’ve always admired the work of Michelangelo and have always had a fascination with Rome. This painting is one of my favorites. I have a huge print of The Creation of Adam hanging in my foyer.

Michelangelo. The Creation of Adam. 1508 - 1512. Fresco. The Sistine Chapel.

I’ve been wanting to go to Rome for many years, mainly to see the Sistine Chapel. I just have to see this in person!

Sistine Chapel (Flikr photo by vgm8383)

I hope everyone has a Happy Valentine’s Day. I’m not thinking about boxes of chocolates or a dozen roses this Valentines Day; I’ve got visions of cupids dancing in my head. I’m dreaming of the day BigSis and I are able to take our dream vacation to Italy.

~LilSis

February 13, 2009

Valentine’s Day generates so much buzz, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to send these random last-minute ideas your way:

• Need a great gift idea for the animal-lover in your life? Sponsor a Snip in their honor…a neutering or spaying, that is!

Do it for the animals!

• Papa John’s is making heart-shaped pizza this weekend. You get a thin crust pizza with one topping plus Chocolate Pastry Delights (whatever those are) for $14.99. PJ isn’t my favorite pizza (I love you, my dear i Fratelli) but you can’t beat this price!

How cute is this?

• Eggs on Sunday has a really cute Valentine’s Day breakfast menu. Since the 14th is on Saturday, this is definitely doable!

Valentine's Day Breakfast

• This Green Rice Casserole from Lottie + Doof has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day, I admit it, but I’m so dying to have it this weekend! Perhaps it would make an unusual unexpected side dish if you’re cooking your Heart Day meal at home? You might serve it next to a crispy roasted chicken, but I’m imagining it piled into a nice tender portabella/portobello mushroom cap, and broiled with more cheese on top!

It's not pink, but still looks delicious!

• And, last of all, in the spirit of loving your neighbor, check out this video!

Bonus Tip : Arrange for a small wine and dine at your place, followed by some adventurous, amorous trysts of lovemaking! Getting in the mood will be the relatively easy part, considering it’s Valentines’! You could watch some porn to get the ball rolling. However, it must be understood that few countries do have a ban in place for streaming, or watching porn. But fear not, search online for the best VPN to watch porn, and you might just get a solution to your problems! Also, did I tell you, the watching porn on Valentines’ day could apply for singles as well? Self-love is just as important you know!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! If you’re missing your sweetheart this year for whatever reason, we send you our love. God bless you!

~BigSis

February 13, 2009

Do you have paraskevidekatriaphobia? I don’t! Sounds like some really scary disease doesn’t it?  This is actually what people have who suffer from a fear of Friday the 13th!  Who’da thunk it?

I’ve always been curious about how this date came to be known as an unlucky day. Snopes has some interesting facts and some amusing superstitions about Fridays and the number 13. Here are a few that I thought were funny!

This quote is from 1846: “A child born on Friday is doomed to misfortune.” That’s harsh! (I’m not superstitious, but I hope I wasn’t born on a Friday!)

In 1883, this was said: “If you hear anything new on a Friday, it would add another wrinkle to your face and adds a year to your age.” Wow! Don’t let anyone tell you anything on Friday!

Oh, you’ll like this one, BigSis! I hope you didn’t move into your new place on a Friday. In 1982, someone said “Don’t move on a Friday, you won’t stay there very long.” Note to self: Don’t move on a Friday if you want to stay there a while.

I think if you tell yourself that it’s an unlucky day, then inevitably, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.  So, tell yourself that it’s a lucky day! Or, in my world, I’m just happy that it’s Friday! TGIF!

~LilSis

February 12, 2009

Some people think Valentine’s Day was dreamed up by Hallmark or Russell Stover.  That’s a pretty cynical view though, don’t you think?  Most people do think Valentine’s Day is just for people who currently have a sweetheart, but I don’t buy that either.  I don’t have a Valentine this year, but it’s ok, really.  Don’t cry for me.  For me, Valentine’s Day is a genuine, validated, honest-to-goodness reason to celebrate my favorite color…pink!   It’s a beautiful thing.  Let me count the ways I love pink pink and more pink!

• Pink – in some shade – looks good on everyone, whether it’s clothes or makeup.
• Pink goes with every other color.  Think about it. Pink with neutrals: brown, gray, black, white.  Pink with brights like orange and yellow sends you off on a crazy fun 60s trip.  Pink with green is fresh, pink with blue is sweet, and pink with red is beyond fun and cheerful.  What have we missed?  Pink with purple?  With aqua?  It all goes together.  Can you say that about any color?  I think not!  Pink rules!
• Pink works in unexpected ways in decor.  It doesn’t have to be Barbie or Strawberry Shortcake.  It can be a subtle accent shade, or it can be a strong punch of unexpected color.  How brave are you?  I’m pretty brave…the condo I lived in for 10 years had pink living room walls.  I mean pink!  Ralph Lauren Duchesse Satin metallic luminescent pink walls!  Sadly, they discontinued this paint, so I can never recreate that room that I loved.
• Pink‘s music is a great choice for your iPod cardio playlist!

Pink being Pink!

• Pink food is almost always delicious!  Think about strawberry ice cream, raspberry mousse, pink lemonade, cranberry applesauce, that strawberry jello cake we used to make, vodka pasta sauce, and salsa cream cheese dip.  Oh, and then there’s the goat cheese roasted beet tortellini at Stephen Pyles in downtown Dallas.  Can you think of any yukky pink food?
• Pink is an awesome happy color in kitchen appliances.  Case in point, my pink Kitchenaid beauties!
• Pink is the universal favorite color of 90% of all little girls under the age of 10.  Want to make a friend with a little girl?  Admire her pink Dora the Explorer sandals!
• Pink is a gorgeous color in nature…roses, azaleas, fuschia, tulips, hydrangea, you name it.  And sunsets!
• Pink is so fabulous that it can be a project!  Check out JeongMee Yoon’s Pink Project!

So much perfect pink!

The next time you think about Valentine’s Day, remember it isn’t just about candy and jewelery and a dozen roses…it’s an excuse to celebrate the pinkness!

~BigSis

February 11, 2009

I think Valentines Day is actually more fun for the kids than for us adults! HayHay always loved giving the little boxes of these sweetheart conversation hearts to his friends along with their Valentine card.

It was always so much fun for the kids to address all their Valentine cards and decorate a shoebox or little brown bag to take to school to collect all their treats. I miss those days!

Even when HayHay was too young for school, our neighborhood playgroup hosted some very fun Valentines Day Parties for all the kiddos.  HayHay is too old for that now, but for those of you with the little ones, here are a few ideas.

Whether your hosting your own Valentines Day Party or taking some goodies to a  school party or a friends house, here are a few cute and easy ideas.

Check out this recipe for the Cupid Crispies from Parents.com.

These Passion Pops, also from Parents.com are easy and very cute.

My friend, J, made these adorable pretzel rods for our Race for the Cure bake sale, but they would be perfect for a Valentines Day Party. You could decorate them with more pink and red hearts and pink sprinkles.

Again, these are pretty easy! Just melt the white chocolate squares, dip the pretzel rods into the melted chocolate, and roll in various decorations. It would even be more fun to do this at the party and let the kids decorate their own.

This next photo is a great, easy way to decorate cupcakes for Valentines Day. I’ve hosted many Valentines parties where we let the kids decorate the cookies at the party. But, since cupcakes are the rage these days, I would do the same with the cupcakes. Just set up a big table with baked cupcakes, icings in red, pink, and white, and loads of different decorations and let the kids decorate their own. Messy? Maybe! But, lots of  fun for the kids!

And, no, there is not a recipe for the cupcakes. I was trying to keep these ideas fast and easy, so, shame on me, I would use a cake mix to make the cupcakes. I didn’t feel this was the right place to post a homemade cupcake recipe from Martha. Honestly, the kids couldn’t care less if you make them from a mix instead of from scratch.

And here are some very cute, very pink cupcakes for those that want to go really pink this Valentines Day. The photo is from OC Moms Blog.  Another great, fun idea for decorating cupcakes.

This last treat might be a little more time consuming than the others, but the end result looks like it will be worth it. These Chocolate-Dipped Heart Brownies from The Recipe Girl look like the perfect ending to a perfect Valentines Day Party!

I hope this might give someone an idea or two for a Valentines Day Treat for the kids! Enjoy while your little ones still celebrate Valentines Day by decorating cupcakes and exchanging little cute cards bought at the drugstore. (Those were the days!)

~LilSis

February 10, 2009

Valentine’s Day is sneaking up on us just like Christmas did, and 2009 did.  It’s February already?  Mid-Feb, in fact?  Oy vey, time goes by fast!

Now that I’ve made myself sound like a 110 year old woman – not that there’s anything wrong with that – let me get on with Valentine’s Day Food of Love!  If you’re looking for some new ideas for your Heart Day, check out these.  They aren’t your Grandma’s sugar cookie cut-outs, but again, nothing wrong with that.  🙂

• Strawberry Shortcake Trifle from Bakers Banter
• Fast and Easy Valentine’s Treats from Bakerella
• Heart Shaped Nutella S’Mores with Homemade Chocolate Graham Crackers from Baking And Boys
• Cherry Filled Chocolate Wafers from Little Window Shoppe
• Raspberry White Chocolate Mousse Parfaits from Peanut Butter and Julie
• Valentine Treats from Pillsbury
• Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies from BakingBites
• Chocolate Mascarpone Cheese Pie from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy,Chewy
• Valentine’s Day Desserts from Joy of Baking
• Valentines Day Chocolate Desserts from Gourmet

Check back for more Valentine’s Day stuff coming your way this week!

~BigSis

February 9, 2009

I finally made a much needed trip to the Origins counter the other day. I was completely out of a few of my favorites that I use on a daily basis:  Night-A- Mins, No Puffery, and Dr. Andrew Weil’s Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Eye Serum. I talk about my love for these Origins products in this Sister Showdown: Moisturizers and in this Sister Showdown: Eye Creams.

I also purchased, for the first time, the Clear Improvement Mask that BigSis recommended earlier in this Sister Showdown: Exfoliating Products.

Origins Clear Improvement

I’ve used the mask once already and really love it! I don’t know why I waited so long to buy it! My pores were screaming to be unclogged!

(I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t get that initial breakout that you hear some women get when they first start using this type of product. I have an appointment with my very handsome dermatologist tomorrow and I’ll be totally embarrassed if my skin is in the middle of a breakout when I go see him.)

It’s been so dry here in CA lately, that my skin is dry, dry, dry and very dehydrated. So, before I left the counter, the sales person suggested that I try the Drink Up mask.

Origins Drink Up

I told her that I was pretty satisfied with my present hydrating mask and didn’t want to purchase their mask right now. If you’ve been reading our blog, you might remember that I love the Bliss Triple Oxygen Hydrating Mask.  I love it so much that I never would have purchased this Origins Drink Up mask had the salesperson not sent me home with a sample. I’ve used it twice already and I absolutely LOVE it!

This ten minute mask is truly amazing! It feels silky and smooth and smells wonderful. The scent must come from the Apricot Kernel Oil. I love how Origins describes this mask:

When skin faces a marathon of dehydrating circumstances, fluid levels can run too low. The steady sips of moisture that sustain it under normal conditions simply don’t hold water. Smoothness evaporates. Skin feels tight and flaky. What it needs is a great big gulp. It’s all you can drink as nature’s cocktail of caretakers drown dry skin’s sorrows. Thirst-quenching Algae Extracts deliver an extra helping of hydration while emollient-rich Apricot Kernel Oil acts like a “fountain of youth”. Feel skin drink in the softness, lap up the luxury.

Dare I say it? I like this mask more than the Bliss mask! And, for the icing on a cake, the Origins Drink Up is $21.00, whereas, the Bliss mask is $52.00! Score!

Is your skin is in need of a great big gulp of moisture? If so, then Drink Up!

~LilSis

February 9, 2009

There’s no better way to start off a Monday than with a laugh, right? This cracks me up.  I dare you not to laugh.

more animals

~BigSis