water cocktail

I made mint & lime water last week.

It was pretty awesome.

I'll probably make it in a separate pitcher next time and not the BRITA pitcher.

I didn't want to use this water for my coffee, so I had to use tap water.

I made burritos with:

TJ's frozen roasted corn

TJ's frozen peppers and onions

vegetarian refried beans and a lot of cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa.

Finally, I made a new clutch for myself.

I accidently melted one side of the flower netting with my iron.

I realized it before I ruined the entire bag, thank goodness.

DeMuerte

My sister the hairstylist, is turning 21 on Friday!

I bought her the yellow shears necklace from DeMuerte Handmade Jewelry.

I absolutely love the necklace and so does she!

I gave it to her on Sunday because I won't see her again before her birthday.

If you like vintage inspired, trendy charms and lacy dainty designs

definitely check out DeMuerte.

On Sunday I put together a pretty nice looking spread.

Unfortunately, my camera has been M.I.A., so I have no photographic evidence of the food.

You will just have to trust me that I actually had my Dad over for Father's Day and that I fed everyone well.

Here are the recipes, so you can make a mental picture ok?

Fish Tacos

I used two recipes to figure out how to make ceviche

Pasta Salad

I also made guacamole.

So there you have it.

I could eat caprese salad every single day.

I use spinach and dry basil instead of fresh basil.

Tonight I'm going to see The Love Language.

Yeahhh.

cookbook

You know just hanging out in a cupcake apron, posing and reading recipes in the kitchen.

My counters are never that clean, as least they're photogenic.

Oats

I used this recipe for delicious oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

1. 1/2c White sugar
2. 1 1/2c AP Flour
3. 2 "Eggs" (I use egg beaters)
4. 1c Packed light brown sugar
5. 3c Quick oats
6. 1c UNSALTED butter
7. 1c Semisweet chocolate chips
8. 2tsp Vanilla extract
9. 1tsp Salt
10. 1/2tsp Baking soda

Tips/changes:
Lay out all the measured ingredients beforehand.

This is super helpful for the skim reader, forgetful and/or ADD.

If your butter has salt in it, this recipe does not need the 1tsp salt.

I did not include the walnuts in this version so I added another 1/2 cup flour.

A few people who reviewed the recipe said that the cookies went flat.
I refrigerated the dough for a few minutes before and between batches.

Also don't over mix the batter this could cause measly, flat blobs of cookies.

I think I'll use dark chocolate chips next time.

CARBS

Yum food imagery!

More pasta salad.

This time I added carrots and celery.

For the dressing I added:

2 tbs. olive oil

1 tbs. white wine vinegar

3 tbs. vidalia onion dressing

1 tps. lime juice

1/4 cup vegan mayo

Then several nights ago I made these pizza pinwheels for a somewhat intoxicated friend.

They end more like mini cheese bread, but I like them that way.

I made them again this week and documented it.

My pinwheels lacked pepperoni.

I added goat cheese, melted garlic butter and italian spices before baking.

Also I suggest sticking the rolls in the freezer for a minute before slicing.

Mr. F topped his wheels with meatballs.

So you could try that too, I suppose.

Randomly lengthy post about skin care

Every face is unique, not only in style but in "personality".

If your current skin care routine isn't working for you, I recommend researching products before you purchase.

I like to browse total beauty and youtube for reviews.

My skin type is sensitive, dry, with some redness and occasional breakouts.

My reviews and tips are based on my personal experience.

Tips for changing up your routine:

1- Any skin care changes should be given a 14 day trial period. The first 7 days your skin is going to be like "WTF is this?" and might give you a breakout here and there. The second week your skin should relax and you'll see the results of whatever you're testing on your skin.

2- If you experience burning or itching, stop using the product. The skin is allergic or the product is too harsh for your skin.

3- Only introduce ONE new item to your skin at a time. As in don't change your cleanser, moisturizer or foundation in the same week.

4- Use sunscreen! Tinted moisturizers with a built in SPF are the beauty departments gift to us, take advantage! Less sun damage, less wrinkles!

In the a.m. I literally just splash my face with water, I see no reason to use a cleanser to start the day. Since eliminating a morning cleanser my skin is less flaky and red. This works great for my skin type. If your skin is oily in the morning use a gentle cleanser.

-Water

Drink more water, flush toxins out and hydrate your skin from within. If you drink alcohol regularly, kick back a few extra glasses of water in between drinks. Being dehydrated is so bad for your skin!

-Yes To Carrots Moisturizer spf15

I find that chemical sunscreens irritate my face, make me itch and cause breakouts. (I use chemical sunscreens every where else no problem)

Physical sunscreens, like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide work better for me. This moisturizer is kind of thick and creamy which is great for my dry skin. It absorbs quickly and is great under makeup. If you have oily skin I recommend Burt's Bees Radiance day lotion with SPF 15, it is lighter and absorbs even faster.

-Boot's Tinted Moisturizer

I use this as my makeup on top of the Yes to carrots, because this is super lightweight. The color is great and smoothes out my complexion wonderfully without looking like a heavy foundation. It is the best tinted moisturizer I've across. Perfect for a spring/summer routine. Feather light and long lasting.

-Lush Baby Face

Ok this was a strange concept/texture to get used to at first. (Also it reminds me of princess mononoke, in a bad way.) The cleanser feels like you're putting butter or crisco on your face. I found that using a washcloth was too harsh for my skin, so I rinse several times using my hands to wipe away the cleanser. If I have heavy foundation and/or primer on I will use a cotton square to wipe away the cleanser/makeup. This stuff is amazing. My skin always felt stripped and raw after using a soap based cleanser and traditional eye makeup removers irritate my eyes. Baby face thoroughly and gently removes all makeup and grime, even waterproof makeup washes off with ease!

-Homemade Exfoliator

You can find tons of skin care recipes online. I find store bought exfoliators are a bit harsh on my skin. This recipe for a simple sugar scrub is great for dry and sensitive skin. Exfoliate the skin only once a week, daily scrubs can scrape away new skin and cause irritation.

-Face Towelettes

We all break the golden rule: {Don't fall asleep in your makeup} The next best thing you can do is keep makeup remover wipes at your bedside. Even if you are barely awake, you can take a few minutes to wipe away the makeup before dozing off completely. Keeping these in my side table has prevented many skin rebellions. I currently use the these.

-Jojoba Oil

Jojoba oil, from what I read is great for all skin types. I've used it for 6 months now and I've had great results. Although at first I broke out with it. I use it as apart of my p.m. routine. My skin is less oily and retains moisture better. Just a few drops is enough for my entire face.

Jojoba oil also works as a makeup remover.

I purchased mine at whole foods.

-Burt's Bees Repair Serum

I use a tiny bit of this on top of the jojoba oil at night. I love it! It makes my skin look rejuvenated. I've had no issues using this product.

Kind of pricy for the vile, but a little goes a long way! I have some creases in my forehead from too much eyebrow raising, this helps smooth the lines out a bit.

-Spot Treatment

For the occasional pimple or breakout, I currently use a generic spot treatment with benzoyl peroxide. Instead of going at your face with abrasive chemical cleansers, just use a spot treatment on the problem area. It is much gentler and effective. I do experience dryness and flaking, so I only use it until the blemish gives up. There are natural alternatives out there for spot treatments (like tea tree oil) I haven't tried any yet.

The best thing you can do is find (and stick to!) the unique balance for your skin. Research, research, research. That way you are an empowered consumer.

Buying things blindly leads to more breakouts and waste.

dessert first

On Sunday funday I made these smores cupcakes. They are amazing.

I've been eating them for lunch everyday this week.

Monday we had some people over so I made roast veggies.

(plus pasta, sauce and meatballs for everyone but me.)

I used variation of this recipe.

Last night I made potato & cheese enchiladas.

Like this recipe, except I only had a bell pepper to roast, so I used more cheese.

The #1 reason I hesitated eliminating meat from my diet for so long was because I have a raw food allergy. As a kid it was only carrots, now it is basically all raw produce.

It's pretty manageable, I just don't eat what bugs my system.

I can cook with the things I'm allergic to, no problem.

I've just avoided produce all together for a long time, so I often forget this.

Yay for remembering I can cook the crap out of them!

Take that, carrots!

Zucchini or courgette

The sushi place I frequent typically plays the food network on mute while we're eating.

It kind of messes up my appetite because I always end up craving whatever they're making,

even when my favorite roll is sitting in front of me.

The plus is I always leave inspired and with a long mental grocery list.

This mainly zucchini dish is an interpretation of a show I caught recently while devouring some edamame and miso.

My roast veggie experiment:

(serves 4)

3 garlic heads

2 bell peppers

4 zucchini

olive oil

salt and pepper

pasta (tomato) sauce

pasta

balsamic vinegar

First, I roasted the garlic.*

Preheat oven to 450°F

While the garlic is cooling down, wash and slice the peppers and zucchini.

Arrange the veggies in an oven safe dish, add olive oil, salt, pepper and any other spices you prefer.

Toss together so everything is evenly coated in oil.

note: I used too much oil this go around, I was afraid my veggies would dry up!

You just need enough to coat the veggies.

Now squeeze all the mushy garlic cloves out of their skins.

Smash the garlic with the back of a spoon and spread over your veggies.

Place in the oven and set a timer for 10 minutes.

Bake until your veggies start to brown.

In a medium saucepan, simmer about half a jar of pasta sauce.

Throw some roast garlic in to make it seem less store bought ;D

Make however much pasta you think you'll need (any type will do!)

Once the veggies are nice and roasted, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve with the pasta and sauce.

This is the type of recipe that can be altered into the oblivion.

I really, really, really loved the fresh roasted garlic.

The garlic turned out really chewy, crispy and yum.

I try to stick to a meat free diet (minus fishies)

I don't like the term used for this diet, but I know what it is called.

(The word in itself just annoys me, cause I'm a weirdo)

My lovely and endearing boyfriend, was frantically looking for the chicken in this dish.

Bless his heart, he cannot for the life of him consider a vegetable "the main event" of anything.

My sister and her beau liked it, but they could've been faking.

So for all you meat lovers throw in some chicken or red meat if your tummy is so inclined.

*I used this recipe for the roasted garlic.

I looked up a lot of roast zucchini recipes, here is one.

I hate cutting peppers so I found a youtube video to help me out.

Which led me to this gem.

Now I really want to experiment with this recipe.

family sweetheart

the ever so lovely puppy my family adopted, on Christmas.

so over winter.

I do love cider though.

in a medium sauce pan:

heat 1 cinnamon stick with spiced cider or apple juice and spiced rum.

add 1 shot spiced rum for every 8oz of juice.

voila