Received this awesome VoxBox from Influenster full of goodies free for my review!
It came with a new Venus razor with a gliding roller ball to better smooth over all my lady curves. Excited for that one since it has been a long itme since I purchased myself an expensive razor! (olar Shave Club anyone?) #ChoosetoSmooth is RIGHT!
These SheaMoisture Packets are going to be nice in the summer. I'm not quite ready to use them yet, though, as it is "highly moisturizing" which for me often means "greasy but smells nice".
Precision Tip Q Tip are PERFECT for make up and fixing nails
Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo really does work better than any other dry shampoo I've used and does not leave my brown hair grey looking.
Cutex Nail Polish Remover Pads are awesome and smell great. They take off the polish in no time flat and are handy to bring if you are going on vacation or traveling and want to change/fix your mani/pedi!
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Monday, September 14, 2015
Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs Review
So before I start, I want to make it known that I received this product free of charge for my review from Influenster!
Okay, now that the technicalities are over with, here is my review of the following product:
Yep, that is "Leg Makeup". This is something I probably never would have thought to use, let alone that someone invented it. Kudos to them. The product is exactly as it seems, a foundation-like substance for you legs that is supposed to stay on long term without rubbing off, and it water-resistant.
I think stating that this product is the answer to all of your leg woes would be false. It DOES provide coverage in the same way a CC Cream provides coverage. There is a definite difference between a leg with it and one without, however it is just too much work to be work it for me. It is not a big enough difference that if you have a serious discoloration issue it can cover it, but if you are self conscious about dark scars or veins in your legs, this can definitely help you give you a confidence boost.
I just don't want to spend any additional time getting ready to bother with it. Maybe for a big event it could be fun but I would likely end up sweating it off completely.
So there is that! My review of the Airbrush Legs leg makeup I received!
Okay, now that the technicalities are over with, here is my review of the following product:
Yep, that is "Leg Makeup". This is something I probably never would have thought to use, let alone that someone invented it. Kudos to them. The product is exactly as it seems, a foundation-like substance for you legs that is supposed to stay on long term without rubbing off, and it water-resistant.
I think stating that this product is the answer to all of your leg woes would be false. It DOES provide coverage in the same way a CC Cream provides coverage. There is a definite difference between a leg with it and one without, however it is just too much work to be work it for me. It is not a big enough difference that if you have a serious discoloration issue it can cover it, but if you are self conscious about dark scars or veins in your legs, this can definitely help you give you a confidence boost.
I just don't want to spend any additional time getting ready to bother with it. Maybe for a big event it could be fun but I would likely end up sweating it off completely.
So there is that! My review of the Airbrush Legs leg makeup I received!
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Influenster Vox Box - Dessange Paris
I received the Dessange Replenishing Oleo Miracle shampoo, conditioner and repairing oil free from Influenster for my review. I have long, fine hair that is highlighted. The first time I used this product, I used the entire system and my hair washed SO soft after styling. It smells great and makes my hair shiny. My only complaint would be that, because it is for "over processed, dry hair", it leaves my hair flat even if it is hydrated. That, though, is based on the product sent to me. I would choose their volumizing option since my hair isnt dry. Overall, the product is GREAT and I would recommend for anyone to give it a try!
Friday, December 19, 2014
Frosty VoxBox from Influenster!
Hey all, me again. Here to write some more reviews for Influenster! This month, I received the Frosty VoxBox from them for free for these reviews.
Inside of the box: McCormicks Spices - Thyme, Fruit Vines, Candy Cane Lane Decaf Green Tea, No7 Hair Serum, EcoTools Hair Brush, Rimmel London Waterproof Eye Liner and makeup remover, and NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Sugar Plum
NYC Expert Last Lip Color - I am in love with this lip color. It is a dusky rose-ish color with just the right amount of sparkle and is doing a really good job of staying put. It even smells good! Not like that normal lipstick smell you usually get. Creamy texture and in the 3 hours I have been wearing it, it has not gotten dry or had to be reapplied.
Inside of the box: McCormicks Spices - Thyme, Fruit Vines, Candy Cane Lane Decaf Green Tea, No7 Hair Serum, EcoTools Hair Brush, Rimmel London Waterproof Eye Liner and makeup remover, and NYC Expert Last Lip Color in Sugar Plum
The Good:
Rimmel London Waterproof Eyeliner - great consistency for a pencil liner, full color and stays put. Not much more you can ask for in a waterproof liner!
NYC Expert Last Lip Color - I am in love with this lip color. It is a dusky rose-ish color with just the right amount of sparkle and is doing a really good job of staying put. It even smells good! Not like that normal lipstick smell you usually get. Creamy texture and in the 3 hours I have been wearing it, it has not gotten dry or had to be reapplied.
Candy Cane Lane Decaf Green Tea - Perfect for the season, although I do wish they would have left the caffeine in there! Light flavor which I enhanced by sticking a candy cane in it while it steeped :)
The Bad:
Fruit Vines - These things taste mostly like plastic to me. I may be fairly sensitive to artificially flavored things, but these were just not enjoyable to me. You get the strawberry flavor eventually, but... not worth all the sugar.. sorry!
The Indifferent:
Makeup Remover - It is one just like all the rest. It definitely works, and doesn't leave you feeling greasy, so that is good. However, I prefer to just use some coconut oil I already have around the house to remove my makeup.
EcoTool Hair Brush - It's a brush.. I don't have thick hair so the bristles are a little intense for me but it works and works like it should. I guess the good thing about it is that you can feel good about it while you're using it because it is made of good materials? We'll go with that.
No7 Hair Serum: Hair things are hard to review. Really, you need to be able ot use it multiple times, over a period of time, to really see the difference it makes. This is a very expensive product, so I appreciate being able to try it out, but without an actual multiple-use sample, I can't make that great of an estimate on how it will really affect my hair.
McCormick Thyme - Most random thing I have ever seen in one of these boxes. It'll definitely get used in my cooking but.. so random? I like McCormick though for their quality products, so will take it happily!
Friday, May 23, 2014
Mary Kay Influenster Vox Box!
I got this really sweet VoxBox for FREE from Influenster.com and Mary Kay for an honest review of the products therein. Sooo here is my review.
Seen here is gel eyeliner, mineral blush, bronzed, translucent loose powder, cream eye color, eye color brush, nourish shine lip gloss, lash love mascara and a blush brush.
Mineral Blush: I love this blush. It is their medium pink color and has this gold undertone that makes it really awesome for the summertime! Just a few dabs of the brush is all you need. I like that I can actually see that I have blush on as opposed to continuing to apply and suddenly looking like a clown.
Bronzer: Bronzer is very similar to the blush as far as consistency goes. I have to be careful applying this one though because we all know what too much bronzer looks like! Overall, though, I like the color and quality.
Translucent Powder: I don't wear a ton of foundation and what not, but this powder is very light and controls some oils. It's meant to help maintain face makeup throughout the day, but I just don't wear any so I used it more to reduce shine and it worked pretty well that way!
Mascara: This is the only product I really didn't like. I have ong eyelashes and rubber wands with short bristles just don't do it for me. It left my eyelashes clumpy, stuck together, and overall looking pretty rough. If they could just change the brush, I might be able to use this product. Maybe I'll try that with an old wand of mine!
Lip Gloss: Color is Mango Tango and it was so fun! The tube looks like a vibrant red-orange color but it goes on smooth and is translucent (so no looking like the Joker!). It stays on pretty long for a gloss, and was just enough color to make your lips pop!
Gel Eyeliner: I think the missteps I had with this were more user error than product error. I can attest to it staying on really well because my clumsy self could not get it off after mis-application very well. I need a better quality makeup remover I think! Otherwise, great depth of color (this one was black).
And that's it! I haven't had a chance to try the cream eyeshadow yet because I haven't worn that color yet. It's rather neutral - a golden cream color, but I just haven't had the chance yet
Overall, my first try with Mary Kay was a good one! Their powders all seemed to be really high quality. The brushes too. I would recommend their face products, the verdict is still out on the gels/eye products.
Thanks Influenster for my trial box! I now have a new brand to go to for blush and bronzer!
Seen here is gel eyeliner, mineral blush, bronzed, translucent loose powder, cream eye color, eye color brush, nourish shine lip gloss, lash love mascara and a blush brush.
Mineral Blush: I love this blush. It is their medium pink color and has this gold undertone that makes it really awesome for the summertime! Just a few dabs of the brush is all you need. I like that I can actually see that I have blush on as opposed to continuing to apply and suddenly looking like a clown.
Bronzer: Bronzer is very similar to the blush as far as consistency goes. I have to be careful applying this one though because we all know what too much bronzer looks like! Overall, though, I like the color and quality.
Translucent Powder: I don't wear a ton of foundation and what not, but this powder is very light and controls some oils. It's meant to help maintain face makeup throughout the day, but I just don't wear any so I used it more to reduce shine and it worked pretty well that way!
Mascara: This is the only product I really didn't like. I have ong eyelashes and rubber wands with short bristles just don't do it for me. It left my eyelashes clumpy, stuck together, and overall looking pretty rough. If they could just change the brush, I might be able to use this product. Maybe I'll try that with an old wand of mine!
Lip Gloss: Color is Mango Tango and it was so fun! The tube looks like a vibrant red-orange color but it goes on smooth and is translucent (so no looking like the Joker!). It stays on pretty long for a gloss, and was just enough color to make your lips pop!
Gel Eyeliner: I think the missteps I had with this were more user error than product error. I can attest to it staying on really well because my clumsy self could not get it off after mis-application very well. I need a better quality makeup remover I think! Otherwise, great depth of color (this one was black).
And that's it! I haven't had a chance to try the cream eyeshadow yet because I haven't worn that color yet. It's rather neutral - a golden cream color, but I just haven't had the chance yet
Overall, my first try with Mary Kay was a good one! Their powders all seemed to be really high quality. The brushes too. I would recommend their face products, the verdict is still out on the gels/eye products.
Thanks Influenster for my trial box! I now have a new brand to go to for blush and bronzer!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Delicious (and EASY) Homemade Fajitas
May I have your attention please..
What I am about to share with you is a recipe that only one person in the world besides my family knows the exact steps for, and that's because she was there when I "invented" it. These homemade fajitas are easy and delicious, enough so that every time I have made them any one walking into the kitchen wants a part of it. No lie. Best part about it? So so so so healthy! All natural, great source of LEAN protein and those all important veggies, and you can customize it however you'd like if you are touchy about some of the ingredients.
Here are the following, original ingredients:
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts (Good for sharing with 2-3 people or for 1-2 days of leftovers)
-Minced Garlic
-3 Bell Peppers (color of your choosing, I usually do two green and one red)
-1 Medium Onion (again, size is also your choosing. Love onion? Use more! But I wouldn't cut it out completely unless you really hate it.)
-Poultry Seasoning (thyme, sage, black pepper and nutmeg sold in a jar
-Hot Pepper (Cayenne Pepper works, or if you're like me and have too many hot peppers from the garden, dry them and grind them into death powder if you like it hot)
Other options you can test out putting into this dish: Black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, cilantro (LOVE LOVE LOVE), jalapenos, changing up the meat to steak or fish... Comment below on other things you would like to try with it!
That's it. 6 ingredients. All of them 100% natural and all of them 100% good for you. Then you get to make this:
So to make this is really really easy:
Step 1: Chop everything up. Chicken no larger then 1" x 1". I cut the onion into 6ths and the bell peppers into thin strips. For faster cooking, cut everything smaller. Helpful Hint: Partially frozen chicken is 150x easier to cut than fully defrosted chicken. Just be aware of this when you are cooking to be sure the chicken cooks through. Cut off all that unnecessary fat if there is any. Once you get good at chopping, you can multitask and start cooking the chicken while chopping veggies. I recommend getting everything cut up the first time.
Step 2: In a big pan (a wok will work as well, but I suggest 12" pan with as high of sides as you own.. this is not a small meal), put 1-3 cloves of minced garlic (read the label to find out how much one clove is) and the chicken in on medium-high heat. Douse everything in Poultry seasoning. I mean a nice layer. It'll seem like a lot but it's all good.. some cooks out of it. Cook up the chicken until it is white on all sides, but not cooked through.
Step 3: Add in alllll the veggies. This is why you need the pepper cut into fairly thin strips and the onions to not be massive chunks. This is also why we add it to the chicken before the chicken is done cooking. Douse everything in cayenne and poultry seasoning again. If you like things spicy, add even more of the cayenne or hot pepper. Opposite if you don't like spicy.
Step 4: Stir occasionally and wait for peppers to be at a consistency you like. Generally, you should be able to stick a fork into one of the peppers pretty easily without it feeling like its still crisp. Take a bite out of one to test if you are unsure. This is where having a high-sided pan comes in handy. I have a top I put on my pan and it cooks faster because it's being steamed while also cooked from the bottom.
Step 5: Remove from heat and top with whatever you like! I usually have shredded cheese, salsa, and sometimes sour cream/plain greek yogurt. I allow the cheese for myself because generally speaking, my diet is very low in fat and it's a decent way to get some fat and calcium in my diet. Omit if it is not in your diet plan or you're watching your sodium. You can wrap it in a tortilla or, if you're like me and have decided to cut out the middleman, put it all into a big bowl and go to town!
I don't have exact nutrition information on this.. I wish I did. However, by eating this you are officially eating 100% natural foods that are all darn good for you. I don't count calories, and if you split your final product into however many chicken breasts you used as servings (i.e. chicken breasts, divide what you have in the pan by three, etc), you can guestimate how much protein you have. I CAN tell you the health benefits of every ingredient though!
Chicken - Lean source of protein. Easy enough.
Peppers - High in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin B6. They also have a decent amount of fiber and other healthy anti-oxidants other than those listed.
Onion - Although smelly, these little stinkers also have a decent amount of fiber in them. Plus, it's an easy way to flavor dishes without adding calories.
Cayenne Pepper - Did you know that cayenne pepper not only sets fire to your mouth, but also to your metabolism? Consuming spices like cayenne pepper have been show to curb your appetite as well as boost your metabolism. I add cayenne to so many dishes, mostly because I like spicy food, but with the added benefit of not wanting to eat as much of it!
Poultry Seasoning - I know that each of the spices in poultry seasoning have their own health benefits, but the main reason I LOVE using it is that it DOES NOT CONTAIN SALT! I know I have a problem with sodium and sugar intake, and this awesome seasoning has none of that. Sprinkle away!
I hope you like it. I cook this all the time for myself and love making it for others. Let me know what you think and what other ideas you have to add to it!
What I am about to share with you is a recipe that only one person in the world besides my family knows the exact steps for, and that's because she was there when I "invented" it. These homemade fajitas are easy and delicious, enough so that every time I have made them any one walking into the kitchen wants a part of it. No lie. Best part about it? So so so so healthy! All natural, great source of LEAN protein and those all important veggies, and you can customize it however you'd like if you are touchy about some of the ingredients.
Here are the following, original ingredients:
- 3-4 Chicken Breasts (Good for sharing with 2-3 people or for 1-2 days of leftovers)
-Minced Garlic
-3 Bell Peppers (color of your choosing, I usually do two green and one red)
-1 Medium Onion (again, size is also your choosing. Love onion? Use more! But I wouldn't cut it out completely unless you really hate it.)
-Poultry Seasoning (thyme, sage, black pepper and nutmeg sold in a jar
-Hot Pepper (Cayenne Pepper works, or if you're like me and have too many hot peppers from the garden, dry them and grind them into death powder if you like it hot)
Other options you can test out putting into this dish: Black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, cilantro (LOVE LOVE LOVE), jalapenos, changing up the meat to steak or fish... Comment below on other things you would like to try with it!
That's it. 6 ingredients. All of them 100% natural and all of them 100% good for you. Then you get to make this:
 |
| *cue angel music* |
So to make this is really really easy:
Step 1: Chop everything up. Chicken no larger then 1" x 1". I cut the onion into 6ths and the bell peppers into thin strips. For faster cooking, cut everything smaller. Helpful Hint: Partially frozen chicken is 150x easier to cut than fully defrosted chicken. Just be aware of this when you are cooking to be sure the chicken cooks through. Cut off all that unnecessary fat if there is any. Once you get good at chopping, you can multitask and start cooking the chicken while chopping veggies. I recommend getting everything cut up the first time.
Step 2: In a big pan (a wok will work as well, but I suggest 12" pan with as high of sides as you own.. this is not a small meal), put 1-3 cloves of minced garlic (read the label to find out how much one clove is) and the chicken in on medium-high heat. Douse everything in Poultry seasoning. I mean a nice layer. It'll seem like a lot but it's all good.. some cooks out of it. Cook up the chicken until it is white on all sides, but not cooked through.
Step 3: Add in alllll the veggies. This is why you need the pepper cut into fairly thin strips and the onions to not be massive chunks. This is also why we add it to the chicken before the chicken is done cooking. Douse everything in cayenne and poultry seasoning again. If you like things spicy, add even more of the cayenne or hot pepper. Opposite if you don't like spicy.
Step 4: Stir occasionally and wait for peppers to be at a consistency you like. Generally, you should be able to stick a fork into one of the peppers pretty easily without it feeling like its still crisp. Take a bite out of one to test if you are unsure. This is where having a high-sided pan comes in handy. I have a top I put on my pan and it cooks faster because it's being steamed while also cooked from the bottom.
Step 5: Remove from heat and top with whatever you like! I usually have shredded cheese, salsa, and sometimes sour cream/plain greek yogurt. I allow the cheese for myself because generally speaking, my diet is very low in fat and it's a decent way to get some fat and calcium in my diet. Omit if it is not in your diet plan or you're watching your sodium. You can wrap it in a tortilla or, if you're like me and have decided to cut out the middleman, put it all into a big bowl and go to town!
I don't have exact nutrition information on this.. I wish I did. However, by eating this you are officially eating 100% natural foods that are all darn good for you. I don't count calories, and if you split your final product into however many chicken breasts you used as servings (i.e. chicken breasts, divide what you have in the pan by three, etc), you can guestimate how much protein you have. I CAN tell you the health benefits of every ingredient though!
Chicken - Lean source of protein. Easy enough.
Peppers - High in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Vitamin B6. They also have a decent amount of fiber and other healthy anti-oxidants other than those listed.
Onion - Although smelly, these little stinkers also have a decent amount of fiber in them. Plus, it's an easy way to flavor dishes without adding calories.
Cayenne Pepper - Did you know that cayenne pepper not only sets fire to your mouth, but also to your metabolism? Consuming spices like cayenne pepper have been show to curb your appetite as well as boost your metabolism. I add cayenne to so many dishes, mostly because I like spicy food, but with the added benefit of not wanting to eat as much of it!
Poultry Seasoning - I know that each of the spices in poultry seasoning have their own health benefits, but the main reason I LOVE using it is that it DOES NOT CONTAIN SALT! I know I have a problem with sodium and sugar intake, and this awesome seasoning has none of that. Sprinkle away!
I hope you like it. I cook this all the time for myself and love making it for others. Let me know what you think and what other ideas you have to add to it!
Friday, September 21, 2012
The Art of Omelette Making!
So, lately I have been a little omelette crazy. It's just so easy and fast to make, great source of protein and frankly, anytime I can eat breakfast - I will. I often have them for dinner because I just want to cook something that is REAL food (not out of the freezer), but I am too darn tired after work to think that hard.
Anyway, this got me thinking to all of the people I hear saying, "I can't make an omelette", which is reasonable because you have to follow three simple rules to not ruin an omelette and end up with scrambled eggs (been there, done that, been disappointed every time), and how many people do you know that can be follow rules while they are hungry? Not I. It takes will power for this to work, which takes a little time to develop, unless you want this:
So.. since I THINK you all can handle cracking eggs/pouring Egg Beaters into a bowl and stirring it up with some salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, whatever else you might like in your omelette.. I'll start after that.
Rule #1 - Start with a pan big enough to make a solid omelette. If your egg is not at least 1/8" of an inch thick in the bottom of the pan, the pan is too big. The thicker you can get your egg mixture in the pan, the easier it will be to flip in the end. I think about 1/4" is good. I use a 10" skillet. About 3 eggs for an omelette will work here (I use 2 eggs and one Egg Beater serving to lower the cholesterol a bit). Now you have your base.
Rule #2 - Use PAM like it's going out of style.
Yup, I used the PAM word. I want you to go out and buy some Olive Oil PAM spray. Good fats in that... omegas.. and we're gonna use that spray like it was intended - coat the HECK out of that pan!! To be safe, I get every single edge of that pan, especially the bottom middle and where the edges start turning up. You never know when you're going to have a crazy egg incident that will land it semi on the side of the pan and YOU WANT TO BE COVERED. Omelettes are not a perfect science.. be safe or be sad (see above).
Side Note - Turn the stove on to MEDIUM heat and heat the pan up before pouring in the egg.. This will help to set it faster.
Rule #3 - STOP TOUCHING YOUR OMELETTE! For the love of all things delicious, STOP poking it. STOP checking under it like a grilled cheese to see if it's done. STOP TOUCHING IT COMPLETELY. Okay.. you can swish around the wet stuff around the edges to make a slightly larger but only if you're careful and only if you can control yourself. You leave it be. You clean up your mess, wash your dishes, twiddle your thumbs and you WAIT until there is no more wet, mooky egg on the top of your omelette. This means the heat of your stove should be at medium, no higher, so you don't burn your egg while waiting for the magic of disappearing egg goo to happen.
So, now you know the very basic three rules not to break while making omelettes. Now, all you have to do is take your spatula (wide and thin is best, but really.. any spatula will work) and work it carefully around the edge, and shake the pan bake and forth to work it loose from the center. This is where the good ol' PAM comes in handy because it shouldn't take much if you used it right. Once you can get your spatula completely under the middle of the omelette, it is a quick 180° turn. This is where it's possible to get a little egg incident, but because we coated our pan with enough PAM to make an egg Slip N Slide we DON'T WORRY!! because now we can just gently push our omelette back into place and now it's beautiful and perfect and ready for cheese. The magic of the disappearing goo has helped us here because by the time you've got the cheese (whatever your preference) onto one half of the omelette, the bottom has cooked what little it needed to and you can fold it in half and leave in the pan for a minute or two, HEAT OFF, to help melt the deliciousness.
And now you know how to make an omelette =] I want to hear success stories!! Here are some delicious additions to omelettes. Big things are added at the beginning, while leafy things are added towards the end.
Anyway, this got me thinking to all of the people I hear saying, "I can't make an omelette", which is reasonable because you have to follow three simple rules to not ruin an omelette and end up with scrambled eggs (been there, done that, been disappointed every time), and how many people do you know that can be follow rules while they are hungry? Not I. It takes will power for this to work, which takes a little time to develop, unless you want this:
| Sadness.. |
So.. since I THINK you all can handle cracking eggs/pouring Egg Beaters into a bowl and stirring it up with some salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, whatever else you might like in your omelette.. I'll start after that.
Rule #1 - Start with a pan big enough to make a solid omelette. If your egg is not at least 1/8" of an inch thick in the bottom of the pan, the pan is too big. The thicker you can get your egg mixture in the pan, the easier it will be to flip in the end. I think about 1/4" is good. I use a 10" skillet. About 3 eggs for an omelette will work here (I use 2 eggs and one Egg Beater serving to lower the cholesterol a bit). Now you have your base.
Rule #2 - Use PAM like it's going out of style.
Yup, I used the PAM word. I want you to go out and buy some Olive Oil PAM spray. Good fats in that... omegas.. and we're gonna use that spray like it was intended - coat the HECK out of that pan!! To be safe, I get every single edge of that pan, especially the bottom middle and where the edges start turning up. You never know when you're going to have a crazy egg incident that will land it semi on the side of the pan and YOU WANT TO BE COVERED. Omelettes are not a perfect science.. be safe or be sad (see above).
Side Note - Turn the stove on to MEDIUM heat and heat the pan up before pouring in the egg.. This will help to set it faster.
Rule #3 - STOP TOUCHING YOUR OMELETTE! For the love of all things delicious, STOP poking it. STOP checking under it like a grilled cheese to see if it's done. STOP TOUCHING IT COMPLETELY. Okay.. you can swish around the wet stuff around the edges to make a slightly larger but only if you're careful and only if you can control yourself. You leave it be. You clean up your mess, wash your dishes, twiddle your thumbs and you WAIT until there is no more wet, mooky egg on the top of your omelette. This means the heat of your stove should be at medium, no higher, so you don't burn your egg while waiting for the magic of disappearing egg goo to happen.
So, now you know the very basic three rules not to break while making omelettes. Now, all you have to do is take your spatula (wide and thin is best, but really.. any spatula will work) and work it carefully around the edge, and shake the pan bake and forth to work it loose from the center. This is where the good ol' PAM comes in handy because it shouldn't take much if you used it right. Once you can get your spatula completely under the middle of the omelette, it is a quick 180° turn. This is where it's possible to get a little egg incident, but because we coated our pan with enough PAM to make an egg Slip N Slide we DON'T WORRY!! because now we can just gently push our omelette back into place and now it's beautiful and perfect and ready for cheese. The magic of the disappearing goo has helped us here because by the time you've got the cheese (whatever your preference) onto one half of the omelette, the bottom has cooked what little it needed to and you can fold it in half and leave in the pan for a minute or two, HEAT OFF, to help melt the deliciousness.
And now you know how to make an omelette =] I want to hear success stories!! Here are some delicious additions to omelettes. Big things are added at the beginning, while leafy things are added towards the end.
- Bells Peppers of any kind, diced - Add at beginning mixed in with egg mixture
- Mushrooms if you like them - Same
- Bacon, bits or real fried bacon torn up (or really any other meat source you like that you either cooked up previously [leftover chicken anyone?] or comes precooked - Same
- Avocado - Can be diced and added at the beginning or used in place of cheese to make it super healthy =] I slice it thin and add it at the end, personally
- Spinach - the perfect thing to add to increase nutrition value and it doesn't add a ton of taste. I hand shred and add right towards the end before flipping so it can stick to the omelette and cook on the other side shortly.
- Herbs like Chives, Rosemary, Cilantro. I add these at the end like the spinach (leafy, remember?)
- Garlic - minced - Add at very beginning when you're heating up the pan or mix a little in with the egg mixture. If you heat it up with the pan, mix it up real fast with the egg mixture once you pour it in to spread out the garlic. Be very careful.. I suggest not heating it up in the pan until you are pretty good with the omelette first.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Magically, Naturally Delicious =]
Okay so I went away for a while, but I'm back. In short, moved to Atlanta, started my job, been at it for a few months now. Started CrossFit at an amazing box and am working hard to live healthy, happy, and have fun in a new city.
Now that that's out of the way... Part of this living healthy thing is trying to eat as much as possible all natural...
...
..
I've lost you now haven't I? You saw all natural and thought, ugh, health food... that's too hard.. too boring.. too tasteless. Whatever. Here's the awesome thing about eating a lot of all natural food.. I no longer count calories. If you are eating food that is REAL, you don't have to worry about calories. First, there are generally less in natural foods than the processed crap you're eating. Second, your body is built to handle and digest things that are in nature. (Here comes a whole lot of information thrown at you in a probably haphazard manner because my brain can't function in an orderly way on the weekend).
For me, it explained why when I ate a huge meal that had a lot of processed carbs.. high in fat.. etc, I felt sleepy and just awful overall and I was tired of it. I started out small.. cutting out things like boxed crackers, meals consisting of only sugar (pasta, cereal, etc). Yes, carbs = sugar. People often think if they are not eating a candy bar, there isn't that much sugar in a food, but carbs are just different combinations of sugars, and ARE NOT ALL BAD!! The point is, there was nothing healthy about those meals even if I was careful with portion control and only ate the recommended amount of it (which, for those of you who have tried, the amount of cereal supposedly in a "meal" is paltry and sad and just plain depressing to look at). I thought for the longest time that if I just ate and controlled my calorie intake to slightly under what I burned every day, I would be healthy and fit and happy.
It didn't work.
So now I stock up on a TON of produce. Fresh raspberries, strawberries, red peppers, spinach, squashes and avocado run abundant in my fridge. I have a gigantic tub of whey protein on stock at all times. Old fashioned oats are magic. Cans of tomatoes, black beans, and bags of frozen veggies of all kinds. Ground turkey, chicken breast/tenderloins and salmon or tilapia are always on hand. My refrigerator is not sad and empty, it is filled to the brim with good food. That's a key step. Temptation too close at hand gives you an excuse to cheat yourself.
I have always had athletics to fall back on and excuses to be lazy. I still have tons of excuses, I just don't use them any more... or at least.. I try. I am human after all.. I want to be healthy and I have the knowledge to do what it takes. I've surrounded myself with a team of people at CrossFit Smyrna who believe in me and what I am capable of. Will power is all it takes. Small steps make for big strides. Do I still go out to eat, or have my favorite comfort foods? Absolutely. I'm not Superman, and I believe in being able to have a cheat day. It just can't become a cheat weekend. And even then, it occasionally happens... I'm 23 and in a huge city with 500 million things to do every weekend and friends who want to do them all. (We have enough that we've finally created a calendar in order to keep track of all the stuff we have planned). Life happens. The thing is having the strength to return to the routine after a cheat day/weekend. However be careful. You can undo a lot of progress in a cheat weekend. I don't pay attention to the number on the scale. All I care about is how I feel on the inside and whether or not my clothes fit (because let's be real.. clothes that are too tight are uncomfortable and I don't make enough money to deal with that nonsense).
Now that that's out of the way... Part of this living healthy thing is trying to eat as much as possible all natural...
...
..
I've lost you now haven't I? You saw all natural and thought, ugh, health food... that's too hard.. too boring.. too tasteless. Whatever. Here's the awesome thing about eating a lot of all natural food.. I no longer count calories. If you are eating food that is REAL, you don't have to worry about calories. First, there are generally less in natural foods than the processed crap you're eating. Second, your body is built to handle and digest things that are in nature. (Here comes a whole lot of information thrown at you in a probably haphazard manner because my brain can't function in an orderly way on the weekend).
For me, it explained why when I ate a huge meal that had a lot of processed carbs.. high in fat.. etc, I felt sleepy and just awful overall and I was tired of it. I started out small.. cutting out things like boxed crackers, meals consisting of only sugar (pasta, cereal, etc). Yes, carbs = sugar. People often think if they are not eating a candy bar, there isn't that much sugar in a food, but carbs are just different combinations of sugars, and ARE NOT ALL BAD!! The point is, there was nothing healthy about those meals even if I was careful with portion control and only ate the recommended amount of it (which, for those of you who have tried, the amount of cereal supposedly in a "meal" is paltry and sad and just plain depressing to look at). I thought for the longest time that if I just ate and controlled my calorie intake to slightly under what I burned every day, I would be healthy and fit and happy.
It didn't work.
So now I stock up on a TON of produce. Fresh raspberries, strawberries, red peppers, spinach, squashes and avocado run abundant in my fridge. I have a gigantic tub of whey protein on stock at all times. Old fashioned oats are magic. Cans of tomatoes, black beans, and bags of frozen veggies of all kinds. Ground turkey, chicken breast/tenderloins and salmon or tilapia are always on hand. My refrigerator is not sad and empty, it is filled to the brim with good food. That's a key step. Temptation too close at hand gives you an excuse to cheat yourself.
I have always had athletics to fall back on and excuses to be lazy. I still have tons of excuses, I just don't use them any more... or at least.. I try. I am human after all.. I want to be healthy and I have the knowledge to do what it takes. I've surrounded myself with a team of people at CrossFit Smyrna who believe in me and what I am capable of. Will power is all it takes. Small steps make for big strides. Do I still go out to eat, or have my favorite comfort foods? Absolutely. I'm not Superman, and I believe in being able to have a cheat day. It just can't become a cheat weekend. And even then, it occasionally happens... I'm 23 and in a huge city with 500 million things to do every weekend and friends who want to do them all. (We have enough that we've finally created a calendar in order to keep track of all the stuff we have planned). Life happens. The thing is having the strength to return to the routine after a cheat day/weekend. However be careful. You can undo a lot of progress in a cheat weekend. I don't pay attention to the number on the scale. All I care about is how I feel on the inside and whether or not my clothes fit (because let's be real.. clothes that are too tight are uncomfortable and I don't make enough money to deal with that nonsense).
Monday, July 16, 2012
Now that I'm retired...
It's been a while since I posted last... in fact a long while. I better catch y'all up on what I've done since the last post.
- Retired from my High Jumping career on the Track and Field team.
- Got a research paper accepted into the Academy of Marketing Science journal and hopefully published.
- Graduated college w/ a Bachelor's in Accounting and Marketing and a Master's in Accounting.
- Moved from Illinois to Georgia to start my job.
- Met some really cool pool and miss a lot of really cool people from home too.
- Learned how to play Bocce ball and was recruited for a Co-ed Softball team (Lord help our team..)
- Began volunteering at a great Golden Retriever Rescue organization which you can read more about here!
- Started my job in Georgia for one month and one week at the time of this post.
Now we're all caught up.. There are other things that will come up as they come to mind.. but that's not what this post is about.
This post is about me being retired from being an athlete for the last 20 years of my life. I know there are thousands of athletes out there who know exactly how I am feeling right now. What am I supposed to do with myself now?? I was on the track team, but I really dislike running. I am (or.. was) built for power, not endurance. I like doing just about any other activity except running, but unfortunately have been reduced to it since I am a grown up now and Atlanta has God-awful traffic I really don't want to put myself through if it's not necessary. That being said, I love the trails around my apartment and have a decent amount of long, open space to do things in and I have a pretty great workout facility in my apartment complex.
I have been noticing the loss of muscle, and it sucks. I was proud of my strength, I am just terrible at making myself go do boring workouts in the gym by myself without anyone there expecting me to. I do better with classes and teamwork, but don't know where to go around here. So I decided to start the 7 Day Ab Challenge as well as the 7 Day Summer Butt Challenge to kick start myself getting motivated again. I started on Sunday and will update you on how it is going throughout the week. So far, so good!
Anyone have any good workouts they like that are unique and fun? I would love to hear from you!
Friday, January 27, 2012
Graduation Application
I applied for graduation the other day.
I always saw my friends' statuses and tweets and other such nonsense get really excited about this day as some momentous occasion that made them feel they were suddenly going to breeze past their last year of college. I couldn't wait to feel the same way, like this was some final hurdle I had to get past and I would feel this rush of relief to have it out of the way.
It doesn't feel like that.
Instead, I now sit and worry and ponder when I am going to get that call from the registrar's office (or whoever takes care of this) telling me, "Sorry, you are missing X requirement, you will have to finish that class before you can graduate (or God forbid, in the summer)." No matter how many times I have checked, and double checked each and every semester for the last 10 semesters to make sure that I was on the right track, following the little schedule my school sets up for idiots who can't figure it out any other way, and annoying the crap out of my advisors (who both happen to be Chairs of their respective departments) to be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN I had it right and we were good to go, I still feel like this couldn't possibly be the end.
Does/did anyone else feel like this after they put in their graduation applications?
Maybe it's because I was a difficult case in the first place. I am formally known as an Accounting 3:2 and Marketing major, which means I graduate in 5 years with a Bachelor's and Master's in Accounting and a Bachelor's in Marketing. I chose marketing the first semester of my 4th year in school as a second major when I realized I hated everything about accounting, and that the small section I did enjoy was actually marketing-based (managerial and cost accounting for those accounting nerds out there that know what I'm talking about).
Now I love marketing and everything I do for those classes and am holding on to the Master's degree in accounting because, well, why not? I had gone 4 years with it, might as well stick it out and have a little more wallpaper for the walls.
So anyway, after having a mental breakdown in the Marketing Chairperson's office that semester, we decided on a course of action to graduate with both majors, on time, and double checked it with the lovely woman who helps us all out with our degree audits and makes sure we're on top of our shit too. Everything was kosher, and I have followed that plan to a T. Why do I still feel like I'm going to get a terrible call one month before I'm supposed to graduate telling me it's not going to happen? I've really no reason to worry.
Because sooner or later, the pessimist comes out from my 95%-of-the-time optimist's shadow and whispers, "You're finally getting exactly what you want and somehow, life is going to bite you in the ass."
No, that's literally what she says.. that pessimist is a vindictive B.
So I sit here and worry about getting a call. This doesn't include the fact that I have yet to hand in my graduate program graduation application. I'm really pretty sure that once I do it'll burst into flames or the university's president will come by and shake her head disappointed-ly because my getting a master's in accounting might be the biggest travesty our accounting department has ever seen.
But that is a story for another time.
Real World Girl
I always saw my friends' statuses and tweets and other such nonsense get really excited about this day as some momentous occasion that made them feel they were suddenly going to breeze past their last year of college. I couldn't wait to feel the same way, like this was some final hurdle I had to get past and I would feel this rush of relief to have it out of the way.
It doesn't feel like that.
Instead, I now sit and worry and ponder when I am going to get that call from the registrar's office (or whoever takes care of this) telling me, "Sorry, you are missing X requirement, you will have to finish that class before you can graduate (or God forbid, in the summer)." No matter how many times I have checked, and double checked each and every semester for the last 10 semesters to make sure that I was on the right track, following the little schedule my school sets up for idiots who can't figure it out any other way, and annoying the crap out of my advisors (who both happen to be Chairs of their respective departments) to be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN I had it right and we were good to go, I still feel like this couldn't possibly be the end.
Does/did anyone else feel like this after they put in their graduation applications?
Maybe it's because I was a difficult case in the first place. I am formally known as an Accounting 3:2 and Marketing major, which means I graduate in 5 years with a Bachelor's and Master's in Accounting and a Bachelor's in Marketing. I chose marketing the first semester of my 4th year in school as a second major when I realized I hated everything about accounting, and that the small section I did enjoy was actually marketing-based (managerial and cost accounting for those accounting nerds out there that know what I'm talking about).
I REALLY didn't want to be this guy.
Now I love marketing and everything I do for those classes and am holding on to the Master's degree in accounting because, well, why not? I had gone 4 years with it, might as well stick it out and have a little more wallpaper for the walls.
So anyway, after having a mental breakdown in the Marketing Chairperson's office that semester, we decided on a course of action to graduate with both majors, on time, and double checked it with the lovely woman who helps us all out with our degree audits and makes sure we're on top of our shit too. Everything was kosher, and I have followed that plan to a T. Why do I still feel like I'm going to get a terrible call one month before I'm supposed to graduate telling me it's not going to happen? I've really no reason to worry.
Because sooner or later, the pessimist comes out from my 95%-of-the-time optimist's shadow and whispers, "You're finally getting exactly what you want and somehow, life is going to bite you in the ass."
No, that's literally what she says.. that pessimist is a vindictive B.
So I sit here and worry about getting a call. This doesn't include the fact that I have yet to hand in my graduate program graduation application. I'm really pretty sure that once I do it'll burst into flames or the university's president will come by and shake her head disappointed-ly because my getting a master's in accounting might be the biggest travesty our accounting department has ever seen.
This.. all over President Jo-Jo's face.
But that is a story for another time.
Real World Girl
Friday, January 20, 2012
Here Goes Nothing
I'm a college kid!
Well.. sort of.
I guess I'm a college adult now. I'm in my last semester of my last year of college and I guess that sort of makes me an adult now. Not only that, I'm in the last semester of my 5th year of college, which pretty much makes me ancient in college world. Yup, by all standards, here I am, elderly at age 22. Awesome.
If you think about it though, graduating college is sort of the mid-life crisis of the young adult world. Up to this point, we have spent every August-May in school, gallivanting around the summer months with wild abandon and then trudging back off to school where, in college, our gallivanting was limited to three of the seven days of the week (or more for the more.. adventurous of my generation).
Okay Okay, I am not one of those crazy kids. Living up to my elderly standing, I rarely go out. Of course, I'm an athlete and don't drink while I'm in season but even out of season, I'm not a huge drinker. I'm just not. I'll be Sober Sally for the night and still have fun though.
So anyway, here I am, 4 months from graduating, about to be thrust into the low-twenties crisis that everyone so swears is going to happen and I am going to write about it. Graduation processes, the last hurrahs, my very last season of a sport I have been competing in for the last 11 years and moving into that oh-so-scary "real world", I am going to let you in on how I'm surviving. I am convinced that I will be okay, because I, for one, can't wait to stop being a broke college student and move into my real life. Where I can save towards the things I really want in life. Where I can finally stop studying stuff just to remember it long enough for a test.
I'm moving into the real world, WHAT?!
Yeah, we all do eventually,
Real World Girl.
Well.. sort of.
I guess I'm a college adult now. I'm in my last semester of my last year of college and I guess that sort of makes me an adult now. Not only that, I'm in the last semester of my 5th year of college, which pretty much makes me ancient in college world. Yup, by all standards, here I am, elderly at age 22. Awesome.
 |
| This is me in approx. 4 months |
If you think about it though, graduating college is sort of the mid-life crisis of the young adult world. Up to this point, we have spent every August-May in school, gallivanting around the summer months with wild abandon and then trudging back off to school where, in college, our gallivanting was limited to three of the seven days of the week (or more for the more.. adventurous of my generation).
All day 'ery day
Okay Okay, I am not one of those crazy kids. Living up to my elderly standing, I rarely go out. Of course, I'm an athlete and don't drink while I'm in season but even out of season, I'm not a huge drinker. I'm just not. I'll be Sober Sally for the night and still have fun though.
So anyway, here I am, 4 months from graduating, about to be thrust into the low-twenties crisis that everyone so swears is going to happen and I am going to write about it. Graduation processes, the last hurrahs, my very last season of a sport I have been competing in for the last 11 years and moving into that oh-so-scary "real world", I am going to let you in on how I'm surviving. I am convinced that I will be okay, because I, for one, can't wait to stop being a broke college student and move into my real life. Where I can save towards the things I really want in life. Where I can finally stop studying stuff just to remember it long enough for a test.
I'm moving into the real world, WHAT?!
Yeah, we all do eventually,
Real World Girl.
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