Veggie Orzo: A New Grain Discovery

My mom is a huge fan of Out Post natural food market, and recently brought me along to check it out. She also set a goal to try a new grain from the bulk food section every time she shops there. And, since I was with , I got the honors of picking a new grain to try.

Being a visual eater, I naturally picked the most colorful grain I could find!

*Veggie Orzo*

That night we made it for dinner, and it was a hit! I would say it has a rubberier (probably not a word) texture, like eating little gelatin beads. I just ate it with a little bit of salt and mixed in some of the pork from our dinner. My mom picked up some more the next time she went and we had it again, and I still liked it just as much as the first time.

Sooo if your looking to try something new I would recommend getting some veggie orzo!!!

Beauty Must Have's!

So I know my Blog is normally about food, BUT I thought I would switch it up. I love MAKEUP!!!!!!!!! I love experimenting, creating, and beautifying with it. I do a lot of research, and spend a good chunk of my paychecks on various beauty products. I have found some new amazing brands, and items that I must share with all you lady's out there. (Everything I talk about was purchased by me, and these are my honest opinions.)

Get this look with the products below!

Since I can remember I have had acne.  Because of this make up was always a chore. "How much make up do I have to pile on to cover these pimples".  I don't miss that!!!!!!!! My skin is finally in a better place, and now I can enjoy make up.


Some products I use are high end, and some drug store. I'll try to give prices if it helps and hit every category of beauty.  If you Have questions Contact me on facebook :) Or share with me your favorites beauty products!


WARNING, THIS MAY BE A LOT!


Perfumes: Top 3 (this was a hard one so here are some additional favs- Beyonce Heat, JLo Glow, Unbreakable khloe and lamar, Gucci flora,Giorgio Armani code, Dona karen- in pink.
1. Giorgio Armani-Acqua di Gio- $45-80

2. Coach- Poppy original $45-65ish

3. Dolce and Gabbana- Light Blue $50-80




Hair Must haves!!!!:
1. Pure Morrocan oil- I use Josie Maran's brand $18-50
I use this sometimes on wet hair sometimes on dry on my ends. I will use a very small amount by my roots to stop flyaways. I also use this as a face moisturizer! I have acne prone skin and it doesn't break me out!
2.Macadamia Repair Mask- This stuff makes your hair smell like heaven, and super soft. Once a month I also do a coconut oil masque (melt coconut oil and cover hair with it let sit for an hour and wash out really well, add honey to lighten hair).

3. Chi 44 Iron Guard- Heat protectant

4. Sexy Hair- Powder play
I use place this all around on my roots for volume!

***I am still trying to find the perfect shampoo/ conditioner right now I'm trying Redken so soft, it's good but  it just isn't wowing me :( Another quick tip: I try to only wash my hair every 2-3 days (gross right), but! it has helped my hair so much.

MAKEUP YAY:)
Tools-
MAC 217 blending brush- 23$
Beauty blender knock off from Wal Greens $7
Sigma Flat top Kabuki brush $16
Icing by Clairs Eco brushes (under $10 don't remember the price)

Face Wash- I also use a prescription in conjunction with this face wash.   7-9$



Moistureizer- Aveeno- Clear complexion, I use this after washing my face.


Primers-                                                            
Tarte- Poreless $30. Perfect for oily skin, it's silicone based and smooths out your pores. I tend to use this primer when I need to wear make up for a longer period of time.

Hourglass- Veil mineral Primer Spf 15 $48 Light weight, and feels silky. This is good for days when I don't wear makeup or less.

Laura Mercer- Radiance primer- all time favorite! gives your skin the perfect glow, I get so many compliments when I wear this. $30


Foundation- Saving up to buy MAC studio tech creme foundation :)
1. Revlon Color Stay for oily combination skin $12 (long wearing medium/ full coverage)

2.Neutrogena Healthy skin foundation (nude)- $12 (light/medium coverage)

3. Cover girl Aqua smoothers creme foundation- $8 (very full coverage used mainly to cover blemishes)


Powders- I use translucent powders just to take the shine out of my foundation.
Tarte- Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay setting powder $30
This feels so soft almost like corn starch, a little goes a long way and was worth the price!

Bronzer- So foundation is suppose to match your skin and then you contour and highlight your face with bronzer to warm your skin tone. Currently I am using NYX Matte Bronzer in medium ($10-15), and then a little bit of MAC charcoal brown eye shadow ($16) on my temples and the sides of my nose. However almost any matte brown bronzer is good it doesn't have to be expensive.


Blush- If there is one product I will never spend money on it's blush. To me they all do the same thing!
Elf Blush- Candid Coral $1
 

Concealer-
Benefit-Erase Paste $30
The salmon color counter acts the dark blue's and purples under the eye. great for concealing but has a very sticky texture.

Maybelline- age rewind under eye dark circle eraser $10 This has a smoother serum texture and is also great for under the eyes. However, I can't conceal blemishes with this because it made my skin break out.


Eyeliner-
Elf liquid eye liner $1
Jordana black retractable eye liner- $2-3
MAC Carbon eyeshadow applied w/ angle brush $16

Eyeshadow-
Urban Decay Naked Palette- $50
I love the color sin in the corner of my eye then buck and naked in blended in the crease, it makes the perfect neutral eye.

MAC Eyeshadows
1. Crease: Charcoal brown, Copperplate, Satin Taupe, Carbon
    Highlight/ Inner eye corner:Naked Lunch, Brule
    Lid: Woodwinked, Satin taupe, Carbon, All that Glitters. $16 each

Wet and Wild, and Elf are actually great pigmented eyeshadows for a cheaper alternative!
Eye shadow primers-
Urban decay- potion primer 20$

NYX Jumbo Pencil- Milk $5
Makes any eyeshadow brighter and more pigmented/last longer.

Tarte -clean slate 360 deg creasless eyeshadow primer- 20$
Makes your eye soft and ready for a smooth eye shadow application.

Eye brows-
NYX Brow kit brunette (I just pluck, brush and use the wax from this)

Mascara-
Loreal- Telescopic Carbon Black, Makes my eye lashes perfection! $10

LIPS-I'm not a bit lipstick wearer but I have fallen in love with Revlons Kissable Balm stains! $8
Renezvous, Precious, Charm and Honey are my favorite!


Carmex Vanilla Moisture Plus-$3
The cure to chapped lips with out the over powering smell armex normally has. Vaseline is also a great lip moisturizer. If you want a lip exfoliater mix Vaseline with sugar and apply with fingers in a circular motion.

Setting Spray-
Urban Decay De Slick by Skindanavia
I spray my face before foundation and after my make up is complete to help my extreme oil problem!

NAILs
I love anything ESSIE!!!!!! $8 per bottle
Wet and wild mega last, China glase, Butter london, OPI, Loreal, sinful colors (poor quality but cheap!)

A day of my Food life June 3rd 2012

So I haven't blogged in a while but I'm back!
I have moved back home for the summer and I'm already missing my weekly Whole food runs. Lucky for me though my mom buys just as healthy stuff so I now have a larger pantry to shuffle through (and don't have to pay for it now haha).
 I needed to start today off with a good meal, because yesterday I literally ate Ice cream for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and both snacks :( oops I guess this is where most people would say #YOLO.
Any way... I thought today's post would be on my entire days worth of meals/snacks...Start to finish.

Breakfast: I woke up around 10am since I didn't work today and stayed up late last night watching the notebook with my younger sister Becca. In the morning the first thing I do is pour a glass of water or grab a water bottle. Doing this gets me hydrated and helps reduce the bags under my eyes. Once I have something in my stomach I can usually tell what I'm craving that morning. Today it was something sweet! I found some organic raw instant oatmeal in the cabinet, and decided to dress up some oatmeal for breakfast!
Ingredients:
-Better oats: RAW pure and simple instant oatmeal (1 packet)
-Craisins (about 10)
-Raisins (about 10)
-Brown Sugar 1-3tsp to taste
-1/2 Banana (diced)
-Cinnamon (few dashes)
-Vanilla extract (1/2 tsp)
Directions- follow instructions for the instant oatmeal (mine overflowed boo). Mix the rest of the ingredients in and ENjoy! OTher ideas: nuts, other dried fruits, stevia or truvia, agave nectar, different extracts, apples etc!

I had to use my phone camera blah

Lunch: My lunch today was inspired by our slowly growing garden. Around 2pm my mom asked us to pick the green onions so she could re plant her cucumbers, and since I love my onions I knew it was gonna be part of my lunch. I had a carb meal for breakfast so I needed more protein in my lunch. I grabbed a few organic eggs that we purchased from our local farm and some purple onions from the fridge. I started brainstorming and here was the out come.
Ingredients/tools:
       *Small frying pan
       *large metal cookie cutter: mine was a house shaped one don't ask
       *spatula
-1 egg
-1 egg white
- Chopped onions 1/4 cup
-Cybros Sprouted grain bun
-Turkey deli meat
-Olive oil
-salt
Directions-In the pan add about a tsp of olive oil, a dash of salt, and the onions. Turn stove to med/low. take the cookie cutter and place it between the onions, so the onions are on the outskirts of the pan. In a cup mix eggs and then pour into the cookie cutter. With the spatula scrap the bottom of the eggs so that new egg gets cooked. Once the egg is almost all cooked try and flip the cookie cutter over (you may loose a little egg but don't worry and just scoop in back into the cookie cutter). In between scraping the egg mix the surrounding onions. When all is cooked place turkey on the bun then loosen the egg out of the cookie cutter on that then sprinkle on the onions and boom you have a healthy egg mcmuffin! If you don't want to be fancy you can just scramble your eggs and place them on the bun, but that can get messy. I also had a glass of water on the side.

You can really add anything you want! get creative.

Dessert/snack: Well my mom just got back from Pennsylvania today. All of my moms family lives there, including my grandma Babi (pronounced bubee). She sent back a bag of Carmelo candy bars:)
I couldn't resist, and ate one in about one min flat! end of story!

Snack- We had dinner a bit later today so around 5pm I had a small organic gala apple+16oz water.

Just in case you don't know what apples look like 

Dinner- Well we didn't eat til 7 tonight! My dinner wasn't anything exciting I had alot of broccoli with a pinch of salt, and Opa's chicken wings. (family recipe-pretty much salted chicken wings). I only had two wings because they were fried but I plan on having a bigger snack later. 

I had 3x that much broccoli! I also had 16oz of water.

Late night snack: Being lazy watching my shows I wanted something simple to put together! So I peeled a banana and scooped a tablespoon of natural peanut butter. yummmmm!

sweet!

Overall this was a good day of eating...minus the caramello bar haha. BUT we are faced with sweets and rich foods everyday. If you can balance the rest of the day those little slips won't make a difference. Hope this helps!