March 2011: Favorite Things

Tom's Hygiene Products.

(All ingredients are NATURALLY sourced,

items can be purchased at KROGER,

better for the PLANET and better for my BODY)

Click on this LINK to see where all the natural ingredients come from. Smells good, too!

Click HERE to see how this company puts THOUGHT behind their packaging.

No BURN, still FRESH, check out the INGREDIENTS!

SkinCeuticals.

I have had problems with my skin breaking out since I was about 14. In high school, I was on ACCUTANE, the most powerful (and very dangerous!) prescription on the market. I've tried ProActiv, Nature's Cure, Obagi, and countless other options. KNOCK ON WOOD, but I think this "SkinCeuticals .5% Retinol Cream"  might actaully work! I get awful break outs around my mouth where I wear a mask in the OR 40 hours/week. As of now, I do not have one active zit. I'm going to keep using it for a full month, and I'll keep yall posted! Also this picture has the hydrating gel (when I use creams for acne, my skin gets SO dry it's flaky and awful!) and lip hydrating cream. I really like all 3 of these products, and they are all available at my work.

Aspen Bay Candles. Again.

Aspen Bay is the maker of Anthropologie's AMAZING "Volcano" (blue jar, amazing scent, never met somebody who didn't fall in love at first sniff!). This scent is great, too, but I should've bought the big jar to fill the room. Pricey, but I sure enjoy it!!!! I used AMAZON and purchased with credit card reward points!!!

New Clock.

Got this at Antique Garden, looks SO much better than my photo collage (I think!).

Vintage Photos, Finally Matted and Framed. 

I've wanted to mat and frame these above my sink for months and finally got around to it. The first pic is my maternal grandmother hanging out the side of a car. The second is doing dishes (hence why it is above my sink), and the last photo captures both of my mom's parents. These people are all deceased now, and I think this is a respectful, artistic, loving expression that I am thrilled to look at while I clean my every dish.

Clever Little Magnet.

Funny magnet from my mom. Loves it.

Vintage Apron That Converts To A Bonnet. WHAT? Yes.

HOKAY, SO....here's a beautiful vintage apron. I literally bought it off my waitress' body at the Pink Elephant in Norman, OK. Her great grandmother (never completed high school) has a dream of being a fashion designer, and designs and makes aprons that convert into bonnets! The colors (which you can't see too well on this Hipstamatic pic) match my kitchen perfectly, and I love the dainty details.

That's right! Part apron, part bonnet, all original, and one of a kind. No link, yet, to purchase, but if this chick's great grandma makes a business out of these innovations, I really ought to get a percent commission. Ha!

Record Player.

So happy George brought his record player to my apartment! It looks great in here, and I'm excited to repair the needle so we can listen to vinyl together. HELLO, ROMANCE!!!!

Butterfly Wine Caddy.

The sweet Art Party (art gallery) owner, Liz, thought of me when she got this wine caddy with butterflies. I couldn't afford it at the time I saw it and fell in love, and she gave it to me last week as a thoughtful gift. My last "favorite things" post included this Tisdale Pinot Noir wine, and it still goes down the hatch on a near daily basis. VINO!!!!

Camera. Canon EOS 30D.

OBSESSED with my new camera!!!! Thank you, Jim Wall, for hookin' it UP! Takin' pics like a mad woman these days!!!! Click here to see my recent photo shoot with Amy Donaldson.

My Man, Manolo.

(Drivin' me Manoloco!!!)

kudos on that clever phrase to my Uncle Face

Have lusted for 4 years. Found at CONSIGNMENT SHOP in my size and didn't think twice. ALL MINE!!! Seriously, shop this place, the deals are amazing and you will fall in LOVE!

Vegan Cooking at it's Finest!!!!

One of my FAVORITE Vegan Dishes!

Step-by-Step

With Photos

Whether you're TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT, TRYING TO EAT BETTER, LOVE ANIMALS, WANTING TO EAT MORE VEGETABLES, or CRAVING GOOD 'OL FASHIONED HOME-COOKED MEATLOAF.....this blog might be the best part of your day. I got this recipe from my go-to-guide, "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch". 

Here are the ingredients:
(Keep in mind to "Try Organic Food....Or As Your Grandparents Called It, FOOD"-quote on one of my new favorite magnets, compliments of SaNtA)
1 tablespoon refined coconut oil (I was out of this pricey and wonderful ingredient...so I used canola oil. Coconut > Canola, but make do with what you got!)
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
3 oz mushrooms, diced (I LEAVE THIS OUT!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. fine sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 slices whole wheat bread
1 c. walnuts
2 (14-oz.) packages of "Gimme Lean Ground Beef"
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. ketchup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I ALWAYS put in more than the recipe calls. in every recipe. ;-)

ALWAYS drink while you cook!

Here are the instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 . Grease a 10x4x3 in. pan (a meatloaf pan, HELLO) and set aside.

Note the soap in the background and kindly wash your hands.

In a skillet, heat the oil (if it's coconut oil, heat on medium and if it's canola oil, heat on high. Read the benefits of coconut and its' heating properties HERE).

Canola in a Pinch. Coconut when Possible

Chop those veggies! Carrots and celery first. Chop up an onion. Mince 2 cloves of garlic.

Cut the carrot down long-ways, then in little pieces.
Same for the celery stalk. Put in a bowl to the side.

Your garlic absolutely must be fresh. DO NOT CUT CORNERS HERE!

I try to sliver the garlic horizontally and vertically, then spread it out with the flat side of the knife.

Toss the celery and carrots into the skillet. TIME this for 2 minutes (the first few times I didn't time, and it turned out okay...but timing it really does make it taste better!)

Celery and Carrots Cook for 2 Minutes!

Add the onion, cook for 3 more minutes.

Add Onion, Cook for 3 More!

Add the mushroom, garlic, salt, and pepper, cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and set to the side for now.

Season to your preference!

You are SUPPOSED to put two pieces of bread and the walnuts in a food processor and pulse it into a coarse meal. IF YOU DON'T HAVE A FOOD PROCESSOR, DON'T FREAK! Just cut into little pieces, then mush. Enjoy my pic of mushing :-)

mush!

Put in a separate, BIGGER bowl the new bread/walnut mix, the (2) packages of pretend meat, the oats, ketchup, parsley, and skillet-veggie mixture you set aside! MUSH!!!!!!

Bread+Walnuts

If it smells too good for you to resist, feel free to have a bite! No raw meat=no harm play!

Transfer the awesome clump into a meatloaf pan, spreading evenly. Bakes for 40 minutes then sits for at least 5 minutes. Don't serve immediately, it is SO much better after it sits.

Before going in the oven. Compact and spread evenly!

I chose to pair it with sweet potato fries and garlic green beans.
Dinner is Served!

My man just so happens to coordinate SO wonderfully with my decor!
He's a great decoration to have around here!!!!

Georgie and I both really enjoyed dinner tonight. I hope you and yours do, too!


******************************************************************
I want to point out a cool piece of business with this pretend-meat. Liberate your sweet self and have no fear with knife-sharing!!! 

I forgot to chop the parsley until after I already mushed my "meat." No need for a new knife. It's only SOY!

First of all, real meat is very dangerous to cook with because you can easily get poisoning from e.Coli. You can't cook vegetables/other food with the same spatula/spoon/pot/pan that raw beef has been in. Kinda gross to think about getting diseased from a live bug floating around on your decaying and dead animal. That is by all definitions decomposing. Anyway, this "Gimme Lean Beef" is mainly derived from SOY. That is the same food as edamame (that popular green bean looking appetizer you get at the sushi restaurant) for all you non-vegetarians!!! I know it's weird to think about eating pretend meat (I thought it was at first, too) but if you don't THINK about it, you won't notice the difference after it cooks and sits. My Atkins-praising MOM likes this recipe. My manly and meat-eating BOYFRIEND likes this recipe. I'm not leading you astray. If you're curious what it looks like, with the packaging (to purchase at the store) and in the words of Shakira, "Underneath Your Clothes," here is a glance in advance:

Don't knock it 'til you try it.
When in fear, think: WHY AM I MORE INCLINED TO EAT A DECAYING, DEAD, FLESHY ANIMAL THAN I AM A SOYBEAN?!

Don't be scurrrrred!

LOVE!

some favorite things

First of all, the Denton Women's Collective held the FIRST meeting last Wednesday at 7:30! We ended up talking and enjoying ourselves until about 10:30.......so we will have meetings MONTHLY (lol) with updates on our Facebook page as our main communication. My favorite part of the evening was listening to each woman's different experiences. Friends I've loved and adored since age 5 shared stories I hadn't heard. No big, dark, hairy secrets or anything, just things that we don't usually talk about. I think it's great that we've started that conversation.

On a separate note, I thought I'd share some photos of my favorite things. That expression, "It's the little things!" describes me very well. I find such pleasure in decorating my apartment and surrounding myself with things that I love. When I do this, and am relaxing in the evenings, looking around, I feel calm.

So the above picture is in my kitchen, looking at my dining nook/living area. I have my favorite (and only) apron hanging on one of many "L's" in my place. That empty wine bottle is one of probably 56,783,456 that I've gone through. Pinot Noir is my favorite, and this brand, "Tisdale" is 3/$11 at Sprouts. On top of that, when you buy 6 bottles, it's 10% off. On top of THAT, if you use a re-usable bag, it's 25 cents off. Or something like that. Anyway, just so happens my favorite wine ends up costing me about 3 bucks a bottle. And it tastes SO much better than Franzia. Ha! The little sign next to the wine was a gift from the mom of a friend in college. It has inspirational advice from "A-Z". I love it. Accept differences, Be wise, etc...good daily reminder! Then there's the adorable little knob that I have yet to convert to a wine-stopper. Once I pick up tapered corks, I'll drill it in to one and have a precious top for my empty wine bottles. This wine bottle had a cork-candle in it (another great find from Uncommon Goods) that melts over bottles. On my walk with Teddy yesterday, I grabbed some pieces of outside to bring in, and placed them in this bottle. Unfortunately, I have no idea what these plant names are. But they sure are pretty, and I love bringing OUTside IN!

For the candle corks: http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/wine-cork-candles-set-of-12

The wine is Pinot Noir by Tisdale:

and you should get it from Sprouts if you live in TX! If not, sorry for your luck. :)

To browse through Anthropologie's aprons (32 is kinda pricey, but if you are like me, you see it as not only practical, but also home decor!! and there's a ton of cute new ones!):

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/category.jsp?popId=HOME&navAction=middle&navCount=50&isSortBy=true&pushId=HOME-KITCHEN&id=HOME-KITCHEN-APRONS

Hope you're as excited about it being Friday as I am! Have a great weekend!!!!