Apples!

“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” a phrase my Dad use to tell me when I was a kid and come to think of it I never really understood why a simple apple can do that, until I finally did my research. So if your game let me share with you its nutritional benefits so you can consider incorporating an apple (a day) in your diet.

Beef Short Ribs with Beans

This dish came to be when I was too darn lazy to do any grocery shopping and all I had in hand were short ribs in the fridge and canned beans in the pantry. I warn you that it might be too sweet for some people but you can definitely play with it. I just made a few adjustments to lighten up the sweetness of the beans.

English Mastiff (German Shepherd Mix)

A coworker of mine recently adopted an English Mastiff German Shepherd Mix puppy and let me tell you that this is the biggest four month old puppy I have ever seen. She is gorgeous and so adorable. A little background about Mastiffs – they grow so fast and get quite big (the size of a pony) but behind their massive exterior lies a peaceful dog. They are not fighting dogs (thank god) but if they see danger they will use their size to protect their owners. I was reading about the English Mastiff breed and here are the pros and cons.

Monkeys in the City

More often than not this is how I’ve been feeling lately...Hanging in there. Whenever I am in a funk I feel so disengaged from everything imaginable, it is my ultimate low self esteem period which absolutely sucks. No amount of encouragement can motivate me, isn’t that just sad? I feel completely lethargic during these times and worst of all I just want to be completely utterly glued to my bedroom (pathetic I know). What scares me is that this funk I’m in right now has been hanging around for weeks now and that worries me since it can lead me to the dark side.

Recipe Book Collection (part I)

Just last week I had posted about building my make up collection so I thought why not share my recipe book collection as well. Mind you I do not follow recipes down to a tea I always adjust some ingredients to fit my palate. I like recipe books because they serve as guidelines for me to follow. Basically it teaches me the fundamentals of a specific dish but it’s still up to me to be creative, play with the ingredients, come up with a different version, or even better create a new dish in the process.

Spring Time

If you’ve ever driven along I-95 New Jersey turnpike around this time of year then you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say the trees are coming back to life yet again. On our way to Mt. Royal, New Jersey we hit quite a few traffic jams and this gave me time to absorb my surroundings (as they say) and I was particularly drawn to the beauty of these trees towering over us. It’s simply amazing how they looked all dried up (and dead) in the winter and now they are all sprouting their pretty little leaves. I love that we have the four seasons here in the east coast because it always gives us a new canvas to look at every three or four months of the year. Don’t be shocked! I do have my nature moments and it may get a little mellow-cheesy but it’s all good right? Enjoy the rest of the gorgeous weather weekend.

Mac Eye Shadow Haul

Alright, alright I may have gone a little overboard building my make up collection but I figured if I'm going to do this then I have to commit myself completely (wink, wink) so I went ahead and bought thirteen (yup, 13) Mac eye shadow, technically 20 but I'm still waiting for the others to come in the mail. The colors I picked are Black Tied, Carbon, Brule, Sumptuous Olive, Omega, Satin Taupe, Smut, Electra, Electric Eel, Fresh Water, Deep Truth, Moon’s Reflection, Contrast and Gesso. All gorgeous color and very pigmented so you don’t really need to use a lot. Yeah, yeah you can I say I was a bit carried away but in my defense (hmmm this is a tough one) fine! No defense except this made me very happy. Well I am off to try blending different colors, now if I can only figure out how to convince my boyfriend to be my eye model (hahaha, fat chance I know). Till next time…end your day with a smile.

Sephora Visit

The same day I went to Mac I also stopped by Sephora. They carry the face primer that I like which is the Smash Box Photo Finish and I also picked up Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On eye pencil in bourbon (already have zero & lust). I have over 600 bonus points so I was able to score this Tarte insider collection for 500 points. It has mini goodies like face & eye primer, different types of mascara and lip gloss. This gal is a happy camper :)

Mac Cosmetics Haul

My First Make Up Acquisition.

Incomprehensible Anger

I am so livid right now I can’t even think straight! Why do we give people so much power when in fact all they do with it is bully us because that’s what they are…Bullies. They are certified users and abusers and in this insane unfair world of ours they don’t only seem to enjoy it but they in fact are thriving because of it. They get all the breaks, all the options, all the choices and all the money while we nice folks get squat! I cannot really put all the blame on them since I (myself) empower them. Is being good a curse because I am not so sure it’s working out for me. I believe we are all (somehow) governed by our (good/fair) values, virtues, and beliefs but for some reason other people have twisted interpretation of what is good and (definitely) what is fair. So what can we do to alleviate the anger and disgust? Do we just turn away and move on or do we face it head on, paying no attention to any consequences it may bring? This is so infuriating! My father (rest his soul) always told me to be the bigger person but as I get older it gets more and more difficult to practice that. I wish he was here to give me the wisdom I am so lacking at the moment. I am blanketed with anger and disgust and I don’t like it. I wish you were here Dad; your voice is always comforting. Anyways, great thing I have this blog so I can vent, vent, vent, and vent some more….sorry I digress. I hope you guys are having a far better day than yours truly (because mine completely blows!). Thanks for listening (it’s either this or have a heart attack)

Stew Leonard's Supermarket

Locally know as Stew’s this supermarket is my favorite place to do my grocery shopping. I wanted to share it with you guys because like you, I know the feeling of going to your regular supermarket and finding that some produce you need are old and wilted, not having enough option on the meat counter, having no one there to help you, so on and so forth. The first time I was introduced to stew’s I felt like a kid in a candy store (yep, its true) because for someone who loves to cook and use fresh ingredients this was such a find! It was even called the “Disneyland of Dairy Stores” by the NY times. They are known for their customer-service policy which is the Customer is always right followed by If the customer is wrong, re-read rule # 1 which is a big deal if you ask me. Enough talk, enjoy the picture tour :)

Pregnancy

A couple of weeks ago my brother and his wife informed the family that they are expecting and the family was more than elated to hear this. At first I had mixed emotions about it since their newly weds and I wanted for them to be established in their careers before starting a family, and also because I wanted them to be emotionally and financially prepared for it.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lip Gloss

This is my new addiction! This is by far the best lip gloss I have ever used. It makes my lips look naturally fuller and very voluptuous (how ridiculously awesome is that). I have used and tried different ones and I always found something I didn’t like about it…not this one. This product gives me a great shine, no sticky feeling (hate that) and it gives my lips a cooling sensation (love it). The infusion of vitamin A and E doesn’t hurt too. It does keep my lips softer, smoother and it even feels like its moisturizing my lips as well :) So if you happen to be looking for a new lip gloss you can try checking out this product.

My favorite is Destiny…