Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Filet Mignon and Mad Men



My dear husband and I have been watching a lot of Mad Men lately...we just started with season I on DVD about two weeks ago and now we're in the middle of season II. It's an amazing show. Amazing. It does, however, make him want to smoke again (he quit in May) and it makes me want to eat 1960's-style square meals. At Fairway (aka: mecca, where I belong) on Saturday, I decided we should have steak as our Sunday dinner. My dear husband decided to kick it up a notch and suggested filet mignon. I've made it before and screwed it up, so this time I committed to researching the preparation first. I checked Youtube for videos and found one with Christopher Kimball, the Cooks' Illustrated test kitchen guru know-it-all guy. He makes me hate Alton Brown with his brainiac posturing. Christopher is much humbler and pleasant to watch. In any case, I followed the directions to a tee (au poivre avec fleur de sel, c'etait parfait!) and it came out juicy and pink and delicious. We ate it while watching Season II, episode III of Mad Men. A perfect Sunday feast!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

J'Adore My Dior Catwalk Set



I'm a huge fan of Dior cosmetics.  Not so much their foundations or skincare, which I've never had the pleasure of getting involved in, but their color products get my heart thumping, specifically, their eyeshadows.  The textures of their singles and duos are to die for, and their quints are like tiny pieces of art (mass-produced art that is sold in many different cities and countries all over the world, but pretty fantastic nonetheless.)

This set includes a full-sized DiorShow Blackout Mascara in Kohl Black and a mini-quint in Smoky Light.  I'm generally a Chanel Exceptionnel girl when it comes to my mascara, which reminds me, I need to do a post about that stuff...it's the shizz.  DiorShow mascara has never excited me - it doesn't really stand out as far as high-end mascaras go.  It's a bit too wet, makes my lashes stick together and smudges.  I'll use it anyway, I'll live.  The draw for me here was the quint.  Oh Dior, you torture me so, with your creamy champagnes and your rich taupes ... shimmer so glowy and easy to wear, and yet your little piece of perfection so tiny, how it fits in the palm of my miniscule hand.  This sparkling jewel seems to threaten to disappear in so few uses, it mocks me with its finiteness, but I simply had to have it.  

A Sephora.com exclusive, the set costs $24 (the regular price of the mascara alone).

Monday, September 28, 2009

Noshies: A Revolution in Healthy Snacking



My friend Debra is a certified nutrition counselor, professional trainer and fitness guru - she knows a lot about health and what the body needs, and of course, what it doesn't need. She's one of those amazing athletic types that can bend herself in a pretzel. Don't hate her just yet. There is something in it for you. She makes snax.

Debra's snax are called Noshies. They're homemade balls of energy, loaded with protein, complex carbs, a little bit of good fats,  and only uses sweeteners that are low on the glycemic index, which means you won't have to come down from any sugar crashes with these. They are not vegan, however they don't contain any wheat, soy or refined sugar. The protein comes from whey, which comes from milk.

Each Noshie is rich in: Protein, Complex Carbohydrates, Omega 3 Fats, Fiber, and Antioxidants.
Noshies are also: Wheat Free, Soy Free, Flour Free, Refined Sugar Free, Artificial Sugar, Color and Flavor Free, Preservative Free, (And 3 Flavors are Nut Free). *

Enjoy 7 delicious flavors and my mini-review of each:

-Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie - peanutty outside, semi-sweet chocolate peanutbuttery goodness inside
-Chocolate Almond Macaroon - bittersweet, more cakey, absolutely delish - like a flourless chocolate cake but healthy! Oh, and hope you like coconut!
-Banana Nut Bread - nutty and banana-y - not too sweet and very satisfying
-PB&J - TBA - she was out of these when I ordered...makes me wanna try them even more =/
-Super Chocolate Trail Mix *nut free - if you like chocolate and sesame and sunflower and pumpkin seeds, this is your ball. There's also cherries and figs involved...fanchy!
-Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookie *nut free - zomg tastes like health in a ball - oatey and chewy and raisiny! I don't even like raisins!!! WTF!
-Chocolate Covered Apricots *nut free - WOW. Holy flavor. I love apricots and this was the first ball I tried. Tastes like a truffle with the cocoa on the outside, and inside it's a sweet, tart, fruity treat. I think I'm in love!

As a pregnant lady who loves candy, keeping these babies in my desk have stopped me from eating the Kit Kats I picked up last week during my last CVS run. They satisfy my sugar craving while actually providing my body with energy it needs, so there are no empty calories here. I'm addicted and I think you will be too!

To order, contact Debra at debra@soulsaladltd.com and if you mention "prosh", you'll get 10% off your first order through October 5! 

She can customize combinations of flavors you choose - variety, it's the spice of life!
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Nutritional Content (all calculations are approximate)

Calories: 78-108 calories per ball
Fat: 2-4 grams
Carbohydrates: 10-13 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Fiber: 3-4 grams

Ingredients VARY per flavor:

Whey Protein Isolate, Organic Rolled Oats, Organic Ground Flax Seeds, Organic Hemp Seeds, Organic Walnuts, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Sesame Seeds, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Almonds, Organic Almond butter, Organic Peanuts, Organic Peanut butter, Organic Shredded Coconut, Organic Unsweetened Cacao Powder, Unsweetened Chocolate, Organic Banana, Organic Dried Apricots, Organic Unsweetened Dried Cherries, Organic Raisins, Organic (Apple Juice Sweetened) Dried Cranberries, Organic Figs, Organic Acai powder, Organic Blueberry Powder, Organic Mangosteen Powder, Organic Maple syrup, Organic Agave nectar, Organic Palm Sugar, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Raw Honey, Organic Oat Milk, Organic Vanilla extract, Organic Almond Extract, Organic Cinnamon, Sea salt and ABUNDANT TLC!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Salmon Teriyaki Makes Me Happy


Oh delicious, nutritious salmon. You are so perfect in so many ways. You were farmed responsibly on an independently-run farm with lots of room to swim, and then purchased from the Green Grape in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. There were even sea urchins planted below you to make the water even happier for you to grow. I knew so much about you before you ended up on my plate, and yet, I have no remorse. I marinated your delicious self in teriyaki sauce (San-J is my fave) with a touch of mirin and paired with roasted hot curry cauliflower and sauteed baby bokchoy and scallions. Then I enjoyed you while watching Mad Men on dvd.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Jarred Strawberries? Vraiment? Pourquoi Pas?






I went on a random food shopping excursion today at my local Key Food. Key Food is a very ho-hum neighborhood supermarket. It doesn't pretend to be anything it isn't. They have sales, mediocre produce and the usual, predictable staples, but every once in a while I find something interesting. I live in a primarily Mexican neighborhood, so they carry unfamiliar foods in addition to the regular, run-of-the-mill American stuff, which makes it worth not completely avoiding. Once I found lychee-flavored aloe vera drinks-in-a-bag. Another time, I saw blood sausage. Today I was lucky enough to find these tiny delectables: strawberries in a jar. Like maraschino cherries but less plastic, these are actually kind of delicious! The liquid they're preserved in (until October 2012) is more sugary juice than syrup. I would imagine they'd come in handy during girly cocktail hour or on 'build-your-own-sundae day'. Imagine the pancake possibilities!!! Pardon my kvelling, but I've just never seen these before and the superadorable trophy-vase-shaped jar was only 99 cents. Do your mouth (and your wallet) a favor!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Pappardelle with Meat Ragu


Pappardelle is one of my top 3 favorite pasta shapes of all time - the other two are rigatoni and linguini. I got this fresh from Fairway in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It was my first time making the fresh, flat, noodley pasta at home - normally I get this when eating out but when I saw it in the huge, fresh refrigerated pasta department I knew i had to try it. It was absolutely delish, and supereasy to make - the only issue was when I boiled the pasta I think my pot was too small because there was some sticktogetherage. But it cooked in less than 4 minutes and was just as good as any restaurant's fresh pasta...a little thicker than what I'm used to but, let's get real here. Nothing beats fresh pasta.

I made the ragu from 1 box of Pomi chopped tomatoes, 1 lb. grass-fed ground sirloin, a few drizzles of truffle-infused olive oil (to give it a little more of a pork-y flavor), garlic, tomato paste, crushed red pepper, and fresh basil and parsley from my very own herb garden...and of course, salt and pepper. Don't forget the grated parm! If you have it, throw in some ground pork or sausage. Even better than pork, is wild boar. No wild boar handy in my freezer, unfortunately, but it makes an amazing ragu for pappardelle.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Aquaphor - Let The Healing Begin



Aquaphor is one of those mystery products. You go to the drugstore, walk by shelf after shelf of skincare items not knowing what they are or what they do. So many brands, but you just want to get in and get out. Your lips are chapped and there's no lipbalm in the world that's been able to help. You have a nosebleed. Your elbows are cracked. To what do you turn? You turn to Aquaphor.

Aquaphor Healing Ointment isn't really very ointment-y. It's like vaseline but less greasy and messy. It comes in a tub or a tube (I'm a tube-girl, personally) which is nice. I'm a fan of options. Options are your friends. I get miniature tubes from my fellow makeup-ho supplier who shall not be named (you know who you are!) and I keep one in my makeup bag, one in the medicine cabinet and one on the nightstand at all times. I'm never without it. You shouldn't be either.