Accessorize it, Ladies!!!

Hi All, I have been busy lately and haven't had much of a chance to "Blog".  I probably shouldn't even be on here now, I have dinner on the stove, laundry to fold and a kid in the tub...and I am supposed to be studying. But, I just HAD to show some "Blog Love" to my good friend, Maleeka....She makes Fabulous earrings and I want you all to check them out and purchase some ASAP!

The name of her business is SoulMine Creations. I purchased 2 custom made earrings and let me tell you, I get compliments every where I go when I wear them. I don't know about you, but I just LOOOOVE wearing something original that no one else has. The quality is excellent and the shipping was super fast and best of all the prices are Fantastic!

Here is a link to her Facebook page and also a link to her Etsy store, along with  just a few sample pics (which I hope she doesn't mind that I stole them from her page..lol).

The first two pictures are earrings that I purchased from her and let me tell you, the pictures do them no justice, they are even more gorgeous in person!

Once again, thanks for reading!

A~

Review: Salon Style Nail Polish Strips

Today I am reviewing Salon Style Nail polish strips:

 About a year ago I gave up one of my addictions....Acrylic nails. For years I was a slave to going to the nail salon every two weeks to go through the whole process of getting them filled, buffed, filed etc. One day I decided enough is enough, I can't keep spending money on this. All it was doing was damaging my own nails, on top of the fact I started to notice that not very many grown women are rocking acrylic nails, it's mostly the young girls. I also started to actually like the look of well manicured, natural nails.  I took those bad girls off and haven't been back since. It took a very long time for my nails to outgrow the damage the acrylics caused. I get a manicures maybe once a month or so, but in between manicures I do my nails myself at home. 

 One day I was on Ebay looking around and saw these nail polish strips that I have heard alot about and decided to give them try. I ordered the animal print ones, just to be a little funky and have some fun with my nails, but they have a ton of different designs to choose from and they also have plain ones as well. I paid $2.99 for the pack, it came with 12 strips, a cuticle stick and a nail file. I was expecting it to be a disaster, with creases and crinkles all over the place, but I was pleasantly surprised.  They were so simple and easy to put on,  just stick on the one closest to your finger nail size and file off the excess. WOW! I loved it, it took me ten minutes to finish and no dry time! I also had two of the largest stickers left and used those on my big toes to make my toes match my nails. They look fabulous! One more thing, I added a clear top coat to my nails in the hopes that it will make them last longer. My husband is thrilled, not because they look so awesome (typical man, he could care less, lol) but because he said I look like I went to the nail salon and he didn't have to spend nail salon money (his nickname is Daddy Cheap-O, lol).

 The seller I purchased them from on Ebay was great, they arrived in a good amount of time and he even included an extra nail file that wasn't in the package. If you are interested in trying these out...and I highly recommend you do, you can purchase them at almost all beauty supply stores or on Ebay, here is the link. I like them so much that have already ordered a few more designs :)

Here is my final result....

Thanks for reading!

A~

Super Moist Banana Bread!

I'm a huge fan of banana bread. It's a great way to use those overly ripe bananas that no one ever wants to eat in the house. My 6 year old always says "I don't like the brown bananas" and frankly who does? Unless.....Its made into some delicious banana bread or banana bread muffins, then EVERYONE loves the brown bananas!!! 

• My family absolutely loves this banana bread recipe, the sour cream makes it super moist. I also like to make it into muffins. They are usually all gone within the first few hours after making them, So good!
• 
  
• Ingredients
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan or muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts (optional) and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf/muffins comes out clean. Cool loaf/muffins in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Next time your stuck with some "brown bananas", don't throw them out...Make some bread instead!

Enjoy and Thanks for reading!

A~

You Better Go Handle Your Bizzness!

Hi all! It's been a while since my last entry. I've had a few things keeping me busy but now, I'm baaaaaaack! LOL


Today's Blog is a review of these Herbal Pills I am taking, they are called Glucomannan Root or Konjac Root. Before I explain what they are and how they work let me give u a little back story (no pun intended)....

  First I will warn you it will be embarrassing...to me mostly, so why not sit down and have a good chuckle at my expense, I don't mind. 


  Since I can remember I have always had a problem with....... drum roll please...... going to the bathroom or being "regular". It got worse when I had kids, (not sure why that is) but it did. Oh man, and when I was pregnant it was pure torture, I refused to take the prenatal vitamins because the Iron would mess me up completely. Without giving you too much info and grossing you out,   I can go for days, sometimes I swear it will be over a week before I go to the bathroom and by then I am so uncomfortable and my stomach is swollen to the size of a basketball! I envy my husband who is like a well oil machined you can pretty much count on the fact that he will go at least twice in one day, at the same time everyday. I guess you could say I have "poop envy", lol. I blame my inability to lose weight solely on the fact that I can't use the bathroom (yeah, eating cake, ice cream and cookies may have something to do with it, but so what...that's my story and I'm sticking to it!).


  Apparently, I am not the only one that suffers from this disorder, its quite common in Women. Some of the contributing factors are Stress, busy lifestyles, the fact that we tend to hold it in more than men (which I know I am certainly guilty of that one, I refuse to use public restrooms), lack of fiber and water in our diets etc. They even have a yogurt made just to help make us "regular". This is an Epidemic People, No Woman is safe! I mean we even have a Spokesperson for Constipation, Jamie Lee Curtis!


  I have tried quite a few things to relieve my ailment.  Laxatives, Activia: I can't eat yogurt every day, it's just not something I enjoy eating, so that didn't work for me. Fiber pills: They made me more bloated and uncomfortable. Oh, and this tea my aunt sent me, because my mom of course had to share my problem with the world and with anyone who would listen. Let me tell you about this tea.....First off it tastes like what I am trying to get out of my body and smells just as bad. But, I was desperate so I went ahead and drowned it with honey and down the hatch it went, nothing happened the first day so, I drank another one the second day and let me tell you I woke up at 3am sweating and with the worst stomach cramps ever. I swore I was gonna end up on the show "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" I ran to the bathroom thinking "OMG! I am going to give birth in the toilet to this baby that I didn't even know I was pregnant with!" (sorry if its TMI) Anyway, it wasn't a baby, but I will never EVER drink that tea again, it was just a terrible experience. 


  A few months ago I was watching some infomercial in the middle of the night talking about removing belly fat and what not. So, I googled the pills they were selling, just to see what it was all about. While doing that I stumbled upon a few people who said that those pills were a waste of money, paying $100 when the main ingredient was just an Herb that you could buy for under $15. I researched the Herb they were talking about and it turned out it was supposed to help with losing weight, feeling full, hypertension, hemorrhoids, digestion disorders and CONSTIPATION!


  After further research, I sure did go on amazon.com and ordered me some. I have been taking them for over a month now and I can proudly say I am REGULAR! Yay! They aren't as harsh as laxatives at all and although I haven't lost any weight and they don't really make me feel full at all, they do make doing my business a regular every day sometimes even twice in one day thing!


I just placed my second order, and can't wait for it to arrive :)


Here is the link to the ones I ordered from Amazon.com.




Thanks for reading!


A~

Bronzed and FABULOUS!!!

  Hey everyone!! Today I am going to discuss something that is near and dear to me....Bronzer/Self Tanner!

 NO, I am not talking about the "I look like a Ooompa Loompa bronzer"

 or the "OMG she looks like Linsey Lohan self tanner" (which by the way, is NOT a compliment).

  I actually found one that I really like and use quite frequently...Well I used to use it quite frequently, till I moved to the good old sunshine state :)
 Anyway, I really like this particular self tanning lotion, its made by Banana Boat and is called Summer Color Self Tanning Lotion. It's self adjusting, streak free and for ALL skin tones or so it says, I havent tried it on ALL skin tones, just my own and it seems to work just fine, lol.
 I haven't been able to find it in any stores other than Walmart or online at amazon.com

Here is the link on Amazon, they have a package of 3 for under $20!!

Here are a few tips when using Self-Tanning lotion:

1. There is such thing as too much, don't over do it, a little goes a long way.
2. Make sure you cover all areas or you will end up with the not so cute patches, spread it evenly.
3. The best time to apply the lotion is after you have taken a shower and have already dried off.
4. MAKE SURE YOU THOROUGHLY WASH YOUR HANDS WITH SOAP or you will end up with tanned palms and that is NOT a cute look. (believe me, it has happened to me before)
5. Self tanning lotion also helps to hide stretch marks or scars. Now, it doesn't completely cover them but it does make them less noticeable.
6. Did you know that a tan makes you appear thinner? I kid you not, it is a known fact. I don't know about you but I love looking thinner!

So, for all of you that are unable to hit up the beach to acquire that sun kissed glow in Winter or just don't like to soak up those UV rays that are so bad for you, try a self tanner, you will look and feel Fabulous!

Thanks for reading!
A~

Crockpot Curry Chicken, so good it will have you saying "Lawd A Mercy!"

I am not sure how "authentically" Caribbean this recipe is, but it certainly is delish and my family loved it. 


Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in cubes (or you can also use skinless chicken thighs, which I prefer because makes dish juicier)
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 Cloves garlic crushed
1 small onion chopped
4 tablespoon Curry powder
1 tablespoon Allspice
1 tsp ginger

1  1/2 - 2 cups fat free chicken broth

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 or 2  large Potatoes peeled and diced

salt and pepper to taste (I prefer to use adobo, but that's just out of habit, lol)

Directions:

1. Clean chicken with lime juice or vinegar. Rinse well.
2. Add all ingredients in Slow Cooker
3. Cover and cook on Low 8 hours or High for 6 hours

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

A~

I "Crock" me up!

For Christmas I received a fantastic slow cooker! Yeah I know, what is so fantastic and fabulous about a slow cooker? And why am I so excited about it?

 Glad you asked, in this blog I will tell you, so keep on reading!! :)

  For the past 7 months I have been a stay at home mom. For those of you who don't know me, we relocated from Boston to South Florida in June of 2011. I have been staying home with the kids while they adjust and let me tell you I have been bored out of my mind! I will be returning to work in a few months.  I have always worked, since I was about 15, so this is new territory for me. Anyway, I took this opportunity to start being more creative in the kitchen. I'm sure all you working moms know its hard to be creative in the kitchen when you get home at 6pm and have to rush and make a meal so the kids can eat and go to bed at a decent hour. 

  I watch a ton of food shows and videos, the Food Network is my favorite channel. I finally decided one day I needed to build up my kitchen appliances collection and the first item on my list was a Slow Cooker or Crockpot, what exactly is the correct term for it, anyway? So, I told my hubby that I would like one for Christmas, which technically is a gift for everyone in the house not just me, so I don't think it counts as a Christmas present for mom, but whatever. lol

  Christmas morning came and  my brand new slow cooker was waiting for me under the tree, Yay!! I was so excited I couldn't wait to get in the kitchen to use it...crazy, I know. I am a very strange individual. I took to the Internet and started researching slow cooker recipes, I even asked friends to send me some of their favorite recipes (thanks for the recipes ladies!!!) 

  The first night,  I made some  slow cooked pork chops and let me tell you.... these pork chops were DELICIOUS!!!! and I have been cooking in my slow cooker everyday ever since. It is amazing the amount of things you can make in it. You can make anything from oatmeal, to lasagna! the sky is the limit.

  I do admit, I have had some not so good recipes like the A-1 sauce, dijon mustard steak disaster...don't even get me started on that, but it wasn't the slow cookers fault, the steak was soft as can be, it was the ingredients in the recipe. I even made risotto the other day, I have been obsessed with trying risotto thanks to Chef Gordon Ramsay. It was very good....however my picky eaters weren't crazy about it. 

  I am already looking to purchase a smaller slow cooker to make side dishes in when I am using the big one for meats. If you don't own a slow cooker, what are u waiting for? get out there and buy one! you  will not regret it, I promise. The one I got for Christmas was a 6qt Hamilton Beach programmable slow cooker and it is great, here is the link in case you want to get it on Amazon (have I mentioned, I LOVE Amazon?). 

  Also, I have had a few friends ask me to post my successful recipes, below are 4. I will continue to post new recipes as I try them out. I have so many to choose from this will be an ongoing thing

1. Lasagna -  This is a great recipe to have waiting for you when you walk through the door from work, who doesn't love lasagna? I have my own ingredients that I like to use when I make lasagna, I just took the basic idea and instructions on how to get the lasagna to cook properly in the slow cooker. If you don't know how to make lasagna here is a simple recipe. 

2. Vaca Frita - Vaca Frita (Fried Cow) is a Cuban dish that can be found in every Cuban restaurant, here is a great recipe I found, that tastes Delicioso!

3. Pollo Guisado -  This is another recipe in which I have my own ingredients and way of making it because I have been making it for so many years and it gets made in my house at least once a week. It was really nice to make it in the slow cooker and not have to watch the stove. I found this recipe online which is similar to mine. It's hard for me to post my own recipe because I don't measure anything and most times I throw whatever we happen to have in the house into the pot.  This recipe is the traditional stove top way to make it, just do the same except throw it into the slow cooker minus the potatoes, onions and green peppers, add those in about the last hour or else they will be too mushy. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours and go about your business for the day. Also, I didn't brown the chicken. I just washed, cleaned it and put it in the pot, didn't have to pre-marinate it either.

4. Pork Chops - Here is the first recipe I made in the slow cooker. I made it with some garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes. I also added some flour to the left over broth and made a delicious tasting gravy.

  In conclusion the Slow Cooker Rocks! and it frees up my time to do other more important and fabulous things like my hair, make up and go shopping...So there you have it, that is why the Slow Cooker is Fabulous! 

  I would love to hear any feedback or any new recipes you might like to share. 

Thanks for reading!

A~