Asian Kale Salad

I made this salad to bring over to my in-laws.  My sister-in-law asked me to bring an side dish so I made this up with some fresh kale from my garden. I think what makes this dish so tasty is the amount of garlic and ginger.

Ingredients:
1 Large bunch of organic kale, washed, rinsed, de-stemmed and cut in small pieces
Juice from 1 freshly squeezed lemon
4 Large cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch of ginger, chopped
1 TBSP toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon organic olive oil

2 TBSPs sesame seeds
1/4 cup lightly salted cashews
1/8 teaspoon real sea salt
1/8 teaspoon Penzey Black Pepper, finely ground

Massage the kale with 1 teaspoon of organic olive oil.
On medium/low cook garlic and ginger with the sesame oil for 3-4 minutes (until done). Stir frequently so as not to burn the garlic. Add this to kale.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds, cashews, salt and pepper. Toss.

I didn't get a picture of this dish with the cashews and sesame seeds because I was running out the door to get to my in-laws on time.  I am sure adding a splash of organic soy sauce would be really nice too; I think it would compliment the flavors well.

Edgy Nails & TOMS

I've seen the Sally Hansen Salon Effects in stores for a while now and finally picked up a package last night. I really like that they are "3 free" meaning free of three of the worst chemicals found in many other nail polishes (dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde).  I decided on "Heartbreaker" which is an edgy pattern of skull&crossbones and bright pink hearts.  Ohhhh, I love them!  The design is so cute!  I'm not an edgy person but I do like the skull&crossbone pattern.

I'm the type of person where I like to keep people guessing-
"Oh nice cardigan, WAIT are your nails pirate inspired?" Hell ya.

To apply, I followed the directions and watched THIS youtube video before beginning. I felt like Alisha Mabe gave some great tips on how to prolong the life of the polish.

I tried on a pair of TOMS a few months back that were cream colored and had mini, navy-blue skull&crossbones.  Super cute!

 

But I had just received an even more awesome pair from one of my best friends, Nana, for my birthday!   Pictured below, TOMS Snow Leopard vegan flats.

I've already worn these bad boys so much. I hope they last through the summer :)

100% Pure Cosmetics Haul

I have been wanting to try this company for some time now and decided to wait for a good sale.  Many of the items were in a weekly special kit (Get Glowing Set) which cost quite a bit less than if I were to purchase the items individually. I also scored 10% off my entire order and free shipping.

Cosmetics-
Get Glowing Set which contains- Luminous Primer, Pink Champagne Luminescent Face Powder, Cruelty Free Kabuki Brush, Cranberry Lip & Cheek Tint, Cherry Lip Butter, Tahiti Satin Eyeshadow, Black Tea Mascara.

It's funny because the the items I thought I wouldn't like are actually really nice. The Tahiti Satin Eyeshadow is terrible for all over the lid (creases) but works magnificently as a highlighter (love using it in the inner corner of my eye and above my brow).

I am also really loving the Cranberry cheek tint- At first I was trying to apply this by dabbing the stick on my face. BAD IDEA! I looked like bozo the clown. I figured out that if I swipe some of it on my palm and then use a stippling brush to apply the color to my cheeks, WOW. It is very pigmented and lasts a long time. The stippling brush I use is from ELF and can be purchased at Target for $3. 

The primer is very smooth and I am a fan of it.  The lip butter is also very nice; it has a red pop of color to it which I really enjoy. It almost looks like I ate a red Popsicle.  The Pink Champagne Face Powder is so-so. I've found that there is a lot of excess powder when I swirl my brush in it. Also, it seems a bit chalky.  I haven't opened my Black Tea Mascara yet but am looking forward to it (I don't like to have a lot of mascaras open at once because of their short shelf life. I like to use one up and then open a new one).

I also purchased the Healthy Skin Fruit Pigmented Tinted Moisturizer in White Peach, which is the second color from the left in the picture above.  I had the toughest time selecting a color because on their website there is only a picture of a girl whose skin color you are trying to match and a photo of the bottles (same as above). Plus there are only a few colors to choose from. Um, that is not adequate when buying a $30 product!  I think they should provide samples.  

If you are trying to find out which shade is best for you, I'll try to help.

My shades in other brands:

Bare Minerals - Golden Fair

Revlon Naked Foundation - Vanilla 120

MAC Mineralize Liquid Makeup - NC20 or NW20 (I can wear both)

Urban Decay Naked Skin - Shade 2.0

Tarte Smooth Operator - Agent 06 (aka veil)

Make Up Forever HD - I can wear either  #117 or #120

I've noticed that this product runs a slightly peachy, whereas something like Tarte Smooth Operator seems slightly yellow based. The 100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer is a tiny bit darker than my Revlon, Urban Decay, and MAC. I like to mix the 100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer with my Revlon Naked Foundation to lighten it up a bit. I've been doing half and half. I really like how the 100% Pure product makes my face less flakey compared to when I use just the Revlon.  When I do my foundation, I like to match my face color to my neck/chest and then use a matte bronzer to contour and add some color/dimension. 

I didn't rub the swatch closest to my wrist in completely, so that you could see that it's more of a peachish color. Once rubbed in (swatch in the middle of my arm), it becomes a very slight golden/peach tinge. I felt that the creme (lightest color) would have been too light for me, but after trying this color I may go with the creme and mix the two together. I feel that the White Peach is a tad too dark for me.

I wanted to show a picture where I am just wearing the tinted moisturizer (no finishing powder and without mixing it with another product).  I did have to bronze up my neck/chest so that there wouldn't be any lines of demarcation.  I don't like doing that because then I can't wear lighter colored shirts and I have to remember to wash my neck/chest at night.

In this picture I am wearing:

100% Pure Tinted Moisturizer in White Peach

Elf Blush in peachy keen

Bonne Bell Lip Lites Strawberry Parfait (a dupe for NARS lipgloss in Turkish Delight)

Tarte Creaseless concealer in light

Garnier Anti-Dark-Circle Roller Ball in sheer tint

NYC Bronzer in sunny (on my neck & chest)

Creams-

I love that the Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream is vegan, organic and that 100% Pure sells a small/sample size.  I also really like that it doesn't cause little bumps to pop up around my eyes (Dr. Hauschka Daily Revitalizing Eye Cream- I am talking to YOU).  I do think that it is more of a summer eye cream though; I don't really feel that it is super moisturizing. Smells yummy though and it great for traveling.

I can't really rave about the customer service at 100% Pure. My first order was actually supposed to be before Christmas but for some reason it didn't process correctly. John & I waited for weeks for my Christmas present to arrive and finally I called 100% Pure in mid-January to see what was up.  They had sent me an order confirmation so I was confused when they said they had not placed it. Hmmmm. They weren't very apologetic either, made up some excuse, and did not offer any kind of compensation.

I decided to just wait for some better deals to come along.  When placing my order, back in mid-February, I was supposed to receive a gift set of three french lavender items. I had even called customer service to make sure I would because it wasn't showing up in my cart, they assured me I would get it. Well 100% Pure ran out of the set and told me "too bad" AFTER my order was placed. I had to talk to the customer service people 3 times and asked for different free gift (they did not offer outright) and they acted like it was a big deal. I was gracious, but a little miffed because I had spent over a certain amount in order to get the free gift in the first place!

Instead they sent me a free 16 oz glass jar of Aqua Dessa Spa Therapy Seaweed detox bath. I'm not sure if you can read it, but under the product name it says "pure enough to eat". That's cool.  I read the ingredients and sure enough, all the ingredients are edible. It contains all kinds of herbs, seaweeds, essential oils, etc. Nice!

As I stated in a previous post, I've decided to still use some makeup products that have some questionable ingredients, but this company is really pure and I am proud to post about their products.

Modeling Clothing From Poppin Tags

Last week I featured a few thrift store finds in the Poppin Tags post.  Below are some pictures of me wearing the shirts so that I can give you a better idea of how they look and fit.

The wonderful girl who tailors my clothing finished the Free People tank top today.  I think it fits well, snug at the top, but it has elastic that stretches in the back, perfect! I love how she still kept the material flowing throughout the body but cinched it in a little to fit my build.

   

 

 Athan really likes the beading at the top of the tank too! Great taste A!

I recently noticed that the blue and white sweater is a tiny bit big in the armpit area but it's still tight fitting everywhere else and has longer sleeves, which I LOVE.  

 

Veggie Stuffed Pastries

I found this recipe on vegweb.com almost 5 years ago and it has been a favorite since! Think apple turnover but stuffed with veggies and faux bacon. I am not going to tout this as being healthy (it contains white flour, shortening, Daiya), but with all the veggies you end up consuming, it isn't an unhealthy choice.

P.s. It is my husband's all time favorite meal; he likes it even more than sushi!

The original recipe can be found HERE (that recipe is for 6 people).  I have made some modifications so they are going to look a little different, also, my recipe is for two people.

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 3/4 cup all-purpose organic flour (use white and not wholewheat because you need flexible dough)
3/4 teaspoon of himalayan pink salt
1/2 cup vegan, organic shortening
1/3 to 1/2 cup of ice water

Filling:
2 medium/large organic potatoes, peeled & chopped
1 medium organic sweet potato, peeled & chopped
2 large organic carrots, peeled & chopped
3-4 medium sized organic mushrooms, cleaned & chopped
3 or 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup fresh, organic parsley, washed and finely chopped
1/2 package of tempeh bacon or LightLife Smart Bacon
* optional- 1/4 cup sweet yellow onion, chopped (John doesn't like onion so I omit it in his)
* optional- Daiya cheddar cheese, shredded

For the Dough:
Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour until it resembles really small pebbles. Slowly add the ice water by the tablespoon until the dough forms into something of a solid mass. Sometimes I use my hands to make sure all the dough is mixed, but be sure NOT to over mix. Only a few squeezes with the hands (If you over mix, you will have tough dough and it will be hard to work with).  Cover your dough with a damp paper towel and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

When ready to assemble, preheat oven to 375 degrees

Ready to Make it:
To assemble, divide the dough into 2 balls. Place one on a lightly floured, clean counter top. Keep the other ball in the bowl and cover it with the damp paper towel so it doesn't dry out.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the ball (you want the shape to be oval).  Add some of each vegetable, some parsley, and put some tempeh/faux meat on top (add Daiya if you want to- we don't always do this, but it does make it creamier if you do). Don't try to over-stuff or your dough will break :( Fold over the dough, making a half circle. Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Prick the top of the pastry with a fork so the steam can escape while it cooks. I like to prick the initial of the person who will be eating the pastry. Repeat with remaining dough & filling ingredients.

On a lightly oiled baking sheet, cook for 33 minutes.  Let cool for 5 to 10 minutes (I like to break mine open to cool a little) and then enjoy.

My Baby's Got Sauce (The Necessary Dipping Sauce):
1/3 cup Organic Dijon Mustard
water (1 to 2 TBSP)
2 TBSP organic parsley, chopped

In a small bowl, mix the mustard with a little tiny bit of water (1 teaspoon at a time). It makes the consistency a little smoother, but if it becomes liquidy, you added WAY too much water.  Add the 2 TBSP parsley.  Voila! You have magic.

Decorating My Makeup Storage

I went out and purchased a 7 drawer, plastic container today at WalMart. I have been wanting to make my makeup storage a little more girly/fun looking, so I also picked up some gem like pieces at the store. The larger, dark pink gems are actually buttons and the tiny, light pink gems are self-adhesive.  I had to use double sided tape to stick the larger gems on the container. I just made different symbols, letters, and designs for each drawer.  It was super easy and activity to do while Athan was napping.

Poppin Tags

Found these two items at a local thrift store.

The chartreuse tank top is by Free People. So cute. It's pretty over sized so I am getting it tailored. I really love the fine detailing/intricate bead work around the neck.  $3.99

The light blue and white striped sweater was $3.99. It is a soft long-sleeve sweater that compliments my skin tone. Score!