Valentine's Day Dessert Idea II

Vanilla Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting

The frosting is adapted from Martha Stewart's Cream Cheese Frosting recipe.  

Double the recipe and add 3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam.  Easy!

Healthy Lunches

Last week I decided to experiment with trying to eat healthy lunches.  I decided taking a picture each day would help hold me accountable and help me to really think about my choices.  It worked.  So here is what I ate last week for lunch for four days.  I tried to focus on adding fruits and veggies and cutting back carbs.

Day One:  Gourmet light turkey mini sub (these are salad plates)
with tomatoes, carrots and hummus,
grapes and pineapple and half a strawberry C monster drink
+ 1 dark chocolate truffle

Day Two:  Hard boiled egg, gouda cheese, carrots, tomatoes,
crackers, hummus, grapes, pineapples, chocolate discs.

Day Three:  Apple turkey sausage, hummus, crackers,
hard boiled egg, carrots, banana, half a blueberry B monster drink.

Day Four:  Mini bagel with peanut butter
and nutella, handful of nuts, and grapes.

Tag: Your It

1) What is your dream job?
Definitely a travel writer.  But more realistically what I did get to do for two years, elementary school librarian!

2) What is your favourite fragrance for Winter?
Dolce and Gabanna The One

3) How do you take your tea/coffee?
I put agave nectar in my tea and milk, and coffee I must have flavored coffee creamers.  I like the new International Delight made with real cream variety.
4) What is your most important beauty secret?
You can use baby wipes to wipe your makeup off before properly washing your face.  Also, L'Oreal Telescopic Carbon Black mascara is the BEST.
5) If you had an all expenses paid vacation, where would you go?
I would go back to Australia!  

6) If a genie popped up in your lap right now and offered you three wishes, what would you ask?
Well 1: Health and happiness for my family, friends and myself.   2:  Have millions of dollars.  3: This ones a secret.

7) If you could only have breakfast, lunch, dinner or desert foods for the rest of your life, what would you pick?
Breakfast!  

8) If you were Hello Kitty what colour hair bow would you wear?
Pink

9) What is your biggest makeup pet peeve?
When people don't wear any makeup!  I don't get it. 

10) If you could wear only one piece of jewellery for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Earrings

11) What one talent do you wish you had?
I wish I could play the piano
12) Which product will you continue to purchase?
Dove Sensitive Skin Soap

13) If you could look into the future, would you? And what would you like to know?
Hmm.  I think I like the unknown.  The only thing I would wonder is when will I get my teaching job back?

14) Who is your biggest celebrity crush? Include a picture!Probably Jude Law's character from The Holiday specifically, or Ewan McGreggor

15) What made you start a blog?
I've been reading blogs since about 2001, time to start my own!

January Favorites

My Favorite products of January!

1.  Tree Shea Body Butter - Almond & Honey 

2.  Tree Hut Shea Sugar Body Scrub - Almond & Honey

3.  Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain in Passion

4.  Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Paradise

5.  MAC Lipgelee in Sin-tillation

6.  MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked

7.  MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study

8. Smashbox Blush Rush in Flush

9.  Tresemme Dry Shampoo  - on sale this week at Ulta!

10.  Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid

11.  Aveda Volumizing Tonic

12.  Trader Joes Vanilla & Cinnamon Black Tea

Book Review: The Two Lives of Miss Charlotte Merryweather by Alexandra Potter

From Goodreads: At age thirty-one, American Charlotte Merryweather has spent ten years in London pursuing personal and professional perfection. Yet her present-day success- heading her own PR company, owning a gorgeous apartment, planning a future with her devoted boyfriend- only heightens the shock of a visit from the past. "Lottie," Charlotte's twenty-one-year-old self, drives onto the scene at the wheel of a rusty, orange Volkswagen Beetle identical to Charlotte's first UK ride. Charlotte pursues a friendship aimed to bestow upon Lottie a decade of wisdom. Yet Charlotte's prosperous polish proves a pale substitute for Lottie's innate, youthful graces- openness, passion, and kindness. Will the student become the teacher in this witty turnabout? The clever plotting and winning characterization that made Me and Mr. Darcy a bestseller are on full display in these pages.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7146880-the-two-lives-of-miss-charlotte-merryweather My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book. It's a good chic lit book, along the lines of Sophie Kinsella but I think I prefer Alexandra's style better. The story line poses the interesting question, just what would you say to yourself if you met yourself at age 21? This is has some mild elements of time travel in it, which I think I am a sucker for when it comes to a good love story. I can't wait to read some of her other books. 4/5 stars

Valentine's Day Dessert Idea

Chocolate Covered Oreo Cookie Cake

This cake looks like a huge Oreo cookie, and it tastes even better.  Who doesn't love a little chocolate on Valentine's Day?

Chocolate Covered Oreo Cookie Cake 

(adapated from Kraft Foods Magazine)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil's food chocolate cake mix

4 squares  BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 pkg.  (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups  thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

12 OREO Cookies, coarsely crushed

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter and bake in 2 (9-inch) round pans as directed on package. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Invert cakes onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 min.

MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP and crushed cookies. Stack cake layers on plate, spreading cream cheese mixture between layers. Spread top with chocolate glaze; let stand until firm. Keep refrigerated.

Chicken Madeira

What's for dinner tonight?  How about something new to try that is easy and delicious?  

Chicken Madeira - Cheesecake Factory Knockoff (serves 2)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 boneless chicken breast
8 asparagus spears
2 slices mozzarella cheese

Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
1.5 cups Madeira wine (I used dry)
1 cup beef stock
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute fillets until done and browned just a bit. Remove from pan and wrap in foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.

In chicken pan add olive oil and sliced mushrooms; saute for about 2 minutes. Add Madeira wine, beef stock, butter, and pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat simmer 20 minutes until reduce to about 1/2 original volume. When sauce is done it will be thick, and brown.

While sauce is reducing, bring a pan of water to boil. Add salt to water at boil; blanch asparagus (3-5 minutes). Drop asparagus in ice water to halt cooking.

Set oven to broil. In baking dish arrange chicken, cross 2 asparagus stems over each piece of chicken and top with a slice of cheese. Broil until cheese melts.

Put chicken on plate. To serve, top with sauce 3-4 Tbsp on each piece.