MOO!

First of all, do Bison "Moo"? I'll have to ask my dad. Anyway, I have never been a very big meat eater, but lately, with our stricter diet, I have been eating even less. However, I do get an occasional craving for some good red meat. This time, I happened to be at the grocery store, wandering in the meat section when I laid my eyes upon the most beautiful Bison I have ever seen. Okay, so I've only eaten Bison once, at a really nice restaurant in Atlanta, BUT, it looked good. I decided to splurge a little as it is kind of pricey, but ended up with 8 large, juicy, delicious Bison Burgers. Here's what I did:

Added Onion Salt, Garlic Salt, 1 medium chopped yellow onion, Ketchup, Worcest. Sauce, and Pepper to ground Bison, and mixed with hands. Formed mixture into 4 large patties. Grilled on George Foreman indoors (it was dark outside) until brown all the way through. The patties ended up so large, that we halved them. Served the burgers on Whole Wheat buns, topped with fresh tomatoes. YUMM! Needless to say, we WILL be making these again. :)

xoxo,
Emily

Last Minute Meal

Hi, friends and family :) Just wanted to share one of my classic, "Tyler's on his way home, last-minute, what's in my cabinets" meals. It turned out very well! I used Whole Wheat noodles, seasoned with olive oil and parm. cheese, my favorite trifecta of Oregano, Basil, and Parsley, Organic diced tomatoes, Chick Peas, frozen Steamfresh peas, and lean, ground turkey breast. Tyler commented that it reminded him of college, just more grown up. :) Pasta with peas and ground beef was a staple of ours in school, so this is just a quick, easy, more sophisticated alternative.

xoxo,
Emily

One 'n Only

For some time now, I have been wanting to try Moroccan Oil for my hair. I have read many, many blog posts reviewing this product for months now, but it does run a little pricey, and I just hadn't bought into it yet. Well, thanks to one, wonderful fellow blogger who decided to post a public service announcement this week, I found an amazing,affordable alternative.

Two words: Argan Oil. Argan Oil is derived from Moroccan Argan Trees, and is basically the generic version of pure Moroccan Oil. I purchased the brand One 'n Only this week at Sally's Beauty Supply for around 10 bucks. I apply about a nickel sized (maybe even slightly smaller)amount of the oil to my hands after towel drying hair post shower. Then, I rub the oil between my palms to get it nice and even, and apply it to the ends of my hair first, starting at the nape of my neck, and work my way up to the top and front of my head.

Here's my review of the product, although, from my description in the previous paragraphs, I'm fairly sure you can surmise my opinion already. ;)

Pros:
•Non-greasy, alcohol-free formula
•Creates shine without leaving an oil residue
•Reduces drying time
•Smoothes cuticle for silky, conditioned and healthy looking hair
•Eliminates frizz and leaves hair more manageable
•Helps protect against damage caused by the environment or heat styling
•For all hair types
•UV protection

Now for the Cons.....drum roll please....

I have only two, and this is after giving it some serious thought. 1)I don't know how to explain the scent of the Argan Oil in any other way, but to compare it to your grandmother's perfume**. However, it is pleasant enough, just very girly, and it does absorb instantly and the scent is almost completely gone upon drying of the hair. 2) Cost - the bottle is only about 3 ounces, so for 10 bucks, I suppose it can be considered a pricier product, BUT, you only need to use so little of this product at a time, that I find it completely worth it.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try it, and what you think :)

xoxo,
Emily

**Disclaimer: I love Grandmothers, I do not think they stink, some just smell very, very girly at times, and I think both of my grandmothers smell wonderful.

Polyvore Please!

I discovered the coolest website. Basically, it has links to millions of brands, store websites, etc., and it allows you to choose individual items to create your own outfits/ensembles. SO.MUCH.FUN! Here is my creation :)

Welcome to Polyvore! by ered13 featuring coral necklace

J.Crew - Vintage cotton v-neck tee fern
$30 - jcrew.com
Vintage t shirt »

Boucle De Souffle Jacket
$128 - anthropologie.com
Cropped jacket »

Gap Jean Leggings (faded dark wash)
$70 - gap.com
Skinny leg jeans »

Women's Merona® Meaghan Ruffled Flat Shoes - Brown : Target
$20 - target.com
Brown shoes »

Speedy 30
$690 - louisvuitton.com
Louis vuitton handbags »

Carolee - Palm Beach Graduated Bead Necklace (Coral/Lt. Topaz/Gold) -...
$85 - zappos.com
Coral necklace »

Pumpkin Spice Latte | Starbucks Coffee Company
starbucks.com

pictures 4 polyvore Home - pictures 4 polyvore
thereagency.com

Product Wish List (Photo Heavy)

As a follow up to yesterday's post on recently purchased make-up items, I decided to stick with the theme and create a product wish list. Some of the items on this list are items that I already have on my shopping list, and some of them, particularly the non-drugstore items like the MAC and Urban Decay shadows, will be on my wish list for gift ideas. (Did you hear that honey?!) Anyway, I thought I'd just make this basically a photo blog entry, and just show you a few things I am craving right now. I will, of course, review these as I get the chance to try them.

Just a quick list of the products pictured:

L'oreal Sulfate Free Shampoo System
Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Peach Satin
Benefit Creaseless Eye Shadows
Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion
MAC eyeshadow in Mulch
Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Stick in Born with It

I think that's everything..if you have any questions, let me know!:)

xoxo,
Emily

Shopping Haul

Thanks to my wonderful Mom and Dad, I had some gift cards to spend. I still need to find some more dress clothes and a suit or two for my new job, but I got a lot of things I have been needing/wanting for awhile today.

I have realllly been coveting (I know, I know..bad) a good neutral palette of eye shadows. There is one I really wanted by Urban Decay (sold at Sephora or Ulta) for $44. HOWEVER, I was absolutely THRILLED to find these perfect substitutes for $5 each, $15 total at Target. The company is called ELF. I had read some good reviews on their shadows in the past, and so far I am happy with them (I played around some tonight with them). I got a Smokey Eye palette, a Neutral Eye palette, and a Lip palette. Love, love. Also at Target today, I found a beautiful Cobalt blue-ish wrap dress and a simple knee length black pencil skirt for work. Good deals to be found, always at Target.

I also had a Macy's gift card from my parents, and I knew I needed both make up and work clothes, however, I left a good coupon for clothes at home, so that solved it: make-up it was! I used my card and purchased my HG (Holy Grail) bronzer called Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder. I accidentally purchased the Soft Shimmer instead of Matte, but it's fine because it's just that, soft shimmer...not sparkly. I also was THRILLED to be able to finally purchase the MAC Powder Foundation that I have really been wanting, as well as a Blotting Powder to go over it. I really wanted something with more coverage than my previous HG Bare Minerals, as it is sooo humid in Florida. However, liquid foundation is just too much for me unless it is a really special occasion. I am hoping this is the perfect medium for me. I was color-matched by a MAC make-up artist and labeled NW20 in the MAC Studio Fix, and Medium in the Blotting/Pressed Powder. I'll do some reviews on this after I've tried it for a few days. I'm a little nervous because the first ingredient is Talc, which is great for coverage, but also known to POSSIBLY block pores in some people. We shall see! :) Hope you enjoyed hearing about my purchases as much as I enjoyed finding them.

xoxo,
Emily

Love Muffin

Three words: best.muffins.ever. No more details needed. These are the best homemade blueberry muffins Tyler and I have ever had, and they are out of a healthy living cookbook. Here's the recipe, I highly suggest you try it. :) Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins
2 cups unbleached flour
2/3 cup whole cane sugar
4 tsp. aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1/4 coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup apple juice
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

In large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla. Add apple juice and set aside. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl, then add to wet mixture in mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Fold in blueberries. Fill greased muffin tins (or baking cups) half full and bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until tops are slightly browned. Makes about 12 muffins.

Source: If It's Not Food, Don't Eat It! By: Kelly Hayford

Feelin' Kind of Corny

My hubby made quite the delicious dinner this evening. Well, I do have to give myself a little credit, I did season the meal, but it was his grilling abilities that created the perfection that was our dinner. First, I butterflied some chicken breasts. For those of you who do not know what that is, don't feel bad, I just learned. Basically, I sliced each chicken breast down the side and opened it to create a thinner, stretched out piece of meat that makes the shape of a butterfly's wings. It allows the chicken to be seasoned more evenly, and cooks faster, too! I then seasoned each butterflied breast with oregano, basil, and the juice from a few fresh slices of lemon and lime.

I sat the seasoned breasts aside, and went to work on my corn. Thankfully, I caught a grilling episode on The Food Network this week featuring Bobby Flay, in which he suggested and demonstrated grilling the corn in its husk to protect it from charring too much. I followed his instructions and husked the corn, removing the silk, but then replacing part of the bottom and top of each husk, enough to protect all sides of the corn. I then had my lovely assistant, i.e. grillmaster, i.e. husband, place the corn on the grill for about 5-7 minutes, then add the chicken. After about 20 minutes, our completed dinner was juicy, tangy, and delicious. Yum!

Have a great weekend!

xoxo,
Emily

Health Nuts...or just Nuts?

Happy Sunday, everyone. Yes, tomorrow is Monday, but it's a fresh start to a new week, right?! (Coming from the girl who is currently in between jobs and to whom the day of the week makes no difference)

Tyler and I are definitely starting our week out well. We have both been noticing that neither one of us have been feeling well after eating out or eating unhealthily lately. We just have felt really tired and sluggish. Add that to our recent increase in exercise, we have decided to make a real effort to eat...well, real food! We have done a lot of research, and have decided to try to eat as preservative, dye free, and healthy as possible. We aren't necessarily "going green" or "organic", but we are simply trying to get back to the basics. Trying to get back to eating what our bodies are designed to eat, food, and not fillers. So, most likely, you will see health topics come up a lot in future blog posts, but I will try to mix things up, as well.

Tonight, I will just talk about the re-stocking and re-organization of our refridgerator. No, not freezer, refridgerator. In fact, the only two items in our freezer now are Steamfresh vegetable bags for quick meals/side dishes. I know, shocking. No more corn dogs, no more frozen pizzas. Hence my title..."Health Nuts, or just Nuts?"

I posted some pictures of our fridge now. It is stocked full of fresh fruits and veggies of all kinds, which we took the time today to wash, peel, cut, and prepare. This way, when we are feeling the munchies setting in, we are able to just reach in for a quick but HEALTHY snack. Convenience is key. I even took the liberty of creating "grab bags" full of a variety of veggies for snacks on-the-go. I am also posting some pictures of a few of my favorite items I have picked up and have become staples in our new "diet". So friends and family, what do you think, are we Health Nuts...or just Nuts?

xoxo,
Emily

Ratatouille Night

Tyler's favorite newish Disney movie is Ratatouille, so I thought it would be fun to theme a dinner around it. :) Here is the very, very yummy outcome.

Cookin' Up Some Yummyness & A Healthy New Habit

My goodness I love to cook! I thought this was just a phase, but it is official - I really, really like to cook. I have recently been really into Rachel Ray's 365 days of recipes cookbook from my wonderful Mom. Whom, by the way, bought me the most wonderful birthday presents which I will post a picture of tomorrow. Anyway, back to the food!

Last night, I cooked a homemade Rachel Mac 'n Cheese dish which was wonderful. Tonight, I decided to try another classic, and made a homemade Turkey Taco recipe. It was really good. A little spicy, but very good. A little goes a long way with the chili powder, that's for sure!

So, for the big revelation...my new healthy habit...I enjoy working out!! I know, pigs are flying over Sebring, but I am actually enjoying being active. It is so nice to have a husband who enjoys allowing me to explore working out. He encourages me to mix it up and try new things, so I have been working out about 4 days a week and doing things from biking, jump roping, jogging, and boxing. So fun.

I hope you all have a wonderful evening and are enjoying Shark Week as much as I am!!

xoxo,
Emily