What the Freekeh!

Freekeh

Step to the side quinoa, there's a new super food in town- Freekeh! Bet your wondering, just like I thought, what in the world is this freekeh! Freekeh (free-kah) is just wheat, young green wheat that's been toasted & cracked. It's been around forever, like centuries, but now it's the hot food trend. You might see it called frik or farik. Dr. Oz raves about Freekeh.

Freekeh is a superstar of grain. It's fiberlicious, loaded with fiber. Good source of iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and potassium and has all 9 essential amino acids. One little 1/4 cup serving has 5 g. protein!
You can substitute freekeh for brown rice, quinoa, or any grain in recipes. Freekeh has a uniquely bold nutty, smoky, toasty taste.

Chicken & Asparagus Freekeh

You can use this basic real simple Cooked Freekeh recipe and add any steamed or roasted veggie to it; i also added a protein to make this a super healthy, super yummy one dish meal!

Basic Cooked Freekeh Pilaf

1 c. Freekeh, cracked                                              1/4 c. onion, finely chopped

2 1/2 c. chicken broth                                                3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. olive oil                                                         Black Pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

In a medium saucepan, put in olive oil, onion & garlic, cook just till onions are translucent, don't brown. Now add the rest of ingredients, and just a few dashes of pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover & simmer for bout 25 minutes. That's it!

To make the Chicken & Asparagus Freekeh, all you need to do is gently stir in 1 c. pieces of chicken breast (i used rotisserie chicken) also add 1 c. cooked asparagus, cut in pieces (I used roasted asparagus). So delicious!!!

Freekeh is a popular middle eastern grain, so alot of the Middle Eastern markets carry it. Some Whole Foods have freekeh (not all of the Whole Foods has it). Trader Joe's carry a cooked freekeh, but here again, not all Trader Joe's has freekeh. So, this chick went online and bought her freekeh @Nuts.com (such cute packaging). This 1 lb. package of freekeh was $4.99, but my shipping was about $7.00! Several other websites carry freekeh.

This chick loves Freekeh!

Flirty Blue Eyeshadow & Eyeliner

Jessica Biel
Wearing Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner -Jade
peoplestylewatch.com

Spring is fresh & fun and so are the shades of blue eyeshadows and eyeliners! From sultry sapphires to bright teals, cobalts, and even the softer seafoam. 

The fun, bright eyeliners just make your eyes really dazzle, and works great on any eye color. This Spring the bright blues, like teal are worn on the bottom of your eyelashes only! The darker blue shades like Sapphire, can be substituted for black eyeliners, on top & bottom lashlines, says James Boehner, Nars director of global artistry.

Christian McCulloch, Dolce & Gabbana, make up artist says to apply light shades of blue, like sky blue on lids. Then to add some drama, put shadow on lower lashlines also, or you can use a deep blue shade like cobalt on outer corners of your eyes.

You can check out Sephora.com for Urban Decay-Glide on Eye Pencil-Deep End. Ulta.com or your local drugstores carry some inexpensive Blue eyeshadows & liners- 

Revlon's- Colorstay Shadow Links - Seafoam

Revlon also has a trio eyeshadow in the blues

Loreal- Infalliable Eye Shadow - Timeless Blue Spark

Wet & Wild- Cobalt Shadow @ Walgreens .99

All of these brands have some fantastic eyeliners in the blues & teals

Be Fun! Be Flirty! Be Daring- Wear the blues!

This chick loves the flirty blue eyeshadow & eyeliner!

Light & Easy Roasted Veggies

Roasted Green Beans

Roasting vegetables are so so easy peasy, delicious, and healthy! I used to drizzle my veggies with olive oil before roasting, but tried something different the other day. I sprayed my veggies with +PamOrganic Olive Oil instead of drizzling with olive oil! By spraying with the Pam Organic Olive Oil made the veggies really really light!
To Roast Vegetables:
Preheat oven 450  (i know alot of recipes use lower temp, but I like oven high & hot for roasting)
Put your veggies of choice on a large cookie sheet.
Spray with Pam Organic Olive Oil, just to coatl
Sprinkle with a little kosher salt or sea salt
Put in oven.
Roast 10 min, remove from oven, with a pair of tongs toss veggies to turn them, spray on a little more Organic Olive Oil, and put back in oven for 10-15 more min. depending on your veggie.
Remove from oven, sprinkle on a little more salt. Now enjoy & be Healthy!

*Depending on the vegetables you use, you can squeeze on a little lemon juice. after roasting. Also, you can be creative and sprinkle on any of your favorite herbs along with your salt. I sprinkle on a little oregano & garlic powder on my roasted zucchini. And sprinkle on a little cayenne pepper to my sweet potatoes!

Roasted Kale

You can roast just about any fresh vegetable. Just take a stroll through your fresh produce section of your grocery store. That was the first time roasting green beans, they really turned out yummy. I ate them by themselves also added them to my salad. We all know how healthy kale is, just trim the stock off bottom & they're ready to roast! To roast zucchini or yellow squash, slice them lengthwise bout 1/4 in thick, & follow recipe above. Broccoli & cauliflower, cut them in med size flowerets, takes a little more roasting because of thickness! Sweet Potatoes, cut in wedges, they take a little more time! Asparagus is wonderful, just roast, sometimes squeeze on lemon juice.
These roasted veggies are good to munch on, use as side dishes, or put in your salads. Know you'll love these delicious light veggies too!

This chick loves her light & easy roasted veggies!

Threads for Thought T-shirts

Valorie V-neck

Sadie Scoop Neck

Threads 4 Thoughts t-shirts are wonderfully comfy t-shirts. I love them! So soft & do not shrink up. Bought my first one a couple of years ago, of all places, Whole Foods! I know sounds weird, in there shopping & saw a whole bin full of these Threads 4 Thoughts t's, so I bought the little Valorie v-neck! Loved it so much, found the cute Sadie scoop neck & bought it! They are so cheap, the little Valorie is 12 bucks & Sadie 15 bucks. As you can tell they are not tight baby doll fitting, they are just comfy fitting.

Threads 4 Thoughts has such a great story- the cute high school sweethearts decided their senior year of high school they wanted to make a positive difference in the world. They began creating graphic t-shirts that they were inspired by & issues they deeply care about. Now about 13 years later, here they still are making t's using sustainable materials.They work closely with 2 charities- International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

Their basic t-shirts are 60% organic cotton & 40% Recycled polyester. When i first read that, I thought "what on earth is recycled polyester", did they somehow transform those old leisure suits and make t's out of them! But, it's amazing to me they take those tons of millions of plastic bottles, sort them by color, crush them, melt them down & turn it into yarn, then the yarn is knitted into a finished fabric! Amazing! These t's are so environmentally friendly!

Check out their t's on their website@threadsforthought.com, so many cute, cute colors to pick from. Threads for Thought t-shirts also can be found at Nordstroms, Macy's, Bloomingdales, several specialty boutiques, and yes you can still find them at Whole Foods! With the whole graphic t popularity, it would be fun to buy one of these Threads 4 Thought graphics. I know you will be loving on these comfy t's!

This chick loves Thread for Thought t-shirts!

National Margarita Day & Margarita Recipes

Yes, seriously, there is a National Margarita Day, every year on Feb. 22! Wahoo a day to celebrate & drink one of my favorite cocktails, like I need an excuse to drink one! Those delicious margaritas are shaken up with so many different concoctions- Mango, jalapeno, strawberry, raspberry, watermelon-basil, and how bout those cornoritas, this is just a tiny list of those luscious cocktails! One main thing the best margaritas are made with fresh ingredients - no premix or that icky bottled margarita mixer & made with 100% agave blanco or reposado tequilla.

Lime Squeezer

If you don't have one, these lime squeezer are the best! Not just for margaritas, but anytime you need a lime squeezed or even small lemons. No seeds will get in.


Margaritas are so so easy to make - Here's a great recipe for your basic Lime Hand Shaken Margarita

2 oz.Blanco or Silver Tequilla (a good one)
1 oz. fresh squeezed lime, (usually that's about 1 whole lime)
1 oz. 100% Pure Blue Agave Nectar
Lime wedge, for rim rubbing
Kosher salt, for rim
Prep Glass; Whether you are using a traditional margarita glass or martini glass; take lime wedge & rub the rim of your glass. Put some kosher salt on a plate, & turn your glass upside down on it to coat.
Mix It:  Take a shaker, put in your tequilla, fresh lime juice & agave nectar. Fill shaker about half full of ice. Now shake it up about 15 sec. Strain into your prepped glass full of ice! Sometimes I put a little topper of seltzer on drink before serving.
Drink up! Sooo delicioso & fresh!  Makes 1 drink.
* Best ice to use is small or broken cubes (sorry pic above does not show that)
*To spice up your margarita, you can add a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper to your salt for your rims!

Sure you guys know, there are so many wonderful margaritas out there, we all have our fave places to go to get your margarita fix! Chef Rick Bayless, owner of Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, XOCO, Tortas Frontera &Frontera Fresco, also is the creator of Frontera gourmet foods & did I mention 8 cookbooks! Besides all this he makes a terrific margarita at his restaurants. This is Rick Bayless' table side margarita recipe

Rick Bayless' Topolo Margarita

3/4 c. fresh lime juice, about 3 large limes                          1c. plus 2 Tbsp. blanco tequilla

6 Tbsp. sugar                                                                    1/4 c. Gran Torres orange liqueur

1 c. water                                                                           Lime wedges & coarse salt

Make Limeade: Combine lime juice, sugar and water in a pitcher. Cover & refrigerate if not using right away (no longer than 24 hr)

To Serve: Add tequilla & orange liqueur to the pitcher of limeade. Rub rims of martini glasses with a lime wedge, dip in a dish of coarse salt. In a large shaker, combine half of the margarita mixture w/ half of ice , shake 15-20 sec. Strain into prepared glasses. Repeat w/ rest of ingredients.       Serves 6

Barbakoa House Margarita

This was a kick ass margarita served at Barbakoa Modern Latin Restaurantt, Downers Grove, Il. Instead of salt on the rim, they had one big swoop of salt on the side of the glass. Wasn't sure what you were suppose to do with it, so just went for it, did a big lick up the glass, and took a drink! Damn it was good! Barbakoa makes their House Margarita with hand squeezed lime, organic agave nectar, bourbon barrel aged 100% de Agave Tequilla D'Oro.

El Carmen Restaurant in Los Angeles, CA, have been serving up margaritas a long time. Pretty sure they know about margaritas; they offer over 420 kinds of tequilla! This one sounded really bueno - the Cilantro Ginger Margarita- shaken up with Tonala Reposado, Ginger Liqueur, Agave Syrup, Fresh Lime muddled
w/ Fresh Cilantro. Served on the rocks.

Pretty Petal Pusher

Think this is the prettiest margaritas I've ever seen! This is Colleen Mullaney's margarita recipe

Pretty Petal Pusher

4 oz tequilla                                                                     4 oz. pear nectar

4 oz Lanique rose petal liqueur                                         1 lime, squeezed

In a cocktail shaker filled w/ ice, pour all ingredients & shake well. Let stand to chill, up to 5 min. Strain into chilled martini glass. Garnish with an edible flower, such as a pansy.

Saw this margarita recipe on a spirit website- looked too good not to share

Berry Delicious Margarita

Blend 8 oz. Silver Tequilla, 4 oz Chambord Liqueur, 4 oz. Limoncello, 1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice, 2 c. mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, & Strawberries) in a blender with 3 c. crushed ice. Pour into 4 margarita glasses rimmed with sugar.

Don Julio's Jalapeno Margarita

1 1/2 oz Don Julio Reposado Tequilla                                    1/2 oz Grand Marnier orange liqueur

1 oz. fresh lime juice                                                             Splash of agave nectar

1 jalapeno pepper, muddled                                                  1 Jalapeno pepper for garnish

In a shaker muddle the jalapeno. Add to shaker rest of ingredients with ice. Shake well. Strain into a highball glass over ice. Garnish with the jalapeno pepper.

*Depending who you are serving this to & if they can take the heat, you might consider taking out a few of the seeds from the jalapenos! 

Recipe didn't call for it, but for sure, this chick would add salt to the rim!

Lots of specials going on out there, Sat Feb 22, for National Margarita Day - On The Border Restaurant  is serving their 12 oz House Margarita for $1.00! Or you might head over to  Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville 3PM-4PM- having a complimentary margarita making class, then 5'o clock (somewhere) will have a toast to the official beverage of Margaritaville "The Margarita"!
So whether you like your margaritas on the rocks or frozen; go out & enjoy a margarita (or 2), or even stay home & shake up one of these fabuloso margaritas, Feb. 22 National Margarita Day!

This chick loves National Margarita Day & loves these margarita recipes!

2014 Spring Shoes

Altuzarra Mules

Who said mules can't be sexy! This chick thinks these Altuzarra Spring mules are so sexy(not saying all mules are sexy, because there's alot of ugly ones out there, but these are vampish)! Mules or slides whatever you want to call them, they're back. Spring mules will be seen in all different styles - high heels, kitten heels, chunky heels, closed toes, open toes, pointy toes, boot like, & sandal like!

Jimmy Choo Spring

Jimmy Choo Spring

Pastels & florals, just like in the spring clothing,will be hot for Spring. Jimmy Choo has these beautiful pastel pointy toe heels and pastel strappy sandals. They are out in stores now, just saw these at Saks Fifth Ave.

Kitten heels are hot for Spring. Kitten heels height is usually 1.5 in. to about 2 in. Those cute little kittens will be in pumps, sling backs, sandals and mules. 

Marni Platform S

Platforms & wedges are still out there, in sandals, sneakers, and peep toe booties!

And those oxfords are popping in for Spring. Some are flat, some have heels, and yes, open toed! These 3.1 Phillip Lim oxfords are opened toed & a sling back too!

                                                  

Love Christian Louboutin & really love these Spring cut-out, lace-up sandals; these smokin' hot Christian Louboutin's also come in black (found at Neiman Marcus). 

Christian Dior Pointed Pump

The curved heel seen on the runways, and will be the "must have shoe" for Spring.

  

Herve Leger 

Miu Miu Spring Sandal

   Heels, heels, and more heels! Lastly chunky heels, seen low & high!

Prada Open Toe Bootie

You might even, see ankle & slouchy socks worn with some of the Spring shoes; for I guess you would say a "frolicky, young at heart look"!

There are alot of great kicks out there for 2014 Spring! Some of the Spring/Summer shoe styles, this chick is not a fan, (did not post the Ugly "brutta" ones), believe me when you see some, of those sandals, you will know what I'm talking about!

This chick loves these 2014 Spring shoes!

2014 Spring Pants Silhouettes

       
Even though it's still freezing (and still snowing) outside, thank goodness Spring is just around the corner! According to the Farmer's Almanac, March 20 is officially Spring. Yes, let's all do a happy dance! If you've been shopping lately, you have seen those spring clothes popping up. Because it can still be a little chilly the first part of Spring, it's great to make that transition from winter with a great pair of 2014 Spring pants. Till it warms up you can choose to top them with a feminine blouse,a cute pastel sweater, a sweatshirt, or some sort of jacket. Boxy jackets are popular this Spring. If your pants are voluminous, you might want to wear a a more tailored blazer.
One thing about fashion- one day it's in - next day it's out! Here you have it girls - culottes are back in! Remember those real wide legged pants that flapped in the wind & made you wonder, "is that pants or a skirt?'; well, they're back. They were seen in Fall 2013 in tweeds & wools, but they are here for Spring/Summer too. Culottes are typically real wide legged, hit above the knee, mid-calf, or look like a short skirt. Spring culottes, on the runways, were wide and full of volume or some styles were slim fitting. Slim fitting like Victoria Beckham (pic above left) in her 2014 Spring culottes. Some had pleats, some flat fronted. Culottes will be seen in different fabrics including silk (ex. Etro's culottes above right pic), denim & linen. In my opinion this season's "culottes" are all over the board, some look like your typical wide skirt legged culottes, some look like crop pants, and some even look like a little wider leg Bermuda short! Sooo confusing, think it just depends on the designer & what they want to label them!

Whew- now that we are all confused bout the whole "culottes", lets talk some more pant trends! They can be flowy, voluminous, pleated, slouchy, loose and skinny! White is great for Spring/Summer, especially a wide legged trouser, so classy. Love Rachel Zoe's white trouser, one of her 2014 Spring looks. Also, loving on Etro's silk voluminous pants, they look great and totally comfortable! Another pant still being seen are palazzo pants (long, flowy, wide legged pant). Think I have a palazzo pants obsession, can't remember when I haven't had some type of palazzo pant in my closet! Have had black silk, printed silk, leopard chiffon like, linen, cotton, and knits of all prints. If you have wore palazzo pants, you know what I'm talking about- they are comfortable, you can dress them up or down, where them all seasons, and great for travel! There you have it- what's not to love?

Lastly, a couple more looks for Spring/Summer is the Bermuda short and the skinny trouser. Love both of them, so glad to see both of them for Spring/Summer. This season they are treating the Bermuda short like the pencil skirt. Can be worn with a feminine blouse and cute jacket, as shown in this J.Crew Spring look. Bermuda's and skinny trousers will both be seen in linen, cotton, silk & rayon, also some will be pleated, come flat fronted. 3.1 Phillip Lim has these great lemon abstract skinny trouser in his Spring/Summer collection, I'm in love with them! Both are great with flat sandals,oxfords, but also look fabulous with wedges or pointy pumps.
So many pant options out there for 2014 Spring/Summer. I know for sure, March 20 this chick will be wearing some kind of a Spring pant, maybe worn with a bootie & jacket (depending on weather), but will be wearing them!
This chick loves the 2014 Spring/Summer pant silhouettes!

Unrefined Shea Butter

Unrefined Shea Butter

Unrefined Shea butter, where have you been all my life!! For those of you out there that have been using unrefined Shea butter for years, this chick is so jealous! It is the BEST moisturizer out there!! Heard about it several months ago, and started searching for it in drugstores and health stores nearby, with no luck. Checked it out on the Internet and found it at www.butters-n-bars.com. Unrefined Shea butter is different than products just labeled Shea Butter found on shelves everywhere.

Found out all kinds of things about this wonderful buttery moisturizer. There are 2 kinds of Shea butter - unrefined & refined (don't buy). Come to find out unrefined Shea butter has been used for centuries (still mad at myself for not knowing about this years ago). It comes from the fruit of the karite tree, known as the "tree of life" because of all its healing properties. Besides being an absolutely great moisturizer, it's suppose to help with wrinkles, skin thinning, stretch marks, rashes, chapped lips, sunburns, dark spots, eczema, and more. It's rich in Vitamins A & E. It is in the naturalist form - not processed & no harsh chemicals added. Unrefined is a weird color of cream or kinda greenish buttery color, and a slight funky smell. They say a nutty smell, I think it smells like Crisco shortening (don't worry, spray on your favorite fragrance like you normally do & no one else will smell it). I thought it would smell like cocoa butter, or the yummy smells of body butter when you walk into the Body Shop, but no. That's okay because truthfully my skin has never felt so so soft. It's greasy at first, but soaks in & keeps you moisturized all day! Waiting to see how it works on wrinkles!
Now refined Shea butter, stay away from. It usually has been extracted with hexane or other petroleum solvents, which takes away all the healing properties. It is usually white & has no odor. Some companies do try to trick you labeling their product Pure or Organic, but check it out, if it is bright white & has no smell then it is not unrefined!

This little "Tree of Life" product was cheap! On their website butters-n-bars.com, a 1/2 lb. plastic container was only $4.50 (think my shipping might have been more than the product), and you use such a small amount.

No Doubt, this chick is loving her unrefined Shea butter!

Valentine's Day Pop Tarts

V-day Pop Tarts

Valentine's Day Pop Tarts are the perfect little treat for the special love (or loves, kiddos luv 'em) of your life! They do take a little time to make, but so worth it; you will never ever eat one of those cardboard tasting boxed pop tarts again! Can be made day before, just keep them in a covered container. Can be eaten at room temp, or pop in microwave just a few seconds (15-20 secs. is all); if you have one of those toaster ovens, even more perfect for heating up.

Valentine's Day Pop Tarts

Filling Ingred.

3/4 c. strawberry or raspberry jam                                                  1 Tbsp. water

1 Tbsp. cornstarch                                                                          1-2 tsp. maraschino cherry juice

Go ahead & make filling, so it can cool while making the pop tart pastry.

With a fork, whisk cornstarch with water, till no lumps! In a small saucepan, put in your jam & stir in cornstarchy water, blend. Stir in cherry juice (I added the cherry juice, cuz I feel it brings out the fillings red brightness). Bring to a boil, keep stirring, so it doesn't stick. Simmer about 2 minutes. Remove it from heat & set aside.
                                           

Pastry Ingred.

2 1/3 c. flour                                                                                    1 stick butter, softened (not margarine)

2 Tbsp. sugar                                                                                   1/3 c. shortening

1 tsp. salt                                                                                         2 eggs (1 for pastry & 1 for basting)

1 tsp. baking powder                                                                        2 Tbsp. milk
Pink Icing Ingred.
1 c. powdered sugar
2-3 tsp. maraschino cherry juice
1-2 tsp. milk

Lets make pastry:

In a small bowl, whisk together one of the eggs & milk; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk with a fork the flour, sugar, salt & b. pwder together. With your fork, cut in the butter & shortening till big crumbs form. Add the milky egg mixture, blend with your fork till a soft dough forms. Cover & put in fridge 15 min.
Preheat oven to 350.

Beat slightly other egg; set to side.
Ready to roll out! Dough is very soft, so it rolls out better on a piece of lightly floured wax paper. Make one pop tart at a time. Pinch off part of your dough, roll about 1/8 in thick. Take your heart cookie cutter (pic above is the candy box cutter). Lay to the side on another piece of wax paper. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of your jam filling right in the middle. Baste lightly around the edge with egg. Cut out another heart for top. Lay heart to heart with filling in middle. Press with your fingers all around edges to seal. Press all around the edges with the tines of a fork.Prick with a fork the top of your heart tart, to let steam escape. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake about 25 min, till lightly browned. Remove from oven, place on a platter to cool Cool completely before icing. Makes 5 - 5 in. heart pop tarts.

In a bowl stir together all icing ingredients. Icing should be thin, but not watery. One thing bout this icing, if it's too watery, add more p. sugar. Too thick add a little more liquid. Drizzle or completely frost your pop tarts, however you want to do it. Add some sprinkles if you want or even pink or red colored sugar.

*One of the pop tarts I took a small cookie and barely cut into the top of the heart, instead of picking it.

You can really taste the buttery flavor of the pastry, and the yummy fruit filling; just a Valentine's Day Delight!!

This chick is loving the Valentine's Day Pop Tarts!

Valentine's Day Cookie Cutter

Here you have it, the cheapest 5 in. heart cookie cutter that comes with chocolate! Yes, it is the box of those cheap little V-day candies found in the aisles of Wal Mart for $1.00!
 I was getting ready to work on a Valentine's Day treat, but needed a large heart shaped cookie cutter, had a small one but just needed that large one! Didn't have time to run all over looking for this darn cookie cutter that I was possessed in finding (sure Michaels or some of those other places have them, but no time). Ran into the closest place, Wal Mart! Going down the Valentine's Day aisle were, you guessed it those heart shaped boxes of chocolates for a buck! Thinking "what the hell, this just might work", grabbed this one (bout a 5 in heart) & the smaller one.
As you can tell, the inside of the lid is plastic, with a great edge perfect for cookie cutting or to use on any other heart shaped project you need. Since it is plastic, it can be wiped clean. One added bonus, you can eat those chocolates, while you're cutting away! Didn't even try the small heart shape box lid, because it is all cardboard. Loved the larger one's plastic lid, it worked perfect for cutting out my little treats!

2014 Year of the Horse Trends

Zgallerie "Horse in the Rain" artwork

Here we are, already a few days into it, "2014 Year of the Horse". Chinese New Year celebrates this the Year of the Horse. it runs from Jan.31, 2014 - Feb. 18, 2015. The Chinese zodiac has a 12 yr cycle of animals, and they interact 5 elements - wood, metal, fire, water, and earth. This year it is the wood horse!  I'm not Chinese astrologist, just telling you what they're saying- you are a horse if you were born 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942, 1930, &1918. Your lucky colors are purple, blue, and grey. And here it is you "horse" peeps your lucky numbers are suppose to be 7, 3, 2 (Plz don't hop a flight to Vegas right now, just saying)! You are also very energetic people!
With all that said, "The Year of the Horse", is what's trending now! So we are seeing horses pop up in home & clothing. If horses really aren't your thing, then no need to invest alot in your horse decor,apparel,or accessories.

TJ Maxx Horse Heads.
Marshall's Equestrian Scarf,
Burbery Boots

 Found these great white ceramic horse heads at TJ Maxx, also Z Gallerie has similar, that you can order online. Zgallerie.com has some wonderful horse art also. Love the cute Equestrian scarf i found at Marshalls. Equestrian boots are also popular for "The Horse of the Year" style. Love my Burberry boots, the flat heel & buckle on the ankle give that equestrian style.

Some designers out there like Gucci and Hermes have always had their equestrian style. We are all familiar with the iconic Gucci horse bit design on their handbags, belts, wallets, and jewelry. Gucci also has a beautiful equestrian scarf, I'm in love with. Ralph Lauren also have a few equestrian style in their collections. Harrods.com have a wonderful pair of Ralph Lauren jodhpurs.

modcloth.com

  Horses are popping up everywhere on clothing, jewelry, and handbags. Jonathanadler.com has a really cute little horse wristlet, and Longchamp is celebrating the "Year of the Horse" with the "Le Pilage" handbag in red & black.

Some other places you can find some horsey items are Modcloth.com, they have cute horse scarves, dresses, and skirts! Hotsox.com have some really cute horsey socks.

And lastly, have to mention Forever21- if you want to just flash a little "Horse of the Year" trend and on a tight budget, check out Forever 21, they have some really really inexpensive horse jewelry!

This chick loves "The Horse of the Year" Trends!     

2014 Sochi Winter Olympics - Sporting Styles

2014 Team USA opening ceremony
Clothing by Ralph Lauren

2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are just around the corner, Feb 6-23. Love the Olympics, such admiration goes out to all those athletes. My gosh, the total dedication & commitment these athletes have for the love of their sport is just incredible! A few months ago I was in Salt Lake City, doing my little work out in the hotel gym. I never pay attention to anyone in the gym, I just get in my own zone. While in my zone, doing my warm up on the elliptical, out of the corner of my eye, I thought "Damn, he has some seriously huge calves & quads"! Then, I thought "Geez, wish I had her muscled up ass"! This chick quickly got out of her workout zone, looked around and there it was a gym full of athletes all muscled & chiseled, not your typical peeps you find in hotel gyms! This chick was feeling total gym intimidation! After talking to one of them, they were in Salt Lake City area for 2014 Winter Olympic Speed Skating trials.! Athletes from all over the world, Japan, Italy, and good ol' USA to name a few. Whether it is the speed skaters sprinting across the ice for the fastest time, snowboarders doing tricks and acrobatic type maneuvers in the half-pipe event, or figure skaters attempting the most difficult quadruple jump-no doubt these are hard core athletes competing for the love of their country and the love of their game!

Let's talk Olympic fashion! Ralph Lauren has designed the USA Olympic Opening Ceremony uniforms, keeping up with an All-American style. Uniforms are 100% made in USA!! You can buy these Ralph Lauren 2014 Olympic Team USA fashions on their website @Ralphlauren.com. This is so cool, 100% of purchase price of the opening ceremony cardigan will be donated to the USA Olympic Committee!

2014 Team Norway Curling Team

Really takes confident men to pull this look off (the above pic). Team Norway's Curling team is
known for their way out fashion sense. Besides their red, white, & blue crazy zig zag suit (supposedly paying tribute to Norway's flag), they'll also be wearing black, flowery print pants. This chick has
really never understood curling that sweeping a stone across the ice, but for sure I will watch Olympic Curling just to see these handsome Scandanavian men in their way out fashion!

H&M for the Sweds

The Sweds will be wearing apparel designed by H&M. The Swedish team will definitely be seen on the slopes with this fast fashion, high-performance line!
And of course, the French will go to the 2014 Winter Olympics in French style. Team France will be looking chic in apparel designed by Lacoste.
Several designers are getting inspirations from the Olympics. Greg Armas' womenswear, The Assembly SS2014 Collection, was inspired by the 2014 Winter Olympics. Color theme was grays, blacks, and whites with pops neon, red, & other brights. Perfect womenswear for the athlete on the go!

This chick is loving the winter Olympic styles.
This chick is definitely loving the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics- Go team USA!

Super Bowl Party Food

Well it's almost here, Sunday Feb. 2, Super Bowl XLVIII ( Super Bowl 48), Seattle Seahawks against those Denver Broncos! They're going to play for that National title, at Brrrr the open air MetLife Stadium in New Jersey (such the Jersey / NY argument because stadium is home to NY Jets & NY Giants)
Super Bowl Sunday is a fun partying day, full of all day noshing! No calorie counting today, for real!!! You can see what this chick is talking bout when you see this Denver Broncos Brownie, sooo sinfully chocolatey rich, with fun sprinklings of M&M's on top, popping out a little blue& orange (Broncos colors). Another recipe, this chick came up with Seattle Seahawks Spicy Wings, so easy and no frying mess like most wing recipes! Both of these recipes are so easy, takes the stress out of hosting a Super Bowl Party!

Seattle Seahawks Spicy Wings

1- 4lb. Bag of  chicken wings
2 pkg. onion soup mix
1/2 c. Soy Sauce  ( I used low sodium)
1 c. Lemon juice
1 c. Dark corn syrup
1/2 c. Sriracha Sauce
1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Prep is done the night before.
Like to rinse off chicken wings, pat dry with paper towel, & set to side. In a bowl, mix up rest of ingredients. Pour some of the marinate in another bowl, enough for coating wings, can add more if  needed. Toss wings in marinate to coat heavily. Cover & marinate overnight. Cover & refrigerate
remaining marinade to use later
Preheat oven 400. Place the wings in a single layer on a large
 cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Pour some of the marinade on top of each wing, make sure each wing has some sauce on it. DON'T use all the marinade because you need more for basting later on. Put wings in oven, don't cover, Bake 25 min. Take out of oven,  keeping wings on the pan, drain off the majority of all that liquid in the pan. Turn the wings. Now with the reserved marinade, baste wings heavily, & put bake in oven. Bake 15-20 more minutes. Take out of oven, turn on broiler, when heated up, put those wings under the broiler to brown up a little, about 3-4 min, don't burn! Put these babies on a platter, and they are ready to serve.
These wings have a little spice kick & such great flavor, no need to cover it up with a creamy dipping sauce. The only dipping sauce this chick is serving with her wings, is setting out a bottle of Sriracha Sauce, for those who want to bring on more heat!

     

Love, Love Sriracha Sauce! That's a whole other blog! Make sure you get the bottle with a rooster on it, usually can be found in the Asian food aisle.

Denver Broncos Brownies

These brownies are so insanely rich. Love the chunky topping, it's a real man's dessert real rugged like!
So easy peasy, can be made day before just cover up so they don't get dry.

1 box Ghiradelli - Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
1 box Ghiradelli - Double Chocolate Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1 stick + 1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 c. salted peanuts (not dry roasted), coarsely chopped
1 c. Peanut Butter M&M's
1 c. Peanut M&M's

Preheat oven 325. Generously grease 13x9 baking dish.

Coarely chop Peanut M&M's. Basically just chop them in half, be careful they are slippery suckers when you try to chop them (can do this days in advance & put in a ziploc baggie till ready to use). Set aside.
In a large bowl, put in brownie mixes, then add everything except all M&M's and peanuts. Mix thoroughly with a large spoon. Pour into greased baking dish. Now sprinkle on the salted peanuts, next sprinkle on Peanut Butter M&M's, and lastly those chunks of Peanut M&M's. Bake about 45-50 min. Don't overbake. Wait till completely cooled to cut. Enjoy- Love the saltiness of the peanuts with the sweet chocolate!

This chick is loving the Super Bowl Party food!

























            Denver Broncos Brownies

Orange Lipstick! Wear it Now!

This chick is obsessing over the orange lipstick! Don't wait for spring - wear it now! Orange lipstick is so bright and sexy. It's been seen on runways and red carpets, pushing those red lips to the side. Just about everybody can wear this fun, tantalizing orange lipstick. An orange lipstick with peachy, coral tones compliment fair complexions. Dark complexions can be daring and wear that neon orange, but the orange with red hues are more complimentary. Don't forget the lip liner, choose one that matches your shade of lipstick.Wear blush lightly and keep it similar to the shade of the lipstick, or wear a bronzer. For all you girls out there that really want to rock neon orange, love it, tone down your make-up, make those lips be the crowd stoppers! Here's some great orange lipsticks to try- MAC - Lady Danger & Morange; Nars - Heat Wave; Revlon Super Lustrous - Carnival; Maybelline's Sensational Vivids - Electric Orange.
No doubt, everyone will be obsessing over orange lipstick!
This chick loves her orange lipstick!

2014 Nail Trends

Nude Polish Trend

 2014 really has some great new nail trends for everyone's since of style. Anywhere from neutral nudes, milky whites, & sheer pinks to jewel encrusted. Nail shapes were this chick's fave- short, filed slightly oval all the way to "stiletto", long & pointy nails. Love the nude nails they are modern & can just go with anything you are wearing. Make sure the nude polish matches close to your skin tone.
During 2014 Spring Fashion Week Helmut Lang models had short nails topped with Essie's Sugar Daddy, a sheer pink. Models for Nanette Lepore strutted runway with short nails that were polished with Essie's Blanc, a classic white base coat. Some other great neutral polishes - Essie's Allure & Fed Up, OPI- Don't Pretzel My Buttons, Butter London - Pink Ribbon, and Maybelline's Colour Show Nudes Collection - Bare It All.

Half Moon Mani

 Half moon mani's were also seen at spring fashion week. Polishing the entire nail with a color then painting that little natural half moon shape that we all have on our nails. Some possible combinations of nail polishes that were trending are polishing nails with Butter London Sheer Nude Nail Foundation, then fill half moons with Butter London's Lady Muck. A reversal on the French manicure, OPI Don't Pretzel My Buttons and fill half moon with OPI Alpine Snow.
A twist on the so out dated French mani ( the sheer nail & white nail strip across top), is to paint the entire nail a color then apply a thin slice of a contrasting polish on top edge of nail. Love the application of Essie's Lilacism, an opaque lilac shade, on nail then just a thin little strip on top of nail in Essie's Sand Tropez, a sandy taupe like shade.
Metallic's are popular for Spring too! Nicole Miller's models sported metallic nails with ombre effect nails. Butter London's 444 polish applied to nail, then a tip of a black glitter shade, Butter London's - The Black Knight, was applied then blended to create an ombre effect.
Spring wouldn't be Spring without the pastel shades, trendy colors from pinks to pale yellows. Also popping are a few vivids including orange. Keep nail art simple with stripes & checks Butter London's - Molly Coddled , is their take on 2014 Pantone's Color of the Year.
And lastly the "stiletto" nails! This chick is not a fan of these long pointy nails, but hey, everyone's styles are different! The "stiletto" nails were seen with neutral polishes, then tiny rhinestones placed on nails as dots or triangular shapes, or even a metallic stripe painted on them.
Just about all of these can be found at +Ulta.com
This chick loves the 2014 Spring Nail Trends!

Peter Pilotto for Target

Feb. 9 the Peter Pilotto spring womenswear collection will land in Target stores! The Peter Pilotto label is the brainchild of two London based designers- Peter Pilotto & Christopher De Vos. Peter focuses on the textiles and these crazy prints. De Vos is all about the silhouette and the drape of the garment. Peter Pilotto for Target will feature about 70 pieces of their womenswear, accessories, and swimwear. They've done a terrific job in keeping their price points so affordable - $14.99 - $79.99. An assortment of Peter Pilotto clothing will be available on net-a-porter.com, a premier luxury online retailer that reaches international audiences.

Peter Pilotto's spring collection color palette are greens, blues, reds, and oranges. They have some really vibrant digital prints that are bursting with floral patterns. Pretty cray-cray, but pretty fun! They are hoping to reach a big audience from 15 yr old girls - 75 yr. old women! This chick has never tried on or wore any Peter Pilotto clothing, but excited to try. Their fit is suppose to be amazing. They understand a woman's body, and drape things where we need them draped, and make the silhouette to flatter our body! Some celebs are Peter Pilotto followers- Kate Bosworth, Miranda Kerr, Sienna Miller, Kristen Stewart, Kerry Washington, and Emma Watson.
This chick already loves Peter Pilotto for Target!