Cotton Candy Fro

Burt's Bees Acai Berry

2012-02-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

I bought this in a two pack. The other one was the mango one that I reviewed not too long ago. I paid about $1.50 for it.

Burt Bee's Claims:

Super fruit meet stunning lips. We tapped the power-packed Açaí berry for a healthy infusion of Vitamins A, C, D, and E, antioxidants and moisturizing Omega Oils. The result? A 100% natural lip balm born to beautify and revitalize your lovely lips.

• Provides a healthy infusion of Vitamins A, C, D, and E, antioxidants and Omega Oils• Sweet tropical flavor

Scent:
The scent was the deal breaker for me. It smells like Flintstone's vitamins. I hate that smell. The only vitamins I like eating are the Flintstone gummies. I don't like taking that trip down memory lane every time I want to get a little moisture on my lips.

Moisturization:
It's Ok. It doesn't have any long term benefits. I use it, and then not too long after I need to reapply.

Would I repurchase?
No the scent is horrible.

Zucchini Walnut Bread

2012-02-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

This would be the second zucchini bread that I've made. The First one was the Raspberry one. Out of the two would say this is a more traditional recipe. It made two generous loaves that were pretty good. I mean they weren't amazing but they were good. If I were looking for an average recipe, this would be one too try.

I did have a little trouble with one of them not completely cooking in the center but that was my fault because I didn't leave it in long enough.

By: Barbara Domurat

A delicious, moist, bread which may be glazed with confectioners' sugar, even better after frozen."

Ingredients

1 cup chopped walnuts
4 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Gradually beat in sugar, then oil. Add flour mixture alternately with zucchini into the egg mixture. Stir in the raisins, walnuts, and vanilla. Pour batter into two 9 x 5 inch greased and lightly floured loaf pans.
Bake on lowest rack of the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto racks to cool completely. To freeze, wrap loaves in plastic wrap, and then wrap in heavy freezer paper. Will keep indefinitely.

Yankee Candle Orange Dreamsicle HouseWarmer Jar

2012-02-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

For some reason I had to have this. Blame it on the fact that I was craving some orange sherbert. Back in my childhood days I just LOVED orange sherbert. That and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream created a big happy explosion in my mouth.

Because I had a craving I went out and purchased this:

I liked the Sherbert part of the ice cream but don't really like the vanilla part of this icecream. *sad face.

And this:

Now I was counting on this candle to help me get through the worst of my cravings, but instead it just laughed. This does NOT smell like orange sherbert. It smells like orange starbursts. Which is OK. But it doesn't do that thing to the room where I just inhale and exhale in complete and utter satisfaction. In fact, it doesn't really do a good job of filling the room at all.

The good news is that I get an even burn. (Remember to let your candles burn long that the wax reaches the edges)

Sorry Yankee, I need ya'll to go back to the drawing board for this fragrance. (and work on the smoking) Better luck next time!

The Body Shop Animal Soaps

2012-02-06T20:59:00.000-08:00

These were too cute too pass up. I bought the whole bag for about three dollars. Now I know what your thinking, a grown woman-using animal soaps? Yeah, don't judge me.

The Turtle:

He had more detail, but as you can see I used him washing away some of his detail. Umm, he smelled Ok. I thought it would smell more like Olive but it smelled like a mixture.

The Whale:

Um, he smelled like the turtle. Can you say disappointed? I was thinking it would be Mango.

The Elephant:

Smelled like the above with a "tinge" of grapefruit. Sidenote- I love elephants ever since I've seen that movie Water for Elephants.

The Rhino:

Umm thought this would smell like cherries. Can you guess what it smelled like? If you said the turtle and the whale then you guess correctly.

The Polar Bear:

Without a doubt the cutest of the bunch. And smelled just like the rest of em' and not the coconut I expected.

So I guess you can tell I was disappointed. If they each had a different scent I would have been just a tad but happier. And lotion after these soaps was not optional. It was a must. And they shrank away much to quickly. Anywho, I would not recommend even though the shapes of these soaps are too cute. Maybe I'll have better luck with the fruit soaps.

Fantasia IC Hair Polisher Olive Styling Gel

2012-02-06T20:44:00.000-08:00

I've used the original but thought it was about time for me to try the one for dry har. Can't go wrong with Olive Products or can you?

I paid $3.99 for it. Or $4.99. I can't really remember.

Scent:
It smells like your typical Olive scented product. Nothing amazing, nothing offensive. I have used the original but I can't really remember what it smelled like.

Moisturization:
Let's just say, it doesn't dry my hair and leave it at.

Shine:
Honestly, it's average.

Hold:
It's OK. Nothing spectacular and nothing bad about it.

Does it define my curls?
Umm, honestly I've used things that did a better job at defining my hair.

Ingredients:
Purified Water (Aqua), Glycerin, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Silk, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice (Aloe Vera), Dimethicone Copolyol, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vit. E), Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Polysorbate-20, Benzophenone-4, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance (Parfum).

As you can tell, I feel this product was just "average". I don't love it, and I don't hate it. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to buy it again.

Who Inspired Your Natural??

2012-02-02T17:50:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged in a good minute. The month has been crazy. Well, it's February now, but you get my drift. So I was watching TV, something I rarely do and I was thinking about who "inspired" me to go natural.

1. Rachel True- Now I won't say that Half and Half was a great show, but back when UPN still existed and they had a great Monday line-up, I watched it. Well, I watched Rachel True's hair. You don't understand how much hair envy I had when looking at her hair. The two colors, she rocked, and her hair texture made me want to go natural SO bad. Unfortunately I was discouraged from going natural by certain people when I mentioned it until I just went for it. I still catch reruns of Half and Half and still love looking at her hair!!

2. Natalie Desselle-Reid- She was in BAPS. And Eve (horrible show but I watched it too). Her hair is so gorgeous. Not only that but she knows how to accessorize it well.

3. And this one is kind of cheating, but this picture was probably when her hair was natural. It sure wasn't permed. I just love the way it looked pressed out. It was was thick. And it general, I just love Phylicia Rashad. And her hair especially on the first season of The Cosby Show!

4. Pam Grier- It's confession time. I have never seen a movie with Pam Grier. But her afro is something I've always seen. I LOVE IT. 'Nuff said.

5. Bernadette Stanis- Ain't her afro gorgeous. I remember watching Good Times in the sixth grade and wondering why the Afro went out of style.

And those are the people that inspired me to go natural. Who inspired you to go natural?

Zucchini With Basil Cream

2012-01-22T16:07:00.000-08:00

More zucchini recipes. It will never stop. I wasn't sure what to expect from this recipe but honestly, it was so good. I've tried quite a few recipes making zucchini and this one is one of the better ones. I made this for Christmas dinner. No complaints from anyone. Even my younger sister ate and LIKED it. The only problem I had was I had to cook the carrots way longer than stated and used more than the amount of broth the recipe called for.

The basil sauce stuff was truly good and this was actually really easy to make. I recommend it. From allrecipes.com.

By: Annabelle Erhart

"I enjoy cooking and have a big garden every year. I like to fix this colorful side dish that makes the most of fresh zucchini and carrots. --Annabelle Erhart of Missoula, Montana"

Ingredients

1 cup chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
dash cayenne pepper
2 small carrots, julienned
4 medium zucchini, cut into 2-inch julienne strips
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring the broth, garlic and cayenne to a boil; cook, uncovered, until mixture is reduced by a third. Add carrots. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add zucchini; cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain.
Combine the cornstarch and milk until smooth; stir into vegetables. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add Parmesan cheese and basil; stir gently. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Quick Candle Haul

2012-01-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

I've bought a few more candles since my last candle post...but unfortunately I had to leave them in Germany. Didn't feel like taking them on the plane with me. So I needed some for while I'm here. And I bought three.

I'll probably do a review on them a little later.

I picked up a Ralph Lauren Candle for ten bucks. It's called Ever wood and is described as pecan, vanilla, and hazelnut.

The other two I picked up are Halloween candles that were on clearance at a price that I just coudn't pass up.

I bought Witches Brew which is a patchouli scent for three. And Candy Corn medium jar for four dollars. They had a few more that were on sale. I may go back and pick up another Candy Corn. Not sure yet.

And I am "borrowing" a candle warmer from home. It's cool. Great for places where you can't have an open flame but I prefer to burn my candles. I might stop in Walmart and pick up a few candles, I hear their candles are supposed to be pretty good. The candle on the Warmer is from Walmart but it has lost it's scent...I think I'm going to have to throw it away soon.

Straight Hair, Don't Care

2012-01-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

About two or so weeks ago, I had my hair straightened. I was really in need of a trim...but I honestly was not satisfied. I went to this beauty/barbershop called Black and Whites in Landstuhl. And let me just say never again. I was there for four hours. FOUR. Mind you, it does not take four hours to straighten my hair. The woman that was doing left in the middle of it for TWO hours to meet with her lawyer.

Can you say unprofessional?

And then had the nerve to tell me she was going to give me the haircut "free", but charge the the same rate anyway. She probably thought I wouldn't notice. The sad thing is this woman was talking that "Jesus Talk" the whole time and was quoting bible versus to her friends.

*Blank Look

So I payed 45 euros...roughly almost sixty bucks. And I wasn't even satisfied with what it looked like. She kept adding more and more heat to it, and it didn't stay looking the same for more than twenty minutes afterwards. AND she bashed some of the German woman stylists and honestly the German woman that did my big chop and straightened my hair did a much better job.

But anywho, these were the five day later results. My hair took a beating with the coloring that I used, so I'm trying to grow it out. My natural hair without the color was soo soft. Now I'm going to concentrate on getting my hair back to what it was before when I hadn't used the coloring. It was longer. I lost about two inches of length.

Note: I pumped it up on purpose. I was dealing with major shrinkage so I decided to be silly with it.

Oh yeah, almost forgot, after the straightening some of my hair did NOT curl back up. I'm going to attempt straightening it myself in about a month.

Yeah, I talk to myself. LOL. So what?

Beyonce..

2012-01-20T18:13:00.000-08:00

almost a little bit scared to write this post. I used to be the biggest fan of Beyonce..then I grew up. I still like her...she has some catchy songs and her music videos are always interesting to watch but I don't think she has the greatest voice. I would go to her concert in a heartbeat though.

Anyway, these are my favorite songs by her. I do miss when she would sing straight up R and B though.

Deja Vu

Get Me Bodied

Suga Mama

UpGrade U

Kitty Kat

Irreplaceable

Resentment

Listen

I'de Rather Go Blind

Check On It

Naughty Girl

Baby Boy

Be With You

Yes

Speechless

That's How You Like It

The Closer I Get To You

Dangerously in Love

Fever

Ego

Hello

Scared of Lonely

That's Why Your Beautiful

If I Were a Boy

Halo

Broken Hearted Girl

Ave Maria

Radio

Diva

Sweet Dreams

Smash Into You

Countdown

Dance For You

I Miss You

Start Over

I Care

End of Time

I was Here

Roc

Woman Like Me

Crazy in Love

He Still Loves Me

As you can see my Beyonce library is quite big. What can I say? He songs are catchy. This is currently my fave video right now, I wanna learn the dance so bad.

And this is random, but can someone why they named that child...BLUE Ivy?? The names celebs give their kids. SMH.

Hated Products of 2011

2012-01-03T19:13:00.000-08:00

So yesterday I wrote about the products I loved and now it's time for my most hated....

1. Brazil Nut Shower Cream...and the Coconut one and the Jolly Orange one. I was expecting a super delicious scent..

2. Olive Oil Smooth n Hold Pudding- Made my hair hard and dry....

3. Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar-Unscented- Hated the smell and what it did to my hair.

4. Organix Coconut milk Shampoo and Conditioner- Smelled heavenly but was horrible for my hair.

5. Twisted Sista Shampoo and Conditioner- Another dry hair maker.

And there you have it...my most hated products of 2011!

The Body Shop Hemp Body Butter

2012-01-03T18:56:00.000-08:00

It's time for yet another body butter review. This tie the Hemp one. The only other product I've usedin the Hemp range was the Hemp Hand Cream and that was pretty good.

The Body Shop claims:
Repair dry skin using an ultra-rich, herbal-scented cream that moisturizes and conditions for up to 24 hours.

Scent:
Let's talk about the smell first. Now it smells...very earthy. And I have a feeling that a lot of people won't like the scent. I was a little prepared for it since I've used the hand cream. The scent isn't really that bad. It will take some getting used to though.

Moisturization:
Excellent. I love the way this makes my skin feel. It's the most moisturizing of all the body butters.

Texture:
At first I was scared of the texture. It looked quite scary sitting in the tub. It's a light green color that takes a lil getting used to. But once I scooped up a little and rubbed it on, it felt like skin. Love the texture.

Ingredients:
Water (Solvent/Diluent), Hemp Seed Oil (Emollient), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) (Emollient), Cyclopentasiloxane (Emollient), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Butter (Emollient), Glycerin (Humectant), Orbignya Oleifera (Babassu) Oil (Emollient), Glyceryl Stearate (Emulsifier), PEG-100 Stearate (Surfactant), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Lanolin Alcohol (Stabiliser/Emollient), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Fragrance (Fragrance), Methylparaben (Preservative), Propylparaben (Preservative), Xanthan Gum (Viscosity Modifier), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Tocopherol (Antioxidant), Talc (Absorbent/Bulking Agent), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Chromium Oxide Greens (Colour), Iron Oxides (Colour).

Do I recommend? Yes if you have dry skin...and you can handle the scent.

Faves of 2011

2012-01-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

The year 2011 is over...and here come 2012. I hope everyone had a great New Year's!!

And here is my list of faves for 2011.

The Body Shop Almond Shower Gel- Such a relaxing scent!!

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Mists- Love this scent..and a bottle lasts forever!!!

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion- Makes my eye shadow last much longer!

MAC 239- My favorite eye shader brush..though expensive.

Black Amethyst Eau De Toilette- Sexiest scent I've owned.

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Body Butter-Hands down my favorite body butter..it smells delish.

And there you have it, my favorite products from 2011. Stay tuned for my least favorite product of 2011!!

What were your faves?

Yankee Candle Vanilla Cupcake Large Tumbler

2012-01-02T17:29:00.000-08:00

As I sit here writing this review, I have my Vanilla Cupcake candle burning. And it is heavenly.

It makes my whole room smell like freshly burned cupcakes within minutes of burning.

I haven't had issues with it smoking or sooting but I did have a few issues with it trying to tunnel. I ended up pushing the wax down.

Love it and highly recommend if your into vanilla scents. I paid around thirteen for it with a coupon. They are regularly 25 which is rather pricey for a candle.

Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Ultra Foam Cleanser

2012-01-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

It seems I just can't get away from Neutrogena facial products. I got this from my mom who picked it up for maybe three dollars because it had a dent in it. I can't find it on the website though so maybe they discontinued it.

Neutrogena claims:

Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Ultra Foam Facial Cleanser refreshes your skin and awakens your senses with a super tingly foaming lather that deep cleans down to your pores.

Scent:

It smells...clean and medicinal. I like it.

Cleansing:

It does the job.

Does it dry my skin?

Can't say that it does.

What make it special?

The tingle. I hafta use maybe four or five pumps and really make sure to work it into my skin and when I do...refreshment. My face feels extra fresh. I love that feeling.

Ingredients:

Water, Glycerin, PEG-8, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate, Disodium Lauroamphodiacetate, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Methyl Gluceth-10 Hydroxypropyldimonium Chl.Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Menthol, DMDM Hydantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Methylparaben, Violet 2, Fragrance.

Nothn great except the menthol. Wish the ingredients were better.

Do I recommend?

Yep. It's a nice face cleanser.

MAC Lap of Luxury Lip Glass

2012-01-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

My first Lip Glass from MAC!!!!

*jumps up and down.

I bought this from some discount makeup store for ten bucks. These usually are $14.50. I hear it's from the fabulous felines collection. It's described as a "dark eggplant with pearl".

MAC claims:
A unique lip gloss available in a wide variety of colours that can create a high gloss, glass-like finish or a subtle sheen. Designed to be worn on its own, over Lip Pencil or Lipstick, Tinted Lipglass is the perfect product for creating shine that lasts. It's pigmented, very shiny and can impart subtle or dramatic colour. It contains Jojoba Oil to help soften and condition the lips. Tinted Lipglass is packaged in a convenient bottle with a sponge tip applicator that provides a quick, smooth, even application.

First thing I noticed (and loved) was the vanilla scent. It smells good. And I like having vanilla scented lips.

It's kinda sticky but not in a bad way. I think thats what makes it last so long.

And I love the color. It's such a pretty shade of purple but on my it kinda looks like a pinky purple that is nowhere near as dark as it was in the container.

I recommend it. Just wish it were cheaper. I can't wait to get my hands on more!!!

The Body Shop Brazil Nut Shower Cream

2011-12-27T14:52:00.000-08:00

I was so excited when I saw this. Mostly because I loved the scent of the body butter even though it didn't moisturize my skin enough. I bought this over the summer for four euro or around six dollars. Was it all that and then some?

The Body Shop Claims:
Moisture-rich, creamy, cleansing bubbles for your bath, and an indulgent and soothing experience for you. Containing Community Trade brazil nut oil to moisturise.

The short answer is no.

Scent:
I hate the scent. It's smells like sweet nuts, with that same artificial scent that the coconut shower cream had. Blech.

Moisturizing:
It's certainly not drying, but no more moisturizing then their regular shower gels. My knees and elbows are a little smoother though.

Lather:
One of my biggest complaints is the lack of lather. Now if this product were all natural and cheaper I could forgive the fact that it is rather lacking in lather. Since it's full of chemicals, I expect better lather.

Ingredients:
Water, Cocomidopropyl Betaine. Sunflower Seed Oil, PEG-5 Cocamide, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Acrylates C10-30, Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Brazil Nut Oil, Acrylates Steareth 20 Methacrylate Copolymer,Phenoxethanol, Fragrance, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Caramel 4

Do I recommend?
Nope. Wish I could though because I was all ready to love something in the Brazil Nut line. Maybe the scrub is my only hope.

My Newest Obsession: Yankee Candles

2011-12-27T14:17:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays so far!! I know I sure have. I love Christmas time. And I have a new obssession. Yummy Smelling Candles. I had always sniffed all the scents in the BX for as long as I can remember but never bothered buying any. Mostly because they are crazy ridiculous expensive.

A few years ago, I picked up a few tarts because they were dirt cheap. I think twenty scents. The two scents were the Sunwashed Linen and the Lemon Lavender. The sunwashed linen was aight, but the lemon lavender is one that I LOVE. I love burning the tarts. If you don't know what tarts are, they are better than the candles because the scent is stronger and fills more space with scent. You either put them in an electric warmer or oil burner with a tea light candle.

Anywho, I got a coupon in the store for 10 bucks off of a twenty-five dollar purchase. Pretty good deal, So I picked up the bug tumbler of the Vanilla Cupcake. And I LOVE it!! Within minutes my whole room smells of it. And I bought a few tarts to add to my tart collection.

I did a mini review of the Vanilla Cupcake Room Spray. But I like the candle more.

Do you like Yankee Candles? Which ones are your favorites?

Zucchini with Chickpea and Mushroom Stuffing

2011-12-23T07:11:00.000-08:00

Ummm. So I'll get right to the point. It has good reviews on allrecipes.com. I didn't like it. I hated the zucchini shells. The stuffing was aight. It just needed sauce. I think it could be better if it were made with potatoe instead.

I didn't take many pictures of it. on the plus it was low calorie. But I added cheese, sour cream, and sometimes ketchup. Still wasn't that great.

By: jackie

"A great vegetable dish that can be used as a centerpiece or as a side. Can be lovely when served with tomato based sauce and a green vegetable, or I have even had them with traditional roasted vegetables at Christmas."

Ingredients

4 zucchini, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 (8 ounce) package button mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish.
Scoop out the flesh of the zucchini; chop the flesh and set aside. Place the shells in the prepared dish.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions for 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 2 minutes more. Stir in chopped zucchini and mushrooms; saute 5 minutes. Stir in coriander, cumin, chickpeas, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into zucchini shells.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until zucchini are tender.

Betty Wright

2011-12-23T07:04:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows Betty Wright. Unfortunately, I don't really love her most popular songs. But I do love Clean Up Woman.

And I found out that Beyonce sampled Girls Can't do What the Guys Can for Upgrade U. I love finding the original music for things!

N.Y.C Pink Promenade Cream Long Lasting Nail Enamel

2011-12-23T06:59:00.000-08:00

I know that painting looks a mess. I just was too lazy to go ahead and clean in up.

Anyhoo, I picked this up for 99 cents. It was worth it. Now it is a little streaky and it's a two coater but I can't complain for the price.

I like it better on my toes though. It only looks aight on my hands.

Oh well.

If you see it, it's not a bad buy. Just make sure you have a great top-coat.

P.S- It's brighter in person...

N.Y.C Pink Promenade Cream Long Lasting Nail Enamel

2011-12-23T06:52:00.001-08:00

A Connection to my Great Grandmother

2011-12-17T17:06:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my grandfather and learned the MOST interesting thing about my great grandmother whom I don't remember much at all. I think I saw her one time.

I must have been around four and I just remember being led to a dark little room and there being two extremely OLD people sitting in rocking chairs and chewing on sunflower seeds. I'm guessing that one was my great grandmother and one was my great grandfather.

As you probably know, they didn't have perfumes back then. Well at least not in my family. They all worked on the farm. They mostly used home made lye soap to stay smelling fresh. But my grandpa told me that his mother would squeeze the peel of oranges on her wrist and neck before going off to church. I tried it and I have to admit it smells pretty good. She must have had some strong fingers to do so.

Anywho, I was so excited to learn that, I thought I would share with my readers!! I wish I had a photo to share also...

Anywho, does anybody know anymore of what they did "back in the day" to stay looking and smelling fresh without all the products we have now?

Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara

2011-12-17T16:59:00.000-08:00

I needed a new mascara, and honestly I think I bought it because of the pretty green tube. Well that and it's supposed to GROW your lashes. I paid about seven bucks. Was it just a gimmick?

Revlon claims:

Get lashes that not only look instantly longer and lusher, they will also grow stronger day after day. Lash enhancing formula complements the natural growth cycle of your lashes and improves their overall appearance and condition with each use.

So the brush reminds me of Bad Gal Lash mascara. I held thme up side by side and they were the exact same. And it's crazy because this does for my lashes exactly what the other one did. Except I think this formula was a tad more wet.

I've been using this and I can honestly say I haven't seen any increase in thickness or length. I'll keep using it until it runs out though.

It comes in four colors but I just bought regular old blacked black. They have Black Shimmer though and I have to be honest that one looks interesting. I should have picked that one up.

As for how it performs on my lashes, I'de give it a B+. It's just a little better than averge. It doesn't have that extra oomph that my favorites have. I notice more length also than thickness.

Overall, it's Ok but nothing that I would buy again. If it had worked and actually grew my lashes, I would have rated it higher. Have you tried it? Did you notice growth?

Zu's Fried Apple Pies

2011-12-17T16:27:00.000-08:00

Mcdonalds Apple Pie. Thats what I thought of when I saw the recipe. Minus all the added junk like corn syrup and the other stuff. I love Mcdonalds apple pies though, so I was excited to try these. And they were good. But not "I gotta have it". I think I might like them more baked. I didn't like the oil taste.

And they were a lot of work. Rolling out that dough was a challenge. But the plus is that I learned how to make pie crust. And apple pie filling. And I had some left over that I would add to oatmeal and cream of wheat for a little home made apples and cinnamon breakfast. It was better than the packets!! And healthier too.

I probably wouldn't make them again though. They were just "aight". Maybe I'll try another recipe though.

"These are simple and delicious. My kids can't stop eating them! I sometimes use canned apple pie filling and a little sugar and maybe add some ground cinnamon to pastry. Yum!"

Ingredients

2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup water, or as needed
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar

Directions

Place the apples into a saucepan with the sugar and cinnamon, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook the apples, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes; mash the apples with a fork to form a chunky applesauce. Set the apple filling aside.
Whisk flour and salt together in a bowl, and cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until the dough is moistened, and knead several times just until dough holds together. Place dough onto a floured surface, pat into a round, and roll out 1/8-inch thick. Use a large round cookie cutter (4 inches in diameter) to cut the dough into 8 rounds.
Place a heaping tablespoon of apple filling onto the center of a dough round, and use your finger to moisten the edge of the crust with cold water. Fold the dough over the filling, and crimp the edges with a fork to make a half-moon-shaped pie. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Pour the oil into a skillet over medium-high heat, and gently lay 2 or 3 pies into the hot oil. Fry to a golden brown color, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain the pies on paper towels. Sprinkle a pinch of confectioners' sugar over each pie to serve. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.