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Vote for Your August Book!

simplystatedadmin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:28:50 -0400

Our book discussion in August will be moderated by Real Simple editorial assistant and blogger Nykia Spradley. This month, at the suggestion of club members, we’ve included a choice by Jodi Picoult. (Is there a book you would like the club to read? Add it to the list here .) Vote for your favorite of the following four books by Sunday, July 26:

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett: A gripping story about the relationship between several young white women and their black hired help in the 1960s segregated South.

The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery: A view of life, privilege, and power, as seen through the eyes of a 54-year old French concierge and a precocious but troubled 12-year-old girl.

The Girl Who Played With Fire, by Stieg Larsson: Larsson’s thriller follows a journalist who’s attempting to expose an extensive sex trafficking operation between Eastern Europe and Sweden, implicating well-known and highly placed members of Swedish society, business, and government.

Change of Heart, by Jodi Picoult: A tale of a mother’s tragic loss and one man’s last chance at gaining salvation.

Click here to register your vote.

Current Favorites: Day And Night Mascara

michellemadhok — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0400

These days, these are the two mascaras in I keep digging for from my very crowded makeup bag:

(Left, Tarte Lash Hugger Natural Mascara, $18 at Sephora, Right, Smashbox Bionic Mascara, $19 at Smashbox)

The Tarte mascara is paraben- sulfate- and petro chemical-free, but frankly I’d use it even if it weren’t. (It also comes in a recycled aluminum tube.)

I invariably swipe it on before work, because it has a not-too-crazy thickening/lengthening effect that’s just right for the office, and it never clumps.

Smashbox Bionic, on the other hand, is ideal for evenings out: four or five coats will deliver a really full, almost faux-lash look. One or two will add enough volume to stand up to a smoky eye.

And neither flakes off onto your face, which is always nice.

See SheFinds editors’ Best Mascara picks for more lash-plumping finds.

Transforming Leftovers

kateparker — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:09:17 -0400

I hate seeing food go to waste - especially when I'm the one who took the time and effort to prepare that food. When planning menus for parties, I'm always thinking about what I'll do with the leftovers - which items are good (or better) after a day or two in the fridge, and which can be easily transformed into new dishes.

The perfect example: Black Bean and Corn Salsa. I made a huge batch of it last weekend for a Fourth of July cookout, and while we consumed plenty of it on the Fourth, the recipe yields a hearty portion and we continued to eat it for - count 'em - three days in a row. How did I not get sick of this dish? Two reasons: 1) It's refreshing and absolutely delicious (with crisp, basic ingredients you don't get sick of) and 2) I mixed it up!

My Salsa has fresh grilled corn (cut from the cob), black beans (rinsed and drained), red and green peppers, jalapeno pepper for heat, diced onions, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, and a splash of olive oil. All chopped up and mixed together. There's an even easier version (that's quite similar) here.

The no-brainer leftover go-to when dealing with these ingredients is one of my favorite easy dishes: quesadillas. I simply heat some oil in a pan, place one flour tortilla in, spread some shredded mexican or cheddar cheese across the top, then spoon in a hearty serving of the leftover salsa, top with more cheese, another tortilla, flip, cook, and voila - dinner in 5 minutes.

If you cooked a few too many burgers on the grill the night before (like I did last weekend), you can crumble the cooked burger meat into the quesadilla as well. Sidenote: I always over-estimate the number of burgers to serve at a cookout (one of my eternal hostess flaws - I make too much!), so this is a great way to not let that meat go to waste as well. I also use it in quick pasta sauces. But I digress...

Salsas like this are also great for instantly transforming your average breakfast into a more brunch-worthy dish. I do a mexican scramble with this leftover salsa as well. Just put the salsa in your skillet first (with butter) so it heats up while you beat the eggs, then add eggs and scramble. I serve this with a spoonful of the cold salsa on the side and a dollop of sour cream.

And finally - Fiesta Salad. This is basically what I call all salads that I throw together at the last minute using whatever I have handy, and let me tell you - Fiesta Salad always manages to turn out quite yummy. With this salsa, I just chop up some fresh romaine, drain any juices off the salsa, toss it in, top with cheese (crumbled goat is my favorite here), and throw in a few tortilla chips (broken up) for crunch. You can dress it simply with a little olive oil and balsamic tossed in, or mix together some sour cream, lime juice, and olive oil for a creamier dressing.

You really can stretch certain dishes with only a few pantry/fridge staples - tortillas, cheese, eggs, lettuce - and the best part is: your family won't even realize they're eating leftovers.

Okay, time to spill 'em: what are your favorite tricks for making use of leftovers? Please comment below.

Include original recipe and instructions for the leftover transformation below and I'll publish some of my favorites in a future post - after testing them out in my own kitchen of course!

Lower Your Utility Bills, Get a Little Cash?

kateashford — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:17:00 -0400

Generally, shaving a few bucks off of your electricity bill is its own reward. Now there’s a company that’s offering money to people who become more energy efficient.

MyEmissionsExchange.com wants you to lower your carbon footprint—that is, the energy you use in your day-to-day activities that results in carbon dioxide being added to the atmosphere. Driving, using your air conditioner, watching television—just about everything that requires gasoline or electricity produces carbon. And excess carbon, of course, has been blamed by many for worsening climate change.

Sign up for an account on the site, then grab a recent utility bill. Enter your last 12 months of usage, and voila—you’re in business. Your mission: Reduce your energy usage. Looking for ideas? The website offers some suggestions, such as switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs, shrinking your shower by two minutes, and using cold water to wash clothes.

As your utility bills go down, the site certifies your energy savings as official “carbon credits” and then sells them on the international carbon market.

(Quick tutorial: As limits are placed on the amount of carbon companies can produce, those that fall under the cap are able to sell the extra credits to companies that exceed it. At least, in theory.)

According to the site, carbon credits trade for roughly $10 to $25 each, the website takes a small cut, and the rest is yours, deposited into your PayPal account. It’s not going to net you a great deal of money—each credit requires a ton of carbon savings (literally), which might take you six months or longer to accrue. But you’ll also be saving on your utilities each month.

I’m interested to see if the concept bears out.

Would you reduce your carbon footprint for cash?

In Over My Head...Again

corynne_corbett — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0400

I have always considered myself a consummate multi-tasker. But there are some times when my best laid plans cause me to drown in a sea of ideas, projects and commitments of my own making. And these are the times I can't help but think about Lucille Ball's crazy predicaments. So it is this week (which is the reason I didn't do a post until today) and I find myself asking the eternal question: How did I put myself in this position again?

I'm annoyed because I allowed myself to fall into a well-known trap. You know the one where you think you can accomplish way more than you actually can. But I think I am basing my beliefs that I can get it all done on those times when everything goes right: I have super human energy, pitch perfect timing, the total cooperation of others and there's no full moon. I forget that those times are in fact rare instead of the norm. (Maybe it is the basis of my own comedy show).

But the other reason is that I have forgotten to touch the proverbial bottom of the pool. When I was younger I wouldn't go very far until I knew just how close to the top of my head the water was (even though I was a decent swimmer). That way I knew how much energy I would need to expend to get back to shore and gage my actions accordingly. And I need to find a comparable measure to keep me from this metaphorical drowning (which although not life-threatening can be quite stressful if I don't remember that not getting it all done is not the end of the world—just a recalibration).

I am going to try out a few techniques and let you know how they work (hint: you'll know it didn't work if I say I'm over my head again). In the meantime, tell me what you do when you find yourself in your own version of over your head. Maybe knowing what you do will help me.

Fugu Fugu Press

hollybecker — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:01:00 -0400

I'm sitting here with a stack of Fugu Fugu Press cards in front of me writing a pile of thank you notes since I'm in the process of moving and so many have helped me to prepare. I owe a huge thanks to so many, so I've decided to write to each person to thank them for what they've done to help make my international relocation go so well thus far. I'm using the whale letterpress "Big Thanks" cards, I love the deep impressions and the pretty blue and gray for Summer. The quality is top notch - the paper is gorgeous and has a nice weight to it and I love the creamy white cardstock.

Isn't the pregnancy card a riot?

If you happen to be in the Los Angeles area this weekend Fugu Fugu Press will have a booth at the Renegade Craft Fair July 11 & 12 so don't miss 'em and be sure to let them know that you saw them on RealSimple.com!

(images: fugu fugu press)