During my last trip, I bought a collection of GiGi Organics face products. I liked the fact that it was organic (and on sale). I had never heard of the brand before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I LOVE IT. The face cleanser smells nice and earthy; it reminds me of Aveda cleansers. And it does an excellent job of truly cleansing your face. I’ve barely had a breakout since I’ve started using it! The face mask also exceeded expectations. My pores were clear and smooth after I rinsed the mask off.

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much from the brand, but it out-performs some of the more expensive brands I’ve tried in the past.

GiGi Organics Cleanser

I’ve been away from blogging. I started this blog when I was feeling unfulfilled at work. I was a marketing writer burnt out on the product I was promoting. I had spent 9  years writing about the same product, and after a while, there was nothing new to say. And it was also time to move on and learn something new. So while I was searching for that “something new” I started this blog. 

Luckily, my absence from blogging correlates with the acceptance of a new job filled with exciting possibilities. But lately, I’ve realized that I missed blogging. So here’s to being back in the saddle again.

My first discovery was that there was a precious little white dog that roamed the our road.  She walked around with an air of importance. She had places to go, bushes to smell, and holes to dig. But most of all, she did all these things while looking glamorous in her pink rhinestone collar.  I was smitten. I couldn’t wait to befriend this sweet little furry ball of energy.  She was so precious, that the next time I saw her out, I ran outside to make friends with her.

Lola, the neighborhood diva

That was my first mistake. The sweet little dog, named Lola, was not so sweet. In fact, she had the personality of Paris Hilton. A vicious Paris Hilton with sharp little teeth. The first time I stooped down and cooed to her, she began to bark like I was the devil. It was the doggie equivalent of screaming “Stranger Danger!” Weeks and weeks went by and Lola still refused to acknowledge my existence.  I met her owners and petted her in her own house. Yet every time I saw her out in public, she ignored me. It was worse than being in high school. The ultimate low came when I drove by her house and waved to her as she lounged in the picture window. Friends, she looked the other way as though she was embarrassed to even know me.

It took a little over a year of begging, treats, and calm coaxing for us to form a tentative friendship. I was so happy; finally I was friends with the “cool” girl on the street. But I’m beginning to wonder if I’m being taken advantage of. Because Lola has been told to watch her waistline, which means a stricter diet at home. And now she turns up at my house at convenient times…like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If I understood doggie-speak, then I’m positive the conversation would go something like this, “Hey! Cute shoes…. Can I have something to eat?”

But like all pretty girls, her demands and bossy ways make her all the more charming. And so, we sneak her a little treat and savor the fact that we finally made friends with the cool girl.

The ultimate comfort food

I love macaroni and cheese. It’s happiness and warmth in a bowl. Among it’s charms are the facts that it can be a stand alone dish or the perfect companion to any entree. But finding the perfect mac and cheese recipe is an exclusive search.

Thankfully, my tireless efforts eventually paid off. I found the perfect recipe. It’s creamy, cheesy, and has a wonderful hearty texture. Better  yet, it doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, is easy to prepare, and turns out perfect every time. Enjoy!

Elaine’s Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Note: Elaine is my next door neighbor who is a very gifted cook. Locals can find her heavenly pound cakes at the Curb Market in Hendersonville, NC.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of macaroni
• 1 can of cheddar soup
• 1 large can of evaporated milk
• milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Method:
Cook macaroni according the package’s directions. Drain and pour into your crock pot. Stir in a can of cheddar soup. Stir in a can of evaporated milk. Refill the empty evaporated milk can with regular milk and add to the crock pot. Stir in two eggs, then add cheddar cheese. Place lid on crock pot and cook on medium for 3 hours.

Direct Mail from the Clarion Fund

On Tuesday, I received a DVD mailer titled “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West.” Now, I love to receive anything in the mail…heck, I even get excited over junk mail. But this little piece just didn’t sit right with me. Maybe it was all those classes I took at UNCA as a media major, but I refuse to take anything at face value.

According to the mailer, the DVD was produced and mailed by the Clarion Fund, which is “an independent, non-partisan organization devoted to educating the public about national security issues.” Really? You care that much about my security as an American citizen that you decided to start a non-profit? Sorry, we already have an institution in place to educate the public about national security issues. It’s called the military.

Anyway, this little piece intrigued me so much that I decided to do a little digging via my good friend Google. I didn’t have to dig deep. Turns out this little DVD is a hot topic because it’s being mailed to households in swing states. (Good news NC, you’re now a swing state instead of a red state. Way to go!)

And the backers of the Clarion Fund are a wee bit mysterious. Or shall we say completely unknown.  Needless to say it’s a bit difficult to understand a non-profit’s agenda if you don’t know who is funding their work. But the general philosophy is that this piece is being used to influence voters for McCain in an election year. So watch with an open mind and take it with a grain of salt. It’s a DVD that hopes to accomplish a lot more than education. It wants your vote.

Thankfully, I finally wised up and realized that there was a smorgasbord of salads waiting to be created that did not include iceberg lettuce. Here’s my favorite one adapted from a recipe I found on Allrecipes.

Southwest Chicken Salad

• one chicken breast, shredded into bite-sized pieces (I like to roast a chicken breast at 375 for 20 minutes. I roast it in a pan of olive oil and sprinkle it with garlic salt and fresh-ground pepper.)
• 1-2 cups of mixed greens
• one avocado, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1cup black beans
• 1/2 cup of corn
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced into strips

Toss all of the ingredients together and divide between two bowls. Garnish with ranch dressing and enjoy!

The perfect salad

Love146 tackles a problem that is the underbelly of human sin.  Its staff works toward the abolition of child sex trafficking and exploitation through prevention and aftercare. It’s an ugly, uncomfortable cause that tears at the edge of your heart. And that’s precisely why you should care. Because I’m utterly sick at the thought that in this day and age, an innocent child can be used in unspeakable ways. 

So, please, take a few moments today and check out Love146′s web site. I promise that it will forever change you and arm you with the tools to make a difference today.

When we sat down to watch it, I didn’t have high expectations. Honestly, I grabbed a magazine to thumb through, because I thought it would be a mediocre flick.

I should have known better, because I love Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. The movie was fresh and funny. I was laughing so hard at one point that I had to hit “pause” to recover.  (Watch out for the scene involving olive oil vs. Pam spray.) The story line was predictable, but the dialogue was witty. The characters danced on the edge of cliche, but still retained enough originality to keep them relevant. In short, it was the perfect weekend movie. Two thumbs up.

Two Thumbs Up

The Queen of Southern Cuisine: Paula Deen

Some things in life are certain: taxes, death, and the fact that you’ll always crave Chick-Fil-A on a Sunday. While I give Chick-Fil-A a standing ovation for picking values over profit, taking the highroad does nothing for my tastebuds.

But, I have found a solution. Or, more accurately, a recipe that does a fabulous job of recreating every crispy chicken bite. It comes from another upstanding icon of Southern taste–Paula Deen. Her recipe for deep-fried chicken is simple, yet supremely satisfying.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken tenders
1 cup of Texas Pete hot sauce
1 egg
garlic powder to taste
pepper to taste
salt to taste
2-2 1/2 cups self-rising flour
peanut oil

Method:
Wash chicken by rinsing with water; set aside. Combine egg and Texas Pete in a medium bowl. Mix with a fork until egg is combined into hot sauce. Marinate chicken in hot sauce for at least one hour. In a separate bowl, combine self-rising flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bread chicken by rolling in flour mixture, then set aside.

Fill a deep fryer with peanut oil. Heat to 350 degrees. Fry chicken pieces for 7-8 minutes until golden and crispy. Enjoy!

Oh, it seems so simple at first glance. I was almost ready to write it off as another fluffy teen-queen series. But there is more..there is something (or someone) lurking behind the locked red door in the basement. There are surveillance cameras in the pledges’ rooms and a camera outside the house keeping track of everyone’s daily activities. In short, there is enough suspense and intrigue to keep me interested. I’m racing to watch each webispode, and crossing my fingers the WB makes this a weekly network show next season.