Love Food, Love Lipstick

 Remember those delicious Bonne Bell Lip Smackers you had as a kid? They came in scrumptious flavors like Dr. Pepper, Pink Lemonade, Strawberry, and were SO HARD to keep on your lips because they smelled so good! I’ve been feverishly looking for a grown-up equivalent for quite some time now and I think I’ve found it: Purple Labs Huge Lips, Skinny Hips.  

What’s the difference between a mind-blowing dish of pasta and an ordinary, run of the mill pasta plate? That’s right, it’s the ingredients. Besides the super-awesome-amazing scent and taste, Purple Lab puts some of the best ingredients around in their Huge Lips, Skinny Hips gloss. Here are a few of my favorites:

Meadowfoam oil: has a great ability to bind moisture to the skin -this helps to keep your lips soft and smooth

Lemon Peel Oil: every lip gloss/lip plumper has a bit of a sting to it but, the lemon oil gives an immediate cooling effect counteracting the sting - brillant!

Vitamin B3: stimulates blood flow to the lips, creating a super sexy pout. Its also been known to help treat migraines - who knew?

Orange Peel Extract: a natural metabolism booster AND may provide relief for occasional heartburn/acid indigestion

Hoodia: an extract from a cactus-ish plant (known as ‘cactiform’ since they are like but not related to cacti) that is indigenous to South Africa and Namibia. Studies have shown that Hoodia may be a natural appetite suppressant since it mimics the effects of sugar in your body to make you feel ‘full’.

If you read any of my blogs you know I tend to always be right smack in the middle of a battle with weight loss. A delicious lip gloss with a hint of Hoodia might be JUST what the doctor ordered for me. In fact, I KNOW it is.

Huge Lips Skinny Hips comes in four great shades: Clear as Crystal (No Panty Lines), Mauve Shimmer (Worship Kate), Pink Sheer (Kitty Pole Dance) and Sheer Red (Red Sole). Pick one and rock it - mines Worship Kate, what’s yours?

 

 

The Post Cereal Challenge

Last week I was invited to a Post Cereal making challenge and to say I was excited was an understatement. Not only would I learn HOW to make Grape Nuts and Shredded Wheat but the winner for best product won a $500 gift certificate to Williams Sonoma. Momma needed a new pair of cooper pots so I was seriously gearing up for this event. Big money, big money, big money NO WHAMMY!

I arrived early to the Natural Gourmet Institute (a fantastic vegetarian cooking school – more on that in a later blog) and was greeted by the very friendly Post Cereal staff with the most adorable light blue apron I had seen in a long time. For me? Why THANK YOU Post Cereal.  Guests were treated to a delightful healthy breakfast and a brief presentation by the Diet Doctor herself; Dr. Melina Jampolis. Dr. Jampolis spoke about her life mantra “food is medicine” and the health benefits of Post Cereal Shredded Wheat. You might not know this ladies and gentlemen but Shredded Wheat is made solely of wheat berries. Don’t feel bad, I was totally shocked when I heard that too. I mean, I knew Shredded Wheat was good for me but I never realized it was that good for me. How could I have been eating this cereal for years and not know what was really in it? I felt like a total goose…

How nutritious are wheat berries? Unlike many other types of grains, wheat berries retain nearly all of their nutrients after being cooked. Wheat berries are packed with fiber, protein and iron. They are also loaded with vitamin E, a cell-protecting antioxidant, and magnesium, which are needed to maintain healthy bones and muscles. Talk about Healthy!!! Also, Dr. Jampolis went on to point out that unlike most cereal brands today trying to first incorporate whole grains into their products, Post Cereal Shredded Wheat has always been composed of naturally occurring grain.

Although I am not allowed to tell everyone the recipe for Shredded Wheat, I will simply say: it is easy, healthy, and delicious. Go out and get yourself a box this weekend because it will surely help you with any kind of diet/health program you have laid out for yourself.  I know I bought a box during my grocery trip this weekend.

Oh…and in case you were wondering, I lost the competition. There go my plans for two new Ruffoni monogrammed copper pots…

My One on One with Jacques Torres

Ok - maybe the title is a bit misleading. I did meet Jacques Torres - in fact I’ve met him twice - but I’ve never really sat down and talked to him. No one on one interview…as of yet. This brief blog is about the best hot chocolate I have ever had in my entire life.

I was getting an emergency passport (again) since I had lost mine and was about 10 days away from  flying to Montreal on business. The stress of taking a day off to get my passport and the possibility of leaving the country in less than a fortnight without one was working me up, so I decided to hit up the Jacques Torres Chocolate place on 350 Hudson (conveniently around the corner from the NY Passport Agency) to soothe my aggravated soul. It was 9:30am so I couldnt indulge too much. I have a strick policy of no truffles before noon - once you start down that path it’ll only end up with you eating a bag of a potato chips, 1/2 lb of prosciutto, and a cup of ice cream for dinner.

Anyway, I walked in and did my typical look around the store. It was completely empty — then again it was 9:30am on a Tuesday. I ordered my wicked hot chocolate to the guy behind the counter without really looking at him. It wasn’t until I heard in a French accent “Of course miss….brisk out today isn’t it??” did I realize it was Jacques Torres MAKING MY hot chocolate. Needless to say it was a perfectly balanced cocoa with a hint of spice…just how I like it. I have a lot of respect for a man who still works his stores by his lonesome at 9:30am even after all his success. Kudos Jacques!!

So next time your in the neighborhood (either DUMBO or Hudson) stop on into his place. Who knows, he might just be the one making your hot chocolate.

Location:
350 Hudson at King Street (1 block South of Houston)

Store hours:
Mon - Sat 9:00am - 7:00pm
Sunday 10:00am - 6:00pm