Beauty Basics ::: Perfect Summer Glow

I heard you liked my first beauty post, so this week I am on to the next important beauty topic. {sorry to any men reading this blog, recipes are here to stay…promise!}

Maintaining a great tan + glow without ruining your skin, getting wrinkles, and potentially even skin cancer. Ten years ago I would have handed you a bottle of baby oil or Australian Gold “no SPF” tanning lotion and sent you to the beach.

With a few scares of skin cancer in my family and many years of sun overexposure from growing up on the beach in Florida, I’ve retired that mentality and adapted to a “mostly fake bake” lifestyle. {We have a pool at our apartment and yes I still lay out “sometimes”}

If done right, this approach shouldn’t send you out with that Jersey Shore orange shade and it will be just enough  color to make you feel healthy and bronzed.

1. EXFOLIATE – I believe any product works here as long as you do actually exfoliate and the product is not oil based. I recently purchased this one:
 

Bliss Super Slough Scrub

2. TAN – I love love love  St. Tropez. It is rich  enough for a real tan, but dark enough so it is not at all orange. Be careful with your hands though. I use a pumice stone to scrub the mousse off my hands after, but gloves might be a good idea. 

St. Tropez Tanning {Exfoliator, Tanning Mousse, Lotion, hand mit}

AT home: This set above covers it “All in One” and is only $25 dollars more than the tanning mousse itself, might be worth it but I have not tried the set. 
 
Professional: In LA I used to go to Mind Body Manhattan for Chocolate Sun for spray tans. All organic and a tan great color, they customize it for you and it smells great. In Miami, I have been to Forever Tan. It works, but I prefer the St. Tropez at home method for the true tan color. 
 
3. BRONZE – It doesn’t stop there. Using a good bronzer will help you with the glow side of the tan and will accentuate your now tanned body. 
 
Use CHANEL Soleil Tan Sheer Illuminating Fluid mixed with foundation, the Guerlain bronzing compact, and then for a super glow factor use the NARS The Multiple in Copacabana and South Beach. 
 
 

CHANEL Soleil Tan Sheer Illuminating Fluid

Guerlain Terracotta Bronzer in #03

Copacabana (white highlighter, brightens)

 

South beach (pinkish bronze highlighter, bring out the tan)

 
4. EXTEND – I am a lotion FREAK so this is an obvious one for me. Right now I like Eucerin, but any drug store lotion with SPF will do. You’ve already spent your beauty bank for the month on the above products above right?
 
 

Eucerin Everyday protection SPF 15 

 
 So, what’s your go-to tanning product?
 
Have you tried any of these before?
 
I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
 

::: keelymarie :::

The Food Matters Project ::: Cracked Black Pepper Sweet Popcorn

 

Oh man! I am home this week from almost 4 weeks of travel and I am pretty thrilled to relax at home with Peter for his birthday tonight. Happy Birthday baby!

This week kicks off, as it will for the next few months, with my Food Matters Project post.

Tell me: WHO goes 28 years NEVER having made any popcorn but MICROWAVE popcorn?!

Well Kate, from COOKIE + Kate, made sure we all knew what we were missing with this week’s The Food Matter Project recipe.

P

O

P

C

O

R

N

Not really sure why we all grow up just eating the microwave kind.  This was fast and simple, no bag necessary.

I chose to make my rendition a bit “spicy and sweet” {my favorite combo!}- with some melted butter, fresh cracked black pepper, salt, and sugar.

I actually cannot stop eating it right. this. minute…

 

After the popcorn is made, melt 3 tablespoon of butter with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of fresh cracked black pepper. Toss the popcorn in the mixture and add more black pepper, to taste. I added more because I love how the cracked black pepper balances the sweet buttery sugary taste.

Follow the recipe to make the simple homemade popcorn over at COOKIE + kate and check out the other FMP members’ renditions here.

I also decided to make a handful covered in red candy coating for some Valentine’s Day love. <3 <3<3

 

Like this post? Don’t forget to like my facebook page or subscribe via email for weekly updates and posts!

Follow Me on Facebook


 

keely marie

The Food Matters Project ::: Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers

 

Interrupting your :::Super Bowl Hangover Monday::: with your new favorite butternut squash dish.

When I saw that Sarah chose Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers as the first recipe for The Food Matters Project I was really curious to see what’s used to make the “Chipotle-Glaze.”

The glaze is pretty simple, made using a mix of chili peppers in adobo sauce (canned at your grocery store), olive oil, honey, and garlic. These squash skewers are a great dish to bring to a BBQ or potluck and a fantastic main dish if you are eating more vegetables and less meat.

 

Head over to 20somethingcupcakes for the full recipe.

The glaze is a blend of smoky, spicy, and sweet. I added an extra tablespoon of honey after tasting. I was a little worried because there are not many dishes I make that call for so much olive oil for, but a lot if it drips off while you roast the skewers. The recipe calls for the glaze to be muddled, but somehow I am without a muddler (makes no sense with  my love of mojitos!). I used the chop option on a food processor for a few seconds.

{TIP: I had a hard time getting the bamboo skewers in the squash without breaking them, I think I soaked the skewers in water too long. So instead I used metal skewers. They were long enough to sit on the sides of my baking sheet which was perfect for roasting the squash cubes. The skewers suspended in the air above the baking sheet, which made it easy to turn them once in a while.}

Next time I make these I will add some pineapple and green bell pepper to the skewers for color & variety in flavor. Since I’m not used to eating only vegetables for a meal (especially not just 1 type of vegetable), adding something else to the skewers would make it more interesting and I think the flavors would go really well together.

You can also head here to see how the other members of The Food Matters Project fared.

::: Chipotle-Glazed Squash Skewers Recipe :::

Like this post? Don’t forget to like my facebook page or subscribe via email for weekly updates and posts!

Follow Me on Facebook


 

keely marie

Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls ::: Party Hors d’oeuvre Series

WHAT. A . LONG. WEEK.

It’s been exciting getting back to work and diving into the new year, but I do miss waking up and only thinking about Bikram yoga on the agenda for those few days.

One more day this week though! Let’s do it.

You know what would make this grueling week-after-an-amazing-break better? If you made these egg rolls. They make me happy. And they made my New Year’s Eve party guests very happy.

::: partaaay egg rolls ::

Whenever I see southwestern egg rolls on a menu I want them, but I am always turned off by the grease from frying. Why not bake them?

Southwestern Egg Rolls. In all their glorious, spicy, flavorful, hot, gooey, and crunchy goodness. They were really a fabulous idea, until I forgot the egg roll wrappers when I was at the grocery store.

#$%$!!!!

We dealt with it and used multiple won ton wrappers instead. That was not easy. Peter got stuck wrapping them because I didn’t have the patience.

So for the New Years Eve party I decided to make them FOR REAL. {seen above}

And it was worth it.

::: the annoying little mini me’s made w/ tiny wont ton wrappers :::

Southwestern Egg Rolls      yields about 10 egg rolls

  • 2 boneless skinless breasts of chicken, chopped small
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 lime, squeezed
  • 1 can of corn, drained
  • 1 can of black beans, drained
  • 1 4 oz can of green chilis, squeezed to drain as much as possible
  • 5 scallion, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • package of  egg roll wrappers
  • eggwash for sealing wrappers
  • Olive Oil cooking spray

Avocado Dipping Sauce

  • 1 -2 avocados (depending the size), sliced
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Spicy Dipping Sauce

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

In a pan heat olive oil on medium heat. Cook chicken seasoned with paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper for 8 minutes or until fully cooked. Should be quick since we diced it small. When cooked, set aside to cool.

While the chicken is cooking combine corn, black beans, green chilis, scallions, and lime juice in a mixing bowl. Once chicken is room temperature add chicken and cheese to the bowl and mix.

To roll the egg rolls, place wrapper facing you like a diamond. Put about 3-4 tablespoons of mixture in the wrapper. Fold up bottom side. Fold in both left and right side and use the egg wash to glue sides to the bottom flap. Pull top side over and seal tightly using egg wash. Make sure there are no holes, seal everything well.  Place on a greased baking sheet. Spray tops of egg rolls with olive oil cooking spray.

Bake for 10 minutes, flip them completely over, then bake for ten more. They should brown on all sides and crisp.

Avocado dipping sauce: combine all ingredients in a food processor and grind until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spicy dipping sauce: Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

::: keelymarie :::

Asian {Taco} Night ::: Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

Think I am a bit Asian crazy lately?

Food that is…

Continue reading “Asian {Taco} Night ::: Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps”