Eye Heart You

MY favorite way to play up any outfit is with some really fantastic eye makeup.  Girls, let's get serious here...wearing the same shade of eyeshadow every day is BORING!  So here's a couple of my remedies to spice things up...

1. Coastal Scents 88 color palette.  For under 20 dollars you get 88 different shades!  It's highly pigmented so you get GREAT color...and it's long-lasting so it'll stay on all day!

Great Color At a Great Price!

2. NYX Styx.  For less than $5.00 this is a great buy!  These fat eye pencils come in every color under the sun.  Use it as an eye shadow all over your lid. Put it underneath your shadow as a long-lasting base.  You can even apply it with an angled brush as eyeliner!  Just make sure you also grab their jumbo sharpener so you can continue using it:)

They Come in Just About Every Color!

These are two things you'll ALWAYS find in my makeup bag.  I love a "pop" of color, especially on my eyes.  For everyday wear I'll use the Iced Mocha NYX stick.  To turn things up a notch for a night out, use the palette; I have the ultra-shimmer 88 color palette.  Pair it with some mascara and eyeliner, and you'll have your girlfriends raving!  Just a side note: play up one feature at a time.  Dramatic eyes means you should go for a more neutral lip and cheeks. And here's a hint about me: if my eyeshadow matches my outfit it means I'm in a really good mood;)

P.S. To my brown-eyed beauties: jewel tones make your eyes stand out!   And purple makes your brown eyes look simply radiant!<3

What Are Your Favorite Eye Makeup Secrets?

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Healthy Food Doesn't Have to be Tasteless

Check out this recipe from SkinnyTaste!

Here's MY  low-fat baked ziti. Yum!

I HATE HEALTHY FOOD!
To those of you that think healthy food is tasteless, think again.  There's a way to indulge and still keep food yummy.  Check out the recipe above.  It's low fat, but you won't miss the fat...it's full flavor!


Methodolgy
Recipes, for cooking, are just methods. Feel free to change them up!  For the Low Fat Baked Ziti I use penne instead of ziti; the ridges will help hold the sauce better. Also, I add a shallot/half an onion, extra garlic, pecorino romano, mushrooms, and diced tomatoes in addition to the crushed tomatoes.  It helps you get in more veggies.  Also, it's a great way to use up the produce left in your fridge!

Tips For FULL Flavor

• Garlic is a GREAT way to add flavor without a lot of calories! (Just make sure to brush your teeth afterwards!)
• Citrus will add flavor without adding any fat.  Use the zest for an intense citrus flavor; just make sure to use the colored part, not the white underneath.  Also, the juice is a delicious way to add flavor. (Not from concentrate, please!)

Blueberries and Baking

They're Just Begging to be Picked!

A while ago a friend and I went blueberry picking in Central New York.  We looked like complete amateurs.  We didn't bring baskets, couldn't find the blueberries, and were apparently picking on the wrong side of the field.
We finally got our spoils though.  Perfectly ripened blueberries right off the bush!  Mine are all gone now.  I ate a majority of them right after they were washed.  I did save some though.
I had a few friends help me move out of the apartment I took on a sublet.  So, even though they didn't help me pick the blueberries (even though they said they would) I made them blueberry muffins.
Check out this recipe.  I got it from my friend and it's absolutely delicious.  This recipe is much better than any boxed up mix that you'll find.  It could be because it's made from scratch...or because it's made with love:)  My best guess, though, is because the blueberries aren't from a tin covered in a sugary mess they call blueberry juice.
Instead, the blueberries inside were picked by me so I knew they were delicious and fresh.  Take the time to pick your own fruit (or at least use fresh fruit) and make this recipe.  You will be well rewarded.

What A Treat!

Marshy Blueberry Muffins

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

 2 cups flour

2tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ cup milk

1tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups blueberries

Sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease the muffin tin well with butter, greasing the top surface of the muffin tin as well.  On low speed, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time and mix until blended.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt: the combine the milk and vanilla; add alternately to the creamed mixture.  Mash ½ cup of blueberries and stir into mixture.  Then stir in the remaining 2 cups of blueberries.  Fill each cup in the muffin tin to almost the top.  Sprinkle tops with sugar.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Cool for 30 minutes and serve warm with butter.  Makes 1 dozen large muffins.
Note: My muffin tin yielded more than what the recipe said.