Monday, February 28, 2011

Music Monday: Dream Duets

I love duets.  I love the blending of beautiful voices.  The feigned passion (or hatred). The longing.  The lust.

Often times, while listen to my iPod on my commute to work, I find myself listening to a song and wondering what artists I'd most like to see join up in the studio to record a song.

Dream Duets:

Lee Dewyze and Marc Broussard
-their voices have similar, gravelly quality and I feel like they would blend so well together.




Grace Potter and Ray LaMontange
- they've got the whole 70s folk-rock-soul thing down pat!




Sara Bareills and Michael Buble
- crazy piano chops + crazy swingin' singing chops = awesomeness





Natasha Bedingfield and Rihanna
- pop + smidge of rock + R&B.  Love it.





Adele and Joss Stone
- They're British and have a vocal maturity well beyond their years.




John Mayer and Keith Urban
- great guitarists and great songwriters.  Oh and they can sing pretty good too.




What is your dream duet?  



Monday, February 21, 2011

Beauty and the Best: Face Front!

Hello all -

For this edition of Beauty and the Best, I wanted to focus on all the lotions, potions, and creams out there for the face.

As I mentioned before, the key to any good make up look is great skin.  You have to have a flawless canvas on which to apply your colors and here are a few products that will help you get there.

bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper by Bare Escentuals - $21.00
This little bottle = amazeballs.  Totally worth the $$$.  Started using this lightweight miracle lotion about two years back and since incorporating it into my daily skincare routine, my skin as been clearer and healthier looking. This multi-vitamin lotion with glycolic and salicylic acid is a godsend for those with oiler skin like mine and it doesn't feel heavy.  A little goes along way - just three squirts twice a day.  I even managed to convince my mom to starting using it!

Oil of Olay Complete All Day UV Moisture Cream

I wear lotion with SPF every day - even in the cold, dark New England winter.  Even though I have dark hair, I have fair skin with alot of adorable freckles so I want to keep my skin as protected as possible.  I like this one since it is moisturizing without feeling like you are spackling it on your face.
bareVitamins Prime Time Products - $21.00

This product is a must for anyone who wants their "face" to last.  This satin-finish formula goes on smooth and leaves the skin primed for makeup application.  It makes makeup stay on longer since it controls oil, which causes your look to fade.  Apply a little to your eyelids to help shadows stay on longer.  Great to use over moisturizer but under make-up for events like weddings or proms, any events where you don't want to spend all night running to the bathroom to re-apply.

What's your favorite go-to product for your face?  What's your skin type and what products to you like the best?


Sunday, February 13, 2011

Polish Pickle Soup - Just Like Babcia Makes (sort of)

I am a person who is exceptionally proud of my heritage.  

I'm 100% Polish.  Both my parents were born there and immigrated to the US when they were pre-teens. My brother and I were born in the States but thanks to Mom, Dad, and our grandparents, we grew up to be very appreciative of our culture.  

Baby Brother and I
We spoke Polish before we spoke English and spent countless Sundays, holidays, and summer nights at Babcia and Dziadzia's (grandmother and grandfather) house, eating delicious Polish food.

Babcia and me.
I love all my grandparents but my maternal grandmother, Babcia Kazia, and I have a close relationship.  She also happens to live downstairs from me.  With her so close and the fact that she just turned 84, I want to make sure that I learn as many of her Polish recipes that I can.

However, there is a slight problem.  None them are written down.  Every thing that she makes - pierogi, golabki, soups, pastries, etc. - she makes from memory.

So all of the recipes I will be attempting to make will be based on how Babcia tells me to make it, along with some slight variations of my own and some I picked up from my mom - not from any actual recipes.

1st Recipe: Polish Pickle Soup (trust me, it's delicious!)

I wanted to tackle this recipe first - one, because it is my FAVORITE soup and two, because it doesn't require a whole lot of prep work like some of the other Polish dishes.  Felt it was best to ease myself into this without getting overwhelmed and discouraged.

This is what you'll need to get started:

2 boxes of chicken stock (or 8 cups of your own)
celery, diced
carrots, diced
potatoes, diced
1 jar of Polish pickles (those in brine are the best)
oatmeal
pepper
sour cream & dill for topping (optional)

Oatmeal?  Yea, oatmeal. Most recipes for this soup call for milk, but my mom's best friend said to use oatmeal to thicken the soup.  This works out great for me since I don't drink milk.

  • Add chicken stock, celery, carrots, potatoes, and oatmeal (I used about 3/4 of a cup) and bring to gently boil, until potatoes are fork tender.


  • While the stock is heating up, use a box grater to grate the pickles. 
    • The pickles in brine are the best because they add great flavor and salt to the soup, but they may be hard to find.  I get mine from the Polish market down the street from my house.  If you can't find them, regular polish pickles will do, but you might have to adjust the seasoning to get the right flavor.



  • After the potatoes are cooked, add the grated pickles.  Mix well and let the soup come together for a little bit (like 3-4 minutes).  No need to add salt if you used pickles in brine.  I just added some pepper and little bit of this Polish seasoning I had.


And that's it.  You've just made Polish Pickle Soup!

nom nom nom
Serve with a dollop of sour cream & chopped dill if you'd like.


So as we say in Polish - Smacznego!

Friday, February 11, 2011

I Can't Contain My "X"-citement

James McAvoy as Charles Xaiver aka Professor X


Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsheer aka Magneto


Iconic comic book origin story.


Sign.Me.Up.


X-Men: First Class charts the epic beginning of the X-Men saga and reveals a secret history of famous global events.  Before mutants had revealed themselves to the world, and before Charles and Erik became Professor X and Magneto, they were two young men discovering their powers for the first time.  They were not archenemies - instead they were the closest of friends, working together with other mutants to prevent nuclear Armageddon.  But a grave rift formed between them and so began the the eternal war between the Brotherhood and X-Men.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

House...of...PAIN

If you are remotely interested in the sport of hockey, please read my post today on What's Up, Ya Sieve (my other blog).

Last night's Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens game was beyond epic.  Fights and goals and more fights.  Even a goalie fight.

EPIC.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Beauty and the Best: What's the SKINny?

I don't think that anyone would never describe me as a "high maintenance" girl.  I'm not always perfectly coiffed nor do I drape myself in designer duds.  But there is a part of me that is a little diva when it comes to beauty products.

I love 'em.  I love browsing the newest products at Sephora and Ulta and even the beauty section of my local CVS. I like trying out different makeup, mascaras, lotions, etc to see which products work best for me.

So since I have this shiny new blog, what better way to share my love of all things beauty than with a new feature, which I like to call Beauty and the Best.  

Every so often, I'll introduce you to my beauty must-haves and review new products that I think are worth a try.  Please feel free to comment and share your favorites.  You never know...maybe I'll feature it on this blog!

Beauty and the Best: Skin Care

Great beauty starts with great skin.  We've all struggled with acne (yours truly, included) so finding the right products that don't irritate, clog your pores, or strip your skin is tres important.  After all, to be a makeup arteest, one needs a flawless canvas.

First rule is NEVER go to bed with makeup on.  I simply can't do it.  No matter how tired I am, I'll always drag myself to the sink to wash off the days makeup and grime before hitting the pillow.  Out of all the products I've used, these two are by far my favorites...

B.Best Systems Facial Cleansers
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Stress Control Power-Clear Scrub


B.Best Systems Facial Cleansers- $22.00

When I was living in Los Angeles few years back, I used to go to this little day spa off of Ventura Blvd. called Best Face & Body.  The owner, Bonnie, created her own line of high quality products which they used on all their clients.  My favorites were the Creme de la Creme and the AHA/BHA Exfoliant Cleanser.

Creme de la Creme has a wonderful citrus scent and is great for all skin types, but especially for drier skin because the aloe, algae extract and vitamin E add moisture.  The AHA/BHA is great for acne prone skin and its mix of glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids  gently removes dead skin cells.  The itty bity jojoba beads polish the skin without it feeling stripped like bark off a tree.

Every time I'm in the area visiting my parents, I always makes sure to stock up, but you don't have to hop on a cross-country flight to get them. B.Best Systems products are available online!


Sometimes I need a scrub with a little more uumph and that is when I turn to this drugstore gem.  This scrub has a bit more "grit" to it so it does wonders when my skin is feeling especially clogged or grimy.  I like to use this one in the shower after the hot water has had a chance to open up my pores. I leave it on my skin for a few minutes while I condition my hair to let it do its magic.  It also has green tea and cucumber which are known to be natural soothing agents for stressed out skin.  It also has salicylic acid, which is a god-send for acne prone skin.

Personally, I use both of these in my routine, but those new to using products with acids in them might want to just start off using just one of these to see how your skin reacts.




So, what face wash do you swear by?  What do you use to keep your skin looking clear?


Saturday, February 5, 2011

Restaurant Review: 88 Wharf

Last Thursday, I met up with fellow blogger Michelle (from Savory Flavors) to partake in Dorchester/Milton Restaurant Week.

This year's selection:
88 Wharf in Milton, MA


Located right on the riverfront in Milton, 88 Wharf may not look like much and you might totally miss it, but the spot is pretty spacious, with a nice bar area and decently sized dining room, complete with dark wood accents and candlelit tables.  Definitely a good weeknight date spot.



Service was adequate, if a tad bit slow.  Took a while for the waiter to come over to get our drink order, which normally wouldn't bother me all that much except that I'd worked all day and really really wanted a glass of wine, STAT!


WHAT I ATE:

1st course - Pumpkin Torteloni with foie-gras truffle butter and toasted pumpkin oil



Ah-maz-balls.  I swear I could have eating like 50 of these little bundles of deliciousness.  Not overly pumpkin-y with lovely pasta that tasted decidedly homemade.  The sauce was light but very flavorful with bits of toasted pumpkin seeds.  This dish is not on the regular menu, but I think it should be.

2nd course - Pan Seared Cod with saffron risotto cake, asparagus, and blood orange gastrique



The fish was well cooked with a crispy skin, but the stand out for me in this dish were the risotto cakes and the gastrique.  The cakes were golden brown on the outside...warm, starchy, and yummy on the inside.  I'm in love with anything blood orange since my trip to Rome in 2008, so when I say this on the menu, I knew I had to have it.  The gastrique was drizzled on the plate and provided a nice sweet balance to the salt of the fish and risotto cake.

3rd course - New York style Cheesecake



There were only 2 options for the dessert (the other being some caramel chocolate bread pudding) and since I'm not a huge fan of chocolate (yes, I know I'm weird), I went with the cheesecake.  It was your pretty run-of-the-mill cheesecake.  If only they had some sort of fruit tart or lemon vanilla cupcake...


According to their website, 88 Wharf also offers some fun specials:
Mondays - Bring Your Own Wine
 - Bring your favorite bottle and pay no corkage fee.
Thursdays - Date Night
 - Free Dessert with purchase of two entrees
Sundays - Kids Eat Dessert FREE!
 - Kids eat free all day from the dessert menu & can also build their own sundae.
Mondays through Wednesday - Weekday Prix Fixe
 - Three courses for $25
Mondays through Fridays - Social Menu
 - $1 appetizers from 5-6pm at the bar

So based on my Restaurant Experience and its relative proximity to my house, I think that I'll be returning to 88 Wharf again.  Perhaps this summer so I can actually experience the riverfront (instead of the 5 foot snow mounds)

**love and laughter**


Friday, February 4, 2011

Foxy Friday (Hockey Edition)


As mentioned before, my great friend Shannon (aka Pants) and I started a hockey blog last September called What's Up, Ya Sieve?

WUYS (as we like to call it) began from our marathon GMail chat sessions, email ramblings, and the flurries of text messages we sent each other during the season.  You see, we fancy ourselves funny sorts of gals (or so we've been told) and we began to think that our humorous observations and female perspective on the game would be a fun addition to the blogosphere.

Our little blog has been growing slowly but we have a core group of followers who seem to enjoy our musings.  One of our most popular features is Foxy Friday.  This weekly feature highlights one guy (player, coach, sportscaster, etc) from the world of hockey whom we deemed "Foxy" not only for their obvious attractiveness, but also for their contributions to the sport, community, world in general. (Because after all doesn't someone become way hotter when they are talented at something?)

I wrote this week's Foxy Friday, so please take a look if it strikes your fancy. Here's a little taste of some of our past honorees...

Rick Nash (Columbus Blue Jackets)


Matt Gilroy (New York Rangers)
Patrick Sharp (Chicago Blackhawks)
Shea Weber (Nashville Predators)
Patrice Bergeron (Boston Bruins)

Thursday, February 3, 2011

A Royal Confession

I have a confession.

I'm sort of obsessed with Kate Middleton, Prince William, and the Royal Wedding.

April 29, 2011

So what's up with all the royal enthusiasm?

I'm not a subject of the Crown, nor have I ever even set foot in Great Britain. (A problem which I hope to remedy soon) but for some reason, this wedding has me totally hooked.

Part of what think fascinates me most about it is the fact that Kate Middleton is living out every little girl's dream.  She going to be a Princess.  A real-life princess.  When we were little, we were either going to be a teacher, or a doctor, or a princess. (or an archaeologist, like my roommate.  Ya, I don't get it either.)



The other part is that Kate feels like she could be one of your friends.  She's pretty, but not so pretty that you hate her.  She has an easy, elegant style that looks expensive (and probably is) but she'd totally comb the racks at Marshall's or TJMaxx with you.

The Future Queen of England goes casual
But I also like that she and William look like they genuinely love each other.  They look happy and comfortable when they are together.  Perhaps that can attributed to the fact that their relationship grew and developed away from the media spotlight. They had time (9 years!) and relative quiet to figure out who they are as a couple and to figure out of Kate could deal with all the attention that her new station would bring.


Apparently, I'm not alone in my royal admiration.  Lifetime is making a TV movie about Kate and Will, set to air sometime close to their April 29th wedding.  People.com has a page dedicated to K & W ("A Royal Engagement")...which I read every day.  Don't judge.

I'm dying to know what her wedding dress will look like and who will design it.  What will her veil look like?  What color will her flowers be?  Will she wear a royal tiara, and if so, which one? Will she arrive to Westminster Abbey in a car (like the modern bride) or in a carriage like other royal brides?

So come April 29th, you'll know where to find me...

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Superman Returns. And he's hot like fire.

Dear Ladies,
Behold and rejoice for we've found our new Superman. 

*phwoar*

British actor Henry Cavill has been cast in director Zack Snyder's version of Superman.  The film is not due out until December 2012, which means that we have to 2 WHOLE YEARS to see him as the Man of Steel.



SO not fair.

Henry the Hottie has been circling leading man roles for years, just missing out on major parts like James Bond, Batman, and Edward Cullen.  

Henry was actually Stephanie Meyer's first choice to play every one's favorite over-possessive, creepy-watch-you-while-you-sleep vampire boyfriend, but when the movie started filming, the then-25-year-old Cavill was thought to be too old.

Personally, if Henry had been cast as Edward, I might have defected from Team Jacob faster than a speeding bullet.

Other actors Henry beat to play Clark Kent...
Matthew Goode
Matthew Bomer
Armie Hammer


And the man of my dreams... 
Joe Manganiello
I know, I know.  Crazy hot, right?  Try not to stare too long. It's like staring into the sun.

Anywho...so do you think the filmmakers made the right choice?  Who would you have cast?  Now that they have their Clark Kent, who do you think should play Lois Lane?