This weekend I went out to Long Island to meet P2 who had been out there working. When I arrived he had made this amazing dip for us to snack on before dinner. So amazing in fact that he made it again the next night before dinner. Knowing I would need to share it with the world, I couldn’t wait for an excuse to make it. So yesterday, my friend Cassaundra sent me a message that she and her friends were having a picnic at the park by my place, and wanted to know if I was into coming along. I said “Yes! I’ll make the dip”!
What luck. 3rd day in a row! I ran off to the store to get the ingredients.
Here is what you’ll need:
1 can of chickpeas
1 can of white beans
half a small can of diced Jalapeño, or more if you like it spicy ( or 1 fresh Jalapeño diced)
a handful of fresh Cilantro
a little sprinkle of garlic powder (or 2 clove fresh garlic)
about a teaspoon of Cumin
salt and pepper to taste
about half a cup of olive oil. (You may need more so just grab the bottle).
So, put everything in a food processor but the olive oil. You want to stream that in slowly while the blade is turning until the dip is smooth, but still a little thick. Taste to see if you need more salt or pepper, and that’s it. SO easy, right?
Everyoneone at the picnic loved it, and so will you. I served it with some sliced veg and thin crackers. You could even top crostini with it and serve as an app.
Just a quick post today on one of my favorite things – candles.
I try different brands all the time, but one of the brands I tend to go back to often is Slatkin & Co. They are relatively inexpensive as candles go and on a three wick candle that weighs in at 14.5 oz, you will get approximately 30 – 45 hours of burn time.
These candles have a high concentration of fragrance oils and burn relatively clean, which, in my opinion, is a huge plus.
About Slatkin & Co.
Founded in 1993, Slatkin & Co. quickly established itself as the leading home fragrance brand in premier specialty stores around the world. Their home fragrances have always provided wonderful ways to scent your home. The company is celebrated for its authentic and sophisticated scents as well as celebrity-inspired collections that reflect figures from rock ‘n’ roll to royalty. Developed by renowned “nose” Harry Slatkin and his master perfumers, Slatkin & Co. fragrances infuse versatile scents into any room. Never overpowering, they simply enhance the beauty of one’s home.
One of the reasons I enjoy these candles so much is because I am extremely sensitive to perfumes which limits what scents I can use in my home. I find that with Slatkin I have a larger selection of candles that do not send my allergies into high gear. This is great because I love to burn candles especially in the Fall and Winter.
Here are some burning tips:
Trim the candle’s wick(s) to 1/4” before lighting as this will allow for optimum burn.
Burn candles three to four hours at a time for optimum burn time.
Do not blow candle out, just use cover and done.
Cool candle completely before relighting.
You can decorate with candles and it is relatively inexpensive. If you have a wood burning fireplace, put numerous candles in it for a Summer look. You can put two or three candles in a bowl on an enclosed porch or lanai and scatter some sea shells around the bowl. Candles are always pretty in a bathroom.
For years I searched for a blush that didn’t make me look like one of those sweet little dolls with pink circles on their cheeks.
I tried drug store brands and department store brands. I did my own shopping in the drug stores and I had make-up artists suggest in the department stores. The products were different in their texture and the way they lay on the skin, but in the end, I still felt it looked like make-up.
I was not a big make-up fan back in the day, as I just didn’t understand why it had to look like you had stuff on your face. My idea of make-up was a little eye shadow, some mascara and lip gloss.
I still feel this way, eyes and/or lips should pop, but your skin should look like it is naturally perfect and the healthy glow should look just like that, not two pink circles. No one wants to be complimented on their make-up, we want to be complimented on our healthy looking skin. (Foundation talk at another time.)
I started buying brands like Lancome, Chanel and Dior in pink, peach and rose, then I would mix the three colors together to get a more natural look for my medium olive tone skin. Not bad, but very expensive and takes up a lot of room in a make-up bag.
My son’s friend, Rob Harmon, who is a very experienced make-up artist – travels around the world with his clients and does television and Broadway as well – sometimes does my make-up. At one of these amazing sessions I was telling him my solution to not looking like a clown. He thought it was a great idea, but unless I intended to wheel around a suitcase of product as he did, it was too complicated -that’s me complicated – and proceeded to hand me Nars blush in Orgasm.
It was the perfect peachy pink with a bit of shimmer and it lives up to its name with the glow it gives to the skin. It has been the only blush I have worn for the last ten years. Since 1999 when it was introduced, it has become a cult classic. It has also given birth to Super Orgasm, with gold glitter, and Deep Throat, peach with shimmer. These colors work with any skin tone.
It is a little pricey, but well worth it and I actually ended up saving money since I was only buying one compact instead of multiples. It is soft and natural looking, gives a little contouring (my opinion) and it illuminates the skin. This is effortless, natural looking beauty.
The DNC’s platform will be supporting Gay Marriage. In Connecticut, a federal judge appointed by President George W Bush said that DOMA’s definition of marriage is unconstitutional. Connecticut is not the only state that has come to this conclusion.
This is good news, but why is the government involved in marriage at all?
There is a supposed to be a separation of church and state, but that has certainly become blurred.
I have no problem with what the Christian community believes, but I do not feel that I should be force fed. If you don’t believe in gay marriage that is fine, no one is asking nor requiring churches to perform same-sex marriages. On a side note, if you want prayer in school, that is great, send your child to a Christian school. There are many faiths, including those who do not subscribe, represented in a public school, not just Christianity. That is why they are public schools.
Christianity is not the only religion in the US. The freedoms and civil liberties that Christians are afforded in America, belong to all Americans, not just those who believe in Jesus.
I am at a loss as to why many Christians believe that the “sacred” institution of marriage as they believe it should be, will be undermined by gay marriage. Don’t we, as straight people, do that all by ourselves with 27 minute and 72 day marriages, with trophy wives and husbands and lovers thrown into the mix?
How is it that children will be forever damaged? Children belong in a loving home with people that want and will protect them. It makes no difference if those people are gay or straight – love doesn’t give a damn about sexual orientation. Just because you are married doesn’t mean your children will be loved, kept safe and grow up to be perfect. We have certainly seen that proven throughout history.
I am a Christian. I am a proud mother of two sons whom God has made perfect in His image. I am so blessed.
When my husband and I were 33 years old, he died and I had no choice but to raise my children on my own. My sons were 11 years old and eight years old when their father died. That was 27 years ago and my children are now grown men.
They are both married, both work hard, both try to contribute to the world in a positive manner on a daily basis, they believe in God, they love, they laugh, they cry, they sleep, they eat, they play with the kids as father and uncle, they care for the four legged children as well, they win, they lose – they live their lives.
My oldest son is straight and his younger brother is gay. And yes, he is legally married in the great State of New York. His life is no different then yours and being gay does not define him as a man. He is a man like any other with hopes and dreams. He has a family and friends that love him, just like any other man.
Everyone is always tossing biblical quotes around. This is my take: the Man said that we are not supposed to judge because He was the one who would do that job. He also said that we should love each other like He loves us. If we are trying to do that on a daily basis, there isn’t time for anything else. It is a new challenge every day.
Instead of worrying about what is going on in someone else’s life, perhaps we should focus on are own.
Filed under: Beauty — moonstruckinjersey @ 10:21 AM Tags: QVC.com
Every once in a while I find a product that makes me want to smile! Smileactives Teeth Whitening Pen Duo does just that.
We all want white teeth and for heavy duty whitening you might want to see your dentist for custom made trays, but for an effective and convenient way to whiten, this pen is the way to go.
“ Some participants in the clinical trial saw results in as little as two days. Full results will take longer depending on the type of teeth staining you have. In a clinical trial, after just three weeks of use, the pen whitened teeth an average of five shades, with some participants seeing up to 10 shades of whitening.”
The gel dries onto the teeth so there is not need for strips or trays. Each pen lasts about 3 weeks when used twice daily. Nothing else required.
To use the pen: take of the cap and twist the opposite end until a drop of gel is visible, with a brand new pen, it will take several twists to see the gel. Apply a thin layer of gel on the upper and lower teeth and allow to dry for a few seconds. Recap the pen and you are done.
Do not eat or drink anything for at least 20 minutes.
I have been using Smileactives for the last 6 months and I love, love, love the system! Did I mention I love this pen?
I saw results using twice a day in just two days; so, I started using it the max of 4 times per day for the first pen only. This got me exactly where I wanted to be. I now use two pens approximately per month at 2 times daily and I love how my teeth look – white, but natural, which is exactly what I was looking for. Also, I had no sensitivity, which was always a problem for me with the OTC strips.
Another plus for me was that I could speak, which is almost impossible with whitening strips, so you absolutely can use the pen at your convenience and no one knows.
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