Work It Wednesday: Fall's Hottest Nail Colors

Have you noticed the cooler weather? It brought falling leaves, sweatshirts & new nail polish trends. I have to admit, I'm pretty excited for a couple of these. So much so, that I see some retail therapy in my (near) future to make sure that if all else fails, at least my nails are stylin'!

•Dark Greens - We already know this is a hot fall color!)

•Oxblood - This is one of the shades I'm dying to get my hands on!

Courtesy of Tom Ford, Sephora via Elle.

 •Neutrals - I'm pretty sure I always have at least one neutral shade in my polish bag.

•Fiery Orange - This would be perfect for a black & white outfit!

•Navy Blue - With this being such a dark hue, it would be easy to wear with just about anything.

Courtesy of Essie, NARS & OPI via Elle.

•Metallics - I know I have Penny Talk by Essie, which is a lovely copper shade. Looks like I've got this one covered!

•Chocolate Brown - For some reason, I think that this will be the most interesting shade. For the simple fact that I may or may not crave chocolate every time I glance at my nails. 

Tasty Tuesday: Cream Cheese & Nutella Crepes

I have been on a Crepe kick lately. So when my kids asked what was for breakfast this past weekend, I decided to look for an excuse to make them again. Low & behold, the jar of Nutella suddenly had a bright light shining down on it & I heard singing. Yep, my kids were singing & playing with their new flashlights, but I totally took it as a sign!

Cream Cheese & Nutella Crepes 

•Nutella

•cream cheese

•sugar

•vanilla extract

•2 eggs

 •1C. all purpose flour

•1/2C. water

•1/2C. milk

•2Tbsp. melted butter or margarine

•1/4tsp. salt

•nonstick cooking spray

•powdered sugar for garnish

 

 -Combine desired amounts of Nutella & cream cheese in small mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. (I used 4oz. of cream cheese & a couple spoonfuls of Nutella.)

-Add a bit of sugar & a splash of vanilla to give it a slightly sweeter taste. Don't forget to taste test! You can add more Nutella, cream cheese, sugar or vanilla if need be.

-Set bowl aside in the refrigerator for flavors to blend while you prepare the crepes.

-In a larger mixing bowl, whisk eggs before adding flour, water, milk, butter or margarine & salt. Stir to thoroughly combine. (Mixture will be smooth.)

-In a medium (or large if you prefer) nonstick skillet, lightly spray nonstick cooking spray & heat over med.-high heat.

-Add crepe mixture 1/4C. at time. Quickly remove pan from the heat, slowly turn the pan in a circular motion so the mixture evenly coats the entire bottom. When you no longer see the mixture moving, replace pan over heat.

-After a couple minutes, slightly jerk the pan to see if the crepe moves, if so carefully flip it.

-Cook other side of crepe for 1-2 min. & remove from pan. Repeat process with remaining batter.

-To assemble, lightly spread Nutella cream cheese over one side of the crepe. Fold in quarters & sprinkle with powdered sugar for garnish.

-Enjoy & welcome to my newest obsession, crepes. Don't forget to say "hello" to my other obsessions, Nutella & cream cheese.

 

Immuno-Viva: Core Capsules

It's that time of year that we wake up & can feel "it". Most of the time it's the lump in our throat, but sometimes we just wake up feeling like we were hit by a truck. And it's always out of nowhere.

Immuno-Viva Core Capsules help support the immune system, making "under the weather" days few & far between. I've been taking these for a few weeks now & I have to say that they really do work. My entire family caught some sort of bug not that long ago & even with sick kids all up in my face for four straight days, I never got it. And mothers everywhere know that that is unheard of!

It must be from the NatureFRESH Cold Press process which is used to extract the black raspberry & Nigella Gold (black cumin) seed oils found inside each capsule. This process requires 8 lbs. of berries to make just 1/2 tsp. of oil. I know, that sounds mathematically...wrong. (Math was never my favorite subject.) But the NatureFRESH Cold Press process gently presses & separates the seeds into oils & flours without the use of heat or chemicals. This means you get the purest form that offers the most nutritional value which is high in omega fatty acids & antioxidants. Sounds like a lengthy process and it is, but one I'm glad Immuno-Viva takes the time to do.

Research shows that Immuno-Viva Core Capsules may help:

•support the immune system

•support heart health

•support skin health

•help again free radicals

Just 2 Core capsules a day is all it takes! But as a suggestion, be sure you take them with a bit of food or juice. This helps to prevent the taste of the oils that get burped up later.

Keep up with the latest from Immuno-Viva on Facebook & Twitter.

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Messy Monday: How to Clean Mini Blinds

With the cooler temps starting to settle in, there's more things that need done inside instead of outside. And one of the simplest things you can do to freshen up your living space, is to clean your mini blinds. If you have them of course.

I used to downright despise this task. I'm still not too fond of it, but it doesn't bother me near as much as it used to now that I have a secret weapon. Two of them actually. Well, three if you count the water.

Before: You can see the dust & dirt that has accumulated over the Summer.
After: It's still slightly damp, but you can tell the difference!

How To:

•vinegar

•water

•mismatched sock

- In a small bowl, combine the vinegar & water in equal parts.

- Put the sock on your hand & dip it in the vinegar solution, making sure to wring out excess.

- Grab each individual slat with hand & wipe down. You may have to go over a second time or more depending on the amount of accumulated dirt & dust.

- Rinse sock as needed.

Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes from Mooney Farms & a Giveaway!

We all know about the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, right? This diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, chicken, fish, olive oil & nuts is said to contribute to heart health & help reduce the risk of certain cancers (among other benefits). But did you know that sun dried tomatoes are a staple of the Mediterranean region? Not only do they contain lycopene which is known for it's antioxidant benefits, but also other nutrients like vitamins A & C. But the best part, they are delicious!

I'll be honest, I thought a sun dried tomato was just a sun dried tomato & that was it. Just one flavor. I was wrong (no one tell my husband I said that).

Mooney Farms is a family owned business that started in 1987 in Chico, California. What was originally a kiwi farming operation, quickly grew into sun dried tomatoes under the label Bella Sun Luci.

The folks over at Mooney Farms were kind enough to send me some sun dried tomato varieties:

•California Julienne Cut with Italian Basil

•California Julienne Cut with Zesty Peppers

•California Julienne Cut with Greek Oregano, Basil & Garlic
 •California Julienne Cut

Like I said, I never knew there were different flavors of sun dried tomatoes, so I was anxious to try these out in different recipes. I made salads, soups, pizzas & pasta dishes (like my own Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes over Pasta). The uniquely robust flavor stood out without drawing away from the dish. Unless I centered it around the tomatoes of course...which I may have done one or four times.

I also received some oil packed sun dried tomato varieties:

• Sun Dried Tomato Pesto with Whole Pine Nuts

•Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil & Herbs - Halves

•Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil & Herbs - Julienne 

•Bruschetta with Italian Basil Sun Dried Tomato & Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I had never had sun dried tomatoes packed in olive oil before & even though I do love the robust flavor of a sun dried tomato, I was worried that it would be too much in the oil. Yea, I was wrong again (don't tell my husband I said that either). These varieties all had a smoothness that I just can't describe, while still having just the right amount of flavor. Perfect for pasta dishes, panini's & my favorite Simple Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta.  

Oh no!
View this pic on Instagram.

I now try to include sun dried tomatoes into my meals at least twice a week. Especially since it tastes like I'm indulging myself, while still reaping all the benefits that they have to offer.

Eager to try Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes for yourself?

One lucky winner will receive the same 8 flavor assortment as I did!
The giveaway will conclude on at 12:00 a.m. est on Monday 10/14/13. Winners will be announced via rafflecopter & in a separate blog post which will be published no later than 9:00 a.m. on Monday 10/14/13. Winners will also be notified via email & announced on the Smith and Blessings facebook page. Winners will have 24 hours to submit shipping information, which will then be passed on to Mooney Farms for distribution of product. If 24 hours has lapsed, a new winner will be picked & then will also have 24 hours to submit their information. *Giveaway open to U.S. residents only. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out recipes & contest info from Bella Sun Luci, as well as the latest updates on Facebook & Twitter.

**Disclaimer: I received these products to try from Mooney Farms & am simply sharing my personal opinion which may vary from yours. I was not compensated for this review.

Simple Sunday: Horsin' Around

It was another crazy busy week! This is just one of the highlights of it. Damien, my 4 year old who waited in line for what seemed like forever, riding a horse at a festival that a local ranch was putting on. I should probably mention that the rain started when we were so close to the front of the line, but he didn't care one bit because he got to ride a big horse! (He told everyone he was too big for a pony.)

Snacktastic Saturday: Breaded Pickle Chips

Today I decided that I wanted to make my own Breaded Pickle Chips. We have ordered them before with our carry-out & they were pretty good. But since they are pretty indulgent, I decided to bake mine in the oven. And I have to admit, they came out pretty darn tasty!

I always seem to keep some seasoned flour & breadcrumbs on hand, which means that the recipe is a close approximation.

How To:

•seasoned flour (seasoned salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, etc. Whatever you feel like putting in it.)

•milk

•seasoned breadcrumbs (breadcrumbs, garlic powder, dehydrated onion flakes, onion salt, parsley, etc. Again, whatever you feel like putting in it.)

•pickle chips, any flavor (I love Famous Dave's Signature Spicy Pickle Chips!)

- Dredge pickle chips in seasoned flour, milk & the breadcrumbs, making sure to thoroughly coat at each step. 

- Bake in a 400 degree oven 15-20 minutes, flipping over about halfway through (make sure the underside is beginning to brown before flipping).

- Best served with Ranch Dressing.

- Enjoy!