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cathubbard@hotmail.com
I have extremely sensitive skin so trying new skincare products can be a bit tricky, however not being one to shy away from a new product I had to give this GLAMGLOW Supercleanse Clearing Cleanser a try. On a day to day basis I continue to use my old favorite cleanser which is, Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Cleanser, which I love. Yet, I have found that when my skin is going crazy due to hormones or changes in the environment (anyone else notice a few extra zits with the changes of the seasons?) I need something a little more potent. I have tried several cleansers and they are either too harsh for my skin and break me out or leave my skin feeling overly dehydrated and tight. Soooo, in my search for a little more oomph to my cleanser I tried this GLAMGLOW Supercleanse Clearing Cleanser and I fell in love.
The first thing to know about this cleanser is that it comes out as a mud. I use two pumps of this cleanser and massage this onto DRY skin. After massaging the formula into the skin, you begin massaging water into the cleanser to loosen the “mud” and really get this formula into the skin. Continue to add water, massage into skin and then rinse. This takes a minute or so to complete so be patient, it is worth it. Here is a picture of the mud once it is pumped out of the tube:
I love summer – I love that my boys get to sleep in, the weather is warm, and just the overall more relaxed vibe that summer brings. I love a good salad, but the warm weather always brings my cravings for fresh, delicious salads to the forefront so I decided to come up with a new creation which is where I came up with this Salmon, Potato and Spinach Salad.
Spinach is a superfood and one of my favorite greens to use in salads. Not only is spinach rich in niacin and zinc but also provides a plentiful amount of fiber, vitamins A, C, E and K, thiamin, vitamin B6, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and manganese. Definitely a great addition! Then there’s salmon, another superfood which is rich in vitamin B12, vitamin D, and selenium. Salmon is also a good source of niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, phosphorus, and vitamin B6.
OK, so we have two super foods and then I decided to add potatoes for their creaminess and additional texture. I added my favorite vinaigrette recipe and some parmesan to round out the salad and give it a salty, creamy bite. A squeeze of lemon makes the whole dish come together.
I have a guilty pleasure – PF Changs Dan Dan Noodles. Generally I try to avoid restaurants that advertise on television, I don’t know what it is, but I feel like a lot of mass market restaurants usually don’t have the freshest most delicious food. Seriously though, think about it…Red Lobster, Olive Garden (with their never ending salad and breadsticks – YUCK!), Applebee’s – when I think of fresh, flavorful, unforgettable cuisine the above just don’t come to my mind.
I do however have a few favorite chains that I am particularly fond of and they seem to deliver on delicious food. I just hope they don’t start advertising on TV cause it is all downhill from there. My favorite of all the chains would have to be PF Changs because I LOVE their Dan Dan Noodles. It is one of those items that I crave. I will think about them and my mouth will begin to water. Well, today I had a craving and I decided to try a recipe out. Boy am I glad I did. The taste wasn’t exact, but it was pretty darn close and this is a recipe that I will be adding to my regular repetoire. I have to add that I made this whole meal in about 20 minutes, which isn’t half bad for a quick weeknight dish.
If you love PF Changs or even if you don’t, you should give this recipe a try. One note, PF Changs serves their Dan Dan noodles with cucumbers. I am not particularly fond of cucumbers in this dish, so I left them out. If you like them, by all means add them.
I changed my stuffed peppers from using beef to ground turkey. I also used brown rice instead of white rice for the added nutrition and fiber. For my two boys I gave them the filling minus the peppers and they loved it. A few carrots on the side and they also have a complete meal.
This meal is super filling and since you have all food groups represented, you can be in and out of the kitchen in no time. Enjoy!
I hate mornings. I always have. Since I have two boys I have experienced many early mornings. Luckily I married a guy who is also an early bird so most of the time I am able to get a little bit of extra shut-eye in here and there. The hating mornings aside, I do love a piping hot breakfast which is why I love Paula Deen’s French Toast Casserole. Not only is it prepared the night before so I don’t have to worry about getting up and making three hungry guys a warm breakfast, but it is decadent. Of course it comes with lots of butter, sugar and fat which is a prerequisite in all Paula Deen recipes, so while you may not be able to make this all the time, on the occasional Sunday or holiday, it is definitely worth it.
A couple of things to note, I deviated from the recipe on the Food Network site to adjust it to my own tastes and textures. I cut down the eggs by two and cut down the half-and-half listed to only one cup instead of two. By doing this the casserole is less “soupy” and lighter & fluffier. I also modified the Praline topping a bit, using less nuts. Some may think I am crazy, but again, this is just to my tastes. For Paula’s Exact Frenct Toast Casserole recipe, just click on this link. Yes, the image I used is from the Food Network site because no matter what I do my casserole never looks quite as pretty as Paula’s, but trust me, it is fabulous!
