Blow On: Look Fabulous in Under An Hour (No Shower Required!)

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Karen Morse

Truth – I hate showering. Every time I tell someone this, they crack up. It is hard to believe if you know me. I like my hair and clothes to be neat all the time. I’m just the right amount of matching without being too matchy-match. But girly girls like me are looking at an hour commitment MINIMUM when it comes to showering and getting ready. Sometimes the mere idea of it makes me pull the covers back over my head (still not kidding)

And recently, I discovered a lifesaver. Nope, not dry shampoo (that’s another story) — the blow dry bar! Now making their way across the US are these clever little shops which offer (you guessed it!) a shampoo and a fabulous blow dry. That’s it! No stranger’s newly-cut hair flying across the room at you or caustic chemical smells to contend with. Just a relaxing shampoo following by a fabulous blow dry and style. Oh, and a glass of wine or bubbly while you are gettin’ beautified!

There are two different options near me:

1) Drybar (founded by Ali Webb around 2009), which has salons in California, Arizona, New York, DC, Georgia, and Texas, recently opened a new location at Stanford Shopping Center. It is so pretty inside! The color scheme is white, gray, and buttercup yellow (Buttercup is also the name of their trademark yellow hairdryer and now available at Sephora!)

photo courtesy of Drybar
www.drybar.com

2) Halo – a Bay Area outfit with 3 area locations founded by Los Altan Rosemary Camposano with the alluring tagline “Stop In. Float Out.” I haven’t had the pleasure of trying one of Halo’s blowouts yet, but there Menlo Park location is basically within walking distance of my house. It’s on my list!

photo courtesy of Halo
www.haloblowdrybar.com

For ladies that have neither the time nor the money for a full spa day, $35 and 45 minutes to an hour of your time, you can walk out looking fabulous and feeling great. One of the receptionists at Drybar let me know that they often have Groupon offers, and I managed to snag one for a $17 special.

This video will have you running to your nearest location!

Have you been to a blow dry bar? Did you leave feeling amazing? Tell me about it below!

Meatless Monday Recipe: French Toast with Fresh Strawberries

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Karen Morse

I remember as a kid having breakfast for dinner when we’d had a busy day or it got late before we realized it. It was like a treat! Scrambled eggs and pancakes. Those were some of the best dinners!

This French Toast recipe is amazing. Seriously… I try French Toast any time I see it on the menu. Just last week after we finished the OC Half Marathon, we stayed for a few extra days at the St. Regis Monarch Beach down in Orange County. The morning after the half marathon, I had a pretty darn good French Toast with Mixed Berries. I believe this recipe (taken and modified slightly from the Williams-Sonoma Breakfast cookbook) is THE BEST FRENCH TOAST I’VE EVER HAD. Try it yourself!!

Ingredients:

6 slices sturdy French bread, about 3/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (or Cointreau)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Powdered sugar for dusting
Maple syrup (warmed)
Fresh sliced organic strawberries

Preparation:

Arrange the bread slices in a single layer in a large baking dish.
In a glass mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, Grand Marnier, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and salt. Pour evenly over the bread slices and let stand for one minute, then turn bread over. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 to 30 minutes.
In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add as many slices of the bread that will fit without overlapping. Flip after 3 minutes. Cook for 2-3 minutes on the opposite side. Melt the remaining butter & repeat with the rest of the bread slices.
Transfer French toast to plates and sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top. Add fresh strawberry slices and serve with warmed maple syrup.

Car Yoga – Three Simple Stretches to Try on the Road

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Karen Morse

Road trips are supposed to be fun, but more than a couple of hours in the car can be a real pain!

Passengers can do these simple stretches at any time. For drivers, it’s a good rule of thumb to stop ever two hours (or 100 miles) for a stretch break. The following seated stretches are taken from the book Yoga to Go by Paula Carino.

Seated Twist

Place feet on the floor and bring your left hand to the outside of your right knee. Twist gently to the right. Hold for a couple of breaths, then reverse the twist with your right hand on your left knee.

Forward Neck Stretch

1. Interlace your fingers and clasp them behind your head at the base of your skull. Allow your chin to drop down near your chest.

2. Let gravity and the weight of your hands stretch the back of your neck. Hold for three to five deep breaths.

Side Neck Stretch

1. Sit forward on the seat with your feet planted squarely and firmly on the floor. Reach your right hand back and grasp the right side of your seat. Lengthen your spine; tuck your chin to your chest.

2. Pull your body to the left and place your left hand on the right side of your head. Carefully pull your head towards the left. Hold for a couple of breaths & switch sides.

You might also like:

Workouts You Can Do Anywhere

Motivation

Eat Chocolate, Help Save the World!

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Karen Morse

I love socially-conscious vendors. People who are in it for more than just a profit, thank you! I’m not going to give up my two squares of after-dinner dark chocolate, so I want to support these chocolatiers with a cause!

Rescue Chocolate

Photo courtesy of rescuechocolate.com

With a motto of “the sweetest way to save a life,” Rescue Chocolate (out of Brooklyn, yo!) donates 100% of its net profits to animal rescue groups around the country.

All bars are:

Organic & Fairly-traded
Vegan
Kosher

I haven’t tried these chocolates yet, but their bars called “The Fix,” which is made of 66% cocoa and “Pick Me! Pepper” (mmm… spicy!) are on my list to try next.

Check ‘em out here!

Endangered Species Chocolate

Endangered Species Chocolate (out of Indianapolis, IN) was born out of a desire to make an impact on the growing number of plant and animal species that are disappearing from Earth.

Their darkest chocolate bar boasts an 88% cocoa content (can you handle it?)

Photo courtesy of endangered species chocolate – chocolatebar.com

All bars:

Use Rainforest Alliance Certified™ Cocoa
Non-GMO Verified
Gluten-Free
Vegan
Kosher
Fairly-traded

10% of the net profits go to support species conservation & habitat preservation.

Theo Chocolate

Seattle-based Theo is proud to be the first Organic, Fair Trade, Fair for Life certified Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Factory in North America.

Their chocolates are:

Gluten-free
Vegan
Kosher
Soy-free
Organic & Fairly-traded

In Seattle? Go visit them! I’ll bet they give out free samples I’m hoping to try their new Congo bars (Pili Pili Chili, please!)

Photo courtesy of theochocolate.com

$1 from each box sold will benefit Eastern Congo Initiative’s work with farmers, mothers, and families in eastern Congo.

If you know of other socially-conscious chocolatiers, please share them with me below!

Meatless Monday Recipe: Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Karen Morse

I’ve gotten in to making my own salad dressings and marinades lately in an attempt to make something with much less added sugar and sodium.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting sodium to less than 2,300 mg a day (1,500 mg if you’re age 51 or older, black, or have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease). The average American is actually getting around 3,400 mg per day — way over the recommended amount — and processed foods (like store-bought salad dressings) are very much a culprit.

This Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette recipe was created by Martha Rose Shulman, author of The Very Best of Recipes for Health: 250 Recipes and More from the Popular Feature on NYTimes.com

Ginger has many medicinal properties, including acting as anti-inflammatory and easing nausea or mild stomach discomfort.

Here’s the original recipe:

1 garlic clove, finely minced or puréed
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon brown sugar or agave nectar
5 tablespoons canola oil or light sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1. Place all of the ingredients in a minichop or blender (because the amounts are small, I prefer a minichop) and blend until homogenized.

Yield: Makes 2/3 cup.

Advance preparation: This dressing keeps for several days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per 2 tablespoons: 177 calories; 2 grams saturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fats; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 58 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 0 grams protein

Photo credit: Greatist / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Is Ditching Dairy the Answer to Having a Flat Stomach?

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Karen Morse

In addition to ramping up my cardio & Pilates the past couple of weeks to get Bikini-Body ready for Hawaii in a couple of weeks, I’ve been reading up on food-based cleanses and other recommendations to get rid of any excess bloat before suiting up. Only 12 MORE DAYS until I say “Aloha”!!! Can’t wait!

A 2009 Baylor College of Medicine study found that about 12% of adults are lactose intolerant, which causes swelling during digestion. In many, the symptoms can be mild enough or we can grow to believe they are “normal” enough to where we may not even know that we have the intolerance.

Several experts suggest ridding your diet of both dairy & wheat products for 7-14 days before a beach vacation to appear as svelte as possible.

I love my morning coffee with 2% milk and my afternoon Tazo Awake Tea Lattes from Starbucks, so this is going to be a tough one!

I started substituting almond milk in my morning coffee, which isn’t bad at all. I’m going to switch to herbal tea in the afternoon or a cappuccino with almond or coconut milk. We’ll see!

Source: Uploaded by user via Karen on Pinterest

I don’t think ditching wheat products will be too difficult. I did it once before in the 2011 Whole Living Action Plan (and dairy too, for that matter). I did feel immensely better after giving up dairy, caffeine, and wheat products for an entire week!

I’ll keep you posted on my journey! Any ideas for your favorite milk-substitutes are much appreciated! I do LOVE a good coffee in the morning since I don’t use any sweetener, a little splash of something creamy is a must!! Thanks for sharing below!!

Meatless Monday Recipe: Quinoa Two Ways

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Karen Morse

I couldn’t decide which quinoa meal idea to share for today’s Meatless Monday recipe, so I decided to share both!

The first quinoa dish I’m serving up today is one you can make for lunch or dinner, Roasted Vegetables Over Quinoa. I started out by roasting a pan of veggies that I had on hand. This time, it was butternut squash and cauliflower with several cloves of crushed garlic. Check out my Easy Peasy Roasted Vegetables recipe for cooking time & step-by-step instructions on how to roast the perfect veggie every time!

Next I simply cooked up some quinoa according to the directions on the box. I opted for the microwave method since I had tried it before and it had turned out well.

Once the vegetables were roasted, I simply scooped a few spoons over the cooked quinoa and my dinner was ready!

If you are looking for a little more flavor, add a little low-sodium soy sauce or whatever else you might put over a stir-fry when serving.

The next morning, I was really craving a hot bowl of oatmeal with sweet strawberries for breakfast, and I remembered that I had some quinoa leftover. Knowing how many nutrients are in quinoa and that it’s lightly sweet flavor would lend itself well to something that might be good for breakfast, I decided to experiment.

I simply reheated 1/4 cup of the leftover quinoa in the microwave for one minute. Next, I added cut strawberries, half a banana, 1/4 cup of non-fat Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of honey to make a very satisfying Quinoa Porridge. Looks good, doesn’t it?

I was pleasantly surprised, and I will be making this again.

How do you use quinoa? Tell me about it below this post!

Meatless Monday Recipe: Thai Pumpkin Soup

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Karen Morse

I tried out a nice new spicy soup to share with you for this week’s Meatless Monday recipe. This did not disappoint! It had just the right amount of heat & spice and was perfect for a cold winter night.

I used the light coconut milk to make this a little healthier, and it certainly didn’t feel like I had sacrificed anything with this substitution. Both of the canned ingredients came from Trader Joe’s. They have everything!

This is what the soup looked like after Step 1 (before adding the coconut milk and blending). It smelled delicious!

And finally, a bowl of hot & spicy Thai Pumpkin soup served up! I added just a dollop of light sour cream & some chopped cilantro. Lots of flavors going on in this soup…all of them complementing each other very well.

This recipe was actually really quick & easy to make – I even had all of the ingredients on hand, except for the fresh ginger. Instead, I used 1 tablespoon of powdered ginger instead of 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger. It tasted great!

Other meatless recipes you will love:

Butternut Squash & Roasted Garlic Soup

Thai-Style Mixed Vegetables in Coconut Milk

Zesty Black Bean & Brown Rice Bowl

The Health Benefits of Tea

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Karen Morse

If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve no doubt seen lots of tea photos lately. Yep, I’m on a bit of a tea kick since fighting a nasty cold for the past two weeks.

Tea is so comforting when you are sick! It’s like a little cup of wellness I also love all of the little “tea fortunes” I’m seeing on my teabags, too. It’s like a fortune cookie (well, without the cookie) in every cup!

Feeling much better today (thank goodness!), so I wanted to share some of the Health Benefits of Tea. Here’s what some studies have found about the potential health benefits of tea (the following if from WebMD):

Green tea: Made with steamed tea leaves, it has a high concentration of EGCG and has been widely studied. Green tea’s antioxidants may interfere with the growth of bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers; prevent clogging of the arteries, burn fat, counteract oxidative stress on the brain, reduce risk of neurological disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, reduce risk of stroke, and improve cholesterol levels.
Black tea: Made with fermented tea leaves, black tea has the highest caffeine content and forms the basis for flavored teas like chai, along with some instant teas. Studies have shown that black tea may protect lungs from damage caused by exposure to cigarette smoke. It also may reduce the risk of stroke.
White tea: Uncured and unfermented. One study showed that white tea has the most potent anticancer properties compared to more processed teas.
Oolong tea: In an animal study, those given antioxidants from oolong tea were found to have lower bad cholesterol levels. One variety of oolong, Wuyi, is heavily marketed as a weight loss supplement, but science hasn’t backed the claims.
Pu-erh tea: Made from fermented and aged leaves. Considered a black tea, its leaves are pressed into cakes. One animal study showed that animals given pu-erh had less weight gain and reduced LDL cholesterol.

What’s your favorite kind of tea? Share under this post!

Baby, It’s Cold Outside! My Favorite Winter Dry Skin Fixes

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Karen Morse

No matter where you live, winter weather can be very drying. Over the years, I’ve tried countless products to keep my skin from getting too dry. Some work, others not so much. Here are a few of my favorites that I think you’ll like too. Your skin (and lips!) will thank you for it!

For hands:

I’ve been looking for a hand lotion that was “the one” for years. Last year, I finally found it – Deborah Lippmann Rich Girl. I’m telling you… this stuff is the business! It’s touted as an anti-aging hand and cuticle cream, has an SPF of 25, and it smells amazing. I wish I could insert a scratch and sniff sticker here, really!!! It is a bit pricey, but if you are looking for a great hand lotion to keep your hands soft and young-looking then look no further – this is it!

For body:

I also discovered my new favorite body lotion last year, Epicuren Lemongrass After Bath Moisturizer. Until then I had always bought lotions, used a third to a half of the bottle and gotten sick of it. This was recommended to me after I had laser hair removal on my legs. I’m telling you, this is the first time in my life that I remember using an entire bottle of lotion (and I bought the BIG bottle) Can’t rave about it enough!

For face:

People are always telling me that I don’t look my age (keep those comments coming, people!). While I know genes account for some of it, I also believe in my skincare regimen. I use La Prairie Anti-Aging Day and Night Creams. The day cream has SPF 30. Both smell nice and are not too overpowering fragrance-wise. I swear by these products. Add a little vitamin C-based serum underneath during the winter months for extra moisture.

For lips:

I find lipstick and lip pencils very drying this time of year. I found a perfect solution to keep a little color on my lips while keeping them from getting all dry and cracked – Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balms (my favorite shade is Red Dahlia).

Those are my favorite products to beat dry skin. What are your favorites? Tell me about them at the bottom of this post.