Silly Thirty in the Test Kitchen: Skillet Lasagna

What's going on everybody?  It's another Monday - so it's another cooking post!

The last time I reported on my adventures in the test kitchen, I told you about a total flop for me with the Two-Ingredient Pancakes.  Well this time, I bring you a success story: Skillet Lasagna!  This is lasagna deconstructed - doesn't that sound all modern and hipster?


I got this recipe from Shape Magazine - they posted it on Facebook.  When I read up on what this meal would entail for prepping and cooking and saw how easy it was, I figured why not?  You can find the recipe here.  I think this is the perfect meal for a weekend when you want to stay in, but you don't want to make anything too fancy or involved.  This has cheese and carbs, so I consider this to be comfort food - perfect for the winter time.

The only thing I changed here is I used 8-oz. of a ready-made spaghetti sauce - like Prego or Ragu - instead of a no-salt added tomato sauce.  Because of that, I did not add anymore salt to the meal.  So, if you happen to make your own spaghetti or marinara sauce then use that, or if you do not have any plain tomato sauce on-hand, don't be afraid to add some spaghetti sauce from the jar and carry on with it. 

Here is the finished product:

 (Please excuse the messy stove top!)

Here is what it looked like plated with some chopped basil:

(We used the fine china for this meal.)

(Seriously though, why haven't I been topping all of my pasta dishes with some chopped basil?  *Cue Rihanna's "Where Have You Been (All My Life)"*  Between the fresh smell and the little extra it adds to the taste - my husband and I were in heaven.) 

The last thing I would say is - don't be afraid to use another kind of meat.  This recipe originally called for either 95% lean ground beef or pork.  I have lately seen in the grocery stores that they are now offering ground turkey that is pre-seasoned with Italian seasoning and chicken sausage that is also pre-seasoned the same way.  I plan to make this again, but will use either ground turkey, chicken sausage, or ground chicken with some Italian seasoning added in - I'm sure it will be just as delicious.

If you haven't already figured this one out - this meal was a big win in my house and I think it will be at your house as well.  Let me know if you try this one out, and if you have made any substitutions to the ingredients.

Take care and talk to you soon!

Silly Thirty Reviews: Benefit's Fakeup Concealer for the Winter

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Here is another beauty review of something that has quickly become a holy grail product for me during this cold and very dry winter: I'm talking about Fakeup from Benefit. 

Fakeup is a concealer intended for covering darkness under the eyes.  It is a crease-control hydrating concealer that looks like nothing I have ever seen before.  The actual concealer is surrounded by a moisturizer.  Take a look:

 (Shade 01: Light is on the left and Shade 02: Medium is on the right)

When Fakeup first debuted, I had my misgivings about it.  I thought it was a gimmick.  Then, the winter weather hit.  It has been an exceptionally dry winter for me here in New York.  

My skin is already pretty dry and the concealer I was previously using - Timebalm from The Balm - while perfect for the warmer months, was emphasizing my fine lines and magnifying the crepe-factor that is going on there.  (Let me know if you would like a review of Timebalm in the comments section.)  It made me appear tired and old - not a good look.  It turns out that I need a little more of a moisture boost under the eyes for the colder weather.

I had a sample of Fakeup that I totally forgot about and "found" while getting ready one morning.  I must say, I was very impressed from the get-go.  I did not set this with powder because I knew for myself that it would totally defeat the purpose and make the area look dry and gross. 

For the duration of the day, my under eye area looked great.  It stayed moisturized throughout the day, no crepe-i-ness or fine lines emphasized.  I did not find that this stuff slid around (most likely because I needed the moisture boost so my skin was drinking this up) and it did not require any touch up.  

As far as the color range goes, it is very limited.  You have to pick between 01 light, 02 medium, and 03 dark.  Let's hope that Benefit will be coming out with some in-between shades for this concealer.  My skin tone is definitely more towards medium, but I like to blend the light and medium together for a brightened effect.

I was so impressed with the sample, that I went out and purchased the full sizes that evening at my local Ulta.  This concealer is now part of my everyday makeup routine. 

Fakeup costs about $24.00 US and you can find it online at Benefit.com; Sephora (in stores and online); Ulta (in stores and online); and a bunch of other online retailers.  If anyone else has used Fakeup - I would love to hear what you think!  Talk to you soon!

Full Disclosure (I should have been doing this with my earlier beauty posts): I purchased these products with my own money.  I did not receive any compensation of any kind in connection with this review.  These are my own opinions about this product.  I do not have any affiliation with any of the  products mentioned.  The links I have inserted are for your convenience for finding and researching these products. 

Silly Thirty Cooking: In the Test Kitchen Making Two-Ingredient Banana Pancakes

Hi everyone - hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I took an unintentional and unplanned break from posting last week - so I apologize if you were wondering where I was and were missing the blog.

A couple of weeks ago, I was on Bloglovin perusing the beauty and food blogs and I saw an interesting post on pancakes, specifically banana pancakes.  I love pancakes, french toast - anything carby and delicious for breakfast.  Unfortunately, pancakes and french toast are not something I can eat too frequently because I would have to start wearing clothes about 10 sizes larger than what I already wear.  But getting back...

The Black Pearl Blog, operated by a woman with lovely looking eyebrows named Sandra who hails from Glasgow, had this post last month on her recipe for "Healthy Two Ingredient Banana Pancakes."  You can check out her and her banana pancake post right here.  Much like the title of the recipe would suggest, the recipe calls for two ingredients - bananas and eggs.  Needless to say, I was intrigued especially considering the fact that bananas and eggs alone are, by far, much healthier than traditional pancakes.

So one Saturday morning a couple of weeks ago when I was mulling over what to eat for breakfast, I decided to give this recipe a go.  I mean how hard could it be?  Heh - well, let's put it this way people: I wouldn't be telling you about this little experiment unless a) it was totally delicious or b) it was a complete and total disaster and I couldn't resist giving you the opportunity to have a chuckle about it with me.  Can you guess what happened here?

Now before we begin, I want to say that I set the bar pretty low for myself in terms of how well I thought this would turn out.  I did not think that these two ingredient pancakes were going to taste just like regular pancakes - it would have been ridiculous to think that way.  I thought that if I could get the consistency right - more or less similar to a traditional pancake - then maybe this would become part of my breakfast cooking repertoire.   

So here is how I started:

Black Pearl Sandra, as I will call her for the purposes for this post, suggested adding a little vanilla extract or cinnamon to sweeten things up a bit.  

I thought I had a photo of the bowl with the egg and banana mixture - guess not.  Here is the mixture in a measuring cup which I thought would help with my pour of this concoction onto the pan:

I modified the recipe by adding another banana into the mix.  When I initially mixed everything together, it looked too much like eggs with banana blended in.  (I know, I know...)

Here is the first pancake, mid-cook:

 

Black Pearl Sandra said you can flip it over once it starts to bubble, much like traditional pancakes.  So that is what I did and here is what happened:

The one thing about these pancakes is that patience is key.  They are to be cooked in low/medium heat, you need to let them sit there and cook, and just when you think these are ready to flip, just leave them on a little bit longer and then flip them over. 

Black Pearl Sandra also suggested adding some baking powder if you wanted a fluffier pancake.  And who wouldn't want a fluffier pancake?  So I took a look in my pantry, but I did not see any baking powder.  I did find some cornstarch though, and figured at that this point: why the heck not?

 

 (Big shout out to Ben Affleck for making a wonderful little film about the true story of the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.) 

This is what the final product looked like:

Yea I know, it looks like an omelet with mashed banana in there.  And it more or less tasted the same way, corn starch and vanilla extract be damned.  

Funnily enough, later that morning while at the chiropractor, I found the following post on instagram from Blogilates: 

 

 

Will I try this again?  Most likely I will - I do have a blender so I can do a second try with the aforementioned suggestion.  I wonder if omitting the egg yolks would make a difference and add some fluffiness to consistency?  There is only one way to find out!

Have any of you tried the Two-Ingredient Pancakes?  Please share in the comments section below if you have.  

Talk to you soon!! xoxo

The Silly Thirty Drug Store Round Up

Hello everybody!  Welcome back to Silly Thirty!

I've been visiting my local drug stores more frequently than usual due to the fact that I have been sick.  The bad part is I have had to spend some money on medicine.  The good part is I got to check out what was happening in the cosmetic sections of each store!!!

Here is a picture of everything I have purchased recently:

I won't be reviewing these products in this post - let me know if you would like a product review on anything featured here.  I just thought it would be nice to share my "mini-haul".

When I went into Harmon Face Value, I came upon a small display of e.l.f. products.  For those of you who do not know, e.l.f. stands for "eyes lips face".  They had an array of things (from makeup brushes to lipstick to tinted moisturizers) and everything cost under $10.  The products I purchased were $3.00 a piece - you can't beat that price!  I'm not sure about the rest of you, but this is the first time I have seen e.l.f. at Harmon Face Value - I usually only see this makeup line at Target or Walgreens.  

Here is a closer look at the baked eyeshadows: 

 

 

(e.l.f. studio baked eyeshadow: bark & toasted)

The mascara wand on the e.l.f. mascara appealed to me on first glance, so I figured I would give this guy a chance. (Hey - that rhymed!)  We shall see how well this performs...

 

 

(e.l.f. studio lengthening & volumizing mascara)

And finally from e.l.f., who can go wrong with some makeup wipes?

(e.l.f. studio makeup remover cleansing cloths)

While I love Revlon's lip products (I swear I have been on a Revlon kick lately) and some of their face products, I have never really delved into their eyeshadows or blushes.  I saw these blushes, which appear to be new since they were on a separate promotional display, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try them.  Also, I have been in the market for a soft pink shade and a nude shade for everyday wear.

Take a look...

 

 

 (revlon powder blush with brush: naughty nude & oh baby! pink)

Since writing up this post, I have actually tried both blush shades - they are very pretty colors that will give you a soft glow.  Not overly shimmery so they are perfect for daytime wear.  The pigmentation is just OK - I had to go back in a couple of times with my brush to get the desired effect of a slightly flushed cheek.  I was not impressed with the staying power either, especially when you compare it to, say Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush.  


Here are two Revlon Super Lustrous lip sticks I picked up during a trip to Ulta.  I don't think these are new colors - they appear to be part of the regular line of colors.

 (sassy mauve)

 (berry rich)

I bought Sassy Mauve based upon a recommendation from Camila Coelho - she is a gorgeous beauty guru on YouTube and she recently made a video on her Favorite Fall Lipsticks that included this color.  I picked up Berry Rich on a whim since it is gorgeous and appears to be extremely wearable as well.

And now, on to more blushes - this time from Milani.  These are Milani's Baked Powder Blushes:

(luminoso)

(dolce pink)

I have been very curious about Milani blushes for a while.  I have read lots of positive reviews online and seen plenty of makeup tutorials on YouTube that feature these blushes.  When I saw the "buy one get one 50% off" promotion at CVS, I couldn't resist picking up two shades.

Last, are the Maybelline Color Tatoos:

These shades - Just Beige and Nude Pink - are limited edition, so if you are interested in these - walk, don't run to the store and buy them before they are sold out for good.  I found these at CVS.  The colors are pretty neutrals that you can use alone, or as a base for your eye look.  I have heard that these Color Tattoos are a good dupe for the MAC Paint Pots and Sigma Eyeshadow Bases.

I hope you enjoyed a peek in my makeup shopping bag!  See you next time!

Silly Thirty Discusses Fad Fruits and Vegetables: Kale Edition

Hello all!  Hope everyone had a great weekend!

I was at the grocery store the other day and I started to think about all of the foods that have come in and out of "style".  Food is almost like fashion in a sense.  There always seems to be something to eat that is "so hot right now" - ala Hansel from Zoolander.  (I'm totally showing my age with that reference.)

These foods are popularized and hyped up, but I feel like the nutritional facts and information about why these things are so good for you can get glossed over most of the time.  All you know is that, according to some word of mouth or something you saw or read in the news, that [insert food here] is what you should be eating at the moment.

I thought it would be nice to start a "series" about fad fruits and veggies and feature information in a digestible (wocka wocka Fozzy Bear) format - just some bullet points with basic information.  To start off the series, I chose kale because it appears to be the "cool kid" of the moment.  Also, because I have actually tried this stuff and really like it, so I have no qualms recommending it and telling you that this leafy green lives up to the hype.

Say hello to kale:





What do we know about kale?  Well, from the photo above we can tell that kale is a leafy green, and its name sounds like it belongs to something that was found at the bottom of the ocean (Or maybe I am thinking of kelp?  I digress.).  But what can kale do for you?

• Kale is in the Brassica family, which is a group of veggies that also includes cabbage, collard greens, and brussels sprouts.  Kale is a descendant of wild cabbage.
• Kale is rich in vitamin A - one cup of kale contains 10,302 IU of it.
• Kale is also a good source for vitamin C offering 80.4 mg per cup. 
• Kale is a great source for vitamin K. 
• Kale contains high amounts of sulfur and fiber. 
• One cup of kale contains 121 milligrams of omega-3 fatty acids and 92.4 milligrams of omega-6 fatty acids. These essential, polyunsaturated fats contain anti-inflammatory properties and support brain function.
•  Per calorie, kale contains more iron than beef and more calcium than milk.

(Information on kale was found at the following websites: http://spiritfoods.net/health-benefits-of-kale/ and http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38)

The best way - for me - to describe the flavor of kale is to compare it to spinach.  Spinach - cooked and uncooked - has a soft and mild flavor.  In my opinion, it really does not taste like anything in particular.   Uncooked, kale has a bitter flavor but when it is cooked becomes milder and sweeter.

The first time I had kale, I decided to prepare it much the same way I do with spinach - sauteed in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper.  I actually prefer kale to spinach when cooked this way because it doesn't cook down or wilt too much, the way spinach does.  The leaves stay curly and keep their shape for the most part.  The taste of cooked kale is a little sweeter as compared to cooked spinach. 

I have also added kale to my smoothies.  While this tasted very good as well, you have to watch your portions and make sure there are very sweet tasting fruits, like banana, included in the smoothie.  Otherwise, everything ends up tasting a little too much like kale.  Also, I recommend that you immediately soak the blender pitcher in hot water to ensure that none of the pesky little kale bits stick to the sides of the blender.

If I incorporate raw kale with other salad greens, then I make sure to chop up the salad in order to better distribute the kale.  That way, I don't end up with mouthfuls of bitter kale greens that I want to douse in salad dressing. 

A co-worker of mine added chopped kale to a sausage and white bean soup - she said it was delicious.  Keep kale in mind as an ingredient option if you decide make some soup this week or in the near future.

So that's it!  I hope you found this little blurb on kale informative and that it has inspired you to give kale a try the next time you see it in the grocery store or at a restaurant.

Take care and talk to you soon!

Silly Thirty Recommends Lip Colors for the Holidays

For those of you living in cooler climates, I'm sure you have already boxed up and put away your lighter summer clothes and taken out your warmer winter wares.  Ladies (and some men - judgment free zone here), its time to do the same with your make up.  The easiest way to make a summer to fall/winter cosmetic transition is to change up for your lipstick. 

Go ahead and give those corals, peaches and lighter pinks a rest.  It is time to break out the reds, berries, plums, and burgundies!  I have some inexpensive suggestions that you can find in the drugstore - and all of them happen to be from Revlon.

(From top to bottom: Black Cherry, Red Velvet, Cherries in the Snow)

The first one, and the scariest looking straight from the tube is Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick no. 477 in Black Cherry. 

In the tube this looks very vampy and Gothic - it is a dark purple that may intimidate most people.  Swatched, however, you will see that this is beautiful deep berry that will flatter most skin tones.  I believe Revlon has been offering Black Cherry in their collection for quite a few years now - so you could say it is an oldie but goodie.

The second option, a red with a brown undertone is Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter no. 40 in Red Velvet. 

Think red velvet cake for your lips - unfortunately it does not taste like red velvet.  This is a medium toned red, another one that would be complimentary on all skin tones because of the brown tone - that is glossy and wearable for day and night depending on how vibrantly applied.

The last recommendation is another Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick and another oldie but goodie - Cherries in the Snow. 

 
Check out this Revlon advertisement for Cherries in the Snow from the fifties and click on the link for Hell Candy's brief history lesson of this iconic shade: http://www.hellcandy.com/2010/04/revlons-cherries-in-snowa-history.html

Cherries in the Snow is a red with pink undertones with a creme finish.  So, if you are finding it hard to put away all of the pinks you were using in the warmer months, this shade is the perfect choice for you. 

I know that these darker, bolder shades can seem a little trickier to pull off and may seem a little harsh for some of you.  I recommend the following: dab it on with your fingers for a more diffused and softer effect, and top with your favorite clear gloss, or simply leave it be.  You can also apply straight from the tube and then blot with a tissue and dab away some more, if it is still too much for you. 

You can find these shades at your local drugstores that carry Revlon, or at www.drugstore.com. 

Have fun experimenting with these shades and incorporating them into your fall and winter looks!