NRW: Black Bean Stoup

Here's my take on Rachel Rays Black Bean Stoup. A great meal to make every week. Yummo!

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
3 sprigs of fresh bay leaves 
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cans black beans (15 ounces)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground coriander
Salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons of hot sauce
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tomatoes, diced
1 9oz package of Purdue Short cuts carved chicken breast, honey roasted
1 pack of turkey sausage, sliced
Sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a medium size soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add EVOO to hot pot then bay leaves, jalapeño, garlic, celery and onions. Cook 3-4 minutes.
3. Add green peppers and continue to cook.
4. Drain 2 cans of beans and add them. With remaining can, pour the juice and half the beans into the pot. Use a fork to mash up the beans remaining in the can. Stir the mashed beans into the pot and season with cumin, coriander, salt and pepper and 2-3 tablespoons hot sauce. Add stock, tomatoes, chicken, and sausage to the stoup and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes over low heat.
5. Serve with cheese and sour cream.

Enjoy!

~HG

LOTD: Hello Kitty!

Face:

MUFE HD Foundation #175

MUFE HD Powder

Eyes: Too Dolly palette - Hello Kitty collection

MAC Paint Pot in Perky - all over lid
Yogurt E/S - Brow bone to crease
Too Dolly E/S - lid to crease
Romping E/S - outter V into crease
Stately Black - outter V just into lower lid
MAC pigment colour powder in Milk - Brow bone and inner corner
MUFWE 12 Flasch Color Case (the black color) - line eyes
Dior Extase - Mascara

Lips:

Covergirl Wetslicks Amazemint in Plum Crazy

Cheeks:
MAC Superduper Natural
MAC Tippy

~HG

LOTD: Seedy Scarlett

Face:

MUFE HD Foundation #175

MUFE HD Powder

Eyes:

MAC Paint in Bamboom- all over lid
MAC Shadowy Lady E/S - lower lid to mid-lid, blend up into crease
MAC Seedy Pearl E/S - crease to right below brow bone
Stila smudge pot in black - line eyes
Dior Extase - Mascara

Lips:
MAC lipstick in bombshell
MAC plushglass in Power Supply

Cheeks:
MAC Frankly Scarlett
MAC Dolly Mix

~HG

NRW: Sparkling Pomegranate Drink

Here's a new treat - a drink recipe! Someone emailed this to me over the holidays and I thought it sounded yummy. Then I made it and can testify that it's yummy!

Sparkling Pomegranate Champagne
• 1 oz chilled pomegranate juice
• 4 ounces chilled champagne

DIRECTIONS
Pour the pomegranate juice into a champagne flute and top with champagne. Serve immediately.
*****
Sparkling Pom-Apple Mocktail
• 1 ounce chilled pomegranate juice
• 4 ounces Sparkling Apple-Pomegranate Cider*
• mint leaf for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Pour the pomegranate juice into a champagne flute and top with Cider. Garnish with a mint leaf.

Enjoy!

~HG

LOTD: Strawberry Sunshine

Face:

MUFE HD Foundation #175

MUFE HD Powder

Eyes:

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly - all over lid
MAC Chrome Yellow E/S - lower lid inner corner to mid-lid, blend up into crease
MAC Rule E/S - lower lid mid-outter corner, blend up into crease
MAC Pigment Colour Powder in Melon - Blend into the middle of the lid
MAC Pigment in Reflects Blackened Red - Blend into crease
MAC Pigment in Naked Lunch - Eyebrow highlight
Stila smudge pot in black - line eyes
Any Green E/S - Line below lower waterline
Dior Extase - Mascara

Lips:
MAC Tinted Lipglass in Entice

Cheeks:
MAC Superduper Natural
NARS in Taos

~HG

NRW: Easy Corned Beef and Cabbage

In Honor of St. Patricks Day and all of my fellow Irishmen, I give you the (non)traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage

INGREDIENTS
4 slices bacon
4 tablespoons butter
1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 can corned beef

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the bacon in large pot over medium heat until almost crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in the pot with the bacon grease. Add the cabbage, stirring well to coat the cabbage in fat.
3. Add about 1/3 cup water, and salt and pepper, to taste.
4. Cover pot with a lid, and cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the bacon into small pieces. 
5. Remove the lid from the pot, and scatter chunks of corned beef and chopped bacon over top of the cabbage. Cover and cook until desired doneness.

~HG

LOTD: Golden Olive

Face:

MUFE HD Foundation #175

MUFE HD Powder

Eyes:

MAC Paint Pot in Painterly - all over lid
Makeup Forever(MUFE) 12 Flash Color Case, Black color - lower lid all the way up to right below the brow bone. Blend, blend, blend.
MAC Pigment Colour Powder in Golden Olive - lower lid inner corner to mid-lid, blend up into crease
Coastal Scents E/S palette 78, 6th column, 3rd green in the second row - lower lid mid-outter corner, blend up into crease
MAC Pigment in Naked Lunch - Eyebrow highlight
Stila smudge pot in black - line eyes
Dior Extase - Mascara

Lips:
MAC Lipglass in Crazy Haute

Cheeks:
Coastal Scents Palette 78, last blush
NARS in Taos

~HG

Jackpot! I Think I'm in Love!

We all know and can agree that I'm a product whore right? Right! So when I was flipping through an old Makeup Artist magazine recently, a company I had never heard of nor tried before peeked my interest. A Canadien based company called Face Atelier.

I'm always on the search for a better foundation, so I was filled with glee when I saw that they may have a foundation in my shade. I quickly ordered samples of their foundations to play with. At $1 a sample, I bought one of each.

The Ultra Foundation is silicone based. What does this mean? It means that this product will not seep into your skin, but instead lay on top of it.  It is light and hydrating yet oil free. Once I applied it I was shocked that my skin looked so flawless! It had an airbrushed look without any creases or lines. The best part? They offer zero plus and zero minus foundations. Just use a drop of either to lighten or darken one of the shades. Still can't find the color you're looking for? Face Atelier plans to offer a Women of Color Ultimate Foundation range this year! The foundation is medium to full coverage but as always, you can make it more sheer by adding a little of your moisturizer. You will love it and so will your clients.
Available at Face Atelier

~HG

Chanel Temporary Tattoos - Hot or Not?

Spring 2010 brings something new and fresh to CHANEL - Temporary Skin Art! Sold for $75 for a package of five sheets with a total of  55 designs, this will surely be a hit with the teenagers. They will be available for a limited time exclusively at CHANEL boutiques and makeup studios and online at chanel.com. So what do you think, hot or not?

~HG

LOTD: Smokey Orange

This is a quick look of the day entry. I only have time to post pics, le sigh, but I hope you enjoy anyway. I just used MACs Naked Lunch, Rule, and the black eyeshadow in my coastal scents palette. Enjoy!

~HG