Mango Chicken Salad with Coucous

Or not mango salad. It was supposed to be mango, but my mango was completely rotted when I cut into it (Thank you Wegmans!). So I just diced up an apple and threw it in instead. Which I should do more often. I like apples in salad.

The salad itself was very easy. And of course healthy. 

First I made the couscous. Which I don't remember ever making. I couldn't find Moroccan Couscous. So I just used what my store had. Which was Israeli couscous. I think I used a little less lemon juice than called for, but I just threw the diced red onion, green and red peppers, olive oil, lemon

 juice and water in a bowl and let it set for the two hours. I salted to taste.

Then I cooked the chicken breast on the stove top. Season it first. For some reason that's not mentioned in the recipe. But it's necessary. 

I added the dressing ingredients to a blender and blended away. It was lime juice, vinegar, mustard, honey, soy sauce. It wasn't the best dressing I ever made. But it was decent!

I used a premixed box of lettuce. This one had the frisbee and arugula like it called for in the recipe. It also had cilantro. Which I do not like at all. I wish I had just used the lettuce mix I usually buy. But it's good to try new things.

I assembled and served. And it wasn't bad. I liked the bites of apple. I really wish my mango hadn't been rotten. I'm sure that would have went better with it. It had a little kick from the diced red onion, which I never put onions in my salad so it was new to me. 

Overall, it was aight. I don't think I would make it again. In the grand scheme of salad it's not memorably amazing. But it was a nice one to try. 

I got the recipe from self magazine. Click here to check it out for yourself!

Bedu Evening Primrose and Vetiver Camel Milk Soap Review

Camels are remarkable animals. And their milk makes remarkable soap.

Bedu claims:

Camel milk is saturated with protective proteins beneficial for skin and is a superb natural cleanser. By virtue of the high amount of proteins, it is most effective in reducing inflammation and speeding recovery of skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis, and well as accelerated wound healing and reduced inflammation.

Camel Milk contains age defying Alpha and Beta Hydroxy acids (known to plump skin and smooth fine lines). It naturally keeps the skin moisturized and prevents sign of aging, sun damage and pigmentation, with its gentle exfoliating and lightening effect. Rich in Vitamin C, (a natural anti-oxidant) it increases collagen production and improves skin resiliency.

High in vitamin E and Vitamin A, which stimulates cell turnover, Camel Milk protects the skin against pollution and cell mutation that can be caused by sun exposure.

It is a natural source of Essential Fatty Acid Linoleic (known for moisture retention), and deeply moisturizing lanolin, which provides a calming and soothing effect on the skin and is beneficial for all skin types–even the most delicate and youngest skin.

Evening Primrose is considered the best remedy to cure eczema and many other skin-related problems. GLA and fatty acid content in this oil is essential for skin health. Very gentle and can be used as moisturizer to keep dry areas hydrated.

Vetiver fades dark spots and scars, regenerates skin tissues, creates a smoother, younger-looking complexion.

Shea Butter is a natural Vitamin A cream, and a superb moisturizer with exceptional healing properties for the skin. The concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids in Shea butter makes it incredibly nourishing.

I've used plenty of goat milk soaps. But this would be my very first camel milk soap. And I think I have a preference for Camel Milk soap. I saw this in my local healthy food store in the natural beauty aisle. And of course, I was intrigued. But the soap was about $6 which is more than I wanted to pay. So I wanted and waiting paid off. A couple weeks later and the price was $3.99 with a .50 cent off coupon. So I bought one. And I have since bought three more. And if they are still on sale the next time I go back I'm picking up the last one I don't have that they stock. 

So the scent. It smells almost like a Bath and Body Works splash I had in middle school. I think it's quite floral. And I really like it.Which is kind of surprising. 

This particular soap is the calming/restoring version. And it does just what it claims. I'm always ready to just kick back and relax after I use this. Which is why I try not to use it in the morning. It makes me so calm, I'm just ready to drift off into dreamworld. I think it must the the vetiver. Vetiver is supposed to be very relaxing and great for people that suffer with insomnia. 

The lather is great. It's not drying and a little bit goes a long way. I only need to rub it a little into my washcloth and I'm good to go. 

I also love that the soap doesn't just melt right away like some other soaps. I don't use it often, but I do use it and it seems to be lasting excellently. 

I've been using it as a body soap, but I would definitely buy this again and try it as a facial bar.

Ingredients:

 Sodium Palmate (Saponified Palm Oil), Sodium Palm Kernelate (Saponified Palm Kernel Oil), Water (Aqua), Sodium Shea Butterate (Saponified Shea Butter Oil), Parfum (Fragrance), Camelus Dromedarius Lait Powder, Sodium Chloride (Salt), Glycerin (Vegetable Glycerin), Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Oil, Vetivera Zizanoides (Vetiver) Root Oil, Curcuma Longo (Turmeric) Root Extract (Plant Based Pigment), Bixa Orellana (Annatto) Powder Organic (Plant Based Pigment), Citric Acid, Tocopherol (Vitamin E).

Only good stuff in the ingredients list! Just what I like to see.

The soap is cruelty free, made in Jordan, uses sustainable palm oil, is scented with natural ingredients, and it's gluten free.

I love, love, love this soap as is evidenced by the fact I bought three more bars and want to try them all. They have a black seed and frankincense, and an African Black soap one that I wish my local store would carry. I might just have to place an order one of these days!

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Mini MAC Brush Haul

Sooo...Macys had a 50% MAC brush sale on Saturday.  I meant to write a post, but I didn't get around to it. But don't worry, you didn't miss anything. Macy's was playing games. I was on the site at 12 a.m. Friday night.  Had my cart ready to go. Refreshed the page a million times Friday Night.

Nothing.

 Went to sleep. Woke up at 7:30. Noticed the sale. But most of the things I had in my cart weren't available. Did someone buy most of them, before 7:30 am. No. Because Macy's had those same brushes I wanted available the next day. I ordered the 217, which was available for half the day. And the next day I get an email saying it wasn't available so they cancelled and gave me a coupon code to get 25% off junk no one wants. I used to love Macys. But the store has definitely gone down in quality over the last couple years. The clothes suck and they don't honor sales. Sorry, I'm not supposed to be ranting about Macys. I got distracted. Anyway....

I only got two brushes in the sale. The first two I bought with gift cards a bit before that. I got a gift card for quite a bit of money from work...and of course I got some pf the MAC brushes I had been wanting...

Why not?

1. The MAC 135- I have the MAC 150. And I was thinking it was going to be similar. But it's a bit different. It's super soft. I like the white bristled hair brushes from MAC better than the black ones. They are softer. I can't be sure how it compares to the 150 because I haven't compared them much-but I think this brush gives a softer look. It picks up less too. It's also quite a bit smaller and not as fluffy. A lot less hairs than the 150. But I think I like it so far. You can contour with it, apply highlighter, powder, bronzer..maybe blush.

2. MAC 137- This brush I wasn't too sure about. But I wanted it anyway, because I want all MAC brushes. I'm surprised by how much I really like it. It's gives a super soft look. You can apply blush, bronzer, contour, light dustings of powder, highlighter etc. It's not super dense. In fact, it's quite floppy. But so far I like it!

3. MAC 212- I got this one because I've wanted a push liner brush for a while. I think they are good for really pushing and smudging liner into the lash line. I haven't used it yet. It just got here today. But it's one I did get in the sale, so it was half price. I'm pretty happy I was able to snag it.

4. MAC 218- And the last one. The 318. Which is going back tomorrow. I don't like how clicky and cheap it feels. I don't like that it's plastic. And I don't like how when you close it the hole is still open. So it's going back. Maybe I will eventually get the other lip brush-because I do want a good lip brush. But this isn't it. So it's going back. I did get if half off, but even half off I don't want it. This will be the first MAC brush I'm returning. 

And...thats all. MAC brushes are expensive so of course..can't be hauling too much. Although if they had the stuff up like they were supposed to I would have bought a bunch more. I wonder if in store was any better?

Aura Cacia Lime Essential Oil Review

I've been meaning to some essential oil reviews. It's just I don't get around to it until the bottle is basically empty. I've had this particular bottle for a little over a year. I'm not sure why I bought it. I guess I just wanted to by some sort of oil...and this seemed like a good idea. I bought it for just under 4 dollars. Actually now that I think about it, I'm sure I bought it thinking I would mix it into a scent something like a Lush soap I had a couple years back..... Didn't happen.

Anyway...

Aura Cacia claims:

Expressed from fresh lime peel, lime essential oil shares many of the same aromatherapy qualities as lemon. Use it to cleanse oily skin, or combine with eucalyptus for a purifying diffusion.

Citrus x aurantifolia (lime) oil

Origin: 

Mexico, US, West Indies

I mostly used this bottle by adding it to a bottle of water and spritzing it around my place. Just to brighten and freshen up the air. It has this lime scent. Equivalent to an actual lime. But a little bit muted unless you sniff it directly from the bottle.

I recently got a diffuser and it makes a good scent to blend with others. For instance..patchouli. I love any kind of citrus with patchouli, so this and sweet orange mixed with a little bit of patchouli is basically heaven to me. The only thing is the scent isn't that strong so I found myself having to use a ton of drops. The scent is said to be uplifting, refreshing, and invigorating. 

I just read it's great for oily skin, I kind of wish I had tried it on my skin. At night of course. You shouldn't use lime oil and then expose your skin to sunlight, because citrus oils are photo toxic. Unless it is steam distilled. This one is not.

There are probably a lot more uses for it then I ever used it for. Like homemade cleaners. You can make sugar body scrubs, body oils, and add it to shampoos. 

All the things you can do with it and I definitely feel I was in a rut with this particular bottle.

It does come in a decent amount. Aura Cacia bottles are 15 ml. Which is the equivalent of 3 teaspoons.  I'm not a fan of the packaging. The child proof caps are great, but it makes it a little hard to open and close. I definitely accidentally left it open one time thinking I had closed it and spilled a lot of the oil.  

It's not a bad oil to have. I'm kind of sad that I ran out. I don't think I will immediately repurchase because I want to try other oils and maybe another brand just for comparisons sake. Also, it's important to note that while some essential oils will keep for years, citrus oils don't. I read it's best to use them in about a year or so. 

Cautions: Kids (not a kid safe oil), pregnant or nursing women, any medical conditions consult a doctor!

Gloria Gaynor

It's been a little longer than I meant to go without a music post. Today flavor? Disco. Classic Disco. Do y'all think Disco will ever come back?

This is basically the ultimate I'm gonna be alright song. And now I have the sudden urge to go to the skating rink. The skating rink was always popping when I was in the 5th or 6th grade or so.



And of course this one. Never Can Say Goodbye. Although I'm the type of person that can ALWAYS say bye. But anyway, it's a must have on the disco playlist. Which I actually need to make, for those special disco days.

And that's all I have today.

Alaffia Everyday Coconut Face Wash For All Skin Types Review

Happy Saturday! I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday. I know I am. I was out earlier and the weather is back to being nice. Wihich is wonderful after the cold and windy week we had last week. I thought fall might have officially made its appearance. But then it made a disappearance, which is fine with me. Anyway, I'm back with another face wash review. This time from the brand Alaffia....

Alaffia claims:

Our face wash, with Certified Fair Trade virgin coconut oil, gently cleanses while maintaining your skin's moisture level. It removes eye makeup, impurities, and environmental pollutants, leaving skin smooth and fresh. For EveryDay use on all skin types.

Ingredients: Azadirachta indica (Neem) Leaf* Aqueous Extract, Carica papaya (Papaya) Leaf Aqueous Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Saponified Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Glycerin, Aromatic Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Extract, Lavandula hybrida (Lavender) Oil. *Certified Fair Trade by IMO

I paid about $5 or 6 dollars for it. It's kind of hard to find a face wash that is completely natural and not in bar form.  I was pretty faithful to bar soaps for awhile but I figured I would review some liquid varieties. Not every one is a fan of bar soaps. And I get it, they can be messy and a little hard to travel with.

So, too start it's ethical, it's fair trade, handcrafted, no synthetic fragrance, vegan, no animal testing, gluten free, paraben free, and biodegradable. Per the bottle, it also fights poverty because they help conduct empowerment projects in Togo, West Africa. Since 2006, Alaffia  has distributed 7,100 bikes to students, built 1,855 benches, funded 4,170 births, planted 53,125 trees, donated 14,200 pairs of glasses , and constructed 10 schools. 

So it's a great company to support. But is it any good?

Yes! It almost has the consistency of a liquid black soap. And it smells good. It's Lavender scented. Can't go wrong with Lavender. It was much welcome after using a Tea Tree face wash for months and months. 

A little bit goes a long way. You don't even need a full pump. And it cleans pretty well. I don't have any problems with it removing my makeup at all- no waterproof makeup though!

It's not drying and after I use it, my face feels smooth, clean, and fresh. And ready for the next step. 

You get a pretty large amount. It's 12 oz. And it will last for quite awhile.

The ingredients are great! Check them out...

Ingredients:

 Azadirachta indica (Neem) Leaf* Aqueous Extract, Carica papaya (Papaya) Leaf Aqueous Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Saponified Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Oil*, Glycerin, Aromatic Cocos nucifera (Coconut) Extract, Lavandula hybrida (Lavender) Oil. *Certified Fair Trade by IMO

To sum it up, it's a great basic face wash. It does what it's supposed to and it doesn't break the bank. I can't think of a single bad thing about it. So yes, I would repurchase. And yes I would recommend it. And it will be on my yearly faves I do at the end of the year. 

Harry Potter Pumpkin Pasties

I love making recipes from books. Especially foods that are basically a figment of the authors imagination. Like....pumpkin pasties. I have always wanted to try them when I read the books. Along with Butter Beer. I could skip on Bertie Botts every flavor beans. I wouldn't mind trying the chocolate frogs. Or maybe I would. Frogs kind of gross me out. 

But back to pumpkin pasties. I've been cooking through the Let's Eat Fiction blog. And this recipe is a winner. And that is coming from someone who is not even a pumpkin fan. I prefer sweet potato. This made me a bit of a pumpkin fan. 

So first...I started with a fresh pumpkin. Which I didn't take a pic of. It's pumpkin season, and every year I always pick up a pumpkin, I cook it and puree it, and then stick it in the freezer. Just in case I need pumpkin in the future for something. This time I had a recipe and so it didn't make it to the freezer. 

So first I whipped up the dough. Almost like the recipe but instead of margarine I used organic shortening (palm oil) to avoid the nasty trans fats. So just flour, butter, shortening, salt, and ice cold water and you can whip up the flakiest crust ever. I think I am going to pin this, especially for the crust recipe. 

Then I made the filling. The recipe advised canned-but I just used the same amount of the fresh stuff. And then you just addd the cinnamon, fresh grated nutmeg, ginger and sugar. It was quite spiced up. Just how I like it.

Then just assemble, brush with the egg yolk /milk mixture and bake. 

And yum. This made a ton of filling. I had enough for a whole other batch. And some leftover that I just mixed into some oatmeal for breakfast. For a bit of pumpkin oatmeal. Why not?

Click the link to check out the recipe for yourself.

And....to go with my pumpkin pasties, I finished reading the 7th book! I think it's my favorite of all the Harry Potter books. I almost forgot I owned it. I found it in the back of my closet. I think I bought it when it first came out. 

And now I'm reading Les Miserables (a very long book). I'm making myself read it before I read the Cursed Child book. 

Project Pan #21

I'm a couple weeks late. I've been meaning to do this post for a little while now. I finished up another eyeshadow which usually motivates me right away to post. I think this makes number #18. I'm still trying to make it to 30 before I buy any new eyeshadow. Just 12 to go. Basically the equivalent of a whole palette. But I can do it!

1. Too Faced Brow Kit- I can't wait to be done with this. I'm getting close, but as you can see, it's still here! 

2. Make Up Forever Aqua Liner- Every time I do a post on it I am inspired to use it up. Then a week later I've misplaced it and forgotten about it. Still, I'm getting closer. I'm thinking it might be done by the next project pan? 

3. L'oreal HIP Sassy Duo- I love this color. And I'm sad it's all gone. But happy at the same time. Like I've mentioned before, I have a color in a Too Faced palette that is similar enough to this. I just need to tackle the blue side one of these days. But no time soon. 

4. Too Faced Piano Keys- Not my favorite color. And I'm definitely not using it up the way you should use products up. I just pile it on before I take my makeup off for the night. It makes an OK brow highlight if I blend most of it away. But I like a more yellow highlight shade.

5. Lorac Primer- This is almost dried up in the container. I think I might have to trash it soon. And then go shopping for a new eyeshadow primer. 

6. Smashbox Halo Powder- I have one more use of this. Just one. I thought it was done but I twisted it both ways and powder sprung up out of nowhere. I can't wait to be done with it. But then again I have basically no backup foundation. I really want the Rihanna foundation but it's not in stock. So I think I will be rocking a bit of concealer until I decide what foundation I want to get in the meantime. 

7. Stila Eyeshadow (I'm too lazy to look up the name now!) - I'm almost done with the whole palette. Except the blue. Which for some reason I really, really love. The rest of the Stila eyeshadows in the palette I really didn't like. But this blue is one of my favorites, it has a iridescent blue tone to it, that makes it look so much better on me than other blue shades. I don't want to pan it. But I don't want to keep the packaging around for one little shade either. So..I guess I will be wearing a lot of blue in the next coming weeks. My favorite way to wear it is just thrown in the inner corner. Just a fun, slightly blue look. But I also like it all over too!

I think that's all for now! Hopefully I finish up Piano Keys by the next update. If not the Halo powder will definitely be gone! 

Natural Beauty Products Haul

So, I haven't done one of these in a long time. I just haven't been buying that many beauty products. Or at least I don't think have. And then all the sudden you run out of everything at the same time. So I've been getting a couple things here and there. So I thought why not do a post?

Dr. Bronner's Cinnamon All-One Toothpaste

I ran all out of toothpaste and I thought I would try making some. So I did. I just used clay and baking powder, a bit of coconut oil, and some peppermint oil. But I didn't really like it that much. So I found a coupon in the store and picked this one up. Mostly I stick to mint so I thought I would try something different. I've been using it a couple weeks and I'm not sure how I feel about it...

Africa's Secret Multi-Purpose Skin Cream

If you've heard of the Egyptian Magic, this is almost similar. But for a fraction of the cost. I got it for about ten or eleven dollars. I mostly plan to use it on my face. Just to see if I can fade some marks I have on my chin from picking at acne. So far I've used it 3-4 times and the glow it gives your skin is unreal. Of course I'm going to keep using it and at some point do a full review!

Dr. Bronner's Orange Ginger Organic Lip Balm

I'm almost out of lip balm and since we are heading into winter, I thought I would just go ahead and replace it. So far...I hate the scent. But I'm going to keep using it and maybe it will get better?

Bedu Camel Milk Soap in Evening Primrose and Vetiver & French Clay and Rosewood

Camel Milk Soap? You know there's nothing I love more than trying unusual soaps. I saw them in my local store, brand new for about $5.99. I wanted to try them immediately but I was hoping for a sale! And waiting paid off, they went on sale for $3.99 and they had a coupon for .50 cents off. So I picked up two. I used one this morning, and so far I really like it. 

Nature's Remedy Exercise Relief Wintergreen and Clove

It was on clearance at TJ's for $2. It's completely natural and since I'm back into working out, figured I could use it as a little pick me up after I was done. Why not?

Shea Moisture Our Best Loved Bar Soaps

I'm almost out of hand soap...and so I wanted something more natural to replace it with. So I picked this up. I've already used and loved the African Black Soap and the Raw Shea Butter and I love those. The Manuka honey and the Peach Rose are new to me.

Alaffia Everyday Coconut Cleansing Face Wash 

I picked this up a couple weeks ago after I ran out of my tea tree face wash. So far I'm loving it. And full review should be coming soon!

And that's all. I also got a couple of makeup things but I will save that up for another post! 

Have you tried any of these brands? Let me know in the comments!

Escape Magnetism Eau De Parfum Review

I bought this when I bought the Escada Desire Me perfume. This was by far my favorite of the two.

Escada claims:

ESCADA MAGNETISM perfume is the newest essence of Escada. Contemporary oriental, sculptured like a precious gem, evoking the power of attraction from a crystal, this scent conveys a feeling of energy. Pure and simple in its modern design, it is also multifaceted and ultra feminine. Notes include leafy greens, basil, freesia, black currant, plumberry, jasmine, immortelle, muguet, blond woods, iris, almond blossom, amber, musk, cashmere vanilla, caramel and sandalwood. 

Made in UK

So I pretty much bought this because the notes sounded DIVINE. It sounded like something I would love.Plus a little twist because basil is new to me in a perfume. I usually just stick to adding it tony pizza. I didn't even know basil was a perfume note. Or caramel. I was really drawn to food scents that day since the Desire Me is supposed to be chocolate and this one is caramel.

So out of all those notes the ones that stick out to me are the basil, a little bit if vanilla, and lots and lots of patchouli. Then after a little while...sticky, sweet, caramel. The first couple times I wore this I kept wondering what that sweet caramel scent was and where it was coming from. It took a while to realize it was me. Its' not really what I expected it to turn into from the top notes.

But I like it. I really do. And some days..I love it. I think it's more a cool weather scent though. The patchouli might be a little heavy for summer weather. But I wear it anyway. 

It has OK lasting power. I think I get about 6 or so hours. But I also notice it seems to depend on the day and what I'm doing. The average is 6 hours though.

The bottle is OK. It's a pretty color. And pretty unique. I don't love the bottle. But I don't hate it either.

I bought mine for about $30 from perfumania.com. I think it was on sale, plus I had a coupon code. 

So in conclusion, it's definitely a unique perfume. I don't think I've ever smelled one exactly like it. And I really, really, really, really like it. Sometimes I love it. I don't know that I would buy another bottle. I think going through this one will be enough and more than likely I will be ready to move on to another fragrance. I am glad I gave it a try though!

Wet N Wild Color Icon Lipliner in Chestnut Review

I need to do more actual makeup reviews. I have the makeup and most of my opinions are formed...it's just the taking pictures and sitting down to actually write the review. I need to work on that. So I'll start with a Wet N Wild lip liner. I finally finished up the Fashion Fair liners I've had forever, and I was in need of some new liner. I kind of wanted to try the MAC liners. But...I just really didn't want to pay the $16 or so dollars. So I decided to try out the Wet N Wild liners. 

Wet N Wild claims:

unset and line! We don’t have a 30+ year cult following on these babies for nothing! We smile sheepishly every time we hear compliments for these guys. And let us just tell you, we’re smiling a lot! This rich, creamy formula glides on silky-smooth and makes sure your lip color doesn’t bleed so you’ll always have a well-defined pout. Makeup artists love to use this as a lipstick, applying it all over the lips. They last longer and make sure you’re not rocking that early 90s two-toned lip! As a matter of fact, Deborah Larsen, who previously worked as the Makeup Artist on the set of CW's Valentine, loves using wet n wild! "I am a huge fan of wet n wild. I love the whole line. My favorite product is the Lip liner in Brandy Wine" says Larsen.

Made in China

So...30 years. That's a long time. I didn't know these liners were that popular. Most people rave over the eyeshadows...or the lipsticks. I don't think I've ever heard anyone rave over the liners. But.....they should! 

I bought this one..and the Fab Fuchsia (review coming later on sometimes, I barely use that one because Chestnut is my go with everything go-to!).

So..basically these liners last all day, they prevent my color from bleeding (when I've blotted appropriately), and they make colors that would otherwise look clownish on me...look pretty good. Many times it will outlast my lip color. 

It's smooth, and easy to apply. I usually apply it over my lip color as apposed to before. 

Also..it's the perfect color. Not what I picture when I think of Chestnut. It's a rosy brown. Very rosy. And it blends in perfectly with most colors I use it with. 

And it's dirt cheap. 99 cents. Sometimes it goes on sale and then it's even cheaper. 

I can definitely see why it has been around 30 years.

Here I am wearing it with NARS Cruella. Which I wasn't a fan of until I paired it with this liner. Also ignore the bags. I didn't get much sleep last night! 

Ingredients:

Beeswax/Cire d'abeille, Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax/Cire de carnauba, Petrolatum, Ceresin, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, [+/- (MAY CONTAIN/PEUT CONTENIR): Mica, Iron Oxides/CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891, Red 40 Lake/CI 16035, Red 7 Lake/CI 15850, Red 6 Lake/CI 15850, Yellow 5 Lake/CI 19140, Manganese Violet/CI 77742, Blue 1 Lake/CI 42090]

So to conclude, I love it. It's a favorite. It's worth a try!

Princess and The Frog: Red Beans and Rice Recipe

I'm slowly cooking my way through the Princess and the Frog cookbook. And it's been just as much fun as I thought it would be. I've made all kinds of things I've never made before: muffuletta sandwich, gumbo, jambalaya, and beignets. And now today..Red Beans and Rice.  According to the cookbook it's a popular Monday special at New Orleans restaurants. One day, I'm going to make my way there and try it for myself. In the meantime, I have this recipe.

I eat a lot of beans and rice. Nothing fancy. Just beans and rice...literally. A lot of times pinto beans, last time I cooked up some chili beans. Sometimes I make kidney beans. This time I took my rice and beans up a level.

All I did was heat the oil and add the chopped onion, celery, bell pepper ( I used a purple one!), scallions, and dried parsley to the pan. Sautéed until the were cooked down to my liking. The book says 4-5 minutes.

Then I just added the beans ( I actually used canned beans, didn't have enough time to cook them from scratch like usual), canned tomatoes, turkey sausage (preservative free!), Worcestershire, and cayenne. I left out the bacon because my parents were going to be flying in and they don't eat pork. Plus I just used pork in the last recipe and don't like to eat it more than 5x a year. 

After everything I just covered it and let it simmer about 30 minutes. Maybe longer.

Threw it over some brown rice. And dinner was served. 

It was different than I expected because with all the liquid from the beans and tomatoes made it much juicier than I thought. I'm used to a more dry beans and rice sort of thing. But I liked it.

It did have more kick than one would expect for a children's recipe. But I like a little spice!

Overall, there are probably better recipe out there, but I like this one and I would make it again. It was easy...and pretty quick! I found a blog that posted the recipe-with a couple changes-check it out here!