Nail of the Week: Abstract multi-colored Nails

For this week's nail, I decided to go with a super abstract art motif. I used different Julep colors over "Meryl" as a base. For the dots on top, I was inspired by owl feathers and used "Gabrielle" for them. It's a super different idea and I wanted something unique this time. I actually used a watercolor brush for the blue and green colors. I just dipped the tips of a few bristles in the paint and dabbed it on my nails in a circular area. I added dots here and there on top with the dark purple and then just applied top coat. It's a different look that can be done with many different colors. Be creative and enjoy!

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

I made this for dinner last night and it was so good! I found it in Taste of Home magazine. It's actually pretty easy to make too and it's perfect on a cold evening. It has become one of my favorite recipes. I found the coconut milk at Dollar Tree, but the curry paste was another story. You may want to call the store ahead to be sure they have it. I ended up finding mine at Whole Foods market. For the shredded cabbage and carrot, I found a coleslaw blend in the salad section on clearance for $.59-- it worked perfectly and saved some prep time. I love that the recipe calls for rotisserie chicken too, which saves a lot of time. This recipe is so easy and so delicious, enjoy!

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 35 min.

MAKES: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cans (13.66 ounces each) coconut milk

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup red curry paste

• 1 package (8.8 ounces) thin rice noodles

• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce or soy sauce

• 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

• 1-1/2 cups shredded cabbage

• 1-1/2 cups shredded carrots

• 3/4 cup bean sprouts

•        Fresh basil and cilantro leaves

• Directions

  1. In a Dutch oven, bring coconut milk to a boil. Cook, uncovered, 10-12 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 3 cups. Stir in curry paste until completely dissolved.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare noodles according to package directions.
  3. Add broth, brown sugar, fish sauce and garlic salt to curry mixture; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chicken; heat through.
  4. Drain noodles; divide among six large soup bowls. Ladle soup over noodles; top servings with vegetables, basil and cilantro.Yield: 6 servings.

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TWS: My Fitness Pal App & Hungry Girl

I just love the My Fitness Pal app. It's available for both Android and Apple and it's free, which is always nice! If you are tracking your daily calories, this app makes it so easy. It calculates the calories you should eat each day depending on your fitness goals. It already has tons of nutrition info for a lot of the foods you eat. You can simply add food to your daily diary by searching for it in the database. It automatically inputs all the nutrition information for you. It's really helpful to keep you on track. I love that I have it on my phone too so I can make good choices when eating out. An added bonus is it tells you how many calories you burn with your exercises and you are allowed to eat those extra calories!

You can search for the app in the app store or create and manage your account online via http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

Another resource I love when watching my weight is the Hungry Girl website www.hungry-girl.com. She has tons of healthy recipes and she lists all the nutrition facts for you. She shows that eating healthy can taste good. The site also helps you know what the best choices are at certain restaurants or stores. It's really helpful for me, so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Nail of the Week: Blue & Pewter Metallic designs

For this week, I wanted to use my Pewter colored "Stevie" Julep polish so I paired it with a light blue color "Dianna" resembling that of a Tiffany's box (I think that's why I like it so much). I used a lot of layered dots to create the pattern on the tips of my nails. For the outside I used a large dotting tool and then I just used a smaller one with the base color to create a ring look. For the stripes, I simply painted the blue color as a base coat and waited for it to dry. After it dried, I used strips of tape to mark off the lines and painted with the pewter color. You have to wait until it's completely dry before you peel off the tape to make sure your lines do not bleed through. For the accent nail, I used "Stevie" as the base color, made 4 blue dots in a sort of diamond shape, and then made smaller pewter dots on the inside edges of each blue one (see photos). I really like this pairing of colors and finishes, as one is flat and the other is metallic. Mix it up or try something new, just have fun!

Up-do for Long Hair with Braid

Today, I went to a kind of health fair where there was a booth for Toni & Guy Hair Academy here in Albuquerque. They were doing manicures and hair styling for free. I got a simple manicure with a dark blue color and a bright fuschia accent nail. Being that I have really long hair, I decided to let them style it and see what they come up with. The girl that did mine was very good. She did an amazing braid design that started on each side and met in the back. I felt a little like Katniss from Hunger Games and I always wished I could do my hair like that! It was a great experience and I also loved that it was free. You can get many discounted services at schools like this one. They also gave me a coupon for a free haircut. If you're brave and want to save some cash, you can take the gamble and let a student do your hair :)

TWS: World Market / Cost Plus Birthday Freebie

Make sure you sign up with the World Market Explorer program and you will receive a $10 off coupon for your birthday. You can even show the email to the cashier on your phone, which is really convenient. There is no minimum purchase and very few exclusions. You can get beautiful and unique items for your home there. I just used mine and I think it's one of the best birthday freebies out there. Enjoy!