Clean Eating Recipe - Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders With Yogurt Dill Dip

I made this for the first time this week.  Everyone liked them, especially my son, who is my super picky, only wants to eat junk food kid.  I made a double recipe, so we would have plenty of leftovers for lunch.

For Chicken

- 1/2 cup pecans

-  1/3 cup whole wheat flour

-  2 teaspoons paprika

- 2 teaspoons dry mustard

- 2 teaspoons garlic powder

- 1 teaspoon onion powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

- 1 tablespoon expeller pressed canola oil

- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

- 1 large egg

- 1 pound chicken tenders, larger pieced cut in half lengthwise  *if you don't have tenders, substitute breasts and cut into strips.

For Dip

- 1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt

- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise

- 1 teaspoon lemon juice

- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill

- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

-1/4 teaspoon onion powder

- 1 pinch salt

- 1 pinch pepper

TO MAKE THE CHICKEN:  Preheat oven to 475, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Whirl pecans, flour, paprika, dry mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper in a food processor until pecans are ground into a powder, about 30 seconds.  Drizzle in the oil and blend in processor completely.  Transfer mixture to a shallow dish and stir in panko crumbs.

Beat egg in second shallow dish, and add chicken breasts coating them completely.  Transfer each tender to the breading, turning to coat evenly.  Arrange chicken on  the prepared pan.  Bake until golden brown and nearly firm, 8-10 minutes.

TO MAKE THE DIP:  Stir all the dip ingredients together in a small bowl.

Nutritional Info

Serving Size: 2-3 tenders with dip

418 calories, 20g fat, 3g saturated fat, 34 g protein, 23g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 120mg cholesterol

Clean Eating Recipe -Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

I just made this for my family for the first time yesterday.  It was quick, easy and a great side.  I hope you enjoy it!

Quinoa is an ancient Incan grain, and a complete source of vegan protein.  It provides all of your daily essential amino acids.  One cup has 8 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of your daily allowance for iron.

Ingredients

- 1 cup of dry quinoa - I used tricolor quinoa, but any kind works just fine.

- 1 1/2 cups organic or reduced sodium vegetable broth

- 1/2 of a large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

- 1 large tomato, chopped

- 1/2 curb of plain or tomato & basil feta

- 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced

- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

- 4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

- 2 Tablespoons dried mint or chopped fresh mint

- 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced or powdered

- 1 Tablespoon onion powder

- 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)


Place quinoa in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and let soak for 5 minutes to prevent stickiness.  Stir, then rinse in a colander with cool water, and drain.  Return quinoa to the saucepan and add broth.  Bring to a boil on high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes until quinoa is tender and liquid is completely absorbed.  Spread quinoa on a plate to cool quickly and stick in the fridge for 5 -10 minutes.

Place quinoa in a medium bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients.  Chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 3 days.

Nutrition per serving (1/2 cup)
126 calories, 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 4g protein, 16g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, 4mg cholesterol

June Beauty Favorites!

L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Foundation - Sun Beige:  I have been wearing this foundation for months, and it has quickly become one of my very favorites!  It has great medium to full buildable coverage, a natural finish, and lasts so long!  It doesn't move until I remove it.  It does not emphasize pores or imperfections on the skin.  I haven't found this at all drug and discount stores, but I always see it at Kroger.  It retails for around $13 or $14, which is pricy for the drugstore (all drugstore prices have been steadily increasing), but honestly I would pay $30 for it if I had to.  It has a pump, which I always appreciate.  The only draw back that I see is with the shade range.  I have sun beige, which from the displays I have seen is their second darkest color.  I am a medium tan, so if you are much darker than me, you probably won't find your shade.

NYX High Definition Blush - Hamptons:  I bought this blush awhile back on ultra's website, but it took me awhile to try it, because I was trying out some other blushes.  This is such a gorgeous pinky-peach shade.  It really brightens and brings life to my face.  I have been pairing it with my Sephora Sun Disk Bronzer, which looks great together.  NYX offers several colors to choose from.  I have not seen these in the drug or discount stores that carry NYX.

Rimmel Stay Glossy - 150 Claridge's Ruby:  These lip glosses have been in the drugstore for a long time, but I don't hear many people mention them.  I am more of a lipstick girl than a gloss girl, but this formula is really nice.  It is long wearing for a gloss, but not sticky.  They also have great color pigmentation and beautiful colors.  They are great on their own or over a lipstick.  I have been wearing mine over Wet N Wild's Think Pink during the month.

Wet N Wild Lipstick - Think Pink:  I've been wearing this lipstick for years, and it is one of my favorite pinks that I own.  It is not too cool or too warm of a shade.  I steer clear of cool toned, barbie pinks, because they just don't look good on my warm skin tone.  Wet N Wild has a great shade range with an even better price.  These are usually $1.99 not on sale.  Many times I can find them for buy one get one 50% off.  This formula is longer wearing, but it is on the drier side, which is why I usually wear a gloss over them.  I am not a fan of the packaging, because the lipstick doesn't go all the way down in the tube, which can leave a mess, but for a long wearing lipstick that is such a pretty color, I'll overlook it!

Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner - East End Snob:  I have mentioned these lipliners many times, because they are my favorite.  They are creamy and long wearing, plus their is no need to sharpen.  East End Snob is one of my favorite colors, because it is a neutral medium pink that goes with so many pink lipsticks that I own.  It is one of those staples in my collection that I will always repurchase.

*Think Pink topped with Stay Glossy.  Just below is Rimmel Lipliner in East End Snob.  I love this combo!

Vinylux Nail Polish - My hair stylist told me about this at home gel manicure, and surprised me with the polishes and top coat during one of my appointments!  I had never heard of this brand, and was so excited to try it.  My first manicure lasted almost 2 weeks!  If you would like to see my full review, Click Here!

Velcro Rollers  (size extra large & large) - I had never used velcro rollers until my hair got longer.  They are such a time saver!! I section my hair and blow dry.  When I get part of the section completely dry with my round brush, I immediately wrap it around the roller and let it cool while I move on to the rest of my hair.  Once my hair is all rolled, I usually get dressed, put on my jewelry, contacts, shoes, and pick up my vanity and bathroom from the mess of getting ready.  This is usually 15-20 minutes.  Then, I unroll my hair, finger comb it into place and spray!  It is so easy, and leaves my hair full of volume with a slight wave to it.  I use the bigger rollers first, rolling the bottom section of my hair, and use the smaller rollers not he top section, which you will see the most.  The smaller rollers give more of a curl and a bit more volume to the top section.  I roll everything under, except for my crown and bangs.  Those sections I roll back (away from my face).  I found my rollers at Sally's.  A pack was only 3 or 4 dollars.

*This is what my hair looks like when using the velcro rollers.  I am also wearing the NYX blush in Hamptons and the L'Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Foundation.

It Cosmetics Eye Brow Pencil - I think I received this product in my boxycharm box.  I have been using it a ton in June!  It is super easy to just quickly fill in and define the brows, giving them a natural look.  I wear this during the weekdays or on my more natural makeup days.  It has a great color that is not too red for me, and a nice spooly on the opposite side to comb through the brows.  This is my first It Cosmetics product that I have tried.  I have heard great things about them, and after trying the brow pencil, I can't wait to try more!  You can find It Cosmetics at Ulta.

New From BH Cosmetics: Bombshell Blushes And Wild & Radiant Baked Illuminating & Bronzing Palette

I have a few products from BH Cosmetics, and have always been happy with them.  I don't think they get as much attention as they should.  They are an online only company that provides a unique, inexpensive, yet quality product.  These are my latest purchases....

As you can see, you get four shades....2 bronzing shades and two highlighting shades.  They are baked, so they are very pigmented and have a shimmer to them.  I love that this palette comes with a full size mirror also!

Here are the four shades (starting from the top left)

Bombshell Blushes in Harmony & Elegant

These are also baked, so same great pigmentation and shimmer.

For some reason this pic came out really blurry, but I wanted you to be able to see the colors once applied.  I am wearing both bronzers, the lightest highlight shade, and harmony blush.  Swatched these bronzers look very orange, but when applied they give a nice, tanned glow.  They don't look orange on me at all.

You will have to use a light hand with these products, because they are so pigmented, but the look great and last all day for me.  I bought the blushes for $6 a piece and the palette for $8, which is a great price!  If you are interested in these or any other BH Cosmetic product, log onto bhcosmetics.com.

Wal-Mart Beauty Box Summer 2015

I have talked about the Wal-Mart Beauty Box before, but it is a seasonal box, so I wanted to make sure I gave a fair representation of what you would get.  This box is $5, and will be delivered 4 times per year.  Wal-Mart will send you an email notifying you that it has been shipped out.  This is my third box, and it is always a mix of makeup, skincare, hair, and body products.  In each box I have received deluxe samples and full size products.  You will get five or six of those, plus I always receive coupons.  Sometimes, they will also throw in a few small samples.  So, you will get a good variety.

Here is my Summer Box......

As you can see, I received 6 items, 2 of which are full size.  My box included Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Shampoo (deluxe sample), Caress Body Wash (deluxe sample), Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick in  Gladiolus (full size), Neutrogena Cool Dry Sport Sunscreen SPF 70 (deluxe sample), John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray (deluxe sample), and Olay Total Effects 7 Anti-Aging Eye Treatment (full size).  I also received several coupons for Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick, Real Techniques, Eco Tools, and Essential Tools makeup brushes.  The coupons totaled $7 in savings.  

For what you get, I definitely think it is worth the $5 price tag!  One of my followers told me that she received the same box twice, though that has never happened to me.  I have been happy with each box, and would recommend it to anyone who is wanting to try a beauty subscription for the first time, loves trying out new products, or is just getting into health and beauty.  There is no contract, and you can cancel your subscription at anytime.  If you are interested in signing up, log into beautybox.walmart.com.

CND Vinylux Weekly Manicure Review!

I have been taking care of my nails since I was a young girl.  I have always wanted them pretty and painted.  I have also always been someone who rarely goes for a professional manicure.  I went through a six month stint, 5 years ago, where I got gel manicures.  The process of removing the gel polish destroyed my nails!  It took several months of horrible breakage before they were back to normal.  I haven't had a gel manicure since.

A few weeks ago, while visiting my longtime hairstylist, she gave me a bag of goodies.  Inside were two Vinylux polishes and top coat.  I had never heard of this product, and was excited to try them to see how they compare to the salon gel manicures that I used to get. Vinylux claims to be a weekly manicure very similar to a gel/shellac manicure, but without the nail light.

No base coat is needed.  Application is the same as if you were doing a traditional manicure.  I applied 2 - 3 coats (which I always do).  It applied very smooth and even.  I had no streaking or bubbles!  Bubbles are something that I am always dealing with, and get very frustrated by.  The brush is a great sized that allows me to apply to the cuticle without getting any on the cuticle, which just looks so sloppy.  The coats dried quickly, quicker than traditional polish, and I then applied two layers of top coat.  The top coat dried and set as quickly as the polish.  My nails looked so smooth, shiny, and just as great as if I had went to the salon!!

Vinylux in Tropix

So, how long did my manicure last??

8 days after application

13 days after application

As you can see, I had NO CHIPPING, just grow out.  I am so happy with the at home gel manicure that I can't wait to purchase more.  I spend so much time on skincare, makeup, fitness, haircare, and nails.  I am ecstatic to find something that will cut back on some of my beauty time!  

You can purchase vinylux at Ulta or www.ulta.com, www.amazon.com, and www.cnd.com.  They retail for around $10 a piece, and they offer 90 colors to choose from!

This week's mani and pedi in Crushed Rose

My May Beauty Favorites!!

- Lamora Makeup Brushes

I wanted to add a few more face brushes to my collection, but not spend a fortune doing so.  I searched amazon for quality, inexpensive brushes, and after reading many reviews, decided on these. I am so happy I decided on these!  They are 6 high quality (in wear and performance), with an excellent price tag.  In this kit, you receive a flat top kabuki brush, angled detailer brush, blush brush, blending brush, small shadow brush and a brush cup holder.  They are vegan friendly and cruelty free.  I have used these for at least 8 weeks, and have washed them several times with no loose bristles or breakdown.  I think these are perfect for an experienced makeup lover looking to expand their collection, a makeup beginner, or as a gift for a fellow beauty lover.  The case makes these easy for storage or travel.  If you are interested in these brushes or want to learn more, Click Here!

- NYX Tame & Frame Brow Pomade 

 I recently lightened my hair, and wanted a color that was a little lighter for my brows.  I own the Anastasia Brow Pomade and love it, but wanted to see how this product compared.  Both products really perform the same.....long lasting waterproof formula, and a gel/mousse consistency.  They look the same on my brows, except the NYX is in a lighter shade.  The only difference that I can see is that the NYX formula is lighter, has more of a mousse like texture, and is a little easier to work with because it isn't as heavy.  I reviewed the Anastasia one awhile ago, and mentioned that there is a learning curve when it comes to the product.  I do think if you are starting out with a brow pomade, the NYX one is a bit easier for a beginner.  Because the Anastasia product is a bit heavier, that you do get a more dramatic brow.  I like them both.  It really just comes down to personal preference or your budget.  The Anastasia is $18, while NYX is less than half.  One thing that is necessary with both of these products is a good angled brush for application.  It needs to be thin enough to be precise.  At first, I used what I had in my collection, but went back and bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills angled brush, because my brushes just weren't working well.

-  NYX Micro Brow Eye Brow Pencil

I wanted a brow pencil that would be quick and give a more natural look, yet not lean too red.  As a brunette, it is very hard to find a more ashy pencil.  So many of them have a tendency to look red.  This one is a great brown color, with no hint of red.  It is a very skinny, retractable pencil with a spooly at the end.  I line the bottom edge of my brow, the top edge, and then fill in the middle.  Using the spooly to brush the brows after product is applied, really disperses the color and gives a more natural look.  This is more of a waxy formula, which I prefer.  I find that if a brow pencil is too creamy, it is easy to apply too much product.  Plus, it can easily wipe or sweat off.  I have heard that this formula is a dupe for Anastasia Beverly Hill's Brow Whiz.  I don't own that product, so I can't be sure of that, but it costs less than half the price and I am very happy with it, so I feel no need to purchase a more expensive pencil.


- Mac Minerlized Blush: Gentle

This is my second mineralized blush from Mac.  This is such a gorgeous formula, that is a beautiful pinky rose color.  If you like a glowy blush with a little shimmer (not glitter), this is for you!  It is a great everyday product, because it is a blush and highlighter in on.  It's smooth, blendable, pigmented formula gives that angelic glow without being overpowering.  Perfect for those lighter summer makeup days!

- Mac Blush: Sunbasque 

 This is my newest purchase from Mac.  I have been obsessed with blushes this year, and this one is soooo BEAUTIFUL!  So much so, that it is one of my very favorites EVER!  It is so perfect for spring and summer.  It's classified as a sheer tone shimmer blush, but I don't consider this color sheer.  It gives a shimmery bronze look to the cheeks, but is not too shimmery or overpowering.  I wear this on it's own, in conjunction with other blushes, and also with bronzers.  My mom also bought this shade and loves it, so it looks good on even more mature skin.  If you like the summer, bronzy look, this blush is exactly what you are looking for.  A summer must have!!

- Sephora Sun Disk (limited edition)

This is my first Sephora Sun Disk.  They are released every year in the spring.  I saw this and knew I would love it!  It is definitely a warm toned bronzer with just  hint of shimmer, that provides a bit of a glow to the cheeks.  This is another two-in-one type of product (except it's like a three-in-one), because there is no need for blush and highlighter.  On those lighter makeup days, pop this on the cheekbones, and you instantly have a warm, bronzed summer look.  I use this on my forehead and jaw line as well.  It just balances out the face, and gives a more natural, "I was just at the beach" look.  If you doing a full face makeup look, this is beautiful paired with Mac's Sunbasque.  I have been wearing this combo over and over again.  This is a limited edition product, so once it is gone....it's gone.  This cannot be purchased in store.  You can only find it at www.sephora.com.

*TIP - Bronzing is different than contouring.  It is all about the application and color of bronzer that you are using.  If you are doing a bronzing technique, you want to apply the bronzer where the sun would naturally tan your skin (the high points of your face).  You will want a bronzer with a warmer undertone to mimic a sun tan.  Many bronzers have some shimmer or sparkle, which add a nice highlighted touch.

If you are wanting to contour, you have to look at things a bit differently.  First, contouring is a technique that sinks in or recedes a part of the face.  Which is why many people contour under the cheek bones.  The contour will give a shadow which recedes that area to make the cheek bones pop.  If you have a high or wide forehead, contour the areas you want to recede.  The same for the nose and jawline.  When choosing a color to contour with, you want a matte finish and a brown shade that has a bit of gray in it, as opposed the the warm brown color of bronzing.  Shadows lean towards a grey or cooler undertone.  That's essential what you want to create on your face, a shadow.

- Sephora Lip Cream: Strawberry Kiss

I rarely wear red lipstick, but I saw this color on one of my favorite youtube beauty girls and thought it was just a beautiful color.  It is a pink/red color that isn't too dark or overpowering.  The is my first Sephora Lip Cream.  These are definitely a long wearing formula.  It has a doe foot applicator and applies smooth and feels creamy until it dries.  It dries to a matte finish, which is why it is so long wearing.  I rarely wear these types of formulas because they make my lips so dry, uncomfortable, cracky, and peel leaving behind a patchy mess.  This formula doesn't wear like that on me.  It isn't moisturizing by any means, but it also doesn't crack or wear funny.  I use a lip balm before applying, and it wears comfortably.  I would definitely like to try more colors in this formula.

- JLuxe Perfume

I received this perfume as a Mother's Day gift.  I love the Jennifer Lopez line at Kohl's.  This is my third perfume of her, and like the others that I have, I love this scent!  I didn't even realize that she had a new fragrance out.  I really couldn't find anything in the store that I wanted, and at the last minute saw this by the register.  I HAD to have it!!  It is very different from the other fragrances of hers that I own (I have Glowing & JLove), and also my favorite of the three.  This one is definitely more of an evening scent, like for a date night or girl's night out.  Kohl's website describes this fragrance as an oriental floral that includes key notes of juicy pineapple, soft violet, and warm amber. It has more of a musk feel to it, and isn't super light and florally.  If an oriental type musk isn't your thing, you won't like it.  If it is, you will LOVE IT!!  This perfume has received the highest reviews of all her scents on Kohls.com.