Just check out this website, for a foundation/skin tone matrix that cross matches every brand of foundation - if you know what you are in one, this will help you find your shade in another. Here is is:
http://temptalia.com/foundation-matrix
Also, for another amazing website for learning how to apply makeup naturally and flawlessly, check out Lisa Elderidge (a make up artist in the UK); she has a YouTube channel and a blog that are both top notch.
http://www.youtube.com/user/lisaeldridgedotcom
http://www.lisaeldridge.com/
There are loads of natural applications with very good advice for product selection, and application. Here is a sample video:
OK, the chocolate chip cookie recipe I lifted from Royall's blog is AMAZING! Jenny and Mark made them tonight and they were so good. We didn't refrigerate them, that's pretty much the only instruction we omitted. Thanks Royall! :))
We had a lovely, warm, and beautiful day, celebrating the marriage of Eli and Jenny with immediate family October 21, 2010. Love abounded. We wish them the very best! Welcome to the family Jen:)
Mariah and Sarra (though I know Sarra will try to healthify them:), you will love these; they were copped from Royall's blog:)) Thank you Royall! I also found, on Royall's blog, this beautiful cooking blog that reminds me of 'smitten kitchen', it's this one: http://kissmyspatula.com Try it out!
Every once in a while, you come across something that is just so special, so magical, soooo perfect – that you can do nothing except think about it, talk about it, dream about it … best of all, EAT it. True, the viral phenomenon has resulted in hundreds and thousands of postings for the ubiquitous chocolate chip cookie after the article first appeared in the NY Times. Since such a mad, obsessive frenzy developed, is it really worth yet another posting about the sheer genius behind it??
The simple answer: hell ‘yeh.
Who didn’t grow up with warm milk and cookies to soothe your soul after a hard day of finger painting in kindergarten class? Umm.. my beloved T., that’s who. Milk and cookies was apparently not a part of the Irish childhood after school experience. So you can only imagine his delight when he ate devoured his first warm chocolate chip cookie, paired with an ice cold glass of milk. Can we just say life changing? Ever since that momentous day, he asks for warm chocolate chip cookies at least once a week.
Upon reading the article and recipe at first, I was rather skeptical, to say the least. How much better could another chocolate chip cookie recipe possibly be, much less claiming it to be the best chocolate chip cookie? Well, I’ve never been so happy to be oh, so wrong! Who knew a little snooze for the dough in the fridge could make such a remarkable difference? Pure magic. I’ve added a few tweaks to the recipe which, in my humble but accurate opinion (as my cousin would say), elevates this amazing creature even further. It will be mind blowing, I guarantee it. These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever. Oh, and I’ve cut the recipe in half because it is simply too dangerous to have so many floating around the house at once.
Best Chocolate Chips Cookies Ever (so good they will break your heart Tweaked from Jacques Torres, yields 12 gargantuon cookies
The 60% cocoa content, the larger size of the chip and, of course, the minimum 24 hour waiting time are the key components to the magic of this cookie. Also, be careful not to leave the cookies in the fridge over 72 hours. They will tend to brown much faster when cooked.
Ingredients
8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup, plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 + 1/8 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 + 1/8 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cups chopped almonds
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 bag of 11.5 oz Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chips
sea salt
Method
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add egg, mixing well. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Add rolled oats, almonds and orange zest. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside. Remove cookie dough from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
Scoop 6 mounds of dough (about 1/3 cup each) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 16 to 20 minutes (depending on oven).
Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Serve warm with a tall glass of icy cold milk.
I'm going to start at the bottom and work my way up, and I'll let you know what I think along the way. I am fed up with chains; I'm going to patronize the local eateries only for one year, beginning Nov. 1, 2010.
You may or may not know that we are beekeepers now, thanks to a sweet gift from Eli for Mano for Father's day - we love them, they are no trouble and we have a lot to learn! For example, when it was cold, the hive was completely quiet, and we thought they all died, from a pesticide problem or something - but they must have been clumping quietly together in the hive, b/c when it warmed again, they ventured forth.
Anyway, here is a very cute video if you would like to be a honey bee for Halloween:
Not just napkins, but pot holders and tea towels too. Let's just say that I have purchased a lot of napkins, quite a few pot holders, and several tea towels, all cotton and all beautiful:)) And why not? There may be hard times ahead, and I will not need to purchase a napkin again, in my life time.I also bought un-papertowels www.etsy.com/shop/picnicbasketcrafts - they are organic cotton flannel, used for all kinds of clean up.
Ok, maybe not the very smartest, but one of the BEST things I have ever done, was to teach my grandchildren my phone number. We did it in a sing-song, Jane first, at 4, then Charlie, and it's going to be Jacobs turn pretty soon. What is the result? I get the most adorable calls and messages from my darling, darling grandchildren. I call them too of course, but they can give Grammie a call any time they want to, so sometimes I will hear from one of them when they are a little sad, or when they have good news, like for example today is bunny day - they are getting new bunnies. We are so close, and it's because we share our lives pretty much every single day.
Oops, I need to go...I have to return Jacobs call this morning:)
Who wouldn't want to live here? Manochehr came in and asked me if I wanted window boxes for flowers, and I said...ummm, will I have to keep them watered or can I pull an Aunt Becky and put fake flowers in them?
Even the landing is lovely. Manochehr is revealing his artistic side. I'm trying to think of way that I could incorporate some color without ruining it...maybe paint the door raspberry? The trim turquoise? I may have to leave it as, since it's so pretty already, but you know by the number of times that I change my blog background that I am dying to color it up.
Random!
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Jacob surprises me with a poem now and then and it warms my heart so!
Jane's temple dress. Important moments.
Happy Birthday torch for Lavar!
Me and ...
2. I have grandchildren and that is my favorite role other than my main roles (of wife & mom which is cool but a lot harder!) -I love every second of it!
3. Related to 2. Each of my 4 children has a child quota to fill, of 4 each which will net me 16 grandchildren:-) minimum. Thanks to Sarra, we are well on our way.
4. I love to watch cooking shows...curiously I don't love to cook, but if you don't like my cooking, I'll cry. It's a twisted emotional place for me.
5. I miss my dog Poppy, she left a hole in my heart.
6. I love Persian food, and a particular Persian who is a good cook, and is the cause of my low self esteem in this area.
7. I love poppies, for obvious reasons.
8. I love pansies, because my great-grandmother loved them, my grandmother and my mother, so I plant abed of them every Spring.
9. I don't wear shoes unless it's -10 or more outside. The first hint of Spring and I am sockless and shoeless.
10. I have WONDERFUL kids that are thoughtful, loving, strong, intelligent, productive, and headed in the right direction - They are a source of pure joy.
11. I love to call it quits for the day and get all 'snuggldey buggledy' (as Jane and I say) to catch my DVR'd shows...Bill O'Reilly, ...or read.
12. I love to read. I flit about though...too many books on the go at once.
13. I love photos, scrapbooks, blogs, biographies...
14. My favorite color is yellow.
15. I haven't seen my true hair color since about 1987 or so...
16. I love Farmers Markets.
17. I love Opera
18. I love to sing in the car...but not opera.
19. I am a little bit flakey...I have improved with time.
20. I am an ace shopper. I mean the best.
21. I am a loving person.
22. I like pretty things, and will get rid of a perfectly functional thing just to put in it's place a prettier version.
23. I like to sew, quilt, draw, garden, and paint, but I go in phases and never do them all in the same phase.
24. I love yoga, it makes me feel so good.
25. I wish I had the discipline to work out every day.
26. I love the ocean, and can outlast any of my children in the water, even mysurfers. We're talking hours.
27. I love to travel, and have to find a happy medium with my home loving husband.
28. The husband is my best friend. He really looks out for me on every level. I am safe and loved because of him.
29. My daughter is my other best friend...I can say that now b/c she is all grown up. There is no one that I would rather be with than my husband, or any one of my children (including in-law children!).
31. I like to research everything...this is no joke. I will find the best, most reviewed, top of the line...whatever, b/c I will spend inordinate amounts of time researching. I should be a Harvard scholar by now, however I've been researching pots and pans and supportive and cute shoes rather than the cure for cancer. Sigh.
32. I love to be a home based mom and wife. It's fun...I rule my world and it's such a privilege and a blessing - another reason to love my husband.
33. I used to consider myself a good speller, but with spell check going off every minute I am having doubts. Maybe it's just my horrendous typing.
34. I like to sleep, but it seems like such a waste of time...
35. I like to eat a bowl of thawed frozen blueberries with Greek yoghurt on them at night (with a few chocolate chips).
36. I never get up to eat in the night, unlike some others I could mention.
37. I like herbal tea.
38. There are a lot of things I wanted to do that it seems I may not get to...mostly due to my own limitations...like play the guitar, at least a little.
39. I don't really like ice cream any more...that is practically family heresy.
40. I am conservative...and therefore a Republican...even though it's grossly uncool.
41. I love handmade!
42. I am wicked good at driving in reverse, and parallel parking.
43. I like to do puzzles, including Sudoku, crossward, and traditional puzzles.
44. I really enjoy the afternoon light on the north side of my home. It's beautiful, every single day.
45. I am a night person.
46. I love color, so every single room in my house is a different color.
47. I have in inordinate amount of make up - again, it's about all the pretty colors!
48. I used to be able to long distance run.
49. I am very organized...materially, but not so much time time wise. Remember I said I was a little bit flakey?
50. My favorite film ever is Pride & Prejudice, the BBC version, though I enjoy them all.
51. I like to make jewelry, and will often take off the cheap ear ring wire and replace it with a silver wire at home.
52. I sew.
53. I am a bit of a germ freak, and have a dangly hand sanitizer hanging from my purse.
54. I really enjoy algebra...it's like Sudoku...it's satisfying. Too bad I didn't know that in grade 11!
55. Favorite shopping...the book store.
56. Someone once said that if you are not thin, then at least be soft. So I am soft.
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