Glimmer and Glamour...

I love make-up. I admit it..I am not quite an addict but wearing my favorite shade of lipstick and a pale luminous blush can make or break my day!

Why, you may ask? I do not have an answer...I love color...all colors....so shopping for and enjoying new shades of eye shadow or lipstick brings a simple joy to my heart. Jewel tones..pale pastels.. blending various shades... an artistic effort!!

Now I DO love a day at home... bare face, hair tied back, completely natural...that is bliss.... But give me some place to go...and out comes my "cache ".... and with great panache..I wield my brushes, liners..and creams...and I am fit for public view!

Being a "naturalist" in most ways...and certainly being very keen on eco-friendly and organic products, I researched botanicals and other natural cosmetic brands to determine what would be safe as well as pretty..

What I discovered was quite frightening!!!

Most cosmetic lines...even the trendy and expensive ones...use synthetic and downright dangerous ingredients... Parabens...Phalates.... Urea... ( Yep!! It's what you think it is!!!! ) are common ingredients in most  facial and body cleansers, cosmetic and hair products. Many other unsafe additives are used..often disguised with "attractive" names..... And most brands have ingredient lists which are both  lengthy and scientific...that we tend to rationalize..."Well, I just spent $$$$$ on this name brand product...It MUST be okay!!!! "

It isn't.....

This is a partial list of the most dangerous ingredients. If you copy this...keep it in your handbag..and the next time you find yourself in a drug store or department store...and find yourself in need of what I call..."glimmer and glamour"...  use caution in your selections..

*** DMDM- hydartoin and UREA-  breaks down into carcinogens

*** Fragrance and dyes-  synthetic- linked to allergies

*** Parabens-  linked to hormonal disruption

***  Ingredients with the letters "PEG' or "eth" - contaminated with cancer causing Dioxane

*** Treclosan or Trechlocarbon- Antibacterial - contributes to antibiotic-resistant bacteria

*** Triethanolamine -  damages the immune system


Whenever possible, try to purchase pure botanicals...and products using essential oils.... I have remained quite faithful to the Liz Earle line...excellent botanical face and body products and make up which is both attractive and safe to use.

 I do believe we can enjoy our "glimmer and glamour" while maintaining our health and well being...

The Season of Harvest

As summer ends and the cool, crisp days of autumn arrive, the time of harvest is a celebration...  The word "harvest" is defined  as "the process of gathering.." and is also a time of the end of the growing season. Throughout most of human history, the gathering or harvesting was done by hand. That quite simple fact, albeit profound in it's scope, speaks to the significance and enduring value of "harvest"...a time of gathering...

It is interesting to ponder that the end of "growing" and the act of "gathering" speaks to us on many levels.  Growing, growth, the cultivation of new crops, new efforts, new beginnings.... this can mean many things...   Gathering speaks of bringing to us the blessings of growth...our gardens..  but surely also the experiences and progress we have made along the "growing season".  And now...a period a bit more restful...after that final harvest is complete...when we can gather onto ourselves the fruits of our labors... the vegetables we labored over... the trees which bore us fruits...the wood pile prepared to bring us heat in the coming frosts...

Both the outer world...and our inner world...our homes and cottages...our hearts and spirits... offer a new warmth and welcome as this season of plenty begins... 

As we recreate our inside "space"...our nest.. let us add that "coziness" and warmth to befriend us through the coming months...  a stack of new books to provide us with entertainment during the longer nights... some comfy cushions in a welcoming corner near the hearth... a pair of crocheted slippers to warm our feet against the chill..   touches of the newness of what we have gathered this past season... along with our old and trusted treasures of our past....

 Have we welcomed a new hobby, a new job, a new friend?  Welcome them to share our bounty!!!   And have we ( finally ) shed some old and unneeded possessions, clutter, thoughts, JOBS... (-:   acquaintances.... ?    Bid them a fond "adieu" as we sweep them forward...making space for what we now cherish.... Imagine doing so with a handcrafted  wooden broom.... swoosh...out of our open door.... taken away by the fullness of harvest winds..... as we begin to bask in the "newness" of us.... the gathering of that which speaks to us.....  and harkens us to truly "hear" the enduring message of the harvest.... 

The Autumnal Equinox "equal night", will be on September 22nd..at 4:44pm. This is a special and meaningful time... it heralds the passing of the growth season...summer..and celebrates the new harvest.....the season of gathering...

Celebrate the Solstice in your gardens and in your homes...but most importantly within your spirits....

Happy Autumn!

The Foods of New Orleans... "Laissez le bon temps rouler"...( Let the good times roll...)

I last visited the wonderful city of New Orleans the summer before Katrina. I completely fell in love with it's unique charms.... a perfect mosaic of old world mystery and modern day cosmopolitan  enjoyments.... a morning's cafe au lait and beignets at the famed Cafe du Monde, followed by an Jambalaya Cruise along the Mississippi River, and an afternoon Ghost Tour, visiting old world mansions and famed houses of Ann Rice and Marie Laveau.. ( ending just as the soft shadows of evening begin their advent..) . and then the evenings...the most amazing restaurants...the Creole and Cajun and French cuisine...the famed mint juleps...and delightful strolls along Pirate's Alley and St Charles Street and the most famous Vieux Carre', or French Quarter and ...always...the sweet sounds of jazz....

New Orleans is a city of many cultures...and it is an old city...steeped in the magic and beliefs of the islands..and far off lands...

Even the wrath of Katrina did not destroy New Orleans...there is a strength there..borne of centuries of stalwart people... and yes, the good times still do roll!

***

I will return to this topic...the cuisine of New Orleans ..quite often in my Blog... there is much to share....  

Today, I offer you the makings of a New Orleans favorite...

Muffuletta

Muffuletta is a sandwich beyond compare...truly a New Orleans favorite...simple to prepare and one that you will return to often. It is a hearty autumn favorite...and also lends itself perfectly to outdoor picnics and get aways. The olive mix can be prepared and packed separately and then added as your picnic unfolds, adding a piquant taste to the mellow cheeses and flavorful hams...and all enveloped by a true crusty peasant bread...  Perfect!!!!!! Served with a Louisiana brewed tea..or a fresh lemonade...amazing!!!!

Muffuletta begins with the freshest of cheeses and hams....there are variations..but I chose the following:

sliced mozzarella

sliced mild provolone

sliced hard Italian salami

sliced lean low-salt ham

The olive mixture is composed of the following: 

pitted large green olives

pitted kalamata olives

pitted black olives

( optional) artichoke hearts ( from a jar )

a touch of extra virgin olive oil

I chop the olive mixture, blending with the touch of olive oil. refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to marinate. 

Use a crusty peasant bread..or sliced baguette. Arrange the cheeses and hams..and then add a spoonful of the olive mixture at the last minute. Again, for a picnic or day's get away, pack the olive mixture separately.

And....the finished masterpiece...a perfect New Orleans Muffuletta!!!! Let the good times roll!! 

Laissez le bon temps rouler!!!!