My Saturday Food Journal

I know it's already Monday evening, but I wish it were Saturday again. Saturday was sooo beautiful here in the Twin Cities - a stark contrast to today, rain and thunderstorm warnings. It actually just started to pour the second I stepped outside of work today to go home. Cars came to a screeching halt, acting like they've never driven in the rain before. It took me forever to get out of downtown, and by the time I got home - the bottom of my pants were wet. I hate that feeling, esp with no socks on.
Saturday was the perfect day, no prior obligations to attend to. My husband I went to South Minneapolis in the Lindon Hills neighborhood to the Linden Hills Co-op, a natural food store. He's all of a sudden really into natural foods. We went with our reusable grocery bag, bought some fresh local veggies, gourmet pasta, and fresh bread, and felt so cool. Then we walked around the Linden Hills area - which was picked as the Minneapolis neighborhood with the "best small town feel" by Metro magazine. It was a totally cute neighborhood with cute shops and cafes and families out for a stroll. We stopped at Sebastian Joe's, this great home-made ice cream place. Then we wandered around to check out the restaurants and took notes of the ones we'll want to check out.

The next stop was Lake Calhoun, where I've always wanted to each lunch in the food pavilion. Lake Calhoun is the largest lake inside the city, surrounded by huge beautiful mansions. I love the whole Lake Calhoun atmosphere, everyone always looks so happy! Of course there were a ton of people out because the day was so nice, so we were lucky to find a parking spot at all! At the pavilion we had to stalk people until they left to get a bench, I ordered the Grilled Mahi Mahitaco, DH ordered Shrimp Nachos. It was hot, and I forgot my sunglasses. The mahi mahi was delicious, the shrimp nachos were bigger than what we expected. Then we walked around the lake to walk off the meal.

grilled mahi mahi taco (though you can't see the mahi mahi) - yum!

shrimp tacos - see how large this was?? the chips were very fatty too 

The food pavilion from afar...

Our view of the lake whilst eating...

you can't really tell in this picture - but the rows and rows of cars parked a long the road across from the lake

Audi A4 Parking Commercial

Popout

My favorite commercial of the moment. I was falling out of my seat laughing!

Yoga Booty Ballet

So yes, I am a sucker for infomercials. I actually watched this one a few times before actually going out and buying it. My girlfriends and I get together a few times a week to work out to Booty Ballet, and its pretty effective. I've seen a lot of work out videos, and I don'tthink this program is more effective or even better, the biggest difference is that it is a lot more fun. I bought the kit, 3 DVDs and a bouncy ball. The first DVD includes a 15 minute meditation, then a 45 minute basic Booty Ballet workout, and a 60 minute advanced Booty Ballet workout. They are both really good and work out your entire body. Then the second DVD were add-on's: a hip-hop abs video (about 40 min) and then a cabaret work-out video (about 35 min). Now, these were the workouts that were a lot more fun because you are basically dancing the whole time. You will definitely get the cardio workout for the day. It took me a few times to actually get the moves because they do it so fast.

My Zeno, My Lifesaver

So I thought I had won the war with acne after high school when I had almost no breakouts and a clear face. I'm a sucker for infomercials, and I bought proactive solutions, which, true to the testimonials, worked great! So I had more time to have fun and party like a college student. Then after college, came the adult acne that you hear about but never think too much. I had terrible deep painful pimples (gross, I know) that were inflamed and made me so self-conscious, that some days, I didn't want to go to work. I just wanted to hide out until my face cleared. Most of it happened on my chin, which I later read is where adults get their acne. Something to do with our hormones. It wasn't like I was getting a ton of pimples, it would be one big one appearing after another just went away. I couldn't win! I ditched the Proactive, and tried every kind of cleanser, but I just could not tackle that deep pimple that would pop up once a month and take forever to go away. That's when I heard about Zeno, an at home acne treatment device. I thought, why not give it a try? It's pricey at a $150 retail, but it had a 30-day money back guarantee. Then I found it on sale at Target for $100. Score! Used it right away. It comes with a charger, and you have to charge it for 6 hours before using (can't use it while its being charge for safety reasons). It delivers a dose of heat directly to your pimple to destroy the bacteria that causes acne, reducing the inflammation and returning your skin back to normal. Each dose is 2.5 minutes long. It leaves the spot that you are treating a little red for about 30 minutes. It usually takes me about 3-4 treatments for a pimple to completely go away, which is usually about 2 days. But after the first couple of treatments, I do notice that the pimple is less inflamed and is getting smaller. Then a few more times, and its gone!

This device has become a lifesaver to treat that stubborn deep pimple that pops up out of nowhere. You know what I'm talking about. I keep myzeno fully charged and ready to go. This is a great device if you have the occasional breakout and need a fast treatment. One thing to note about this, is that it doesn't work if the acne has already broken the surface (ie. whitehead). It only works to prevent a deep pimple from breaking the surface. I usually use it when I feel a pimple coming on, which, if you know your skin, you'll know.
The Zeno has a removable tip that lasts either 60-90 uses, then you have to replace it. They are about $25-$50 a pop, depending on how many treatments you want. I think its totally worth it, because its a sure thing.

Read more at myzeno.com. There are also a lot of reviews out there if you want to research more about it. It also comes in pink (only available at Sephora).
I've heard of another technology that is being developed, where instead of using heat, it will be some kind of other rays to zap acne. Kind of cool.

Handbag Day

Martha Stewart had a “handbag” episode all about handbags. I have to say, only Martha can turn an episode about handbags into something very practical. According to Martha, a great handbag should be considered an investment. Her greatest investment was her infamous Hermes Birkin Bag, which she toted to court. The amazing thing about it was that she has owned that bag for 17 years, and it looked absolutely perfect. It was clean and still looked brand new. A quality, well-made bag can be absolutely worth its price if it is taken cared of and stored properly. It’s all about price per wear! Of course, she showed us how she cleans and stores all her bags to keep them looking new. I just adore Martha Stewart and how just oh so perfect she does things in the kitchen. I don’t care that she can’t read cue cards at all; I mean, there is something admirable about a woman who made an empire around home-making.

Some great investment bags (featured on the show and also my faves):

Derek Lam - very unique shape

Zac Posen - I heart Zac Posen



Coach - creamy leather, understated hardware. Classic Coach.

Bulga - a multi-pocket bag. Six outside pockets and three inside pockets.

Mulberry - a cross between a briefcase and a purse.

Rafe Totengo - Latin Quarter bag. I love the hardware detailing.

Martha’s tips for keeping your investment handbags looking new:

(you can also view the tips on marthastewart.com)

Cleaning Your Handbag How-To

1. Empty all pockets and shake gently to remove dust and debris.

2. Clean interior of bag by gently pulling it inside out and using a lint roller. If you can't pull out the lining of your handbag, you can use the fabric brush attachment on your vacuum.

3. Clean exterior of leather bag with alcohol free baby wipes.

Tips for Extending the Life of Your Handbag

1. If there is a big stain, don't try to clean it yourself. Take it to a leather expert as soon as possible.

2. If your handbag does not have "feet" on the bottom, you can have them added by a leather-care expert. Feet protect the bottom of the bag from scratches and dirt.

Tips for Keeping the Interior Clean

1. Never put a pen in your purse without a cap on it.

2. Keep makeup in a separate makeup bag.

Tips for Handbag Storage

1. Handbags can be hung on a hook for a few days, but any longer puts too much strain on the straps.
2. Fill handbags loosely with balls of tissue paper to help keep the shape; stiff bags don't need this.

3. Put handbag in the storage bag it came with. If it didn't come with a roomy drawstring sack then make one out of cotton or use a pillow case.

4. Ideally, handbags would be stored in cubbies built into your closet, but you can also store them in baskets or bins made of plastic-coated wire. Stand them upright or lay them down and don't crowd them. They need to breathe, so don't put a tight-fitting lid on.

Simply Vera

I was on the search for black ankle boots this weekend and I also wanted to check out the Simply Vera line at Kohls. I've heard mixed reviews, so I wanted to see it for myself. Vera Wang was the first thing you see when you walk in on the Misses entrance. The signing is blue with Simply Vera everywhere. The display was pretty nice, there was an outfit with accessories on display. Her color pallets were mostly black, navy blue, and violet. There were two very cute dresses that I immediately grabbed off of the rack. Both were black, one a sleeveless pleated empire waisted dress, and one was a long sleeve empire waisted dress. Both looked great on the rack, but I can't pull off the empire waisted dress without looking like I was either pregnant or gained 10 lbs. They were both nays. There were two black skirts, a pleated skirt and an a-line, but I didn't need a black skirt so I skipped over to the purple bubble skirt. It looked great on the mannequin, but I was never into the bubble skirt trend, so that was a nay as well. There were several tops - some basic tees and babydoll tops all on hangers. And the way they were hanging, they just looked so stretched out and long. They did not look appealing to me at all. There was a really cute long sweater in black and lilac, but the only sizes left were too big for me. I ended up deciding on a really cute trapeze blazer in black and violet.

Wool trapeze blazer. Snap button. On sale for $53.99

Simply Vera tag - matches the in-store signing

Simply Vera also had handbags, shoes, knit hats and gloves, tights, and bedding. I wasn't really impressed with any of the accessories; to me, they felt more Kohls than Vera Wang. Last stop was the shoe section. There was a whole aisle just for Simply Vera. She had a lot of flats, and I love flats - I had to stop and touch them all before heading towards the boots. Her boots were very cute - she had a couple of ankle boots selection, and I did end up purchasing one of them. It was not bad at all for the price - and it was very comfy.

Ankle boots - I especially like the buckle detail.

the pair - i love tall shoes. On sale for $62.99

All in all, Simply Vera is worth checking out.

Ode to the Farmer's Market

One of the best things I love about summer are the farmers markets where all the local farmers come out to sell home-grown fruits and vegetables, fresh cut flowers and home-made goodies. I love the hustle and bustle of it all. My favorite is the Minneapolis downtown Nicolle Mall farmers market every Thursday, mostly because I work down there and all I have to do is go outside during lunch to buy beautiful flowers, organic honey, handmade soap, and homegrown veggies. Its really special to me, because once winter rolls around there really isn't anyone outside on the streets. But during summer and the farmer's market, the sidewalk is packed with vendors and lots of people enjoying the sun. I can tell that the season is about to end, when this last Thursday, there weren't as many vendors outside selling as there has been. But there were still a lot of people outside trying to enjoy the crisp fall weather as much as possible before the first frost of the season.

The farmer's market isn't just fruits and vegetables, there are vendors for fresh baked bread, meat, salsa, baked pastries, jam, jelly, honey, nuts, and organic soap. I love supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs and this is one of the best ways that I know how.

Nicollet Mall Farmer's Market

Nicollet Mall Farmer's Market

Nicollet Mall Farmer's Market - fresh flowers