My new best friend

My beloved T3 hairdryer from Sephora bit the bullet a couple weeks ago. I was a bit devastated consider 1) how much it cost and 2) because I really really loved my hair dryer. The T3 made it so easy to straighten  my weird half curly half straight thick weird hair. Did I mention my hair is weird?

So began the search for something to replace it. Sephora was nice enough to give me a store credit, but it was my 2nd T3 since the first one burnt out and smelled like a forest fire every once in a while.

I hopped on http://www.makeupalley.com/. A fantastic website with tons of beauty product reviews. If you ever want to try something and don't want to fork out $30 for a mascara you're unsure about, check out that website for reviews on all sorts of products.

The ladies with hair issues  similiar to mine, recommended the Elchim. I then hopped over to http://www.follica.com/. They had the hands down best price and free shipping. 2 days later, this beauty landed on my door step.

We've become instant best friends and my Elchim is sooooo much better than my old T3 mostly because it has 1) temperature settings. The T3 was always on super ultra wicked hot. My Elchim has 3 different settings and 2) it's more powerful and cuts my drying time by about 25%.

My only gripe- the straightening nozzle you see in the picture above is a bit small and I got a whole lot of hair to dry. But, for what it does, it's only a minor snaffoo.

Nars Blush

I've read about it countless magazines. I've seen it on so many websites. I've read rave reviews about this product. So, I had to try it.

Nars Blush in Orgasm. I love it. Go out and get yourself some.

Pesto Scallops over Fettucine

Now that spring has sprung and summer is on it's way in New England, we're starting to enjoy the warm weather and our yard! After 2 straight weekends of weeding, mulching, shoveling, and preparing, our pool is up and running (yeah! No more sink holes from RI's great flood!) and our garden is planted and blooming!!

I only started gardening when we moved to our house. The previous owners had a raised bed garden. If we didn't replant, we'd have a large wooden 4 foot by 20 foot sandbox in our yard. Over the past 3 years we've learned some tricks of the trade. Our vegetable/herb garden is up and growing and this past weekend we enjoyed our first batch of homemade pesto.

                                                

Another great thing, we moved in next door to some great neighbors. Besides giving us information about the area and feeding the cats while we're away, our neighbor buys fresh RI seafood right off the fishing boats and sells to local businesses. We got to snag a few pounds of fresh scallops this weekend as well.

We made this recipe of pesto Scallops over Fettucine, although I used Linguine :)

Here's a snap shot of the dish and the recipe follows!

Home made Pesto

3 cups loosely packed Basil leaves

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

4 peeled garlic cloves

1/4 cup grated Parmesean

3/4 cup of oil

In a food processor, pulse together the first 4 ingredients (all but oil). Then slowly stream in oil. You can also add some salt and pepper to taste.

Reasons why I like this pesto: I'm not a huge fan of pine nuts. I think they add a bitter taste to pesto. I opted for the healthy alternative of walnuts. They still provide a nutty flavor. I also do not add as much oil as other pesto recipes you may see. I like the fresh basil taste of this pesto and saw no need to overload on oil. I typically add pesto to alot of pasta dishes. I find that when I use less oil, it sticks to the pasta better. If you like it more on the oily side, I would add 1 cup or 1 1/4 cup of oil.

Scallops Over Fettucine (or Linguine...)

1 pound fresh scallops rinses and patted dry

1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup mushrooms

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 TBSP white wine

2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

1 pound Fettucine or any pasta

1/4 cup of pesto

Parmesean cheese to top

Fill pot for pasta with generously salted water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, coat a heated skillet with approx. 2 TBSP of EVOO. Saute onion until soft. Add green pepper and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic. Once veggies are cooked for an additional two or three minutes, add wine and lemon juice.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes and then add scallops. Cover the skillet and let the scallops cook (scallops typically take 3-4 minutes to cook, be careful not to overcook them- they can become rubbery when overdone).

Drain pasta. Immediately toss pasta with pesto.

Remove scallops from skillet and set aside. Add the vegetables in the skillet to the pasta and pesto. Toss well. Plate pasta and top with scallops. Sprinkle with Parmesean cheese.

Just an additional note-- I added more like 1/2- 3/4 cup of pesto vs. the 1/4 cup the recipe calls for. This dish was a perfect summer dish. We paired it with a nice chilled Pinot Grigio!

It's officially Polo season

I learned many interesting things living in Newport, Rhode Island. Some things, like island mentality...aka not leaving the mass of land we lived on even though we live in the smallest state in the United States, stick with me.

I also met alot of interesting people..the Newport crew as I call them. We still vacation, dinner and hang out with them quite often. One of my favorite activities we were introduced to was Polo. I can say it wasn't a sport that interested me whatsoever. I think of polo and I think of Prince Harry and William and their girlfriends with large hats on. But, don't knock it til you try it!

The Newport Polo Club opens its season with the USA vs. Dominican Republic this weekend. We've reserved our spot on the field for the best part of polo- tailgating.

So ladies, throw on your sundresses, grab your bottles of chilled pinot grigio and make a cheese platter. We'll see you at the polo field many times this summer!

Carribean Sweet Potato Salad

I've become a huge fan of sweet potates. Not that white ones are bad, but the sweet ones are just too good to eat the white kind anymore.

So, my task last week was to find a sweet potato salad recipe. My one requirement--that it have no mayo in it. I hate mayonnaise. Unless it's well disguised, I try not to touch the stuff.

My task at hand was successfully completed. I found this recipe and at first, stuck my nose up at it a bit. The ingredients, well, the list just didn't go together. But, being adventurous as I am, I said what the heck, let's give it a whirl. I'm glad I did.

I give you Carribean Sweet Potato Salad courtesy of http://www.allrecipes.com/

Mrs Allan's Notes: I skipped out on the russet potato. I used 3 medium to large sized sweet potatoes. I also omitted the red onion. I have a weird hatred for raw red onion.

Ingredients

1 large russet potato, peeled and quartered
1 large sweet potato, peeled and quartered
1 cup corn
1 teaspoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and chopped
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced 1/4 cup finely chopped peanuts

Directions


Place the Russet potato pieces into a large saucepan, and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sweet potato, and cook about 15 minutes more. Remove a piece of each potato, and cut it in half to see if it is cooked enough. Once the potatoes are tender, add corn kernels; cook another 30 seconds. Drain through a colander. Fill the saucepan with cold water, and drop vegetables into water. Cool for 5 minutes, and drain.

In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, lime juice, cilantro, and garlic. Slowly whisk in oil. Mix in salt and black pepper.

Cut cooled potatoes into 1 inch cubes, and add to dressing along with cucumber, and red onion. Toss well. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Toss the peanuts in just before serving.

Grilling Time!

Last year at this time, we were in full on wedding mode. My older sister got married in June, we got married in October. My whole family was in full steam ahead mode with showers, weddings, and what not. Needless to say, our poor yard got neglected. I always wonder why we decided to buy a house with such a massive yard. Living in downtown Newport on a tiny skinny street, I'd wake up in the morning, throw on my robe, go to the refrigerator and look to my left and the old man next door was eating his grapenuts at his kitchen table maybe 10 feet from me in my house. So, we decided to go the exact opposite and buy a massive lot of land.

The past couple weekends we've had the daunting task of weeding, raking, mulching, shoveling gravel..you name it. One bright spot came out last night....the deck is powerwashed and stained, so it was wash off the patio furniture take it out of hiding and put it out game last night.

After that...we opened the grill. I LOVE grilling..everything seems healthier and tastier.

Here's a sneak peak of our dinner last night....

Sweet Potatoe Fries. Take 2 large sweet potatoes. I wash them, then slice them into large fry-like chunks. I steam them for a couple minutes in the microwave, then brush them with olive oil and throw some Essence seasoning (It's from Emeril) or Old Bay Seasoning and grill them up

Veggie Kabobs and some steak....hmmmm

Mourning the loss....

of my T3 Featherweight hairdryer. When my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas a couple years ago, I forwarded her a link to Sephora's website to the T3. I felt like I needed this hairdryer. As a girl with thick wavy, curly in some spots, straight in others hair, this hairdryer was calling my name. I straighten my hair daily because when I try to do the curly look, I look like an 80's commercial for Ogilve perms. If you don't know what the 80's are or what an Ogilve is, you're making me feel old.

My mom's response..who spends $200 on a hairdryer? Um...you can for me for Christmas!

My betrothed and I had a lovely 3 year courtship. I took her out last week and she wouldn't turn on. I stood in my pink robe in utter disbelief. I tried 10 times to turn her on, played with the switch in the bathroom, and nothing. I may attempt to return her to Sephora, but I'm not sure how that will pan out after using her for 3 years.

We had many good times, many good and bad hair days. I always thought she did get really hot and wish there was a warm and cool setting. But, she had the best nozzle attachment for straightening. Now that Mr. Allan is in the picture, I know I'll never be able to buy another $200 hairdryer or to slip one by him. I'm so sorry our good times in the morning have come to an end. My back up Conair stinks and I've had poofy weird hair for the past week.