It was time to sauté the green beans…but the cantaloupe sitting on the shelf whispered excitedly “me too, me too!”
Peculiar mixture, but I obliged.
It was delicious! Throw in a few big basil leaves at the end, also.
Sauteed green beans and cantaloupe
As an Influenster, I had the opportunity to test a new men’s fragrance by Calvin Klein, REVEAL. Considered part of a new olfactive category, the “solar oriental”, this fragrance proclaims a scent categorized by salt, warm woods, pink pepper, and flowers.
@Influenster #REVEALMORE
I picked up the small package from my personal “post office” and tore into the small envelope. In addition to a sample sized spray bottle, I received a small gray card holder (I guess I can use that in my wallet). I read the fragrance description excitedly, thinking that it sounded just like the type of scent I would like.
I gave an initial spritz into the air and upon first sniff, it actually smelled a little feminine to me. “Hmm,” I thought, “this smells like something I would considering wearing myself.” My mother had a similar reaction, though not to the same degree as me. We brought it in to her boyfriend for third opinion. He liked it, but had no ornate description for what he was smelling.
For the final test, I spritzed it on my own boyfriend. He thought it was okay and said he would wear it, but didn’t seem all that enthused about it. The immediate sniff from what I sprayed on his skin smelled very “generic” and “typical” to me. It smelled like a lot of other men’s fragrances and not all that revolutionary, to say the least. But I know better- let’s give it some time to evaporate.
I also sprayed it on myself, and I still maintain that it smells a little effeminate. It smells totally different on me than it does on him. Less citrusy, more woodsy and warm. I like it on me, but it’s still not a “me” fragrance. (I think I will be ever-loyal to Tuscany per Donna! Still haven’t found anything I like better on me!)
After about 15-20 minutes, I went back to the BF’s forearm and gave it another whiff. It dried down a bit and smells a little more unique. Definitely smell more warmth and a bit of spice. It’s almost like pepper but without the familiar “bite” that pepper has. I like it the scent on him but it really dried down to be barely perceptible. I think he might need another application.
All in all, it was nice to try but I’m not blown away. Will definitely give it another go and report back.
Note: . Influenster sent this complimentary for testing purposes, but all opinions are my own and I’m not being compensated.
On the way to visit some friends we passed this area in Upper Black Eddy-Bridgeton. Loved what I saw outside the window so started snapping a few pictures. Here’s the ones that were decent. Maybe one day I’ll get the hang of it and become an expert iPhone photographer 😉
Sitting and waiting at Friedman’s Lunch for my dining partner yesterday morning (yes, we came to a place with “lunch” in the title for breakfast!), I looked around the dining area at the quaint yet sleek, cool vibe. The dark, heavy brown curtain that hung hovering over the doorway would billow every time someone walked in. Sitting so close to it, sometimes it would caress my thigh or knee. I really liked the fabric and its velour heaviness. The way the curtain made a show of presenting each person who entered through the door was slightly captivating. The whole experience was one that caught my senses.
I was having such a hankering for hot chocolate for the last few weeks. Not that powdered, packaged, Swiss Miss stuff- nosirree, I wanted the “real thing”. And finally, I got it. This past Saturday evening, I settled in for a relaxing evening at home with a small cup of decadent, rich hot chocolate. It was soothing and delightful, the thickness of it so palpable against my tongue.
This particular hot chocolate was made with Chocolove’s dark chocolate bar with crystalized ginger. Heavenly. Something to savor. What made it even more interesting to the senses was the bits of crystalized ginger that remained in the liquid. I’m a big fan of ginger and its warming effects on the body (and one’s psyche, if you are willing to open yourself up to noticing it and succumbing to it).
Nights with hot chocolate are always a treat….
little cups of hot chocolate
Made with Chocolove’s Crystalized Ginger Dark Chocolate. Was delicious!
For Xmas Eve, we had fresh ravioli with dinner and in a stroke of inspiration, I had an idea for the extra raviolis that were not going to be served- save them for the morning after. How nice would they be once fried gently in butter, maybe with a dusting of powdered sugar on top? I envisioned squishing a little jelly into their centers before frying them (I used strawberry Polaner all-fruit) and laying them into a pan of melted butter. Once golden brown, I gave them a dusting of powdered sugar and served with a tad more jelly on the side.
They were perfect. Just the right amount of sweetness to complement the ricotta and savory herbs with which they had already been stuffed. I expect I’ll be doing this more often!
Breakfast ravioli with strawberry Polaner All-Fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar.
If you haven’t already noticed, I am a chocolate lover of the highest degree. One of my latest favorites is a bar by Madecasse, heirloom Madagascar cocoa. I love the fruity notes present in the chocolate. It is truly as described, “bright with a fruity finish”.
I love the careful attention that was paid to the packaging.The chocolate lover has a little work to do in order to get to those luscious morsels, starting with untying the small tie at the top of the bar. Lift open the flap. Bring your nose a little closer and breathe in deeply. At next glance, you’ll see that the bar is wrapped in foil. Tear it open gently and break off a rectangle. Pop it in your mouth and savor it.
Madecasse bar
Over the weekend, I had the misfortune of having ripped a contact lens, with no replacement available to me. I was about two hours away from home and hadn’t brought a pair of glasses with me either. My eyesight is bad enough that I could not go the entire day wearing just one contact lens without having other repercussions (in the form of an extremely bad headache). So I resorted to what seemed like the best option at the time- I took the other lens out and went sans vision enhancements. This is something I haven’t done in years. It was definitely disconcerting even while only dealing with the world inside. When I ventured outside, it was nearly frightening. I was astounded at how little I was able to see and read. Naturally I wasn’t doing any of the driving, but I was shocked at how difficult it was for me to even be able to see that there were letters on the street and highway signs, much less be able to read them. All the street lights and headlights looked like huge lit-up snowflakes. It was all I could do to even keep my eyes open.
I tried to look at it as an opportunity to engage my other senses more intensely. It was actually pretty difficult to do as I was so focused on the ill state of my ability to see. Perhaps I am more moved by my sense of sight than I ever realized.
Working at my new job, I had the opportunity to see (and listen to) the hours-long parade that is the largest Veteran’s Day Parade in the country, the America’s Parade. It was exciting to watch from our office window and see them setting up and getting ready. There were bikers, drummers, bagpipe players and vocalists. Hearing the different sounds throughout my workday made for interesting productivity, some sounds being better for getting things done than others. It was great to experience this and comforting to see the painstaking time and care that was put into honoring our vets.
“Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die.” ~G.K. Chesterton
I had some arugula in the refrigerator and a vision of pizza in my mind. On my trip to the store, the pizza crusts were on sale, further proof of the “meant to be” serendipitous nature of my culinary idea.
First, I set to work zesting a little lemon, juicing it and mixing it with some olive oil, basil, and parsley. I let the mixture settle into the chicken breast I was about to saute (in butter).
Next, I chopped up the garlic that is so necessary for broccoli rabe. It emitted its familiar aroma. Washing the broccoli rabe, I took note of its crisp leaves, which always feels like the sound of the word “cruciferous” to me. I cooked it up, watching its green color deepen and its leaves start to wilt. I also added some red pepper flakes for a little extra oomph.
After the chicken and brocooli rabe were cooked up, I went to work dressing up the pizza crusts- one with marinara sauce, one without. Then I spooned the broccoli rabe on top. Amply sprinkled shredded cheese over it. Arugula. Raw onion slivers. Chicken. More cheese. On the sauce-free one, I added the leftover lemon juice and butter.
Baked them for 22-25 minutes and admired them once out of the oven. The onion with its crisp burnt edges, the chicken with its burst of lemony flavor. Aaaahhhhh……
Vivacious Victoria and The Sensory Life 