Thursday, July 25, 2013

Allergy-friendly Summer Beauty Bag (gluten-free, soy-free)

Summer Beauty bag

Throughout the life of this blog, one of the most requested topics has been allergy friendly, toxin-free, gluten-free, and soy-free cosmetic alternatives. Not surprisingly, these products have proved challenging to find in the past. Today, there are many great products and awesome companies bringing us safe and beautiful collections that not only highlight our natural beauty, but keep us reaction free in the process! What goes on the skin sinks in, so being mindful is key. I've spent a good deal of time perfecting my own safe beauty bag and I'd like to share my favorite trusted brands and products with everyone in hopes of shedding some light on this popular topic. (Note: The following comments are my own unsolicited opinions). If you're new to my site, this is kind of a part-two to an earlier post I did on products in my beauty bag. Be sure to check it out for more information.

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Top Gluten-free, Allergen-free Cosmetics Brand:


I discovered Red Apple Lipstick some time ago and I'm excited to say they are definitely my favorite cosmetics company by a landslide. The owners Jay and Andrea Harper are fantastic to their customers and are real innovators in toxic-free products. I recently was named the winner of their Red Apple Girls Instagram photo contest and was featured in an ad on their facebook page which can be seen here. Not only do they have amazing lipsticks, glosses, and eye-shadows, rumor has it a mascara is in the works! Check out their YouTube Channel for some great tutorial videos put together by Ashley from Red Apple Lipstick, and a few other videos from Jay, Andrea, and happy customers. Allergen-free, gluten-free, Vegan, paraben-free, cruelty-free, and awesome...what's more to love? (Picture above left: Wearing a matte lip in Secrets and using Silver Lining as an eyeshadow and face highlighter).

Favorite Red Apple Lipstick products for summer:

  1. Lipstick in Sunkissed
  2. Lipstick in Secrets
  3. Lip-gloss in Diamond Sands
  4. Lip-gloss in Amor Caliente
  5. Eye-shadow in Down to Earth
  6. Eye-shadow in Vamp
  7. Eye-shadow in Siren

DSC_1303 -Pictured from left to right: Red Apple Lipstick Lip-glosses in Diamond Sands, Hot Mess, Berried Treasure, Fuzzy Navel, Amor Caliente, and Nude Peppermint.-

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Other Gluten-free, Soy-free Top Picks (shown above):
  1. RMS Beauty -- "Living Luminizer" (shown top left) is one of my favorite products and is a great highlighter for a natural glow on the skin. It is rich in coconut oil and vitamins for the skin. I use it almost daily. Also pictured is a cream eye-shadow in Magnetic (bottom center) which is a lovely metallic prune shade.  RMS "un-coverup" is amazing as a light-wear foundation as well (not pictured).

  2. Ultrapure Cosmetics, Mineral Makeup -- Flawless Finish Powder Foundation in Beach Babe (pictured with brush) is the perfect shade for my skin and is very lightweight. It lets your natural skin shine through and just helps to even out the tone throughout. Ultrapure Cosmetics carries a great pressed powder foundation, (shown in the very first photo upper right), safe mascara, eye-shadows, face cleansers, and eye-liners.

  3. Physician's Formula -- While some of their products aren't labeled gluten-free, a lot of them are clearly labeled and can be found in most cosmetics sections in major stores. I use the Super BB All in One Powder with Zinc Oxide sunscreen and absolutely love it. It's gluten-free, hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and fragrance-free. It isn't specifically listed as "soy-free", but I have never had a soy reaction to it despite being very sensitive. I also use the mineral bronzer (shown in the very first photo far right) and eye-liners designed for hazel eyes (also shown in the very first photo upper right). Physicians Formula has a large range of products, so be sure to read the ingredients. Some products do contain soybean oil and I stay away from those. They are clearly labeled.

DSC_1301 Pictured from left: Red Apple Lipsticks in Secrets, Strawberry Lips, Red!, Ultrapure Cosmetics Lipstick in Delicate Plum, and Red Apple Lipstick's Lip Exfoliate product.

What are your favorite non-toxic, allergen-free, gluten-free beauty finds?

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Soy-free Vegan Pad Thai (Gluten-free)

photo(9)I apologize for the photo quality, as I didn't have time to grab my DSLR the night I made this. Plus the lighting in my kitchen was less than ideal for a quality photo-shoot (it was after 10:00pm). So without further ado, here is my take on a soy-free pad thai using my favorite soy sauce replacement; coconut aminos! Coconut aminos is made from the sap of the coconut tree and has a softer, but similar taste to soy sauce. It's quite salty but is minimally processed and rich in essential amino acids, especially the raw enzyme rich Coconut Secret brand (my unsolicited opinion). I splash it onto warm brown rice noodles with stir-fried veggies and spices for instant delicious take-out worthy food--all while enjoying a night in. I know authentic pad thai doesn't usually incorporate curry, but I love the warmth it adds to the dish and since I don't use fish sauce, I decided the curry could give it a unique kick in the place of it. I also add kale for some green goodness and an unexpected healthy twist.

Soy-free Vegan Pad Thai (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan).
  • 1 box Thai Kitchen Brown Rice Noodles (or your favorite gluten-free long, skinny noodles).
  • 1 can organic diced tomatoes
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3/4 cup chopped fresh kale
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for coating noodles later (optional).
  • 1/3 cup sliced water chestnuts
  • 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or more to taste).
  • 2 teaspoons Simply Organic curry powder (or your favorite brand of curry powder)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons water from the noodles (adds starch to thicken the sauce).
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

  1. Using a saucepan filled with hot water, soak the Thai kitchen brown rice noodles for at least 5 minutes to soften. (I use the whole box, which consists of 4 individual packets). Be sure to save 2 tablespoons of this pasta water after soaking is finished to add to the sauce.
  2. While the noodles are softening, add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat for 1 minute. Add the onion, garlic, and water chestnuts and heat for about 2 minutes or until onions are slightly softened.
  3. Add the diced tomatoes from the can, (fresh can be used as well, but the juice from the can helps create a nicer sauce), kale, pine nuts, spices, and coconut aminos. Saute over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes.
  4. Add the softened brown rice noodles and any additional olive oil to coat them and reduce sticking. Mix well over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Optional: For a spicier dish, add a dash of cayenne pepper right at the end and mix thoroughly. Serve hot.


Monday, July 22, 2013

Spiral Cucumber "Noodles" with Balsamic and Bleu Gorgonzola

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My soon to be mother-in-law gifted me an amazing spiral slicer for my birthday this past May. I first saw this unique kitchen tool used by the always fabulous Mimi Kirk in her raw cookbook, Live Raw.  Ever since then, I had the itch to experiment with making my own veggie "noodles".  I thought they'd be a welcome change of pace from regular gluten-free pasta, something I tend to make at least once a week.

Now that our summer garden currently resembles a wild jungle of produce, we have more cucumbers than we know what to do with--which is a fantastic problem to have. Using the spiral slicer, I grabbed a few fresh large cucumbers and spun them into something I'd like to call "un-spaghetti". I left the dark green peel on for some added color to the "noodles" and immediately tossed them with balsamic vinaigrette, crumbled bleu gorgonzola cheese, diced red onion, and warm roasted pecans. This is a vegetarian dish but could easily be made vegan by using a non-dairy crumbled cheese instead. It's a perfect light summer bite that creates a whole new take on salad.

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Spiral Cucumber "Noodles" with Balsamic and Bleu Gorgonzola

Yield: 2 servings
  • 2 medium cucumbers
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1/4 cup crumbled bleu gorgonzola cheese (or non-dairy option)
  • 1/4 roasted pecans
  • balsamic vinaigrette
  • Optional: salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

  1. Using a spiral slicer, spin two unpeeled cucumbers into long noodle-like ribbons.
  2. Toss with all other ingredients and serve as a fresh take on salad.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Putting the good in

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Often, I look around at "it" and think about where all the negativity and sheer wickedness in the world stems from. That's certainly a place I'd never want to find, or find out how it makes itself so. Regardless of where it comes from, it rears its face, disturbingly strong at times. It can test hope and harbor discouragement even on the brightest of days. One look at the front page of the paper or the bombarding media headlines following us on our smartphones, laptops, and television threatens to turn the love in our hearts into anger, resentment, snap judgement, false entitlement, and even dark feelings of revenge. Is it a surprise that the amount of disconnect and the number of grave stories grows stronger even, as a result? I doubt we should actually wonder where "it" comes from. "Its" time is only dependent on the time we give it. All we have to do each day is give forward as much love and light as possible in order to put the good back in, everywhere. We can't linger in sadness over everything that's gone wrong. We're here to acknowledge the good and the light and to spread it as far as we can. Please enjoy these smile worthy things that remind me no matter what's happening, love can conquer anything.

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resize love My partner in fun, life and light.

3 Links that put the good back in:

Monday, July 15, 2013

Photo catch up

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From left to right, and top to bottom:

  • Birthday dinner at Roast Restaurant Detroit, owned by Michael Simon of the Food Network.
  • Gluten-free Namaste Blondies for my birthday cake.
  • Filet Mignon at Roast Detroit was probably the best steak I've had while eating out. It was close to my dad's grilled steak, but still not as good.
  • A sweet balloon birthday surprise from my lovely fiance!

I sheepishly admit I've been away from the blog for far too long, and I can only blame so much of it on grad school and organic chemistry. While I will never recommend to anyone to take organic chemistry, lab, and other chemistry in a 7.5 week summer semester, I will admit I probably became more consumed with all of it out of sheer panic and I really shouldn't have. Lesson to self: Find Balance. Work hard, but don't forget to breathe. And certainly don't forget to keep doing the things you enjoy most, i.e. blogging, cooking, adventuring, and EATING.

Nevertheless, I am finally back and have a great many things lined up for posting that I'm so excited to share with everyone out there. I luckily ended up documenting my last couple months away through Instagram, so first things first I'll be catching up through these photos with small captions. I've really missed being away. It's more than great to be writing again.

Here are the TOP TEN things that happened during the break:

  1. Finished my first semester of grad school. (also see #10 for details).
  2. I turned 26! Now that's scary...
  3. Passed three chemistry courses in a summer semester, and my fiance graduated with a Graduate Certificate in Finance. Way to go lovebird!
  4. Took a road trip to Philly with my fiance to visit my soon to be in-laws.
  5. Traveled to northern Michigan to visit my family for Independence Day. It was amazing to see everyone!
  6. Had another article published in Delight Gluten-Free Magazine's July/August issue on Ann Arbor, Michigan Gluten-free eats! On store shelves now, or available at delightglutenfree.com
  7. Ate out successfully so many times that I can't even recall how many exactly.
  8. Found a great 100% gluten-free shop and cafe in the outer part of Pittsburgh that was out of this world!! I'll be doing a separate post on this coming up soon -- Gluten-Free Zone!!
  9. Finally got my passport. Now I can go anywhere!
  10. Made the Dean's List!

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From left to right, and top to bottom:

  • Homemade Gluten-free Irish Soda Bread
  • Gluten-free Paella at Sava's Ann Arbor
  • Gluten-free Pizza from Silvio's Organic Pizza in Ann Arbor. Check out my feature of them in Delight Gluten-free Magazine's July/August issue!
  • Oysters at Roast Restaurant Detroit, owned by Michael Simon of the Food Network.
  • Italian herb baked Salmon with fresh chopped green onions from our garden. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Yum.