Tag: life

food

Food Review: Shake Shack’s ‘Shroom Burger

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Happy Tuesday, friends! I’m writing a BUNCH of posts this week, mainly because my weekend was a whirlwind and I want to make sure that I capture all of it. Yesterday (Monday) I was struggling with figuring out what I wanted to eat for lunch. I work just a few blocks away from Shake Shack in Washington, DC (located at the corner of 9th and F Streets, NW), and since I hadn’t eaten there before, I decided to give it a try.

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I RARELY eat beef, so I scanned the menu to see if there was something I could eat besides french fries. I was delighted to see that they offered a mushroom burger. Named the ‘Shroom Burger, the sandwich is described in the following way:

“Crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with lettuce, tomato, ShackSauce™”

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I’ll admit: I’m curious if the sandwiches justify these kinds of crowds (from Shake Shack’s website)

I love mushrooms, but I also know that it takes a good recipe to make a portobello flavorful. Of all the mushrooms that I’ve tried, portobello is the “meatiest” but also the most resistant to absorbing flavor. In my experience, I’ve found that portobellos need extra marinade/saute time to really take on the flavors of the seasonings and vegetables being cooked with it. That being said, I was curious to see how Shake Shack’s ‘Shroom Burger rose to the challenge.

Shake Shack knocked it out of the park!

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The portobellos were sliced thin, so that they weren’t too chewy or too “wet”. For those that have cooked mushrooms, you know that heating them releases a lot of water, so unless a mushroom is dehydrated/dried, you’ll have mushroom water as soon as the heat starts to brown them. Between the thin portobello slices were the cheeses: hot, melty and flavorful. Holding it all together was a perfectly seasoned crispy batter.

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Closer photo of the ‘Shroom Burger

I loved it! I plan on returning to have this delicious ‘Shroom Burger again! Next time, I plan on trying one of their concrete shakes (if you haven’t tried concrete, you’re overdue!) If you want to find a Shake Shack near you, click here to visit their main website. If you can recommend anything else off of the Shake Shack menu, I’d love to hear about it: feel free to comment below!

life curation

Remembering Who You Are

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I’m resting up after having several busy weeks. So this post is going to be a simple one.

I came across this Audre Lorde quote last year, and I often think about it when I am feeling a bit “ungrounded”. By the way, if you haven’t checked out some of the other Audre Lorde quotes I’ve shared, check them out here.

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(image courtesy of Quotefancy)

Remember who you are: even in moments of confusion and frustration, don’t forget the essence of YOU. Everything – even the unpleasantries – are part of the tapestry of your life. You’re never really lost or insignificant: YOU are everything you need to make it in this life, and YOU have all the tools you need to adapt, grow and enjoy the process.

Much love to you all, and chat with you all tomorrow.

beauty

More Product Reviews Coming . . .

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When all of your products arrive (courtesy of Clipart Library)

As I mentioned previously, I bought a lot of products from The Ordinary, and I’ve been trying them all. Unfortunately, the cold weather has made my skin more sensitive, so two of the products – the azelaic acid and the alpha lipoic acid – seem to be a bit too strong for my skin right now. I’ll keep playing around with it until I know, for sure, whether my skin can tolerate brightening solutions right now.

Other than that, I recently received a KoyVoca order that I am SO excited to try out! Also, I’m deciding what other small beauty brands I want to support: I need to take inventory and see what kind of items are lacking in my beauty routine, and then find a small company (or two, or three . . .) that offers them.

If you all know any brands that you think I should try, let me know in the comments below!

life curation

Releasing Tolerations: A Follow-Up

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As you all know, I am completing the challenge to get rid of 500 items during the month of December (you can read about it here). For simplicity’s sake, I’m just lumping it under the umbrella of “Releasing Tolerations”.

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(Cartoon depiction of me during this challenge)

So, I’m halfway through the month and I’ve been breezing through this exercise, which tells me three things:

  1. I have (had?) way too many items that were taking up space and not enhancing my life.
  2. This purge was overdue.
  3. My easy release of these space occupiers is proof that I’m ready for the next chapter of my life, and I’m not letting anything hold me back.

According to my count, I’ve gotten rid of roughly 125 items (I’ve done a little more than the daily amounts). I’ll update again at the end of the month, and let you all know how it’s gone.

At this rate, I may repeat the exercise again in January LOL! I already feel “lighter”, more energized, and accomplished. It feels good to know that you’re clearing space for things that will enhance your life and assist you with going to the next level.

This has been fun! Keep your fingers crossed for me as I power through the second half of this challenge!

music

Currently Listening To . . .

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A few days ago, I was on YouTube listening to 90s and early 2000s RnB. I find myself missing the smooth ballads sung by talented vocalists. I was listening to Eric Benet’s “Femininity” when I came across this classic. I remember when it was released and how much I loved it, so I could’t resist listening to it again:

I remember hearing that there were actually two previous versions of the song “Georgy Porgy”, so I looked for those. As always, YouTube didn’t disappoint. The original version was sung by Toto, and then remade a few years later by Side Effect. Eric Benet’s version was released nearly two decades later.

After comparing all three, I’m pretty sure I love the Side Effect arrangement best, though I think Eric was the strongest lead vocalist out of all of the versions. However, there’s a softer, more romantic feel to the the male vocalist in Toto’s version; he sounds more authentically lovesick than the other lead vocalists. As far as the female backing vocal, Mikki Howard (in Side Effect’s version) was by far my favorite.

Do you have a favorite version? Let me know in the comments below!

luxury · wine

Adventures in Enology: Wine School, Round 2

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A few months ago, I mentioned an awesome FREE Wine Tasting class on Coursera. If you missed out on the course previously, I have good news for you: the course reopened this week! I’m re-registering for it, since I only completed about 50% of it during the last session. This time, I’m determined to complete it!

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(photo courtesy of All Free Downloads)

Though the course is free, it requires the purchase of wine, glasses and food for the exercises. I’m so committed to completing the course this time that I’ve already ordered some of the items that will be needed in the upcoming weeks. I hope you all join me in taking this free Wine Tasting course. Of course, if you aren’t interested in learning more about wine, you can always check out the many other free courses available on Coursera.

Uncategorized

Let It Snow!

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Happy Saturday, snow angels!

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A Snowy Evening (cue Robert Frost)

I can’t remember the last time that snow fell this early in central Virginia, but I must admit, I’m loving it. If we keep getting this authentic winter weather, maybe we’ll have a white Christmas (a true rarity in this area)!

I had planned on meeting up with a friend and going out to dinner today, but as soon as the snow began falling yesterday, I decided to stay in and relax instead.

Sometimes, nature nudges us to slow down and take it easy. Snow is a perfect excuse for staying inside.

Did it snow where you are? Let me know in the comments below!

words of wisdom

Words of Wisdom from Michelle L.

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I think it’s time for a word of wisdom. This time, however, I’m not sharing a celebrity or historical figure.

This time, the words of wisdom comes from my dear sisterfriend, Michelle. She mentioned this poem during a particularly painful time in my life, and I found the words encouraging. She told me that this poem was her favorite of all time. Once you read it, I’m sure you’ll understand why.

According to Patrick Wanis, the title of the poem is “Comes the Dawn”, and it was discovered in a craft store by advice columnist Ann Landers who went on to quote it. It has been credited to Veronica Shoftstall, but this is likely erroneous, as it was originally a part of a poem attributed by Jorge Luis Borges. But even that may be inaccurate: it has also been credited to Colombian poet Yamira Hernandez.

I loved the words and felt like sharing it with you all (many thanks to Nermeena for posting this lovely poem for all of us to enjoy).

Comes the Dawn by an Unknown Author

After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand and chaining a soul
and you learn
that love doesn’t mean leaning
and company doesn’t always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren’t contracts
and presents aren’t promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of woman, not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow’s ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting for someone
to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
you really are strong
you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye, you learn…

 

Happy Friday, my friends. I’ll talk to you all soon.

reading list

Reading List: December’s Book

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I had originally planned to just pick up my October book selection and finish that one, but I believe in following inspiration and I was not inspired to finish up Mae West’s story this month. Now, don’t get me wrong: I love Mae’s story, and I am excited to finish it. But I felt that the last month of the year deserved something . . . different.

Instead, I decided to read something that would set the perfect tone for the upcoming year. So I selected “The Best Year of Your Life” by Debbie Ford. I read it many years ago but I feel that now is a good time to reread it, especially since I intend to make 2018 the best year of my life.

You can thank Debbie for the terms like the “shadow self” and its counterpart, the “light chaser” (many people also use this term interchangeably with “lightworker”). I haven’t read her most famous book, “The Dark Side of the Light Chasers” but who knows: maybe that will be one of the monthly books sometime in 2018.

You can feel free to click on the links or the photo of the book to see what “The Best Year of Your Life” is all about. I’m looking forward to this “refresher”!

beauty

Review: Dr. Gross Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel

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Hey friends! I’m in the midst of a very  busy – but fun – week, so I wanted to make a quick post about a product that I absolutely adore.

I started using Dr. Gross products last year, when I got serious about improving and perfecting my skin. The salesperson at my local Sephora directed me to the brand’s Alpha Beta Ultra Gentle Daily Peel for sensitive skin, since I was experiencing a bout of sensitivity and I was unsure how my skin would react to the product.

The price of the product – $88 for a 30 day supply – was not for the faint of heart, but desperate times call for desperate measures and believe me, I was DESPERATE. I held out hope that the product would improve my skin’s texture and clarity.

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The description of the product on Sephora’s website is as follows:

A daily peel in pre-soaked pads that contains three gentle acids, anti-agers, and soothing botanicals to exfoliate and nourish sensitive skin and combat the three most common signs of aging.

Lactic acid, mandelic acid, and willow bark extract all work together to exfoliate the skin, refine the texture and clear the pores gently. The product is easy to use: each peel consists of two wipes, conveniently attached in a connected dual-pouch configuration. You gently wipe your face with Wipe 1, until the wipe feels dry to the touch. Then you wait for two minutes, and follow up with wiping your face with Wipe 2. Wipe 1 is the exfoliating chemicals, and Wipe 2 neutralizes the chemicals (so you don’t accidentally burn your skin).

But the question is, how well did it work?

Well, Dr. Gross didn’t disappoint. After 30 days, my skin look transformed! In fact, my skin was looking better after one week, and continued use just made it look even better. By the time I got through the box, I was running to Sephora to get another one! I noticed that some of my scars were starting to fade, and my pores looked smaller. I looked like I may have even gotten a professional chemical peel!

I wish I had taken photos: the difference was noticeable. The results were so good, I plan to purchase another box and start up on another round of exfoliation: I’d like to ring in the new year with my skin looking extra flawless!

I have an upcoming post, describing how I’m winterproofing my skin. I have some other product recommendations that I think you all will enjoy. I’ll talk to you all soon!