get yer greens

I just thought I'd share some of my favourite salad combos I've been enjoying these days. I don't ever measure, but just eyeball, and combine any of the following to my liking. You can make the dressing (usually I do 1 part oil to 2 parts vinegar/lemon juice etc) or use a store-bought.

For any of these, I'd add a protein (usually chicken, chickpeas, or tempeh). I usually marinate the chicken or tempeh in a bit of the dressing before I cook it (if using flax oil, don't cook with it). My fave "greens" at the moment is a mix of baby spinach and baby kale (I've been using "Organic Girl" or "Cooking with Spinach").

Lemon-Dijon
greens
salad topper (I use "Joes" brand from Wal-Mart, which is cranberry, walnut and pumpkin seeds)
avocado
grape tomatoes
mushrooms
Dressing: lemon juice, flax oil, Dijon mustard, Italian herb seasoning
*In picture above, I've been making this one a lot lately.

Asian
Greens
cashews
peppers
red or green onion
edamame beans
Dressing: apple cider vinegar, soy sauce or Bragg, honey, sesame oil, flax oil, sesame seeds, ginger

Mexican/Taco
greens
shredded iceberg lettuce (or I buy a bag of "Shreds")
salsa
avocado
black beans
olives (black sliced)
Dressing: lime juice, flax oil, and if you like spice add chili pepper flakes
*you can use ground turkey, chicken, beef or Veggie Ground round with Taco seasoning for this one. Another option is to crush some tortilla chips on top for extra crunch. I also add jalapenos for extra spice.

Marinated Italian
tomato
zucchini
peppers
olives (I like sliced green in this)
carrots
onion
celery and/or fennel
chickpeas
Dressing: balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, Italian herbs (fresh or a seasoning)
*chop all ingredients, put in a container with dressing, stir and let marinate. I sometimes add a can of tuna for protein. Place on top of a bed of greens.

Berry Almond
greens
avocado
mixed berries (or just strawberries)
almonds (toasted slivered are best)
red onion (optional)
dressing: apple cider vinegar, honey, flax oil

real techniques- brush review

I recently heard that the "Real Techniques" brushes, developed by Pixiwoo's MUA Sam Chapman, would be available in Canada. I went to London Drugs and they'd sold out right away! I kept checking back in until about a month and a half later they were finally re-stocked.

A set of 4 brushes with a cute holder (which converts into a brush stand) was only $19.99 CDN.

I went for the "Core Collection" of face brushes. I usually buy cheaper brushes to keep in a set to use on myself at home, day to day. I must admit that I love these brushes!

The face brush is excellent for buffing and blending foundation for a seamless look. The foundation brush is quite soft and flexible, as well as fairly small compared to some, making it easy to blend in and around the eyes/nose/chin areas. I love the smaller powder brush, it works fabulously for contouring, blush or precision powder application to specific areas. There is also a tiny brush in the set, which I believe is meant for target application of concealer on blemishes, but I actually love it for blending out my eyeliner since the bristles are soft and flexible.

Considering these are not natural bristle brushes, the quality is still very good. They are soft yet durable. I could honestly say I'd like a second set of just these brushes for myself since they are such multi-taskers. I wouldn't actually mind a set for my kit as well!

I still have yet to try any of the sets for eyes etc, so I will be sure to let you know if I do.