M.A.C. Training Class

M.A.C. holds classes locally that a M.A.C. trainer comes in to teach. Are you kidding...that is such a treat! The trainer is the same person that trains the makeup artists. Yesterday I helped out and everyone was raving about how great the class was. All the artists had on two sets of lashes, one on the top lashes and one on the bottom lashes, with a softer bronzie-gold eye and thick black eyeliner. Some had a ribbon around their head with a feather. The lips were Viva Glam VI which is a terracotta plum with a pearl finish (below). All of the proceeds from the Viva Glam line go to the Aids foundation. I love this program. At Christmas they sell Christmas cards that were made by children with Aids and the proceeds from that also go to the Aids foundation. Overall, the day was filled with loose powder foundation all over the front of my black dress (10 minutes after getting there), lots of lashes, product knowledge (thanks Sandy), and eye charts (which wow am I rusty...my eyebrows looked like a skinny turd). I absolutely love the opportunity to work with the company! What other job can you go and play in makeup all day?

Soup Day

Today is a total soup day! Snow on the ground in April...come on Mother Nature get it together. Here's an easy soup recipe with things you have in your pantry and freezer. You can stay in the comfort of your home next to the fire with your bowl of soup and a movie. Mmmmm!


Snow on the Ground in April Minestrone


1 lb. Ground Beef

2-3 Cloves of Garlic minced

1/4 C. Diced Onion

1 14.5 oz. Italian Diced Tomatoes

1 14.5 oz. Tomato Sauce

1 14.5 oz. Kidney Beans

4-6 C. Chicken Stock

8 oz. Pasta (macaroni, radiattore, bowtie-any bite size pasta)

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat until almost cooked all the way through. Add the onions and garlic. (At this point if there is a lot of grease left from the ground beef, drain it.) Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and kidney beans. Add your chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and add the pasta. Salt and pepper and cook for an additional 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is tender. The soup with thicken a little from the pasta. Serve with a crusty bread and fresh Parmesan on top. Makes about 6 servings. Enjoy!
Chic Chef Tips

• Chicken stock makes your meals taste like you have been slaving in the kitchen all day. Spend a little money on it and buy in the refrigerator containers so it's always at your fingertips. I use the Organic chicken stock from Costco. I also really like the chicken base from Costco-the brand is McCormick.


• Add a little more chicken stock to this soup if you want it more like a broth soup.

I gotta bounce! This house is not going to get packed up on it's own, however I wish it were possible. Time for a diet Coke!

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Ya, they are as delicious as they look. These are my husbands favorite cookies lately. I made them today for my sweet "Activity Day" girls. I have to give a little shout out to my mentor...Sandy. She is an amazing cook and I have learned quit a bit from her in the short time I have known her. This is her cookie recipe and this isn't the last you will hear about her and her fabulousness.

1/2 C. Sugar

1/2 C. Brown Sugar

1/2 C. Butter

1/2 C. Peanut Butter

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1 Egg

1 C. Flour

1/2 C. Oatmeal

1 small package Chocolate Chips (I use milk chocolate)

Beat the sugar, brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Add the egg and mix until the egg is incorporated. Mix in the flour and oats. Stir in the chocolate chips. Make into balls or use a medium scoop and drop onto a non-greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool for a few minutes and then place on a cooling rack. Makes about 1 1/2 to 2 dozen.

Chic Chef Tips

1.This recipe does not make a a lot and believe me you'll want a lot, so I double it.

2.I love the medium scoop from Pampered Chef for my cookies. It makes them perfectly round.

3.Place a piece of parchment paper or foil over your baking sheets before placing the cookie dough on them. It makes for easy cleanup.

Heatherette Colors

Tell me this compact is not fabulous! Here are the two pallets for Heatherette. The lashes at the bottom are patent leather...yes, I said patent leather. Their called "She's Good". Love, love the second pallet! The middle color all over your eyelid with a little of the dark in the outer crease of your eye is stunning and using the dark as your eye liner with an angle brush gives it more of a smoky soft look. The colors in the first pallet are Baby Pearls, V.I.P., Cassette and the second one is Mood Ring, Hoppin, Cloudburst.

Heatherette

"Nothing says "trash and flash" like the dazzling New York pop aesthetic of fashion duo Traver Rains and Richie Rich. The former cowboy and infamous club kid birthed their line when a Patricia Field buyer spotted Rich in one of his own leather tops, ordering 20 of them on the spot. Hip hop star Foxy Brown saw the tops at Patricia Field, and asked Rains and Rich to design her outfits for the MTV Video Music Awards. Soon, Lil' Kim had bought five leather shirts for her tour, and Gwen Stefani wore one of their tops in Entertainment Weekly. The pair has created Hello Kitty couture, crafted sequined and studded mini dresses for Shirley Manson and Paris Hilton, neon, tattered tees for Pink and Justin Timberlake, and crafty, one-of-a-kind looks for David Beckham, Alicia Keys, and Britney Spears. Their crazed-club-kid-meets-award-show-chic designs aren't for shrinking violets—only paparazzi-stopping exhibitionists need apply." (New York Fashion)

M.A.C. has events all the time where they feature different icons. Right now they are featuring Heatherette. Two fabulous designers! (If you go to maccosmetics.com and click on Heatherette, you can watch a little video of them and their makeup artist-the beginning is the best "I can't live without my lip glass!") This weekend I was able to do some free-lancing and wow! was there a lot of pink. The makeup artists had top hats on with a tool fabric bow tied around it along with a few glittery stars on the face. A few pink leggings and my personal favorite, some great pink lips! Everyone looked hot of course! I'll post some of the colors in a bit. Chow for now!

So, each week I send a menu to my clients for the following week. Here is their menu for next week...(while I chomp on some sweet watermelon from Costco-I buy the small ones, they seem to be sweeter and I can eat one all by myself)

Day 1-
Prime Rib w/ Au Jus Sauce and Fresh Horseradish
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
Sauted Sweet Vegetables

Day 2-
Chicken Marsala with Radiatore Pasta (small swirly pasta with lots of places for the sauce to go)
Romaine Salad with Sweet and Zesty Dressing (I add a tablespoon of sugar to Good Season's Italian Dressing mix to sweeten it up a bit)


Some of my clients have bread with every meal and so I am always looking for some great bakeries. Costco actually carries some specialty breads (Foccacia bread from Granato's and their hard rolls-oh my good night I want some right now!) Of course we have one of the best bakeries right here-Lehi Bakery (their maple bars are the best! You'll never find another one like it...the soft 1 inch thick maple frosting...wow! Is it dinner time?) Any great places, please let me know.