Easy French Onion Soup

Photo: Betty Crocker

It's hard to be a great French cook while limiting fat and calories in your meals. Today I'm making French onion soup for the first time ever and will not cut calories. I don't think it's the most nutritious soup to eat -- lower in protein than many, only one vegetable -- nor is it a low calorie soup ... but at times one must eat what one wants, and today that's French onion soup!

The homemade soup is sitting on my stovetop. It smells and tastes delicious. I sampled it! For tonight's dinner, I'll add the bread and cheeses, broiling the topping in the oven until melted and slightly brown. The quantity is 4 large servings:

French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 large onions, cut in strips (not diced small)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 large beef bouillon cube (or chicken bouillon cube; or 3/4 teaspoon salt)

3 cups beef stock (or chicken stock - I use whatever flavor is in the pantry)

1/2 cup red wine (or white - I use what's open, most often red. The color doesn't really matter. If tasty to drink, the wine makes excellent soup:)

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon Herbs of Provence

Sprinkle of garlic

Sprinkle of dried celery

Tiny pinch of sugar

white and black pepper to taste

Extra 1/4 cup of onion, diced

Swiss cheese (buy a brick of cheese)

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Toss the olive oil and butter into a stockpot and heat it, followed by the onions and simmer on middle-low heat for 20 minutes to caramelize. Cover with a lid. Watch and stir so the onion doesn't burn. After 20 minutes ...

2) Whisk in the flour. Add the bouillon cube (or salt, not both). You can add about 1/2 cup of water if needed to dissolve the bouillon. 

3) Next add the beef stock and wine; follow with your dried seasonings. Add a pinch of sugar too. Simmer on low-medium heat for another 30 minutes. (Without a boil, the soup won't cook properly, yet too high a flame cooks the water out. That's the dilemma. Make sure you have a low boil, not a robust boil.)

4) Near the end of the cooking time (like the last 10 minutes) dice another 1/4 cup of onion (get out another small onion) and 1/4 cup of the Swiss cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and toss into the pot. This adds omph -- more flavor and texture.

5) Pour into soup bowls and top with bread and cheeses. Read step 6.

6) {a} - For myself, I lay a couple of slices of toasted multi-grain bread on the soup and then top with lots of Swiss and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheeses, broiling the bread-cheese topping in the oven until the cheeses are hot, melted and slightly brown.

{b} - If I were to make this soup again for guests, I'd buy a loaf of artisan bread, cut it into thick slices, butter and brown the slices on a baking sheet in the oven, then top the bowls of soup with the oven browned bread peaked with plenty of cheese. Without guests, I skip this oven-browned-bread step to get out of the kitchen. Butter-less supermarket, toasted bread topped with cheese is fine for me! Still a success.

Update: Dinner is served at 6:50 pm. I'm afraid of ruining a mug or bowl by broiling, so I used mini cake pans, different, I know!

If I say so, myself, the soup looks, smells and tastes amazing! Restaurant worthy. Good enough for guests. Mine isn't as salty as I've eaten it out, so perhaps, it's even better.

Pandemic cook is back, sister!

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You Could Win This MZ Wallace Tote

MZ Wallace is a New York company based in Soho that makes bags for people who work, travel, exercise, have small children and spend their days running around the city doing errands. The bags have pockets for organization and style to go from day to evening -- so you don't look like a bag lady carrying your stuff around to get all your chores done. Chic, roomy, organized and compact!

The retailer's website shows several available styles of bags. My favorite is the crossover Metro Quatro Tote. Well-designed and durable, with a heavy-duty zipper, yet it's more than I like to spend on a non-leather tote, if I'm being completely honest. It's the cost of supporting a small business, as opposed to, handbag designers who mass produce their goods. Frankly, if you are on a restricted budget, I don't think saving up for this one bag (with leather trim) is the right move. Nonetheless, if you can easily afford it, it's a fabulous, well-thought-out, quality tote.

And for 15 lucky people, here's a link sponsored by the Today Show to enter a contest to win the bag (the deadline for entering is April 25th). Someone's got to win, and it could be you, Savvy Shopper!

Fashion meets function ... and a bag-maker to keep on our radar!

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Avocados The Healthy Snack

As most of us know, an avocado is considered a superfood. A powerhouse of nutrition, the fruit (not a vegetable) is actually a berry with a creamy texture and mild flavor. It consists of unsaturated good fats. Good fats help the body metabolize vitamins A, D, E and K. 

The pear-shaped fruit, itself, provides dietary fiber and nearly 20 vitamins, minerals, and healthy phytonutrients (a substance found in some plants believed to prevent disease), including vitamins E, C, K, B1, B2, B6, niacin, folate, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and pantothenic acid.

Photo: Target

I did not grow up eating avocado and when I first tried one in college, didn't think much of its mild flavor. Back in the day, avocados were also expensive! Luckily nowadays, we regularly import them from Mexico, making avocados plentiful and relatively cheap. I can find them for about $1 each, and I could eat big bowels of avocado in the form of guacamole until it comes out of my ears. But! At 240 calories per avocado, they are not low in calories. However due to their health benefits, not to mention deliciousness, they are not to be skipped.

If I want to limit myself to half an avocado, I simply cut one and eat the half with a spoon topped with hot salsa or Louisiana hot sauce. If I decide to make a meal out of it, I will make guacamole and have it with saltine crackers or tortilla chips. 

Here is my recipe -- double, triple, or quadruple etc. as needed:

Guacamole

Photo: Williams-Sonoma 

Ingredients:

A ripe avocado, smashed

1 tablespoon of finely diced onion

1 plum tomato, smashed and finely diced

a squirt of lime (or lemon) juice

red pepper flakes to taste (or a fresh jalapeno pepper roasted 1st and diced)

a sprinkle of garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: A squirt of extra virgin olive oil is tasty, very healthy but more calories. You decide.

Directions:

1) In a bowel, squirt the lime juice on the finely diced onion and tomato and let it marinate for 15 - 20 minutes. Taking this extra step makes better guacamole.

2) Toss the remaining ingredients into the bowl and throughly mix using a fork. Blend well leaving the consistency a bit rustic. It's that easy!

Avocado toast is popular, though I never make it. Linked below are dishes and ways I use avocado especially as we move into a warm climate. 

On a hot summer evening, a glass of red wine combined with guacamole, olives and a cheese platter is one of my favorite weekend dinners! Include celery, carrot and bell pepper sticks for a satisfying smorgasborg of textures and tastes. Although you don't have to cook to eat healthy be mindful of portions!! Low-calorie, crunchy, raw vegetables help in this effort!🥑😁

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Take a look at a snack I love too much, so will pause buying it at Target for a while:

When in my panty, it tortures me until every last cracker is eaten. That's not nice after welcoming it into my home!😠

Note to self: Eat more avocados not cheese crackers!🙂

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Are Leave-in Hair Conditioners Necessary?

A leave-in hair conditioner is an extra treatment, as well as, an extra step taken after you shampoo and condition your hair, then raise out the regular conditioner along with excess water from your hair. At this point, leave-in conditioner is applied to damp hair before drying it for the day.

No doubt, your hair type determines whether or not you need this extra hair product. Dry, damaged, or curly hair might benefit, but for my abundant mane of straight fine hair, I find a leave-in conditioner to be a waste of money. Despite its lighter formula compared to regular conditions that are rinsed out with clean running water, leave-in conditioner tends to dull and weigh down my hair, making the hair look like I need to wash it again. Certainly, there is no benefit.

On the other hand, I do spray my clean damp hair lightly with TRESemme Thermal Creations, a heat protector, before blasting my hair with a blow dryer every day. Unlike any of the leave-in hair conditioners I've tried over the years, this specific heat protector leaves no residue ... or funky smell behind. Additionally, it seems to untangle the hair and have a taming effect (although the product, itself, makes no such claims). 

If I require anything more to calm flyways on a humid day, in lieu of a leave-in hair conditioner, I apply a tiny dab of body cream on the flyaways or frizzies only and avoid the hair near my scalp. Often I use hand cream to treat dry hands, and before it completely absorbs into the skin, rub my hands through my hair. Voilà, multi-tasking leave-in hair conditioner! Just like a marketed leave-in-hair conditioner, a slight amount of hand cream will neutralize the negative electrons in your hair. Disarm and balance those unruly atoms, and you're good!😂

What do you do? Are you a fan of leave-in hair conditioners?

BTW: All of images of leave-in conditioners on the post are top-rated ones by the editors of Allure magazine. Here's their entire list. What's more, if you have a sharp memory, my interview with celebrity hair stylist, Fashion Henricks, mentioned one of them 4 years ago! Plus SheaMoisture and Garnier Whole Blends are forever Savvy Shopper favorite brands. (You can use the search box to pull up more of my reviews.)

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Saint Laurent Is The Best Value Luxury Bag

If you must own a luxury bag there's no judgment here on THE SAVVY SHOPPER. Living in Manhattan, I look at Hermes, Chanel and Dior all the time in the shops so I understand the appeal of the handbags and totes, but don't own any myself since I don't covet them enough to pay the piper.

I'm happy with my less expensive Coach and Foley+Corinna bags, so I must say so before continuing. When looking and handling the luxury bags, however, I do evaluate them and decide which I like best ... which style and leather I find the most tempting as a "potential" buyer. While perusing, I think about what customers are getting for their money.

Although Hermes is the best made of all the luxury brands, it's so exclusive -- the $10,000+ price tag too high for ordinary people. Chanel is catching up to Hermes without the craftsmanship, therefore I no longer harbor any illusions of ever owning one. Dior has risen in price also, but its handbags are not as steep as Hermes or Chanel. But ... let's consider a 4th competitor.

Compared to Hermes, Chanel and Dior, Saint Laurent is a value buy for a stylish, affluent handbag. Moreover, it truly is a luxury bag. The leather quality, design, craftsmanship and Frenchness are all there. You get a luxury name that's not cheap, yet not as over-the-moon expensive (or let's be honest) gauging like Hermes or Chanel. Moreover, the retailer doesn't make you 1) grovel; 2) coddle an associate to be offered a bag; or 3) have you buy small leather goods 1st before the offer -- therefore you can skip the games and undesirable extra cost. Just walk into the store and buy the bag. Priceless! The Saint Laurent price points on its luxury bags are thousands less for the same quality of its direct competitors. So if a Savvy Shopper wishes to keep $5,000+ (usually much more!) of their money in the bank, it is the luxury bag to buy!!

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Woolzies Rose Oil Smells Amazing

Perhaps you've noticed? I rarely write about perfume. (Only twice have I done so which I'll link below.) Because. I don't buy or wear it. I'm an essential oils kind of gal. My all time favorite scent is rose oil. But pure rose oil is very expensive, so usually I buy a quality blend, making sure rose oil is the 1st ingredient. Okay Blended Rose oil, which smells amazing, is a favorite! 

"Why is rose oil so pricey," you may wonder? It takes about 60,000 roses to get one ounce of rose oil. (40,000 petals make 5ml of rose essential oil, according to health writer, Jen O'Sullivan).

Thanks again to T.J. Maxx, I discovered another quality pure essential rose oil blend with beneficial skin ingredients that also smells sensational! Woolzies is its manufacturer, and the company is committed to using only the finest organic fruits, flowers and leaves while preserving the earth. Woolzies' essential oils are cold-pressed or steam-pressed to retain all their essence.

In addition to the 5% Rosa Damascene content, the 100% pure essential oil blend has 4 other essential oils that benefit the skin. The 5 essential oils are listed on the bottle in the following order, and I've also researched each essential oil's benefit to the skin:

Rosa Damascene - It comes from the Damask rose. Reduces pain and inflammation. Contains anti-aging antioxidants. Clears up acne.

Geranium oil - Tightens the skin to reduce the appearance of wrinkles; its antioxidants are thought to slow down aging. 

Neroli oil - Speeds up skin cell turnover. Reduces inflammation and redness. Improves stretch marks, dark spots and scars.

Citronella oil - Promotes wound healing and is a natural insect repeller. (Citronella oil is an odor in this blend, which I'm not crazy about, but mosquitoes hate it, so it's a fair trade off. The scent is slight while the rose oil is powerful.)

Palmrosa oil - Hydrates and reduces inflammation.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, a leader of integrated medicine who is also a Harvard educated doctor, inflammation is the main cause of aging. So we get a few inflammation fighters in the blend!

What's more, in several scientific studies all 5 listed essential oils show promise in easing, stress, anxiety and depression. The pleasant floral  scent is a natural mood lifter.

Since the rose oil blend consists of pure essential oils, it is concentrated and therefore must be diluted before rubbing on your skin. Dilute the rose oil blend in carrier oils (such as coconut oil, olive oil, almond oil, or jojoba oil, etc.), or body lotion, or water.

Right after my shower, I put a few drops in my palm and mix with coconut oil (or olive oil), which I use to moisturize my skin. Personally, I like rose oil as a scent instead of perfume. Sometimes I rub a drop on the ends of my hair also. Sooo, if you catch me smelling a lock of my own hair, it's not vanity, but the intoxication of rose oil!😅😍

What a bargain I found at T.J. Maxx ... 4 ounces of Woolzies organic rose oil blend of 100% pure, essential oils with no fillers for $9.99! I got lucky!! The regular price is reasonable too. Much cheaper and IMHO better smelling than most perfumes.

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Spinel: A Case of Mistaken Identity

Photo: jewelry.org - Spinel often grows in limestone

Spinel has a "long, storied history." Some of the most famous "rubies" in the world belonging to monarchs, including the Black Prince's Ruby, a centerpiece of the British Imperial State Crown, turned out to be spinel once modern science caught up with it. Why it was impersonating a ruby nobody knows! Perhaps it's because spinel and ruby often grow in the same mine.

You may notice the Black Prince's Ruby has a tiny stone in it. Why? Some Einstein thought it a great idea to cut a hole in this lovely stone to place a feather in it! WTH, did he not know that fads come and go!!

In fact, spinels (MAI2O4) are minerals, namely octahedral crystals, consisting mostly of magnesium and aluminum. They tend to be more reflective -- glittering more than rubies, its former neighbor. Like sapphires, spinels come in a range of vibrant colors, perhaps the most coveted hues being red and blue. Yet, all the colors are gorgeous!

The Tumur "Ruby" in the Imperial Crown of Russia

Luckily spinel registers an 8 on the Moh's Hardness Scale making it a sturdy gemstone to cut and wear as necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets. These oxide minerals are mined in Afghanistan, Brazil, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Canada, Kenya, Russia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand and Vietnam. Since 2000 glowing spinels in bright pink and blue come from Myanmar, Tanzania and Vietnam. In 2018 bright blue spinel was also discovered in the Baffin Island of Canada. Small additions of cobalt is the element which gives spinal a pure blue color.

Fortunately for Savvy Shoppers, the popularity and demand for spinel gemstones hasn't caught up with its beauty, so you can get a big rock for much less than you'd pay for sapphires or rubies.

Moreover, today's jewelers are praising Tanzanite for its value, color and shine. I understand the reasons: Tanzanite is a shimmering, vivid blue or blue-violet gemstone only found in one place, Tanzania; and once depleted, its price will rise. But Tanzanite is softer and more delicate (a 6.5 - 7) to spinel's enduring hardness (an 8 like emeralds, topaz or amethyst).

I want a spinel!😍 How about you?

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Happy Easter My Lovelies

Photo: Patch

 It's Holy Week on the Christian calendar, a time to remember it takes hope and perseverance to overcome the expected and unexpected challenges in our Journey of Life. 

Photo: Country Living

Equally important to note: Life is meant to be lived -- happy, enjoyed and purposeful, so try to reach out where and when you can to make a connection and difference in someone else's life.

Photo: recordonline

Be kind! Embrace the spring ... your family and friends ... your unique talents and interests ... you be you!

Photo: Istock - Getty

Value a pretty table setting and a good meal; and don't forget the chocolate bunny!

How lovely and apropos to the season is the sentiment of Phillip Phillip's song, Home -- and just to be clear: On this earth it's meant to be a message from human to human.  Below are my favorite lines: 

''Settle down, it'll all be clear

Don't pay no mind to the demons

They fill you with fear

The trouble - it might drag you down

If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you're not alone

'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home ''

Hope and human perseverance! Happy Easter, Friends!🌷

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Powder Play Lip Color By Flower

Weeks ago Flower by Drew Barrymore lunched a new powder to cream lip color. Once applied to the lips with a wand, Powder Play -- the lightweight powder, transfers into a soft moisturizing cream. The new product softens and soothes lips while leaving them with a pop of natural color, as well as, a soft, powdery look that overwhelmingly customers like.

Customers approve of the smooth texture; and report it does, indeed, moisturize lips while the flattering pigments have real staying power. The Powder Play Lip Colors endure like matte lipstick without drying out lips as matte lipstick tends to do.

The retailer calls each powdery shade a perfectly imperfect soft focus of color.

I'm only now featuring Flower's new item launch because who is wearing lip color under their face masks nowadays? Before COVID I wore lipstick every single day, but haven't touched it much over the past year. Now that the COVID vaccines are rolling out under a new administration, perhaps we can get excited about makeup launches again! 

This newest formula from Flower -- an awesome and affordable beauty brand -- is highly rated with tons of 5 star reviews! (Watch out expensive luxe makeup, there's a new beauty sharif in town for less!!!) The cost is $10, and Ultra is now offering a $3.50 coupon here for spending $15.

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Brain Health: Do These 4 Things Every Day

Photo: Ashley Productions

According to an article in ARRP magazine (April, 2020) about Brain Health, there are 4 things we all should do every day to keep our brains functioning and healthy:

1) Spend time with friends and family, involving our brains by discussing current events and new ideas.

Go here to see this book.

2) Read or write.

3) Exercise. It could simply be brisk walking.

4) Practice a new skill, especially one that involves working with your hands. This could be gardening, playing an instrument, or fly-tying.

What stumped me was the last suggested activity: Fly-tying. I had no idea what it was. It is the process of making artificial flies used for fly fishing. There are books and kits you can buy to help you learn to do it!

Moreover, the article says myths abound involving the aging of our brains. The worst thing you can do is stagnate. The best thing you can do is keep stimulating and challenging your brain at every decade of your life. "Each of us may be wired in our own unique way, though with a healthy brain, we all have the capacity to learn, remember, and make sense of the complex world around us." And yes, we may slow down some as we age, but our intellect and understanding continues, and older people are not doomed to forget things. 

As it turns out, what we learn imprints on our memories which sometimes changes how we remember them. Straight from the article, memories "can easily be contaminated or forgotten."  They constantly change "to reinforce a person's life narrative and to create an identity in the world.'' They are ''not an accurate, objective record of the past," but morph as we take in more experience and information.

Learn something new every day! I just did, but will pass on the fly-tying. My brain and hands will find other interests!🙂

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Vionic Shoes With Orthotic Arch Support

If you have high arches like I do and must walk miles on concrete, you get to a point you'll only buy shoes with solid arch support to avoid feet pain (and surgery) in the future. Ideally all your shoes should stabilize your heels too, but doctors know people desire sandals during the summer. If we must wear flip flops, pediatrists have said Vionic flip flops with arch support are way better than other flimsy options.

Vionic shoes are reported to have a footbed with 3-zone comfort (arch support, cushion and stability) to deliver ultimate arch support. The company slogan states its purpose: "Designed to support you, made to move you!

The orthotic shoes are expensive, yes ... yet not Chanel or Dior expensive, and they go on sale several times a year. It's worth monitoring the brand to snatch up a pair during one of its promotions. I have 2 pairs of leather ballet flats and a pair of block high heels I got greatly reduced. And while I'd rather not pay full price, it's not "designer" unreasonable for such quality, supportive, durable and classic shoes. 

No longer will I buy fashion shoes that only look good. Nowadays I don't have to sacrifice style for comfort. Vionic orthotic arch support shoes are as chic as non-orthotic shoes! The company just launched their new spring collection. It's a brand I own and highly recommend! 

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