Thursday, September 16, 2021

What Coffee Table Style Are You?

Photo: Wayfare Sobo Mini-Fridge

When I saw the top👆mini fridge coffee table on Refinery 29 I fell in love with it! It's the coffee table I wish I had room for in my small Manhattan apartment, but alas, there's no way unless I move out!🙂 (Do I really need a refrigerator in my living room? No. Better for me to think about having a snack and walk into the kitchen to get it.)

In fact, a coffee table was the last piece of furniture I bought after decades of not having one out of fear it would only add clutter to my space. What I decided upon was super conservative ... two 15'' x 15'' foldaway storage ottoman cubes pushed together
and I put wheels under them. I even shied away from their larger 30" single ottoman version, which now I see would also work. Yet, I don't mind the 2 separate ottoman cubes as they are even more versatile! I can push them almost anywhere if I wish. Since they sit in front of my couch, I store blankets, as well as, pen and paper for a quick note inside the cubes. They fit so well in the room, I never fold them away! When guests come, we flop the tops over to use as trays to hold our refreshments. Also, I sit and stand on them as needed. The standing, I don't recommend on a regular basis, but in a pinch, yes, they hold up to 200 pounds.

Living in Manhattan has taught me to never bring anything into a home that doesn't have 2 -3 jobs, and now I'm forever a minimalist.

Photo: Raymour & Flanigan's Cross Island Lift-Top here

For a huge living room I'd simply size up the furniture, and you could get away with heavy, solid pieces, but keep the multi-functional aspect of a coffee table. I love how the Cross Island Lift Top coffee table (above↑) can hold a spread of food and drink (or work papers), and its bottom has several drawers for storage. The challenge is not to fill up storage with useless things you should get rid of instead of forgetting you own them.

Photo: Houzz - GDF Studio Leather Storage Ottoman here - A style that looks mod in a big living room.

The final idea (below↓) is also clever. For a tiny space, you still can have a designated spot to rest a coffee cup, computer, or phone. Behold a table that slides into almost nothing when not in use! What it lacks is a charging plug, which the manufacturer should include, though adding a charging portal would surely up its price.
Tuc-A-Way Table - the closest I can find is offered by Wayfair.

What's your coffee table style, my lovelies?


You may also enjoy:

Monday, September 13, 2021

The Sweater Vest Is Back

Photo: Storets

Cooler temperatures call for layering, and this fall the sweater vest is back in so many attractive ways. Never out of fashion, you'll just have more lengths and style choices in 2021 with many design houses jumping on the sweater vest bandwagon updating its appearance. The following are a few interpretations from well-known retailers:
Photos: 1) Endless Rose; 2) MUNTHE Rowland; 3) Sandro Evone available at Nordstrom

As you can see, a v-neck in the vest is popular, yet there are as many flairs as there are tastes: Feminine, chunky,  smooth, textured, checkered, and cable-net to name a few.
Photos: 1) Urban Outfitters; 2) & Other Stories; 3) Mango

A sweater vest is not just for librarians anymore! The look is polished and practical, sophisticated, chic, and warm. 
Photos: 1) Rag & Bones; 2) Maje Maela - available at Nordstrom; 3) No Comment - available at Macy's 

The sweater vest can pull an outfit together, plus keep you in toasty comfort with just enough coverage. Covering your trunk minus sleeves avoids overheating ... plus hides a wrinkled blouse!😄 Worn solo, it looks fashionable and edgy; or layer over a top for a classic vibe.


You may also enjoy:

Saturday, September 11, 2021

Flower's Forbidden Fruit Eyeshadow Palette


Flower's newest Forbidden Eyeshadow Palette contains such gorgeous blendable colors I'm compelled to write a quick and dirty blog to announce its launch. There are 10 perfect, any-season shades in 3 different finishes that deliver rich lasting pigments in a flattering natural or dramatic look. You decide which way to wear them in how you mix and match the hues.

The following 10 shades are:

Lychee (Creamy Metallic Finish) - White Gold 
Guava (Soft Matte Finish)- Pastel Peach

Juicy (Soft Matte Finish)- Punchy Pink 

Citrus (Creamy Metallic Finish)- Light Copper 

Dragon Fruit (Soft Matte Finish)-Magenta Plum 

Melon (Creamy Metallic Finish)-Duo-Chrome Frosty Pink 

Papaya (Multi-Reflective Shimmer)-Coral Pink 

Exotic (Creamy Metallic Finish)-Duo-Chrome Purple 

Pomegranate (Multi-Reflective Shimmer)-Deep Burgundy 

Blackberry (Soft Matte Finish)-Dark Brown


As my regular readers know, Flower by Drew Barrymore is one of THE SAVVY SHOPPER'S favorite makeup brands. You cannot beat its quality or price with a competitor's. The makeup is both top-notch and inexpensive! The palette is $15, and if you subscribe to get the brand's emails you'll regularly receive promotions that you can apply to purchases. Imagine that! [Ulta carries the Flower brand and is another fabulous retailer to get discounts.]
Flower offers fabulous deals just because! After all, customers need no incentive to buy designer-tier makeup on the cheap!
💋💖


You may also enjoy:
5 Beauty Gift Ideas
Flower By Drew Barrymore
A Guide To Makeup Brushes
10 Women I'd Like To Meet For Tea

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

All Eyes On L'Orèal's Best Mascaras

All photos: Courtesy of Target
Before our pandemic, I never left home without a dab of makeup. Nowadays with having to wear a face mask indoors, no makeup is the norm for the simple reason, I don't want to soil the inside of my mask. Yuck! But we could get away with wearing mascara, and L'Orèal makes several excellent offerings, each with a different type of brush designed to create a unique look. They are from left to right:

1) L'Orèal Paris Volume Mega Lightweight Air Mascara - As its name suggests, it gives your lashes a mega volume that's light as air. The formula is whipped, washable, and lasts for up to 24 hours. Suitable for sensitive eyes, it comes with a large cushion bristle brush to coat each lash.

2) L'Orèal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara - Creates voluptuous volume and intense lash length. You get full eyelash fringe, feathery soft eyelashes with no flaking or clumping. The brush is a soft wavy bristle for dramatic volumizing.

3) L'Orèal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara - Volume building, the brush separates and builds every lash up to 5 times fuller and thicker. Claimed to be America's #1 mascara, it has a double bristle cushion brush.

4) L'Orèal Paris Telescopic Original Mascara - For intense length, incomparable lash definition, the carbon black mascara gives you a dramatic look that is also waterproof. It's a patented small bristle brush. How cute is the pink color?!

Top-notch mascara every bit as luxe as the expensive behind-the-counter brands, yet available at Walmart, Target, drugstores, Ultra, and Amazon so you know the cost won't break the bank!👀💋


You may also enjoy:

Sunday, September 5, 2021

Single Serving Of Fruit Cobbler



One of my kind Facebook friends called me a talented lady after I uploaded a photo of Southern Baked "Fried" fish I made from scratch for the 1st time ever. Yes, it turned out crispy and delicious, but as I replied, I'm only a home cook who isn't afraid to experiment or try new dishes. What's the worst that can happen? You fail at making a meal, so what? Usually, you can still eat it, and the next time you try, it'll be perfect. 

I have been craving a fruit cobbler for ages, but today there is nobody here to help me eat it, so I experimented with making just a serving for myself. (BTW: To know the differences between cobblers, crumbles, and grunts, etc, check my recipe for Blueberry Crumble.)

Today I wanted a cobbler with no leftovers. Moreover, I decided to use what I already had in my cupboard: a can of mixed fruit in extra light syrup, a handful of blueberries, along with my plan to make a low-fat biscuit dough to keep it healthy. Since it was a success, I'll post my recipe for you and me to remember how to make it again. If you also toss in a handful of uncooked oatmeal flakes to make the dough (which I forgot) you turn a cobbler into a crumble.

Single Serving of Fruit Cobbler

Ingredients for the fruit filling:

1 cup of fruit (most any fresh fruit like peaches, apples, pears, or berries; or 1/2 can of mixed fruit with fresh berries) -- whatever you have.
a handful of blueberries (if you use mixed fruit like I did and like blueberries)
a sprinkle of cinnamon
a sprinkle of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of sugar (which I omitted because my fruit was in extra light syrup. If you use fresh fruit or canned fruit in its own juice add a teaspoon of sugar).

Directions for the fruit filling:

1) Toss the fruit into a small (6 inch) cast-iron skillet. I poured in half of the can's juice. If using fresh fruit add about half a cup of water. Eyeball it.

2) Add the flavorings: cinnamon, lemon juice, vanilla, and a teaspoon of sugar if needed.

3) Let the filling mixture simmer on low-medium heat for 10 minutes while you make the dough. After the raw fruit softens and the liquid simmers some, turn off the heat.

Ingredients for the dough:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
a pinch of salt
1 - 3 tablespoons of very cold butter - the more butter used, the more moist and caloric the finished dough will be ... but a dier dough will have the fruit, so it's up to you how fattening to make it. A smaller amount of butter makes drier, yet edible dough. And, more butter tastes richer.
1/4 cup buttermilk

Directions for the dough:

1) Stir together the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt.

2) Cut the butter into tiny cubes and work into the dough uniformly with your fingers. 

3) Next pour in the buttermilk, start with 1/4 cup and add by drops as much as needed. The right consistency is when the dough is no longer dry, but elastic and not sticking to the bowl or your fingers.

4) Pinch off pieces of the dough and lay them over your filling in the hot cast-iron skillet.

5) Bake in a pre-heat 375 F degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the dough rises and starts to get a tad brown.

My blueberry-mixed fruit cobbler was plenty sweet for me. If not for you, all you need to do is top with a scoop of ice cream, a little powdered sugar, syrup, or honey. 

So I didn't have to wait for more mouths to feed to eat a fruit cobbler. The single serving of cobbler (which was meant to be a crumble) was delicious. Yet a single serving is enough to hit the spot ... and I don't have to eat it again tomorrow!


You may also enjoy:

Thursday, September 2, 2021

Eating A Plantain


From time to time, I bet every home cook gets tired of his/her own cooking. That's when I'm open to trying a new food or dish. New York is such a mish-mash of cultures I really love it! This week I received two plantains, a staple in African, Asian, and Latin American cuisine. 

To tell you how unfamiliar I am with this fruit, during my 1st year in Manhattan I bought one by mistake, thinking it was a large, oddly shaped banana. It took longer to ripen, was harder to peel, and tasted raw ... after I waited a long time for it to soften, then bit into it. Because. It was raw, and I didn't know I was supposed to cook it!😂

So flash forward to our present day. Lucky me, I got not one, but 2 plantains. One was yellow, the other green. 

So this time around, I knew the plantains had to be cooked, but I still didn't know how best to do it. Well ... that's what Google is for ... to tell me how!

Photo: AllRecipes

The yellow one I sliced and grilled both sides in a 12" skillet brushed with extra virgin olive oil on a stovetop. I could have sprinkled it with sugar and cinnamon; instead, I kept it plain and ate it with leftover cauliflower, lima beans, and carrots. Not bad in lieu of potatoes or rice. Good in taste and texture. Yep, I'll eat it again.

Now I must figure out how to eat the 2nd green plantain. If sliced thin with a mandoline, I could bake it into plantain chips seasoned with salt, dried garlic, and red pepper flakes. Or if I wait too long and it begins to soften, as I understand it, plantains can be mashed like potatoes, or not dilly-dally and use it green to thicken soups or stews. It's a brand new plantain world in the Turner household! The spicy plantain crispy baked chips are tempting!

Photo: BigOven

As it turns out, plantains are a complex, starch-resistant carbohydrate that keeps your glucose index (blood sugar) in a healthy range.

They are rich in iron, vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A, and the B vitamins, as well as, fiber. Plantains naturally contain beneficial plant compounds, such as polyphenols and flavonoids (which act as antioxidants) to help fight free radicals that otherwise damage the bodyEating plantains also lowers blood pressure, reduces constipation, and prevents iron deficiency anemia. The green plantains are low in sugar. As they ripen and turn yellow, plantains get softer and sweeter but stay mild in flavor. You can use ripe plantains like bananas in baking but they don't taste like bananas although they are in the same genus Musa family. 


The word "plantain" indicates the fruit is a cooking banana. In other words, the name, "plantain," itself means fruit that must be cooked. Oh, right, NOW you tell me! Not when I needed to know as a young, innocent transplant to New York City. Thanks, universe.🙂


You may also enjoy:

Sunday, August 29, 2021

Another Of Nature's Pretties: Peridot

Photo: Cartier
Over millions of years, Mother Nature has formed a variety of gorgeous rocks that the artistry of man turns into sparklers. Peridot, available for many types of jewelry, is one of its more affordable and lively green gemstones. Today let's learn more about this semi-precious beauty, which is a silicate mineral [(MgFe)2SiO4], as well as, a magnesium-rich variety of olivine that forms in molten rock on the earth's upper mantle (as do diamonds, and not further down in its crust like amethyst). Peridot's green hue comes from iron, which is also part of its chemistry (see the formula above👆). In fact, the gemstone occurs in only one color: olive green. However, the intensity and tint of the green can vary from yellow-green -- to olive green -- to brownish-green, and the purer the green, the more valuable the stone.
 
Most of the finest colored peridot comes from Myanmar (Burma) and the Himalayas of Pakistan. Other countries where it is found include China, Tanzania, Vietnam, and the USA. Intriguingly, peridot is sometimes found in meteorites that fall to earth, meaning the gemstone also forms in outer space! Some land on the beaches of Hawaii.

If you like wearing bigger gemstones you are in luck because without breaking the bank, you'll find large pieces of pure green peridot with excellent clarity on the market. You will pay a couple of hundred, as opposed to, thousands of dollars for bigger carat sizes of peridot in a ring, earrings, bracelet, or necklace than you would for emeralds, rubies, sapphires, tanzanites, or diamonds.

Readily visual black spots (i.e., not eye clean) are inclusions to look out for in this stone, as they substantially lower its value.

Peridot rates a 6.5 - 7 on Moh's Scale of Hardness, the same as Tanzanite, Citrine, Tourmaline, Tiger's Eye, Zircon, and Onyx. Harder than opal and pearls, peridot is cut into a variety of standard shapes including round, oval, emerald, cushion, pear, triangle, and marquise.

Peridot is the modern birthstone for everyone born in the month of August. 

Everything featured (except for the top necklace) is available in Macy's online jewelry department. Posted are some of my favorite pieces from Macy's budget-friendly and sophisticated designs. Wow, peridot looks equally flattering in white, yellow, or rose gold. Do you agree?

What a beautiful twinkling, green gemstone ... and less common than the usual suspects! It's budget-friendly because the supply is good and not everybody knows to want it!




You may also enjoy:
Buying An Emerald Ring The 4 Cs
Spinel: A Case Of Mistaken Identity

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Anti-Aging Beauty To Put On Your Radar: 3 Products For Daytime

As readers know, a focus of THE SAVVY SHOPPER is to find over-the-counter skincare that really works, i.e., serums and moisturizers which contain all the potent anti-aging ingredients medical science says are effective for less. Not every product is dirt cheap, yet when sold at retailers like Target, Walmart, Ultra, local drugstores, and Amazon, you can take advantage of deals to further lower the cost of already well-priced products. When you see the 2-for-1 deals and markdowns, etc., it's the time to pounce!

The following are 3 Anti-Aging Skincare Items For Your Daytime regiment:

1) Roc Multi Correxion Revive + Daily Glow Vitamin C -  Forumated with 10% vitamin C to brighten and tighten skin. Dermatologists tell us the only true serum we need for our daytime skincare routine is a vitamin C serum with the right combination of other ingredients like vitamin E to help the vitamin C work better. As we age the production of our collagen and skin cell turnover slows down. A potent vitamin C blend used daily helps to speed it up again! The serum is all you really need to buy but in winter some customers may like to apply a heavier cream formula to fight dry skin.

The next 2 recommendations are for 2 sunscreens -- our numero ono, most important, bar none, anti-aging skincare potion. The skin doctors recommend wearing sunscreen every day of the year: summer days, sunny days, autumn days, winter days, snowy days, spring days, and rainy days. Why is something like the sun's golden rays that feels so good so aging to the skin especially noticeable on our face where we don't want lines, wrinkles, and age spots? It just is! 

It's vital to let 15 minutes of the sun hit our skin about twice a week for the very necessary production of vitamin D for our overall good health, yet if the sun hits the area of my face, personally I react like the Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West as she is melting because she got hit with a bucket of water! To avoid the drama and public spectacle, I take the preventative step of wearing visors and hats outdoors in summer for the purpose of shielding my face from the sun, averting the alarm followed by a meltdown; and no one is the wiser!😉

2) Cocokind Daily SPF 32 - A mineral-based sunscreen that uses non-nano zinc oxide; protects against UVA and UVB rays; defends skin against blue light and pollution; plus is lightweight and non-greasy.

3) Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen 30+ (or 50+) Sensitive Skin - A mineral sunscreen containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide offering both UVA and UVB protection for sensitive skin. The formula goes on white yet turns invisible as you rub it into your skin. Sun protection of 30 is plenty. What is important with sun protection is reapplying sunscreen every few hours. The dangers of the higher numbers include they don't provide much more or greater protection to the degree people think, and people then don't reapply sunscreen as often as they should. This brand is also water-resistant.

Knowledge (equipped with plenty of elixir choices) is a consumer's best friend in finding the best deals. You'll know which brands are stellar and recognize a good price. So put these 3 additional beauty products on your radar for daytime use.  When the price is right, try them!


You may also enjoy:

Monday, August 23, 2021

Plastic Spray Bottles, Yeah!

Sometimes the most basic home accessories make life sweeter. Extra power circuit breaker strips strategically placed throughout your home are an example. Plastic spray bottles are another. 

To make household cleaning efficient and easy, I have 4 plastic spray bottles, the 32-ounce size, which I bought several years ago at Home Depot. I don't recommend going bigger or smaller in size. Smaller, you'll be refilling your bottle every time you turn around, and bigger gets heavy to lift and less nibble to point and spray as you clean.

I fill my 4 spray bottles with (1) white vinegar and water (keeping bottles in both my kitchen and bathroom; (2) ammonia and water (kept in the kitchen to remove sink and countertop stains like coffee); and since the pandemic began, (3) bleach and water (stashed near the front door and bathroom). 

Before the pandemic, I cleaned my kitchen; bathroom; and apartment floors with white vinegar and water only; and my glass and mirrors with ammonia and water (homemade Windex) ... but the pandemic has given me a newfound respect for bleach -- adding 4 tablespoons to 32-ounces of water is an inexpensive Center For Disease Control (CDC) approved disinfectant of the coronavirus. At the beginning of Covid when we were less sure of how the virus spread, I used the breach and water to spray the soles of my shoes and entryway of my apartment. (If you recall, we couldn't buy alcohol or hydrogen peroxide until the supply chain caught up with demand.)

Spray bottles are the perfect tool to disinfect and clean surfaces, big or small, with a powerful fine mist of household cleaners. You get the surface very wet with a cleanser while using less product. There's no waste of the liquid going everywhere else, nor of leaving spots of surface dry. Instead, it's an even saturation of cleaner/disinfectant ... bullseye, right where you need it!

And during COVID, these spray bottles make disinfecting like crazy easy. Who knew when I bought them they'd get such a workout?!

I'm also a fan of putting spray triggers on the tops of alcohol and hydrogen peroxide bottles in my home. I liked the practice so much when cleaning, I transferred the idea over to wound sanitizing. For an even application of disinfectant on boo-boos without waste, I'll point the trigger: Pscht ... bullseye!🎯🙂


Now, let's discuss when to splurge and save on buying plastic spray bottles:

For home cleaning mixtures, I went to Home Depot to select professional plastic bottles with sturdy spray triggers, but for the smaller job of disinfecting abrasions with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide, I simply repurpose the spray triggers from personal care items (like hair heat tamers, etc,) for free - screwing them directly onto their new products! (That way you also keep the original alcohol and hydrogen peroxide bottles with warning labels.) Wash and rinse the spray triggers well before repurposing them. Save a few bucks if they fit and do the job.

However, the plastic spray bottles for your household cleaners need to be bigger and better as they get used on bigger surfaces frequently, so invest in professional durable bottles and triggers for these tasks. Simplify your life further by buying bottles for all the areas of the home where you'll use them. At about $2 each, they're cheap; and convenience is worth every penny.

Truly, you'll wonder why you didn't buy plastic spray bottles to do your chores sooner!


You may also enjoy:

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Test Kitchen's Cast Iron Baked Ziti with Charred Tomatoes

All photos courtesy of America's Test Kitchen (Click ATK to watch.)

America's Test Kitchen, the television show, shared this recipe as a non-subscription freebie. It's a one-cast-iron-skillet dinner that promises to be as delicious as the more complicated, multi-pots-and-pans method of making baked ziti. The only other kitchen tools you'll need are a cutting board and a sharp knife. 
As usual, I like to post a winning recipe on THE SAVVY SHOPPER so I, too, can return here to make it again.

Food takes a big bite out of a budget, yet knowing how to cook ensures you eat healthy and delicious meals without a struggle. Now let's get cooking ...

Cast Iron Baked Ziti with Charred Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs grape tomatoes
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
12 oz of uncooked ziti
3 cups of water
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
4 oz of mozzarella cheese, grated
1/4 cup of fresh basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1) Heat the tomatoes mixed with extra virgin olive oil and salt in a preheated 12 inch cast iron skillet and cook on medium-high for about 10 minutes, stirring periodically until the tomatoes are charred.

2) After the tomatoes are charred and start to break up, add the minced garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds more, or until you smell the garlic.

3) Turn off the heat and using a potato masher, mash the charred tomatoes into a sauce.

4) Next toss the uncooked ziti pasta into the skillet along with 3 cups of water.

5) Turn the heat back on high to bring it to a boil.

6) Reduce the heat and let the pasta cook under a lid, stirring often to prevent sticking until the noodles are al dente. This takes about 10 -12 minutes. Make sure the ziti cooks under the liquid to tenderize and watch as the liquid evaporates for consistency that is not too wet or too dry.

7) Next mix in the parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil.  Also, salt and pepper to taste.

8) Top the dish with mozzarella cheese.

9) Finally place the cast-iron skillet into a preheated broiler setting in the oven. Stay with it by the stove. Let the cheese melt and brown, but watch carefully so neither the cheese nor pasta burns.

Cast iron skillets get blazing hot, and after pulling the ziti out of the oven, you'll have to wait for it to cool down. 

How I adore one-pan meals ... definitely, a keeper recipe, and an easy-peasy cleanup! The only tweak I made was to reduce the recipe by 1/3 so it fits into my 10 1/2 inch cast iron skillet. I also charred small plum tomatoes instead of grape tomatoes.
My Italian readers will cringe over a few substitutions: Although it is baked ziti, you could use curly noodles if it's what you have in the pantry or jarred tomato sauce in the winter. When I need a quick meal for just myself, I'm not above using #8 spaghetti noodles, and after plating it, melting the topped mozzarella in the microwave. [Yikes, did I just admit it? It is my way of making one tasty serving of pasta with no leftovers.] However, for guests make the dinner the Test Kitchen restaurant-worthy way. So easy and delicious. Enjoy!


You may also enjoy: