Ground Beef Stroganoff

Photo: Betty Crocker, the recipe is not Betty Croker.

I love one-skillet dinners. What's not to love? A mishmash of flavors and textures, and all your food groups tossed into one pan to cook a balanced meal. You can add a salad, grainy bread, and a glass of wine if you wish. After eating your meal, the breezy cleanup consists of a single pan and a few plates and utensils. Here is the recipe:

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 stalk celery including leaves, diced

1/4 cup red pepper, diced

1 - 1 1/2 lb ground beef

1/4 cup wine - red or white

4 cups water

2 large any flavor bouillon cubes, or 4 small cubes

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon each of dried chives, garlic, and parsley

A dash of Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces of curly noodles

1 cup of sour cream (which I never have so use plain Greek yogurt.)

Directions:

1) Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a 12'' chef skillet or a dutch oven and bring to a simmer to tenderize and brown the sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle in some salt. Set aside in a separate dish.

2) Use the same skillet to add another tablespoon of olive oil and tenderize the diced onion, garlic, celery, and red pepper (takes 3 - 5 minutes).

3) Toss in and brown the ground beef. A dash of salt and

pepper. It cooks for about 5 minutes.

4) Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour to coat the ground beef and cook for another 3 minutes so the flour won't taste raw.

5) Pour in the wine and 4 cups of water and dissolve the bouillon cubes. Use a wooden spoon to stir and mash up the bouillon into the liquid.

6) Add the dried spices and Worcestershire sauce.

7) Next toss the dried uncooked curly (egg or any) noodles into the dish and cook until al dente.

8) Return the mushrooms to the pan and stir. Turn off the heat.

9) Finish off with sour cream (or substitute Greek yogurt). If using Greek yogurt be mindful of curdling. Temper the yogurt with a small amount of stroganoff sauce before dumping it all into the dish.

A simple one-pan meal that sticks to your ribs. Delish!

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Vivienne Westwood Three Row Pearl Bas Relief Choker

The Vivienne Westword Three Row Pearl Bas Relief Choker which first appeared in 1990 has made a HUGE comeback. Inspired by royalty and selling for $610 on the designer's website, it's what every fashionista wanted for Christmas this year ... unless she already had one!

For sure, it's a beautiful piece of costume jewelry with silver-tone or gold-tone plating over brass with 3 rows of hand-knotted Swarovski synthetic pearls that come together at a beaded clasp in the back.

As longtime readers know well, I don't think costume jewelry is where you want to spend $610, but if you apply yourself, you'll find the coveted necklace for much less by searching the internet. Due to buyer regret, I see the real thing listed for $66, $129, and $143 on various resale websites ... and a quality Esty dupe for $45 here. I'm not linking the pre-loved offerings since by the time you read this blog the necklaces will likely be gone. Just do a Google search to see what's currently available

This is a lovely chocker selling for too much money. You can get fine jewelry with real 14k gold and freshwater pearls for the price of this costume piece. But a 2nd-hand, dupe, or inspired chocker is easy to find for much less! IMHO $45 + tax isn't cheap either for costume jewelry -- but it is less money. Yep, sometimes designer costume jewelry makes no logical sense, and many of us have been there fancying a look.

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Skincare Holiday Gifts Everybody Will Love

Ho, ho, ho! Hard to believe the holiday season is here, isn't it? Let's consider the beauty mavens on your shopping list. A good skincare gift can be either an introduction to a stellar new brand or something extra for a friend who already has the knowledge and skincare basics. If your giftees use Retin-A or
its non-prescription derivative retinol (for nighttime), and perhaps vitamin C (in the mornings), they have an excellent anti-aging skincare routine even if they do nothing else. Other products may do good things for the skin, but they are less essential. Dermatologists call Retin-A or retinol the gold standard in anti-aging skincare. THE SAVVY SHOPPER has written a number of blogs explaining and recommending good retinol and you can use the search box to pull them up to read if you wish.

Today I'll feature skincare extras to give as holiday gifts that go beyond the basics. Sometimes it takes a friend's holiday gift to either introduce you to an unfamiliar brand or spoil you with ingredients you're not using -- the skincare extras - that provide additional skin benefits. They include:

1) The Ordinary Hyaluronic acid 2% + Vitamin B5 (see top image👆) - Hyaluronic acid moisturizes dry skin and Vitamin B5 helps the skin attract and maintain moisture. As we age our skin gets drier so keeping skin moist and dewy instantly makes us look younger ... and it feels better too.

2) The Ordinary Niacinamide (B3) 10% + Zinc 1% - Reinforces and balances the skin's protective barrier. Also treats acne by unclogging pores and drying oils and pimple-causing components.

3) The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution - Promotes mild exfoliation to correct dullness, uneven skin tone, or textual irregularities. Also contains skin-loving ingredients, such as Tasmanian pepperberry, aloe vera, and ginseng root to soothe, balance, and hydrate the skin. Amino acids are added to support the skin barrier. I'm surprised at how often YouTube dermatologists recommend glycolic acid + exfoliating the skin, a practice I rarely do. It speeds up skin turnover to promote new skin cells to rise to the surface.

The Ordinary is offering a 23% discount on their entire skincare line through December 23, 2022, on top of their already high quality and low prices.

The last two gift ideas are Korean skin barrier-protecting face creams. The Korean market excels at making beauty serums and creams. The following skin moisturizers will check Old Man Winter:⛄

4) Etude House Soon Jung Hydro Barrier Cream - Is packed with lipids and fatty acids to strengthen and protect your skin barrier, including “Panthensoside”: Panthenol (Protection of skin barrier & maintenance of hydration) + Madecassoside (Soothing effect for irritated skin).

5) Pyunkang Yul Intensive Repair Cream - Contains ceramides, shea butter, macadamia seed oil, and antioxidants to protect the skin barrier and smooth the skin.

Extra find: Bakuchiol (a phytoretinol). A good one is IMGN Beyond Retinol🎄🎄🎄 

This year make your beauty gifts count! Think quality, not quantity! Frequently beauty sets come with items nobody uses like bubble baths. Instead consider giving a skin elixir backed by science that really works, or an introduction to a fabulous beauty brand your friend or family member doesn't know about. A new discovery is exciting ... and how thoughtful of you to share your tips in the form of a gift!

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Fine Jewelry Under $125 As Gifts

Over the next 3 weeks, I'll write a few holiday gift idea blogs. Today I'll focus on reasonably priced fine jewelry under $125 (and that is before applying promotional codes for further reductions). It means sterling silver (a precious metal) with lab-grown white sapphires. It also makes excellent travel jewelry that dazzles and looks expensive.

I'm featuring Italo jewelry since I'm happy with my own Italo purchase  (shown here) -- the sapphires sparkle like mad! Read my review on Italo jewelry to know the good and what to avoid, namely having to return the jewelry. Try to forgo the hassle of returns if possible. Italo Jewelry is an online-only Italian manufacturer whose plant is located in China. The retailer is legitimate and does stand behind its jewelry, but customers must pay for return shipping on jewelry they don't like. So take a beat so you don't order mistakes!

What I like about Italo is its enormous selection of beautiful designs from classic to unique, huge enough to suit every possible taste. I wear my Italo jewelry often and it's durable. Of the offerings, the earrings are super affordable for lovely glittering pieces, and I think they're safer than giving rings as gifts. The necklaces will have more metal and stones and therefore cost more too. Throughout the blog are several of my favorite Italo earrings, which I'd be happy to receive!

Italo Jewelry seems to have a bigger collection ... more styles than its competitors who sell similar jewelry. My only experience is with Italo, so you'll have to research their competition for legitimacy and good customer service.

I don't gift rings simply because people work with their hands and if a stone falls out, there is no brick-and-mortar Italo shop to fix it, so it's likely cheaper to rebuy the jewelry than have it repaired. Earrings are less likely to sustain mishaps as they don't get banged around.

Italo jewelry comes nicely presented in boxes and ribbons. Inside is a silver polishing cloth, policy information, cleaning tips, and a travel pouch.

With Italo Jewelry, you're not paying an arm and a leg for what is real sterling silver and lab-grown white sapphires that (if taken care of) last so why buy fashion jewelry?

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Blue Everlasting

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

Blue has alway been my favorite color. I have never waivered. I suspect there are people like me who early on have a favorite color that never changes, and others whose favorite color fluctuates. 

While I know blue is considered a cool color on the color spectrum while yellow and orange are warm colors, I'm unfamiliar with the psychology behind having a favorite color -- what it says about us -- nor do I know why some people switch a favorite color. I have no idea what it all means. I just know my favorite color is, was, and likely will always be blue.

🔵🔷🔵🟦🔷🔹🟦🔵🔷🔹🟦🔵🔷

How do I know blue is my favorite forever color? Because for some unexplained reason, looking at blue makes me extremely happy! It also calms me. I like wearing blue. I own items that are blue. I will pick blue over another color. Something blue will tempt me more than another color. A blue room catches my eye. Without a doubt, blue is a gorgeous color. I L💙VE it!

Scientists aren't sure why people have color preferences, but there are theories to try to explain it. You can read them here. Since my love of the color blue began as a toddler (according to my memory and parents), I do think the preference for blue is in my DNA, my unscientific theory. :-)))💙

Photo: Lord and Taylor

What's your favorite color? Have you changed it over time?

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Trend Alert: Ear Stacking

Celebrity photos: Cosmopoltian - go here 

 A glance at the fashion runways gives us a clue about a fashion jewelry trend about to break in 2022: Ear Stacking. It appears celebrities and runway models are already rocking the trend. 

Photo: Cosmopolitan

Clip-ons are available for those who don't want to add multiple ear piercings. The higher up you pierce your ears, the more it hurts to do it.

Ear stacking can be expressed in your own style from dainty to chunky. Many of the photos feature another of this year's jewelry trends -- loops. But do loops ever really go out of style?

I wear earrings every day, and I won't lie: Although I like the look of ear stacking, I aim to keep my life simple by sticking with wearing a single pair of earrings per day. I have no desire to fuss with multiple earrings. I'd have to buy more earrings, as well as, style them. Yikes, how much time does THAT add to dressing in the morning?  

The places for ear stacking are from the bottom of the ear up, namely the lobe, upper lobe, helix, conch, rook, daith, tragus, and forward helix. Click here to learn where these parts of the ear are; how long it takes the piercings to heal; and how to stack your earrings. Fashionistas are bound to try it.

Enjoy the read from a knowledgeable source because for sure I will not be adding other piercings to my ears and therefore cannot speak from experience. 

Diamond studs will always be a girl's best friend. But the more the merrier? Clearly more expensive. You decide.

Like me, you may not flock to every fad, but now you know what's coming our way, jumping from the runway to main street.

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