Wednesday, August 21, 2013

DIY: Chic Shelf Liners


 Looking for an inexpensive project that will add a touch of fun & a pop of color to your everyday? Attach trendy self-adhesive and repositionable liners inside drawers, on shelves, on the backside of a bookcase, or jazz up the bottom of a nightstand. Check out www.chicshelfpaper.com for the largest online selection of stylish liners. Starting at $2.50 per square foot.



Wednesday, August 7, 2013

If you do one thing this week: Clean out your hairdryer

 
People always ask me how I manage to always have my hair washed, dried and flat ironed. Besides the obvious that I have to get up a tad earlier to make this happen, I do also clean the lint/dust trap in my hairdryer on a consistent basis which according to Glamour magazine and Harry Josh, celebrity hair stylist, will cut your get ready time down significantly.

By cleaning out the lint, the air flowing into the dryer will circulate better so it can continue to blow out with full force, so the process is shorter. Wow. What a aw-ha bit of information.

Wondering how often you should do this? Hairdressers do it almost daily as their hairdryers get used much more but for the average home use, once a week is recommended.

If the grooves on your hairdryer are small, I recommend using an old toothbrush or tooth pick. I will warn you, it is a bit tedious so don't attempt this on a morning you have to be out the door at a certain time. Once you have all the lint/dust cleaned out, take a damp cloth to wipe down the hairdryer.

Monday, August 5, 2013

Summer Eats: No bake lasagna with corn relish

 
No bake? Yes please. This recipe from the July/August edition of "Fitness Magazine" takes lasagna, which is known as a heavier, wintertime meal, and makes it colorful, light and full of flavor. While the picture makes it look like a sloppy mess, it's worth a try while the sun is still shining.

Ingredients:

8 lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups  part-skim ricotta
1 tablespoon  plus 1 teaspoon fresh thyme                        
1 teaspoon  lemon zest
1 1/4 teaspoons  kosher salt                        
1/2 teaspoon  black pepper                       
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds                      
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced                        
1 large yellow bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch strips                        
3 ears yellow corn, kernals sliced from cobs                        
2 scallions, thinly sliced                        
2 tablespoons  fresh lemon juice   
 
Directions:
 
1. Cook noodles until al dente according to package directions. Drain, toss with 1 teaspoon oil and arrange on a baking sheet.
 
2. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 tablespoon thyme, lemon zest and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
 
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil. Add zucchini and cook, flipping once, until browned, about 4 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and transfer to a plate. Return pan to heat and add 1 1/2 teaspoons oil, garlic and bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pepper is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and transfer to plate with zucchini.
 
4. In a large bowl, combine corn, scallions, lemon juice and remaining oil, salt and pepper. Cut noodles in half and lay one half on each of four plates. Top with 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture and zucchini. Top with a second noodle, 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture and 1/4 cup corn relish. Top with a third noodle, 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture and bell pepper mixture. Top with remaining noodle, ricotta mixture, corn relish and thyme.