Hi! Happy Wednesday. I just got back from a walk and am feeling really good.
Quick question for my walking enthusiasts out there: do you get your steps in all at once, or do you prefer to break up your walks during the day?
Over the past few months, I’ve been breaking mine up purely out of necessity, since it’s easier for me to sneak in 10- or 20-minute increments in between tasks.
Recently, though, I decided to do one long vigorous walk in the morning, and it’s been really great! It takes about an hour and 20 minutes, give or take, to hit my goal of 10,000 steps (or about 4 miles), and by the end of it, I feel like a whole new person.
Anywho, consider this your hint from the universe to go for a walk today. 😀
Speaking of messages from the universe, I’ve been thinking about this quote from actress Kim Cattrall lately.
I don’t want to be in a situation for even an hour where I’m not enjoying myself.
–Kim Cattrall
This is where I’m currently at in life, in all aspects, and especially with makeup. Like, I don’t want painting my face to be difficult in any way whatsoever, LOL. One thing I’ve been doing lately to keep things easy is a matchy-matchy lipstick and blush with NARS Dolce Vita.
I do a swipe of Dolce Vita Velvet Matte Lip Pencil and a few swishes of the blush and dang, if it isn’t the easiest lip and cheek pairing EVER. I frickin’ love it! Makes me wish more brands did the same color for lipsticks and blushes, le sigh.
It’s coming up on lunch time here in the Bay Area, so I’m going to warm up some leftovers.
I made this dish yesterday for lunch called fagioli all’olio with beans, squash and crispy sage, and oh my goodness, it’s all I want to eat now!
Instead of using butternut squash, I just grabbed what I had on hand, which was pre-cut delicata squash from Trader Joe’s, and it was so good.
This recipe is vegan, but I think it could be delicious topped with parmesan and/or crumbled Italian sausage, yum!
OK, must eat before I get too hangry. I hope you’re doing OK, and that life is treating you well.
What’s new on your end of the keyboard?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Thanks for the recipe, Karen! It looks amazing! White beans for the win!
I hope you try it, Rachel! It’s super delicious.
That recipe looks good. I’m immediately thinking I want to add some onion sauteed with the garlic and maybe some celery and/or tomato. It would be good along side some pan seared and roasted halibut.
I agree, I wish more companies would release coordinating lipsticks and blushes. It would make it easier and quicker to pick them out in the morning.
Walking… I try for at least once or twice a week where I do a long, hard, fast haul. Four to six miles between 3.7 and 4.2 mph. I lift weights three other days and the remaining two I take my steps where I can get them. Sometimes it’s just running up and down the stairs in the house while doing chores.
Yum to having the roasted halibut on the side! I’d drench it with herbs and lots of fresh lemon juice from my lemon tree.
What should the dessert be?
That looks really good. I make a vegan “parmesan” with roasted cashews, nutritional yeast and this amazing salt free blend called “Galaxy Dust” from Well Your World brand, that’s really good on bean and pasta dishes. My husband’s a meat eater so I still cook him non veggie things as a “side” to whatever I’m making but he’s liking my veggie dishes so far.
Hi Brigid,
I’ve tried a couple of vegan cheeses and am having a hard time with them, to be honest. They’re expensive and I miss the way dairy cheese feels. Your parmesan sounds promising, though!
That quote about enjoying life just hit me. Thank you for sharing! I’ve been trying to find a new job and this quote fits, wanting that in a new career, peace and less stress. Have a great rest of the week!
Hi Liz,
The universe is sending you the perfect job. It’s coming!
First, I don’t mean to offend anyone. I’m just voicing my personal opinion and preference. I have been a dedicated, non-wavering vegetarian for going on 50 years. I dislike intensely what I call “pretend” foods—vegan cheese, meat substitutes, egg substitutes, etc. There are just so many wonderful natural foods that can be combined and enjoyed without the addition of processed meat or dairy substitutes. I think the “pretend” foods might help people make the transition to a plant based diet, but once you lose your taste for animal based foods, even the “pretend” ones lose their appeal. After all, if I no longer like the taste of chicken, why would I like “pretend” chicken?
As for walking, I do a very brisk walk-light jog for 90 consecutive minutes five days a week. I always do it in the early morning while I listen to news or podcasts. I don’t like to break it up because life happens and sometimes the day (and my opportunity to walk) is gone before I know it. Every other day I do stretching and strengthening exercises for general fitness, balance, and agility—very important things at my age. I have had set backs in the past due to illness or injury, but I make a determined effort to get back into my routine as soon as I am able.
I have no problem with matching my lipstick and blush depending on the shade and intensity. In fact, I frequently use a bit of my lipstick as a blush. And, because my skin is dry, the lipstick as blush is bullet proof.
Hi, Karen! I’m with you on matching lip/cheek products. It’s not unusual for me to use Danessa Myricks Colorfix in Latte on my cheeks and lip, but I add a blop of Hanalei Beauty clear lip mask on top for a little shine and moisture.
That recipe looks great! I’m loving bean recipes lately, especially since many beans are higher in flare/folic acid, which my MD said I should make sure to get a lot of because one of my meds causes a folate deficiency. The recipe you made would be good with kabocha, I bet…I often have some in my freezer. We usually have some sort of white beans in our pantry, too. So thank you for giving me a quick recipe that can be made without much effort!
A couple of days ago, we made a soup in the instant pot with dried cannelini beans, pork, onion, garlic, carrot, cabbage, eggplant (had to use it before it went bad) and some dried wakame using some Hondashi powder, a little fish sauce, and Trader Joe’s mushroom powder, then topped with chili garlic. Fed us for 3 meals with either brown rice or some bread.
Hey Karen! I love the Nars Dolce Vita pencil also. Can you think of any lipstick dupes for this shade? I hate sharpening it. I always keep one in my bag, but I hate carrying around a sharpener.
I love your new mantra! So glad you found a meal that you love – it’s awesome when that happens. I only walk for fitness, so I definitely prefer an hour plus at a time. During the work week, I do take brisk half hour walks (like 2 miles) every day at lunchtime. I try to walk my friend’s dogs with her a couple of times per week which, like yours, is about a 4 mile/1 hour route. Then on the weekends, I lightly jog on the treadmill for an hour per day, so 4.5 – 5 miles depending on whether I feel lazy or REALLY lazy. HAHA!
PS I downloaded Guts and listened to it at least twice, all the way through, as discussed a week or two ago. So, in addition to Vampire and Bad Idea, Right?, I also really like Get Him Back and Love is Embarrassing. I know you like Pretty Isn’t Pretty (which totally has a Psychedelic Furs vibe for me, in the best way). And, like you, I think the whole “album” is good. 🙂