I was recently gifted with three fantastic new hair products made in Italy by a friend who has gorgeously shiny hair and swears by them. I couldn’t wait to wash my hair.
I like the family run company moto: Davines believes “BY CREATING BEAUTY SUSTAINABLY, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY LIVE & WORK, OF THE THINGS THEY LOVE.
Davines creates shampoos, conditioners, and styling products to benefit more than just your hair, creating products with sustainable packaging made from renewable energy sources. So your hair will not only look great but you can also feel good about using them environmentally.
The beautifying potion is made with Amazonian Roucou oil (from the Annatto plant), which has 100 times more beta-carotene than carrots. This means it helps hair grow, get stronger, and has anti-aging benefits. There’s a reason this is the brand’s #1 selling product! It’s loved by stylists too.You only need a few tiny drops for a subtle hint of polish and it adds shine without weighing the hair down at all.
Benefits:
extraordinary shine and softness to the hair
strong detangling and restructuring action
anti-frizz effect
strong anti-oxidant and anti-free radicals action
I love the shampoo and the conditioner is more like a mask but not overly thick or greasy. Perfect! My hair had no frizz at all after using them.
Here is a link to salons in B.C. which carry these products:
To HUG and to HOLDThere’s nothing worse than running or hiking with an overloaded fanny pack. And we need to carry our keys, our phones (god forbid we leave them for a little while) some cash, wipes and a lipstick. The very basics of an active lifestyle.
My sister gave me this as a stocking stuffer so that it can easily slip over my workout pants. At least for the several pairs that don’t come equipped with hidden pockets but thank you Lululemon for finally making some that do feature a zipper or hidden pocket here and there. It has two zippered pockets to make it convenient for stashing a few necessary items. It would also come in very handy for traveling not to mention more stylish than a money belt. They come in different colors and styles too. Oh yes; I will be wearing it often.
Live Life Hands Free. Blend fashion and functionality!
Park City Sister
*Sisters get your phones out of your bras!! In all seriousness, we recommend that when your phone is carried close to your body (hipS-sister or not), it should be in “airplane mode” or turned off. We do not know with 100% certainty what the effects of cell phone use are on the body. Let’s be safe, our bodies are precious. Get into the habit.
Fits most phones including iPhone 6 plus and Samsung Galaxy.
And what a nice touch that some money will be donated to a very worthy cause:
How do you secure your belongings while running/hiking/working out?
This dish takes a small amount of time to prepare, but is BIG on great flavor!
INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs. chicken thighs (boneless or bone-in — or you can also substitute chicken breasts or drumsticks). Basically whatever you prefer but I found that thighs worked well as they’re generally meaty and the dark meat has extra flavour.
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. melted butter
zest of two limes
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
additional lime wedges (for garnish)
DIRECTIONS:
Add chicken thighs, lime juice, garlic, worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper to a large ziplock bag. Seal and toss to combine ingredients until the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. I left it overnight.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and grease a baking dish with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag with a slotted spoon, reserving the marinade, and arrange in a single layer in the baking dish. Brush chicken with melted butter (to brown), and season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Bake for about 20 minutes, the remove and brush chicken with the reserved marinade. Bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. (Baking times may shift for different types of chicken.) Remove and sprinkle chicken with lime zest and fresh cilantro.
Serve over rice or quinoa garnished with lime wedges. *TIP: Add tequila to the above mix if you want for some extra kick. Should serve six.
You know the drill. You’ve clipped or printed out a recipe that’s supposed to be tonight’s dinner. Except, the grocery store betrays you—not having those few essential items you need – specifically a certain CHILE. The people at Chile Pepper magazine have substitutes for recipes calling for chili peppers that may be difficult to find. For example, in certain regions, some chiles like cayenne are impossible to find fresh.
The key to finding an adequate chile replacement is knowing its heat level, sweetness, and smokiness. We pooled our resources to come up with a substitution guide for whole chiles. While it focuses on whole fresh or dried chiles, you can always use a hot sauce in lieu of ground chile.
Anaheim: A mild green chile named after the California city, this pepper also goes by the name “California chile” and is often used for chile rellenos; the red strain is called Chile Colorado. Substitution: Canned green chiles or fresh Poblano chiles.
Banana Pepper: The sweet pepper, shaped like its namesake fruit, is also called yellow wax pepper. Substitution: Any mild chile like Anaheim or even bell peppers.
Bhut Jolokia: Also known as Naga Jolokia or ghost chile, this is the world’s hottest chile.Substitution: Red Savina Habanero (lots of them).
Cayenne: A bright red, hot pepper, usually sold dried. Substitution: Chile de Arbol or Guajillo. Crushed red pepper flakes are from cayenne, so it would be the easiest substitute, along with ground cayenne powder.
Chipotle chiles in adobo: The smoked incarnation of the jalapeno that’s mixed with adobo sauce. Substitution: One tablespoon ketchup + 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke + 1 jalapeno.
Habanero: A small, lantern-shaped chile that’s intensely hot. Substitution: Scotch Bonnets or double the dose of jalapenos.
Jalapenos: Smooth, dark green chiles that can vary from medium-hot to hot. Substitution: Half the amount of Serrano chiles.
Pasilla chile: The dried, medium-hot chile also goes by chile negro. Substitution: Ancho chile (sweeter) or Mulato chile (earthier flavor).
Scotch Bonnets: They belong to the same chile variety as the habanero. Used for jerk chicken in Jamaica. Substitution: Habaneros.
Serrano chiles: A hot, slightly-pointed chile available in various colors. Substitution: Habanero or jalapeno chiles.
Thai chiles: A thin-skinned chile typically found in red and green, popular in numerous Asian dishes. (Bird chile is the name of the dried form; drying the chile gives it the hook shape, similar to a bird’s beak.) Substitution: Fresh or dried cayenne peppers or serrano chiles.
Also, Gourmet Sleuthhas a magical solution: just plug in the missing ingredient and the website will spit out a substitution.
Source: Andrea Lynn, senior editor of Chile Pepper magazine.
PETRA might be thousands of years old but it was recently selected as one of the “New 7 Wonders of the World”! A well deserved honour.
If the photograph looks familiar it’s because you’ve seen it before in the last scenes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The “treasury” serves as a secret temple lost for hundreds of years. In the film’s climactic final scenes, actors Harrison Ford and Sean Connery burst forth from the Siq (the narrow gorge passageway leading in) and walk deep into the labyrinths of the Treasury in their quest to find the Holy Grail. But, as usual, archaeological fact bowed to Hollywood fiction when Indy came to Petra.
Photo: d. king
Making the trek to Petra infact feels like you could be in an Indiana Jones movie as the lead up is mysterious but once you’re there it is truly an amazing sight to behold. Hidden deep in the mountains, one has to be there in person to really witness it as the ancient place is impossible to capture in normal still photographs. Literally carved directly into vibrant red, white, pink, and sandstone cliff faces, the prehistoric Jordanian city of Petra was “lost” to the Western world. The City was rediscovered by a young Swiss explorer by the name of Johan Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812.
I made the trek crossing over from the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt (where I was staying) to Eilat in Israel and then over to Petra, in Jordan. The borders are actually fairly close to each other so it didn’t take as long as it seems – maybe 3 hours. From Ammn in Jordon we took a bus ride for about two hours along nothing but sand tracks in the desert. Then the fun began; we rode on horseback until we reached the ancient red city carved in rock. We left our horses there and entered through the very narrow gorge (the Siq, shown in photo above) with a breathtaking view of the building called the “Treasury”.
It is called the “rose red city” for a good reason. Temples, tombs and other buildings are all carved out of the red sandstone cliffs. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since.
At its peak the city of Petra was home to some 20,000 Nabataeans who, in the midst of the desert, built an ingenious system of waterways to provide their city with the precious liquid.
Since the early 1800s, when it was “rediscovered,” clues to daily life in this “lost city of stone” are being unearthed and today we are beginning to see once again what Petra looked like 2,000 years ago.
Situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, Petra was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock, and is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. It is one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites, where ancient Eastern traditions blend with Hellenistic architecture.
I feel incredibly lucky that I had the opportunity to make this trek and witness in person the physical splendour of this ancient city.
Whenever traveling to a new place I always look for the marketsto see the variety of foodstuff they offer and what kind of handiwork they produce. As you can see from these photos there was no shortage of either in Oaxaca.
Making the Zapotec Rug is a long process.
On one trip to Arizona I came home with six Zapotec rugs not realizing that I would be in the birthplace of the Zapotec here in Oaxaca.Making black pottery at San Bartolo Coyotepec.To produce these lovely vases among various other things. You cannot carry these on board.women weaving on back strap looms
To produce these beautiful shawls and runners.The making of Alebrijes (hand made wooden figues) in Arrazola.One example of a finished Alebrije.
There’s something chic about wearing a cape. At this time of year it’s not a constant but for in between the wet and very cold weather for those “off days” you can certainly pull it off (or on).
I think it’s a must in a woman’s wardrobe.
On the Autumn/Winter 2014 catwalk scene capes were coveted in a big way – check the Burberry (think trench and blanket style), Saint Laurent (tartan button-down) and Valentino (embroidered, shin-length) shows for a heads up on how to wear yours.
Shown here are some of my favourite caped crusaders.
And as a serious style maven, it’s no surprise that Sarah Jessica Parker got her hands on one of Burberry’s much sought after monogrammed capes.
Mole, mole mole…(mole-ay) is one of my favourite Mexican dishes not only because it is rich and flavourful but because one of the ingredients is chocolate.
Chicken breast marinated with purslane, cactus and sweet potato chips with black mole. El Restaurante Catedral.
These intricate sauces, made by toasting and grinding spices, seeds, and chiles, are truly the hallmark of the Oaxaca region and in fact was invented there. The wide variety of “mole” in Oaxaca is enough to satisfy the most demanding palates. The different types you won’t find anywhere else – they include black, red, yellow, green, “coloradito,” “chichilo,” and mole with almonds.
This is chicken wrapped in rice and red mole.
If you’re craving a burrito you’ll have to go elsewhere.
Cheesecake
If you’re a cheese lover you might miss certain varieties like sharp cheddar, creamy brie or blue but they have a cheese, known as “quesillo,” which whether alone, in quesadillas, or with snacks, is a Oaxacan specialty that you should certainly try. Grasshoppers are another typical dish of Oaxaca.
Chapulines at the Benito Juárez Market – can be sweetened up with honey.
You can find them everywhere – even the top hotels and restaurants (so be aware the Spanish name is “Chapulines” otherwise you might think you’re getting some exotic sounding beef because when it’s covered in mole you can’t really tell). These delicious (so they say) fried insects are eaten in tacos, and the tradition says that whoever eats grasshoppers, will return to Oaxaca. Oh, oh…I didn’t know about this before now. Where are the little buggers when you need them? I don’t remember the last time I saw a grasshopper here in Vancouver – I think they all mistakenly moved to Mexico for the warmer weather.
After that a taste of something sweet. The “best” coconut flan with dulce de leche & soaked in mexcal. Topped with pecans. Zandunga.
Other typical dishes from Oaxaca are “Tamales” stuffed with “mole,” poblano chili strips, or beans, and wrapped in banana leaves. “Tlayudas” (tla-u-da) are another appetizer that you can find almost anywhere. I shared one in a market which was topped with delicious Mexican chorizo (a cut above – with less grease or fat), avocado, tomato, beans & cheese and it tasted great on a crunchy tostada. Other traditional dishes are the beef called “tasajo,” jerky, and “chiles rellenos” or stuffed chile.
Fantastic Chilean salmon at “El Quinque” – a great little restaurant.
In short, everything we ordered tasted superb and the care of presentation was impressive. Of course getting a tumbler of mexcal before your meal ensures everything will taste good.
A starter of gazpacho at “Les Danzantes” for the pre-fixe lunch. Excellent!
But honestly, I have nothing but rave reviews for the culinary skills of Oaxaca. Squash blossom flower sauce anyone? During ten days my friend Judy introduced me to some of the finest places to eat so if you plan to go just let me know and I’ll be happy to recommend a few places to drink spots.
chili chocolate brownie
Next week I will post an authentic red mole recipe but I’ll forewarn you that it is time consuming and maybe 1% of you will actually make it. It is however less expensive than travelling all the way to Oaxaca.
Life is better with a little sand between your paws
Photos: d. king
There’s nothing worse than running or hiking with an overloaded fanny pack. And we need to carry our keys, our phones (god forbid we leave them for a little while) some cash, wipes and a lipstick. The very basics of an active lifestyle.
so that it can easily slip over my workout pants. At least for the several pairs that don’t come equipped with hidden pockets but thank you Lululemon for finally making some that do feature a zipper or hidden pocket here and there. It has two zippered pockets to make it convenient for stashing a few necessary items. It would also come in very handy for traveling not to mention more stylish than a money belt. They come in different colors and styles too. Oh yes; I will be wearing it often.
Here’s to a great start – cheers!
Whenever traveling to a new place I always look for the markets to see the variety of foodstuff they offer and what kind of handiwork they produce. As you can see from these photos there was no shortage of either in Oaxaca.
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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