My New Favorite Recipe

First, let me say that while I think about blogging every single day, I only ever come over to do it when I feel a deep need to. It is RARE that I come out of the fog of my mind to actually write a blog post, particularly when I'm unmotivated -- which I'm SERIOUSLY experiencing right now.  But the other day, I ran across a recipe that I decided to try out in my efforts to eat better and shake this last bit of random bullshit weight, and I HAD to come blog about it. I can't stop thinking about it.

Any of you who know me know how much I love and truly adore cilantro. I eat it in my sleep, which makes me dream about it. I take it to church with me. (I'm kidding. I don't go to church.) I bathe myself with it, then wrap it up in my Snuggie with me on chilly Sunday evenings while I watch the Redskins get pummeled in football. As *SOON* as I saw this recipe, I knew it'd be the very next one I would try.

This is the pic that Clean Eating Magazine posted in the recipe online, and of course, I forgot to take a picture of how it came out....but that has less to do with my memory and more to do with the fact that I C.R.U.S.H.E.D the entire fuckin' pan of it. I mean, there was nothing left in the pan: not a garlic mince, not a cilantro stem, not a red pepper flake. Nothing.Demolished. Finito.

Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups fresh cilantro
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3 cloves garlic 
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
•  Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 8 oz whole-wheat rotini pasta
• 20 medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat broiler to high. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
2. Prepare sauce: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse cilantro, oregano, garlic and red pepper flakes until combined. While food processor is running, add oil and vinegar. Stir in salt and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.
4. Arrange shrimp on sheet; transfer to oven and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, turning once, until pink. 
5. In a large saucepan on medium, add pasta and garlic-cilantro mixture and cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-low, add shrimp and stir to combine. 

 And for those of you counting calories, like me, here's the nutrition deets:

Nutrients per serving: Calories: 420, Total Fat: 23 g, Sat. Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2 g, Carbs: 38 g, Fiber: 9 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 15 g, Sodium: 95 mg, Cholesterol: 45 mg


I added bite-sized chunks of chicken to it because it didn't look like it would be enough upon initial inspection. The chicken really filled it out nicely and made it more of a meal for those of us who scoff at shrimp dishes, looking them up and down like they're short. It came out SO GOOD! Plus, I added onions because, well, I love onions almost as much as I love cilantro. The onions rounded out the flavors and made it onion-y like I like my food, lol, and the red wine vinegar brought everything together.

My sister walked past the pan as I was making it, peeping over my shoulder all nosey, side eying me because I was eating it straight outta the pan (#don'tjudgeme). She's allergic to shrimp (poor thing. But I'm allergic to crabs so I guess we both miss out. Thanks Mother Nature. #bitch) so she couldn't have any, which didn't bother me none at all cuz I was eating the first batch standing over the pan watching the rest of it simmer. *smh* I guess even big girls who eat clean still eat like fat girls, huh?

Don't tell nobody.


Here's the link again, if you want it:

Garlic-Cilantro Shrimp Rotini

Oh, and if you make it, take pics and send them to me so I can drool over them and be reminded to make another pot of this crack/cocaine.


<3 p="p">BD

Here Comes the Bride

So, as many of you know, I recently made the switch over to doing bridal makeup as well as print and editorials. And I could not be happier! I thought I would hate being around all those fire-breathing psychotic bridezillas. But, actually, the exact opposite has happened. Turns out that most brides -- read: MOST not ALL--brides are just really scared that everything will come crashing down around them on their wedding day so they are really happy to have a smiling face offering them something fun in the midst of all the turmoil that is wedding planning.

I swear, I am so glad, so thankful, so appreciative of whoever that magical person was who decided to make makeup artistry a profession. There could possibly be other jobs that I'd be good at doing, but I may not like them as much as others. There could be other jobs that I love to do (like staffing and human resources) but am not experienced in so they require additional training that i can't afford. There could also be other jobs that I'd love to do but would suck at (like being Beyonce). But, nothing in this world that i've encountered yet does for me what makeup does. Sometimes, i cant believe i get paid to do this job. Even though it's not full time yet, I thank God for each second that i get to spend doing my job. This was the Holy Grail I spoke of in earlier years when I said that if I could just do makeup in addition to whatever day job i had to have to pay the bills, I'd be totally fine. And I am. I work in purchasing at my day job, and I do makeup on weekends. And if my day job paid a bit more than it does, I'd do this the rest of my life....that is, until Ken Barboza comes calling. *oh, and he will call*

I've found that I love being the one source of fun, entertainment, and calm that brides need on their wedding day. Everything else is sooooo crazy for them, lol, that by the time i see them, they're practically bananas! With me, they get to sit down, be pampered, be fawned over, feel like a high queen, breathe and relax. Loves it!

Realizing that, in these economic times, makeup truly is one of those things each and every bride has to strongly consider incorporating into her big day beauty regime, I try to keep my pricing competitive yet affordable. And when i have to charge extra for things, or when I sense that a bride may not be so happy about her price quote, I go above and beyond in great service. Good artists typically cost anywhere between $120 to 200 for bridal makeup and/or hair. This could potentially put a serious damper on the fun of getting dolled up for one's wedding day... if one is strapped for cash...as many of us are. It could also cost me a lot of business because every bride reserves the right to have her baby cousin's daddy's big sister's best fried who dropped out of hair school 4 years ago do her makeup for free. Now, only God knows what her makeup will look like on the day of, but I understand the financial concern. Most good artists worth their salt simply won't do it for less than $100. For some brides, that's a LOT of money to spend on makeup when everything else is 10x more expensive. Though that's the nature of the beast, I still try to be reasonable and understand that every bride simply doesn't have it to spare. If you catch me on the right weekend, I may be running a special where you can get a certain percentage off your package price if you sign your contract and pay your deposit on the same date as your trial. Or, I may offer discounts if you have a large bridal party, say, more than 4 bridesmaids. I've also been known to give huge discounts for makeup and hair services. I think it's these things that set me apart from the rest. I think I'm a pretty decent makeup artist (1); I offer already reduced rates (2); I also offer timely and deep discounts on large parties and hair services (3); AND I give superb customer service (4, 5, and 6 because that counts for 3). It is frustrating at times because some of the other artists I know wouldn't dream of charging less for their services; it would cut too much into their overhead...and I sometimes feel less than professional for offering to do it for my customers. But then I remember, my goal as an artist isn't to make the most money off of each client. My goal is to simply give each client what they want, at any and all costs....which means that I can't always go for the jugular.

If you do the work you love, the money you need will come.

For this reason, we must always remember to strive to do that which we love to do--would do for free if given the opportunity--and not always that which pays the most.

Thank God for horrible customer service associates. They it so easy for a client to spot good customer service, it almost makes my job a cake walk, lol. *Ahem* Almost.


Good night, my loves!

Boudoir Shoot

Sunday May 3rd. Haven't blogged in a whiiiiiile. Lol. Yesterday I did my first shoot with Blush Boudoir (www.blushboudoir.com) in Richmond and it was UH-MAYYYY-ZING! The model? Flawless. The photogs? Shuttering non-stop. The Hair and Makeup? phenomenal. Couldn't get enough. Pics will be back soon, just waiting patiently right now...

The Makeup Show NYC

It's getting closer and closer by the day, people! The Makeup Show NYC presented by The Powder Group and Metropolitan Pavilion is THE makeup event of the year. Here, every artist of every discipline of every lipstick shade and eyeshadow hue converges on the Big Apple to stock up on goodies, participate in workshops, drool over the newest must-haves from the freshest vendors, and *if they're anything like me* take a bazillion pictures with fellow artists. This will be my first foray into the land of The Makeup Show, but thank GOD I will not be going alone. Kim, Lisa, and I will be going together.

Since this is my first time going, Kim has ALREADY prepped me on what to expect: many, many makeup orgasms. And can I just say...a sista could use one of those RIGHT ABOUT NOW. Hmph. But, I digress...

Of course, some of my favs are gonna be there: MAC, MUFE, FACE Atelier, Smashbox, Stila, Graftobian, Rouge Makeup, Temptu, and Cinema Secrets...just to name a few. Not to mention my favorite makeup school of all time, MUD (Make Up Designory). Dude! Can I tell you how BOOSTED I am!?? I mean, really! No, REALLY! All those brands, plus, like, 50 more brands at SEVERELY discounted prices. PLUS, workshops taught by some of my all time favorite MUAs, the hottest of THE HOT right now: Billy B (drool), Valente (the king of Tyra's white liner), James Vincent, Orlando Santiago, the list just goes on and on! This here diva can.not.wait. If you think I went crazy the first time i visited New York in January (i'll post pics of that trip later), you have NO IDEA what May is going to be like, for me...during Makeup Week...in NYC.

*hyperventilating*

I almost can't stand it!