Blank Slate

A Lifestyle Blog, Beauty, Decor, Travel, Food

Archives for October 2013

BOO

The Bride Of Frankenstein

Since Halloween is one of my
favorite holiday’s, I try & make sure that the month of October is filled
with thematic sweets that embrace the flavors of fall (everyone knows that
calories don’t count this time of year).  That’s my story and I’m sticking with it!

It’s a little bittersweet (LOL) these
days since my kids are older and pretty much out of the house & until we
move into our new home – not many neighbor’s – anyway keeping the “Spirits Alive “ (LOL again)  Here is something I’ve made in the
past that kids loved and I wanted to share with you!  Let me know how it works & send me your photo’s etc…  It would just make my day!



  • 12 cup(s) Popped Popcorn
  • 3 cup(s) Mixed Dried Fruit Such As Golden Raisins, Cherries, And Chopped Apricots And Figs
  • 1 1/4 cup(s) Granulated Sugar
  • 3/4 cup(s) Brown Sugar
  • 1 cup(s) Corn Syrup
  • 1/2 cup(s) Water


  • Toss popcorn and dried fruit together in a large, lightly oiled, heatproof bowl. Oil 2 waxed paper-lined baking pans and a long metal fork. Set aside.
  • Bring sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and water to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Reduce heat to medium and cook until mixture reaches 260 degrees F.
  • Carefully pour the syrup over the popcorn mixture. Stir with the fork to distribute. Let sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • With well-oiled hands, form 3-inch ball


    • WHAT YOU NEED

    6 (or up to 8) Fuji Apples
    10 ounce(s) White Chocolate Chips4 cup(s) Shredded Coconut

    Remove stems – wash apples & skewer them

    In a double boiler (or microwave) melt white chocolate until smooth – stirring occasionally
    Dip apple in chocolate than roll into coconut right away – add a little Orange sugar crystals for fun
    x-fer to parchment paper – repeat with all apples and refrigerate until set (15min.)



    What you’ll need

    • For the rats/mice: 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
    • 1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
    • 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • uncooked spaghetti, broken into quarters
    • thinly sliced raw carrots
    • black peppercorns, cooked black beans
    • For the sauce, um, blood: 1 can (19 oz.) crushed or ground tomatoes
    • 1-1/2 cups water
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    • How to make it
    • In a mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, rice, onion, egg and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Mix well.
    • Now make the MICE. Using a measuring cup, scoop out 1/4 cup of the ground beef mixture. Form it, by hand, into a firmly packed teardrop shape — pointy on one end, rounded on the other. This is your basic rat. Place it into a 3-quart shallow baking dish and gently pinch in the neck area. Poke a piece of uncooked spaghetti into the larger rounded end as a tail. Repeat with the remaining ground beef mixture.
    • When all the rats are neatly placed in the baking dish, stir together the tomatoes, water, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour over the rats. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce. Then cover the dish with foil and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the rats are fully cooked.
    • Gently remove rats, one at a time, from the sauce and place gently on a serving platter. (Take care not to damage the tails — they’re fairly delicate.) Into each rat, insert two carrot slices as ears, peppercorns (or whatever) for eyes, and a few more broken strands of uncooked spaghetti for whiskers. Spoon sauce around the rats and serve, smiling wickedly.

    • THANKS FOR STOPPING BY,
    • XOXO LORI







    The No Guilt Nap – I Knew It!

    Yeah!!! NAPS ARE BACK BABY & GOOD 4-U!  

    Just 20 minutes of daytime shut-eye can improve concentration – restore alertness,
    enhance performance and reduce mistakes & accidents.  NASA did a sleep study on military pilots & astronauts and found that a 40 min. nap improved performance by 34% and alertness
    by 100%.
    Napping had great psychological benefits – it can be a pleasant little
    luxury.  Provide relaxation and rejuvenation.  So needed in this fast paced world – don’t
    you think? 
    Many top Fortune 500 companies encourage naps – have napping rooms – check out other cultures you see it done without hesitation.  


    When my kids were young and I put them down for naps – I often rested too for just 20-30 minutes and boy what a difference it made.  I have been pushing myself a lot lately (as I am sure you are as well) Seems always something to do, somewhere to go, someone to see, etc… and it has taken its toll.  So I am  reinstating nap time!!!  Join me –  don’t let
    the stigmas associated with naps keep you from it.  You will thank me later – I promise!
    So bring on the afternoon snack, grab your blanket, eye-mask, walk away from the
    computer and catch a few Zzzzz’s. 
    THANKS FOR STOPPING BY,

    XOXO LORI





    Comfort Food

    Burrrrr – getting chilly out there!

    Looks like it is that time of year to pull out your sweaters, hat’s, gloves and get cozy….  One way I do that is by cooking and I love to cook soups!  They are a super comfort food for me, cost effective and can really be a great way to get your veggies in a super tasty way!  Below is favorite recipe of mine – bon appetit!

    Comfort Food


    Leeks Ingredients / Glow_Frame_psd / Broccoli

    Heat oil in a 4 quart saucepan over med. heat – add leeks and cook until soft 3-4 min (be sure to rinse leeks first – a lot of sand in between layers).  Stir in garlic an cook 1 additional min.  Add your potato cubes/broccoli; cook – stirring until potatoes begin to soften (4 min. )
    Pour in stock and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered until broccoli is tender (20-25 min)
    Puree in batche’s using a blender or immersion blender (love my kitchen aid one!)
    Add S&P to taste; return to pot and warm through ( 3 min on med. low)
    98 calories each  (give or take a few)

    *if you like add crushed red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese and piece of french bread – YUM!!!!

    THANKS FOR STOPPING BY,
    XOXO LORI


    P.S.  share with me your favorite healthy comfort food….. 

    Friday Review

    Friday Review


    Benefit blush brush / NARS Cosmetics lips makeup / NARS Cosmetics lips makeup / Urban Decay makeup / Serious Skincare Reveal a Younger-Looking You Plus Kit at HSN.com / meaningful beauty Products at ULTA.com

    Hey There – Hi There,
    My review of two skin care lines – Meaningful Beauty  & Serious SkinCare geared towards maturing skin – combating signs of aging etc… Just a side note:  I did trials within 2 1/2 months of each other so as to not to interact with one another and let my skin react and recover from both lines if needed.  
    Price for Meaningful Beauty said it was $39.95 but if you keep products the total was $149.95!!!! A pretty penny – you do get bonus products and discount if you subscribe to automatic renewal – ( I don’t do that ) 
    Serious SkinCare was $79.95 period – you could get discount as well if did the auto renew – again chose not to.  
    I will say the Rep I spoke with from Meaningful Beauty was very pushy, wanting to add & add & add had difficult time getting just what I wanted and off the phone -took over 15 min to order – way too long in my opinion since I had no questions…
    The Serious SkinCare Rep – was lovely – fast – not pushy – ordered and off the phone in less than 5 minutes – offered support if needed and threw in some extra samples.  ( NICE!!!)
    Meaningful Beauty – caused irritation – cleanser did not remove all my eye make-up and was a bit confusing to use – I had to keep referring to directions ( very unlike me ) with the eye lift cream I noticed no results – it added moisture but did not last – the bonus capsules were nice but not part of basic regimen – after a week I got little white bumps on my face and small breakouts – I expect some changes with new products possibly bringing up things – sometimes to bring on the good you have to get rid of bad, but this was not good.  My makeup did not lay well over the products either, piling up where eye cream was used so my verdict I sent back and will not be trying or reffing my friends to use.  
    Serious SkinCare – took a bit longer than I expected to arrive (10days), packaging a little plain but the products worked really well!  My 40 something combo skin Loves It!  The cleanser was fine – ( I like my tired and true Clinique 3 Step ) but this was a very good alternative.  The eye cream was super – did not travel or move into eye – was plumping and had good moisture hold. The face/neck moisturizer was not too heavy & the Retinol A Force XR very nice and non irritating – my makeup went on wonderful with the bonus primer they sent – it even has an iridescence to it like MAC’s Strobe Cream.  
    Neither set came with a Toner/Clarifying lotion that I have with Clinique ( cant live without ) but the Serious SkinCare was the clear winner!!!  Just ordered the pre-soaked retionol pads so even younger looking skin is just around the corner.

    Thanks for stopping by,
    XOXO LORI 

    Sweet Dreams

    Hi All,

    It’s getting late here and I’m winding down from a busy couple of days – I just had a lovely bubble bath and now all cozy & ready for bed with a cup of Hot Chocolate and new book I am reading titeled “Final Flight”.

    Before I go to sleep I am going to write my “Gratitude List”  it is something I began doing several weeks ago and just make’s me feel good.  I just write a list of all the things of the day I am grateful for…. like my hot bath, my husband setting up the coffee pot for me, the nice stranger who took time to compliment my eye’s, for my family, for the most perfect apple I ate today, the good dinner etc… you get the idea.  Maybe you will want to try this simple little practice – it gives great peace at the end of my day.  Really puts things in perspective and keeps me in a good place – Mind – Body & Soul!!!!
    SWEET DREAMS……..
    hot chocolate

    hot chocolate (clipped to polyvore.com)


    Thanks for stopping by,
    XOXO LORI

    Modern Day Etiquette

    Hi There,

    OK I am going to vent for a moment –

    Modern Day Etiquette – Is there such a thing?  At times this statement of “etiquette” almost seems like an oxymoron.  I find so often these days less and less people having nice manners.  It is so disappointing to me.  Everyone has there phones out constantly checking – rechecking – texting – emailing etc… all while sitting across from a  live person!  Really, is it always that important – where we can not have a meal with someone uninterrupted?

    Than it’s everybody pushing and rushing by – hardly ever holding a door.  I was out in DC recently and several times grown men rushed by, opened the door for themselves and did not bother to even look back and hold for others.  Or heaven forbid allow the ladies to go first.
    I used to take my children down to DC to have lunch and practice our manners.  We went to “fancy” hotel restaurants and my than oldest son just 5 would open the door for me, pull out my chair and learn how to order for me.  It was great, they had all the flatware, glasses etc… out and ready to use.  I continued these same outings with all of my children.  I would sometimes explain to the waiter what we were doing.  Often they would help my children out with gentle suggestions of how to do things.  I highly recommend this to all parents.  I learned several things myself!

    PINK FOR NOVEMBER at RELISH DECOR FREDERICK MD

    Whew OK – done with vent.  Take a look at the two books pictured above when you have sometime……


    Now Fun Stuff some Inspiring pictures for parties to have & host your self.  Enjoy – check out my Pinterest Party Idea Board and great Blog Hostess With The Mostess  for some FAB ideas. 



    Camel My New Favorite For Fall

    Camel My New Favorite For Fall


    Burberry pointelle sweater, $1,750 / Burberry cashmere camel coat / MaxMara funnel neck coat / Weekend Max Mara long wool coat / Weekend Max Mara camel coat / Weekend Max Mara camel coat, $1,125 / MaxMara beige coat / Weekend Max Mara belted coat, $840 / Weekend Max Mara beige coat, $655 / Burberry short jumpsuit / Burberry boots / N°21 leather opera glove / Weekend Max mara / Scarve, $71 / Ralph Lauren glove / Enzo Decorative Art Deco Vintage Camera

    I have been fantasizing about the Max Mara Coat since I first saw the ad campaign a few months ago – however priced @ close to $21,500 was a wee bit outta my range.  So the other day I was in ZARA and came across this wrap coat perfectly priced at $179.00…. “Ding Ding Ding We Have A Winner!”  Gosh I love when this happens!  


    I don’t know if you feel the same but I adore mixing high end pieces with everyday one’s from Target, Gap, etc.  I will use my favorite “LV” bag with this coat add some great ear rings, cool shades, over the knee boots or cute booties from Steve Madden and call it a day!  Depending on weather here I may wear to Neocon East this week – if not sometime soon and will share photo’s.  Have A Wonderful Day – still working on post about my mini retreat – look for details soon!  


    Thanks for stopping by,
    XOXO LORI


    PS…. If your in Frederick, MD soon check out all the stores on Patrick Street especially RELISH DECOR & grab lunch/dinner @ The Tasting Room or Black Hog BBQ!!! You will thank me later.  Cheers!



    Mini Retreat

    Hi Everyone!!!!  Miss You!!!

    I am on a mini retreat – no TV, phone, computer (only this one day ) no make-up and doing a bit of a food cleanse. I have had barely any caffeine and very limited sugar.  I will be done next week and have lots to fill you in with!  It’s been surprising all the feelings that have come up.  A very emotional, exciting, hard, self exploration experience.  I am learning a lot about my self…..  Chat with you all soon!!!!

    Thanks For Stopping By,
    XOXO LORI


    Latest from Instagram

    Copyright © 2019 · Theme by 17th Avenue