My Life: What's Been Going On

It's been a while since I have posted. This isn't because I haven't wanted to or because I haven't thought of things to post. It all comes down to lack of time.

The last few months have been a bit crazy in my personal life. I suddenly moved, my job got a lot busier, and I have been trying to manage my anxiety. When you have anxiety, one little thing can throw you off. When you have big things happen, it can throw you in a spiral even when those things are happy or good. 

My full-time job is in its busy season and our budget was increased this year, so it's even crazier than last year. My bosses are both used to me now and I think they trust me more so there has been an increase in projects thrown at me which has been positively welcomed. I am not one to be happy being bored. It drives me up the wall and isn't good for anxiety. So, this increase in the workflow is good, but can also cause its own type of stress. 

Moving has been wonderful. I am finally back on my own and have my own space after many years. I have a wonderful mother who has been extremely helpful while I went through some of the toughest times in my life. My life is getting back on track and being back on my own is one of those things that helps. But with new experiences comes new responsibilities and it's been a long time since I have had the sort of expenses I have now, which brings on a whole new type of anxiety. 

So, I have been getting settled in, having a birthday, working overtime, and caring for my mental health (and my cat who has his own anxiety over the move). All of the sudden the holidays are upon us! How did this happen? How has it been so long since I have posted? I had planned on baking a new recipe over the weekend for my company's Thanksgiving potluck yesterday, but then I came down with a cold and had to miss the potluck. I am hoping to make that recipe over the holiday weekend and share it with you all. If it turns out like I think it will, everyone will love it!

I leave you with a promise of my return and a hope that everyone has a very Happy Thanksgiving...and a quote from my favorite show, Gilmore Girls.

Luke: Shouldn't we give thanks first?

Jess: Thanks for what?

Luke: Well, that we're not Native Americans who got their land stolen in exchange for smallpox infested blankets.

Lorelai: Amen.

Review: Yes To Coconuts Sheet Mask

Recently I have been obsessed with face masks. Ever since the girl at Sephora put the little doodad up to my face and it read that I actually have mostly dry skin with only patches of oil, I have been determined to keep it hydrated. So far hydrating my skin regularly is definitely making my face look better. So I guess there is something to the saying "hydrate, hydrate, hydrate."

Well, I decided to try the Yes To Coconuts sheet mask without having read any reviews. I just grabbed one in CVS one day and thought because I love some of their other products that the sheet mask would be awesome and what a plus that it's inexpensive. WRONG.

The minute I opened it I could barely stand the strong "coconut" smell. I put that in quotations because it was definitely a fake smell of coconut and not natural. Upon trying to fit it on my face I realized that the face holes were also oddly placed. It didn't fit my face perfectly, but no big deal, many of the paper masks don't. Well, once I got it on it took less than 10 seconds before my face started to burn. I mean, BURN. I had to immediately take it off and rinse my face! I was very disappointed that I had spent any money at all on it. My face was so irritated from that short amount of time that I had to break out my tried and true Nugg peppermint face mask. Thank goodness for some leftover Nugg pods.

Whatever you do, read reviews before buying anything for your skin. Pulling the link for the Yes To Coconut mask, I found horrible reviews that had a common issue: burning skin. I wrote my own review. They really should take it off the market. It's that awful. For now, I will stick to Nugg. They are a little pricier, but I have never tried one that has let me down and my skin always looks amazing afterward.

Life: It Gets in the Way Sometimes

I wanted to make sure I updated to let you all know that I haven't disappeared. I have some life things that have gotten in the way temporarily, but I will be back! In the meantime, you can find me on Instagram @randomcoordinatedchaos. 

Tarte Shape Tape Concealer: Is the Hype Worth It?

No. No, no, no, and no. The hype isn't all it's cracked up to be. Let me explain.

Tarte Shape Tape concealer has been talked about in the beauty blog and YouTube world for a while now. I watched plenty of women (albeit twenty-somethings) try this concealer only to rave about how wonderful it was. I thought, "Well, heck. I need to try it, too." So, I went on the hunt...for months.  I searched for the right shade that was out of stock even on the Tarte Cosmetics website. I figured it has to be pretty great stuff if you can never find it, right? But was it?

I finally got my hands on the perfect shade after stalking Ulta Beauty (three different locations) and checking the Tarte website every other day. I was so excited to try this "holy grail" product that has been praised by so many. At first application, I loved it. My horrible dark circles finally looked concealed for a change. It was wonderful for covering up redness and blemishes, too. The first time I tried it, I only wore makeup for a couple of hours and it still looked fabulous when I went to remove it. The next time I used it I wore make up for a full day. This is where Tarte Shape Tape Concealer and I decided to break up.

As a 41-year-old that can pass for 25 on a good day, I thought my skin could use the same products as a lot of twenty-somethings use, and for the most part, that is true. However, this concealer is not for forty-something skin, no matter HOW great your skin is. As you get older, you lose moisture and collagen in your skin, changing the elasticity. Even those of us that take care of our skin and look younger still have fine lines and skin that has been exposed to the elements for 40 plus years.

This concealer, no matter what they tell you, settles into fine lines. Regardless of how I applied it or how much moisturizer or primer I used, it settled into my fine lines around my eyes within a few hours. By the end of the day, my under-eyes looked blotchy, flaky, and downright awful. I have had concealers fade throughout the day, but this resulted in something I had never anticipated or experienced: it made me look older. I tried it a few times thinking that I just applied too much, or too little, or I didn't blend correctly. Every time I used it I had the same end-of-the-day result.

Let me be clear about two things.
1. Tarte Cosmetics is awesome. I have used some of their other products and LOVE them. I have an eye shadow palette that I use all the time and it's wonderful.
2. This concealer is great for someone with young, smooth skin. For a teen or a twenty-something, this would be perfect for concealing all kinds of skin issues.

My conclusion of my Tarte Shape Tape journey is that this isn't a great concealer for anyone over about 35. I found that I looked better just using my foundation under my eyes than trying it again and again hoping for something new but still getting the same result. That's the definition of insanity, isn't it? I suppose I just wanted to love it as much as everyone else does.

This whole experience sent me on a journey of finding a new concealer that works and still looks good at the end of the day. It led me to Urban Decay's Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer. It does a great job at covering redness, dark circles, and blemishes without the dreaded end of the day gasp when I look in the mirror. I am still willing to try other high-end concealers that are raved about. Maybe my next journey will be It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye.

Blueberry Chia Oats: A Different Kind of Breakfast

I hadn't planned on there being this much time between my last post and this one but life got away from me. Work got busier, I was working through a pain flare, and my mom had surgery. It's been quite a hectic few weeks. I am finally getting back on track. I have been trying some new foods and eating a more plant based diet. Don't worry, I haven't fully gone vegan, but probably about 75% of my diet is now plant based. Not surprisingly, I feel a lot better. I am even trying out Kombucha for the first time. I don't know who this healthy girl is, but I am liking her. I wish she would have gotten on board in her 20's. Maybe then she'd have a lot fewer health problems!

Part of being healthy is eating whole foods and getting all the nutrients you need to create and sustain energy throughout the day. I have been looking at ways to take some of the foods I am eating and add to them or mix them up a bit to make them more interesting. One thing I need more of in my body is Omega-3. I used to take a supplement but I have such a sensitive stomach that it didn't last long. I consume granola with flax seed almost on a daily basis but wanted to find an additional way to consume more Omega's. Cue Chia seeds.

I made overnight oats the day that my mom had surgery. We had to be there so early that I knew I would never be able to eat breakfast beforehand. So, I brought my overnight oats in a mason jar to save to eat after she got settled. I had added chia seeds to the jar and I loved it. It tasted so good that when I found this recipe, I knew I had to try it.

I am not one for making breakfast on the stove top if I can help it. I am all about quick and easy breakfast (hence the overnight oats). My standard morning breakfast is oatmeal cooked in the microwave with blueberries and granola. I decided to take a chance on something a little different and I loved it! Even cut in quarters, this recipe still made enough for me to have the leftovers the next morning. Find the original recipe here.

Blueberry Chia Oats

1/4 c gluten free rolled oats
1/2 T chia seeds
1/2 Tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c blueberries
pinch of sea salt
1/2 T honey
1 c unsweetened almond milk

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a small to medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium/low and let simmer for about 10 min. Stir frequently until most of the liquid is absorbed and remove from heat.
3. Transfer to a bowl and top as desired.

I topped my batch with granola, dried blueberries, and almond slivers. Super healthy and very tasty. You can see pictures on my Instagram page: randomcoordinatedchaos. 

Get out there and try something new and healthy! Let me know what you find.

Paleo Muffins: Retrial

I recently made Paleo Strawberry Muffins. (Original blog post here.) It didn't go as planned. We all have those moments where we have this big idea and expectations and then one false move and...disappointment. That was me two weeks ago.

Baking vegan is not an easy task. When you have food allergies you have to make some sacrifices. Dairy and eggs are the hardest to bake without. I have yet to have a new allergen-free recipe turn out wonderful on the first try. (Unless you count bread in my bread maker that comes out perfect every single time.) I tried to substitute for the three eggs the recipe called for. Being as I like the flavor of chia over flax, I tried chia "eggs." I had whole chia seeds and no way to grind them down successfully. This led to "eggs" that were too gelatinous for the recipe in question and kept the muffins from baking the way they should have. So, I decided to do a retrial of the recipe to see if the ground chia made a difference. After that trial, I purchased a grinder on Amazon and patiently waited for the mail delivery.

My grinder arrived! I was finally able to try out the Paleo Muffin recipe with ground chia. Let me tell you...the grinder I purchased is heavenly. It took less than 5 seconds to grind 3 Tablespoons of chia seeds. This is the one I purchased. I highly recommend it for spices or coffee. It's powerful, sleek, and easy to clean. (Under $15 didn't hurt.)

The retrial was NOT a complete success, but I definitely saw improvement. The ground chia made a huge difference, but I still ended up baking them for about 45 min and some of the muffins still had a gooey center. I decided to try blueberries this time thinking that they would help with the wetness in the center. They did, slightly. The batter was much fluffier and not quite as thick as my first attempt. Despite the batter not being too wet, they still had problems baking. After they cooled, they set up a lot better and were definitely more edible than the first batch.

My deduction is that a flax or chia egg substitute only works if you have 1 or 2 eggs to replace. I am curious to see what happens if I try it with 2 chia eggs instead of 3 and add maybe a Tablespoon of coconut flour. Coconut flour is known to absorb liquid, even with a small amount of flour. This may help soak up the extra moisture. It's worth a try, right? I also think that using all coconut oil instead of part ghee may have been an issue I need to resolve as well. However, I still need it to be milk and dairy free. Ghee is not something I have tested with my allergies, so I would rather not use it. Finding a substitute for the ghee in the original recipe, though, might make a huge difference.

I am not usually a person that tries to create my own recipe off of another. However, I am determined to get these to work! There is a first time for everything and this first time may just take a handful of trial runs before it comes out perfect. Hopefully, all of you will enjoy the learning I am doing and maybe learn a little something new yourself. Trial #3 in the works.

***These will only last 3-4 days in a sealed container. Today, day 5, I found mold on the bottom of the last muffin. So either eat or freeze them.

Paleo Strawberry Muffins: Success or Fail?

Baking gluten free, dairy free, and egg free is always a challenge. I have an AA in Pastry Arts and I still struggle to cook and bake this way. I recently started following this wonderful blogger Paleo Gluten Free Eats on Instagram and she has inspired me to start baking and cooking more. Her posts are beautifully photographed and she is always making something interesting and new. Watching her videos and reading her blog made me start searching even further for more recipes that fit in my dietary category. For the most part, her recipes do that, but I also need egg free. It's extremely difficult to find something Paleo AND egg free.

I recently headed the Paleo route only because that diet does eliminate dairy and gluten already. The added bonus is no refined sugar, which I have also been working on cutting down. The only problem with Paleo and my dietary restrictions is that it does include eggs, and usually a lot of them. (In regular cooking, it also usually includes a lot of meat which my body isn't used to. I have also recently eliminated chicken as an experiment). So, with that in mind, I went to Pinterest. I have (as many do) a love/hate relationship with Pinterest. It's mostly that I hate that I love it. As many of us know, though, it's a great resource for recipes, especially for special diets. I found a few recipes I wanted to try but was craving something I could take as a snack for work that also felt summery. I came across a recipe for Paleo Strawberry Muffins. No gluten, no dairy, no refined sugar...but 3 eggs. Going back to my baking training, I remembered that I could substitute a flax or chia "egg" instead of using a powdered egg replacer (which never works as well and smells like chemicals). So, I went on a run to the store to find chia.

The store only had whole chia seeds which I determined would be fine and I could just grind them in the tiny food processor we have. NOPE. This was the one big fail. 20 min of grinding in the food processor and they barely broke down. I tried mashing them in the mortar and pestle we have (that a quick search on Google said would also be an option) and NOPE. Nothing. So, I went forward with the recipe anyway. This was the major flaw in my plan. When the chia isn't broken down into powder it becomes EXTRA gelatinous and way too thick to be an egg replacement. I ended up baking it longer than necessary and it was still a bit gummy. The taste was great but I had to toss the remaining muffins after a few days because they got soggier. I have already ordered a spice grinder so I can try this recipe again!

Try it yourself and let me know how it goes. I have included the regular egg and the chia/flax egg information. The strawberries can be swapped out for raspberries, blueberries or I would think even apples (with a dash of cinnamon...yum). Find the original recipe here.

Servings: 9 muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour        
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs (flax or chia substitute: 1 Tbsp. ground flax or chia to 3 Tbsp. water per egg)  
• 1/4 cup honey (preferably organic and raw; sub maple syrup for vegan)
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil melted (can also substitute ghee for all or half of oil)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries     

  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease or line muffin tin (or use silicone baking cups).
2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl with a large whisk. Combine wet ingredients in medium bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently fold in strawberries.
3. Use a large ice cream or cookie scoop to fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

I will be trying this recipe again as soon as my grinder arrives. I will post an update to my trial. So, the verdict is that it was a successful fail. Not a complete fail, but not a complete success. A second trial awaits!