H.A. Larson's Blog, page 80

$5 Dollar Tree Challenge

So yesterday I walked into a Dollar Tree with $5 and a mission:  find some decent makeup.  Here's how I did. (BTW, I'm using my grandmother's embroidery for the background.)

 I found these eyeshadows!  Look at those cool looking L.A. Colors shades!  I like the speckling, and I'm guessing they help the eyeshadow with effects.  I've heard of these before, and they had a few different shades so I tried to pick one that has colors for different seasons.  Then I found the NYC eyeshadow, and I got excited.  I've been looking for a good dark green/orangey-brown type combo, and this was it.  I already have a couple of NYC shadows and I like them so this was a good find.

Next I found an L.A. Colors compact for my purse, a must have!  Then I found a Milani lip liner.  They only had two colors, #10 which was kind of brown, and the #7 which is burgundy and the one I purchased.  It should go good with several of my lips colors, so I can't wait to try that out.  Lastly, I grabbed this small Nivea Creme, perfect for my purse.  It's really creamy and thick.  Good stuff.

It's always nice to find some bargain makeup to add to your collection.  Try out the $5 challenge and let me know how you did! 

Opeth and In Flames

Some photos from the 12/03/14 concert at Sokol Auditorium.   I'm a big fan of metal, and have been since age 14.  Opeth is one of my favorites, so I jumped on tickets to see them as soon as they were available last summer.  They headlined with In Flames, whom I'm just kind of meh about, but they were really great live.  My husband and I took our 15 year old son whose love for metal only really extends to Opeth.  :D  It was an awesome show overall!   #opeth  #omaha

Schramm State Park

The kids and I were out the other day enjoying the beautiful weather at Schramm State Park, which is close by.

Vegan Cheese!

The other day when I posted my recipe for my Oatonut milk, I talked about making vegan cheese.  Over the holidays, I purchased a couple of cookbooks from The Gentle Chef, one being The Non-Dairy Evolution Cookbook.  This cookbook is amazing!  It has lots of recipes for cheeses, butter, sour cream, and all things a carnivore needs in order to survive.  I made the Extra-Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, and it was finally ready for consumption a few days ago.  I made two molds, one I've about completely demolished on some yummy seed crackers, while the other I'm letting age for awhile longer.

The other cheese I have shown is my homemade vegan parmesan.  It's delicious and adds great flavor to most any savory dish.  I use this a lot.  While I cannot post the recipe for the Extra-Sharp White Cheddar due to copyright laws, I would suggest you purchase the cookbook for yourself.  You can find it on amazon for a decent price here.  While I can't give you that recipe, I can give you the one for my homemade vegan parmesan.

H.A. Larson's Homemade Vegan Parmesan 

In a food processor, add the following ingredients:

1 c. cashews (I prefer cashews, but you can use any nut or seed you like.)
2-3 T. nutritional yeast
1-2 T. flax seed meal  (or whole flax seeds)
1 t. salt
1 t. granulated garlic
1 t. granulated onion

Whiz until completely mixed and has the consistency of sand.  I store in the refrigerator because nut oils can go rancid if not eaten quickly, but if you go through it as quickly as I do, you can store in the cupboard.

Drugstore Haul

Today I went to the drugstore to get some things, and I thought I would share with you what I got.

 First up:  Garnier remover wipes.  I know I already own two, but I just *need* another one, and like the Burt's Bees one I already own, this one is fine for using on eyes.  Then I bought two Conair hair items, a wide de-tangling comb and a wide brush.  I use a similar comb to this already and it's my absolute favorite.  Unfortunately it's old and getting warped from all the time it's spent traveling so a new one was necessary.  I also got myself a two-sided makeup mirror to sit on my makeup table.  This one has a 3x magnify on one side, and regular on the other.  Perfect for eye makeup, and a good addition to the mirror I already have on the table.

 I already have cleansing pads, but these are nice and big.  Then I have a pack of cheap, disposable eye makeup applicators.  I got some Wet 'n Wild concealer for uneven skin tone which is more of a problem now that I'm older.  My old one is a goner, so a new one was necessary.  The pink stick underneath that is a nice pink blossom color balm.  It's a good spring color and it was inexpensive as it's also Wet 'n Wild so I nabbed that.  Then I got another Wet 'n Wild product, an eyebrow pencil with brush.  I do not like the eyebrow pencils I currently have, so I'm hoping this one works much better.  Last, but not least, the Revlon eyeliner liquid pen-brush.  I absolutely adore this eyeliner and I was out.  'Nuff said!

 I was super excited to see the L'Oreal Infallible Matte foundation and finishing powder at the drugstore!  I've been looking for this (although not super hard as I don't shop *that* much) and am excited to try.  Again, as I get older I need foundation with better coverage.  I like the shades they have too, looks pretty easy to find your perfect color.  I tried to get one that would be a good mix between my winter and spring skin color.  Last, I have another Wet 'n Wild product:  eyeshadow primer.  I only started using this product not terribly long ago, and the one I have ran out.  I've had a hard time locating one that didn't cost a fortune, so I was happy to find this one.  Good price too.

 I use Suave hair products regularly, but I was intrigued by the Hask Mint & Almond Oil thickening shampoo and conditioner.  I'm trying to stay away from products that have silicone and Suave is a guilty party.  Anyway, the Hask was on sale and as I have thin hair with grey "highlights" I thought I'd give this a try.  I love the way mint and almond oil smell, so there's that too.  I also grabbed some flexible hold Garnier Fructis hairspray.  I style my hair lightly, and this works great for that.  It allows me to spray and scrunch without gluing my hair.

Last on the decks, I got some Carmex hydrating lotion for my heels and my hands.  I find the Carmex line works well for both.  The last item is the Amope Pedi Perfect electric foot buffer, and oh em gee, I so want to use this!  I saw this advertised on tv, and if you're anything like me, you have horrible, dry, cracked heels.  I've tried every product on the market, and as you saw from a previous beauty bin, I use the Dr. Scholl's foot egg and some food salve.  It's a lot of work to buff feet though, and I never get them completely smooth.  I will use and review the Amope for another post.  

And there you have it!  My drugstore haul.  Have a great day!!

New Book Update!

So, my second book "The Melody" is only a few weeks away from completion!  I'm so excited, you have no idea.  It's definitely a good book, and it is a reflection of my growth as an author.  I can't wait for you all to read it!  I will be giving away my first book "Cold" for a couple of days before I publish "The Melody" so make sure you keep updated on the happenings.  You can subscribe to this blog, or you can follow me on facebook.  The links for both are located right over here ----> on the right-hand side of my blog.

 Also, here's a peek at the cover for my forthcoming book of poetry, titled "Deep, Dark, and Lovely."  It's a bit darker than some poetry, so don't be expecting all the flowery stuff.  It's going to be at a delicious price of only $0.99...can't beat that!  Have a fantastic day!

Lake Cunningham

Walked around by Lake Cunningham yesterday evening.  As you can see, it was gorgeous!   I was happy to catch that perfect photo of the Sun setting.

Oatonut Milk

Over the past few years, I've been moving more and more towards a vegan diet.  Although I haven't completely given up my carnivore ways, I do tend to eat more plant-based food than any other kind.  I love vegan food, not just because I feel better when I do, but because I love the challenge that vegan cooking & baking provide.  I've started delving into more labor-intensive vegan projects, just yesterday my extra-sharp vegan white cheddar cheese finished culturing and firming.  I have to say, it was mighty delicious for a vegan cheese which made me happy.  Cheese is one of the hardest things to give up for this fledgling vegan.  This is the case for most dairy products, milk included.  I was out of vegan milk the other day, and opted to make my own as I had purchased this awesome, large canning jar (6 cups+!).  It's made with oats and coconut, hence the oatonut name.  Here's how I did it.

 I added one cup of oats (the kind you use for oatmeal) and one cup of shaved, raw coconut to a food processor.  This recipe would actually work better with a high-powered blender, but alas, I do not have one.  Someday Vitamix, someday!   I digress.  Add two cups of water and whiz in the processor for one minute.  Using a strainer (see mine in the following pics) drain into a bowl as shown above.  You will have to press the oatonut pulp with a spoon to get as much moisture out as possible.  I then added the pulp and another cup of water back into the processor for another minute.  Repeat with the straining and pressing.  Then I added two cups of water, one cup at a time, through the pulp in the strainer and into the bowl.  This I did just to get any starchy milk goodness left behind.

 Don't throw away that pulp!  I saved it in this container and put it in the fridge.  You could add it to just about anything:  pancakes, muffins, or bread.  My husband's birthday was the next day so I added it to his chocolate cake batter.

 Now that milk has been made, it needs a further, finer straining.  Here you see my large Ball canning jar, my strainer, and a nice square of cheesecloth.

 I lined the strainer with the cheesecloth, then using a one-cup measure, I poured the milk through the strainer.  I found that the mouth of the jar wasn't wide enough, and I was making a mess so I tried this next step instead.

 I put the strainer over a pitcher instead.  Perfect!  You will have to change the cheesecloth a few times as it gets clogged quickly with the pulp.

When the milk was completely strained, I put it in my extra-large canning jar and added enough cold water to make six cups.  It was a good consistency for me at that point, and if you like your vegan milk sweetened you can add that in now.  I like my vegan milk unsweetened, particularly because I cook and bake with it as well as drinking, but maple syrup, stevia, or a touch of turbinado sugar would be nice.
There you have it!  It wasn't as hard as I expected it would be to make, and it tastes delicious!  Enjoy.

Downtown on a Sunny Afternoon

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous out this week, so the kids and I took a stroll the other day downtown.  Here are some photos that I took.

Beauty Bin #3 - The Last One!

 Here's the bin.  As you can see, it's changed!  That's because I bought a nice roller cart to put my beauty items and supplies into, with the exception of my makeup.  I'll save my makeup box for another day.

 Here are some shaving type items.  My shave gel that works great, and then a Mary Kay 2-in-1 item that is a shave soap/body wash.  It was a gift, and I've used it a couple of times.  I like it.  I can clean and shave while it keeps my legs smooth.  Do recommend!

 Some body powder, perfect for sticky days (I mean the humidity, get your mind out of the gutter!  ;)), and a couple of Dead Sea Essentials I picked up at Target awhile back.  The taller tube is tea tree lotion with is a refreshing lotion for the feet, but is nice on elbows and arms too.  The other is a mud mask with chamomile.  It works okay, but not that great.  It doesn't clean my pores as well it claims, but it does give my face a fresh feeling.  I have used most of the lotion, but not much of the mask.

 Garnier Damage Eraser hair mask.  This is for times when your hair needs some TLC.  It's a fairly new item in my collection, and I haven't used it yet.  To be continued!  The other is some cheap feminine wash that I picked up in a bargain bin.  I don't use this kind of product very often, but for the price I grabbed some.

 Here are the generic versions of Clearasil's face care products.  The AM Refreshing facial cleanser is one of my favorites.  I used it in the shower, and then follow up with either the oil-free astringent shown, or one of my alba pineapple enzyme wipes.  These are great for taking care of your face, and we know how important that is!  ;)

 My Aveeno body lotion!  Who can live without a proper body lotion?  Not this gal.  The next item is the Suave Moroccan Argan Oil body lotion spray.  I love their Moroccan Argan Oil line so thought I'd try it out.  I love the lotion spray!  A quick spritz, a quick rub in, and your skin is smooth for the rest of the day.  It's perfect for legs.  The last item here is, again a product from Suave's Moroccan Argan Oil line, some dry shampoo.  I can on occasion skip a shower, but I cannot skip a hair wash so dry shampoo is a must for days when you oversleep, or just aren't feeling a shower.

Bonus item.  Now that's I've organized my stuff, I have this in with all the other items.  It's a compartment for hair items.  I keep all my hair pins and ties in here, as well as my daughter's.  Keeps everything where I can find them.


So, there we have it!  All of the beauty bins have been accounted for.  I actually have some stray items that I need to add into my cart.  I will make another post about that another time.  Have a great day!