Lovely images from Cucina con Amore a cookbook by Sophia Loren. Originally published in 1971.

Via Let Them Eat Cake

Staying fit during the holiday season is one of the most difficult things to do, especially for a food lover like myself. So to get me through the holidays without bursting my seams, I depend on healthy snacks like this week’s pick: Rachel’s Essence yogurts.

I fell in love with Rachel’s Essence yogurts a few months ago when I was handed some free samples during my commute home from downtown San Francisco (FYI: Marketers – FREE SAMPLES WORK!) I am VERY picky when it comes to yogurt, and I was so impressed by the delicious and palatable flavors Rachel’s was offering in their variety of yogurts that I went ahead and bought a dozen to try them out. Flavors like Plum Honey Lavender (Calm Essence) are uniquely wonderful, but my absolute favorite is Pink Grapefruit Lychee (Refresh Essence), which is pure heaven, totally the nectar of the gods in my book.

The Essence flavors aren’t only to die for, but are good for you too, since they, as most yogurts do, contain probiotic cultures, (microorganisms that help maintain your body’s intestinal balance), and are made from all natural ingredients. Most importantly though, Rachel’s yogurts are rbST-free, which means the cows that provide Rachel’s milk are not given any artificial growth hormones. They also include omega-3 fatty acids (see my post on the benefits of omega-3s), which help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. One serving of Rachel’s Essence yogurt has approximately 150 calories and 2.5 grams of fat, and 10 mg cholesterol, and 8 grams of protein. I am totally satisfied eating half a serving at a time, which cuts my caloric intake to 75, perfect for any snack attack!

REVIEW:
Cost: $1.19 for 6 oz.
Value: Good
Accessibility: Moderate
Where to Buy: Whole Foods Market

Enjoy and stay posted for more beauty tips and picks to come next week!

I don’t get to watch too much T.V. these days. But while visiting my family for the Thanksgiving Holiday I had a bit of time to catch up on some of yee ole boob tube and nearly lost it when I say this commercial. I’m Luvin’ ITZ! Don’t be stingy with your 10 piece grrrrl, break your man off some…McNuggets People, McNuggets!!

So, this is where I admit to the world my genuine LUV for the R ‘n B jams. And so I’m thinking that maybe McDonald’s might have been inspired by Raheem Devaughn’s jam from earlier this year, “Customer”. Watch it here (as all the codes for this vid are disabled on youtube, wtf? Raheem?) Compare me to an order of super sized fries anyday, hahaha! Just show me the man that can tell me “Let me serve you up…See your the customer, girl you can have it your way” and WATCH. OUT. NOW.

Artwork: “Veruca Salt” by Kathie Olivas
I’m not the healthiest M.I.S.S. out there, but my intentions are good, and I’ll be the first to admit, I struggle with having a healthy lifestyle (getting enough sleep, not eating junk food, exercising) when life kicks into high gear. In the past, especially in college, I used energy/health bars to sustain my blood sugar through long work/project/study hours, but didn’t really care for their chalky, over sweetened flavors and cardboard texture. Recently, a friend gave me a few LÄRABARs, and I was totally blown away by the level of energy they provided and how good they are; a far cry from the health/energy bars of the last decade. It’s really amazing how much delicious flavor could be packed into such a small bar that is completely raw, unsweetened, and 100% vegan. Each bar contains no more than six ingredients, and counts for one serving of fruit as well. These days, I’m all about the LÄRABARs and take them when I’m on the go, eating portions of the bar in-between meals. These bars are really great for traveling, my favorites are Coconut Cream Pie and Apple Pie, they really taste like pie, and that’s on the real tip.

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Breast Cancer does not see age and affects many young women under forty. The Young Survival Coalition is an non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and supporting young women living with breast cancer.

The Young Survival Coalition (YSC) is the premier international, nonprofit network of breast cancer survivors and supporters dedicated to the concerns and issues that are unique to young women and breast cancer. Through action, advocacy and awareness, the YSC seeks to educate the medical, research, breast cancer and legislative communities and to persuade them to address breast cancer in women 40 and under. The YSC also serves as a point of contact for young women living with breast cancer.

Hershey’s is donating $300,000 to the Young Survival Coalition and you can help the cause by purchasing some of their yummy treats including Hershey’s Kisses, Peppermint Patties (pink centers!), and Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups - all dressed in pink for the cause.

I love coffee and have at least 2 cups a day but sometimes I get really bummed out about all the paper I waste by getting “to go” cups at coffee shops. I’ve been on the hunt for a travel mug for my coffee so as to reduce my “carbon footprint” and what better way to do that than by also raising awareness of breast cancer? The Ready, Set, GO PINK travel mug can be customized and purchased online here.

I stumbled upon Mackage because of their Hope coat, a limited-edition coat created to raise breast cancer awareness.  One of the designers of Mackage, Elisa Dahan, wanted to honor her mother and create something that would raise funds to support breast cancer research.  The Hope coat features a white lining with pink bows on it and pink piping on the outside.  Aside from being a fabulous coat, what struck me was how refreshing it is that they didn’t just create a pink coat.  They added pink in small details without sacrificing their aesthetic.  $100 from the sale of each coat is donated to the Breast Cancer Research Fund.

If you like the Hope coat, you must check out the rest of the pictures from Mackage’s Fall/Winter ‘08 Collection.  The photos are stunning and perfectly highlight the dramatic wool and leather coats with upturned collars and large fur hats.  It’s very Julie Christie in Dr. Zhivago and I thought I’d never say this, but I want it to be cold so I could wear those coats!  More pictures after the jump.

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Join GAMA-GO and Ningyoushi in an Octoberfest celebration! The beer will flow as they toast the release of the Wooden Deathbot Lederhosen!

The party starts this Monday October 13th at 6-8pm at the City Beer Store (1168 Folsom St between 7th & 8th) in the SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco. For two hours drink from a free keg of delicious German beer & chat over all things Deathbot with the GAMA-GO family and friends at their favorite watering hole. (That means 21+ folks)

The Deathbot Lederhosen Wooden toy will be available for sale, it’ll be the first opportunity to grab this Barvarian beauty.

For more info, visit the GAMA-GO site.

This one’s for our readers in beautiful Hawaii! The Nuuanu Gallery in Honolulu is hosting an exhibition called Dirty Laundry: The Art of the Stain in Modern T-Shirt Design. The basic concept is that they asked designers to stain t-shirts with a medium of their choice (grass, wine, lipstick, etc.) and then design custom artwork that uses the stain as an integral design element. Lots of cool artists and designers are participating including Mike Perry, Damien Correll, Frank Chimero (a favorite of mine!), Kris Chau, Wyeth Hansen and Tim Gough.

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When I was little, one of my favorite things that my grandmother used to make was frittata. We would have it as a second course after pasta or as a snack. As an adult, one of my favorite things to eat is tapas and I found out that the frittata that I grew up eating is also called a Spanish Omelet. So whether you call this dish frittata, or Spanish Omelet, it’s very yummy and easy to make. Though in Italy and Spain it’s eaten more as a lunch/dinner item, I really like having it for breakfast (it’s potatoes and eggs!) and it makes a really nice brunch item for a group of people. Photos, tips and recipe after the jump . . .

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