Products Gone Horribly Wrong

For Christmas, I received a few Smashbox cosmetic products including a small tube of Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. While this product is  to be worn under facial foundation, and has been haloed as somewhat of a "miracle product", it is nothing but a tube of disaster waiting to happen! Approximately seven hours after applying this product to my face (as suggested per the instructions) the skin around  my eyes turned extremely red (patchy red) followed by a most uncomfortable itch including eye discharge. This has been occurring now for about 1 week (since I first used it) and a visit to  my doctor may be short to follow. Why am  I posting this? I strongly urge cosmetic consumers to think twice before purchasing this product. The pain and discomfort that may follow just isn't worth it!

Notes from the Grill

Wild chinook salmon can be some of the tastiest fish if prepared correctly. It is now October (how the time flies by…) and in the fall wonderful meats, produce and seafood can be found at farmer’s markets, at the grocery store, and in your backyard. My husband cold smoked wild chinook salmon on his Treager for roughly four hours under low temperature. Lay low on the salt. Too much of it in your brine can turn what could have been a great smoked fish into something not so great. Fish is great for your diet, and if you enjoy salmon, you will love it when it comes off the grill. Apple wood chips worked well with our brine recipe, but I would imagine that cherry or hickory would work just fine.

A Little BBQ History

Hawaiian barbeque began centuries ago and is a fusion of cuisines brought by multicultural immigrants somewhere between 300 and 500 A.D. (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Meat was originally cooked in an underground oven, also referred to as an imu (essentially a pit), that was outlined with volcanic rocks. A fire was built and meat, wrapped in banana or ginger leaves, was placed into the pit and covered with wet leaves, mats and soil. The intense heat emanating from the rocks cooked the meat through. This is a picture of an underground oven on the Big Island. By the way, the pork was excellent.

Farmers' Markets

Aloha from Oregon! My husband and I recently travelled to the Big Island of Hawaii, a place rich in culture and original Hawaiian traditions. If you haven’t had the chance to travel to the Big Island, I highly recommend it. Fresh produce is abundant and fairly cheap depending upon where you shop. While one of the best Hawaiian Farmers' Markets is located in Hilo, you can easily find one on the Island, regardless of where you are. Meats and grains can be expensive since much of it is imported. Buying breads, cheeses, fish, fruits and vegetables from a Farmers' Market can save you money which you may need to purchase meat, personal products and other items. This is a picture of a Farmers' Market we visited in Kailua-Kona.