Bye Bye Sun...

As Summer draws to a close( thank god, because I am over this HOT weather) I am still wanting to keep my sun kissed look as long as possible.  But, in a healthy way of course- not by visiting a tanning salon.  No offense to anyone who goes to one- they just aren't for me.  I have found three incredible products to keep using through the Fall. Some of these you might be familiar with,  but they are new to moi.

The first are these Kate Somerville Tanning Towelettes.  Just rub the towelettes over your body and within minutes you'll have a sun kissed glow.  The towelettes gradually darken with your skin so the glow looks a la' natural and not like Lindsey Lohan orange.   Once applied to your skin the color dries in seconds so you don't have to worry about staining clothes, towels, or anything else.  Now, these towelettes aren't the cheapest way to go, 8 for $48,  so I am saving mine for special occasions.  You can get them at Nordstrom or directly from her website www.katesomerville.com

I first read about Chanel's Soleil Tan in a magazine.  It was listed as an item that Jennifer Aniston uses to get her sun kissed glow and she's always glowing! I've been using it for about a month now and love, love, love... It doesn't take much just a small dab, which I actually mix in with my daily foundation.  This gives me just the right amount of glow I am looking for.   You can purchase this anywhere Chanel makeup is sold. 

  

Last but certainly not least is Jergens Natural Glow Express Lotion. I know people have been using this for a while now but I just started to use and of course I love like everyone else.  I only started to use it though when I was in need of new foundation for the Summer.  I was explaining to my MAC girl how I hate when my face is darker than my neck because I don't know what shade of foundation to buy.  She told me to just buy the Jergens and rub it on my neck daily, that way my face and neck would be the same color.  Genius!  Why didn't I think of that?  So, now I use this daily as well and will continue to use into the Fall.  The express is supposed to jump start the color within one day compared to the regular.  Seems to do the trick for my neck. 

So, as we say goodbye to the long hot days of Summer I will continue to take my sun kissed glow wherever I go!

Farm to Table...

This past weekend Nathan and I had the opportunity to participate in Green Dirt Farm's Farm to Table Dinners.  Green Dirt Farms produce sheep's milk cheeses, yogurt, and 100% grass-fed lamb at their farm  near Weston, Mo.  Their philosophy is simple: They believe in the tradition of community-based farms where customers know how their food was produced, and who produced it. 

For the past 4 Summers they have been holding the ever popular Farm to Table dinners featuring a local chef from one of the many restaurants around Kansas City.  The Chef is able to use the 100% grass-fed lamb as well as ingredients from other local farms in the community.  These dinners are so popular that when we went on the website to book this year, the 16 dates were sold-out within 10 minutes.  Each dinner is 4 courses and there's a drink pairing with each course.  We were lucky to get Chef Ted Habiger from Room 39 in Midtown.  

The evening started around 6:30 at the farm and all the dinners are held in the old farmhouse barn.  The inside of the barn looks like something out of a Pottery Barn catalog. 

  We started out the evening with appetizers of Bruschetta, Lamb Tartare, Dirt Lover Cheese, Jam, and Orchard Bread.  It was washed down with a Cucumber Cooler to drink. 

We sat around a large farmhouse table with about 30 other guests. 

This was our menu for the evening:

 1st course:

lamb offal terrine paired with Zilliken Riesling, Germany 2011

2nd course:

oeufs en meurette paired with Michel Gay, Bourgogne Rouge, France 2009

3rd course:

lamb moussaka paired with Terra Dora di Paolo, Aglianico, Italy 2010

4th course:

apple cobbler paired with Huet, Vouvray demi-sec, Le Haut-Lieu, France 2007

The entire meal lasted around 3 1/2 hours and it was absolutely worth every penny.  What was so amazing was that after all the food we ate we weren't utterly stuffed but very content. The lamb was cooked to perfection and the vegetables were so fresh, you could tell they had just been picked. 

One of our new friends we met that evening . See, we are finished and all smiling! The only downside is we have to wait until next year to do it again!

 

Bang Bang...

We love Wednesday! It's one of our favorite nights out of the week to go out and eat.  We always head to the same spot - Bonefish Grill.  It's $5 Bang Bang Shrimp night!! 

If you've never experienced Bang Bang Shrimp put it on your calendar for next Wednesday night.  It's a hot steaming bowl of crispy shrimp tossed in a creamy spicy sauce.  It's devine! Usually we order one each with another appetizer and it's a full meal.   My favorite part is eating the lettuce that's underneath the shrimp with the creamy sauce mixed all over.

Tonight, Nathan decided to try the Mussels Josephine as a starter and I've never smelt anything so mouthwatering.  The mussels are warm and fresh and are sauteed in a broth of tomatoes, garlic, basil, and lemon wine sauce.

Add in a great glass of Sauvignon Blanc and you have and incredible weekday meal.  All for under $25.