Resolve to evolve |
| Happy New Year, darlings. I love the start of anything bright, shiny,
new, and full of promise -- especially a new year. What I do not love
or enjoy is the all the depressing and silly talk I hear about New
Year’s resolutions. |
| It has been impossible to escape the flood of chipper TV personalities
encouraging, supporting, and selling the idea of New Year’s
resolutions. From successful weight loss to personal fiscal management
there has been a score of professional cheerleaders with tips to bolster
flagging willpower. The new year even brought forth an army of newly-minted
mavens guaranteeing success and happiness, bolstered by hapless hosts
exchanging tales of resolutions made and lost. There was even one
sad little author on a morning show who wrote a book called How Not
to Look Old. One of her tips included buying a “designer bra
case for your investment bras so they don’t get dented”.
Darlings, the mind boggles. |
| It seems that many of us have an endless thirst for self improvement.
I know I do; I think it’s a wonderful thing. I also know that
embracing a New Year’s resolution can be a lot of fun, if it
is done in the right way. Alas, it usually isn’t or we wouldn’t
have a zillion so-called experts on what to do keep from failing at
all our wonderful resolutions. Or so many darned silly suggestions.
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| Change is hard; it doesn’t come naturally to any of us. Believe
me, I know. I have had to quit smoking, lose weight, and move across
the country and a couple of continents. Quitting smoking was easier,
but it was nothing like the commercials on TV or any of the experts
said it would be. Actually it was much simpler. But the key was I
made up my mind to do it and then I did it giving myself the time
and care I needed. |
| For me, quitting smoking was not so much a “resolution”
as an “evolution”. I decided to quit and then I evolved
slowly and secretly into a non-smoker. I didn’t even tell my
husband. I was not much of smoker, but enough of one that my doctor
wanted me to stop. Friends of mine have quit have used nicotine patches
and the like -- and good on them, if it works. The point I’m
making is that I think evolution works much better on most people
than resolution. |
| Resolution sounds so strong and gusty, but usually it doesn’t
work, at least not in the long run. Isn't resolution a better word
for moral directives rather than lifestyle choices? Shouldn’t
it be reserved for statements such as ‘I resolve not to tolerate
discrimination of any kind’? |
Darlings, I have observed that those who look the best and have
the richest, sexiest, sweetest lives at any age are constantly evolving.
They are constantly growing and learning. Think about the people you
love. You’ll see the ones who are the most interesting –
and usually the most interested in others.
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| As simple as walking a dog |
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| Sparkly women are the ones who come back from a new destination
with something interesting to say about it. Aren’t your most
interesting friends good at more than just their work? Don’t
they also garden, paint, learn new languages, work out? |
| Interesting people have richer inner lives, but they also reach
out to others. It’s a delicate balance and not just in that
HR catch phrase “life-work balance” sense either. I talk
about those who are truly wise enough to cultivate their own creativity
and their relationships. |
| You may wonder how this helps a person to change or make the decision
to lose weight or quit smoking. Obviously if a person just goes to
movies or just reads books it won't. But a person who is always ready
to evolve into a better, more attuned, creative state will find a
way that works for them. |
| There are a million ways to work out and just as many ways to lose
weight. At the end of the day the decision to eat less and move more
will bring about the desired results. So easy to say so hard to do,
until you find the food to eat and exercise for you. The resolve of
Carrie Nation won’t help if you feel miserable and deprived,
unless you are a masochist. Granted, forgoing extra treats and always
getting to gym takes discipline for most of us. That is why it is
so important to find something that you truly love. |
| It’s why learning to cook really healthy food, or how to buy
and order it, is so important. I think finding a perfect gym and trainer
especially for women is magic for most of us. Yoga’s popularity
is enduring because it can be a life-changing workout with the right
teacher and class. |
Different things work for different people. It all starts with being
open to what makes your heart sing.
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Yoga works for many and can be vigorous as well as
calming!
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| Some of what works is downright prosaic. One dear friend’s
exercise routine has evolved from walking the dog she bought for her
daughter a few years ago. The little pooch has her up and moving before
the sun on some days. Another chic woman I know confessed she loved
Jenny Craig food. She gained weight when she stopped eating it after
she successfully finished the program. She lives alone on weekdays
and goes to see her fiancé on weekends. Her solution was as
simple as a stocked freezer. None of these long-term solutions was
costly or exotic. Quite the opposite. Actually I know of many people
who have spent thousands of dollars on pricey solutions that have
worked temporarily. The aftermath of weight gain when these women
stopped the optifast or clinic was heart-rending. |
| I do best when I eat very little. I am very little, after all. I
follow a plan I learned from Christine at Christine’s in Toronto.
I write it all down and it’s very dull to talk about, but it
works great. |
| The principle applies to many things, from learning a new language,
starting a new business, or taking up ballroom dancing. |
| Life is a creative process and you need to be willing to be one
of your most worthy and interesting creations. It’s not about
being self-centered or obsessed -- heaven forefend. It’s about
giving yourself the permission, care, and stimulation you need to
constantly evolve. After all, darlings you have just started to tap
all that fabulous potential. |
| So Happy New Year, darling, and here’s to a year of fabulous
evolution! |
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A Beauty line for foodies |
Chef Erica Wides is a creative consultant
for a new beauty line that sounds so delicious you may be tempted
to snack. Befine food skin care line is made up of 180 different food
ingredients. Edible ingredients include: coconut, oats, almonds, mint,
avocado, apple, lemon, and beets -- just to name a few.
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Chef Erica Wides
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| Chef Erica Wides is a teacher at the Institute
of Culinary Education in New York City. She has also
taught in Singapore, Tokyo, and Bogotá, Colombia. She has been
featured on many television shows including the Food Network.
Erica has appeared in many magazines and newspapers such as The
New York Times, The New York Post,
Redbook Magazine, and Harpers
Bazaar. |
| In this exclusive interview Chef Wides
share her insights on the importance of food-based cosmetics, as well
her tips on beauty and entertaining. |
| DD: What are the benefits of using natural foods
in skin care? |
| EW: Well, your skin absorbs 70% of whatever you
put on it; so essentially, it eats whatever you feed it. If eating
natural foods is important to you for your health, then the same applies
to your skin. Why use chemicals, dyes, and synthetics, if you can
use mushrooms, almonds and rosemary to the same effect? |
| DD: What special beauty problems can one address
using natural foods? |
| EW: The less refined and more "whole"
your foods are, the better your skin and health will be. |
| DD: What are your personal favourites in the line? |
EW: I really love the almond and brown sugar scrub, and the rosemary-mint
moisturizer.
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| DD: Do you have a special recipe or beauty tips
- or both - you could share with hour readers? |
| EW: On the www.befine.com
site there are recipes for several different seasons, but I really
love the minty beets and greens salad. It brings the freshness of
summer to an essentially winter vegetable. Also, for the cold winter
weather, keep using the sun block, but also allow yourself some direct
sunlight every day, if you can. You need it to make vitamin D, especially
in the short, dark days of December and January. It'll help you to
not only keep your skin healthy, but also help keep your mood up. |
| DolceDolce Tip: Try Befine Exfoliating Cleanser with
Brown Sugar and Sweet Almond & Oats for a quick
pick-me-up. It can remove your make-up and provide a quick scrub,
all in one step. Skin is left butter-soft and glowing. How fabulous
is that? |
| DYI Dolce Tip: DD readers know this former
beauty editor loves a masque. I also love anything cheap and cheerful
that works. Normally, home-made beauty precuts are anathema to me,
as chemistry is usually best left to experts. But this classic old-time
masque still works like a charm and is easy to make: |
| Oatmeal and honey masque for dry, dehydrated, or irritated
skin: |
| Blitz half a cup of plain uncooked oatmeal in your blender or food
processor until it is fine. |
| Mix 1 tbsp. of the fine oatmeal with 1 tsp. of honey (you may need
a little warm water too, depending on your honey) and spread on your
face for 10 to 20 minutes. Gently rub off with a warm, clean cloth.
This is best done in the bath. I like to do my hands too. It leaves
you silky. |
| If you want a bit of a peel, mix it with yogurt (it has lactic acid
in like many popular peels) and follow the same directions. Do not
use any of these masques if you are allergic to any of the ingredients
– if you can’t eat it, do not put it on your face. Store
the leftover oatmeal for the next time in a pretty jar. |
| While these home made masques are safe and leave your skin looking
lovely, darlings beware of homemade potions. Lately I have read about
a popular aspirin masque making the rounds on beauty sites on the
Internet. This old insanity is years old and dangerous. It involves
using aspirin to make a masque. Do not try this even once. It can
damage your skin or worse. |
| Beware of the crazy advice out there today. It’s getting crazy
with investment bras and aspirin masques one wonders what next blue-chip
panty hose? |
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| Not registered yet to receive DolceDolce’s
free weekly email newsletter? Help us grow; sign-up
today, and forward
to your friends. Because life should be sweet. |
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Get a mid-winter glow with the flick
of your wrist |
Would you like to look as a pretty as a poppy? Wouldn’t it
be fabulous to have a compact of pretty powder to whisk over your
face that would leave you glowing and burnished; powder that wouldn’t
go cakey and dry?
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Raw Natural Beauty Transformation Powder
is talc free, so it doesn’t get flakey. It leaves a translucent
peachy glow on your face and is full of lovely natural things that
do wonderful things for your skin such as pearl powder, bamboo extract,
plant extract from California poppies and Japanese Honeysuckle. It
feels as lovely as it looks. I used it over moisturizer and light
foundation and it was perfect. It also worked a treat on a bare face.
www.rawnaturalbeauty.com
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Literary ladies |
| Perhaps it’s not everyone’s idea of a dishy read, but
the fascinating Letters Between Six Sisters,
The Mitfords, by Charlotte
Mosley is divine. The Mitfords were a family of British
“it girls” who made headlines for decades. They shocked
as two of the sisters socialized with Hitler. Another sister became
the Duchess of Devonshire. Among their
friends: Queen Elizabeth, President John F. Kennedy,
Cecil Beaton, Evelyn Waugh,
and Givenchy. Perhaps most famous in her
own right is eldest sister Nancy. She wrote many popular books including
Love in a Cold Climate and historical biographies
about Louis the Sun King and Frederick
the Great, to name a few. |
| Spanning the 20th century, the sisters exchanged letters as frequently
as many of us send emails today. The book is brilliantly edited and
annotated, with a brief yet adequate family history by one of the
sister’s daughter-in-laws. This is a readable and intimate chronicle
of six unforgettable women and their lives. It is also a not-to-be-missed
volume for those who have enjoyed Nancy Mitford's work or lovers of
all things British. It's a perfect book to relish over a long period
of time and can be enjoyed in snatches. |
| If this appeals to you , but sounds too ambitious, why not try The
Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown.
It’s one of the smarter and more amusing ‘Diana reads”.
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Today’s pop culture is tomorrow’s history. So get a
good book and catch-up on your culture!
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| Banish the January
blues with a little Inner Peace by Panpuri |
Unless you are reading this at a spa, you most likely feel a need
for a little post-holiday lift. January weather is often a little
blues-inducing; it can be damp and wet, or cold and icy. Panpuri
is a luxurious new line from Thailand, where the spas are truly to-die-for.
Now, just by opening a jar of their Inner Peace Body Butter
you can experience the exotic healing aromas of natural ylang-ylang
in rich olive oil and turmeric cream. I was transported back to the
tranquil Andaman Sea by the intoxicating scent. To locate a Panpuri
spa location, visit www.panpuri.com
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A sweet, spicy
recipe for a cold winter winter's night Chicken Bastilla
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| This sweet and savory Moroccan chicken pie tastes and smells as
exotic as tales of the Kasbah. As with all classic ethnic dishes there
are many versions. This is mine. I love Chicken Bastilla (pronounced
Basteeya) for parties and it has always been a crowd pleaser at time.
I make it with barbecued chicken, which makes it a great cheat. I
also use apricots instead of the more usual dates and raisins because
it tastes so much better – and no one says yuck. It is baked
in a spring form pan that looks so much prettier than the recommended
and not exotic pie plate. If I had some big glazed terracotta pie
plates, I might consider those. But faced with Pyrex this is a no
brainer. I serve it with salad of raw fennel and oranges dressed simply
with a lemon and rice wine vinaigrette. |
| Try it; it is gorgeous. If you loathe any one ingredient or spice
just omit it. Taste the filling and make sure it is well seasoned.
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| For this recipe you will need to remove the meat from a large BBQ
chicken plus one BBQ chicken breast. Discard the skin and bones, or
save the bones for stock. |
| 1 large diced onion |
| 2 chopped garlic cloves |
| 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger |
| sauté |
| Add |
| Zest of one lemon |
| 1tsp. of turmeric |
| 2 more cloves of crushed garlic |
| ½ tsp chilies or more if you like it hot |
| ½ tsp oregano |
| 1 cinnamon stick |
| 1tsp. of cumin |
| sauté to blend about 2 minutes. minutes |
| Add: |
| ¼ cup chopped plump dried apricots |
| ¼ cup chopped or sliced toasted almonds |
| ¼ thinly sliced green olives |
| ¼ or ½ cup chicken stock with 8 saffron threads or
so dissolved into it and missed with 1 beaten egg. |
| Heat through and add the juice of a lemon. Correct seasoning and
cook until it is no longer very moist. Add 1 tbsp. chopped coriander. |
| Cool and remove the cinnamon stick. |
| Line a 9-inch greased spring-form pan with phyllo sheets. Use frozen
phyllo from the grocery store. You can lightly brush each sheet with
melted butter or olive oil, or spray them with PAM, or an organic
version. I prefer the spray. An olive oil mister is ideal. |
| Lay about 8 sheets of phyllo around the pan, overlapping and hanging
out so you can later enclose the filling. Don’t worry about
small tears. They will be ok when it all overlaps. |
| Fill the pan with your warm filling – it must not be hot.
Fold the hanging sheets of phyllo over the filling to enclose it,
make it look loose and pretty, but also make a good tight seal, using
the oil spray or melted butter. You can now refrigerate the pie until
you need it. |
| Bake in 375/180 oven until the top and edges are just lightly browned,
or about 20 minutes. Cool and carefully unmold. Dust the top with
powder sugar and a little cinnamon. I know the sweet topping seems
strange but it works. Slice with a sharp serrated knife. |
| I can hardly believe we launched DolceDolce only
a little over a year ago. I want to thank all of you who have joined
us as subscribers, it means so much me and to all of the DolceDolce
team. We are working on new ways to make DolceDolce
better all the time as we evolve. We love to hear your suggestions,
so please give us your thoughts. We also love all the notes we get,
telling us what you like. We cherish every one of them. |
| We really need your help as we expand and grow this year. Look out
for new features So please sign-up
if you haven’t – DolceDolce is free.
And forward
us to all your friends. Because, as we always say, life should be
sweet. |
| Remember darlings, if you must make a New Years resolution, then
resolve to evolve as you are one of your most fabulous creations!
Until next week. |
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| Gracey Hitchcock |
| Editor |
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