Bacon Truffle Gruyere Mac N Cheese by Chef Wifey

Here it is!!  By popular demand :)

INGREDIENTS
- pasta (whatever you prefer, I used penne)
- 1/2 cup chopped bacon (courtesy of Meridian Meats)
- gruyere cheese....lots of it (again, any cheese you want, gruyere is one of the best for gourmet mac and cheese)
- 1 tsp. dark truffle oil, a little goes a long way (you can grab this at any specialty store, there is one in South Surrey called All of Oils and they are about $13 a bottle)

White Sauce
- 1 cup of milk
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp butter

DIRECTIONS
- preheat oven to 375 degrees (bake)
- fry bacon until crispy, once cooked, chop into little pieces
- cook pasta
- grate gruyere cheese
- to make the white sauce, put all ingredients in a sauce pan, on medium high heat, wisk until mixture is thick
- mix pasta, bacon, white sauce, truffle oil, and cheese together in a bowl, making sure all the ingredients are evenly mixed (make sure to leave about 2 cups of cheese to layer on top)
- place mixture into a deep baking dish or skillet and place a layer of cheese on top
- bake in the oven for about 30 min or until cheese on top has melted and has a golden colour

ENJOY!!!

Lipstick Swatches!! - Mommy Beauty

Evening ladies!! This week's inspiration comes from a few days of testing out new make up and beauty products.  I've been slowly cleaning out my vanity and replacing most of my make up with new, more "mommy friendly" shades and colours.  I have a good mix of everyday and evening looks that are both versatile and stylish but again, doesn't scream out "hey I'm 30 trying to look like I'm 19 again!!".

I love making myself up once in a while, even as a little girl, I would always play with my mom's lipsticks and eyeshadows.  As a teenager, i experimented with alot of different looks and cleaning out my make up drawer brought back memories of bold colours and questionable styles, haha.

Shortly after becoming a mom, I stopped wearing make up as I stopped thinking about taking care of myself obviously.  And when I did start wearing make up again, the colours that I had at the time just didn't work for me anymore.  I didn't want to look like I was about to walk into a night club while grocery shopping with my 9 month old.  So I read up on some mommy blogs, watched a few youtube videos and burned some plastic in the make up section.

I asked a few of my mommy friends what they find challenging when it comes to cosmetics and choosing lipstick colours is usually one of the hardest.  I recently purchased a few lipsticks that I thought were mommy friendly but also had a bit of glam.

Depending on your style, choose nudes or neutrals for day time and rich deep colours for evening wear.  Also depending on what you prefer, you can choose regular or matte, sheer or opaque. For my skin and hair colour and style, I chose a lot of nudes, mauves, deep plum shades, and of course the classic red.  I wear both glossy and matte depending on the occasion, I prefer matte if I want the colour to last the whole day with very little to no reapplying.

Below are swatches for both my day and evening wear.  I've also included my favourite lip liner and glosses.

DAY WEAR

These are my favourite day time neutral colours.  It looks good dressed up or down.  I dont use lip gloss for these colours as they are already shiny.  I do use a nude lipliner with it to prevent the lipstick from bleeding outside of the lip lines. Throughout a 6-8 hour day of errands, eating, drinking, etc.  I reapply once or twice.

Femme Couture Shiny Color Crayon in "Barely Blushing" - Sally Beauty Supply

Revlon Super Lustrous in "651 Porcelain Pink" - drugstore

Cover Girl Lip Perfection in "200 Sultry" 

EVENING WEAR

These are really fun colours and perfect for a girls night out or a fancy dinner date with the hubby.  I wore all the colours with gloss to make the colours pop in the photos, some colours I do wear just by itself to keep it more subtle.  For lipsticks I want to wear with no gloss, I choose the ones that are moisturizing and apply smooth.

Maybelline Color Sensational in "440 Mauve It Up" 

Wet and Wild in "514A Cherry Frost"

Cover Girl LipPerfection The Shades from Pat McGrath Collection in "335 Embrace"

Cover Girl LipPerfection The Shades from Pat McGrath Collection in "360 Euphoria"

Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids Collection in "865 Fuchsia Flash" - drugstore

Maybelline Color Sensational in "160 Fifth Ave. Fuchsia" - drugstore

GLOSSES & LINERS

Depending on how bold or subtle you want your lips to be, choosing the right gloss and liner will help you achieve the look you are going for.  You can wear a lipstick by itself, as long as it's moisturizing, or else your lips will chap and peel (not attractive at all!!).  Best bet is to buy an actual matte lipstick, it will keep your lip colour subtle and it will last longer. Or get lip stains which are a cross between lipsticks and lip gloss.  

For everyday wear, I use a nude lip liner and a clear gloss for my neutral lip colours.  The one I use is a lip liner pencil by Beautique in "Natural" from Sally Beauty Supply and a regular clear gloss by Bonne Belle.

For evening wear I also use Beautique lip liners to match my lipstick shade.  To keep it simple and easy, I buy 2 standard colours of tinted gloss to match my lip colours (light pink/peachy tint for the pinks and mauves, a deep red colour for the darker shades).  I do the same for lip liners (seen above).  I find that tinted lip glosses make the lip colour really pop out compared to just the clear gloss.

So to my fab mamas out there looking for a fresh new look, take a look at your make up collection and see what you can still work with or get rid of.  Or if you want a full revamp, head out there and splurge on some new make up, you deserve it!!

If you're a mommy and a beauty enthusiast, I hope you found this helpful!!
Product links are down below :)

Happy shopping!!



Links:
www.covergirl.com
www.maybelline.ca
www.sallybeauty.com
www.target.ca
www.shoppersdrugmart.ca


FOLLOW ME:
Instagram - @wifey604
Twitter - @wifey604vancity

What's In My Diaper Bag? - MY ESSENTIALS

Sup Mamas!!

My current obsession has been watching and reading about people's top favourites and hauls, mostly on You Tube.  I've discovered many cool and interesting products and it's always fun to hear others' opinions on these products as well.  This has inspired me to do my first of many favourites and hauls blogs (maybe I should start a You Tube channel HA!)

For any of you that are new parents and are looking for a list of basic things to have in your diaper bag, I hope you find this helpful.  These items have been my saving grace (and still are) for the past 2 years.

(I've included the links below for the products featured on this blog)

1.) It's all in the bag :)

Skip Hop Dash Bag (Crocodile or online store)

My fave bag and brand is Skip Hop. They have a ton of cute styles, it's good quality, and I absolutely love the pockets and storage.  This has lasted me 2 years and I still use it to this day especially when travelling.  

Why I love it:

- LOTS of pockets inside and out

- comes with a waterproof changing mat

- adjustable shoulder strap

- has a stroller handle straps so it can buckle onto your stroller

- unisex style, i love how it doesn't look like the big and bulky diapers bags that my mom used back in the day.  Even the hubby found it comfortable to carry around, he just wore it as a cross body bag.

- travel friendly as it carries a lot of stuff but very compact

- made with heavy duty canvas material so it can withstand everyday use

Fossil, Aldo

On certain days when I want to look a bit stylish, I use oversized purses as diaper bags.  These work fine if Jonathan and I go to the store or run errands. He doesn't need much if we're only out for a couple of hours so I just throw everything in my purse.  There are actual diaper bags out there that look like designer purses, I personally just use one of my larger bags.  This also avoids having to carry 2 bags, which is a hassle when we're constantly in and out of the car.

2.) The Essentials

Honest Co. Eco Friendly Diapers (online)

Lots of diapers.  You know how often you have to change your baby so prepare accordingly.  For a day trip I bring about a dozen, for a couple of hours of errands I pack about 6.

Honest Co. Eco Friendly Wipes (online)

Huggies wipes (I like the colours of their containers)

Travel wipes.  You can buy individual travel size ones or use the travel case that you can just refill.  I also keep a pack in my car, as mentioned in a past blog, baby wipes cleans anything off everything.  It's very handy for all spills and messes while you're out.  I use unscented ones so it's not so irritating on the skin, especially during warm weather.

Travel size Vaseline (regular or baby, any drugstore)

Mini travel size bum cream :)  I use Vaseline for Jonathan because I can use it on all parts of the body, not just the bum.  Very good especially for travelling in hot weather and you want to prevent diaper rash.

Munchkin Snack Cup (Wal Mart), Skip Hop bottle (Crocodile)

Food and snacks in SPILL PROOF containers.  Enough said :)

2.) The Extras

Mini books, Cars (I found these at Costco in the US, I also bought a safari animals set from Winners)

iPad Mini (with a "toddler proof" protective case)

Toys, books, games/movies, etc.  I bring these when we go to doctor's appointments or if we are eating at a restaurant.  My little one gets bored quite easily and can get really antsy if he sits still for more than 30 min. (what 2 year old sits still for 2-3 hours?).  I love the mini books and you can fit a lot of them in your bag.

3.) Chocolate

Organic Milk Chocolate (London Drugs, comes in different varieties)

For mom....just because :)

As you can tell, I don't put much in my bag as I try to keep it simple and stick to the bare essentials.  I found that packing everything but the kitchen sink was unnecessary as I end up not using more than half of what I pack, especially during Jonathan's immobile days and I had to carry a large bulky bag in addition to a stroller, car seat, and him.  

Alright!! My first "favorites" blog, done!! Hope you found this helpful or entertaining or both.  More to come :)

Links:

www.honest.com

www.crocodilebaby.com

www.apple.ca

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/griffin-technology-survivor-case-for-apple-ipad-mini-black/6592078.p?id=1218760167672&skuId=6592078

http://www.disneystore.com/books-entertainment-minnie-mouse-book-block-set/mp/1318062/1000232/

www.greenandblacks.ca

Weekly Meal Planning Made Easy!!

Evening ladies and gents!!

I've had a bit of a break from coaching this week so I had a lot of extra time to really get stuff done around the house.  If you follow me on Instagram (@wifey604), you know that I've been cooking up a storm this week and it inspired me to blog about meal planning.

As busy parents or busy people in general, we are all about everything that is fast and convenient, especially when it comes to our daily meals.  One of my biggest weaknesses is going out to eat, especially when I'm too tired to or lazy and just want someone else to cook me food.  This happened a lot after having Jonathan and was working full time in Vancouver (1 hour commute from home).  I was way too tired to cook dinner or prepare lunch to bring to work the next day.  Even the days when I wasn't tired, during the busy times of the year, I had to continue working when I came home.  So I always resorted to ordering food or eating out which , not only add up money wise, but start to become unhealthy as well as I wasn't exactly going for the healthy options on the menu (what better way to beat stress than with a burger and a beer at the local Cactus or extra whip cream on my morning Starbucks).

I wanted to get back into the habit of meal planning so I figured out a way that was simple, quick, and sustainable.  Before, I used to sit and think about what to make for the week, I spent hours online looking at recipes and making grocery lists.  But after baby, I found that method to be too time consuming and I was so annoyed by it, in the end I just gave up.

Once a week, usually on a Tuesday (the hubby and I have odd work hours, coach life!!)  I spend 2 hours total on grocery shopping and meal planning, that's it!! I am fortunate enough to have all the shops and markets I need all in the same shopping plaza so it's a one stop shop.  It may take a bit longer for some of you as you may have to do a bit of driving back and forth from market to market.  Or shorter if you buy everything in one grocery store.  I personally shop at butchers and farm markets as the meats and produce are always fresh (in particular, free range and organic at the places I go to).  I make a trip to Thrifty's or Whole Foods for the everyday staples (almond milk, eggs, bread, deli, etc.).

Here is my general outline for my weekly meal plan.  And in true Wifey fashion, in 4 easy steps!! :)

In order.....

1.) GRAB MEAT.
- Meridian meats is my fave place as they have custom made packs.  You just order over the phone and pick up after 2-3 days.  They carry good quality meat, all free range and grass fed.
- this is my go-to as the packages include all the meats (beef, pork, fish, poultry, breakfast meats) and it includes different cuts as well (ground, filet, steak, skinned, etc.)
- this is the base of my meal plan, having all the meats make it SO much easier to think of different recipes

2.) GRAB PRODUCE.
- I find that when I see the produce in front of me, I can come up with recipes alot easier.
- i also try not to buy the same produce as the week before, that is when things start to get boring and redundant.  If I have a few faves, I grab them anyway but i try to have some variety each week.
- so walk into the market and see what inspires you!!

3.) GRAB INGREDIENTS.
- by this point I have a good idea of what I'm going to make so i grab the rest of the ingredients needed as well as the usual daily staples at the grocery store.

4.) MAKE LIST.
- before, i started with making the list first and as I mentioned, it took me forever!! I've made it the last thing to do and it literally takes me about 10 minutes since all I have to do is quickly organize all my thoughts then write it down.
- I usually list 8 meals per week (1 extra just so I feel I have more options)
- i provided links to my favourite online recipes at the end of the blog!!

Tips for those On-The-Go:

- When cooking your meals, make enough so you have leftovers.  Perfect for lunch at work the next day.  (I did this alot when I worked full time, I didnt have time to think about what to pack for lunch, nor was I a fan lol).

- Invest in a slow cooker.  These are amazing for those who just want to sit and eat after coming home.  You just stick everything in the pot and turn it on when you leave for work.  When you come home, you'll have a nice hot meal ready.

- Freezing.  If you don't mind eating the same thing for 5 days, make a big batch and freeze in meal sized portions.  Take it to work with you or if you're having a lazy day, just heat up and go.  Or vary it up and make 2-3 different meals then freeze.  This definitely beats those frozen instant meals from the grocery store, cheaper and healthier too!!



This method has made my life easier when it came to preparing meals and has turned into something fun for me, and that's what is important!!  If it's not fun, you'll get tired of it and give up.  In the long run, it will save you money and at the same time, develop a healthy eating habit.  So head to your local markets and get crackin'!!  Get inspired and channel your inner Iron Chef.

Below are the links to my favourite online sources for recipes:

www.allrecipes.com
www.chefmichaelsmith.com
www.canadianliving.com
www.youtube.com/user/benjimantv


Until next blog!!

Maria <3

FOLLOW ME!!
Instagram: @wifey604
Twitter: @wifey604vancity