TUESDAY TRIVIA , TASTY TREATS & A REVIEW

Despite being born in August, I'm no fan of hot weather, so the past few days here in NC have been great!

Something about cooler weather gives me extra energy, and encourages me to catch up on my massive reading list which continues to grow. The cool days didn't last very long, because it looks like we'll be back in the 60's again all this week.


Meanwhile, more veggies are supposed to be on the menu, so I'm passing on this unique and simple recipe for collard greens which takes about 35 minutes to prepare and cook.  If you use these exact ingredients, the calorie count should be no more than 180 calories.

JAMAICAN COLLARD GREENS 

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp Coconut or Olive Oil
1 Cup Chopped White Onion
1 Habanero Chile, stemmed and diced (or jalapeno for less heat)
2 Tsp Chopped Fresh Thyme
1 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
2 Cans (13.5 oz. each) Coconut Milk
2 Bags (16 oz. each) Fresh Chopped Collard Greens
1 Tsp Salt
1/8 to 1/4 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high.  Stir in the onion, chile and thyme, cooking for 3 minutes.  Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.  Whisk in the coconut milk, bringing to a simmer, cooking for 3 minutes.

Stir in the greens, then cover and cook for 2 minutes.  Use tongs and mix the wilted leaves.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes, covered, mixing a couple more times. If you like your greens more done, leave in for 30 minutes more.  Stir in salt and nutmeg.  Transfer to a bowl, and scatter toasted coconut on top.

PRODUCT REVIEW
I always get a kick out of trying new things, so when given this new product in exchange for an honest review, I was definitely on board.
ARGAN  SHAMPOO from Maple Holistics is hypoallergenic, BPA free, and safe to use on all hair types.  The ingredients include argan, jojoba, almond, peach kernel, avocado, camellia seed and botanical keratin.

My hair is very thick and curly, but it tends to be dry, so I wondered if  this would work better than some of the name brand shampoos I've been using.

The first thing I noticed right away once I opened the bottle was that it had almost no scent at all, which sort of disappointed me because I'm a HUGE scent person.  So if heavy scents bother you, or you're allergic, Argan Oil Shampoo  would be perfect to try. 

Despite that, like most of their products, it doesn't take much to create lots of lather, which I enjoyed.  The result once my hair air dried was softness, and it was easy to comb.

If you'd like to try this for yourself or other products,  be sure to visit their free samples page  and their dermarolling blog post .  

In 1852 Louisa May Alcott released her first novel entitled, The Rival Painters:  A Story of Rome, and it didn't get a lot of attention.  But she became famous once she wrote the classic, Little Women about 17 years later.  So many people wanted to meet her that crowds would show up at her home in Massachusetts.  The renowned author was so shy, however, that she pretended to be a servant to trick her fans into leaving.  

The movie Little Women has been created in 1933, 1949, and again in 1994.  Some people consider this one of the best movies for the Christmas season because it's so family oriented and heartwarming.

GIVE ME MORE CHEESE
I'm fanatic about cheese and will add it to just about anything.  When we think about cheese, Wisconsin comes to mind because they're the makers of more than 600 high quality varieties. 

I just wish I had the skills to make my own cheese like Rain from Rain's Garden!  *Waving at Rain".