Eco Emi Box September - Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques

Eco Emi September 2011

I usually do a video with an accompanying blog post about each Eco Emi box, Birchbox, or TestTube that I receive.  In August I uploaded my Eco Emi video on YouTube but the video was flickering badly and I had to take it down.  Then in September on the day my Eco Emi box arrived I had a dental emergency and so I never got around to filming the video.  I decided to post the September 2011 Eco Emi box anyway, because it's a good reference for me for future blog posts/videos.  And I enjoyed taking photos of this month's box because the colors are so pretty!

Inside Eco Emi September 2011

The September 2011 Eco Emi Box

Minteas Tea Mints

Aura Cacia Milk and Oat Bath

Bubble and Bee Lip Balm 

Juice Beauty Reflecting Lip Gloss

Eden Organic Vegetable Pasta Shells 

Lauren Brooke Cosmetiques Eyeshadow Sandalwood

Lauren Brookes Cosmetiques Enchant Perfume

Mighty Leaf Tea Co. Organic Tea

Honey Pax 100% Pure Raw Honey

If you are interested, visit the Eco-Emi website.  You can sign up for the EE Box for $15 including shipping.  Their website also allows you to purchase full size versions of the samples.  

They feature a blog, recipes, and advice on what man is really doing to the environment and to animals.   We can all be better informed and not support companies that add harmful chemicals to products we use, or abuse animals for the sake of cosmetics and household products.

See the July Eco-Emi Box here: July Eco Emi Box

See the June Eco-Emi Box here: June Eco Emi Box

See the August Eco-Emi Box here: August Eco Emi Box

See my Birchbox here: Birchbox Sample Program

Click here for a link to my YouTube Channel: The Sassi Wench

- The Sassi Wench

The Melting Pot - A Fondue Dining Experience

Last Saturday we went to celebrate our wedding anniversary at The Melting Pot, which is one of my all time favorite restaurants.  It is quite a drive from our house (which is probably a good thing!), so we only go there for our anniversary and maybe a birthday - so once or twice a year.  

Fondue style dining is certainly not for everyone.  You cook your own meat, and have to share the cooking broth with your fellow diners, but it makes for a very interactive and fun dining experience.  I love the variety of food, and the fact that you don't have to eat anything you don't want.  We chose the Big Night Out fondue special.  The Melting Pot changes the theme of the Big Night out every few months.  The current theme is French and it's on until March.

The Melting Pot Big Night Out France.

The cheese fondue was a combination of Brie, Fontina, Gruyère and Raclette cheeses, with bacon, onions, white-truffle cream and topped with fresh chives.  If you have never tried it, this may sound strange but Granny Smith apples dipped in any cheese fondue is unimaginably delicious!

The Melting Pot's cheese fondue with veggie dippers.

A good cocktail enhances the flavors.

Next up, Salade Niçoise.  Not the traditional Niçoise i.e. minus the tuna.  This originally included olives, but I don't eat them (I don't eat beets either, but I didn't know it included beets). The salads are always fresh and tasty - I love the way many of the ingredients in The Melting Pot's salads are delicately diced.

The Melting Pot's Salad Niçoise. 

Finally, the meat course.  I don't understand how ravioli is French, but anyway... This is a dish of raw meat (like I said, not for everyone), and if you are a vegetarian there are vegetarian menu options.  So left to right, shrimp, duck, filet mignon, peppercorn NY strip steak, and chicken, and of course ravioli.

The Melting Pot meat fondue selection.

One and a half minutes later, and you have a tasty, tender bite of steak drizzled in your favorite sauce!  We also choose Coq au Vin as our cooking style.  Coq au Vin, Melting Pot style, of course, is a combination of fresh herbs, mushrooms, garlic and spices simmered in Burgundy wine.

Filet Mignon topped with teriyaki sauce and a little gorgonzola.

Last but not least, the indescribably scrumptious White Chocolate Crème Brulée Fondue! It was wonderful, but it is very, very sweet, so if a sugary chocolate isn't your thing, you may want to try a regular milk chocolate or dark chocolate fondue instead.

The Melting Pot's White Chocolate Creme Brulee Fondue.

A brownie bite dipped in white chocolate crème brulée 

The dippers for the chocolate fondue are varied and tasty.  You get one slice of cheesecake, some pound cake, brownies, marshmallows, strawberries and banana.  You can dip these into the chocolate, or drizzle them with chocolate.

Dippers for the Chocolate Fondue.

The Melting Pot dining booth - for two.

A great thing about the menu is that you have the option to pick and choose what kind of fondue you want - you don't have to have all of them, like we did here.


You can select the cheese fondue and a salad, or a cheese fondue and a chocolate fondue.  Or a meat fondue and a salad.  Take your pick, there are many options.  Also, the dippers and sauces are bottomless, so feel free to request more apples, bread and gorgonzola sauce!


The Melting Pot has a great selection of wines, and they make fabulous (and strong!) cocktails.


They cater to parties and large groups of people, with longer tables and more burners than you see here.  All in all, it's worth it to go even just once.  It's truly a fun and memorable dining experience.


Be sure to make reservations before you go, because they are usually fully booked, especially in the evenings.  Visit their website here - The Melting Pot


- The Sassi Wench

My visit to The Alps Bistro in Historic Allentown, New Jersey

The Alps Bistro, Allentown, New Jersey

Casual European Fare in New Jersey!

During a bleak, rainy Sunday afternoon, I paid a visit to the Historic Village of Allentown, New Jersey.  I had no intention of staying there for lunch, but as soon as I encountered The Alps Bistro on Main Street, I knew I had to try it!  I had visited this town several years ago and this particular location used to be a Tea Room.  Apparently, the Tea Room closed down last year, and it's now been replaced by The Alps Bistro.

New Jersey is now seriously lacking in restaurants that serve good German food.  Many of the old staples, such as the delectable Fritzy's German American Restaurant in Howell, are now sadly a thing of the past.

Upon entering we were greeted by friendly staff, and seated immediately.

Soon, hot tea, soda, and steaming hot salty pretzels were placed before us, accompanied by some lovely hot mustard.

Soda is served in a jar style mug!

Hot, salty pretzels with hot mustard!

I ordered the Schnitzel of the Day, which happened to be Chicken Schnitzel.  It was served with Rotkohl (Red Cabbage), and Deutsche Kartoffel Salat (German Potato Salad).  I ordered an extra side of spaetzle and sauerkraut too, not because I was that hungry, but because I wanted to taste them, as they are pretty much what you would expect to eat at an establishment like this.

The schnitzel was moist and flavorful, although I am used to a very thin schnitzel, and this was a tad thicker than I expected it to be.  The accompanying cranberry mustard relish was a perfect accompaniment to this chicken schnitzel.  

The German Potato Salad was lovely and vinegary, as you would expect, but the bacon could have been chopped a little smaller.  As I forked a potato, a nearly two inch strip of bacon would flop about the potato.  It doesn't make for easy eating.  But aside from the size of the bacon, it was a very good potato salad.

Chicken Schnitzel.

No complaints about the sauerkraut or the red cabbage either, but I wasn't a fan of the spaetzle.  I found it to be a little rubbery and lacking in flavor.  Or maybe the other flavors were so strong, they overwhelmed the spaetzle.  In any event, in the future, I will skip the spaetzle and focus on the delicious German Potato Salad, instead.

Apfelstrudel. 

For dessert, Apfelstrudel (Apple Strudel), which is freshly made with golden raisins, walnuts, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and served with Swal's Vanilla Ice Cream!  Absolutely delicious!

If you visit on weekends, they now serve cheese fondue!  Considering the fact that The Melting Pot is one of my all time favorite places to eat, I can't wait to head back to The Alps Bistro to try out their fondue!  

Prices are very affordable, with Entrees ranging from $8.25 to around $11.00, and wursts and sandwiches are around $6.00 - $9.00.  In fact, I didn't see anything on the menu over $11.00!  This is incredibly good value for a meal of this quality. 

I can't say enough good things about the afternoon repast I enjoyed here.  It's such a wonderful departure from the endless number of impersonal restaurant chains we are bombarded with everywhere.  If you want to spend some time in this wonderful little quintessential American town, be sure to stop by this tiny, intimate bistro, where you will feel like you are more like a guest in an old friends home than a paying customer in a restaurant.


The Alps Bistro

4 S Main StAllentown, NJ 08501

Phone: 609-223-0335

Lunch Hours: 

Tuesday - Saturday 11:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M.

Sunday 12:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

This little bistro has wonderful ambiance.

The Alps Bistro is small and intimate.

Probably the most family friendly bistro ever.

A cozy atmosphere.

The Alps Bistro was decked out for Christmas.

A nice surprise! Cheese Fondue on weekends. 

I'll be back!

- The Sassi Wench

My Saturday Afternoon - I went to The Ultimate Beauty Workshop Makeup Event at Lord and Taylor and I won!

Yesterday I went with my Mother to a Makeup Event at the department store Lord and Taylor.  Little did we know that we were really in for a special treat!


The way it worked was, you had to buy a $20 gift card prior to attending the event.  Then, on the day in question, you visit the store, sign in, receive your $20 gift card to use on purchases within the store (there is no expiry date on the gift card, so we weren't obliged to make any purchase that day).  We also filled out entry forms so that we would be eligible for the larger prizes, and all of them were hampers or gift boxes or gift baskets filled with items from a particular cosmetics company.  The main prizes were from NARS, Estee Lauder, Clinique, Clarins, etc. Each main prize was over $100, I believe.


We got a little swag bag filled with samples and 2 makeup bags, then there was a table with drinks and snacks, like coffee, water, bagels, cheese, fruits, etc.


We took our seats, and the fun began!  First up was Chanel.  Each cosmetics company had a makeup artist or representative there with a model who was made up with their makeup and dressed with the latest fashion arrivals to the store.

Lord and Taylor Makeup Event.

In between segments, the host or makeup artist would throw samples into the audience.  It was fun, and was able to catch a Lancôme and a Bobbi Brown mascara!

Lord and Taylor Makeup Event.

 My Mom caught something from Estee Lauder!

And also, in between segments, they picked an entry form out of the box and called the winners, and guess what?  I was picked as one of the winners!


I won the gift box from Clarins, worth over $200!!!  

Clarins Makeup Box.

My winnings - Clarins box filled with Clarins products.

Clarins Eau des Jardins.

The Swag Bags!

Mascara samples from Bobbi Brown and Lancome, a Clinique Lip Gloss

Samples from Clarins, Estee Lauder, Borghese Fango, primer from NARS,  lipstick from Elizabeth Arden.

I was thrilled about this, because Clarins is not on the top my list when it comes to makeup or skincare, so I am very excited about trying out their products.  I confess, I haven't bought anything from Clarins in years, but this might just change my mind!  I can't wait to try out these products!


When all the excitement was over, I headed over to the Bobbi Brown counter to buy her Caviar Ink gel eyeliner.  I used my $20 gift card and paid the difference of just under $3!!


So all in all, this was a fabulous way to spend a Saturday afternoon.  I would recommend a Lord and Taylor Makeup Event to anyone, and I will definitely attend these in the future.  Look at all of the items I got, for just $20, and for showing up!

Afterwards, we were hungry from all of the excitement, so we headed off to P.F. Chang's for lunch.  As far as chain restaurants goes, this is absolutely one of my favorites!  The meals are served "family style", which means you order several different plates and everyone helps themselves to as much, or as many different dishes as they'd like!

Chicken Lo Mein

Left: Sweet and Sour Pork
Right: Honey Chicken

My all-time favorite! Shrimp with Candied Walnuts!

So all in all, we had a spectacular and fulfilling day!  Love it!


- The Sassi Wench!

What's in my Refrigerator?

I collect refrigerator magnets from where ever I travel, and I display those on the outside of my fridge, so that my memories are always with me when I am in the kitchen!

My Fridge Magnet Collection

I like to keep an organized fridge.

Liquids, then salad dressings, then condiments .

BEVERAGES:

Skim Plus milk - a really good organic skim milk

IZZE Sparkling Juice in Grapefruit, Blackberry and Clementine

Snapple in Kiwi Strawberry, Mango Madness

Starbucks Frappuccino

Simply Orange orange juice and pineapple orange juice

Louis Roederer Brut Champagne

Amarula (a liquor from South Africa made from Marula fruit and cream)

Butter Milk

Fiji Water

Seagram's Club Soda and Mini Ginger Ale

Mini Coke

Malta Goya

Various Salad Dressings,Thousand Island, Blue Cheese 

Fruit - oranges, pineapple, Gala apples, Macintosh apples

Salad - Versailles mix, lemons, carrots, tomatoes, mini cucumbers

Greek Yogurt - Fage, Chobani

Tuna - Starkist Lemon Pepper, Sweet and Spicy  

The Beverage Section

ODDITIES:

Marmite

Piccalilli

Tofu Pups (tofu hot dogs)

Miracle Whip

Kraft Mayo

French's Honey Mustard

Canadian Pure Maple Syrup

Butter

Philadelphia Cream Cheese

Peanut Oil

Mrs H.S. Ball's Chutney

Eggs

Sour Cream

Deli meats

Cheddar and parmesan cheese

Trader Joe's Chocolate Croissants 

Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Sausage

Peas

Chicken

Ben & Jerry's Dulce Delish, Chunky Monkey and Phish Food

Various Lean Cuisine's

Trader Joe's Potato Pancakes

- The Sassi Wench