Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad

So I am back with another yummy recipe! Figures it's chicken, since I prefer white meats. This particular recipe has some back story. Lately my boyfriend and I have been loving Sherri's. Now if you don't have a Shari's near you, or you haven't seen it on the menu, they have these lunch trios. My favorite thing in the lunch trio options is cranberry pecan chicken salad. The problem is that it's just too expensive to go to a restaurant and eat a sandwich. so I decided it was time to make my own. Here was I came up with:

You will need:

-1 stick of celery

-2 chicken breasts

-1 handful of cranberries (sometimes I add more)

-1 handful of chopped pecans

-2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons Olive Oil Mayonnaise (or as much as i takes to coat everything )

-Spices (I used poultry seasoning, fresh ground pepper, sea salt, garlic, and paprika to taste.)

-Bread of choice

Makes about 4 sandwiches (if you reeeallly like chicken)

1. After thawing chicken breasts, chop them into small chunks and fry in a fry pan, adding your choice of spices to taste. Set aside to cool.

2. Chop up a medium handful of pecan halves and one celery stick. Add this and a handful of cranberries to chicken. Add mayonnaise (I usually do this by sight. I want enough to coat everything but not so much that it gets runny)

3. Let cool in fridge in closed container. I let mine sit overnight, but a few hours will do just fine. (We used dried cranberries, so overnight allows the Mayo to slightly reconstitute the dried cranberries)

4. Spoon onto your choice of bread. I prefer ciabatta rolls or sourdough. Serve and Enjoy!

For an extra kick of flavor I like to eat this with garden fresh tomatoes on top..YUMMY!

I hope you like this fast simple recipe. The best part is that it only took about 20 minutes (not including thaw time) to make, then you can just pop it into the fridge and serve it whenever you are ready. I'm considering making this for our upcoming family reunion. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

xoxo
Courtney

Beauty Subscription Smackdown Part 2- Ipsy vs. Lip Monthly September 2014

In case you haven't heard, there is a new subscription box on the market. The first box was sent out in June. This makes September their 4th bag. Since information was hard to come by on their website, I shot them an email so I could get correct information for you...

Le's take a quick look at the boxes shall we?

Ipsy:

• $10 a month or $110 a year if you choose to do an annual subscription. 
• 4-5 deluxe samples or full size products.
• The bags are themed and super adorable and slightly customized to your liking. 
• Send everything from skincare, fragrance, hair products, and makeup. 
• Points system to receive rewards for reviewing products, sharing on Facebook, and referring people. When you get enough points you get to redeem them for an extra item(s) of your choice in your next bag.

Lip Monthly:

• $10 a month (promotions available as well as different packages to be paid up front)
• Centers around Lip Products
• 4-5 Deluxe and Full Size Samples
• Points system and customization to be added soon (in progress)
• 1-2 monthly mix up products
• Same Super affordable price as Ipsy

On to the Products!

I want to start with Lip Monthly, since it's the newbie. I also have an unboxing video coming soon for Lip Monthly on our new channel! :)

#1- Cherimoya Retractable Waterproof Lip and Eye Liner Pencil (Latte)- $3.99 I have to admit the concept of a lip AND eyeliner pencil in one is a little strange to me. Normally I wouldn't use the same color on my lips as I would my eyes. I got Latte, as I said before, so it's kind of a light brown color. I actually love the color, so it will mostly be used on my eyes, but I think it will look nice with my makeup for Halloween (yes, we are already planning that, details will be on Romance in Harmony soon.)

#2- Cherimoya Lip Crayon (Coral)- $8 I was a bit put off by getting the same brand twice in a bag. I would much prefer to try different brands, but this actually seems like it's a nice product. On the package it says it's "Matte with moisturizing properties" I have to say it feels nice and the color is gorgeous. The only thing is that I feel like it's more of a summer color so I'm probably not going to get much use out of it for a while. The scent though, is like orange cream cake frosting. It makes me want to eat it.

#3-Eco Lips Hemp Fair Trade Lip Balm (Vanilla)- $3.49 Hmmm. I like the concept and it feel very good on the lips, but I HATE the smell. It's just too strong for me. John doesn't mind it so he gets to have it. It's pretty much a basic lip balm.

#4- Jesse's Girl Julie G Nail Color (Romeo)- $3.99 This is pretty opaque.  I think one coat would do you just fine, but I'd do two just to make it look a bit nicer. The color is again like a pinky coral. Like the lip crayon, I think that it's more like a summer color, so this may be my last summer manicure.

#5- Pur~Lisse Pur~ Moist Hydra Balance Moisturize- $16.17 Again? Seriously? Are you guys seeing this? ARE YOU?! This is the FOURTH time that I have received a Pur~Lisse Moisturizer. This is the second one of this particular kind that I have gotten. I actually use this one every night, so it's nice to have an extra one to put off me paying $55 for a moisturizer.

I do like this bag as a whole. I think it's surprisingly well rounded. However I do have a couple issues with it. One is that they had the same brand twice. I like both products, but they could have sent one in next months bag. The other is the bag itself. Last month they sent out the exact same bag, and I was very shocked to see it again. I think it will get old fast. I personally don't want four of the same bag. It just kind of seems like a waste. I feel like if you were to send out a new bag design every month (like Ipsy) that would be cool. If not than just go back to boxes. It's not super exciting for me, so I am hoping next month will be better...I'm really hoping for a black lipstick actually.

Total Retail Value: $35.64


Next up we have Ipsy, so let's jump right in...

#1- Crown Brush Shadow/Crease Duet Brush- $6.99 Dang this is soft! I was nervous that this would be broken, since other people were saying theirs was, but it was in one piece. I haven't been wearing much eyeshadow lately but I'm sure I will soon.

#2- Hikari Lipstick (Cabernet)- $13 Honestly, I probably wont use this. It's a gorgeous color, but it's not for me. I think I will pass it along as a Christmas present to my cousin. This shade will look amazing on her! I've actually heard some great things about these lipsticks, so I'm sure it's something she'll love.

#3- Pacifica Natural Water-proof Eye Pencil (Fringe)- $2.86 Holy crap! I freaking love this. It glides on really smooth, and once it set it wasn't budging from my hand. I might have to pick up a few of these next time I'm at the natural grocers.

#4- Briogio Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask- $4.95 This smells like a mixture of bananas and a hospital to me. Weird right? But I'm excited that this is a hair mask I can use in the shower. Again, this probably wont get much use until the winter, but I think I'm all stocked up on those types of things!

#5- LeeAnni Eco 3-in-1 Revolution Light- $3.74 I think I was most excited for this product. However it was half empty when I got it so I sent Ipsycare an a email and they replied two hours later (wow.). They are sending a replacement. I really didn't find this to feel greasy, but the concept of a toner and moisturizer AND a serum in one is very intriguing. It smells like cinnamon (yum!), and made my face feel strangely tight and then really soft... I feel like this is the kind of product I need to use a little longer to give a good review on.

Ipsy Point Referral Duo Items- Illuminating Bronzer and Lip and Cheek Stain.
Illuminating Bronzer- ($10.40) I kind of feel like this is more of a highlight than a bronzer. It's very light and shimmery, even kind of sparkly. It has a nice feel to it. It's almost a champagne color, so it looks quite nice on my skin tone, and I think it will last quite a while since I will probably only use it as a slight highlight every now and then.
Lip and Cheek Stain- ($11.10) I foresee this lasting quite some time and being used very often. It's a bright pinky, but can be sheered out to a nice flush. I could even see topping this off with glosses or powder blushes and it looking amazing. I can't wait to use this!

I have to say I wasn't super excited nor was I super disappointed with my Ipsy bag, but after receiving it I have concluded that it was awesome (apart from the color of the lipstick), and I will use all the products which I got. Like Lip Monthly, I think it's a well rounded bag. It seems like a typical Ipsy bag for me. I definitely needed a pick-me-up after last month's bag, and I think this hit the nail on the head. Plus I'm totally loving this bag design. It's definitely me. I'm also really thrilled with Ipsy for letting me switch my referral item, I had redeemed it for something else and then a few hours later the BellaPierre Duo popped up, and I know I will get some use out of this.

Total Retail Value:w/o $31.54 W/ $53.04

So this month I think the winner is...Ipsy. Even though my LeeAnni Eco was half empty, I still enjoyed the products more, no the lipstick wont be used, but neither will the hemp chap stick from Lip Monthly. I feel like Ipsy had more variety and better brands. This month was great for subscription boxes but Ipsy takes it this month! Maybe Lip Monthly will step it up next month!

If you are interested in joining me in either of these subscriptions I would greatly appreciate it if you used my referral links.
                                                      Ipsy         Lip Monthly

That's all for today beauties!
 xoxo
Courtney