March Must Haves

It's the time of the month where I share everything I've been obsessing over. I get so excited to write these posts for you because you guys seem to love them! As usual, if there is an Amazon link I trust I will share it and it will be an Amazon Affiliate link (feel free to scroll to the bottom to read my disclosure on that). If it's not an Amazon link then it is not an affiliate link. Now let's get to the good stuff! This month will be short, but sweet. 

Let's start with the best healthy cookie recipe you will ever make. I don't know if it's a good or bad thing that I can eat them all in 2 days, but let's be glass half full people and say it's a good thing. Laura in the Kitchen is my go to when I need a good recipe because she has so many and they never disappoint. I have shown these a few times on my Instastories and was waiting to share them with you in a favorites post. So go make them NOW. I would be shocked if someone could tell they were healthier without knowing before hand. 

Dr. Jart Cicapair CC Treatment: This has become an everyday must have for me. I have seen Michele1218 RAVE about this product for about a year and finally bit the bullet and decided to try it. I am obsessed. It is a physical SPF, gives me moisture and has pigment to color correct your skin. It doesn't look like makeup at all but makes your skin look so much smoother, healthier, and even toned. It's my last step everyday when I'm not wearing makeup and need SPF. Don't let the green color scare you, it quickly color corrects the redness in your skin, while being completely undetectable. 

Herbivore Blue Tansy Resurfacing Clarity Mask: If you read my post about Curate + Co (I'll link it here in case you didn't) I was gifted this amazing mask by the wonderful owner Christina. This one has also found its way into a permanent position in my skincare routine because it's amazing. It's completely clean and effective for keeping my skin smooth and blemish free. I love how the Blue Tansy has Azulene which reduces inflammation, so if I have breakouts it calms them while getting rid of them at the same time.  If you can, please use the link in the title to purchase it and support Curate + Co, an amazing small business that I love! If you are only a die-hard Amazon shopper, here is the link for that as well.

Pacifica Rose Flower Hydro Mist : Yes, this one made it two months in a row. I debated not mentioning it but the reality is that I am still obsessed and I used it almost every day in March. It feels so good on the skin and I cannot get enough of it. I love how refreshed I feel every time I spray my face with it and it smells so good. If you're looking for a good refresher try this one out!

Lancome Matte Shaker in Beige Vintage (270): I have been loving this lip product, mainly because it is so light (literally feels like water on your lips) and gives the right flush of color. The staying power isn't great, but that doesn't really bother me. I'm excited to try more shades. 

As you guys know, I recently cleaned out my skincare products and the best part is that all of the skincare listed above is clean and passes my chemical-free test! My every day makeup clean out is still on the horizon so remember that when I recommend any makeup from now on. 

What were your favorites this month? Did you discover anything good? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea

Disclosure: Amazon links are Amazon Affiliate links meaning that I make a commission off the purchase of the product through my link. I would never recommend a product that I didn't love and all opinions are my own. I am thankful for you choosing to purchase through my links, as it helps me create more content for Andrea Fontana Beauty. 

January Favorites

I'm back with some favorites from the month of January! As you know, I had a rocky start to the new year but I'm happy to say that things have turned around and the second half of the month was amazing! The thing I am most proud of this month is that some of my friendships have grown tremendously and I feel like I went through a lot of self growth. One of my favorite YouTubers mentioned that she often finds that the greatest things come out of challenges and I feel like my January was a great example of this. What was your biggest accomplishment this past month? Leave a comment below and let me know! I'd love to congratulate you on your journey!

Now for the favorites! I'm trying a new style this month as I've become an Amazon Associate recently. This means that if you buy products through these links I will earn a small commission. If that bothers you, feel free to find the products separately. If you choose to buy, THANK YOU for supporting Andrea Fontana Beauty! You are awesome! Let me know how you like this format!

I don't have a Trader Joe's by me but had heard quite the buzz about this seasoning all over. Luckily a store opened up recently in the city I'm from so when I went home for Christmas I made sure to pick up two bottles because I knew I would love it. I put it on everything; hard boiled eggs, avocado toast, homemade bagels, and more! I highly recommend trying it out ASAP!

If you follow me on Instagram, this first favorite probably comes as no surprise! I received a cookbook (Bobby Flay Fit) that I wanted SO badly, from my beautiful friend Sammy! I have made so many recipes already from it and have loved them all. I highly recommend if you are looking to eat a healthier way but don't want to sacrifice flavor. I use it so much that I even burnt an imprint of the coil from my stove burner into the cover by accident (haha!). Be sure to follow my Instagram (www.instagram.com/andreafontanabeauty) to laugh with me at my daily adventures!

I've already mentioned this next favorite a few posts back, but I finished it in only 2 weeks and I CANNOT recommend it enough. Don't let the almost 600 pages scare you away from this amazing story of the life of Cyril Avery growing up in Ireland. It's written well and I couldn't put it down; sometimes getting lost in the pages for hours at a time. 

I received a sample of this facial oil a little while back and when my coveted Rosehip oil ran out and I didn't have any on hand, I grabbed this one and have loved it all month! It's a dry oil made up of Vitamins E and B, apricot kernel oil, coconut oil, and wheat germ oil. I love how it sunk into my skin quickly and didn't leave me feeling greasy which is nice for day time. I love to put on oils with Anti-oxidants to help combat free radicals and pollution throughout the day! You only need a few drops to apply so this bottle would last a long time!

This is my favorite hair product of the moment. It was recommended by a friend Ashley, who is a cosmetologist (as you know I know nothing about hair and rely on friends for help in that area haha). I love this finishing spray because it smells awesome, gives my hair some shine and a slight hold. It's definitely not as strong as a hairspray, but I love it to tame my style when I actually do my hair. It doesn't leave any crazy residues, which I love. 

Love, love love this moisturizer. I've mentioned it before, but it's my go to in colder months or when I've been sick. I had a cold at the beginning of the month and blew my nose so many times that the skin around it was raw and red. This moisturizer saved me (due to the colloidal oatmeal). I highly recommend it for dry skin that can be sensitive. It's one I always keep on hand in case I'm feeling dry.

This one's a classic that I always go back to at least once a year and apparently January was that time. It's great for thick, voluminous lashes and always makes my lashes look amazing. I'm not sure why I ever get away from it haha. Why do we always have to try new mascaras as women? 

I contemplated writing an entire post devoted to these babies, but I couldn't hold off on telling you about them any longer. They are heaven sent if you get blemishes. Always keep them on hand. They are little nude/clear stickers that you put over a blemish at night when you go to sleep. I like to do it before I put my moisturizer on so that they stick well and then apply moisturizer around it afterwards. The trick with these is that you have to wait until there is a white head, then it pulls everything out as you're sleeping and you'll see the white color change in the morning on the sticker. The blemish will still be red in the morning, but it is always so much flatter if not completely flat from pulling everything out. I can't recommend them enough! 

Another favorite worth mentioning is the product that I did a First Impression on in my most recent YouTube video! Click here to watch it! It's the Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Creme Bronzer in Warm Tan. I love this product for everyday makeup use! Also while you're at it subscribe to my YouTube channel 'Andrea Fontana Beauty' to stay notified when I post new videos for you!

As usual, leave a comment below sharing any new products you loved this month so we can all learn from each other!

I hope you have a wonderful February,

Andrea

My 10 Go-To Week Night Meals

I know this is a beauty blog, but if you follow me on Instagram you probably saw that I asked a poll if you wanted to see these recipes and I got a 100% response of yes! So today I'm sharing my go-to recipes. I usually make something from this list once or twice a week because they are either easy, healthy, or a combination of the two. Some are links to recipes others have created and some are creations of my own!

Tuna Sushi Bowl- I make these sushi bowls all the time (as you can see on my instagram) and I could never get sick of them. They are a great way to get the flavors of sushi, without having to spend all of the time creating and rolling sushi. You can use whatever protein you want, I like to use Ahi Tuna that has been previously frozen (to kill any potential parasites) and cube it. Marinade it in 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to taste. I also like to marinade diced cucumbers and green onions with the tuna, and let it all sit in the fridge to chill for 15 min while your rice cooks. To make this extra healthy, use brown rice instead of white and use tons of veggies. I like to include pickled onions, avocado, carrots, radishes....the list goes on and on! Add whatever you like. You can also make this over salad instead of rice and it will really lighten the dish. 

Chicken Tikka Masala- (Click here for Recipe Link) If I ask my boyfriend what he wants for dinner this week, this will always be the first thing he says. I've made it for so many people and everyone loves it. The biggest thing about this recipe is that you have to let the chicken marinade for an hour or the chicken won't be as tender. The only changes I make are not to include jalapeno, I use a little less cream, and I serve it over brown rice. This is definitely a recipe that you can get away with brown rice easily it soaks up the sauce anyways and it's hard to tell the difference. 

Coconut Chicken Chili - (Click here for Recipe Link) This one is a newer recipe for me, but I love it. It's really delicious and light. 

Chicken Milanese- (Click here for Recipe Link)  I grew up eating Beef and Chicken Milanese so I absolutely love this recipe from Ree Drummond. My boyfriend calls this one "the really good chicken" haha.

Taco Salad- I eat these all the time and they are very low carb and high protein. I use the Quorn Meatless Crumbles to keep the meal vegetarian but you could also use lean ground turkey to keep it healthier. I saute onions and garlic for a few minutes to soften and then the 'meat' until it's no longer frozen. Once everything is hot, I add a little water, along with cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, a little cayenne and sometimes some red pepper flakes if I'm feeling some extra spice. Once the water cooks out a little and it thickens up, I add it to the top of some romaine. Then you can add whatever toppings you like! I love to add plain greek yogurt for extra protein and creaminess instead of sour cream. Then a sprinkle cheese, some black beans, tomatoes, etc and you've got a delicious taco salad!

Honey Glazed Chicken Skewers- I love these skewers and like to serve them over couscous or brown rice. I like to roast them in the oven and they always come out so moist. Make extra and you have great leftovers for another night!

Source: Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home, 2009.

Strip Steak and Chimichurri- This chimichurri is to die for and I love it served with these potato wedges too. 

Source: Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home, 2009.

Source: Martha Stewart's Dinner at Home, 2009.

Chickpea Gnocchi-  If you like gnocchi, these are so much easier and quicker to make! Not to mention they are full of protein and fiber, so they are much better for you then traditional gnocchi. The kneading is especially important. 

Source: The Ultimate Pasta and Noodle Cookbook by Serena Cosmo, 2017

Vodka Sauce with Zucchini Noodles- (Click here for Sauce recipe link) I have been making this sauce for years. It's quick, easy and super flavorful. I love it on gnocchi as well, but it's great with zucchini noodles for a light dinner that doesn't sacrifice flavor. I like to specialize my zucchini myself and then saute them in a pan for a few minutes to barely soften them. Then top with the vodka sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Roasted Tomato Soup- (Click here for recipe link) I think I've shared this recipe before but it's so delicious. It's one of my all time favorite soup recipes and such a great winter comfort food. It takes a little longer than the other recipes but I included it because it's a great one to make a big batch on a Sunday and then freeze it for easy dinner during the week. I always make a lot of this when I have fresh tomatoes from my dad's garden. 

How to Cook More

Welcome back! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am certainly thankful to each and every one of you who read this blog and I hope you enjoyed some time with loved ones this past weekend.

I have been mulling this topic over in my head for the past few weeks and wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to write about it. If you follow my instagram (@andreafontanabeauty) you probably see that I love to cook. Cooking is a way for me to express creativity and relax after a long day. I love to feed others and try new recipes but I realize this isn't the way that everyone feels. I can't tell you how many times people have commented on posts or told me in person that they wish they cooked more or even knew where to start. So I wanted to share some of my tips on how I really cultivated my love for cooking and where I look for inspiration. 

Let's be honest. I have weeks where pouring a bowl of cereal for dinner seems challenging, so don't think that I cook a 3 hour meal every night. However, I hope by reading this post you find some new inspiration for integrating cooking at home more into your lifestyle. Cooking at home can not only save you money but it can also help you create new memories and challenge yourself in new ways. 

First let's talk about how I find inspiration of what I'm going to cook.

Create a recipe book/binder. If I had to give one tip to someone trying to cook more, this would be it. There's a million ways to do this, but the main point is create a space that houses ONLY recipes that you love and enjoy making. I bought a notebook when I was 18 and created sections with tabs and immediately started writing family recipes into it. As I find recipes online or in cookbooks that I make and love, I always write it in. Now, almost 10 years later and it's filled with so many recipes. While I love my cookbooks (trust me I have quite the collection of at least 40), I love that if I'm ever drawing a blank on what to make, I can open this notebook and find tons of recipes that I know I love. I also cannot wait to pass it down to future generations. Some people like Pinterest for this, but personally I like a hard copy book to read while cooking. 

Read cookbooks. I know that you're thinking this is obvious but are you actually doing it? I personally hate reading recipes from my phone. Most of the time my fingers are messy and I end up having to unlock my phone 35 times, so it gets annoying. Having a hard copy book in front of me just makes things smoother for me when cooking so I find I enjoy it more. I also like to have cookbooks on hand because I will browse them for recipe inspiration at night before bed. If I know I have a lot of chicken in the freezer or I'm craving a soup, I'll search in the index and find new recipes to try. I know this seems old school in a world of Pinterest and Google, but sometimes I feel like those can be overwhelming and add to the stress of cooking. Try to simplify. 

Buy used cookbooks. This one is a must for me and  my secret to keeping my love for cooking within a sane budget. I could get lost in a used book store for hours. Many people don't think of looking for cookbooks at used book stores but there are so many goldmines waiting to be discovered! I love the fact that I never know what I'm going to find and I have found some MAJOR steals. There are often classic $40 cookbooks for $6 or $7 at my used book store, so start searching and I promise you it will be worth it. Plus sometimes you find notes from previous home chefs that add to the fun of trying new recipes!

Next, I want to share what I do in my kitchen to make cooking easier and less time consuming.

Stock your pantry. This one is huge for a few reasons. First, I know a lot of people who complain about cooking because if they don't keep much on hand, they are always having to buy almost all of the ingredients in the recipe every time they want to make something. Stocking a pantry is so important for this reason. If you always have your basic grains, spices, onions, garlic, broths, canned veg, and more on hand, you can cut your grocery list in half. This can make a new recipe seem less daunting because you don't have to buy as much. Usually when trying a new recipe out, I only have to buy 3-7 items, because I keep my pantry well stocked. Buying in bulk goes along with this, because you can save so much money. I like to store a lot of my things like oats, rices, lentils, flours, etc, in mason and decorative glass jars so they are always stocked. This allows me to buy them in bulk when I see a great sale and eliminates me purchasing products with extra packaging. Not only will you save money by doing this, but you'll also help save the planet! Sometimes if I'm too busy to grocery shop or simply don't want to spend money on groceries that week, I will challenge myself to create something delicious just by cleaning out my pantry. I usually do this one week a month.

Freeze leftovers. One of the best things I recently started doing was freezing my leftovers instead of saving them in my fridge. I used to put everything in the fridge and I'd find that I didn't want to eat it again so soon so the leftovers would often go to waste. If it freezes well, now I will pop it in a freezer bag to enjoy another day. I know some people don't enjoy cooking because the recipe makes too much and they don't want to eat it for 4 more meals. You can wait a few weeks until you're craving that meal again, defrost it, and you have a quick weeknight meal. 

Lastly, let's talk about planning my meals. How do I decide what to make and when?

Meal Plan. I know this probably comes as no surprise, but in order to save money and not waste food, you really have to meal plan. I like to start by reading my weekly ads for my local grocery stores to see what is on sale. Based on those sales, I will find recipes that use those ingredients. Because I'm usually reading so many cookbooks, I will have recipes in the back of my head that I want to try and will come to mind when I see something is on sale. If you don't want to read cookbooks, simply pop open that homemade recipe book and find all the chicken recipes when chicken is on sale, for example. If I find that a protein is on sale, I will often buy a lot, freeze half or base all of my recipes for that week on it. I usually meal plan every Sunday for one week and only grocery shop once a week. This allows me to not get too overwhelmed and get in and out of the store quickly. 

I hope this post helps you take the step to spend more time in the kitchen. There is so much that can be learned and treasured in my favorite room of the house. Please share your favorite tips for cooking below and share this post with someone you love.

AND GO COOK A MEAL FOR SOMEONE YOU LOVE!

Have a beautiful day,

Andrea