Sandwiches of New York #3

Time to share another NYC sandwich!

What is it? P.H.O. #1

Where is it from? Sunny and Annie's, 94 Avenue B. www.sunnyandannies.com

How much does it cost? $7.49 + tax.

What's in it? Roast beef, bean sprouts, avocado, tomato, onion, basil, cilantro, hoisin sauce, sriracha chili sauce on a hard/kaiser roll.

 Sunny and Annie's looks like a typical NYC bodega/deli but they have a spectacular selection of inventive and inexpensive sandwiches. P.H.O. #1 is the sandwich they are famed for and it is truly delicious!

P.H.O. #1 takes the components of Vietnamese Pho and serves them up in a sandwich form. It comes either hot or cold (I have it hot and I skip the avocado as I have an allergy to it - yep, I have totally missed out on the whole avocado toast thing...) and there's also a P.H.O. #2 that has chicken and bacon in place of the beef. Order your sandwich at the counter and it is made to order, service is fast, those counter men are pros! 

I'm a huge fan of asian sandwiches and this sandwich is a great alternative to a Bahn Mi when I fancy a change. The ingredients in the sandwich all go together to make a sandwich that is flavouful and well balanced. There is a touch of spice but overall it simply tastes very fresh. 

It is a good sized sandwich that is filling yet not overly large.  

Sunny and Annie's is a store not a restaurant so there isn't any seating but it is only a couple of blocks from Tompkin's Square Park (which BTW is my favourite city park) so why not stop by and pick up sandwiches, drinks, and snacks for a simple picnic? They are also open 24/7 so if you are craving a great sandwich at any time of the day or night you know where to head to!  

Beside Myself.

Helen and Ellie are six year old identical twins with very different personalities. Helen is clever and popular and Ellie lives in her shadow. One day the twins decide to pretend to be each other to play a trick on their Mother but at the end of the day Ellie refuses to go back to being her unpopular self and continues to insist that she is Helen. The real Helen becomes deeply distressed that nobody, least of all her Mother, will believe in the swap...

Helen, forced to live her life as Ellie, spirals into mental illness and is rejected by her family while the real Ellie (in her new life as Helen) thrives and becomes a minor celebrity. Years later, a serious car accident to bring the sisters back into each others orbit. Maybe now real Helen can convince her family of the swap?

It's a complicated story to describe without giving too much away but if you are a fan of psychological dramas I suggest you pick this up and give it a whirl as it is a real page turner. There is a high level of suspense and something menacing throughout this dark tale. So many questions crop up that you need to find the answers to that I am sure you will be enthralled. 

Beside Myself a haunting and disturbing tale that totally drew me in.  

It isn't a comfortable read, adult Ellie has many problems and some serious mental health issues but the author handles everything with such immense skill I found it hard to believe this was a debut novel from a young author. It's smart, clever and accomplished.

Recommended.

 . 

Facial Sprays and Spritzes - Summer 2016

NYC summertime means either skin that's dehydrated from heavy air conditioning or skin that needs a refreshing spritz of something cooling to give relief from heavy humidity. Refreshing facial sprays are a summertime staple for me and I like to have a selection on hand. Here's a look at what I have been spraying this summer...

Kat Burki Cucumber Balancing Elixer.

If you are a fan of Kat Burki skincare you will instantly recognise the clean fragrance of this spray - a fresh spa like take on cucumber. Sensory wise this is a treat but it's a little pricy to be spritzing willy nilly as a freshener, it's one to be used as a treatment. The water base of this one has been ionized which means that its molecules are smaller so it is better absorbed by the body (it is the same sort of water they use in hospitals for drips etc). It contains aloe, collodial silver and lavender to sooth, Vitamin C from Camu-camu berries, grapefruit to brighten and support collagen production, carrot and raspberry seed oils and cucumber hydrosols. I applied it either after cleansing in the morning or after acid toning at night. The product itself is slightly thicker than water and to use I applied a couple of sprays and pressed it in rather as you would with an oil or serum.
 One gripe with this is that while the bottle is very pretty, the spray mechanism on it is pretty 'meh' delivering a squirt rather than a fine mist.

$65.00 for 3.4floz us.spacenk.com

Evan Healy Rose Geranium Facial Tonic Hydrosol.

This is a straightforward mix of organic rose and geranium waters that has been distilled at a low temperature. It is a hydrating and freshening spritz that softens and balances as it cools. It smells of roses (of course) but the geranium adds something a little sharp and green. I did use this as a second night time toner and after cleansing in the morning but I also grabbed it throughout the day for a quick pick me up refresh - the mist is fine enough that you can spray over make up.

All of the Evan Healy Hydrosols are lovely. I am currently using their Lavender Hydrosol which I find to be very calming on my skin

$24.95 for 4fl oz evanhealy.com

Panier des Sens Refreshing Beauty Mist.

I picked this up as an impulse buy and I am very glad I did. I use this mostly as a refreshing spray but it is also very hydrating. It is a fragranced mix of fresh and sea waters, and when I spritz this it reminds me of standing in the surf getting misted by sea spray as waves break. The fragrance in this one is quite strong so it may not be for everyone but I like it, there's something that is very marine like about it. The aluminum tin makes it very portable making it a good one to throw in your beach bag.

$10.00 for 2.6fl oz

Caudalie Beauty Elixer.

Caudalie's Beauty Elixer is something of a cult product. A mix of orange flower and rose waters with rosemary and mint extracts along with glycerine, I find that the scent of this one is the main appeal as it manages to be both calming and uplifting at the same time. I like to keep this one in my travel bag and spray a little into my hand and inhale it if I am on a flight or use it as a pillow spray immediately before I sleep. I almost always have one of these in my stash, normally from part of a Caudalie value set or GWP - the bottle is a pretty one as well. 

$18.00 for 1fl oz $49.00 for 3.4 fl oz us.caudalie.com

Vichy Eau Thermal.

Hydrating and cooling this is simply mineral water in a tin that sprays a fine mist. I use this between layers of skincare for an extra boost of moisture as well as a using it as a hot weather spritz. 

The 1.69 fl oz size is perfect for your bag.

$14.00 for 1.69 fl oz cvs.com

Kiehls Cactus Flower and Tibetan Ginseng Hydrating Mist.

Now I could be wrong but I feel that this is a rebrand of Kiehl's Refreshing Mist... Anyway it is a skin softening and hydrating mist and the idea is that  the cactus flower and ginseng hold moisture in your skin. This also contains lavender, rosemary and geranium so it smells amazing (it's not a milliom miles away from the scent of Caudalie Beauty Elixer as far as I'm concerned). Rebrand or not it's very nice and one that I use as more of a facial treatment than a refresher.  

$17.00 for 2.5floz $27.00 for 4.2 floz kiehls.com

Love, Nina: A Nanny Writes Home.

In 1982, 20 year old Nina Stibbe moved from the Midlands to North London and worked as a live in nanny for five years. Her boss, single mother Mary-Kay, moved in London's literary circles and was the Chief Editor of the London Review of Books. Nina'a charges were her two sons Will and Sam aged 9 and 10.

Love Nina is simply a collection of the letters that Nina Stibbe wrote to her sister Victoria describing her life during that time. While it's a charming and quirky book there's not a plot or even much of a story: the letters are mostly mundane observations of everyday London life or details of mealtime conversations. Simply written, it's almost like being a fly on the wall in a well to do English home in the 1980's.

This was an easy and quick read. I found it was the sort of book you could dip in and out of and there was something about it that made it very calming to read which I liked. It wasn't as funny as I was expecting but it does have amusing moments.

Overall, although I liked it, I didn't love it but I would consider reading the author's other books (which are novels based on her life) as I enjoyed her somewhat unique sparse style of writing.  

Lust and Wonder.

Lust and Wonder is another memoir from Augusten Burroughs. It covers the period that follows his previous book Dry.

As in his other memoirs he puts the main focus on one aspect of his life during the time he writes about. In Lust and Wonder the focus is on his romantic relationships. In particular it looks at three significant relationships that he has been in along with his quest to find his true love. 

I haven't read anything by Augusten Burroughs for quite some time and I had forgotten how hysterically funny his work can be, there were absolutely some real 'lol' moments in this book.

I had also forgotten how brutally honest his accounts are. There are some uncomfortable and twisted incidents in this book that almost lay the author's soul too bare but it is written with a frankness that I admire, he tells everything both good and bad and reveals his faults and idiosyncrasies in a way that makes the reader feel connected to him and the situations he is facing.

Above all, Lust and Wonder is a brilliantly told romance. The author's vulnerability and uncertainty shows through and he does get the happy ending that he and the reader are hoping for.

Recommended.    

Cleansers Summer 2016

Its once again time to check out what cleansers I have on my shelf (I do this every four months or so). 

Not only am I fanatical about cleansers, I love trying out different ones whenever I get the chance, but the selection in use changes depending on the needs of my skin - which is greatly affected by the weather. New York City summers are hot and humid, and while I still need something to hydrate, soften and nourish my skin, I also need it to keep my skin in balance and keep any heat related oiliness at bay. It's a lot to ask which is why I have five cleansers on the go right now. Let's take a look...

RMS Raw Beauty Coconut Cream. This was in the last cleanser round up, it has since been out on loan to Mr C&C who was using it to moisturise and heal a scar and I recently got it back. This feels cleaner and more refined than the large jars of coconut oil from the supermarket and while there is nothing wrong with using those for cleansing this simply feels more like a beauty product. Great for not only removing make up and first cleansing you could also use this to moisturise, as a hair mask - endless uses really and of course it smells like summer!

MV Organics 9 Oil Cleansing Tonic. Although this is a smallish bottle it is lasting a long long time as you only need a few drops. It's almost more of a treatment than a cleanser in my opinion, as you use it to massage your face and then instead of rinsing it off you press it into your skin with a warm wet cloth. I had trouble finding out where to use this in my routine but finally worked out that I could use it as a morning cleanse a few times a week applying it and then hopping in the shower where the warm steam helps it absorb. As I noted before, this one is lush!

Bio-Essence Miracle Bio Water Jelly Make Up Remover. This is a great first cleanse, it dissolves make up in a flash and is easy to rinse away. It's more of a gel than a jelly, it feels incredibly light and refreshing at the end of a hot day but it is quite perfumed with a watery slightly astringent scent which may not be to everyones tastes. 

Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel is almost always on my shelf. Theres a little fruit acid exfoliation going on here and it leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean but not tight or stripped. I use this mostly in the morning but do us it as a second cleanse if I am feeling at all greasy or congested. Like most Mario Badescu products this is strongly perfumed and brightly coloured (and the packaging is hideous!) but if you can put up with that give it a go. It's a great little performer that won't break the bank.

Tata Harper Purifying Cleanser isn't always on my shelf as it is on the expensive side but it may well be my all time favorite cleanser. It is a gentle non foaming creamy gel that is great to use as a morning cleanse or as a second cleanse (don't waste this one on taking your make up off as I did when I first bought this - I wanted to use it at every opportunity!) This does everything that the Mario Badescu one does but it does it all a little better - it is Mario's older, sophisticated big sister as it were! This has a very uplifting zesty and zippy scent that is lovely, it is so summery and fresh. If you want to spoil yourself with a beauty treat I suggest you seriously consider this - it won't disappoint.

And that's the summer selection! I will take another look at thecleansers I am using before the end of the year and see what I am favouring in the colder Autumn/Winter weather.

Living Like a Runaway.

Lita Ford, the self crowned 'Queen of Metal', started her musical career at the age of 16 when she joined The Runaways whilst still in High School. Following the band's breakup she went on to have a successful solo career as well as collaborating with many many other bands and musicians.

Living Like a Runaway is her memoir and it is an easy and entertaining read.

I love a good rock biography (or 'memoir' in this case) and Lita Ford tells a great story. There's plenty of sex, drugs, rock and roll and outrageous tales to be found here.

I loved reading about Lita and her exploits but parts of her story left me wondering. She is obviously a strong woman yet she has constantly made bad choices in both her professional and personal life. 

The last third of the book concerns her second marriage, divorce and legal proceedings that leave her with no access whatsoever to her two sons. This part of the book is very confusing as there are simply so many unanswered and unexplained things in it. I fully understand her not wanting to go into details about the situation as it is obviously very emotional and complex but there is something so strange about this part of the book that I think it would have been best if she had omitted to write about this part of her life... 

There has been a lot of criticism about this book and I strongly believe that a lot of it is due to the fact that it is written by a woman. Lita lives and works in what is very much a man's world (heavy metal music) and she lives her rock and roll lifestyle to the full... and why shouldn't she?

 Living Like a Runaway isn't a book for the faint hearted but I recommend it if you enjoy rock biography.    

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2016.

Last year was the first year that I signed up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge and I found that it  not only motivated me to read more it also made me think about what I had read and consider what I wanted to read from my book list. I signed up again this year and think that it is something that I will continue to do in the future.

Now that we are midway through the year (already, how frightening!) I took a look at my numbers to see how I was doing.

I set myself the goal of reading 52 books in 2016 and I have read 35 so far. I'm  very happy to see that I am 9 books ahead of my schedule and well on my way to completing this year's challenge. 

If I continue at this pace as I should reach my goal by October and then I can either tackle the huge pile of magazines at the side of my bed or choose a couple of big fat lengthy books to finish up the year.

Did you set yourself a reading challenge this year? If not and you would like to it's not to late to sign up.  Why not take a look at goodreads.com?

Empties June 2016.

The tally of May's Empties was rather disappointing  but as promised June has produced a whole bundle of them with a total of seventeen full sized and twenty four samples being used up (and they were mostly fair sized samples). I actually rather amazed by the amount of empties this month, I think this may be the most I have ever had!

Body Care.

The body care empties were all basic drugstore items with the exception of a sample tube of Laura Mercier Body Butter which was an exceptionally nice body cream. It's fig scent managed to be both fresh yet warm with something almost creamy about it. I don't often splurge on expensive body creams and lotions but if I did this would definitely be on my list. 

I used up two hand creams, Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve (which is one of my favourites) and Leif Kakudu Plum and Macadamia Nut Hand Balm. I wasn't a fan of the Leif Hand Balm which although it describes itself as a balm it is a cream formula. It feels oily on application but then sinks in totally but it didn't leave my hands feeling soothed and I didn't like it's oily nutty smell.

Haircare.

I loved using Rahua everyday. My hair felt in great condition and the bottles have lasted me a long time as you really don't need to use much of either the shampoo or the conditioner. Bumble&Bumble Surf Cream Rinse is an old favourite of mine and the Fekkai Technician Colour Care Shampoo was good although I wasn't overly keen on it's fruity, berry like scent.

Skincare.

Una Brennan Super Facialist Calming Creamy Cleanser is not only great at dissolving make up it leaves my skin feeling exceptionally softened. It's not an easy one to find in the U.S. but you occasionally come across it in TJMaxx. 

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Rapid Radiance Cleanse is pretty much a creamier version of Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip,  of the two I slightly prefer Ceramic Slip as I love how fresh it feels.

 I'm pleased to have finished my final Eve Lom Cleanser sample as I'm not a fan of it's scent and find it difficult to remove fully unless you use very hot water.

Summer's here so the face sprays are out in force! I used up two handbag sized ones for refreshing spritzes and a full sized Kat Burki Balancing Elixir which I used as a treatment between layers of skincare. It's not cheap but it calmed and balanced my face very nicely - it is a spray rather than a spritz and in terms of texture it falls between a water and a milk so you need to press it into your face - definitely a treatment rather than a refresher, it is a real treat for the face.

I finished up two eye make up removers, Kiehl's Supremely Gentle which is one that I use regularly and Clinique TTDO which I find works well but is a tad too oily to be comfortable for me. 

The final full sized skincare items I used up were Nude Radiant Day Moisturiser which I like as a basic plain moisturiser on top of oils or serums or under make up and Boots Botanics Ionic Clay Mask which I find works very well but is so messy to use. It's cheap though and the tube lasts ages so I may get it again sometime...

There's a lot of skincare samples here. Laneige Water Bank Serum and Radical Advanced Peptide Antioxidant Serum are both great products. I used the Laneige at night and it was very hydrating and the Radical one during the day to help protect my skin.

Mila Moursi Revitalising and Beautifying Oil was a dry textured oil that I enjoyed using and I was impressed by BellaTorra Cellular Renewal Cream which was a rich yet not greasy night cream. Kat Burki Eye Cream Complex was did a good job of hydrating under my eyes but it was a little greasy so I used it mainly at night.

I wasn't impressed by Fresh Sugar Lip Serum Advanced Therapy, REN Instant Firming Beauty Shot Serum Or La Mar Lifting Eye Serum... And the two VineVera Resveratrol Moisture Day Cream samples? I hated everything about them and  repurposed them as body cream!

Make Up and Perfume.

Ahhhh, another Chantecaille Perfect Skin - this one was in the shade 'Bliss' which I use in the Winter months as it is a perfect match for my skin when it is paler. I also used up three perfume vials including one of Byredo Mojave Ghost which is a very unusual floral. It is strong on application - almost too strong -  but it settles down nicely and feels almost fresh and light as it wears off. Oh and this is a scent with longevity so you don't need to use too much.

And that's about it! There are a few things that I didn't mention but I think that's quite enough of a ramble.

I'm expecting next months Empties to be somewhat sparse but I've said that before and been surprised so you never know...

Sandwiches of New York #2.

Time to share another NYC sandwich!

What is it? Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich.

Where is it from? Olive's, 191 Price Street (at Sullivan Street). olivesnyc.com

How much does it cost? $10.50 ($11.43 with tax).

What's in it? Grilled and marinated chicken breast, watercress, tomato, and chipotle mayonnaise on rosemary foccacia.

Olive's is a Soho institution. They recently moved a couple of blocks along Prince Street to a new location but the food and service is the same and they still have their distinctive red benches outside. It's a little expensive overall but it still is one of the cheaper food options to be found in Soho. It always seems to be busy, esp at lunchtime, but the counter service is swift and efficient. There are a few window seats inside and some benches outside but Olive's is primarily a take out spot, so stop by to get the makings of a picnic or take your sandwich and walk up to Houston Street and Sixth Avenue where there are plenty of benches if Olive's limited seating is full.

As for the sandwich, I love chicken sandwiches and the chicken in this is very good - moist and tender and cut from the breast of a whole bird rather than being a cutlet. The watercress and tomato combo perfectly compliment the chicken and the tomatoes here are always very tasty. The chipotle mayo is only mildly spiced and although the focaccia isn't truly authentic it's savory and soft and a little oily (the oiliness is a good thing in my book). While not huge it's a good sized sandwich and the food here is always freshly made so you wont be eating a sad sandwich that has been languishing in a fridge for hours becoming either soggy or (alternatively) dry.

To make this my ultimate chicken sandwich I would lose the rosemary leaves on the bread and add a little lemon to the mayo but all in all it's a tasty sandwich that is perfect for lunch on a warm summer's day.