Sandwiches of New York #6.

It's time to share another New York sandwich!

What is it? B.L.T.

Where's it from? Eisenbergs Sandwich Shop, 174 5th Avenue btw 22nd &23rd  eisenbergsnyc.com

How much does it cost? $7.00 + tax

What's in it? Bacon, lettuce and tomato, mayonnaise on toasted sourdough bread with a dill pickle on the side.

I love Eisenberg's!

 It is such a classic old school New York sandwich shop/deli, incredibly atmospheric, simply a very  NYC kind of place. With it's long chrome counter, pictures of 'famous' people on the walls, counter men hurling things on a flattop grill and just a lot of general noise and bustle it is everything you expect a New York coffee shop to be. I love to sit at the counter and watch all the action. 

As well as sandwiches Eisenberg's have a selection of breakfast dishes and diner style food but it's the sandwiches that they are known for and what I recommend. There's a whole variety of breads and rolls to choose from and if there isn't anything you fancy on the menu you can simply order your own combination. 

All the sandwiches are good here, Mr C&C likes their Cuban but I inevitably find myself ordering the B.L.T.  There's a generous amount of crispy bacon in here but the thing that makes it a standout for me is the hefty wedge of iceberg lettuce that adds texture and moisture. And it's only $7.00! With a pickle!

If you're looking for a tasty sandwich in a traditional New York setting I highly recommend you stop by Eisenburg's Sandwich Shop.

You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams.

One of the best books I read last year was Alan Cumming's honest and touching autobiography Not My Father's Son so when I saw this volume of photo essays by him I had to pick it up!

 Here are 45 essays accompanied by Alan's own photography which encompass a vast range of subjects. Some of the essays are hilarious, some are poignant - they are all personal and well told. It is one of those books that makes you feel as if you are sat in a pub having a drink and reminiscing with a friend. Off the top of my head I particularly enjoyed the story of his road trip to Vancouver, the retelling of the time he met Elizabeth Taylor and the story of his first camera but all the stories told were entertaining and engaging.

This is the sort of book that you can dip in and out of, however I read it straight through from cover to cover. It's not a sumptuous coffee table style book but would make a great gift especially for someone who is a fan of his work.

I enjoyed it a lot - recommended.

CVS Beauty Day Giveaway #4.

It's always nice to pop into CVS for something mundane such as milk and unexpectedly be given a bag of beauty samples and coupons. Such was the case on Saturday at my local branch. I have said before that they may not be the most exciting goody bags out there but they are completely free - you don't even have to make a purchase! And let's face it, I'm never going to turn down sample. Lets take a look inside the latest Beauty Day Giveaway bag.

Samples.

Body.

Curel Hydra Therapy Wet Skin Moisturiser. This is a generous 2oz sample of a body moisturiser that you apply to wet skin when you have finished showering. This one feels gel like and has a faint fruity fragrance. I've not been overtly impressed by these in shower moisturisers when I have used them in the past but I will certainly try this out. The bag also contains a sample sachet Of Amlactin Body Lotion.

Face.

Nip+Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads. This jar of five exfoliating pads presoaked with glycolic acid will be a perfect addition to my travel bag! I use a gycolic toner of some sort daily and I'm currently using the Extreme version of these pads. I like them very much and these are a milder version of those pads. If you want to try out acid toning without spending a lot of money I recommend this range of pads. There is also a sample sachet of Olay Facial Oil in the bag.

Hair.

I love OGX products and am always happy to try out something from this range so I am happy to get sample sachets of their Bamboo Fiber-Full Shampoo and Conditioner. This hair care duo contains bamboo fibers and soy proteins and promises to add strength and body to hair.

Coupons.

I don't think that I will use any of these but they are great coupons to have if you intend to buy any of the following: $5.00 off any Jouviance skincare item, $4.00 off Amlactin Body Lotion and $4.00 off Curel Hydra Therapy Wet Skin Moisturiser.

I think that is a great mix of products and you can never go wrong with a bunch of free beauty samples. Keep your eyes peeled for the next CVS Beauty Day giveaway, it's well worth it!

Lolito.

It's the Easter school holidays in England and Etgar, an anxious fifteen year old, is home alone as his parents have gone abroad to a wedding. When Etgar discovers that his girlfriend has been cheating on him he is overcome with despair. Refusing to leave his room to socialise he passes the time watching gory online films. Soon he is hanging out in adult chat rooms where he is befriended by Marcy, an older married woman. When she suggests they meet up in London Etgar is keen and willing, then everything gets rather out of hand...

I was unsure how I felt about Lolito to begin with but as the story progressed I found myself liking it more and more. There's a lot of rather crude pornographic scenes in here and generally squalid behaviour but the writing has a strength to it that shaped the characters and situations realistically. 

It's a dark book with some highly amusing moments and underneath this simple tale a lot of deeper questions are provoked. 

 I am impressed that someone as young as Ben Brooks (he's 24 for goodness sake!) wrote this. I loved his writing style and the storyline was expertly composed. I found the ending to be particularly satisfying, the ends were neatly tied up and the outcome was exactly what I wanted it to be.

This book won't be to everyone's taste, if you are at all squeamish or prudish it 's not for you but if you provocation and something a little twisted then you should give Lolito a go. 

Under Your Skin.

When daytime TV presenter Gaby Mortimer discovers a body in woodland near her London home she reports it to the  police. Visibly shaken, Gaby tries to carry on with her normal life which becomes increasingly difficult as the police investigation focuses more and more on the fact that maybe Gaby is the killer. Trying to clear her name she joins forces with sympathetic journalist Jack Hayward and together they set out to investigate areas overlooked by the police.

Under Your Skin was an enthralling read. The tale was dark and menacing and the plot moved quickly along until the shocking and unexpected climax. (I have to admit that early on I thought "hmm well it's obvious that so and so did it" but I was totally on the wrong track!) The story was well plotted and the characters were all very believable. Sabine Durrant writes deftly and tells a skillfully plotted story. 

I look forward to reading more of her books.

Recommended.  

Caudalie Restock #2

It's been quite some time since I bought anything online from Caudalie but I have bought some of their products in stores and accumulated enough My Rewards points for a free product so it was high time to make an order!

I have quite an array of skincare in stock at the moment, plenty of cleansers, moisturisers and serums, but I have used up some of my full sized facial oils and have been looking for a new one just to mix things up a bit routine wise. I don't know if Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil is a new product, but it's a new product to me that I spied while browsing in Sephora very recently.

Priced at $52.00 for 30ml this hydrating oil comes with a dropper for easy application. Containing a blend of six oils this oil absorbs well and softens skin without leaving it greasy. I also love it's delicate fragrance of roses.

I redeemed my My Rewards points for a full sized Vinosource S.O.S.Thirst Quenching Serum. This product is a godsend for dehydrated and dry skin with a lightweight gel formula that is oil free. It feels comfortable and cooling in the summer but I also love to use this in winter when my skin becomes dry due to central heating (it is also great to use when flying). Not only is it incredibly hydrating -I've previously described it as a drink of water for the face - it is very calming on skin that is sensitive or irritated.

Now of course there was a GWP when I placed my order. Purchases of over $50.00 received free shipping along with a 30ml handbag sized Hand and Nail Cream, a 50ml bottle of Micellare Water and a 30ml Cleansing Oil. The hand cream is one of my favourites and handbag sized creams are always very useful. I'm not a huge fan of micellare waters (are they as much of a 'thing' as they used to be?) but the Caudalie one is one of the better ones that I have tried and this size will be handy for travel. It contains soothing chamomile and smells very fresh and I find that it removes even stubborn eye make up relatively well but still feels very gentle. The Cleansing Oil is a fairly new addition to Caudalie's range of cleansers and something that I have been intending to try since I first saw it.

Also included in my order were three standard samples. I chose sachets of Vinosource Sorbet, Resveratrol Lift Cream and (more) Vinosource S.O.S Serum.

If you need/want anything by Caudalie it is well worth ordering it online to take advantage of their generous GWP's. (I received $71.00 worth of free products with my $52.00 order!)

 Visit caudalie.com to see their current offers and be sure to enroll in their rewards program when there.

Marriage Material.

 Arjan Banga, the son of Indian immigrants, is happy with his life. Living in a hip part of London he has it all: an interesting job, a beautiful flat and a glamorous English fiance. Then the sudden death of his Father forces him to return home and work alongside his Mother in the family corner shop. Reevaluating his life and priorities Arjan sets about finding his long lost Aunt Surinder intending to reunite her with his Mother, but can he reconcile his family responsibilities with his modern  day independence and carefree lifestyle?

Alternating between the present day family and the family as it was in the 1960's we learn that the stories of Arjan and Surinder echo each other. Both serve as a commentary on the clashes of two different lifestyles and cultures, as well as highlighting the differences between the generations and their changing views over the years.

Marriage Material is quite a complex tale. It took me a little time to get into it but once I was I was hooked. It is very observant, it is also very humorous and there are plenty of side plots and stories to entertain. I liked Sathnam Sanghera's writing style, the tale flowed nicely, the characters were totally believable and there were many small details that made the story very realistic. I found myself rooting for Arjan and his family throughout the book and I loved how it ended. 

Recommended.

Brand New Kicks #4: Nike Mayfly.

I bought these earlier on in the year but it was so hot during the summer that it is only recently I have been wearing these with any regularity and they are flipping amazing. I am seriously in love with these sneaks!

The Mayfly was originally designed by Nike as a shoe for marathon runners. The uppers are made of black suede and are perforated to increase airflow around the foot and keep feet cool. The perforations are threaded with a contrasting band of light grey suede and the shoe is lined with a breathable beige micromesh.

These shoes are ultra lightweight, they are so comfortable. The sole is flexible and bouncy yet still feels supportive. In the past I have had problems with the laces that Nike supply which have a tendency to slip and come undone but the flat waxed cotton laces in the Mayfly not only look stylish they also remain tied. Another design feature that I like about the Mayfly is that there isn't a Nike swoosh on the outside which I think updates them from being a trainer/sneaker to a casual shoe.

I have been wearing these a lot around town and can see that a repurchase will be in order when they wear out.

Nike Mayfly cost $120.00 and are also available in maroon suede with a red contrasting strip.

You can find them at barneys.com and netaporter.com

    

Behind Closed Doors.

 To the outside world Grace and Jack appear to have a perfect marriage and live a perfect life in their gracious home. But appearances can be deceptive and who knows what goes on Behind Closed Doors?

I had high hopes for this book. It was recommended by my local independent bookstore and it has a whole host of five star reviews on line. I was greatly looking forward to reading it.

Now I hate to be negative but I thought it was an awful book, I only finished it because it was a very quick and easy read. I thought the writing style was terrible, it was very flat and felt awkward. 

The plot was pretty much non exsistent and the story felt very drawn out. There were two possible outcomes - one good, one bad - but I was so unconvinced by the book that I didn't care how it ended. 

The characters were very poorly drawn, shallow and unbelievable, the character of Grace in particular was unfathomable. 

I'm amazed by the good reviews that this book has garnered. I found it to be a waste of my reading time.

Not recommended.

  

Sarah Chapman Skinesis: Three Product Morning Skincare Routine.

I tend to mix my skincare up quite a bit using different products and combinations almost every day depending on how my skin feels. Indeed, it's rare that I will have a skincare routine that uses more than a couple of things from the same brand. Lately, however, there has been a trio of Sarah Chapman products that I have been picking up to use in the morning on an almost daily basis.

First on my face (after cleansing of course) is Sarah Chapman Skinesis Instant Hydrating Booster. Now I've raved about this serum plenty of times and I almost always have a bottle to hand as it does wonders for my skin which is frequently dehydrated. I find that just a couple of drops leaves my face looking and feeling refreshed and plumped. It is packed full of hyaluronic acid but it doesn't leave my skin feeling tacky as other hyaluronic products can. It's the consistency of water and I think the reason that I like this so much is that it gives such great results despite being such a super light weight serum - I love the pampering feeling of a skincare routine but hate to feel as if I have layers and layers of product on during the day when I am going to be wearing make up on top.

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Eye Recovery is one of the best eye creams I have found to date and is another repeat purchase. It is packed full of peptides along with more hyaluronic acid and I find that it is very comfortable to wear as I have sensitive eyes and this never makes them sting or tear. Although this cream feels lightweight it is intensely nourishing, banishing crepe-iness under the eyes and smoothing everything out so skin just looks better and it manages to do it's job without leaving you with greasy sticky lids, sinking in swiftly so you don't have to wait an age to apply eye makeup.

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Dynamic Defence was a product I bought at the beginning of the summer and, truth be told, found to be a little too rich for my combination skin in the extreme heat and humidity of a New York summer. Now that the temperature has dropped I find it to be a perfect daytime moisturiser. It is quite rich for a day cream, a little oily even, but like the eye cream it absorbs quickly. In addition to moisturising it contains Vitamin A to help protect your skin along with a Broad Spectrum SPF15 (which I know isn't strictly enough but every little helps right?)

 Smelling of iris, rose and jasmine (the same scent as the overnight facial but not as strong) it feels indulgent and pampering as well as effective.

Honestly, there's nothing that I dislike about these three products (except for the price maybe) and I must say that everything I have tried from Sarah Chapman Skinesis has been delightful - Overnight Facial, Ultimate Cleanse and Rapid Radiance Cleanse are all particular favourites of mine from the range. In fact I think it is safe to say that if I had them to hand I would be fitting them all into my morning routine!

If you are looking for some effective yet sumptuous skincare Sarah Chapman has you covered.

You can buy this amazing skincare from sarahchapman.net us.spacenk.com and cultbeauty.com

Everyday Sexism.

Laura Bates started Everyday Sexism four years ago as an online project/forum where women could share experiences of sexism and sexist behaviour that they had encountered. The project was intended to raise awareness, support women and end sexual abuse. Since then the project has become a global phenomenon, spawning a twitter account where followers can post accounts of sexism with various hash tags such as #shoutingback #SREnow #harassedatwork #whenIwas to name but a few.

Laura Bates has been credited with spreading a digital wave of feminism and here she collects and presents many of the stories that have been posted. She also presents a mass of statistics and data from studies that help illustrate the inequalities faced by women from all around the globe in all walks of life. 

Everyday Sexism is an eye opening read, for both men and women. It will make you aware, it will make you angry, it will empower you. 

Find a copy and read it now.

Recommended.

Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative CSA Share Box.

I've read a lot about CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes recently.

These boxes contain an assortment of organic produce from small farms and I've seen them for sale as subscriptions as well as one off boxes. Obviously the contents of the boxes change all the time so there's an element of surprise which I like as it makes you be a little creative and forces you to cook things that you might not usually make. And of course it saves you a trip to the farmers market as it is delivered to your door.

 I have been curious to try one of these boxes for a while so when I saw a variety of them available via Fresh Direct (an online grocery shopping service that operates in and around NYC freshdirect.com) and they were on special offer and I had a 50% off voucher for a Fresh Direct order it seemed the ideal time to try one out.

I chose a box from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative. Usually priced at $49.99 it was on special offer for $34.99 and with my 50% off voucher the box ended up costing me $17.50

What was in it?

I knew that the box was going to contain 12 eggs, an 8oz piece of cheese, 2 lbs of plain yoghurt and some mushrooms. The seasonal produce was an unknown. My box contained a pint of Sungold cherry tomatoes, a bunch of radishes, some rainbow chard, beetroot and a huge bag of banana peppers.

Dairy.

The eggs were large, fresh and very tasty as was the cheese, which was sharp cheddar made from raw organic cow's milk. The yoghurt has a long sell by date on it and I haven't tried it yet as I have quite a lot of yoghurt already in my fridge.

Produce.

I was expecting the mushrooms to be something more interesting than regular button mushrooms and there were only 8oz of them. The tomatoes were something that I wasn't expecting to find in the box but I love tomatoes in any size shape or form, these were sweet and in perfect condition. Rainbow chard is one of my least favourite greens and there was only five leaves so not enough to make a side dish. Beets aren't something that I buy that often, I don't dislike them but they aren't something I ever crave either. These ones were pretty flavoursome but there were only three of them and two of those were rather small. I've never bought or cooked banana peppers before! After a little googling I decided to pickle most of them and keep some for stuffing which I have yet to do.

What did I make?

I used the radishes and some of the tomatoes, beets and eggs to make Aioli which is a traditional French Provencal meal normally served on a Friday. It is simply a selection of seasonal vegetables with some sort of fish or seafood (most traditionally canned tuna) that is served with a big bowl garlicky mayonnaise. This was a great dinner dish on a warm evening!

As there weren't enough of either the chard or the mushrooms to make anything substantial I used them to make a frittata with some of the eggs. We had this for dinner with some proscuitto and a simple salad.

And finally here are the pickles that I made. Very easy to make, I used a sweet brine and added some red pepper flakes.These are crisp and tasty and we have been eating them in salads and sandwiches and plan to use some on a pizza. I also made some stuffed peppers which I filled with spicy ground lamb and baked in a tomato sauce.

Overall.

Everything in the box was very fresh and the produce was in perfect condition. The cheese was some of the best cheese that I have eaten in a long, long time, it was tangy and rich in taste. 

I thought that the selection of produce was interesting, it wasn't what I would have picked up for myself at the market and I like that it made me think about how to use it up and cook creatively. 

I do think that the box is expensive however. I only paid $17.50 for it once I had applied my discounts which makes it good value for money but it's contents don't represent $50.00 worth of food (which is the normal retail price) especially when you consider that the produce is all in season so it should be cheap. 

I would have been disappointed if I had paid full price for this but if I can get another one at the deeply discounted price I will certainly do so. 

Empties September 2016

I have a lot of beauty products in stock at the moment - both full sized and samples. I've plenty of new things that I am dying to open but feel that I should use up at least some of the older products before I crack open the new ones. I have taken to leaving a little cluster of almost finished things next to my sink and I found this works as an efficient reminder of what I need to use up and spurs me on to finish things.

This month I managed to use up eight full sized products (I'm counting a sheet mask as a full sized item as it was an individual one not part of a set!) and eighteen samples.

Skincare.

I finished a Simple Micellar Cleansing Water and a Simple Eye Make Up Remover.

I'm not a huge fan of micellar waters but I used this when traveling to remove make up (followed with a proper second cleanse) and it did an OK job. However, the eye make up remover wasn't all that efficient at removing mascara - even non waterproof ones - and it made my eyes smart. (I have had this a while and believe there is a new formula out now).

I enjoyed Fresh Soy Face Cleanser as a morning cleanser, especially in the warm weather. It's cucumber scent is so refreshing!

I used up a full sized Sunday Riley Good Genes which is my night time serum of choice. (I already have a new bottle of this.) 

I used my last sample of REN Instant Firming Beauty Shot which I used as a day time serum.

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Eye Recovery is another repeat purchase product and so far it is the closest I have come to finding my perfect eye cream. I'm sure I will repurchase this when I have used up some of my other eye creams.

Talking of perfect, Alpha H Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF50 has all my daily summertime moisturiser needs covered. It hydrates without making me shine, preps my skin for under make up and contains enough SPF that I don't have to use a separate product.

L'Oreal Revitalift Volume Filler and La Mer The Moisturising Soft Cream were both basic moisturisers that I used as an occlusive layer over other products at night. Nothing wrong with either of them but nothing outstanding either.

 Nature's Republic Snail Solution Sheet Mask made me cringe a little - you know, snail secretions on my face - *shudder*! However the snail secretions in question were so far down the list of ingredients on this that I figured they had to be very minimal. This was simply a hydrating sheet mask drenched in a fairly thick gel like product that I took to be mostly glycerine and aloe. It left my face feeling slightly sticky and it did hydrate it to the point of softening lines but only very temporarily. On the plus side the mask fitted my face very well!

Bodycare.

Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion is just about my favourite drugstore lotion. It absorbs instantly and it's hydrating effects last all day. I also like it's delicate clean smelling fragrance.

I used a couple of mini Aveeno Daily Moisturising Lotions which are very good but very basic - not exciting enough to make me rush out and purchase. I did think that the NSpa Coconut Body Butter may have been too thick and heavy feeling to use in warm weather but it absorbed quickly without making my skin feel tacky or clogged and this smelt delicious, like coconut candy!

Burt's Bees Almond and Milk Hand Cream also smelt delicious but was a little too thick and greasy.

Body Shop Passion Fruit Shower Gel smelt exactly like fresh passion fruit! Zingy and uplifting this made my morning shower feel even more refreshing and there were plenty of rich foamy suds as well.

Haircare.

I only managed to finish one haircare item, Shea MoistureFruit Fusion Weightless Creme Rinse. This had a nice fruity summery fragrance but it seemed to be more of a detangler than conditioner on my hair.

Fragrance.

I used up six perfume vials this month. Only two of them wowed me: Etat d'Orange Libre Nombril Immense and Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black.

Make up.

I never got into the whole BB/CC cream thing but the sachet of Burt's Bees BB Cream that I tried was one of the best of the few that I have tried. A liquid consistency rather than a cream, it blended well and gave good coverage (I managed to get three uses from one small sachet). The only thing that I didn't like about this was it's strong fruity floral scent.

Finally I finished two mini mascaras. Nars Audacious Mascara was a deep black and it made my lashes look very dramatic, perhaps even a bit too much for daytime wear. It did have a tendency to become flaky which I think is inevitable when something adds so much volume to your lashes but it would be a good addition to your make up kit for use on special occasions/parties when you want an intensely smoky eye. I have to admit that I didn't like the brush on this. It was a hard plastic spiky ones that looked scary and make me feel somewhat nervous when I used it...

Giorgio Armarni Eyes to Kill was another mascara that gave dramatic results. Although it didn't give much in the way of curl it was very black and did an impressive job of lengthening and thickening. It was quite a wet formula that applied easily without clumping and I liked the brush on this one!

I still have quite a few products that I am nearly done with and I am expecting October to yield a plentiful amount of empties. Watch this space...