SALE ALERT!!!

Festivity, one of my all-time favorite stores, is currently offering 20% off your entire order if you shop online! Go to http://www.festivityonline.com/ and enter promotion code “festivity20” at checkout. Don’t wait- this offer is only valid through June 16th.

Now if you’d excuse me, I have some serious shopping to do…

Yours,
The Diligent Diva

Broiled Salmon with a Mustard Glaze: A Recipe to Impress, hold the stress

My stress level seemed to hit an all-time high this past week and unfortunately with it came a string of episodes in which I bore a strong resemblance to Britney back in her head-shaving, umbrella-hurling days. I wanted to do something to thank my parents who are always unbelievably patient with me during these less than pleasant moments, but this little diva does not have the funds to treat my rents to dinner at the Ritz anytime soon. Instead, I decided to prepare an impressive meal for them at home! My challenge? Most of my cooking endeavors result in me fanning the smoke alarm with one hand and dialing my local take-out joint with the other.

I borrowed this fabulous meal idea from a friend of mine- we’ll call her the Domestic Diva. She is the kind of woman who shows up to a party with a homemade tart while you are frantically trying to scrape the tag off your store-bought cookies before anyone notices. However, I’ve been lucky enough to learn that she also has a ton of easy culinary tricks up her sleeve. I took her great recipe idea and made it even easier, so please read below. Enjoy!

Broiled Salmon with a Mustard Glaze, Roasted Asparagus and Couscous

What you’ll need (recipe for 4 people):

• 4 (6 to 8 oz) salmon fillets
• About 1 tablespoon Herb Paste (found in the produce section along with fresh herb, this is my addition- this is a really easy substitute for buying and preparing multiple herbs)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
• Splash of white wine from the bottle you purchased for dinner :) **
• 2 bunches of asparagus (recipe called for 2 lbs, just eyeball it)
• Olive oil cooking spray
• Salt/black pepper
• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• 4 lemon wedges (to be served with the salmon and asparagus)
• Box of store-bought couscous (I used Near East Wild Mushroom & Herb)

Directions:

1. Mix herb paste, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, and splash of wine together in small bowl. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees (in my kitchen, the broiler is under the oven so I set my temperature to 450 degrees so that I could cook both the salmon and asparagus at the same time).
3. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread asparagus on top. Spray with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Place in oven.
4. Line another heavy-rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray the foil with cooking spray. Arrange the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place under broiler for 5 minutes.
5. Now start working on the couscous. Follow the directions depending on whichever brand you choose; for Near East, now is a good time to add water to a saucepan, mix in the spice pack, and bring to a boil.
6. After the 5 minutes has passed since you placed the salmon in the oven, you are going to multi-task with these 3 steps: first, spoon the mustard sauce over the fillets; second, sprinkle the slivered almonds on top of the asparagus; lastly, stir the couscous into the boiling water mixture, then cover and remove from heat.
7. Continue cooking each about 5 minutes longer and you are done- this is one of those perfect recipes which all items finish at the same time!
   Do watch the salmon though- the fillets should cook until golden brown and just cooked through, but many ovens cook differently and cooking times may vary.

Give this recipe a try and spoil someone special in your life, or go ahead and spoil yourself- you deserve it!

Yours,
The Diligent Diva

** Don’t forget the wine- Pinot Grigio is an excellent pairing with salmon. If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, head over to their amazing wine department and look around; you can find some fabulous wines for under $10. If not, I tried a bottle from Publix by Frei Brothers. It was on sale and delicious :)

No plans this weekend?

Head to Virginia Highlands for Summerfest! This free event lasts all weekend and features live music, food, art, and more.

“Voted the "Best Neighborhood Festival" in Creative Loafing … Make sure you stick around and explore the unique shopping and eclectic dining throughout the Virginia-Highland neighborhood.”

Personally, I was sold at shopping and dining BUT in case you need a little push, there’s also a pub crawl Saturday night. The Virginia Highlands Summer Pub Crawl is from 3-9pm and includes all my favorite spots in the neighborhood- check out the food/drink specials listed below. Tickets are $5 in advance/$10 at the door, with a portion of proceeds benefitting Small Dog Rescue.

Have a great weekend!

Yours,
The Diligent Diva


Limerick Junction - $2.50 Coors Light 16oz Drafts, $5 Wine, $4 Bacardi Cocktails & $2 Potato Skin MunchiesLive Music with Galen Crader (Free Entry before 9PM & $2 Discount Entry after 9PM)

Diesel - $2 Miller Lite Pints, $4 Vodka Cocktails & $3 Jager & $3 Hamburgers & $2 Hot Dogs

Pozole Nuevo Latino & Tequila Bar (5PM - 7PM) - $2 Coors Lights & $4 Margaritas

Atkins Park - $2 Miller High Life 16oz Drafts & $5 Astica Chard & Cab Wine - $2 BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Dark Horse Tavern - $3 Miller Lite Bottles & $2 Hot Dogs (Any Way You Want It) with Fries

Hand in Hand - $3 Bud Light Pints

Quick Fix for a Makeup Mess

I am a huge klutz, I’ll be the first to admit it. Just this morning I was sleepily putting on makeup when CRASH! my blush dropped to the ground and broke into a million pieces. Luckily the top stayed on- if those pieces had gone all over my floor I think I would have given up on the day and gotten back in bed. As I turned to throw the blush in the trash, I recalled an article I read recently and decided to give their tip a whirl. Luckily for me- and all you divas out there- it turned out to be a fantastic solution!

Instead of throwing away my damaged blush, I found a small container and added Vaseline to the blush bits to create a colored lip balm. I was able to control the color intensity by how much Vaseline I added, and even better, since I used a shade I already know is flattering, I was able to create the perfect color for a pulled together makeup look in a flash!

Yours,
The Diligent Diva

Dry Shampoo: Please allow me to shout it from the rooftops

To get through my day without emulating the classic Saved by the Bell moment when Jessie Spano howls, “THERE’S NO TIME! THERE’S NEVER ANY TIME!” while a fetching Zach Morris consoles her, there are certain survival tools I’ve learned to keep in my arsenal. Among many others, I have an extra shirt at my desk for the coffee that I habitually spill down the front of me as I dash to work, always carry food in my car for the moments I’m sitting in 6pm traffic and realize the aforementioned Venti soy latte was the only thing I had time to ingest that day, and most importantly never leave the house without Rene Furterer's Dry Shampoo. (All you blondes out there can snicker away while you use your baby powder, but that is just NOT an option for a brunette like myself.)

There are days that I just cannot find time to dry and style my hair- ok, so maybe this happens more often than not- and I used to spend my days A) looking like a frazzled poodle while my unruly hair smirked down at me or B) wondering who in the office could tell I hadn’t washed my hair since Saturday’s night out with the girls. I worry no more! Just a few sprays on my roots, a quick touch-up with my curling iron, and VOILÁ!, good as new. Don’t be intimidated by the $24 price tag ladies, a little goes a long way; I’ve had the same bottle for months now and use it often. I would thoroughly recommend checking this product out at Sephora**- if you don’t have the same luck you can easily return, or check out some of their other dry shampoos.

Renee Furterer’s Dry Shampoo is also a great way to fit in time to hit the gym. Before I discovered my little piece of heaven, the idea of finding time to work out AND having to wash/dry my hair afterwards was so daunting it was like I was being asked to hike Mt. Everest in stilettos. However, the patented formula instantly absorbs oil, sweat, and smells, while still leaving my hair soft and full of volume so I’m walking out of the gym looking fabulous in no time. The only negative thing I can say about Rene’s dream product is I no longer have an excuse to avoid working out. However, I’ll save the rants of my eternal battle with myself to make it to the gym for another time…

Yours,
The Diligent Diva

** You will hear me singing Sephora’s praises time and again. They have a phenomenal return policy that has made my life infinitely easier, along with a great selection and friendly, knowledgeable employees. I’ve had the best experience at the Sephora located at Perimeter Mall.

One-Stop: A Busy Girl’s Guide to Staying Fabulous

In this fast-paced world, there’s never enough time. I feel as though I’m always running, as if my life consists of one check after another on a never-ending to-do list. Despite the chaos and occasional lack of time to even fit essentials like washing my hair into my schedule, I somehow always find time to relentlessly do research before making decisions.

I turn to the women in my life incessantly for help. I call on them for advice on new restaurants and events happening around town. For the latest scoop on products, recipes, and trends. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say the majority of purchasing decisions I’ve made in the past 10 years required a discussion with both my mother and best friend beforehand. In recent times, I’ve only expanded my consults to now include blogs, reviews, and advice columns, all thoroughly referenced to the point where I wondered why a busy girl can’t just make one stop during her crazy day to get all the info she’s looking for..

This is why I decided to start One-Stop. Although the men in my life often find my relentless research exhausting, I believe it’s fundamentally because of the way women think. Women consider many more factors than men when making a decision and in turn consult many more resources. The internet can often be a daunting place, with seemingly unlimited resources for information. I wanted to create a space where women can find information on events, products, and trends in areas such as beauty, fashion, nutrition and health, and also post information for other women. This will be a “one-stop shop” where I’ll diligently scope out the best places to see and be seen, products you’ll love, recipes to impress (and shrink your waistline!), and other ways to stay fabulous while still keeping your wallet happy in the process.

Yours,
The Diligent Diva