Reflection

Two years ago.

Today the sun is shining, fresh spring air is flowing through my windows, and I do believe on my walk to the Polish grocery store I saw a crocus or two. Or twenty. Yes, I do believe that the happiness I feel from Spring finally arriving is definitely her energy smiling from above! Even though I may have had a public cry when I once I got to the store. I was holding a Kolach, all the customers were speaking Polish, and memories flooded me a bit too intensely. No actually maybe it was perfect.

I just wish I had sunglasses on so people didn't think I was crying over the massive amount of gluten I was clutching. Tonight I will make her best dish ever to celebrate her life and love. :) Thank you Mama for this beautiful poem:
                              
In the rising of the sun and in its setting, we shall remember. 
In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter,
In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring,
In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer,
In the rustling of leaves and in the beauty of autumn, 
In the beginning of the year and when it ends, we shall remember.
When we are weary and in need of strength,
When we hear music we love,
When we are lost and sick at heart and need to be inspired,
When we have joys we yearn to share, we shall remember.
So long as we live, Baba, too, will live in us, for she is part of us, 
And we shall always remember.

 -adopted with modifications from Gates of Repentance: The New Union Prayerbook for the Days of Awe Central Conference of American Rabbis

Cancer Stinks

So we all know how much I am enjoying nesting after years of being on the road living my crazy actor life. So along with this of course comes a slight obsession with HGTV.  Who are we kidding? Slight=addicted. Anyways, my new favorite show is Cousins on Call, a family run business right here in our neighborhood!

They are two, dare I say, handsome but not as handsome as my husband cousins who transform, redesign and renovate spaces in my area of Northern Jersey.  I tuned into them when hurricane Sandy hit us here in Jersey and they went out and helped so many families in need. 

 Ellen DeGeneres singled them out to help these first responders who had just bough a new home when it was destroyed.

Well, the episode I just watched transformed me.
They went into the home of a cancer survivor, hold your breath, 12 year old Nicholas Tarabokia and his little brother Ryan to give them the basement of their dreams and a space to run their company.
Yes, he is the CEO of

Cancer Stinks.
Cancer Stinks Children’s Foundation’s mission is to bring joy, comfort and to help improve the quality of life of children and their families affected by cancer through advocacy, charity and support.

I have a very hard time understanding why children have to suffer. Wrapping my head around a child going though cancer makes my heart break. I was bawling though the whole episode of course, but actually not because of his suffering, but because of his resilience, positivity, maturity and generosity. Why can't we all be like him?
Let's try.
I would love to take the opportunity to direct you all to their webpage and Facebook page. Please be on the lookout for repeats of the episode....these two boys have the best personalities and make you quickly realize how silly all our little problems are when you see what they have gone through. 

Donate HERE

Like their page HERE

Like Cousins on Call HERE

And the winner is...

Beth Faust Tait of Los Angeles California!

She has been a long time follower of my blog, has left the most comments though the years, and was my inspiration for starting a blog in the first place! So she deserves a reward. She also deserves a reward for being an incredible mother of three, 

teacher at Ladybug music in LA, 

and writer of a beautiful blog about her family's adventures. 

Thank you to all who took part, and don't fret my pets I will be doing a giveaway once a month so be on the lookout!

My First Giveaway!

 I cannot tell you how excited I am about this. I have witnessed other bloggers giveaway and I love the concept because I mean... who doesn't love free goodies? Nobody. And in this case, Lean to Light's freebies are going to be mostly beauty and health care products so watch out. You are going to love what I am sending you!

 

First up:

Arbonne's RE9 Sample Set

and 

Clinique's Instalift for brows

About RE9

Click here for a great review.

I absolutely love this set. A little secret, throughout all my years in the beauty industry I have never really been able to commit to a "insert number" step program. This one is 5 steps morning and night but because of the easy access packaging it is ridiculously easy to use. I do the 5 steps in 5secs.
Now can we just discuss the ingredients?
Pineapple and Papaya enzymes 
Sea Buckthorn Oil
Marine Lavender Extract
Beech Tree Bud Extract
Algae Extract
Orange Peel Oil
and
Vitamins A, C and E.
Just incredible.

About Clinique's Instalift for brows

This fantastic combo is a two-in-one automatic brow pencil and pearlized highlighter duo creates a contrast and definition that give eyes a virtual lift.

Subscribe with your email or follow with Google+, and leave a comment to win this prize!
 Good luck!

Strawberry Walnut Ghirardelli Chocolate Coconut Cake

 And...It's gluten Free. I know. 

I couldn't fit all of that in the title...I figured Strawberry Walnut Ghirardelli Chocolate Coconut Cake was quite enough.

I wanted to make a cake for my lovely father-in-laws 71st birthday (can't believe it's already been a year since we surprised him in Vancouver) but with my diligence to gluten-free-dom I had to make a slight and easy swap out.  All I did was buy me some Bob's Gluten Free Chocolate cake mix and follow his recipe. (see below) 

I added a cup of Ghirardelli Chocolate chips and a cup of chopped walnuts to the mix. 

Don't you just want to stick your face, I mean, finger in that?

Now we are talkin dirty.

I layered and trimmed with vanilla icing, strawberries and coconut flakes.  YUM.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix Instructions Contributed by: Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix Instructions 16 oz GF Chocolate Cake Mix (2-3/4 cups) 1/2 cup Butter or Margarine, softened 2 tsp Vanilla Extract 1/3 cup Hot (110°F) Water 2 Large Eggs* 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice 1 cup Milk (cow, soy, rice, nut) Directions Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease two 8- inch round cake pans. Using large bowl and electric mixer, cream 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine until smooth. Add cake mix, 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and two large eggs. Beat 30 seconds on low speed to blend ingredients, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Next, beat one minute on low-medium speed. Add 1/3 cup hot (110°F) water and two teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat thoroughly for one minute. Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10-15 minutes on wire rack. Loosen edges of cake with sharp knife. Place right side up on wire rack to cool completely before cutting. Place your favorite frosting between the two layers, then frost entire cake. * For an eggless option, combine 2 Tbsp. Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal and 6 Tbsp water in a small bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes and use it in place of the eggs called for in the directions above. * Vinegar can replace lemon juice if desired. For Cupcakes: Prepare batter as described above; use paper baking liners in muffin tin; fill 2/3 full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Makes 18 cupcakes.

Rating (Not yet rated) Products Used in this Recipe Mixes GF Chocolate Cake Mix View Details »

Veggie Buddha Bowl with Peanut Sauce

Easiest lunch ever coming from a snowy afternoon in NYC.

So tasty, so simple and a nice change from soup salad and sandwich. Low Calorie, low fat, vegan and gluten free. ALSO, for those of you who are saying to me, Adriana I can't afford to go gluten free I say, go to a local Asian market or grocery store. The noodles and sauce are dirt cheap AND you will be supporting a local family business. Ok? Ok.

Don't really think too hard about these portions. If you want more corn, add more. This is all about throwing a bunch of ingredients together and experimenting with your taste buds.

1 package Asian rice noodles
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup corn
1/4 cup onion
1 cup red pepper
Asian peanut sauce-add to taste

Cook noodles according to packaging. Cook and heat veggies according to packaging. Mix it all up and top with the sauce. That's it! I told you this was easy. Enjoy. :)

Tip for Actors

Recently I have been exploring the world of casting more, and the joys (sometimes pains ;)) of viewing the industry from the other side of the table.  I cannot tell you what an eye-opening experience this has always been for me.  Every time I help a casting agent I learn so much that I could never learn from a class or audition. I receive weekly tips from this wonderful studio and I thought this weeks article summed up my experiences perfectly.  Check out the studio at:

www.scottpowers.com

WEEKLY TIP FOR 2.22.13

AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED APPROACH TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREER

It is vital that performers know not only how to act and market themselves, but how the business works from all sides.  Nothing is more distressing than meeting someone for the first time, have an initial interest and then discover that they are clueless about the industry.

One of the approaches that we have recommended with great results to abolish this situation is - ready? - go for an internship or be a reader.  At a talent agency, casting company, or a personal manager.  Internships are basically unpaid or low-paid or transportation/meal stipend paid positions.  They can be a few hours a week, on a daily basis or for a specified period of time.  Interns open the morning mail and email, field phone calls, assist in castings, file headshots, watch the actors/models coming in and out of the office, interface with the industry, discover what problems the business has to grapple with day in and day out, maybe even sit in on the decision making process.  You will have a great first-hand to generally/specifically observe how the industry - the "other side" - REALLY works.  What a great opportunity you created for yourself!  And if you know THAT, your pursuits of your acting career will absolutely benefit.

Being a reader for auditions at a casting company gives an actor first-hand experience on how the casting process works.  What works and what doesn't.  Talk about an eye-opening experience!

The old excuse that being an intern or reader will make "them" look down on you or that you're not an actor anymore doesn't hold true.  You will be respected for being enterprising and your seriousness and maturity in setting up a situation for you to gain a full understanding of the industry.

Are interns all really young?  No.  If you're, say, over 30++, don't worry about it.  You bring to the position certain life experiences and approaches that someone younger hasn't had yet.

Be pro-active.  You contact them.  Most offices have a continuous need for interns.  You can approach a company in general or target a specific person.  Want to get in good with an agent?  Offer to intern for them.  Want to get in good with a casting director?  Offer to intern; be a reader for them.  Send them your headshot via email or snail mail and on the outside, mark "INTERN APPLICATION" or "READER APPLICATION" (or on the Subject line if email) and inside have a brief cover note. Tell them what qualities you can bring to an internship or being a reader.  Tell them what times/days of the week you are available and how long you can be available.  Follow up in a few days with a phone call - stating you sent your headshot because you're interested in interning with them.  Your call WILL be welcomed.

Your internship or being a reader will change your outlook forever.  Not only will you have a much better understanding of the business, but you will have a much better appreciation of it as well (and there would be a lot less moaning and groaning out there!)

Of course, if we could only get the agents and casting directors out on a few auditions and go-sees to see what the actor/model goes through, we might have a nearly perfect world....

Scott Powers
Scott Powers Studios
www.scottpowers.com

Story of the Day-The Homeless Man Duel

 And who won the battle.

One of my best friends had written a recent post on his blog about

THE GIFT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT,

a sweet story about how we interact with homeless people on the subways and how acknowledging a stranger is a gift worth more than any coin.

On Friday I was on the subway to this particular friend's "spinning class birthday party". I didn't know these even existed, and this should tell you just how much I love this boy to do an hour of crazy cardio in his honor. I mean where are the gluten free cupcakes?? Don't worry we had one later to make up for the torture I mean, fierce workout, after which I had to admit was a pretty amazing experience.

His story immediately came to mind on my way to the spinning party as two homeless men entered the train on opposite ends of the car.  Now we get a lot of homeless in NYC but to have two on one car is truly special. Or scary. They entered both at once and started their monologues, overlapping each other:

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen if you could...I never thought I would be here...anything you can spare a nickel a...I'm 75 years old and hungry..."

Always sad and the natural reaction is to keep your head down and ignore because it happens so often and I mean we can't just give a coin to EVERY one of them can we? And who knows, they might just be taking that money to buy drugs right? (justify, justify...) Well instead as I thought of the gift of acknowledgement watched the scene intensely. I started to wonder who was going to win over the audience when surprisingly I hear Homeless #1 belt out to Homeless #2-
"Brother do you need some of my food?"

I was so moved by this! One person with so little giving to another with even less!

Homeless #2 replies:

"NAH I don't want that crap I don't know where it's been!!"

Oh my gosh. I started laughing and the whole exchange made me reach into my bag and literally scoop out the massive amount of change I carry with me every day and hand it over to...
drum roll please...

Homeless #1

As much as I appreciate humor, Homeless man #1 had such a sense of generosity I just HAD to be part of his pay it forward happening.

And what do you know?

My bag was...LIGHTER. By unloading my change, a weight was immediately lifted off my shoulders. :)