Paperspine Blog

I am an addict – a junk food addict.  Unrefined, processed white flour? Check! White sugar?  Check, check! Brown sugar? Hell yeah! I love it all and so does my family.  I have always been skeptical of “healthy” alternatives to baked goods which usually taste like cardboard with some honey mixed in (and those are the tasty ones), but I was going through Bethenny Frankel’s Naturally Thin book and came across a chocolate chip cookie that is nothing short of FABULOUS!  Seriously, these cookies, which are both low cal, low fat, gluten free actually taste good.  Just take a peek at the finished product….

Here is how you do it:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups oat flour
3/4 cup oats
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. raw sugar (I used regular granulated white sugar, because that is all I had)
1/3 c. chocolate chips
1 tsp. canola oil
1/3 c. soy milk (I used 1% milk because that is all I had)
1/2 c. banana puree (from 1 medium sized ripe banana)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine all wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, until combined.

2. Use a medium size ice cream scooop or a large spoon to scoop batter onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking, or bake until the edges of the cookies are light brown.

I got this recipe from Bethenny Frankel’s book Naturally Thin.  I hope you enjoy the cookies!

Being the girly girl that I am I love to shop. Shoes, clothes, makeup, handbags, accessories, you name it – I love to shop. I find that as my life has evolved I have less and less time to spend shopping the old fashioned way, but thank goodness for the internet and the iphone where you can now purchase a dress and a pair of shoes with just a few clicks. Ahhhh, you gotta love the 21st century!

Loving to shop the way I do, I fell in love with the entire Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. While I can’t relate to Rebecca Brandon’s level of financial irresponsibility, I did love watching her indulge. When I love an author, as I do Kinsella, I can’t wait to read their subsequent novels, so I was delighted to read Kinsella’s most recent novel, “Remember Me?”

Lexi Smart finds herself waking up in a hospital bed only to realize that three years of her life have past. Stunned by the thought of losing three years of her life is slightly offset by seeing her shiny and sleek hair, perfect teeth, and amazing figure, however how Lexi is determined to figure out how she got this way. The last memory Lexi has was getting drunk with her best friends after losing out on a company bonus and being stood up by her loser boyfriend the night before her Dad’s funeral. Lexi begins to piece together the fragments of her life and comes to find out how she became, at age 28, a senior executive of her company, married to a handsome & successful man (who she has no recollection of whatsoever), and at home in a posh loft apartment with furniture and possessions she could never dream of affording.

Although her life appears perfect in the beginning, she discovers her former friends want nothing to do with her, her husband’s right-hand man tells her they are having an affair, and her little sister is constantly up to no good. I found myself unable to put this book down as Lexi sorts out her past and what happened in the missing three years. Both laughing and shaking my head in disbelief at how Lexi sorts out what happened.

The story can be a bit far-fetched at times, but as far as pure entertainment goes, this is a winner. Kinsella has a way of creating heroines in her book that are endearing, charming, and funny. I found myself rooting for Lexi and I think you just might be feeling the same way. “Remember Me?” is an awesome beach read that will not disappoint.

All the best,
Lipstick Blogger

I admit it, I am completely addicted to trashy reality television shows.  I watch them all – Millionaire Matchmaker, Dancing With the Stars, Celebrity Apprentice, Project Runway, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, The Hills, The City, and my favorite of all The Real Housewives series on Bravo.  For those of you unfamiliar with this franchise, there is the Real Housewives of the OC, New York, Atlanta and coming soon, New Jersey.  Several “housewives” are filmed and it basically shows the more dramatic aspects of their life. 

The Real Housewives of New York has just finished their second season and one of the stars of this show, Bethenny Frankel is the mastermind behind my most recent read entitled, “Naturally Thin.”  Frankel, a natural foods chef who graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts in New York offers frank advice on how she maintains her perfect shape.  She has ten rules that are outlined in her book.  They include:

1.    Your diet is a bank account: It’s all about balancing your calories for the day.
2.    You can have it all, just not all at once: Keep the bulk of your food light and 
       simple to make room for 
       something you really want.
3.    Taste everything, eat nothing: Mooch a bite off your friends; don’t order the 
       whole enchilada.
4.    Pay attention: No mindless eating.
5.    Downsize now: Shrink the size of your plates, bowls and cups and remember 
       portion control.
6.    Cancel your membership in the Clean-Plate Club: Doggie bag it or share; you 
       don’t have to clean your plate.
7.    Check yourself before you wreck yourself: Be in the moment and stop binge 
       eating.
8.    Know thyself: Customize your eating to who you are.
9.    Get real: The more unprocessed, whole, local foods, the better.
10.  Good for you: Be good to yourself and let your choices come from a place of love
       for yourself.

For those of you familiar with the Bravo series that Bethenny stars on, you are accustomed to her frank advice and candor.  This book is written in the same way.  I liked that she didn’t tell you what to eat, when to eat it and most importantly she didn’t tell you what you can’t eat.  She did offer suggestions on how she manages her diet and how she sneaks in the indulgent food.  Throughout the book there are sections entitled, “Naturally Thin Thoughts” where she offers advice on how to live as a naturally thin person and advice on how she handled certain situations with regards to food.

I liked her frank advice and her honesty.  Perhaps it is my own insecurities, but I like hearing about other peoples struggles.  She covers some of her own past issues with bulimia and a less than perfect childhood, which humanizes Bethenny even more.

A fun read, from a fun girl, that just may inspire you to be a little more healthy.

All the best!

Lipstick Blogger

I am no basketball fan, but with the energy of March Madness penetrating my home I haven’t been able to help but catch a few minutes of a game here and there. Unfortunately the Washington Huskies (my alma-mater) didn’t make it to the Sweet 16, but at least I will be spared the constant chatter over players, coaches and all that stuff. I am the only woman in a house of two boys and a husband. I adore them, but sometimes the giggling after farts, belching and wrestling reminds me of a frat house. I am not sure if I could deal with the level of testosterone that would be produced from having the Huskies go much farther.

The other reason I titled the blog “Game On” is honor of my latest book, “Game For Anything” by Bella Andre. Check out the abs on the cover– whoa baby! Not many Big Mac’s in his diet. OK, I will get back on track now… “Game For Anything” is the story of Julie Spencer, one of the country’s top image consultants who is hired by the owner of the Outlaws football team to clean up the image of their star quarterback and notorious womanizer, Ty Calhoun. The one problem is that Julie and Ty have a history that could ruin Julie’s reputation and the business she has worked so hard to create.

Ty Calhoun is at the top of his game. He has just won the Superbowl, has money, fame and more women than he could ever imagine. However, the one woman he can’t forget is the one girl from his senior prom, Julie Spencer. Regardless of all the countless women that have thrown themselves at Ty, he can’t forget Julie and the night that they shared. Nothing has ever compared to the passion he felt for her and his search for another Julie just may have come to an end as his conservative football owner demands that Ty clean up his image and to Ty’s luck, Julie is hired Julie to do it.

The coincidence of Julie and Ty crossing paths seems a bit far-fetched; however the chemistry between these two characters is electric. Their history both personally and with one another gives this book depth and a compelling plot. Game for Anything is a surprising love story that has sizzle and will leave you wanting more and more.

Enjoy!
Lipstick Blogger

P.S. Check me out on Twitter! http://twitter.com/lipstickblogger

I think that most women can relate to feeling pretty good about ourselves at times. You know those days when the hair is vibrant, skin glows, and you just haven’t been as hungry lately so a few extra pounds melt away. For me, I know I can pretty hard on myself, but there are days when I think yeah, I don’t look so bad for having two kids. A couple of weeks ago I had a pretty good day when I attended an Oscar party for the Starlight Foundation. It was a charity benefit and one of the items auctioned off was lunch with Josie Bissett from Melrose Place. She just came out with an adorable children’s book called “The Tickle Monster”, so the highest bidder would get a copy of her book and lunch with her. Enter Josie Bissett and enter my inferiority complex – big time. She is really beautiful in person. I could never be so catty and say well, they just airbrush the heck out of her – no way.  Oh well, back to feeling average.

My most recent read, Exes and Oh’s by Beth Kendrick is a fun and entertaining read that deals with the sort of inferiority complex I described above. Meet child psychologist Gwen, who has just been dumped by her fiancée the day before the wedding. She is in a fragile state when she meets the handsome, successful and intelligent Alex. Gwen is over the moon and thinks that she just may have found the ultimate Mr. Right.

All seems swell until Gwen meets her new patient, Leo a precocious five year old whose stunning soap opera star mom, Harmony has come to Gwen to help with her son Leo’s tricky behavior. Coincidentally, Alex and Harmony have quite a history together, which causes big problems for Gwen and threatens her ethics as a child psychologist. Not only is Harmony stunning, causing Gwen to wonder what on earth does Alex see in her, but she is rich and famous to boot.  Gwen soon finds out that Harmony is just a little demanding, self-centered and completely absorbed in all things “spiritual” leaving her in the middle of a messy, awkward and ethically challenging love triangle.

The book is very entertaining, however there were couple of places where it was a little far-fetched. If I had to express one grievance about the book, it would have to be that there are a lot of coincidences that keep up the twists and turns of the plot line.  Nonetheless, this was a fun and entertaining read with an illustrious set of characters. Try it out, I am anxious to hear what you think.

All the best!
Lipstick Blogger

Ah, the ultimate question… Does having it all include a successful career, happy marriage, happy children and a guilt free conscience?   For me, I suppose so, but most days I feel lucky to get my kids to preschool on time, have some sort of extracurricular activity to keep their active bodies entertained and have something nutritious & edible on the table for dinner.  All I have to say as to whether or not I really succeed is, well nothing, because although I have my days where I think I can do this, more often than not I just have to laugh at myself.    Thankfully my boys love me regardless and actually might even like me a little more on the days where I give them McDonald’s for dinner.  At the end of the day, those sweet little kisses and happy faces remind me of how much I really have accomplished.  As for my husband, I think that the best perk of the large company he works at is the 1 month paternity leave all new dads receive.  Not only did this put in perspective how much work it is to have children, but it also gave him a pretty good idea what stay at home mom’s do.   Which, and I will quote him, “Is something I could never do.”  Makes me gush….

In the most recent book I read, “Wife in the Fast Lane” by Karen Quinn, the heroine is faced with this very question.   Meet Christy Hayes, a former Olympic medalist who has launched her own athletic line, Baby G and definitely has the successful career part down.  Building Baby G up from nothing, she is now the CEO of a thriving athletic company.   Christy, who once swore off men, choosing to focus on her career finds herself swept off her feet when she meets the wealthy and super-successful Michael Drummond.   Michael who survived a nasty divorce and struggles with the fact that his teenage daughter despises him, finds his soulmate in Christy.  The two have a fairy tale relationship and decide early on in their relationship that children will not be a part of their future.  However, the unexpected happens when Christy’s confidante and housekeeper dies and leaves Christy her granddaughter, Renata.

Can Christy convince Michael that raising Renata will be good for them and not harm their marriage?  Can Christy deal with the absurdity of Renata’s new private school? (The head of the PTA and Christy, have a history.) And, amidst all the chaos Christy finds that she is being backstabbed by one of her most trusted allies. Oh, and I can’t forget about the cunning reporter out to steal Michael from Christy.  There is no shortage of twists and turns, however Karen Quinn does a remarkable job of seamlessly making this a fun and easy read.

“Wife in the Fast Lane” is an entertaining read from the first page.   Many of the struggles Christy faces are the very ones moms and wives encounter in our everyday life.  I found myself laughing, shaking my head and unable to put this fun and delightful read down.  I hope you try it and enjoy it as much as I did.  After all, don’t we deserve it! 

All the best,
Lipstick Blogger

Ah, 2009 is here! I am so, so excited. Al l the plans I have and lets face it – who doesn’t love a fresh start. Resolution #1 – make more time to read, resolution #2 – get my sons skiing and figure something clever to bribe them with so they don’t stomp off the slopes (have you looked into how expensive skiing is for kids?) and resolution #3 – be a better person, volunteer and use the extra time my kids are in preschool to make a difference. Things are scary right now and I thank my lucky stars for everything I have.

Now bear with me when I recount this tale. I do have a reason….Earlier this summer my husband and I were out with the kids on a warm sunny day. He went to get us all ice cream and came back holding a delicious vanilla cone for me. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into this luscious cone, however when I bit into it I realized it was coconut ice cream. Now I love coconut and once I got used to it I thoroughly enjoyed it, however the initial shock took me by surprise and it took a minute or so to get used to it. I had a similar experience with my most recent read, “Miss Match” by Erynn Mangum.

Miss Match is the story of Lauren Holbrook a twenty-three year old woman with a knack for setting people up – everyone except herself that is. From her best friend Brandon, her co-workers Ruby and Hannah, Lauren is good at working her magic. Lauren is a lovable, wholesome character who left me wondering why is she so anti-relationship?

Now, the one thing that threw me initially about this book was the high presence of religion. Instead of going out to clubs or restaurants, characters in this book socialized at Bible studies and there are several Bible verses that are referenced as well. Again, I enjoyed this book, but it was different than many of the other books I have read. I later did some research on Erynn Mangum and she sounds like a lovely 22 year-old writer with tremendous talent. I wish her well and recommend this book to those whose interest has been piqued.

Happy New Year!
Lipstick Blogger

Before I had children I never really understood what love was. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my husband. He is a wonderful guy and I can’t imagine my life without him. But if push came to shove, my husband and I could stand on our own and survive. My boys on the other hand, need me and there is not only this intense love I have for them, but the feeling that I must help them flourish and help steer them in the right direction in life.

Living in the suburbs of Seattle, where there are excellent public schools with plenty of stay at home moms, lots of private money being put into schools and lots of parental participation in schools, I haven’t had to worry much about the private school saga that I have heard about. And thank goodness, because I am not sure if I would cut it and my little darlings can well, let’s just say speak their mind, not always at the most opportune times.

My fears regarding private schools and the mess that can come with going through the admissions process was all the more heightened by my most recent read, “The Ivy Chronicles” by Karen Quinn.  While reading this book I was not thinking about the characters as real people, but more as entertainment. If I did, I would be mortified by not only the parents, but the shenanigans these parents let their kids go through to get into these schools. As purely entertainment though, this book was hysterical! I could not put it down and I was rooting for the heroine throughout the entire book.

The book begins when Ivy Ames finds herself being downsized by her current company. As a successful Vice President of a major bank, she is used to the good life and all the fruits of her labor. Ivy’s world continues to crumble as she finds out that her husband has been having an affair and her entire Upper West Side Manhattan life – complete with housekeepers, nannies and cooks is immediately gone. Unable to afford the mortgage on their current apartment, Ivy is forced to move out of her pricey pad, remove her children from their expensive private school and figure out a way to support her and her two kids. Since Ivy knows first-hand the ins and outs of getting her own two girls into the highly sought after private schools, she stumbles into the world of the wealthy and super-demanding as the premier private school admissions consultant in Manhattan.

The crazy and obnoxious supporting cast of demanding parents makes this book part irresistible and part despicable. (I mean despicable in a good way, kind of like how reality show rejects are hard NOT to watch.) From Maria Kutcher, whose mafia father is often referred to as “Kutcher the Butcher” to Winnie Weiner, a Jewish girl from the Upper West Side who becomes the African-American WaShaunte Washington in order to snag a “diversity” spot at the top schools, there is no antic that Ivy won’t stoop to in order to help her clients out.

I admire Ivy’s strength and tenacity to take on all the challenges that are endlessly thrown at her, however as the antics get more and more outrageous I began to wonder how far will she go and if she goes much farther could I actually still be her cheerleader?

I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did and am anxious to hear what you think!

I hope that all of my blog readers have a wonderful holiday season and an amazing 2009!

All the best,
Lipstick Blogger