Onions

Let's talk about onions. When I was young, I hated them. I also hated mushrooms, but that's something I haven't outgrown (yum, spongy fungus!). Somewhere around my tenth year, my dad introduced me to French Onion Soup (yes, the canned version; don't judge). I was initially disgusted by the idea, since it had onions in it, but my dad insisted I would like it. So I tried it, and I did. 

I don't like raw onions, with the sharp, lingering taste they leave in my mouth. Or caramelized onions, with their sweet sogginess (not to mention the time it takes to make them). I like sauteed onions. Not too sharp, not too sweet. Possibly slightly burnt. That's the way I like onions. (Also in French Onion Soup, of course.)

Antibacterial Soap and Sanitizers

Antibacterial soap and hand sanitizers seem like a good idea, especially if you have an issue with germs. But alas, all they really do is make the bacteria more resistant, resulting in mutant, super-strong bacteria that won't die. You're better off using regular soap. The cleaning action is mainly in the friction that occurs from rubbing your hands together. There is something psychologically calming about the whole "anti-bacterial" thing, but it doesn't actually help.

That's not to say that hand sanitizer gel should be avoided at all costs. I use it when I've touched something nasty or suspect at times when I don't have access to water or soap. Just use it sparingly, when you have no other option.

Violent Eyes Review

I purchased a pack of "Violent Eyes" (by Violent Lips) a couple months ago when there was a sale. I ordered Jet Black Glitteratti, and they included a surprise sample of Rainbow Glitteratti, which was super nice of them. They are temporary eyeliner appliques, similar to temporary tattoos. Once I got around to trying them, I found they were not as good as I had hoped. Measuring them to my eye was incredibly difficult. Maybe it's just me, but it seemed very arbitrary. Also, the backing is too thick, in my view. The thick backing makes it take forever for the eyeliner part to adhere to the skin. I had to wet each eye for about fifteen minutes each. I lost my patience, which is probably partly to blame for the fact that they didn't match very well. I tried to remove them before they were ready, but come on, fifteen minutes.

They don't feel too annoying once they're on. That worried me, but they aren't super noticeable. However, I got them to help my eye makeup be more symmetrical, but both times they didn't help in that regard, and it was worse than traditional eye makeup because there was no way to fix it without removing it entirely. There also was a certain fakeness to them. Especially the rainbow one. It looked pretty plasticky. They did last a really long time, though. If they could just make the backing thinner, I think it would help a lot.

If you'd like to see them in action, check out my video below.

You can purchase Violent Eyes and Violent Lips (appliques for lips) at www.violentlips.com

Crunchy Steel-Cut Oatmeal

There are some recipes out there for cooking steel cut oats, but I haven't found any that suit me. So I made my own! The work is minimal (of course), and the end result isn't too gooey. It still has the shape of the oats and a bit of crunch. I don't know about you, but if I want a gooey lump of pudding-like oatmeal, I'll make the one-minute kind. I'm not going to bother with steel-cut.


Crunchy Steel-Cut Oatmeal

1 cup steel-cut oats
2 cups water
1 cup almond milk (or some other milk)

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Combine steel-cut oats, water, and almond milk in an oven-safe container. I generally use a glass loaf pan. Cook oats for an hour or more, depending on desired consistency (the longer you cook it, the thicker it becomes). Top oatmeal with whatever kind of milk you'd like. I use almond milk. Sometimes I add chia seeds because they blend well with the oatmeal and add extra nutrition. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for a few days.