Black Bean & Avocado Rice Bowl | Recipe



Ingredients
1 can of black beans
1 cup of brown rice
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
A few slices of jalapeno pepper, diced (Use at your own discretion. Add more if you prefer spicyfood and use less if you don't.)
1 ripe avocado
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Garlic
Monterrey Jack cheese to top it off

Directions
1. Empty the can of black beans into a boiler, adding salt, pepper, and garlic. Bring to a boil. Let boil for about 5 minutes and then reduce heat to low. 
2. In a skillet, pour a tablespoon of olive oil. Let it get hot and then add in your diced onions and diced jalapeno peppers.
3. Follow cooking directions for rice. The kind I used was 1 cup of water for every cup of rice. You simply boil the water, add the rice, cook for 5 minutes and then remove from heat for another 5 minutes.
4. After the onions and peppers are tender, add the beans into the skillet. Let this mixture simmer for about 15-20 minutes. 
5. After rice is finished and the bean mixture has simmered, it's ready! Layer rice, the bean mixture, a little cheese, and avocado slices to serve! Serve with tortilla chips.

Purging My Makeup Bag | Beauty

Picture
I've been doing some reading online (always good, right?) and did you know Europe has banned over 1,000 cosmetic ingredients while America has banned only 10? Something about this equation isn't right. Have you ever actually read the ingredient list on your cosmetics? Some of them have TONS of crazy named chemicals in them and we are putting them on our face!!!! No thank you. I'm over it.

I got out all my cosmetics and asked myself three questions about each individual item:
1) What's in this?  
2) Do I use this daily? 
3) Does this feel good on my face?

I threw away most of my old stuff. I purchased some CC cream and eye shadow a little over a month ago and I don't want to waste it, so I will continue to use it until it's gone. I was holding onto some mascara that I've had for over a year...gross. But from now on, I am making a much more conscious effort to know what I'm putting on my face. I also only want to use cruelty-free beauty products. I recently discovered Maybelline is still testing on animals. In 2015. Really?
Picture
See the little crueltyfree logo? Yep, that's what I'm looking for when it comes to my next beauty product purchases.

So how can we determine which products are bad and which ones aren't? Because honestly, even the 100% organic products have ingredients I can't pronounce in them too. The EWG Cosmetic Database is an extremely helpful resource.  They rate cosmetics on their toxicity and give them a nice little hazard rating. If it's red, you should probably look for an alternative. They have most products I use or have used in the database and it's really interesting (and somewhat terrifying) to discover what is inside this stuff. There is an even an EWG app available now, so you can research while you are actually in the store! Love it.

I don't want to get crazy into how consumerism is taking over the world, I'll save that for another day. But I believe that we, as the consumers, have the right to know what is in our products. We've been buying stuff just because the marketing is good. If Jessica Alba is promoting it, it couldn't possibly harm me, right? We can't believe that these corporate brands have our best interest at heart, because at the end of the day, they are selling THEIR product. And we have been flocking to buy them like lost sheep with no guidance.

Scientific resources are now available for everyone's use. Please utilize them and know what you are putting on and in your body. Stepping off the soapbox for now...

Anyways, here is what I'm left with:
1 BB Cream
1 Foundation (liquid)
2 Foundations (powder)
1 Blush
1 Eyeliner Pencil

1 Eyeshadow palette 
1 Mascara
1 Lipstick
Picture
Now I realize that very few of these items actually represent the organic and eco friendly transition I'm attempting to make but I gotta say, I'm against being wasteful too. These items were very recently purchased. The Clinique foundation was a splurge for my birthday...It was close to $100 (gasp, I know. Kicking myself for that purchase now.) and I'm not going to let it go to complete waste.

I do plan to purchase some better options for everyday use foundation though, so be on the lookout for some product reviews coming up soon.

Do you guys know any organic beauty products I need to try?