One of my favorite things is breakfast in bed on Sunday morning and rather than waiting for the Breakfast In Bed Fairy to show up, I self-serve. I don't do this every Sunday, but I do treat myself at least once a month. Sometimes I watch my DVR'ed shows, but most times I read the paper and books/magazines I have stockpiled. I detach from anything work related. I am a big believer that luxury does not equate to being expensive. In fact, the gift of time might be one of the most luxurious things you can offer, or receive. Breakfast in bed? Go ahead, treat yo self! It's amazing how guilt-free lolly gagging around in bed for an hour or two makes me feel like a queen and ready to face the week ahead.

Here's my favorite...

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Cosmetics constitute one of the world’s biggest multimillion dollar industries, with most products dedicated to skin care and nourishment. When it comes to skin, all women are extremely self-conscious as to how they can achieve skin that radiates freshness and conveys youth.

Famous cosmetic brands launch new lines of masks and lotions of all kinds on a regular basis, with promises that their products will deliver new levels of skin amazingness. Their products, in some cases, are capable of making a difference but there’s only so much a product can do if we don’t take care of our bodies from the inside out. Remember, your skin is a reflection of what’s going on inside of you. One thing that you can do to ensure gorgeous, glowing skin is make sure that your meals include as many naturally skin-boosting ingredients as possible.

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I was never a big salmon eater, until a friend prepared the fish for me like I am going to describe below, and I have been hooked ever since. Salmon is a "strong" fish ie: fishy. But it's the skin, not the flesh that is the culprit. Salmon is loaded wth vital omega-3 fatty acids is one of the worlds healthist foods.

I will only eat fresh-caught salmon, the farm raised fish lacks flavor and/or is super fishy and has dye added to it to make it appear pink (its actually grey otherwise). My salmon of choice is Alaskan sourced and my absolute favorite is from the Copper River. Have you heard of Copper River Salmon?  The "run" (season) is very short, and you can catch the tail end of it right now. I mark my calander every year for the...

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Each year for the past 10 years, The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies that protect global and individual health releases one of its most valuable pieces of research - A Shoppers' Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

EWG analysts use U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration (USDA) pesticide-residue testing results as a basis for ranking 48 different fruits and vegetables. The total number of pesticides detected on a crop and the percent of samples tested with detectable pesticides are also factored in. Pesticides have been linked to a number of health problems, including certain cancers and lower IQ in children.

The EWG Dirty Dozen are the foods that carry the highest amount of pesticide residue and other toxic agricultural chemicals and should always be purchased organic. Keep in mind when you head to your...

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This is The Barefoot Contessa's Shrimp Salad recipe and I've been making it for years. It's the perfect summer salad, easy, delicious and if you keep frozen shrimp on hand in your freezer, it can be whipped up on late notice. Thaw the shrimp quickly by placing them in a colander under cold running water. Fresh dill is best, but dried is fine, too, in a pinch. I add 2 Tbsp. of capers to my recipe because, well, I love capers. I made this salad just last week for a girlfriend and I. I served it with a croissant, fresh fruit, and a glass of Pinot Grigio. This makes a large batch, I usually cut the recipe in half when I make it.

Put the potato slices in a big bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary to coat them and then spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about an hour, turning them once, halfway through. Delicious!

(I think that potato-cutting image is from Real Simple magazine, but I'm not certain.)

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