Get Shellac’d for V-day!

by Jill St. George on Feb 14, 2012

Listen up gals, because you are going to love this (and you too guys, because V-day is today, and if you’re still struggling for a gift, this one’s good!)

Never-chip nail polish? Yep, I’ve given it a try and it’s the real-deal. It’s called Shellac, and it’s a gel nail polish that hardens after being cured with a UV light.

As much as I love having the length of acrylic nails, I’m much too impatient to sit in the manicurist’s chair for an hour. Nor do I like how they destroy the natural nail. On the contrary, I’ve been stuck living with thin, weak nails, and my nail base is very oily, so polish only lasts a day or two. Until now – yay!

It’s very simple. I went to Hi-tech nails next to Fred Meyer, however there are many locations in Yakima that provide the service. The manicurist filed my nails and applied a base coat. In between coats, you place your hand under a UV light. She applied the nail color and the top coat and then your hands sit under the lamp for about five minutes. Once you are finished, the polish is completely cured and dry, with no worries of smudging it. It takes about 15 minutes and then you’re on your way.

My nails look shiny and amazing, they are hard as rocks…and growing to boot. It costs $15 and lasts 10-14 days (depending on how quickly your nails grow). Give it a try. I promise you’ll love it.

Get your first Friday on… again.

by Jill St. George on Feb 3, 2012

It’s time to get your first Friday on again. Tired of doing the same old thing? Well then scoot on over the The Seasons Performance Hall, learn some new moves, and then dance the night away.

Dance lessons with Salsa con Rumba are held backstage from 8-9pm tonight as part of “Salsa Fridays,” a group of salsa afficionados who take to the stage at Seasons each Friday all year. They used to meet on Thursdays (read our story from last year here), but they group – and its musical offerings -  has grown much since then.

Another guilty pleasure?

by Jill St. George on Feb 2, 2012

As if we need another internet addiction, right? But this one’s so good!

It’s called Pinterest - an online pinboard where you organize and share things you find on the internet. For example, you come across a great recipe on the internet, but you don’t have the time to write it down, so instead, you pin it to your “recipe” board on Pinterest. It’s a great way to save all of your recipes in one little spot.

Simplify your trip

by Jill St. George on Jan 24, 2012

If you missed the trend spot page in our magazine or if you’ve yet to see the magazine at all, check out these super cool travel items we found for our latest edition.

Traveling doesn’t have to be difficult, but at times it can seem more like work than a vacation – unless of course, you are on the job. Either way, we’ve found a few great things to simplify your trip.

Vapur Water Bottle

It’s actually called, The Anti-Bottle, made to “fold and go.” When filled with water, it stands upright. Once you drink it down, the bottle folds up nicely to fit in small spaces.

White Horse: a Pretty Little Reminder

by Jill St. George on Jan 13, 2012

A few days ago while visiting my parents in Naches I needed to get some fresh air and my son needed to run off some energy. So we bundled up and made our way through the brisk breeze.

As we were walking down a country road, I looked over and saw a white horse that nearly blended with the snow. I extended my camera lens to get a closer look, at which point it felt like I was in the middle of Narnia – a fantasy novel by C.S. Lewis.

Catching the horse in three different positions – the last as he leaped up for an apple, was merely luck. But it was a reminder of the beauty we are surrounded with in the Yakima Valley.

Have a wonderful weekend Yakima!

A little picnic in the office

by Robin Salts Beckett on Jan 9, 2012

Look at the little soy sauce!

If you read the latest edition of Yakima magazine’s “Fresh Sheet” feature, you heard about our coworker, George May, who brings in his homemade goodies from time to time (you also heard about Joy Garden’s lovely bulgogi). As if on cue, George brought in one of his “little picnics” on Friday, complete with chopsticks and tiny soy sauce, for me to nibble on while working away on spreadsheets and such. He made chicken and pork bulgogi, white rice and spicy kimchi, which he told me to wrap up in a seaweed paper, kind of like a taco. I did. It was delicious.

Here’s George’s basic recipe for bulgogi:

Bulgogi

“You can vary the amounts to suit your taste,” George advises. “The most important thing is to mix the soy sauce and oil, and then add your sweetener until the marinade is a little sweet to the taste. It should taste good before you proceed. You can use whatever sweetener you want. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Low sodium soy sauce is good to use if you want it less salty.”

This makes enough marinade for about a pound of meat of choice.

4 oz soy sauce
1 oz sesame oil
2-3 packs of equal or 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
2-3 green onions, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds
1/4 tsp fresh ginger, crushed and chopped (optional)

Mix soy sauce and oil. Add sweetener until marinade is a little sweet to the taste. Add rest and mix. Add a little water, a tablespoon or two to dilute the mixture. Marinate meat for at least 20 minutes if sliced thin. If the pieces are bigger, you can marinate for up to three days. This is good for drumsticks, thighs and country style pork ribs. Even if the meat is thin, you can marinate up to three days as well.