The Clean Beauty Pioneer is Back: Shop Beautycounter's In Between Sale 2024

United States
If you were a fan of the Beautycounter brand like me, you probably felt lost in 2024 because you could no longer buy some of your favorite clean beauty products online. Last spring, the brand stopped taking orders to focus on relaunching the company with the original cosmetics founder, Gregg Renfrew, back at the helm in 2025. 

You only know how much you love something once you can no longer access it. That's been my case. When offered the opportunity to partner with G2G (Beautycounter) for a special "In-Between Sale," I jumped because I needed a restock for the items I learned I can't live without and have a long list, and my fingers are crossed that they are in this special sale. 

Sure, I've branched out to other brands for skincare and cosmetics, such as Kosas, Summer Fridays, Dior, and the German-based brand Oliveda, but Beautycounter has some particular products that I have really missed, such as the cleansing balm, overnight resurfacing peel, mascara, foundation, and its lipstick. Kosas Wet Stick moisturizing lip shine is the only brand that came close to Beautycounter's moisturizing sheer lipstick, but the Beautycounter brand is my favorite, from lip gloss to lip balm to sheer lipstick. 







I don't know what will be available to purchase during this Great In-Between Sale from November 1 to December 2, but now is the time to shop. Holiday sets will be 30 percent off. 










Here are some of my favorite products I now purchase that are not affiliated with Beautycounter


Dior Forever Natural Foundation: I have used this powder foundation for several years and started using it as my powder. It's perfect for those early-morning cheer comps with some mascara. 

Dior 4-D Lash Primer: Beautycounter has never sold a lash primer, but my lashes need one. I have used this primer for the past five years. 

Kosas 10-Second Eye:  I love this liquid eye shadow by Kosas. I've also tried Glossier, but I prefer the Kosas brand. It's affordable and so easy to use. 

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm:  My teen daughter bought this first, and the great thing about having a teen daughter is that sometimes you learn about things the younger generation likes. I used the tinted sheer in the shade 2.5 skin before my daughter discovered the brand, but she hooked me on lip butter balm. 

Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Mineral Milk 30 SPF: This sunscreen is fantastic. It's lightweight and doesn't cause a breakout in my chin area like the Goop brand did. I highly recommend this brand for sunscreen. 

Oliveda Corrective Eye Elixir: After my summer trip to France, I started researching some European skincare to replace Beautycounter, which I had used exclusively for skincare since 2016. I am still trying different products, but their Corrective Eye Elixir has helped me with fine lines. I told a friend recently that I believe 55 is a time in a woman's life when age creeps up on you in the face. I'm still experimenting with this brand and will try some of the products recommended in the easy quiz I took. Take the Olive Beauty Brain Quiz and see what it recommends based on your problem areas. Oliveda is a waterless beauty brand that uses the power of olive oil in its skincare. It's over my head on this waterless trend and complicated to explain to others, so I won't explain. You can read about the why here, but I recommend the eye elixir. I've been slow to try products, but it's the first skincare product I have liked since Beautycounter. 


Easy White Bean Chicken Chili for a Crowd

United States
Updated: October 2024
I started searching for this soup recipe today after making another white chicken chili recipe this week. Will said he liked this one better, so I'm bringing it back to life on the blog and in my kitchen this week for Halloween 2024. This post was originally shared in 2018. Enjoy! 
When I'm feeding a crowd, I always look for easy recipes. I first served this white bean chicken soup earlier this fall, and I thought it was great. My mother-in-law was such a fan of this easy chicken-based soup that she wanted me to text her the recipe the next day. 
I liked this chicken soup so much that I plan to serve it to friends at a holiday gathering later this month for the holiday season. Surprisingly, the recipe originated from a Southern Living kid's cookbook I bought years ago. 


This easy white bean chicken soup is great for entertaining a large crowd.


This white bean chicken soup can easily be doubled for entertaining. This easy chicken soup takes on a holiday look when you add cilantro for a touch of green.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did. It also freezes well. 
Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon butter 
  •  
  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
  • 1 rotisserie chicken, skinned, boned, and coarsely chopped
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans chicken broth
  • 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 3 (16-ounce) cans of great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
  •  

      **You can double the recipe, but I use only one onion. If the chicken soup is too thick, you can add water or extra chicken broth when reheating. 

    Directions: 

    Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Add carrots, onions, and garlic. Saute until tender, then stir in chicken, chicken broth, green chilies, cumin, and red pepper. Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Place beans in a medium bowl and mash using a potato masher until about half the beans are still whole. Add beans and the whipping cream to the chicken soup mixture. 
    Cook for 10 additional minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cilantro (optional). 
This easy white bean chicken soup is great for cold days and for a crowd #soups #stews #Mainmeals



Beautycounter In-Between Promo Sale: November 1 to December 2

United States

Beautycounter, the clean beauty pioneer, hosts a one-month-only "Great In-Between" Sale from November 1 through December 2 before relaunching the beloved beauty brand in 2025. 

Take advantage of this fantastic beauty event. 

Get some of your favorite clean beauty products while supplies last. Be sure to snatch some of the best-selling items. 


Beautycounter Promo Sale 2024


SHOP the In-Between Beautycounter 2024 Sale 

Easy Southern Baked Beans Recipe for the Perfect Reunion Dish!

Easy Baked Bean Recipe for Summer Get-togethers and BBQs.

Updated June 2024:  I am still a big fan of baked beans but no one in my household likes this side dish but me, so I always need an occasion to make baked beans.  I went through my archives and found this recipe I originally published in 2016. Summer is perfect for baked beans with hotdogs, burgers, or grilled protein. Baked beans are an American tradition dating back to the 17th century. Colonist adopted the dish from Native Americans, and the beans were cooked for hours over a fire with a complex sauce.

I originally made this recipe for a family reunion around ten years ago, and was assigned to make baked beans for the event. This was when the family matriarchs assigned food they grew up eating and wanted for this reunion.  

Honestly, I grew up eating my baked beans out of a can. It was a dish that my family rarely consumed. No one in my family ever baked beans. I researched hundreds of recipes for this reunion, and many recipes were too complicated and time-consuming for a brand-new mother who was far from a professional chef. 

I was in a pickle because the one thing I was not going to do was show up with just a bunch of baked beans from a can purchased at my local grocer. Also, this was when deli-prepared foods were not as common as they now are in 2024. 

The recipe I used for this event was simple and easy. You can start with BBQ baked beans, but I started with regular baked beans (nothing special about them) and added my own BBQ sauce. Add red onion, brown sugar, and bacon, and bake for 40 minutes or longer. Check often to make sure the beans don't burn. 

Southern Reunions:  Serving up Baked Beans


Southern Baked Beans with a HomemadeTwist 

4 cans of  Organic Baked Beans
3 strips of uncured bacon cut into pieces
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of vinegar-based BBQ sauce or BBQ sauce of your choice.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir and serve.

The baked beans were a hit. Of course, children always say the most truthful, candid things. One of my little cousins, who was in third grade at the time, said, "I love the baked beans because I love beans from a can." 

Dang, she was on to me with my canned beans!!! This recipe does taste better than just opening a can of beans. I like to say, "It dresses it up a little." 



Discover the Best Spring Vegetables at NC Farmer's Market

North Carolina, USA
One of my childhood memories is waking up at my Grandma's home and seeing her in the garden. She was not a farmer to earn a living, but her hard work provided some of the best veggies I had ever tasted for lunch and dinner.

I live less than two miles from North Carolina's State Farmer's Market in Raleigh. I also belong to Papa Spud's, where I can get produce from the farms straight to my door when I order. This is the time of year when I begin ordering and buying more produce. I buy from several stands when I visit the NC State Farmer's Market because each farmer's crop is different. In the next few weeks, I'll work to share some of my favorites. 

What's Fresh from the Farm in the Spring in NC? Spring Vegetables



My grandmother grew corn, turnips, collards, strawberries, butter beans, new potatoes, and green beans. They also had grapes. She would cook fresh vegetables every day for a lunch buffet.  She kept me while my Mom worked when I was little, and I developed a palate for fresh vegetables at a very early age. I would sit before the Price is Right with a TV stand and dine on a smorgasbord of fresh veggies from the garden. 

Farm Days
Source:  Who Remembers This? on Facebook 

I even helped her snap beans and shell peas. 

North Carolina has tons of pollen this time of year, but it also means that the gardens are ready for harvest. Below are some of the vegetables peaking this time of year. 

Spring Veggies in season in NC






Green Onions: Late March
Asparagus: Early April 
Strawberries: Early/mid-April
Arugula: Late April 
Lettuces: Late April 
Radishes: Late April 
Peas: Late April 
Bok Choy: Early May
Salad Mix: Early May
Blueberries: Mid May
Chard, Rainbow: Mid May
Salad Turnips: Mid-May
Snap Peas: Mid May
New Potatoes: Mid-May
Broccoli: Late May
Squash, Yellow: Late May
Squash, Zucchini: Late May 

NC State Farmer's Market 

1201 Agriculture Street 

The State Farmers Market is located at the corner of Lake Wheeler Road and Centennial Parkway, and it has easy access from I-40 in Raleigh, N.C.  From I-40, take Exit 297 to Lake Wheeler Road.  Head northeast on Lake Wheeler Road.  The market is located on the left, approximately 0.5 miles.  The market is open daily. 

NC FARM APP and Farmer Market Listings

I am fortunate to live in North Carolina because it is a thriving agricultural state. Very few farms remain inside Raleigh's city limits, so most of our fresh produce comes from rural Wake County and surrounding counties such as Johnston, Harnett, Nash, Edgecombe, and Wilson Counties. 

Visit Raleigh keeps an ongoing list of Farmer's Markets in the area, and Visit NC keeps a statewide market list. North Carolina also has an NC Farm App for download on Apple/Android. It lists farms and restaurants that use farm-fresh produce. It's a must to get the alls-star NC foodie experience. 


List of NC Farm Tourism Experiences



Updated April 1, 2024 

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