Low-Fat Holiday Dips

Why start the new year packing on the pounds? Try these delicious low-fat dips at your New Year’s bash.

Green Goddess Dressing and Dip

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil or cilantro leaves
2 cups fresh parsley leaves
1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup reduced-calorie mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Enjoy with fresh cut veggies such as carrot sticks or cucumber slices or use as a salad dressing.

Spinach-Parmesan Dip

Ingedients:
1/2 pound raw spinach, cooked and drained
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
5 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender to desired consistency. This also makes a great sauce for grilled chicken or pasta.

Recipes from weightwatchers.com

Shopping Amazon UK

I confess. I’m an Amazonaholic. My wish list is 15 pages long.

You can buy almost anything on Amazon. And if you can’t find it on the U.S. version of the megastore, try Amazon UK.

Here are some books I bought in British pounds. Remember to check a currency converter before you finalize a sale.

The Goddess Guide
By Gisele Scanlon, £9.00
This beautiful book with its velvet cover makes a great gift for any woman interested in fashion.

Trinny & Susannah: The Survival Guide – A Woman’s Secret Weapon for Getting Through the Year
By Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine, £12.58
I love every book Trinny and Susannah have published. This one has some UK-specific references but is universal enough for American women, too.

How to Walk in High Heels: The Girl’s Guide to Everything
By Camilla Morton, £4.79
Literally a guide to everything from how to practice walking in high heels to how to drive a stick shift. Witty and indispensible.

The Art of Wearing Pearls

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend but pearls will make you glow like moonlight.

There is something mysterious and alluring about pearls. Perhaps it is their lustre, perhaps it is because they come from the sea.

Pearls should always be worn in odd numbers of strands. Don’t wear a double strand, rather wear a single strand or a triple strand or more.

Opera length pearls can be wrapped multiple times around your neck or even tied across your shoulders to the straps of a plain black cocktail dress to make an interesting statement.

Many famous women have had great success with pearls. Here are a few:

Coco Chanel

Grace Kelly

Audrey Hepburn

Louise Brooks

Top Photo: Jacqueline Kennedy

Summer Cocktail Recipe: Americano

One of my favorite cocktails for warm summer days and nights is an Americano. The key ingredient is Campari, a bitter Italian aperitif.

It’s easy to make. Give it a try.

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. Campari
1.5 oz. Cinzano Rosso (Italian Sweet Vermouth)

Preparation:
Fill an old-fashioned glass with ice, add ingredients, top off with club soda, add a twist of orange.

From the Campari Web site:

“Campari is an alcoholic aperitif obtained from the infusion of bitter herbs, aromatic plants and fruit in alcohol and water. With its distinct colour, aroma and flavour, Campari has always been a symbol of passion – passion that expresses itself in terms of seduction, sensuality and transgression.”

Photo: Salma Hayek in Campari’s 2007 calendar, photographed by Mario Testino.

How To: Communicate Effectively

Effective communication skills are vital for success in the business world and in our everyday live.

Here are some tips to help you express yourself more clearly.

• Learn to listen. This is the most important part of being a good communicator.
• Be in the moment. Take in the other person’s thoughts and be ready to respond.
• Be sensitive to the other people’s opinions. There is something to learn from everyone. We don’t always have to agree.
• Make eye contact with people when you are speaking with them. You don’t have to stare them down, just let them know that you are paying attention.
• Learn to be heard. If you have something worthwhile to say, don’t be afraid to speak up. There are times when we all have something to contribute. Share your experience and knowledge with others.
• Do your homework. Knowledge is power. Research before you advise. Prepare at least three options to a scenario. If you are going into a business meeting, have at least three backup plans ready to discuss. That way you will not be caught off guard.
• Take voice and speak lessons. Learn to speak with distinction and authority. You don’t have to cultivate a fancy accent, just speak clearly and with breath support so you can always be heard and understood.
• Keep yourself well groomed. You’ll feel better about yourself; you’ll also feel more confident and powerful. And this confidence will show to others. When we look better, we feel better, too.
• Stand up straight. Good posture can make you look taller and more commanding. It’s also good for your spine. You’ll walk with elegance and confidence. Body language can speak louder than words.

Academy Awards Red Carpet – Oscar Pictures Part 8

The Grandest of Them All
La Bella Helen Mirren:

Academy Awards Red Carpet – Oscar Pictures Part 7

Maggie Gyllenhaal:

Penelope Cruz:

Naomi Watts:

Academy Awards Red Carpet – Oscar Pictures Part 6

Cameron Diaz:

Kate Winslett:

Kirsten Dunst:

Academy Awards Red Carpet – Oscar Pictures Part 5

The Devil Wears Prada

Fresh Anne Hathaway:

Classic Emily Blunt:

La Madame Meryl Streep with her successor Nicole Kidman:

Academy Awards Red Carpet – Oscar Pictures Part 4

More Former Oscar Winners

Crawford-esque Gwyneth Paltrow:

Elegant Rachel Weisz:

Modern Reese Witherspoon: