Ann's Amazon Purchases

Seems like I have been getting a lot of deliveries from Amazon - and other places - lately.   We are very lucky that we live in a building with a concierge - they accept and sign for all packages, then call and leave a message that there is a package for us.  I joke they should say they are just calling to say hi as it seems they call every day..."another package" !!!  Here are some of my finds!

Bruvoalon Winter Gloves for Women & Men, 3M Thermal Insulation, Lycra Fabric, Touchscreen, Anti-Slip

I purchased these for my husband and they are great. His old gloves were leather and did not have the Thinsulate feature...plus with all the touch screen features in the car they were not practical.  These are great - you don't see those blue or grey colors on the gloves and they keep his fingers nice and warm!

LONDONTOWN Lakur Enhanced Nail Polish, Premium Vegan Beauty

Staying with the finger theme, I purchased this nail polish called "Champagne in Bed" - just love that name!  I have been using a lot of the Londontown and lakur products and really like them.  This is a very nice pinky nude, with a little sparkle, and it wears well and does not show chips.  I use the Nail Veil products and love those as well.  

 

OneLeaf 8 Pack 360° Rotatable Strong Magnetic Cable Clips Cord Holder for Nightstand, 1s Lock Phone Charger Holder, Adhesive Magnetic Cord Clips for Home/Office/Car/Game Station, Smooth Adjustable

These are great on the night stand to keep cords from falling to the floor - and great on the desk, too.

ERASE YOUR FACE Reusable Makeup Remover Cloths - Microfiber Face Towels to Cleanse & Remove Makeup - Water Activated for Sensitive Skin - Multi-Color

This is my second set of these face cloths - I use them every day.  You can use them without any cleanser, but I use them to remove the Philosophy Purity cleanser at night and they find every last bit of makeup and mascara.  

Peohud Set of 3 Wood Risers for Display, Farmhouse Wooden Pedestal Stand, Distressed Stool Plant Pot Holder, Beaded Display Riser for Tiered Tray Home Kitchen Counter Table Decor, 9.5/6/4 Inches

I have been wanting these for awhile so when they went on sale I snapped them up, and have been using them in so many places around the house. They give a nice lift to lamps, or other items.

Athlefit Women's Ankle Boots Chunky Low Heel Comfortable Short Boots Round Toe Dress Booties with Side Zipper

I had a pair of bronze colored short boots that had seen better days...and it is hard to find a shoe repair shop anymore.  These were a great price and they fit great right out of the box.  These were a great price, look good on, and the only issue is on one boot the zipper is a little tricky - but overall I love them.  This color is called Taupe.

PHATOIL 3.38FL.OZ Fresh Linen Fragrance Oils for Aromatherapy, Essential Oils for Diffusers for Home, Perfect for Diffuser, DIY Candle and Soap Making, DIY Scented Products 

I order this oil often - use it on the wool dryer balls and it smells wonderful.

Cuccio Naturale Revitalizing Cuticle Oil - Hydrating Oil For Repaired Cuticles Overnight - Remedy For Damaged Skin And Thin Nails - Paraben/ Cruelty-Free Formula - Sweet Almond - 2.5 Oz

This is my second order of this product - it smells great and it really works well on keeping cuticles in shape.  I use it at night and in the morning to keep my nails looking fresh.

AND...I have a few more items ordered and on their way!  I also ordered from Amazon Haul - have you tried that yet?  Lots of products at really low prices.  

What purchases have you made lately - Amazon or otherwise.  I am finding lots of good deals on HSN or QVC, too.  Yep...the packages just keep coming.  Let me know what you have been ordering - please leave a comment below.  I love hearing from you !!!

MORE snow on the way...stay warm and keep cozy.  February is almost over ...warmer days ahead!

Pear and Cheese Salad

 

Roasted Pear and Cheese Salad

Hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day !  We had our dear friends from out of town visit overnight before Valentine's Day - then had friends from our neighborhood over for a Valentine Dinner.

I made this salad, shrimp scampi, and chocolate mousse.

This is a recipe I found years ago online and have not made it for a long time.  Glad I thought of it again, because it was a big hit.  I will list the ingredients...but I made a lot of substitutions, and I will mention those in the directions.  Here we go - 

Ingredients

3 ripe but firm Anjou pears

Freshly squeezed lemon juice - 3 lemons

3 ounces coarsely crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped

1/2 cup apple cider

3 Tablespoons port

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

6 ounces baby arugula

Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Recipe calls for Anjou pears...we prefer Bartlett, so that is what I used.

The recipe calls for the pears to be peeled...I keep the skin on as I think it adds a nice texture. I spray them with fruit and veggie wash and give them a good scrub.

Cut the pears in half...

and slice a thin amount off of the back so the pears will sit firmly in the baking pan.

Just a bit!

Use a knife to remove any leftover stem or hard parts of the pear..

and use a melon baller or spoon to hollow out the pear for the filling.

I did not have enough lemons, so I used lemon juice from a bottle - and since I was making these in advance I put the juice in the bottom of the pan...

then set the pears with the large cut side down in the juice so they would not get brown.  At this point I put them in the refrigerator while I did some other chores.

I forgot to take a photo of mixing the filling...I used feta cheese, low sugar craisins, and pecans.  I told you...I mixed it up!

Then in a bowl I mixed orange juice ( not apple cider) and brown sugar, and no port - did not have any!

Mixed it all well and poured it over and around the pears.

Bake for 30 minutes.

When the pears are done baking, remove and place on a bed of lettuce.  I used a mixture of baby butter leaf and green mix.

Pour the liquid from the pan into a measuring cup and whisk in the olive oil.

Pour over the pears and salad greens, sprinkle with a little kosher salt, and serve.

We had a great evening - and I had fun setting the table for our Valentine Dinner.

That table cloth was gifted to my parents as a wedding gift in 1939!

I use it often - and yes, it shows wear - but I have a needle and thread handy to fix any rips.  Love using it instead of it sitting in a drawer.

I made napkin rings out of Dollar Tree heart ornaments leftover from Christmas and told our guests to take them home as a favor.

We had a great time!  I love to entertain and when I saw this quote in a magazine I thought it was the perfect thought...

I even found heart shaped pasta to complete my dinner party theme!

Did you host any guests for Valentine's Day?  Or did you celebrate with a dinner out ?  Whatever - I hope you had a lovely day.

Thanks so much for stopping by Our New Vista.  Please leave a comment below.  I love hearing from you!

And thank you to Niky from The House On Silverado for picking my Viking Mars post as a feature on this week's Sundays on Silverado!

Have a great week !

Viking Mars - Week 2

 Viking Mars - Week 2

Looking at these photos from our Viking Cruise to the Panama Canal and Central America makes me wish we were back there now - this cold weather is brutal!  I love the winter, love cold weather...but the little bit of time I spend outside really chills me.  So, here is the second week of our adventure - 

We started the second week on the Mars on our 49th anniversary, and began the day with Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and mimosas.

It was hot and sunny - unlike our wedding day! - and we spent some time out at the infinity pool and did not take any excursion that day.  We seemed to have the ship to ourselves!

Relaxing, reading, and Pina Colladas 🍹

Reservations that night at Manfredi's - the Italian restaurant.

The staff surprised us with champagne and a beautiful cake.  We had been chatting with the diners near us and we shared the cake with them.

What a great way to celebrate #49!

Chocolate and strawberry YUM!

And John insisted I get an anniversary watch in the ship boutique.  What a perfect day!

Belize and a great tour of the Mayan ruins.

Very interesting to learn about these ruins and the Mayan culture...but the next day was the best.  We took the included tour to Pueblo del Maize...

An interactive Mayan village...a "Mayan Williamsburg" is what John called it.

We got our faces painted with Mayan symbols.

Enjoyed dancers in traditional garb.

Played the instruments the Mayans used...like shells.

Learned how the cocoa beans were used and traded.

And painted some Mayan symbols.  I am saving them to frame for our next Cinco De Mayo dinner party.

Back to our ship...the Mars is the smaller ship next to another cruise line.

We relaxed on our veranda and enjoyed the beautiful blue water.

The next day was a sea day...so relaxing.  

A pop up Margarita Bar on the Pool Deck...

Such fun! 

Beautiful sunrise the next morning...

a Nespresso in our room so we could enjoy a morning drink on the veranda...

last day lunch...last day for gelato, wine, and Nutella tart!

Cannot say enough about the wonderful trip, the great Viking staff, and the wonderful ship.  Can't wait until our next adventure!

And we came home to this beautiful scene...so we are blessed.  Hope you are all staying warm, staying safe, and enjoying this weather as best you can.  Loving cozy dinner, fireplace time, reading good books, watching fun movies, and snuggling in!

Thanks for stopping by Our New Vista - let me know how you are weathering this winter, if you have any trips to escape the cold, and what you are reading.

Please leave a comment below - I really love hearing from you.

Happy Valentine's Day, too !