Yum!

One of the women in our office has an organic, nutritionally minded jewelry designer cousin who loves to cook (what a tough break, right?) Sam’s cousin, Paige, is working to change the perception of nutritionally conscious food as virtuous but boring. Sam says she whips up delicious, healthy, and interesting meals nearly every day. As a result, Paige’s 3-year-old puts up no objection to tofu and brussels sprouts, which is no mean feat—I love the salty crunch of a roasted brussel sprout now, but until age 16 I considered it a violent declaration of my parents’ hatred for me whenever they tried to serve it.

Sam particularly loves Paige’s method of roasting vegetables. Paige and Sam nicely agreed to share one of their favorite recipes, so if you’re searching for a great holiday side dish, look no further!

Roasted sweet potatoes with hazelnuts

4 sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and roughly cut in cubes
1/2 cup shelled and chopped hazelnuts (for nut–free households, substitute diced apples or pears for the crunch factor)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and quarter sweet potatoes and place face up on a baking sheet. Add the chopped hazelnuts. Drizzle olive oil and toss everything with wooden spoon. Pour on the maple syrup and toss again until evenly distributed. Roast in oven for 35 minutes or until sweet potatoes are soft. Serve.

Check out Paige’s cooking blog, The INgredients, for more recipes and insight! If you try this recipe, leave a comment and let us know how it was–or share your own healthy recipe.

What’s easier than booking an appointment at the spa… and could lead to a reward even better than a massage and a facial combined?

Entering to win one of our 3 fantastic October Sweeps. All three end October 31. Don’t wait another minute!

CLICK BELOW and ENTER TO WIN…

An Exotic Resort & Spa 7-Night Luxury Escape, courtesy of Pevonia …at the all-inclusive Verandah Resort & Spa, Antigua. Valued at $15,000.

A glamorous assortment of jane iredale mineral cosmetics …steel grays, deep blues and radiant metallics to beautify you all winter long. Valued at $500.

Manolo Blahniks or a case of Rioja Wine …shoes or vino, is there anything not to like about this?

Which one would YOU want to win most?

Yesterday Mashable brought to our attention Pepsi’s new, um, classy iPhone app: Amp Up Before You Score , which aims to help men everywhere “score” by stereotyping women into 24 categories and providing pickup lines to lure in each type.

Fellas, let’s get one thing straight: this isn’t gonna help you at all. (Can we say #pepsifail?) We’re glad Pepsi has apologized, but to help out the unfortunate men who may have downloaded this app thinking it’s their cool new wingman, we’ve developed a rescue tool:

Amp Up Before You Spa

Spa Week asks a different question: What kind of spa treatment would she love?

Men, it is Spa Week, and all these spa treatments are available for $50 until next Sunday! If your Pepsi-inspired pickup line doesn’t cut it, we’ve got one last thing to try… maybe sending her to the spa will win her over and make up for your poor taste in apps.

Business Woman - 45 Min Lunch Time Deep Cleansing Facial

Military Chick - Ultrasound Marine Facial

Princess – 45 Min Caviar Facial

Nerd - Choice of Medical Grade Peels – Salicylic, Glycolic or Lactic

Out of your league – 50 Min Hot Lava Shell Massage

Athlete – 50 Min Action Retraction Sports Massage

Dancer – 50 Min Manicure and Pedicure with Foot Reflexology Massage

Goth - 45 Min Balancing Infusion Facial

Sorority girl – Eyelash extensions

Treehugger girl – 60 Min Harvest Facial with Organic Fruits and Herbs

Political Girl – 50 Min Spa Week Stress Melter Ritual

Cougar - 60 Min Purely Age Defying Facial

Foreign Exchange Student - 90 Min Foot Renaissance with European Manicure

Rebound Girl - Full Body Airbrush Tan

Celebrity – 50 Min Awards Night Facial

Artist – 50 Min Customized Massage

Married – 60 Min Deep Tissue massage, couples rooms available

Indie Rock Girl - 45 Min Himalayan Salt Glow

Twins – 55 Min Best of Both Worlds Swedish Massage and Basic Facial

Aspiring Actress – 60 Min Bali Paradise Rasul Treatment with 30 Min Brine Light Therapy

Punk Rock Girl – 60 Min Fire and Ice Pedicure

Bookworm – 60 Min Sothys Eye Treatment and Signature Foot Treatment

Women’s Studies Major – 50 Min Cranberry Body Scrub

Trouble – Haute Chocolate Manicure and Pedicure with Sweet Honey Dip Chocolate Brown Sugah Body Scrub

Even if you’re not any of these “women” – or if you’ve got little bit of ALL of these women in you! – all these treatments are available at spas around the country, and they serve as a refreshing and uplifting way to bring a smile to someone’s face.

Rather than a slap in the face.

And men, if you’re lucky, one day you two will live happily ever after.

Images courtesy of a YouTube screenshot and Beazleyhouse.com

A few years ago there was a half-truth hoax going around claiming that a woman in Texas died from drinking a can of Coke that had rat urine on the top. I must have received email forwards from everyone I know, warning me of the looming risks. It turned out later that, like many email forwards of that nature, the story was fabricated.

To this day I still wash (or at the very least, wipe) the tops of cans before I open them. While I’d like to tell you that I never consume unhealthy carbonated beverages, I have a weak spot for Diet Cream Soda, and treat myself on occasion.

What about you? Do you clean the top of the can?

I’ve been hearing about O.N.E. Coconut Water for years now, and I have to say I’ve just naively assumed it was a fattening drink disguised as something healthy. But now that it’s being touted as a fat-free all-natural energy drink, complete with five essential electrolytes, I am eager to try it. Here are specifics:

O.N.E.™ Coconut Water
- Excellent for replacing lost electrolytes from exercise or illness.
- Natural isotonic beverage – contains a similar level of electrolytes found in human blood.
- Rich in potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure and heart function.