Saturday, January 4, 2014

Golden Globe Week is Here! Now, How to Do a Golden Globe Dinner...Light-Weight Style

By Laura Medina

The official Golden Globe Dinner for next Sunday the 12th's Golden Globe Awards on NBC.

Before the media blitz and television hype of awards shows (so folks have something to watch while trapped inside during a blizzard, suffering from cabin fever) the Golden Globe Awards started as a dinner party among industry reporters, of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who just happened to reward what is and whomever happens to be the best in their respective fields of film and television of that year; and it always happens at the Beverly Hilton Hotel since 1961.

Upholding this fifty-three years-old tradition are the Beverly Hilton Hotel's Executive Chef Suki Sugiura, who handles the light-weight appetizer trio; Executive Sous Chef, Christopher O'Connell handling the main "surf & turf" entree of beef and fish; and Executive Pastry Chef Thomas Henzi whipping up a fruity concoction.

To the envy of many chefs and to a relief of many hitting their New Year's Resolutions, each and every ingredient is locally sourced within a 10 to 30 miles radius of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, the freshest of the best produce.

Cooking and prepping an international televised awards show is a daunting task, feeding the most health-conscious under the multi-camera glare over a three-hours award show, how to feed and keep fed without going hungry in designer ballgowns.  Tons of issues and concerns to consider for an awards show chef which requires an army of 200 staffers to keep Hollywood's best satisfied and svelte for one whole night, no easy task.

Executive Sous Chef, Christopher O'Connell is proud and works hard to keep this unique tradition, 'We try to out do ourselves year after year.  We pride ourselves on not repeating the same flavor profiles. I might use the same components year after year but they wouldn't be the same." 

Every year for the Golden Globes, the chefs have to come up with a fresh new "dinner" theme so the attendees wouldn't be bored or allow all that good meat and produce go to waste..

This year's Golden Globe Dinner theme, honoring the international casts of international hit shows, such as "Downton Abbey" is Global Cuisine made with local Los Angeles ingredients within the greater Los Angeles area, respecting the international caliber of actors and the environment and everybody's health.

 Golden Globes' Trio of Appetizers.

Feeding the most health-conscious over three hours, in front of the cameras, has to be well-choreographed and paced.

Obviously, first-up is the Trio of Appetizers assembled and seared by Executive Chef Suki Sugiura.  

The Trios of Appetizers are: Grilled Eggplant with Sundried Tomato Pine Nuts Hummus on Seared Tomato; Mini Sweet Pepper with Feta Cheese, Pomegranate, Herb and California Olive Oil on Grilled Pita, and Grilled Artichoke on Multigrain Tabbouleh and Tahini.

What this scribe...this very "glam-slammed" busy scribe likes about these Trio of Golden Globe Appetizers is this, these appetizers (or snacks to whet your appetite) are easy to make, the ingredients are very affordable and attainable, and so easy to assemble that you can ask your kids to mix and stack for you, during the afternoon before the Golden Globes that the only thing you have to do is buy a bottle of champagne then relax in front of the tv while they go to bed.  Now, isn't that a nice, easy, and cheap treat for moms?!

If you're sans kids, the minimal amount of cooking is so quick and light and finding such ingredients already cooked doesn't give you, the singleton, any excuses not to make them.  Shoot, you can throw a Golden Globes cocktail party alone on these appetizers.

Okay here's the Trio of Appetizers Recipes:
 
Grilled Eggplant with Sundried Tomato Pine Nuts Hummus on Seared Tomato
 
Hummus Ingredients (This scribe's advice, you can buy tub of hummus to 
forgo this step but it's up to you. But, if you need a fresh-from-scratch hummus, 
this is the way to go.)
1 cup dry chickpeas,soaked overnight with 2 tbsp baking powder and 2 garlic cloves
1 large lemon, puréed, for juice
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sundried tomato purée
3 tbsp roasted pine nuts, chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 cup tahini
Cumin
Salt and pepper
 
 Instructions/Method:  Making the Hummus
•
Drain soaked chickpeas and cook in plentyof water until tender
•
Drain and then purée
•
Combine chickpea purée with garlic and sundried tomato puree,
chopped pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and tahini
•
Add salt and pepper and mix all ingredients until 
texture is smooth and clingy

Assembly: Grilled Eggplant (Asian)*You can ask your tween kids to help you out on the assembling.  They'll think it's fun.*
–
4 thin sliced lengthwise, grilled
•
Thinly slice and grill eggplant with sundried tomato, pine nuts, and hummus on seared tomato
•
Place sundried tomato hummus on center of grilled eggplant
•
Fold each end towards the
center to wrap hummus and place eggplant/
hummus on top of 4 slices of seared tomato (approx. ½ “ thick) 
 
Mini Sweet Pepper with Feta Cheese, Pomegranate, Herb and California Olive Oil on Grilled Pita
 
 Ingredients:
2 pieces mini whole sweet peppers, halved
3 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds
2 oz feta cheese, chopped into
small cubes
1/2 tsp dry oregano
2 tbs parsley, chopped
1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 thick slice of lightly grilled pita
bread,cut 1” x 2”

Method: Sweet Pepper and Pita Bread
•
Grill half mini whole sweet pepper just enough for a crunch. Do not cook fully
•
Mix feta cheese, pomegranate, and herb in olive oil and stuff mix onto the mini pepper
•
To assemble–place stuffed mini pepper on top of grilled pita bread
*Again, you can ask your tween or/and teen to help you mix 
the cheese stuffing then filling the peppers with the  stuffing.*

Grilled Artichoke on Multigrain Tabbouleh and Tahini

 Multigrain Tabbouleh Ingredients (Again, another great basic recipe):
2 oz bulgar wheat, cooked
2 oz quinoa, cooked
2 oz couscous, cooked
1 cup tomato, chopped
1 cup cucumber, chopped
1 ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint leaf, chopped
3 scallion, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
 
 Method: Tabbouleh
•After cooking bulgar wheat, quinoa and couscous, add all ingredients in a bowl 
and mix well
•Refrigerate until prepared to serve
 
 Grilled Artichoke Ingredients:
1 fresh California artichoke–medium sized, cooked, cut into quarters and grilled
3 leaves of fresh baby spinach
 
Tahini Ingredients (Another great basic recipe):
¼ cup tahini paste
½ tsp garlic purée, finely chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
½ cup cold water, if needed to achieve desired consistency
 
Plating Your Trio of Appetizers *The kids will enjoy 
this part*
 
Assembly:Assemble each component-A, B, and C–clockwise on plate
(A) Grilled eggplant:
•
Place the grilled eggplant assembly on top seared tomato
(B)
Mini sweet pepper
•
Place mini sweet pepper on top of pita bread
(C)
Grilled artichoke
•
Lay out 3 leaves of baby spinach and place tabbouleh 
on top
•
Place grilled quarter-cut artichoke on top and pour 
tahini sauce on middle of the artichoke.
 
 Mediterranean Spice Crusted Braised Beef Short Rib & 
Smoked Filet of Atlantic Sea Trout
 
Every year, the Beverl Hilton Chefs have to up the ante.  
This year is no different.
 
 Looking at the mouth-watering "surf & turf" dish of the 
main entree, I asked Executive Sous Chef, Christopher 
O'Connell, why not filet mignon and salmon.  He said that combination has been so many times before that it is 
redundant, (alright, cliche but a classic). "Besides, he added, 
"Beef shortrib has been a hit.  People love it, so why not? 
Plus, the Mediterranean Shortrib holds up well."
 
As for the "surf" portion, Chef O' Connell wants to give trout 
its proper due. 
 
Again, salmon has been done many a times that it is 
"played out" at awards shows.  "There aren't that many 
places that do the amount and the caliber of trout that we 
do here. We smoked the trout to pair well with the beef."
 
He used polenta as a side dish.
 
He's proud of the fact that this "surf & turf" dish can be easily re-created at home with the exact same protein or similar protein.  Shoot, you can even use grits instead of polenta.
 
 So yes, it is okay to be "old-school" use traditional filet 
mignon and salmon as your main Golden Globe entree...
 
ENTRÉE ENSEMBLE RECIPE
Mediterranean Spice Crusted Braised Beef 
Short Rib
Sautéed Smoked Filet of Atlantic Sea Trout 
with 
Spinach Sweet Corn Ragout
Light Cream of
Tomato Dill Sauce
 
 
Mediterranean Spice Crusted Braised Beef 
Short Rib
20 oz prime beef short rib
1 ½ tbsp harissa pepper
Braising stock and crusting
 
 Method: Short Rib
•
Heat sauté pan (add olive oil) and season short rib with 
salt and pepper
•
Sauté short rib until nicely brown and remove from sauté pan. Put aside
 
 Braising Stock Ingredients:
2 cups dry white wine
1/2 gallon chicken stock
1 medium sized carrot, sliced
1 whole medium sized onion, sliced
5 cloves of garlic
1 stick of celery, sliced
2 whole fresh tomatoes,largely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp Spanish paprika
1/2 tsp whole black pepper
 
 Method: Braising Stock:
•
Sauté onion, garlic, celery until the texture is soft
•
Add tomato, paprika, cumin, white wine and chicken 
stock andcook several minutes before adding short 
rib into stock
•
Cook at 375°F oven for 3 ½ hours
 
Crusting Ingredients:
1 cup panko
1 tsp of garlic,puréed
1 tsp Spanish paprika
1/3 tsp cumin powder
1/3 tsp cardamom
1/3 tsp coriander
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
 
Method: Crusting:
•Mix all ingredients together in a bowl 
 
 The Final Assembly of the "Surf & Turf" Entree:
–
Short Rib:
•
Remove cooked short rib from braising stock 
and drain
•
Spread harissa pepper on top of the short rib
•
Spread crusting mix on top of short rib
•
Broil short rib until the crusting is brown and crispy. 
(approx. 10sec)
 
Smoked Filet of Atlantic Sea Trout
12 oz smoked filet of Atlantic Sea Trout
 
 Method: Atlantic Sea Trout
• Heat sauté pan to medium heat and add olive oil
•Add sea trout and cook each side for
approx. 1 ½ minutes until golden brown
 
 Spinach Corn Ragout
8 oz of fresh spinach blanched and squeezed
1/3 cup onion finely chopped
2 ozsweet kernel corn
  
Method: Spinach Corn Ragout
•
Heat sauté pan and add olive oil and fresh butter
•
Sauté onion until clear / transparent
•
Add pre-blanched spinach and corn
and toss and season with salt and pepper

Light Cream of Tomato Dill Sauce  
Ingredients:
1/2 tbsp shallot
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 fish stock
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 ½ tbsp chopped dill, chopped
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
 
Method: White Light Cream of White Wine 
Dill Sauce
•
Heat sauce pan and add olive oil and fresh butter
•
Add shallots and sauté slowly until you achieve 
soft consistency / texture
•
Add white wine and bay leaf and reduce by half
•
Add fish stock and reduce by half
•
Add heavy cream, cook and reduce to 1/3
•
Strain and add lemon juice, chopped dill and salt
and pepper
 
Final Assembly
•
Place spinach corn ragout on top of sautéed Atlantic Trout 
Presentation
•
Place short rib on lower left hand side of plate
•
Place Atlantic Trout on lower right hand side of 
plate
•
Pour sauce between the short rib and trout
•
Place desired seasonal vegetables and starch on 
upper part of the plate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gusto Mango Dessert
 
Executive Pastry Chef  Thomas Henzi, ironically, 
doesn't like overly-sweet desserts. 
 
He uses yogurt as the base of this mousse because 
he likes his dessert to be tangy;and it's light, 
great for the health-conscious attendees.

Especially important for an awards show dinner, you 
as apastry chef have to know what event 
you're cooking for and for who are the 
diners and what they're concerned about.

Almond Sponge Cake Ingredients (You can buy ready-made
sponge cake at the supermarket):
300g/10.7oz almond paste
125g/4.5oz whole eggs
75g/2.7oz egg yolks
275g/9.8oz egg whites
100g/3.5oz sugar
120g/4.3oz pastry flour, sifted
 
Method: Almond Sponge Cake
•
Mix almond paste, whole eggs and egg yolk
•
Whip egg whites & granulated sugar to a peak 
before adding to almond mixture
•
Once mixed, incorporate sifted pastry flour 
and spread on silpat sheet
•
Bake at 200*/392 F for 10 minutes
•
Cut out rectangles of 70 x 245mm 
/ 2.8x 9.6 inches
 
Mango Yogurt Crème Ingredients
400g/ 14.3oz yogurt
180g /6.4oz white couverture 
(melted white chocolate)
6g /0.2oz gelatin leaves
2 ea orange zest
300g / 10.5oz mango puree
300g / 10.5oz heavy cream 35%,
soft whipped
 
 Method: Mango Yogurt Crème
•
While stirring with a hand held wire whisk, heat up 
yogurt just before it begins to bubble
•
Add soft gelatin leaves and stir through until melted
•
Pour over the chopped white couverture 
and stir through until smooth
•
Add zest and mango puree and fold in the soft 
whipping cream
 
This the basic, if you just want the Mango Yogurt Creme
dolloped on top of the Sponge Cake.  
But if you wantto go all out fancy, go 
right ahead with these sauces.

Guava Gelee Ingredients:
230g /8.0 oz guava puree
30g/1.0 oz dark rum
50g /1.7 oz granulated sugar
6g /0.2 oz gelatin leaves
1 ea vanilla beans
 
 Method: Guava Gelee
•
Warm up guava puree, rum, vanilla 
beans and granulated sugar. Add
the dissolved gelatin leaves 
and mix well.
•
Fill up in small cylinder flexomat 
molds 4cm / 2” and freeze
 
Coconut Cremeux Ingredients
400 g / 14.0 oz coconut puree
12 0g / 4.2oz egg yolk
150 g /5.2oz whole eggs
150 g /5.2oz butter
120 g /4.2oz powdered sugar
4g /0.1oz gelatin leaves
 
Method: Coconut Cremeux
•
Whip egg yolk, eggs and powdered sugar
•
Add warm coconut puree and reboil 
to 86*C / 218* F (crème anglaise)
•
Add the dissolved gelatin leaves and soft butter
•
Homogenize with a hand held blender and fill 
into small half dome flexipan molds and freeze
 
Tropical Compote Ingredients:
80g. /2.9oz. orange juice
50g /1.8oz lemon juice
80g /2.9oz brown sugar
1ea vanilla bean
250g/8.9 oz pineapple cubes
320g /12.5oz mango cubes
 
Method: Tropical Compote
•
Boil orange juice, lemon juice, 
brown sugar and vanilla bean
•
Add pineapple cubes and cook for 7 minutes
•
Add mango cubes and continue 
to cook for 4 minutes
•
Allow time to cool and save in the refrigerator 
until ready to use
 
Crème Anglaise Ingredients:
280 g/ 10.0oz milk
280 g/10.0oz heavy cream
50 g /1.8 oz granulated sugar
110g /3.9oz egg yolk
 
Method: Crème Anglaise
•
Boil milk & heavy cream
together
•
Mix granulated sugar and egg yolk
before adding to the hot milk / cream
mixture
•
Cook to 85*C and homogenize with 
hand blender 
 
To Assemble:
•
Pipe 50% of the flexipan full with 
mango crème and add
½ sphere of coconut cremeux 
and allow to set in the freezer 
for 15 minutes
•
Place on disk of guava gelee
and add tsp of tropical compote 
and additional mango crème,
leaving enough room for the 
almond sponge disk
•
Freeze overnight. Once frozen, 
remove the Gusto Mango from the
flexipan mold and spray with white
couverture
•
Decorate with chocolate garnish, 
whipped cream and berries 
and proceed to plating with 
vanilla anglaise and 
a spoon of tropical compote
 
 Sure, this year's Golden Globe dinner must be
fancy but it is light-weight healthy appropriate
for New Year's Resolution and the ingredients
are affordable.  In fact, some of them can be
bought ready-made and all you have to do
is stack and spread.  The proteins are classics,
nothing exotic or expensive.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Golden Globe dinner party isn't complete
without champagne.
 
The official champagne of the Golden Globes,
 Moët & Chandon swirled this cocktail, 
exclusively for this year's Golden Globes,
" Moët Golden Night" concocted by Aida
MollenKamp.  If you can't get Moët &
Chandon, any sparkling white wine will
do...
 
Made to celebrate the glamour and glitz of 
the awards season, Moët Golden Night, is a 
decidedly sophisticated cocktail of cardamom 
syrup, pear brandy, and Moët & Chandon 
Imperial Brut Champagne. Garnished 
with a “fan” of fresh pear slices, this cocktail 
is the perfect sipper to 
toast the festivities.  
 
Makes: 6 cocktails // Enough simple syrup 
mixture for 8 cocktails
Total Time: 25 minutes
Hands On Time: 5 minutes
 
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup unrefined granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
20 whole cardamom pods, crushed using 
the back of a knife or a mortar and pestle
1/4 cup pear brandy
1 (750 ml) chilled Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne
2 small ripe Forelle or Seckel pears, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, stir 
to dissolve the sugar, add the crushed cardamom 
pods and bring to a simmer over medium heat. 
Simmer the simple syrup for 5 minutes, 
then remove from heat and allow to steep 
and cool for 20 minutes.

Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the simple 
syrup, discard the seeds and pods,  and place 
the simple syrup into a liquid measuring cup. 
Add the pear brandy and stir to combine. 
(The pear-cardamom simple syrup mixture 
can be made up to 2 days ahead and 
the Asian pears can be peeled up to 2 hours ahead.)

Just before serving, cut the pear off the core and 
slice pear lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick slices. 
(Separate slices into stacks of three and 
spread slightly to make a fan. If cutting slices 
ahead of serving time, coat them with 
a little lemon juice to prevent them from 
browning.)

To serve, add 1/2 ounce of the pear-cardamom 
simple syrup mixture to 6 white wine glasses or 
6 Champagne coupes (this makes enough syrup 
for 8 cocktails). Add 4 ounces of chilled Moët 
& Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne to each 
glass, filling each glass about halfway. 
Garnish each glass with three pieces 
of fanned pear slices and serve.

 
Yes, you can throw your own Golden Globes 
dinner party or just throw a casual chic 
cocktail get-together or just an intimate dinner, 
relaxing in front of the tv, in the privacy of your 
own home without the glares of the camera, 
unless you want to...
 
 







Thursday, January 2, 2014

Fortified & Fabulous. Kneed Out the Knots, Recharge, Refuel, & Refresh, 2014's Health & Wellness=Inner Beauty

By Laura Medina

http://www.burkewilliamsspa.com/spa-treatments/massage/enhancements/

All tighten up and stiff from last month's "giving and caring" for ungrateful relatives?

Lop-sided from all that shuffling and heaving loads of grocery and baggage through the woods to Grandma's House for the holidays?

Partake in too much revelries?  Overloaded on the indulgences?

Need some serious "Me Time" to counter-balance your system so you can tackle the New Year with both feet on the ground?

Lucky you...Awards Season, with the Golden Globes igniting it, is around the corner and really need to recharge and freshen up...stat!?

This jet-setting, road warrior of a scribe has been pondering this and being testing out various holistic and homeopathic treats and healthy remedies to keep you flawless while keeping you going and going, charging straight into Awards Season, Hollywood's High Society Season.  For the East Coasters, these regiments and treatments and treats will fuel you up, marching into New York Fashion Week.

For anyone deep into the entertainment/fashion industry who's knee-deep in Awards Season, all she or/and he are asking...how to kneed out knots, the sore muscles, and even out the joints and the spine, when you're lugging heavy camera, video, and computer equipment.   To make it even more glamorous, you're packing in your notebook and tablet to provide ravenous readers up-t0-date news on who's who, who's what, and what they're wearing.  All this media coverage can and does take a toll on one's skeletal alignment, spine, collar bone, shoulders, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Let's get real, your body is like a car.  If the car's skeleton or chassis is crooked, then your whole body is going to break down.

Industry people are high-maintenance, not because of vanity, but of demands.

Burke-Willliams Spa is here to care.  In fact, some of the massage therapists are former professional photographers who understand first hand of lugging heavy equipment from point A to point Z to point K in one day...and that's not the end of it.

Burke Williams offers the Massage and Dot.com Enhancement add-on to their standard massage treatments.  Aiming to kneed out the knot of the tendons and ligaments out of the forearms and wrists, this revolutionary massage technique incorporates back bolstering, strategic pressure and therapeutic stretching into a relaxing full body massage for the optimum rejuvenation.

Focused on the neck, shoulders, arms, hands, wrists and upper body, this enhancement incorporates a specially designed series of stretches and massage tools to make Dot.com the ultimate solution to living with technology.

 Dot.com addresses prevalent issues from everyday life including head and shoulder forward posture, thoracic outlet syndrome and carpel tunnel syndrome. The service incorporates a back bolstering technique to work the shoulder girdle area, use of a therapeutic ball for shoulder and arm work, and a therapeutic wand as a way to enhance the stretching techniques used to open up the pectoral muscles and extend the front of the chest. This powerful combination of techniques target tension in the neck, back and shoulders. Although the service is designed to be therapeutic, guests will still receive the benefits of rest and relaxation through clay heat packs that help calm and center the body during the enhancement session.

The Dot.com enhancement can be added on to a Pure Relaxation Massage or Deep Tissue Massage. The enhancement will last 20 minutes of the entire massage experience. The service will produce immediate results in posture. It is recommended that Dot.com be experienced regularly in order to produce the most effective and lasting results.


http://www.amazon.com/The-Beauty-Detox-Solution-Radiant/dp/0373892322

Now, that you ease into the New Year with loosen joints and got your alignment and balance back, let's clean up our palate. 

Nutritionist to the stars, such as Dita Von Teese, Vince Vaughn, James Spader, and Matt Bromer, and Drew Barrymore, Kimberly Snyder, C.N., put out the "The Beauty Detox Solution: Eat Your Way to Radiant Skin, Renewed Energy and the Body You've Always Wanted" Book for those who want to clean out the crud out of their pores and their system if they can't make it to her  Kimberly Snyder's Glow Bio on 7473 Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, CA.

Don't worry.  Don't ponder.  This juice-loving scribe had the perks of personally sipping and nibbling her yummy concoctions..;and they're delicious as they are refreshing and affordable.

Need to get your vibe in sync with the New Year?

Get your vibes in harmony at RA MA Institute's Kundalini yoga class for Metabolic Revving, Pituitary Activating, Decades of Stress Releasing and Anti-Aging benefits on 304 Lincoln Boulevard, Venice, California 90291, located off Lincoln and Rose at http://ramayogainstitute.com

Now, that you re-set your joints, cleaned out your systems, and de-tox your mind, let's add-on some supplements to rejuvenate your system, radiate internally, and fortify those skin cells.

"Party-Harty" for two weeks straight (then that one-night/day bender called "Thanksgiving") can really wreak your skin.



 http://www.gnclivewell.com.my/product_info.php?products_id=225

Not only can you rejuvenate your face with TAUT's Collagen masks,  http://www.taut.com.au/collagen-infusion-mask.asp, for an one-night pick-me-up, you can sip TAUT's Gold Standard Collagen Orange Drinks.  

This orange-flavored Shark Cartilage Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide drink with vitamins such as B1, B2, B6, E and Beta-carotene, are "healthy" shots of collagen and vitamins instead of jello shots with vodka.  They can also be sneaked to boost your smoothie or mineral water...ok, soda.  These TAUT Collagen shots can bought at GNC or New Beauty at Fred Segal in Santa Monica.

 http://www.taut.com.au/collagen-infusion-mask.asp

Rather have a nap? Easy-pleasy, just peel and apply TAUT's Collagen Mask over your face,  for a quick nap or a long sleep; and you'll feel fresh sans oil.

http://www.neocell.com/products-bursts-chews-mint.php for chocolate mint on the left,  and http://www.neocell.com/products-bursts-chews-punch.php for fruit punch on the right.

Thank God for calcium chews that comes in chocolate and caramels (once in awhile, you'll be lucky to catch some in orange, vanilla, and strawberry), they led the way in chewable collagen taffies, NeoCell Beauty Bursts, gourmet collagen soft chews in chocolate mint and fruit punch.  They're "inner beauty" on the go.  This scribe should know since this scribe was chewing them on the plane for a little "beauty snack." 

Because rotting fruit in your purse or tote bag is nasty, TAUT's Collagen Orange Drink shots in 50ml. mini-bottles and NeoCell Beauty Bursts chews are an easier and cleaner way to refuel your skin cells on the go, in your car...even with screaming kids or you screaming in traffic.

http://www.kindsnacks.com/products/kind-store/buy-kind-bars/kind-plus/peanut-butter-darkchocolate-protein.html

Craving for that fulfilling but naughty candy bar?  KIND Snack Bars have their own version of the chewy caramel-nougat candy bar-their KIND Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate + Protein is a healthy & satisfying blend of peanuts and antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Each bar contains 7 grams of protein, which promotes satiety and strengthens bones, muscles and skin.  Which ever nutrient and/or vitamin that strengthens the bones, also builds up the skin.  KIND's peanut butter makes you forget the nougat.

 http://www.drvita.com/product/drvita-six-daily-advanced-multi-vitamin-180-capsules/12867

Coenzyme Q10, a.k.a. CoQ10 is all the rage and has been all the rage for quite some time now, in facial cream.  If you can ingest it, it'll work more effectively.

If you're old-school and can't see yourself guzzling gallons of tea, one pop of Dr. Vita's Six Daily Advanced Multi-Vitamin rich in CoQ10, alpha lipoic acid, magnesium,  and B-complex, saves you from drinking five cups of green tea...if drinking five cups of tea in one setting or even drinking green tea isn't your "cup of tea."

 http://www.twinlab.com/product/skin-within%E2%84%A2

Another CoQ10 vitamin is TwinLab's Skin Within, a liquid capsule to support healthy skin from the inside out.   Since CoQ10 decreases as we age, we need supplements of CoQ10 to utilize oxygen in cellular energy metabolism and tackle free radical scavenging.  
TwinLab Skin Within also contains astaxanthin, a carotenoid similar in structure to beta carotene.  Astaxanthin has been clinically tested to significantly reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve the moisture content of dry skin, and significantly improve skin elasticity.

With all this easy options, you can get your body in gear and your face and skin fortified and fabulous for the intense-glare of Awards Season or tackling the New Year with a fresh appearance.