The Secret Sisters had their break out hit on the Hunger Games soundtrack, but the rest of their album is really great too! It reminds me of what was playing on hand-held radios at the lake and in the car when I was little.
The Secret Sisters had their break out hit on the Hunger Games soundtrack, but the rest of their album is really great too! It reminds me of what was playing on hand-held radios at the lake and in the car when I was little.
I’d like to introduce you to my early mother’s day present! I’ve named her Solange, after Beyonce’s younger sister. And If you don’t know who Beyonce (No, not the singer!) is…
Speaking of, the most excellent Jenny Lawson is #1 on the NYT Print and E-books bestsellers list! Go Jenny!
Illustration by Billy Steve Clayton (pixelfoot)
I’m a Janeite, that is to say, I’m a big fan of the works of Jane Austin. Pride and Prejudice, in particular. What if P&P were a present day story, in VideoBlog format? You have to check out, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries an excellent retelling of P&P and so funny!
And lastly, what’s funnier than $9000 speaker cables? The reviews for the $9000 speaker cables!
What gems have you found on the internet this week?
A restaurant we frequent has this amazing coleslaw. They serve it with everything. Here’s my attempt at the home version.
Thai Peanut Coleslaw
6 cups shredded Napa Cabbage
2 tablespoons finely chopped Cilantro
2 finely chopped Green Onions
1/2 cup roughly chopped Roasted Peanuts
Chop and assemble all the above ingredients and place in a large bowl.
For the dressing:
1/2 cup Light Mayonnaise
1/2 cup prepared Thai Peanut Sauce
3 tablespoons Milk
Mix all ingredients very well and pour over cabbage. Toss well, then let sit for about 15 minutes before serving to let the flavors blend. Top with a final garnish of peanuts.
Note: If you’d like to make this ahead, keep the dressing separate until time to serve.
Have you ever thought, “I could make this from scratch and it would be much better.” It occurred to me, while having a bowl of something similar out of a can, that I could do just that.
Lemon Chicken and Orzo Soup
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Carrots (diced)
2 ribs of Celery (diced)
1 medium Onion (diced)
1 bulb of Fennel (diced)
Salt & Pepper
1 teaspoon dried Sage
1 teaspoon Fresh Rosemary
4 cups Chicken Stock
2 cups Water
2/3 cup Orzo Pasta (cooked)
4 cups chopped Kale
2 cups cooked and shredded Chicken
The Zest and Juice of one large Lemon
In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high and saute the carrot, celery, onion, and fennel for about 5 minutes. Add the sage and rosemary, salt and pepper and saute for a few more minutes.
Add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add the kale, chicken, lemon (zest and juice) and orzo to the pot and continue to simmer until the kale is cooked down and the chicken is warmed through. Test for seasoning and add additional salt or pepper if needed.
Serve with garlic cheese bread.
Oil on steel at 1,000 frames per second from FlukeCorp.
Meet Elephantine
Rachel runs a jewelry and kitchen shop in addition to being a great cook (so many recipes I want to try!). Also, she writes and takes great pictures.
I always gain inspiration from Rachel and I know you will too!
For anyone who has only had canned beets, fresh beets are a revelation. This salad was a big hit last week. It’s very simple, in fact, only has 4 ingredients!
Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad
6 Fresh Beets (roasted)
4-6 oz Goat Cheese
Fresh Basil
Vinaigrette (your favorite recipe or bottled brand)
Cut off the stems and the root ends from the beets and wash with cool water. (Tip: working with beets is less messy if you wear latex or vinyl gloves) No need to peel the beets yet. There is a cool trick I’ll tell you about in a sec.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Wrap the beets in foil and place on a sheet tray. Roast in the oven for 45-minutes to an hour. Test with the tip of the knife. If it slides in with only just a bit of resistance, that’s done!
Unwrap the foil and allow the beets to cool for about 10 minutes. Here’s the peeling trick: Put back on your latex gloves and simply rub the skin off each beet with a paper towel! Tada!
This salad can be served warm or cold. I prefer to serve cold, it’s really refreshing. But, if you’re the warm beet type, after peeling the roasted beets slice them into wedges, dress with 1/2 cup of your vinaigrette. Place on a serving plate/bowl and top with the crumbled goat cheese and chopped basil.
If you’d like to try the cold version, chill the beets in the fridge before you assemble the salad.
I wrote about spring cleaning a few weeks ago so I’d like to show you my progress. One of the things that needed attention was my closet. Sadly, it was a big mess of mostly unworn, ill-fitting clothes and shoes that just hung there.
Embarrassing! Not only that, but it was a pain to find and put things away.
Behold, the after photos!
I can’t help but gush on and on to folks about how much better it is! How nice it is to be able to see everything I have! How great it is to be free of all that stuff! Look I can actually walk into my walk in closet! Amazing right? Right?! Oh, I’m doing it again aren’t I?
Here are some tips on how you can control you clothes clutter:
#1 Work a section at a time. I started with my pants then skirts then… you get the idea. I laid out each in turn on my bed so I could see what I had.
#2 Try on everything. I’m serious! Taking the time to reacquaint yourself with what you own is essential. Also, I tried everything on with both flats and heels and kept the most versatile pieces.
#3 Ask yourself 3 things: Do I wear it? Does it fit? Do I love it? And be honest!
#4 Don’t hold on to the past. It’s that hopeful place where we keep our pre-pregnancy jeans and the size 2 cocktail dress that we’ve never worn. Ever.
I call this my “I have a dream” section. Sure, hang onto those “before” jeans if you’re a new mom. But if, like me, your kid is due to graduate high school next year? Not so much…
Also, don’t keep anything with the goal that it will look great once you lose that last 5-10-15 pounds. When you reach your weight goals, THEN reward yourself with a shopping trip!
Good luck! And If you have the chance, post a photo of your before and after pics!
Here is the packing list I use when I’m traveling. Feel free to tweak and customize to your liking. (opens in word)
Click here to DL weekend away packing
It’s the piece everyone wants anyway, I make a big pan of them so then I have happy people.
Balsamic & Honey Chicken Legs
10 Chicken Legs
For the marinade:
1 cup Olive Oil
1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup Honey
Salt & Pepper
3 cloves Garlic (sliced)
3 stems Rosemary (finely chopped)
Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
Divide the chicken legs between two gallon size plastic bags. Prepare the marinade, and divide in half then pour over the chicken. Place in the fridge for at least two hours, or better, six hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove the chicken legs from the marinade and place onto a lined sheet pan. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the internal temp reads 165 degrees on a digital thermometer.
You can boil down the marinade until it’s thick and syrupy and use it as a sauce on the side.
P.S. If you have leftovers, this makes for great picnic chicken!
Kathleen Rear 