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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

And Now... A Makeup Moment: Fear of a Bright Red Lip

I've always been the type of woman who believed she couldn't wear red lipstick: it's too bright, too brazen, too too red!

Since my makeup challenge last week, I am very proud to say that I've continued to wear makeup to work each day and must say I'm really getting the routine down to almost effortless!

As I mentioned (repeatedly!) during my challenge results post, I have three lipsticks in almost the same color and I really wanted to vary my look up. Since this venture into Cosmetopia is all about pushing boundaries and breaking out of my safe zone, I decided to take the advise I've recently read in Clumps of Mascara and Jones Magazine: and ROCK A RED LIP!!

I opted to go the inexpensive route... in the not very likely case that I would chicken out and never wear these colors again, so with my trusty Mum with me... we headed over to our local Duane Reade. In the (what seemed like) HUNDREDS of red lip colors out there, I settled on two: one va-va-va voom red color and one  more subtle crimson shade.

First up is the more subtle color:


I purchased Revlon's ColorStay Glacis mineral in 555 - Overtime Wine ... Of course I took it right off to try on the next shade, so I cannot comment on its lasting ability! LOL



The next one is such a bright red, I am hesitant to even post the picture!! While I liked the color... I am so nervous about it... it's truly a fear of a bright red lip I have!!


This shade is courtesy of Black Opal's Patent Lip Liquid Lipstick. The color is Red Intensity 02


So I have in one trip to DR increased  my lip color quota and taken the first baby steps to conquering my fear of bright red lips!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Yummm! Gallo Pinto con.....

I am a die-hard rice eater: brown rice, yellow rice, white rice, rice and gravy, rice and peas, rice and beans. I looooooove rice and beans. When you are hungry, a nice bowl of rice and beans can be your best friend. I never thought that best friend should come by for breakfast, though! LOL

I recently found a great recipe for Gallo Pinto con Huevos Fritos (Doesn't that just roll off the tongue!?!) online and was immediately intrigued. I am not a breakfast purist...mind you.... I've eaten fried fish scrambled eggs and grits for breakfast on several occasions (It's actually one of my favorites!). I am really looking forward to trying this recipe!

Costa Rican Gallo Pinto Recipe (beans and rice)



(Recipe Courtesy of Costa Rica Guide)

1 lb (450 gr.) Black beans. Fresh are best but most likely you’ll find them dried.
8-10 sprigs cilantro (coriander leaf) fresh or frozen, not dried!
1 small or medium onion
½ small red or yellow sweet pepper (optional)
3 cups (700 ml) chicken broth or water
2 cups (350 ml) white rice
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
1-3 Tablespoon oil to fry the Gallo Pinto

If beans are dried, cover with water and soak overnight, if they are fresh, just rise them off. Drain the beans and add fresh water to an inch (2.5-cm) above the top of the beans, salt, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce heat to very low simmer until beans are soft (~3 hours).

Chop cilantro, onion, and sweet pepper very fine.

Add 1 Tablespoon oil to a large pan and sauté the dry rice for 2 minutes over medium high flame then add half of the chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro and sauté another 2 minutes. Add water or chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer until rice is tender (20-35 minutes). This is also the recipe for Tico rice used in other favorites like tamales.

Once the rice and beans are cooked you can refrigerate or freeze them. Keep a significant amount of the “black water” with the beans (½-1 cup 120-240 ml). This is what gives the rice its color and some of its flavor. Sauté the rice, beans reserved chopped onion, sweet pepper and cilantro together in vegetable oil for a few minutes. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.

Once the rice and beans are cooked you can also refrigerate or freeze them. Make up small batches of Gallo Pinto when you want it by simply sautéing them together.

In Guanacaste they sometimes use small very hot red peppers instead of or in addition to the sweet. Some people add a tablespoon or so of salsa Lizano or Chilera to the beans while they're cooking. Our friend Mercedes always simmered the beans very slowly all-day and preheated the water or chicken broth for the rice.


This recipe would be great paired with anything! Just imagine, Gallo Pinto con..... (Get it? That's the name of this entry.. tee hee!)

Chicharrones de Pollo

(Recipe Courtesy of Dominican Foods About.com)

Ingredients:

* 2 1/2 pounds boneless chicken strips (breasts, thighs or mixed)
* Marinade:
* 1 cup lime juice
* 4 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 4 cloves garlic (minced)
* Seasoned Flour Coating:
* 2 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
* 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (or to taste)
* 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
* Vegetable oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a large plastic bowl or zipper bag. Add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.
2. Combine flour, Spanish paprika, pepper and salt in a separate plastic bowl or zipper bag.
3. Coat the marinated chicken with the seasoned flour mixture.
4. Place vegetable oil for frying into a deep frying pan, or use a deep fryer. Heat the oil over medium-high heat to 360 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Fry chicken in batches, until golden brown outside and completely cooked inside (about 4 minutes per side).
6. Place chicken on a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb oil. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serves: Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Notes:
The longer the chicken marinates, the stronger the lime taste will be.

When frying the chicken, don't overcrowd the pan. The oil will cool down and the chicken will not cook properly.

Bistec Encebollao

(Recipe Courtesy of AllRecipes.com)


Ingredients

* 2 pounds beef sirloin steak, sliced thinly across the grain
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 1 pinch dried oregano
* 1 (.18 ounce) packet sazon seasoning
* 2 large white onions, sliced into rings
* 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
* 1 cup beef stock
* 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large resealable bag, combine the steak, olive oil, garlic, oregano, sazon seasoning, onions, vinegar, beef stock, and salt. Seal and shake to mix. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to a couple of days.
2. When you are ready to cook, dump the entire contents of the bag into a large deep skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the beef is fork tender, about 40 minutes.

What would YOU pair Gallo Pinto with?

Monday, June 28, 2010

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

I used to play this song on a loop (I think my Mum to this day silently curses whoever invented the repeat function of a CD Player!) for hours at a time. The only time you will catch me rapping is if I am rapping along to Neneh!!







This song is my version of the Rocky theme... it motivates me and encourages me to go for it! Will I ever win? Who know... but I'm still trying!

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Be Blessed: Time Tested Beauty Tips

I've been blogging a lot about beauty and fashion lately, so I wanted to share the most valuable pieces of beauty advice I've ever received. This poem is often attributed to Audrey Hepburn (my namesake), incorrectly. Although she cited it as one of her favorites, it was actually written by Sam Levenson.

Audrey is someone universally remembered for her extraordinary beauty, but what was truly beautiful about her was the work she did for U.N.I.C.E.F and the fact that she was the type of woman who, when asked about her beauty tips, she would share this poem:



For attractive lips,
Speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes,
Seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,
Share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair,
Let a child run his or her
fingers through it once a day.

For poise,
Walk with the knowledge
you'll never walk alone.

People, even more than things,
have to be restored, renewed,
revived, reclaimed, and redeemed;
Never throw out anybody.

Remember,
If you ever need a helping hand,
you'll find one at the end of your arm.

As you grow older,
you will discover
that you have two hands,
one for helping yourself,
the other for helping others.

The beauty of a woman
is not in the clothes she wears,
The figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman
must be seen from in her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart,
the place where love resides.

The beauty of a woman
is not in a facial mole,
but true beauty in a woman
is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives,
the passion that she shows,
And the beauty of a woman
with passing years-only grows!



This week, I will remember that true beauty comes from within and around you... and I will pause and reflect on all the beauty in my life.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

A Little [ZAP MAMA] for a Saturday Night

Tonight was a lovely day for yours truly. I relaxed in the house, washed, deep-conditioned and braided my hair, gave myself a lovely manicure and pedicure (I am head over heels in love with the color... to be blogged about later, I'm sure!) and just flat out enjoyed my day.

Throughout the past few hours of this day, this song has been in my head... I was humming it while washing my hair, while applying top coat and while munching on a delicious pizza my honey brought me.

I love Zap Mama to death, and it shouldn't come as a surprise to me that this song is dope as hell!!! I hope you all will enjoy "Drifting" by Zap Mama featuring G. Love.








I'm REALLY Diggin': Djauniversal's Feather Earrings

I love feather earrings... they always remind me of Alice Walker's "The Temple of My Familiar" (One of my top five favorite books!):

"In the old country in South America, Carlotta's grandmother, Zede, had been a seamstress, but really more of a sewing magician. She was the creator of clothing, especially capes, made of feathers. These capes were worn by dancers and musicians and priests at traditional village festivals and had been worn for countless generations." 


While I've always found them striking and simply beautiful... I've admired them a la distance for a very long time, primarily because I didn't believe that they suited me. My face is too round, my double chin is distracting.. blah blah blah.... As I blogged about, the only purchase I made from Shecky's Girls Night Out was a pair of feather and leather earrings that made me stop DEAD in my tracks!! These earrings were beautiful enough for me to shake loose those negative agreements I've made with myself for years and step outside my comfort zone.... not to mention the wonderful energy from the woman selling them... which is one of the reasons I bought 'em!


I was a bit nervous about whether or not I  could rock them... but I felt great wearing them in the long run, and to me.... feeling great is the main part of rockin' something!

Djauniversal has a terrific Etsy shop, full of equally fabulous feathered finds! Here are a couple of my faves:


Silver-n-Gold Leather Feather Chain Series - $45 - Variations on the silver series with gold accents painted into leather. light cream/ gold feather with gold accent chain. double feather with silver accent chain.



Green Leather Feather Chain Series - $45 - Forest green leather earring, w/ blond & green feather detail & silver chain. OR green leather with black chain detail only. Or green leather with single green feather OR with brown and green feather & chain detail.

Take a stroll over to the Djauniversal Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/djauniversal You'll be glad you did!

Friday, June 25, 2010

DO SOMETHING: Tell President Obama: GENUG with Offshore Drilling, Already!!

FYI: Genug is a Yiddish word, meaning "Enough".



At a time when millions of gallons of oil are still spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, wreaking havoc on sea turtles, brown pelicans, sperm whales and irreplaceable coastal and marine ecosystems, it seems inconceivable that the Obama administration would consider more dirty, dangerous offshore drilling.

Yet, incredibly, that is exactly what's happening. I just urged Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and others at the Department of the Interior to stop dangerous drilling and I hope you will too. This petition by Defenders of Wildlife has my name as the newest signature. They are hoping to reach a goal of 60,000... I hope you will consider taking action online by clicking here.

And Now...A Makeup Moment: M-F Makeup Challenge Results!!

So, I did it! Every day this week, I wore makeup. Some of you may be thinking, "So what?", but I cannot honestly recollect a single period of my adult life where I wore makeup for five days in a row! There's usually one day (or thirty... ) where I say, "Ehh......." and stroll into work without so much as lip gloss! LOL

It was fun, I will admit that. I don't quite think I have the stamina to incorporate makeup into my everyday routine, but I am open to the possibilities. But enough of my opining on the subject, are you ready for some makeup porn? Here are the results:

Everyday, I used my usual pressed powder, bronzer and mascara. They are my go-to cosmetic items-

Cover Girl Queen Collection Natural Hue Minerals Pressed Powder (Q215 - Brown Bronze 2)
Cover Girl Queen Collection Natural Hue Minerals Bronzer (Q110 - Brown Bronze)
Cover Girl Professional Mascara (Clear)

And what simple girl's makeup collection would be complete without lip balm? LOL For that, I use Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm.... Oooh cooling!

MONDAY


Since Monday was the first day of the challenge, I selected a more natural look. This is pretty much what I've always done when I've worn makeup in the past.... And this is the universal result!




For the eyes I used Milani Easyliner Retractable Pencil in Black, paired with Wet n Wild's Ultimate Expressions Eyeshadow Palette  (398 - Fantasy Island)... that palette is the bomb, y'all!!! For my lips, I used Avon's Perfect Wear Plump & Stay Lip Color (T501- Always Mocha). I must admit I used this color a lot this week... lip color is next on my list. If you have any recommendations for brands and/or colors you think will compliment me, drop me a line by clicking here.

TUESDAY


Tuesday was my "Plum Madness" day. The shirt I was wearing was accented with these fuschia flowers that inspired my look.... Don't know why I am all pouty in the picture, but I guess waking up 10 minutes early to fit this makeup routine in can make a girl a bit surly! LOL




For my eyes I paired Milani Black Magic Liner & Eye Glimmer (05 - Blackened Pink/Pink Magic) with N.Y.C. New York Color Metro Quartet Eyeshadow (819A - Lexington Luxury). On my lips is Avon's Pro to Go Lipstick (J203 Golden Plum).

WEDNESDAY


I was all in black on Wednesday, so I decided to do a nude lip and a very smoky eye




For the eyes I actually paired two already-mentioned items: Milani Retractable  Pencil and N.Y.C. New York Color Metro Quad. Lips are courtesy of Carol's Daughter Candy Paint (Bubbling Brown Sugar). Unfortunately they don't make this lip gloss anymore! I did mix it up a bit this time around by using the Cover Girl Cheekers Blush I purchased during my first makeup haul (130- Iced Cappuccino).

THURSDAY


I was getting used to the routine by now, do I opted to do something a little different. Inspired by Nia Long's beautiful makeup, I did a nude lip (Again... I need some new lip color, y'all LOL) with purple lined eyes.




I lined my eyes with the Midnight Purple liner from the Smashbox Cream Eye Liner Palette I recently purchased.... It wasn't as vibrant as Nia's liner, but I figured with the new hair do, I wouldn't go SOO dramatic... baby steps, ya know? The lips were Cover Girl Outlast  Double Lip Shine (315- Bronze Goddess)

FRIDAY 

I had to come into work early today, and truth be told... it has been a loooooooong week for yours truly. I was contemplating not following through with the makeup, but I made a challenge for myself and I decided to stick with it. I ultimately went full circle and ended the challenge with a look that was simple. I did decide to vamp up the previous day's look - primarily because I was rocking my Janelle Monae inspired 'do (which got rave reviews, by the way) and because I wanted to showcase the earrings I scored from Shecky's Girls Night Out.... which I will preview in this blog, but tomorrow I will blog about the jewelry line in more depth.


For my eyes, I used my first (and only so far) MAC cosmetic purchase, From the Beach Collection, Eye Kohl (Rosemary & Thyme). The lips were the same Cover Girl Outlast Double Lip Shine I wore the day before. Have I mentioned the indisputable fact that I need lip color? LOL

So there you have it... all in all, I didn't venture out of my comfort zone with the makeup as much as I thought I would. Frankly, even though I thought the looks were vastly difference when I was putting them together... the pictures look the same, imho. LOL


 But this was a great experience and I look forward to becoming more familiar with makeup as the month progresses (I think I need to study eye shadows for smaller eyes - they are barely visible with my eyes open!). As always, any feedback and/or suggestions will be greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

:::drools::: Jewelry I'm Jonesin' For!!!

In the past few years, the amount of jewelry I've purchased has seriously declined. I used to average at least one piece a jewelry a month. Which I guess is not a lot in the grand scheme of things (Especially since none of the pieces came in a little blue box!). But I'm definitely slippin', y'all! LOL

Here are a few items that brought a happy smile to my face (as I fought the urge to rip my credit card out!)....



I've been a hoop girl for years. Just recently I've started really liking the idea of wearing simple posted earrings. Although these earrings are hardly simple! The Brightly Colored Rhinestone Posts ($16.00, Urban Outfitters)are vintage-inspired (which I like) and also come in coral.



I am head over heels in love with the Meliah Collar Necklace ($29.90, Alloy) I would pair this with a simple studded earring for instant drama!!!!



Speaking of drama, I've been spotting a lot of women rocking these twisted fabric necklaces lately. I don't know how I would look in them (Personally I suspect I may resemble Mr. T! lol), but at the price, it may be worth stepping out of my comfort zone.... the Black Chiffon Silver Chain Twisted Necklace ($16.00, Torrid)... What do you think?

Incidentally, I did make one purchase at last week's Shecky's Girls Night Out... and it was earrings. I've been waiting to do a "I'm really diggin'" post to showcase the earrings (She has a DOPE Etsy shop), which you can be on the look out for these next few days!!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Music Therapy with Miss Moon

It's hot and muggy in NYC which can make it difficult to not call in sick from work and spend the day at the beach instead. This week's song is one that I am sure will motivate you to get up in the morning and seek out a day that's hot and fun... even at the old 9-to-5!!! N.E.R.D. featuring Nelly Furtado "Hot-N-Fun"... Enjoy!!







Monday, June 21, 2010

"Not So Much" about... Evans UK

A few weeks back I blogged about how excited I was to discover the plus size clothing store Evans in the UK. True to my word, a few days after I wrote the blog I placed my first order, paying via PayPal.

A few days after placing my order, I receive an rather vague email from Evans saying how much they value my purchase and my security and for "security purposes" they are cancelling my order and that they will refund my PayPal account. Needless to say I was puzzled.

As I've mentioned in previous postings, I've worked as a Customer Service Representative for over 15 years, and because of my history, I know that the interactions with the Customer Service Team of a company can guarantee a lifelong customer... or guarantee someone will never place a future order. Sadly, my experience attempting to simply find out why my order was cancelled and the inability to take my request seriously has caused me to boycott the company. Rather than write about it, I will share the email exchange between Evans Customer Service and myself:

From: Miss Moons Musings
Date: 03/06/2010 21:12:04
To: feedback@evans.co.uk

Subject: Evans Order #***********

Dear Sir or Madam:

I recently read about your site on a blog and was very excited about the abundance of fashionable attire offered on your site. I even blogged about the goodies I had planned on buying come payday! (http://missmoonsmusings.blogspot.com/2010/05/drools-plus-size-clothing-from-evans-in.html)

True to my word, I placed an order the following day and was very excited about receiving my order. Imagine my surprise when I receive an email informing me that my order has been canceled due to "security reasons"... reasons that were not clearly specified in the (I am assuming) template form letter. I paid via PayPal, which I'd imagine would be confirmation enough that my order was on the up and up. I guess the main reason I write this is that I am hoping that I could be advised as to what exactly the problem was so that I can avoid this error when making future purchases. Upon review of the order, there are two possible reasons why my order was canceled:

-I misspelled my last name wrong in the billing address: Not my finest hour, but I will own up to the fact.
-I was having my purchase shipped to an alternate address (specifically, my work address). I live in a multi-unit building in NYC, so it is not convenient to have parcels shipped there simply it's not a guarantee that someone will be home to accept delivery. This is why I prefer to have my orders shipped to my employer, as I am here for 9 hours each business day.

So any insight and advise you can provide regarding this purchase will be greatly appreciated. As I said before, I was very excited about ordering from Evans, and I would love to tell my blog followers that there was a happy ending to the story.

Thank you, in advance, for your attention to this matter.

From: Evans Customer Service
To: Miss Moon's Musings
Sent: Sun, Jun 6, 2010 6:15 am
Subject: Re: Evans Order #***********

Dear Mr/Ms Sir/Madam,

Thank you for your email received 3 June 2010. I am sorry you are having difficulties accessing your account. I have reset your password for you. You will receive a separate email soon, please follow the onscreen instructions and you should be able to log back in.

Regards,

Alice
Evans Customer Service

From: Miss Moon's Musings
To: customer.service@evans.co.uk
Sent: Sun, Jun 6, 2010 2:59 pm
Subject: Re: Evans Order #*********

Dear Alice,

I have a feeling you did not read my email at all. I did not mention difficulty accessing my account, as I know my password and can access it with no difficulty.

My inquiry was about Evans Order #*********** - which was cancelled by your company citing "security reasons". All I request is for information as to why my order was cancelled. I'd like to attempt to reorder my items and would be grateful if you'd explain what I did wrong to have my order cancelled. Please refer to my previous email, which I had included below for your perusal.

It's quite frustrating that 3 days after my inquiry I get a response that has absolutely nothing to do with it's content. I am starting to believe that this company does not want my patronage!


Three days passed and I had not received a response, so I figured I would email again, hoping the next representative I received would assist me in getting to the bottom of this matter:

From: Miss Moon's Musings
To: customer.service@evans.co.uk
Sent: Wed, Jun 9, 2010 2:24 pm
Subject: Evans Order #*********

Dear Sir and/or Madam:

Below, please find emails to your customer service department inquiring about my first order with your company, Order #**********. My order was cancelled, citing "security reasons", and I was inquiring how I could prevent future orders with your company from being cancelled.

I responded to Alice's email and have not yet received a response. This is why I am resubmitting my request for more information on why my order was cancelled. I have no difficulty accessing my account and do not require my password being reset.

As I mentioned in my previous email, I wrote quite a bit about placing an order with Evans on my blog and would love to be able to follow up with my readers with the merchandise I purchased, not with this story about how Customer Service is ignoring my request for more information.

Again, please advise what I did wrong so that I will be able to place future orders without incident.

Many Thanks, in advance, for your attention to this email.

Today is June 21, 2010 and I haven't heard a single peep from Evans about my order. I went as far as to post an inquiry on their FaceBook page and it was promptly deleted and ignored. There aren't a great deal of options for fashionable attire for women of size, but I would rather rock something more expensive than to give a single penny of my hard-earned money to Evans, if this is how they treat their customers!!

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Cinema, Cuisine and Cocktail : "Moonstruck"

I've been craving Italiano big-time.... And in thinking about it sooo much, I decided to scour the internet for a delicious Seafood Lasagna recipe (Which is primarily what I've been craving!).

When I found the one that made my tastebuds sing just reading it, I thought I should use it instead for my next installment of Cinema, Cuisine and Cocktail. The only problem.... what movie would I pick? I could've very easily gone "Godfather" on y'all, but truly and honestly, those movies bore the hell out of me! And I always pick movies I would sit and watch while dining on these meals. (No fakin' the funk from me! LOL) I was almost considering scrapping it when my mind went to "My Cousin Vinny" (Yikes!).... Luckily, I thought of Cher and she saved the day!!! It's the perfect movie choice for Miss Moon, don't ya think? LOL



IMDB has the best synopsis of the film:

Loretta Castorini, a Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30s whose husband died several years earlier in a bus accident, decides it's time to get married again. So she accepts the proposal of a nice, middle-aged fellow named Johnny Cammareri. Loretta is convinced her first marriage was cursed because she and her husband had gotten married at City Hall; this time, she's determined to do things right, even as she admits to her mother, Rose, that she's not really in love with Johnny. (To which Rose replies: "Good. When you love them, they drive you crazy, 'cause they know they can." Rose speaks from rueful experience; she suspects, with good reason, that her husband, Cosmo, is cheating on her.) Loretta is convinced that marrying Johnny is the safe and sure thing to do - until she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny, who tends the ovens in a neighborhood bakery. Loretta discovers that in startling contrast to the pleasant, mild-mannered Johnny, Ronny is moody and passionate; what follow are complications worthy of a comic opera.

It's frightening to thing I was ten years old when this movie came out. Now I am approaching my late 30s (Well... mid 30s) and picking out a menu to accompany the film.

Bruschetta

Recipe Courtesy of Divine Dinner Party

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ripe Roma tomatoes
2 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar (balsamic is also nice)
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan shavings
Toasted crusty bread
Instructions: Cut tomatoes in half, squeeze out seeds and excess juice.

Dice, place in bowl. Add onion, garlic, basil, vinegar, salt and pepper (to taste), and olive oil. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.

Brush toasted bread lightly with olive oil. Spoon tomato mixture over bread, sprinkle with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Seafood Lasagna

Recipe Courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 (16 ounce) jars Alfredo-style pasta sauce
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound bay scallops
1 pound imitation crabmeat, chopped
20 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
black pepper
6 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sautee garlic and mushrooms until tender. Pour in 2 jars Alfredo sauce. Stir in shrimp, scallops and crabmeat. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until heated through. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg and pepper.
In a 9x13 inch baking dish, layer noodles, ricotta mixture, Alfredo mixture and shredded cheese. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ensuring that there is shredded cheese for the top. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Cover, and bake 15 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. ripe Roma tomatoes
2 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
2 tsp. red wine vinegar (balsamic is also nice)
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan shavings
Toasted crusty bread
Instructions: Cut tomatoes in half, squeeze out seeds and excess juice.

Dice, place in bowl. Add onion, garlic, basil, vinegar, salt and pepper (to taste), and olive oil. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.

Brush toasted bread lightly with olive oil. Spoon tomato mixture over bread, sprinkle with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Dolce Domani

Recipe Courtesy of The Nibble

Ingredients

½ lime
2½ teaspoons sugar
3 ounces Merlot
Lime spiral to garnish
Preparation

Muddle lime and sugar until all lime juice is extracted.
Add wine. Pour with ice into a shaker and shake vigorously.
Pour into a lowball glass and garnish with a lime spiral.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

A Little [PRINCE] for a Saturday Night

Can you believe Prince turned 52 earlier this month? He gave the world a birthday present on the day (June 7th) by debuting his newest song (rumored to be written about the record heat that gripped Minnesota last month.).







Happy (Belated) Birthday to Prince Rodgers Nelson

What I'm Rockin': Shecky's Girls Night Out NYC

I seriously love fashion blogs. I love when people give us a sneak peek into hot they assemble their looks and show us the finished product.

While I am always quick to post wardrobe ideas and suggestions based on celebrity looks, I've never let you take a peek into what I'm wearing.... until now!

Introducing, another new feature of my blog, simply entitled "What I'm Rockin'" ... Last night I attended Shecky's Girls Night Out at 82 Mercer in Manhattan, and of course I had to look my best for a night out with the girls!!




This is what I'm rockin':



Black Flutter-sleeve Knit Dress ($49.50, Lane Bryant)This dress features soft flutter-sleeves, peasant-style elastic at the neck and an empire waist that provides gentle, flattering gathers.

Circle Disc Earrings ($14.50, Lane Bryant)Western-inspired silvertone disc earrings feature a hammered design and an oxidized finish. Open hooks with clear cylinder backs.



Multi-row Silvertone and Hematite Necklace ($29.50, Lane Bryant)Fashion necklace is highlighted by alternating rows of silvertone and hematite chains accented by smooth and textured discs. Lobster-claw closure with extender.



Women's Plus Cropped Denim Jackets ($29.50, Old Navy) This denim jacket features a cropped silhouette and an '80’s-inspired pointed hem in front... I love this jacket to death and I often pair it with dresses for work.



Black Aunika Boot ($48.98, Torrid) Flat-soled boot has a banded top with hook-loop fastener 0-ring strap. Zipper on outer side, goring the full length of inner side. Rounded toe.

The glasses were a part of my Shecky's Girls Night Out Goodie Bag!!! It was literally crammed with loads of goodies!!!!!