Monday, February 28, 2011
Getting to Know McKenzie Westmore
Quinoa Salad with Pineapple, Broccoli, and Mint
Pineapple quinoa salad with broccoli. Fresh and healthy. |
Spring is beckoning. I can feel it. And my winter-stiff body is aching to stretch and move and shed the yearly inertia that descends like a bear with the shrinking daylight. My brain is flickering awake. My taste buds are tiring of the heavy, creamy comfort foods that sustained me (thank you, lovely spuds, lasagna, and mac and cheese, I love you with all my heart).
I'm craving lighter, cleaner tastes.
Not to mention, missing my warm weather jeans. You know the ones. That stack in the back of the closet you haven't fit into since December, when you began wondering if the laundromat medium heat setting was shrinking your favorite Levi's boot cut. The jeans you have to lay down to zip, doing your best imitation of Jane Fonda's pelvic tilt, sucking in your breath and praying to the zipper gods. Your skinny jeans. You know what I'm talking about. You have two sets of jeans, right? Winter. And summer.
So here's what I'm thinking. Quinoa to the rescue.
Vegan. Versatile. Easy. Fresh. Light. This new quinoa salad with pineapple and broccoli and fresh mint is all of the above. And maybe, just maybe, it'll be the first step to fitting into those skinny jeans.
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Peanut Butter Blossoms . . . one of our favorite cookie recipes
Here's mine. Peanut Butter Blossoms. PB Blossoms are little sugar-dipped peanut butter cookies with a Hershey's Kiss perched perfectly on top.
You've probably eaten them...and you might just have the recipe in your arsenal. If you don't, you need it. These babies get scarfed up by kids and grown-ups alike.
{PS....I have written in my cookbook (do you write in your cookbooks?) that the 1st time I made these was when kiddo was 7. He said these were the "most fun" recipe he's ever helped make.}
Peanut Butter Blossoms
{ever so slightly adapted from The King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion}
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. creamy peanut butter (I use Skippy Natural)
1/3 c. sugar (plus more for rolling)
1/3 c. light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 & 1/2 c. unbleached, all-purpose flour
Hershey's Kisses (7 ounces)
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 375.
Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter until blended. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add in the egg through vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined. Add in the flour in 3 additions. Scrape the bottom and side of bowl as needed.
Place extra granulated sugar on a plate. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the sugar.
Place coated dough balls on the parchment-lined sheets. Bake cookies until the are a very light golden color, about 10 minutes. (Meanwhile, unwrap the kisses.)
Remove the cookies from the oven and it's go time! Immediately place a kiss on top of each hot cookie, pressing down slightly.
Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely.
My favorite part? How the heat from the warm cookie makes the kisses soft and melty. You want one now, don't you? Oh, and here's how I eat them....I eat all around the perimeter of the cookie, saving the Hershey's Kiss with a bit of cookie on the bottom for the *perfect* last bite.
Oscar Red Carpet 2011: cupcakeMAG's Best Dressed!
{Reese Witherspoon}
You can't go wrong with Giorgio Armani Privé mixed with $1 million worth of Neil Lane diamond and emerald jewelry. Her voluminous retro updo made her look like a grown-up Barbie. We LOVE it!
{Sandra Bullock}
The scarlet Vera Wang gown was simply stunning paired with a crimson VBH clutch and Harry Winston earrings & bangle.
{Mila Kunis}
The lavendar lace Elie Saab Haute Couture gown with Neil Lane diamonds topped our faves.
{Jennifer Lawrence}
The newbie to the Oscars shows us that sometimes less is more. She swooned us with her bright red Calvin Klen Collection, elegant Chopard earrings and bangle, Juditch Leiber clutch and Jimmy Choo sandals. Perfection!
{Michelle Williams}
In true vintage style, the white Chanel Haute Couture gown paired with Harry Winston diamon earrings and ring turned heads on the red carpet.
{Anne Hathaway}
We loved this vintage Valentino Haure Couture taffeta gown with a beautiful floral applique train. She tops it off perfectly with a scarlet red lip and Tiffany & Co.
{Cate Blanchett}
Perfectly structured! In an eleabroately beaded Givenchy Haute Couture gown with yellow beaded accents and Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry -- she looks her best. We also love her fresh chic bob!
ANOMALIES OR OXYMORONS?
A GAY REPUBLICAN…A NAZI JEW…A BLACK KLAN MEMBER…A MUSLIM POPE…A SMART TEAHADIST…A COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATIVE
Why do gays vote for the Republican Party? Come to think of it, why do poor people, unemployed people, old people, single parents, minimum-wage workers, and anybody else who's not a fucking millionaire, vote for the GOP? The party of Sally Kern, Sarah Palin, and John "Filibuster" McCain, to name but a few.
The Texas GOP, like that of many other states, actually wants to recriminalize sodomy, among other choice proposals.
Did any Jews vote for Hitler? Did any blacks vote for George Wallace? Given that the river of human stupidity is an ever-flowing stream, I sure wonder.
Sigh. Kinda makes you feel like just giving up on the human race sometimes, ya know what I mean?
Your Head Trucker now believes it will be twenty years before we see equality all across the nation: DADT was repealed, but we have a long way to go yet... DOMA. ENDA enacted, and UAFA, and marriage equality in every state.
Twenty years: remember you heard it from Russ right here. Mark your calendars, and drop me a postcard when 2030 rolls around. If the gay Republican kapos will let you have a postage stamp.
Tell me I'm wrong. Please.
Blog Hop, Blog Candy, and a Birdcage!
Happy Monday everyone! If you are following the Bitten by the Bug2 blog hop you arrived here from Lori's blog - Welcome. If you are one of my regulars popping by please do take a few minutes and visit all of blogs on the BBTB2 blog hop. The Design Team members have created awesome projects to share.
The challenge cut this week is the birdcage or bird house from the Straight from the Nest cartridge. I chose to use this simply lovely birdcage to create a unique wedding card!
Next I cut a gate fold card in soft pink cardstock. I scored the folds with my scrorepal and affixed the birdcage to the left side of the card front. Using the charcoal cardstock and the Picturesque cartridge, I cut for decorative corners for the front of the gate folds.
As you open the left side of the card the tag on the right side is revealed. Using the same charcoal cardstock and a stamped image, I added a Mr. and Mrs. stamp to the middle of the tag.
The inside of the card was embellished with decorative corners which leaves lost of space to write a personalized message.
SUZANNE TUCKER ~ SPRING 2011 COLLECTION
Sepia
Also, to see the portfolio and other information, visit the following sites:
Suzanne Tucker Home
Tucker & Marks
SHOWROOMS:
Atlanta ~ Ainsworth-Noah
Chicago ~ Holland & Sherry
Los Angeles ~ Pacific Design Center
New York ~ Holland & Sherry
San Francisco ~ Shears & Window
Paris ~ Holland & Sherry