Monday, October 31, 2011

Salad Spinner for my Delicates

A salad spinner has been on my kitchen wish list for a few months (years) now. The item has been passed over by more necessary kitchen appliances such as garlic presses and doughnut makers. While the salad spinner is quite cool and I hate soggy salads, I have to be true to myself and admit that I don't particularly care for salad and really love garlic sauces and doughnuts a whole heck of a lot better.
Recently, I came across an invention that has the same properties as the spinner but would be way more useful to me and my life style.

If you read through the instructions you will totally see the connection. This is a salad spinner for laundry. I don't care that it costs 5x as much as the lettuce version. I want one, and I want one now...or for Christmas...but definitely soon...ish

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Did you think I forgot about you? Naay


Last night I killed some time at Forever 21 with a friend prior to heading over to Happy Hour. It has probably been about 10 years since the last time I stepped in a Forever 21, the store has always just rubbed me the wrong way. Between the decor and the clothes that fall apart, I just didn't get it. Now, I (kinda) do.

Everything I browsed through was under $10. Shirts, skirts, and jewelry, you name it! Bras! There, I named something else, they were $6.50.

As I walked around trying my best to stay away from temptation, I then wandered in the accessories section. Most people know I have a soft spot for owls (see Owls are so in!) but in all reality, I love most animal inspired jewelry. When I saw this horse ring, I had to snag it. The ring was only $3.80! How do you say no to that???

For just a brief second, I had buyers remorse. Who needs such a 3-dimensional horse ring? Then I remembered, I do. Even though it is a little on the big side, I am very pleased and opted to incorporate it into my look today.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Offically


Going on hiatus for the summer. Things are just too busy. Hopefully, I can find time to return to HHSS in the fall.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Happy Father's Day


Baskin Robbins Father's Day cake cracks me up. I love that it almost screams beer stein, but to make the cake kid friendly, it becomes root beer float.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

This explains my love of chips


While surfing through the internet I may have found out why I am always craving chips and french onion dip at 11 pm. As it turns out Sleep-Deprived People May Crave High-Calorie Foods and I would wager that this snack is pretty bad for me. Interestingly enough, I have been going to bed around 8:30 or 9 pm the last few nights in an attempt to get over a terrible sinus infection. At no point in time have I walked into my apartment, headed straight for the kitchen for the Heluva Good and Ruffles. Instead I have been going a more healthier route. So strange. In the end, I hope I can return to a lifestyle that consists of 6 hours of sleep and lots of fatty foods.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Commitment Bag

After kickball today, I decided to stop at my favorite store, Hootenanny, to look for some funky accessories for both kickball, and life. After looking at the wall of tights and socks - I chose some black and white striped knee-high tights for weekday kickball - I wandered over to the sales section. That is where I happened upon the best bag ever:

How could I say no to this one. It was only $9.99 and now it is mine. The fabric feels water repellent and I decided it could be my library bag. Between the books and cds that I take out of the local public library, and movies from my college library, I need a designated bag to courier the items back and forth. I couldn't be happier with this splurge.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Best day of the year

What a commitment! I hope my DD has the lemon filled powdered doughnut...yummo

A little history compliments of wikipedia:

National Donut Day is on the first Friday of June each year, succeeding the Donut Day event created by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Go Bruins!


I wish I was dressed this spiffy.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

No Mess Makeup

I try my best to look put together on a regular basis. Every so often I will go the extra mile and throw on some eye shadow, pencil and mascara. Once in a blue moon I will go balls to the walls and even go for the foundation (let's be real, tinted moisturizer), concealer, etc to give my skin a nice even tone. In the past I have shied away from the foundation simply because I hate the mess. I would end up getting it on my fingers, even with using cotton balls or pads.

While flipping through a magazine, I saw Michelle Phan recommended using a stippling brush (or at least I think she recommended it....there were a few beauty articles) to apply foundation. Last weekend, I stopped at the MAC store in the Natick Mall and purchased one.


This morning, I felt refreshed and ready to take on the world, which meant full face of makeup. I was excited to pull the new brush out of my brush holder to see if the coverage would be even and perfect. Well let me tell you, I am in love.

The bristles are different heights which allow the brush to hold onto the foundation (or at least I think they do). You simply blot the product on your face where you want the most coverage and then start smoothing it all over. The sensation you get as the brush moves around your face is just heavenly. I honestly stood there for a minute or two painting away.

I know I splurged by going MAC, so I understand if you wouldn't want to drop the money for the brand. But I would totally encourage a makeup enthusiast to go for the purchase, or if you simply like the feeling of tiny little feathers tickling your face, either way, totally worth it

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Country Kick

Recently Blake Shelton released the video for his single Honey Bee which will be apart of his album that drops on July 12th. I have fallen in love with this song and have probably played it every day for the last week and half. Since I can't find a version of the music video to embed, I am going with his performance of the song at the AMC Awards, please enjoy!



Blake Shelton has intrigued me since I first saw him appear on Chelsea Lately back in March 2010. I am fairly certain that if you watch the interview, you can understand his appeal, I immediately started following his twitter account after the show finished. (@blakeshelton)


Chelsea Lately - Blake Shelton Interview by butterflykisses82

Last night, I downloaded his album Loaded: The Best of Blake Shelton and had it playing all day at work. His voice is just so soothing and fun. In the interim, between now and July 12th, I think I will get the Thompson Square album to deal with my country cravings. My friend sent me the link to their song Are You Going to Kiss Me or Not and I found it rather catchy and pretty awesome. Looks like this might be a country kind of summer!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Gaga for Amazon Prime

Totally woke up to an email with the subject of:

Amazon Student: $0.99 Today Only -- Lady Gaga's New Album


Let's just say that it took of all .000001 seconds for me to click the purchase button. Amazon Prime is my favorite thing in the world, and letting me get the Gaga CD on the release day for less than a dollar is amazing.


I am also digging the Amazon Cloud. Any time you download music, it will get stored on the cloud first, and then you can download it to you computer. Since I have downloaded the Amazon Mp3 app on my Android, I can now jam out to this stuff on my phone! I was able to listen to Born This Way on my commute to work, which was a God send, as it was commencement, which meant that I had to park off campus in a field...a very muddy field. Gaga helped me power through the inconvenience.

UPDATE: Apparently I had gotten a coupon code in recent months and added it to my account, as I just got my "bill" and it shows that I had a discount of .99 making my total due $0!!!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Words to Live by

Since no one sees the tags, who cares where it's from
- Big girl in a skinny world, Marie Clare

This one sentence reminds me that the easiest way to participate in a trend is to go for imitation. As long as the clothes appear nice, who cares what they are necessarily made of or by. After all, most trends only last a season, so why not go for the budget friendly clothing?

Headed home for Memorial Day weekend, thinking I will hit up Kohl's and Marshall's!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Cut-Outs and Greek Key

Now that we are in May we have begun to encroach upon Wedding Season!!!! This year is light for me, just one wedding and bunch of pre-wedding fun (see bacholorette parties, bridal showers, and dress shopping). Even though there is only one main event, I decided I needed a new dress for the occasion.

I popped down to LIT on Newbury and tried on what felt like 25 dresses. As much as I love the store, they are all about the short girls - most frocks barely covered my bum and the long dresses barely covered my ankles.

In the end, I bought a dress by The Addison Story. It is super comfortable but impossible to describe. After scouring the internet, I finally found some pictures. Voila!

The key holes around the neck and down the back are what really sold me on the dress. They are elements that just spark interest. Additionally, I sometimes have redness on my upper arms, so I am extremely grateful for having the coverage without having to have full on sleeves. Can't wait for June to wear this out!!

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Perfect for me

Club Monaco's fall collection has the dress I never knew I always wanted. For the last two summers, I have been on the look out for a whimsical white summer dress. But I never realized how delicate a dress I truly wanted/needed. I now know exactly what I am looking for:

Sadly, I have a feeling this dress will be beyond my price range. And furthermore, most of the classier events that I have in the summers are weddings. As of right now, it is still considered tacky and taboo to show up in white. Can't justify splurging a dress that is limited in functionality. Sigh.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Childhood Favorite Destroyed


A month behind the entertainment news, but that doesn't mean I can't relay my horrors to the masses that make up the internet. I just found out that there is going to be a movie version of "The Lorax". This was my all-time favorite Dr. Suess book and potentially children's story of all time. My love for this story began back in kindergarten when I watched the 1st grade class of my school put on a play based on the 72 page book.

Well now Universal is making this into a movie. Oye. What is with producers turning a short, simple children's story into a 2 hour mess?? (I am purely speculating on time, but I am fairly certain it would be more in line of the Jim Carrey 104 minute Grinch than the lovely simple 26 minute animated version)

And how are the producers further twisting the dagger in my heart? They have casted Taylor Swift as one of the characters (who doesn't exist in the actual story). The only plus is that this movie is animated...ugh.

Fingers crossed the Truffula trees and Brown Bar-ba-loots look as crazy fun and adorably cute as they do in the book.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

I went to there


Major thanks to a dodgeball friend who swiped me a ticket to the most amazing event. Because of her I got to spend close to 3 hours eating bacon and drinking various beers while unwinding from an INTENSE Saturday. (Morning was spent presenting a major school project)

The foods were tasty. I tried as much as I could handle. By far my favorite food was actually a cupcake that had a bacon topping on the frosting. Yuummmmmm.

Fingers crossed I will be working at the Lobster Party again. I almost promise I will take pictures next time. (There is no way I am really promising, as I tend to just stuff my face at these festivals, no time for pulling out a camera!)

Friday, April 29, 2011

Vanity Sizing My Butt


One Size Fits Nobody: Seeking a Steady 4 or a 10 was recently published by the New York Times. The whole article goes on about the ridiculousness that is female clothing sizes. I always find these articles fascinating. While reading the article I thought back to my sizes over the years.

When I was in middle school and shopping at the Weathervane I started with size 7 bottoms. By the time I hit high school I was capping off at 11s. Classmates were stunned, I admit I was rather gangley looking, but thighs do not lie, and they were not getting into anything in single digits by the time I hit 10th grade.

Now let's flash forward into college and the first year out in the real world. Again, I am looking at pants at 8s, 10s, and dresses at 6s. The dresses could be smaller because the top part of me is rather tiny and as long as it didn't have to hug the hips, I can get away with a dress made for a big tween.

Then came the biggest surprise of my life. I decided to splurge on a pair of jeans and go to Lucky. While looking around I asked for an 8 like always. The girl laughed at me and said I needed a 4. I told her hell no, I have never been that small (and mind you I do weigh more than I did in middle school). Low and behold, there was egg on my face because at 23 I was wearing the smallest size I could ever remember. To this day I stay around a 4-6 in pants, and every time I pick up a pair I am convinced that something is off.

I would be much happier wearing a larger numbered (size would technically be the same) garment. I know I have more mass than my middle school self, and would appreciate this reflecting in my clothing. Additionally, I have been too big for my mother's wedding dress since 9th grade. I know there is no way she was a negative number, so really, these sizes need to be realistic.

In the end, I hate vanity sizing. I would love some standard sizing. And if that made me 14 or 20 so be it. I just don't want to feel like I have a prepubescent body.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Good For All weatherI

ICE-T and Coco are getting their own reality show!!!! (Please note for my blog title joke to work, let's pretend her name is Cocoa for just a second)

Honestly, how do you not smile when looking at this picture??

Months ago, I started writing about how they are my new favorite celebrity couple. I have been following them on twitter - @FinalLevel and @cocosworld - for about 8 months or so, and enjoy the majority of their tweets. The best part, is that their dog also has an account and will chime in on what is going on in their lives (@cutespartacus).

This odd little family just makes me smile. ICE appears to be a genuine person, and if you missed it back in May 2010 (I know who remembers what they did a year ago) he had a great segment on NPR.

Anywho, this is going on my list of guilty pleasure tv. Can't wait!!
Link

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Let's not go there

I have to write a one page paper on emerging technology for my class. It is due this week, so of course, I am just looking for a topic. (Things have gotten a bit busy, don't judge my procrastination)

When I searched for "emerging technologies 2011" in google I came across gizmag.com. As I scrolled through, I found a really entertaining new product, the Supple. The product reminds me of the chairs used on the spacestation in Wall*E

The major difference being that these chairs don't float. Lame. Let's hope these don't catch on, like the Segway failed to do. People need to walk or else we will fulfill Pixar's prediction.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Burlesque! Steampunk! Awesome!

A few weeks ago, there was Groupon or Living Social Deal for the Burlesque Expo in Boston. For $10 you got general admission which gives you access to the displays and drop-in classes on April 23rd and 24th. In true form, I managed to commit to a job that made it so the only time I could attend was Easter afternoon. Easter brunch was so tasty and coma-inducing, that I almost skipped the whole thing, except that a friend of mine texted me asking when we were heading out as we bought the deal together.

I can tell you I am so happy I didn't take that nap. If I had, I would not be the proud owner of a owl themed clock necklace.

























This purchase makes me so happy. The metal looks like an antiqued brass color and hangs right at the smallest part of my waste, since I don't have a ruler, I would guess that the chain is about 24 inches. I can't wait to wear it to work, as sometimes my tacky green watch just doesn't go with my outfits and I am addicted to knowing the time.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Bathroom Chic

One would think that being a single girl living in a one bedroom apartment, I would have enough room for all of my stuff. Well that is just not the case. Last weekend I got down and dirty and really cleaned my apartment trying once again, to get my life organized. Part of the weekend was devoted to driving over to Target/Christmas Tree Shoppe/Michael's for frames and miscellaneous organizational items.

Occasionally I dabble in make-up, but I don't always remember to wash my make-up brushes. Honestly, I think I have really deep cleaned them once...in about 2 years...yeah...

Part of my problem is leaving them out to dry, I don't want to put them back in their pouch damp because that could cause mildew or something gross. While walking through Michael's I came up with a perfect solution! For about $5 I was able to purchase two small vases and blue marble stones. Now after I apply eye shadows and what not, I can quickly spray the brushes with cleaner and leave them standing upside-down to dry.


I think it looks rather cute. They have been living in these little vases for just over a week, and I couldn't be happier!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Floating Rainbows

One of the perks for working for a Catholic based institution is that you get Good Friday off. I used a good portion of the day to work on various school projects which of course means that I have crime tv marathons playing in the background. During one of the commercial breaks I saw the following ad for Crayola's new colored bubbles.



Ummm...how fun is this? I don't like that the bubbles leave stains on whatever they pop on, but at least the company is letting me know this. I went to the Crayola website and they recommend customers wear their play clothes when using the product, and explicitly say that these are a good idea for weddings. Glad they covered their bums with that, otherwise in a few months, there would be a good number of angry brides who disregarded the general message that these bubbles are made of washable dyes.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Oh YAY! for oh joy!


Stumbled on a new blog full of pretty things. It is called "oh joy!" and like all pretty thing blogs each entry is a collection of objects that may or may not relate to each other, but are visually pleasing when arranged together. One of the entries gave me a preview to Kate Spade's fall line. I can't wait to get my hands on my own Owl Bag. Ok, you're right, it looks more like the bomb bird from Angry Birds. Either way, I still want one.

Overwhelming my muggle eyes

From Me To You is a website with some of the most memorizing photos. I can't embed them into my blog so you see a few samples because there is movement involved!

Every photo has a part that moves such as hair in the wind, pouring batter, or flickering lamp. This is just so much fun. Photoshop can enhance a photo to perfection, getting rid of freckles, imperfections, change the hues, etc but this just brings the pictures to life!

I wish I could figure out how to do this, but I only know the basics of Photoshop and Final Cut Pro.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Bacon Roses!

I know, I know. Enough with the bacon!! Where are the pictures of pretty things, like clothes and shoes and tutus. Well, I promise to make a better effort to post about that, but there has just been so much great bacon related news and products.

Earlier this week I retweeted the following:

RT @ This bouquet is just for you, @.

I got really excited. In general, I am not that into roses, I wouldn't say no to 12 long stems if a suitor was trying to woo me over, but they aren't my favorite by a long shot. Just throwing it out there universe, I love orange wild flowers. Thanks

No sooner did I retweet Ross Matthews, did my aunt send me an email with the subject of "I know you are a bacon fan..." The body was simply a link to Bacon Roses

Yes, I now know how to make my own set of bacon roses. These will be made for some future brunch, I promise you. I just need to find my electric drill...

Monday, April 18, 2011

Judy Greer Fan Club

I first fell in love with Judy Greer's comedic timing when she played Kitty Sanchez on Arrested Development. The scene when GOB tries to take one for the team by seducing her in the closet has to be one of the most amazing moments of the show.

After AD ended, I finally got around to seeing 13 going on 30 on DVD. I have a soft spot for bad chick flicks, and well, how do you hate on a movie that is based on magic glitter? As much as I thoroughly enjoy the film, Judy's character was not appealing at all. I know, I know, she is the bad guy. But she just lacked the right amount sass. I'll let it pass.

Now we have Judy in recurring roles on two very different shows. The first being Archer, where she voices Cheryl (aka Carol, Cristal, etc) an sassy, yet stupid, secretary to the title character. Just a few weeks ago, we learn she is from an extremely wealthy family, and works because she feels like it, she just doesn't feel like working that hard. Archer has slowly become one of my favorite shows and her comments, such as "Will someone tell me what cancer is already?" just make me crack up. I cannot wait to see what happens to her character now that her background has been revealed.

In addition to voicing an animated secretary, Judy is one of four main characters in Mad Love. Her lines are consistently delivered perfectly. I guess I really enjoy a female character who is slightly monotone, cynical and really snarky.

In the end, Judy can do no wrong right now. If I ran into her on the streets of Boston, I don't know why she would be here - just go with it, I would totally feel the need to ask her to hang out and get a drink. I'm sure she would say yes, who says no to a cocktail?

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Tiny Giraffe!


I love the commercial with of that guy who is super rich and has a mini giraffe walking on a treadmill in the background, you know the commercial, right?

If you weren't sure by my vague description it is this one:



But more importantly, there is an amazing new website that lets you watch a petite giraffe hang out. During the day I have only gotten a glimpse of him wandering past the door, I assume there video gets more interesting at night when he comes in for bed. But who knows, I don't have this site bookmarked at home.

Now I am really torn, do I go for the mini pig or a petite giraffe??? Decisions, decisions....

Can't disagree


Randomly came across the website Hangover Sucks which sells some sort of lozenge for hangovers. The product comes in Ginger, Lime, and Raspberry. Ginger does help soothe a upset stomach - think Gingerale - but I don't know if the bite of the other two flavors would be particularly welcoming for the slightly queasy.

I have never tried hangover cures. Part of this is simply because my hangovers tend to consist of a headache, which is cured by a series of painkillers. But who knows, maybe this stuff actually works. If I were to try something like this, I feel that Nurse Noni has won me over, simply with the name of the product...

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Friday, March 18, 2011

It pays off to think ahead

Halloween is months away, but I have already begun thinking about my next costume. Well, I should say other people have begun giving me suggestions. The more complicated the costume, the more time it takes to pull together without breaking the bank. At this point in time, I have been given two suggestions.

1. Poison Ivy from Batman & Robin

Who cares that this movie came out in 1997. I have wanted to do this for Halloween for years, but end up forgetting about it until it is too late to pull something together.

The downside of the outfit would be that I would have to be pantsless, but hey, I did that last year with Lady Gaga.

2. Stefon from SNL

Cross dressing for a Halloween costume can be difficult - especially with my long hair - but it can be worth it. My friends pointed out that I move like Stefon when I talk which would mean embodying the character would take no effort. It really is about finding the right t-shirt, and human suitcase.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Britney Spears with a side of Bacon

A few weeks ago I bought a new alarm clock that allows for me to wake up to my iPod. My previous alarm clock had a cd option that broke about 2 years ago and the radio didn't work, so I have be subject to BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP. Not my favorite way to wake up.

At this time, I have a 75 song pop song list (thanks iTunes Genius) that plays every morning, picking up where ever it left off the previous day. Thus, I have anyone from Britney to Ke$ha to Justin to Lady Gaga saying good morning.

Well like all technology, I have already found a superior alarm clock that I must get - the Wake 'n Bacon. The construction of this clock reminds me of something I would have made in wood shop back in middle school, but sometimes simple is best. After all, the iPod is a very simple looking device and we all fawn over it. So here I have a big wooden box with ears and a pig nose, just seems like a large novelty clock until you realize it wakes you up by cooking bacon!

All you have to do is put in a piece of frozen bacon when you are getting ready for bed and the timer is set to start cooking 10 minutes before you want to wake up. You are then gentley woken up with the smell and sizzle of bacon. Yum. Now I would still need some sort of noise, because I don't know if the smell of bacon alone could wake me up every day. But I would definitely pop out of bed faster if I had Beyonce AND Bacon.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Where Am I?

I am slightly behind the times. This past weekend my traveling companions and I joined foursquare for the first time. The unnecessary competition is just too much fun to pass up. No matter how may times I read about Foursquare or heard about it, I just couldn't understand why you would want people to know where you were. But now, I get it.

First off, you don't have to share every time you check in. But if you do share 10 times in one day you earn a badge - and who doesn't want badges??? I was never a Girl Scout (which is fine, I didn't want to be one) so I never had the chance to earn pieces of felt to signify random craft and nature projects. Now I can happily receive a circle for visiting places I already go.

Besides the badges, you can get discount and free cookies by checking in! This girl loves a deal, and I cannot wait to find discounts and free stuff while I wander around town.

Please join and friend me, right now I only have 3 friends so the meaningless competition of scoring the most points is fairly limited. I would prefer a bigger fight!

Monday, March 14, 2011

My Booooooooof

This weekend I went to NYC with a few friends. As we are huge fans of Cornwall's here in Boston, we decided to find a bar that offered patrons the possibility of playing board games. Through the powers that be, aka Yelp!, we found ourselves at the 675 Bar between 13th ad 14th street in the Meatpacking District.

The bar is underground and used to be home to a sex club. As soon as you descend into the venue, it becomes obvious that there were many dirty secrets kept down there. The walls are rough stone, and there are small rooms that branch off the entry way. Currently, these spaces have small tables for private game playing. Sadly, we did not arrive early enough to score a private room. Our patience won out and eventually were able to score a portion of a couch, a chair, a stool, the end of a coffee table, and most importantly - Jenga.


If you have never played Jenga in the dark - in a club - while drinking, well then, you have not yet played Jenga. Our games were intense and to the point where the structure was just one block on top another over and over again.

We continued to play on as the bar got more and more crowded, and eventually gave into the pop music and got our dance on. This place was just so much fun, and even though there are more bars that I can think of out there, I want to return to this one the next time I am there!

Owls are so in

I visited Brooklyn Flea this weekend with my friends. During the winter, the flea market held indoors. The space is an old bank, which become apparent as soon as you begin your walk.


All four of us came away with a few treasures. I personally purchased a graffiti painting that featured Audrey Hepburn and an owl necklace. Owls are my favorite right now and I have been on the hunt for a piece that features them. This flea market provided me ample opportunity to fulfill my need on the cheap. After wandering through the first floor, I found my owl!


He moves around and came with a nice long chain. While normally I keep my distance from gold colored jewelry, this guy spoke to me. I opted to wear him immediately, and am currently sporting him at work.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Bacon Risotto

If we are friends in real life, or were at some point and are still friends on facebook, you may recall that I recently posted the picture above. I decided I wanted to go beyond my comfort zone and cook things that real people would want to eat. (I have learned that eating a can of baked beans for dinner is a bit odd)

Bacon Risotto sounded like a good place to start. I already knew how to make risotto the lazy way (with Uncle Ben's Rice instead of Arborio), but never added anything extras - just simple risotto. So I went online and realized that most people just throw in the extras at the end, well I can do that too, gosh darn it! Out of fear that the bacon flavor wouldn't be strong enough, I opted to incorporate the grease. Additionally, to make veggie health people happy I added in some fresh tomatoes too!

I wanted to share the recipe with the world, I don't really know if the measurements are absolutely correct, since I don't measure much (accept the rice) so, I would suggest you use this as guidelines. When it comes to the wine, feel free to have fun with it - I honestly probably use at least 1/3 of a cup if not more.

Bacon Riscotto

Ingredients
  • 1/2 pound bacon, diced (totally used breakfast bacon chopped up)
  • 5 cups of chicken stock (you may use more or less - just be mindful)
  • 3/4 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
  • 4 tablespoons butter (may use more like 6)
  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
  • White wine - preerably Riesling
  • S&P
  • 2 mid-sized tomatoes (fresh)
Directions
  1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet (skillet should have high sides) over medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon and reserve some grease (yum)
  2. Bring chicken stock to boil in a saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to low to keep the stock hot
  3. Heat 2-4 tablespoons of butter in the same bacon pan over medium -high heat. I recommend leaving some grease in the pan for flavor.
  4. Add onion and garlic; cook and stirl until the onion begins to turn clear, about 2 minutes
  5. Pour in the rice and stir until the rice is coated in butter and the rice starts to toast
  6. Bring on the wine! Splash some into the pan, listen for the sizzle. Make sure to cover the rice thoroughly. Once the wine reduces, reduce the heat.
  7. Start stirring in the chicken stock (I ladle it in to help keep the mess under control) - I would advise putting in 1/4 - 1/3 of the broth in at a time. As the broth gets absorbed, add more until tender, yet slightly firm. Roughly 15-20 minutes.
  8. Remove the risotto from the heat and add the remaining butter, Parmesan cheese, and the bacon.
  9. Chop up tomatoes (best to squeeze out the seeds first) and throw them into the mix too.
  10. Season with salt and pepper.
  11. Dig in!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Leisure Reading C/O the Library

Finding time for leisure reading is not particularly easy. Between school, work, and life, I just don't have an hour the day that I am willing to give up to chill with a novel. When I wind down, I would prefer some trashy vampire filled teen dramas than a bunch of words on paper that create a plot that requires concentration to follow.

When winter break came around, I decided to start using the library to procure new reading materials for free. After all, why would I want to read the books that I paid for months/years ago that sit on my shelf, ripe for the picking?? I figure now is as good as a time as any to provide you with simple reviews.

One Day took me all of one day to read. The story follows a couple through their lives together and apart, but all events occur on the same date, July 15th. I found their relationship intricate and was constantly wondering how things would turn out. After about the first 50 pages, I did the unthinkable.

I read the last page of the book! I never do this. I was also forever convinced the ending was going to be terrible as I did not know the context of those sentences and concluded the worst. Don't worry, I will not comment one way or the other how this wonderful love story ends, but like any book/movie that I deem amazing, I was left breathless. (and a bit damp with tears)




Room was my next pick. I read numerous reviews praising the story and style. Sadly, about half way through, I realized this book was not for me, but I wanted to see it to the end. There is nothing I hate more than not knowing the ending. On my book shelves there are books that took multiple attempts before I got to the end, but I have always found that I was just not in the right place for that particular story. (My eye is on you, Life of Pi)

This story is told from the voice of the five year old boy in the story. I enjoyed seeing life through a child's eyes. Every object had a name, even if the name was generic, the lamp was named Lamp. The child and his mother are kept in a room, she was kidnapped and we subsequently find out he was born in this very space. The room is all the boy knows and understands. I think the main reason this book did not sit well for me is that I was simply not in a space that could handle a book that revolves around kidnapped people. Honestly, there will probably never be a point where this kind of story would go over well for me, right now, I couldn't even praise the writing style without feeling guilty and morally corrupt.



If you are a science nerd, and love of the cuff personal observations and comments (see, this blog), then this book is for you! I took the book out during a very stressful point of the current semester. Renewed the book twice, and then decided to keep it and accrue fines until I finished, which I did last night. The Minuteman Library system is currently ready and awaiting my 60 cents in fines.

This book was worth those six dimes. It covers all aspects of the space experience including the physics of moving in space, the use of chimps in NASA's early days, space food, and even space sex. Mary Roach has a way with words, and footnotes. I would be interested in reading her other novels, I have a feeling she could make any topic enjoyable.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Excited for a White Summer

I am not the most graceful or delicate woman out there. Every summer I day dream of owning a white summer dress and wearing it out in public without immediately tripping/falling into dirt or eating/dropping food in my lap. While I am not the most klutzy person in the world, I do tend to have problems with white.

Well, H&M is coming out with the Conscious Collection which, as luck would have it, features white spring/summer fashion. Basically this is awesome because I can now get a white dress for cheap but still look hip and happening.

Normally I am not one for full sleeves, winter or summer, but this dress is calling my name. In fact it is yelling it from across town. Dare I say, it is a little on the short side, but I feel those lacy sleeves balance the garment out nicely. I could envision myself wearing this dress, but I can't quite figure out where I am going. At the moment, I just see myself walking down the street. (but not in those shoes, I am really over that style in a major way)

The other dress that caught my eye is this one. I find that volume around my stick-frame usually ends up looking pretty great. I am a bit worried that the flow begins right at the boob line, as without any assistance with defining that curve, my bust goes buh-bye. Additionally, an A-line that starts that high has high odds that the shape of the dress will make my legs look like that they start up at the armpits. This dress is definitely the runner up, and again, not loving the shoes...