Wine List

I think I'm going to start posting what new wines I've tried lately.  Today I took my last final of the semester and decided to celebrate with myself so I cracked open a bottle of Arbor Mist Blackberry wine.  I must admit that I wasn't expecting much because it was pretty cheap, but I have to say that it is quite tasty.  Now some of you may look at me like I'm not a true wine enthusiast because I'm drinking this cheapie wine, but hey I like what I like.  Personally I prefer a good kosher or fruit wine because to me it has more flavor.  I've tried the Moscatos and Chardonnays, but nothing beats a cold glass of kosher peach wine on a hot summer night... Well I went on a mini haul for liquor for this week since I will be doing nothing but packing my things and anticipating my Alaskan Cruise.

• Arbor Mist Blackberry
• St. James Winery Rasberry
• Mogen David Pomegranate

Not to mention a few other goodies I bought a while ago, but never got a chance to try because I've been incredibly sober these last few months (trying to be a good student).  If you have any wines in mind that you think I may enjoy comment below, I'm open to trying just about anything.

Whats on the Menu?

Option 3
1-2-3-4 Lemon Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Grated zest of 2 lemons
• 3 cups Lemon Curd
• Sweetened Whipped Cream
• 12 ounces assorted fresh berries
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange two racks in center of oven. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Dust bottoms and sides of pans with flour; tap out any excess.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on medium speed until lightened, 3 to 4 minutes; scrape down sides once or twice. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating after each addition until batter is no longer slick, about 5 minutes; stop once or twice to scrape down sides.
4. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk, a little of each at a time, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat in vanilla and lemon zest.
5. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake 25 minutes, then rotate the pans in the oven for even browning. Continue baking until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 10 to 20 minutes more. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool, 15 minutes. Turn out cakes; set on racks, tops up, until completely cool.
6. Remove the parchment from bottom of each cake. Using a serrated knife, slice each layer in half horizontally. Set aside the prettiest domed layer for the top of cake. Place another domed layer, dome-side down, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup lemon curd over surface to within 1/2 inch from edges. Place second cake layer over the first, and spread another 1 cup curd over top. Repeat with third cake layer and remaining cup curd. Transfer partially assembled cake to the refrigerator.
7. Just before serving, place reserved dome on top of cake. Spoon sweetened whipped cream over the top. Sprinkle with mixed berries, and dust with confectioners' sugar through a fine sieve.

What's on the Menu?

Dessert option 2
Mango Napoleons with Caramel
Description according to Martha Stewart: Mango and lime bring a vibrant tropical vibe to these layers of luscious caramel, billowing mint-infused cream, and gently spiced phyllo. Although the dessert lacks neither allure nor indulgence, its lightness is a welcome respite from the more excessive offerings of the holiday season.

Ingredients

• FOR THE MANGO CARAMEL

  • 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light-brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
  • 2 large mangoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

• FOR THE MANGO FILLING

  • 2 large mangoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
  • 8 fresh mint leaves, julienned, plus sprigs for garnish

• FOR THE MINT CREAM

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• FOR THE SPICED PHYLLO

  • 2 ounces (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting
  • 6 sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen

Directions

1. Make the spiced phyllo: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter with cinnamon and ginger in a small saucepan. Cut 2 pieces of parchment to fit a rimmed baking sheet. Brush 1 piece of parchment with spiced butter, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar. Place 1 phyllo sheet on top, and gently brush with spiced butter. Top with another phyllo sheet. Repeat, buttering and layering remaining sheets. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon confectioners' sugar on top. Using a paring knife, trim edges of phyllo to fit parchment, then cut into about 24 2-by-3 1/2-inch rectangles (don't cut through parchment).
2. Transfer parchment and phyllo to an upside-down rimmed baking sheet. Brush remaining sheet of parchment with spiced butter, and place on phyllo, buttered side down. Place another baking sheet, right side up, on top of phyllo. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer phyllo to a wire rack, and let cool. Phyllo will keep, covered, for up to 3 days.
3. Make the mint cream: Bring cream and mint to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Prepare an ice-water bath. Strain cream into a bowl, discard mint, and stir in vanilla. Cover, and place bowl in ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
4. Make the mango filling: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
5. Make the mango caramel: Prepare another ice-water bath. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sugars, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugars begin to dissolve. Add lime juice, and cook, stirring often, until sugars dissolve and sauce thickens slightly. Stir in mangoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until mangoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Place bowl in ice-water bath, and let cool, stirring occasionally.
6. Place 2 tablespoons mango caramel in a medium bowl. Add mint cream, and whisk until soft peaks form.
7. To assemble: Place 1 phyllo rectangle on a plate, and spoon mango caramel over top. Top with mango filling. Using an offset spatula, spread 1 tablespoon whipped cream on top. Top with a second piece of phyllo, then caramel, filling, and cream. Dust a third piece of phyllo with confectioners sugar, then place on top. Repeat with remaining phyllo, caramel, filling, and cream. Garnish with mint sprigs, and serve.

Mango Tip: To cut a mango with minimal mess, first select a ripe fruit that is firm yet yields to gentle pressure. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin. Stand the mango upright, and cut downward along the two flat sides of the pit. Then chop or slice each half to the desired size.

What's on the Menu?

I have a few friends that are graduating next week and I wanted to host a get together so that we can all spend time before everyone goes there separate ways.  So I want to get a good menu together.  I'm talking appetizers, entree, and desert. So I'm going to post a few options for each.  First up desserts!
Grand Raspberry Trifle

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup seedless raspberry jam
• 4 cups raspberries
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 pounds favorite pound cake

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, and lemon juice to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool.
2. In a small bowl, combine jam with 3 cups raspberries, mashing slightly. In a large bowl, whip cream and 2 tablespoons sugar to stiff peaks.
3. Slice pound cake 3/4 inch thick; brush both sides of slices with lemon syrup.
4. Fit 1/3 of slices snugly in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or other glass bowl, trimming edges if necessary. Gently spread top of layer with 1/3 of raspberry mixture, and then 1/3 of whipped cream. Repeat to make two more layers; garnish with remaining cup raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.

We Got a Thing For You Too Chester French!

Black Girls- Chester French.  I have been rocking out to this song since its release last week.  Can't help but love a song about interracial love, especially when it's a white boy proclaiming his love for black girls.  I know there's bound to be controversy over this song with the public because people are always looking for the negative in things.  I for one LOVE this song!  We all have our preferences, but what black girl can deny ever liking a cute white boy? I can't.  So for that I applaud you Chester French (it's a group) and look forward to your upcoming album. 

Warning:  This video is meant for mature audiences only due to it's overtly sexual content and all around raunchiness lol.

Alaska Bound...

It's official... I got my passport!  Now you all my judge me, but I wasn't sure that I would need a passport to go to Alaska since it's a state, but apparently to go on an Alaskan cruise I need one because we go through Canada.  I'm pretty excited about going because I haven't been on any type of vacation in years (downside to constantly being in classes).  I was invited to tag along with my friend Lucy and her mom and her mom's friend. Since we're set to sail in two weeks I've been trying to as much research as I can.  First we'll be flying to Seattle where we'll stay for a couple days before boarding.  Now my initial thought was to go to the Black Keys concert while we were up there, but we'll be arriving a day late so that's a no go.  Instead I looked up which restaurants were featured on the show Diners, Drive-in, and Dives with host Guy Fieri, these are the restaurants that showed up: Bizzarro Italian Cafe, Georgia's Greek, Mike's Chili Parlor, Pam's Trinidadian Caribbean Kitchen, Slim's Last Chance, and Voula's Offshore Cafe.  I figured since we don't have any set plans for the city, and we have to eat that this would be a fun little thing to try out.  As far as being on the cruise itself there are many things we can do on the ship as well as little exploration trips off the ship.  One thing that stood out to me was going gold mining (idk how much gold is left, but I keep what I find).  Now since it will be in Alaska/Canada I assume it will be colder than a Caribbean cruise so I'll still have to dress warm, but I've been working out really hard trying to get into the best shape I can so I will still be dawning a swimsuit (one piece, not a bikini because I'm not there yet). I plan to update this blog with tons of pics of the trip as well as prices and other facts in case any of you want to take an Alaskan cruise in the future.

Two weeks until Bon Voyage!

90 Day Rule for the birds?

At this point I'm sure that everyone knows about Steve Harvey's book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. For those of you who don't, it's a basic breakdown of the male POV on relationships and women.  I bought this book as soon as it came out, because like most women I considered myself clueless on how to interpret men's words and actions.  I was only like 20 at the time and whenever I needed advice on men I would run to my best male friend or my girlfriends, all of which were around the same age.  Through trial and error it became clear to me that none of us knew anything, and my male friend would tell me one thing about men, then contradict it with his actions.  Needless to say I was confused.  Any-who, a major topic of discussion was about sex.  Questions like: when is it ok to have it? does sex= a relationship? and how many people can one sleep with before being considered a hoe?  Lots of questions, with lots of responses, but none of them were quality answers.  In Harvey's book, he mentions the 90 day rule.  Basically, a woman should make a man wait 3 months before having sex with him.    He compares it being on a probationary period at a new job, where you aren't given full benefits until the 90 period is up.  In theory this makes sense.  Of course in our overtly sexual society 90 days can seem like 90 years, especially when compared to everything else that can be accessed instantly.  So the question is, Is 90 days too long or too short of a time to wait to have sex with someone?  The answer varies for different people.  I feel that it makes a decent guideline for people to go by, but it's important not to get caught up in the number of days, but instead focus on the quality of the days.  This time should be spent getting to know a person on a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual level.  That means actually having conversations and spending time with one another.  Too often people are willing to settle on the shallow facts of a person, like are they in college, do they have a job, do they have kids, height, eye color, blah, blah, blah... When someone asks you about the person you're dating you should be able to tell them what type of person they are, not just what car they drive and how much money they have in the bank.  Now this process can vary in time depending on the couples' efficiency level.  Some questions like what are your long-term and short-term goals? can be answered on the first date.  The 90 day rule doesn't encourage you to sit around for 3 months doing nothing just to have sex as soon as the time is up and still not know what type of person you're dealing with.  The purpose would have been lost.  In the end, you can either take the rule or leave it, but if you are looking to start a relationship you have to at least know what type of person you are dealing with before you take such a big step ie. sex.  Also you have to remember that some people just ain't shit... it's a fact of life. #kanyeshrug

What's on the menu?

Spinach Quiche!

I am currently in the process of preparing to move out of my apartment at school, so I am attempting to empty out my refridigerator.  I'm almost done and now I'm left with some frozen veggies, drumsticks, fresh spinach, eggs, and a pie crust.  So naturally I figured I'd make a quiche to get rid of some of the more random items like the eggs and pie crust.  I found a good recipe online, but the amount of calories in it was not appealing (600+ per serving) so I decided to tweek it a bit for my taste and for what I actually had in my fridge because I am not making a trip to the store for anything I'm missing.  So here it goes...

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
• 1 (6 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

So this is the original recipe for those of you wanting to know where I got started.  For my recipe I am replacing the 1/2 cup of butter with a couple tablespoons of safflower oil, I'm using fresh spinach, no mushrooms, adding bell pepper, no feta cheese and only about 3-4 ounces of cheese.  With these changes I estimate the calorie count to be cut in half, because who really needs to cook with 1/2cup of butter? (Besides Paula Deen)  There are sure to be more impromptu meals to come since i have little over a week before I leave.  Stay tuned for more!

Also if you have any recipes that you've tried and loved, or if there are any recipe requests feel free to leave a comment.
Love you!

Protective Style Challenge

I recently cut about 3in off my hair because the ends had become so limp and damaged that I couldn't style my hair properly.  Since then I decided I need to take a different approach in the way I take care of my hair.  My ultimate goal is grow my hair to belly-button length, and I give myself roughly 3 years to get there.  I'm just above shoulder length right now so I have about 20-24 inches to go.  I want to incorporate more protective styles into my hair regimen, so I decided to challenge myself.  The goal is to keep my hair in some sort of protective style for 80-90% of the 3 years I'm growing my hair out.  I also want to pay close attention to the nutrients I put into my body to help aid in my overall health and hair growth.  As far as products I will use on my hair, I will keep it very simple ie. water, shea butter, coconut oil, and varies natural products to assist in what ever the style calls for that day.  By taking these steps I should be able to not only promote a faster rate of hair growth, but also retain the length I do gain.

The Overall Challenge:

• Protective Hairstyles +80% of the time
• natural products
• drink more water
• eat healthier foods
• take growth promotion vitamins
• Regular workouts

If I can do this for the rest of the year I strongly believe it will revamp my hair regime.  I'll admit though that I am a product junkie, but if I can keep my shopping to workout clothes I should be okay.  If you want to join in or have any tips feel free to comment.  I'm definitely open to discussion.
(Day 3)

Do I Ever Cross Your Mind???

Do you ever find yourself reminiscing over a past flame and asking "what if"?  Well it seems that my friends and I had this in common over the last few days.  It seems that we have all been thinking back on our dating past/present and thinking about the people that have influenced us.  After catching myself deep in thought over a particular individual a shocking thought appeared in my mind... Does he ever think about me?  It's a fair question, a lot of times we can focus so much of our attention on someone else and the think very little about whether they are worried about us.  Perhaps we don't like to think about it because we will be faced with the fact that maybe they don't think about us at all.  It can be depressing when you think that no one is out there thinking about you as much as you think about them.  You could have spent many restless nights wondering what the outcome would've been if you would've asked the person out, told them how you felt, or just done something different.  The fact is that we can become overwhelmed with the 'what if'.  If given the chance I can guarantee that everyone would've done something different.  We must all remember that we did what we thought was best at the time and we have to live with our decisions.  Everyone can look like a genius when staring at things in hindsight, but in order to live your life to its fullest potential you can not spend too much time in the past.  Besides, even if the person you are thinking about isn't thinking of you, it doesn't mean that someone else special isn't.

What's on the Menu...

That's right! I'm thinking Chinese tonight for dinner, specifically chicken fried rice.  I thank goodness everyday that I invested in my industrial sized rice cooker.  There are so many rice recipes available and I've decided to start utilizing them.  Here's the start.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into thin strips
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4 cups cold, cooked rice
• 6 green (spring) onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish, optional
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

Beat eggs with a whisk in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat very little oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat and make an omelette using half the beaten eggs. Turn out onto a plate to cool (do not fold omelette). Repeat process with remaining beaten eggs. Place 1 omelette on top of the other, fold and coarsely chop. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, toss chicken strips with the sesame oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over high heat in large frying pan or wok and stir-fry the prepared chicken strips until lightly golden, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until onion has softened. Add 2 tablespoons more vegetable oil and when hot, stir in the cooked rice and green onions, tossing and mixing thoroughly until very hot. Sprinkle with soy sauce and mix evenly. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cooked egg. If desired, garnish with additional slicedgreen onions.

Friday Night: My Nights!

I know that I'm not alone when I say that every now and then you just need a day to yourself.  For me, this is every Friday.  Some of you might ask, Why Friday? Well, Friday is the end of my crazy stressful week, all of my favorite shows come on, and I usually have the day to spend to myself.  On this day you can usually find me at home in my comfy pjs (I put them on as soon as I get in the house), making a fabulous dinner, giving my hair and skin some serious TLC, and having a nice glass of wine.  I must say that it is by far my favorite day of the week because it's the only day I get to focus on me.  Every other day of the week I'm having to meet deadlines, deal with other people's issues, and basically run on auto-pilot, but not on Friday.  It took some time for the people in my life to get used to the fact that I don't like to be bothered on this day, and since I've moved down here I'm having to teach the new people I know that they are NOT to call me on that day.  In the last few weeks I haven't been able to have my day to myself, and it has taken a toll.  Now, with school nearing finals week I'll have even less time to myself.  Nonetheless I am determined to regain my Fridays, even if it means turning my phone off completely so that I don't get disturbed.  My advice to everyone would be to always take time out for yourself, it works wonders, even if it's only one hour out of the day.  Here are some great things you can do that will relieve stress and just in general make you feel better:

• Take a bath (not just another shower)- use bath salts, bubble bath, or flower petals to give it that extra flair of luxury
• Give yourself a facial- there are a ton of homemade recipes you can use with the stuff already in your fridge
• BODY SCRUBS- Love them! especially the brown sugar one I make in my line of skincare products.
• Watch a movie- like that chick flick you won't watch in front of friends because you'll cry, or just a feel good comedy you can literally LOL at without feeling embarrassed. 
• Cook Dinner- take time to pick an amazing recipe, get quality ingredients from the store, and make a lot of it and don't be afraid to indulge
• Go to bed early and wake up late
• arts and crafts
• workout
• stare in the mirror and say 5 positive things about yourself
• put on sexy lingerie and walk around in 5in stilettos

No matter what you choose you can't go wrong.  So go ahead... Indulge... You'll feel better.

Craving...

I've been thinking about food a lot! and not necessarily in a fat ass way lol.  I've just been interested in restaurant style foods.  You know, the kind that we would have to set aside a whole day in order to make such as pan seared scallops and couscous.  I don't know about you, but when I get home from a long day's work the last thing i want to do is dirty up my entire kitchen to make some elaborate meal that only me, myself, and I will eat.  Whenever I do make a grand meal i like to either invite a bunch of friends over for a dinner party, or it's during my Friday Ritual.  Perhaps we all should cook more... it'd probably save us all $, but honestly who really has the time.  I suppose that until I find a rich husband who supports me making these extravagant meals on a regular basis and provides me with my dream kitchen I will be stuck limiting myself to cooking like this once a week... If I'm lucky.

What's on the menu?

Hey guys! Guess what I had for dinner... Sushi! And I didn't die! Ok... Ok... I know that may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but i genuinely had a fear of eating raw fish.  I saw a show one time where they talked about how if not cleaned properly raw fish could kill you.  Any-who... my friend Chico and I went to a sushi bar in town called Wasabi.  To get to the point, it was delicious! I'm suddenly inspired to try all different of sushi.  I ordered the Mr. Kim's roll: California roll topped with chopped spicy tuna & seared, sprinkled with tempura crunch, scallion, masago & sweet unagi sauce ($11.00).  Chico ordered the Kamikaze Roll: spicy tuna, crab mix, and avocado wrapped in soy bean paper, then deep fried, served with spicy ponzu ($11.00).  We also shared a pot of their melon berry sencha tea($3.50) and green tea pops ($1.50 ea.).  All in all I definitely plan on going back.  The price was mid-high range, but it was a good time with good company so it was worth it.