Category: FUN

Anything to do with fun & enjoyment

FUN

Quotes on Getting Dressed

When in doubt, wear red.  ~Bill Blass

betsey

I have often said that I wish I had invented blue jeans: the most spectacular, the most practical, the most relaxed and nonchalant. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity – all I hope for in my clothes.  Yves Saint Laurent

“It’s a new era in fashion – there are no rules. It’s all about the individual and personal style, wearing high-end, low-end, classic labels, and up-and-coming designers all together.”

— Alexander McQueen

“One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress.” — Karl Lagerfeld

“The most important thing to remember is that you can wear all the greatest clothes and all the greatest shoes, but you’ve got to have a good spirit on the inside. That’s what’s really going to make you look like you’re ready to rock the world.” — Alicia Keys

 

FUN

Personal Polish

A manicure is a manicure is a manicure…..until you get a martini with your manicure.

Now we're talking!
Now we’re talking.   And at $15 – what a hell of a deal!
I'm sure Holly golightly would approve.
I’m sure  that Holly Golightly would approve.
Love the chandelier from this place that does facials in Las Vegas.
The chandelier, crystal inserts & marble flooring make this place that specializes in facials in Las Vegas very inviting.

 

 

 

 

FUN

style & design – are we taking FUR too FAR?

The French luxury house of Céline has always been synonymous with class and quality.  Then I came across this ad in “W” from the spring 2013 collection.Wordpress

While we always wish for designers to make shoes that are both fashionable and comfortable, has Phoebe Philo (designer for the house) taken things too far?

For a fashion show which entertains fun, shock and presentation to get the brands basic message across, I can understand these furry Birkenstock like sandals and slingbacks.  However they look like hippie shoes with furry blue and white trim. Sure, they are probably heaven for our feet, but would you ever actually wear them?

And, while the spring pumps are a more traditional silhouette, who will buy these shoes?  *I cannot imagine where I’d wear them – maybe by the pool if I had one.

Hmm...but they do look comfy.
Hmm…but they do look comfy.

Here’s someone else’s take:  If Big Bird and Elmo were cross-dressers and were looking for shoes to match their feathers and fur – perfection!  Hey Céline, I’m still a fan but I’ll pass on the shoes for now.  The bags…now that’s another story!

*Says the same girl who recently purchased these sensible “go with anything” turquoise suede shoes.

but Please don't step on them!
but Please don’t step on them!
FUN

Simply Satisfying – Vadouvan Curry Shrimp

shrimp curryVadouvan is a French-Indian spice mix that gives this dish a sophisticated depth of flavour.  I added scallops to the pot but if you don’t eat shell fish then you can use any firm white fish.  It will taste equally as delicious.  Makes 6 servings.

You can try this recipe once and then adjust spices to taste.  I tend to add a bit more.  It may seem like a lot of ingredients but you’ll need them because once you make this you’ll be making it again.

Recipe

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. ground cardamom

½ tsp. ground mustard

1/3 tsp. tumeric

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. ground fenugreek (optional)

1 ½ tsp. thinly sliced fresh curry leaves *(optional)

*(I substituted with a bit of madras curry powder)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

4 large shallots, thinly sliced lengthwise

6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced lengthwise

¾ tsp. kosher salt, divided

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

24 large shrimp (about 1 ¼ lbs.) shelled and deveined.

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tsp. yellow mustard seeds, toasted for garnish (optional)

lime wedges for serving.

In a small bowl, combine cumin, cardamom, ground mustard, tumeric, and red pepper flakes.  Add curry leaves (or curry powder instead) and fenugreek, if using.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add 2 Tbsp. water, cover, and reduce heat to low, stirring a few times, until golden brown and very soft, about 10 minutes more.  Add ¼ tsp. salt and 1 tsp. spice mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.  Scrape mixture into a medium bowl.  Return skillet to stove.

Add butter to skillet and cook over medium heat until starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add shrimp (or whatever white fish you’re using) in an even layer and season with ¼ tsp. salt.  Cook over medium heat until shrimp start to curl, about 1 minute per side.  Sprinkle with 2 tsp. spice mixture and continue to cook, stirring, until fragrant and shrimp are almost cooked through, about 2 minutes more.  Stir in shallot-garlic mixture and lime juice and simmer until heated through, about 1 minute more.  Season with remaining ¼ tsp. salt.

Spoon shallot-garlic mixture onto 6 small plates.  Add 4 shrimp to each plate and scatter on top scallions and toasted mustard seeds, if using.  Serve with lime wedges.

Sides: serve with basmati rice and a green veggie like French cut string beans or asparagus.scallop and shrimp

FUN

AWay with Words – desert quotes

desertLet me tell you something that we Israelis have against Moses. He took us 40 years through the desert in order to bring us to the one spot in the Middle East that has no oil! -Golda Meir

I think the American West really attracts me because it’s romantic. The desert, the empty space, the drama. Ang Lee (director, Life of Pi)

Night comes to the desert all at once, as if someone turned off the light. – Joyce Carol Oates

“Night poured over the desert. It came suddenly, in purple. In the clear air, the stars drilled down out of the sky, reminding any thoughtful watcher that it is in the deserts and high places that religions are generated. When men see nothing but bottomless infinity over their heads they have always had a driving and desperate urge to find someone to put in the way.” ― Terry Pratchett,  Jingo

“Water, water, water….There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount , a perfect ratio of water to rock, water to sand, insuring that wide free open, generous spacing among plants and animals, homes and towns and cities, which makes the arid West so different from any other part of the nation. There is no lack of water here unless you try to establish a city where no city should be.”
― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness

“The desert, when the sun comes up…I couldn’t tell where heaven stopped and the Earth began.” ― Tom Hanks

“The cactus thrives in the desert while the fern thrives in the wetland.                               The fool will try to plant them in the same flowerbox.                                                          The florist will sigh and add a wall divider and proper soil to both sides.                            The grandparent will move the flowerbox halfway out of the sun.                                        The child will turn it around properly so that the fern is in the shade, and not the cactus.    The moral of the story?                                                                                                            Kids are smart.”
― Vera Nazarian, The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration
FUN

B Well – Eat Your Way Thin!

Hollywood’s unofficial new diet hinges on reducing acid and balancing your pH.

An intriguing diet craze of Acid meets Alkaline?  For those of you who dozed off during that week of high school chemistry you better listen up – this is basic science!

alkalineA 28 year old private chef in Los Angeles (who will go unnamed) was struggling with the same 10 pounds she’d put on in college despite what she thought was a healthy, well-balanced diet.  She decided to see a nutritionist, who suggested that her diet was too acidic and needed a major alkaline boost.  While the changes she made may seem drastic (easing off all dairy, caffeine, and animal-based products), she says the effects of consuming a heavily plant-based, higher pH diet were quick and dramatic – and well worth it.  She also felt tons more energy without needing the caffeine boost, hasn’t been sick and has experienced no breakouts.  And she’s also 10 pounds lighter.

Here’s a cram session for the un chem-savvy: the human body, primarily the urinary and lymphatic systems, works hard 24-7 to maintain a slightly alkaline pH level in the blood and to clear out an excess of either acid or alkali.  Everything that you consume has its own  pH, and the lower it is, the more acidic it is, and the higher it is, the more alkaline it is.  Acidic foods tend to be the least healthful: white bread, soda, processed foods, and to a lesser extent, meat and eggs.

An alkaline diet focuses on fresh fruit and vegetables along with soy products (like tofu) and certain nuts and whole grains (such as almonds and quinoa) while minimizing dairy, gluten, processed foods, and sugar.  If you’re diet is too acidic (say you’re a diet coke addict) your body may siphon off vital minerals like calcium from your bones to neutralize the acid.  It will also tend to have more toxins.  The result?  Congestion and constriction in your body, which can hamper blood flow, deplete oxygen, and speed up the aging process.

Eventually, too many acidic foods can also stymie the immune system, inhibit digestion and contribute to things like osteoarthritis, says Lindsey Duncan, a nutritionist and naturopath – Marc Jacobs as a client.

You can crowd out poor choices by including a morning green smoothie, for example, and a green salad before dinner – and keep acidic foods to a minimum.   Some are going even further, ditching acidic tap or bottled water for alkalanized Kangen Water, produced by water-ionization machines from Enagic, a Japanese company that claims its water flushes out toxins better than regular H2O.  The water is a hit among Hollywood A-listers, who attribute their renewed vigor to it.

The bottom line: Should we all go alkaline all the time? While few experts would dispute the virtues of a diet high in dark leafy greens, juicy fruit, and plenty of water, it’s hard to give all the credit to pH.  Will the pH thing sort itself out? While we’re deciding, in the meantime, a high quality diet that’s heavy on produce and scarce on processed foods is always a good idea.

Taken from an article By Liz Krieger for InStyle magazine.

**Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most evocative and informative up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health professionals – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America.

Here’s the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1686/transforming-health
FUN

Personal Post it – desert delights

Some things about the desert that I really like:

The saguaro
The majestic saguaro – you’ll find this type cactus only in southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico.
Cactus Cards by artist
Cactus Cards by local artist

The prickly pear which is really the fruit of the nopales cactus (cacti with beaver tail-like paddles) known to few, are actually quite edible.   The juice is delicious – a cross between bubblegum and watermelon.prickly pear

Prickly pear juice is often used to make jam or candy, but works wonders in cocktails and used in vinaigrettes for salads.  Be warned though with the ones fresh off the cactus.  Unlike those found in markets where the tiny hair-like thorns have been cleaned, these are quite sharp to handle.  The chipmunk knows how.

Many Mexican markets, farmers markets, and some natural food supermarkets carry prickly pears, but you can find these plants growing in California, the Southwest, Mexico, and the Mediterranean.

Prickly jams
Prickly jams
This cookbook has many great recipes - if only I could find the fruit at home.
This cookbook has many great recipes – if only I could find this fruit at home.
The coyote - but only in cards.
The coyote – but only in cards.
I loved her book "The Poisonwood Bible"
From the author of  “The Poisonwood Bible” – one of my all time favorite books.
A t-shirt
A t-shirt