Eggs Baby!

Toward the end of the week when I look in the fridge, there's not a lot of exciting options for lunch. One thing that I can generally throw together with stuff I have on hand is a great egg salad sandwich. I enjoy this recipe from 101 Cookbooks. It is quite good.

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Egg Salad Sandwich

101 Cookbooks

I've realized that 90% of the challenge here is properly boiling the egg. You need to boil it so the center sets yet stays moist. You also need to avoid the green/grey ring thing that surrounds the yolk in many hard boiled eggs. I use the same technique here that I learned camping with a hardcore egg enthusiast. It has worked for me flawlessly ever since. The key is to avoid over cooking, and to dunk the eggs in a bowl of icy water to stop the cooking after you remove them from the hot water. I always use good quality eggs - but something to keep in mind, the fresher they are, the harder they are to peel after boiling.

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6 large eggs
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

A tiny squeeze of lemon juice

2 stalks celery, washed and chopped

1/2 bunch chives, chopped

2 small handfuls of lettuce

8 slices of whole grain bread, toasted

Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking. Crack and peel each egg, place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, a couple generous pinches of salt and pepper, now mash with a fork. Don't overdo it, you want the egg mixture to have some texture. If you need to add a bit more mayo to moisten up the mixture a bit, go for it a bit at a time.

Stir in the celery and chives. Taste, and adjust the seasoning - adding more salt and pepper if needed.

To assemble each egg salad sandwich: place a bit of lettuce on a piece of toast, top with the egg salad mixture, and finish by creating a sandwich with a second piece of toast.

Make 4 sandwiches.

And speaking of eggs, if you've ever looked in the fridge to find a carton of eggs marked with an expired date there is a quick way to tell if they're still okay to eat.

Put your eggs in a bowl and cover with tap water. If the eggs sink and rest horizontally, they are very fresh. If the larger end of the eggs start to rise, your eggs are about one to two weeks old. If your eggs float, they've gone bad.

And one last thought on eggs. If you're ever in the strange mood to make deviled eggs, you should try my mother-in-law's recipe. They are the best I've ever tasted.

Curried Deviled Eggs
My mother-in-law's recipe

8 hard boiled eggs
3 T miracle whip
3-4 T Heinz sweet relish
1 T curry powder (or to taste)
¼ chopped sweet white onion
Salt and pepper
Paprika

Hilarious!

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Popcorn & a Movie

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One thing I do love about the rainy Seattle weather (although it's sunny and beautiful today so this doesn't really apply) is that you can hunker down and watch movies on gloomy weekends and not feel like a lazy bum. Who wants to venture out when it's pouring outside and there's popcorn and a cozy couch waiting for you? My husband makes the most delicious popcorn on earth. I eat it because I turn away when he adds the butter. If I saw with my very own eyes that he puts a cube of butter on a single batch of corn (not to mention all the vegetable oil that he starts with) I might not be able to eat it with such enjoyment. I pretend I don't know since I didn't actually witness it. He also seasons it up real nice with salt and fajita salt. Sometimes I skip the fajita salt and use pepper and parmesan cheese. That is quite delicious as well and a quick fix if you're using microwave popcorn and want to jazz it up.

Some of my favorite movies for rainy days:

- Kramer vs Kramer

- A Room with a View

- The Royal Tenenbaums

- True Romance

- Best in Show

- Fargo

- Old School

- The Graduate

- Elizabeth

- Everyone Says I Love You

- Wall Street

Documentaries worth seeing:

- Born Into Brothels

- Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

- Deliver Us from Evil

- The Fog of War

- Shut Up & Sing

- Supersize Me

- Riding Giants

- Spellbound

- Capturing the Friedmans

- Children Underground

- Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple

- The Kid Stays in the Picture

- King Corn (haven't seen yet but dying to see it soon)

Another thing I like to do is work my way through the movies that won or were nominated for Best Picture. The Academy Awards website has a complete list of all the movies nominated for Best Picture by year, with the winner denoted.

Chicken Dijon: A New Favorite

My sister-in-law, Allison, made this chicken dish for us the other night and I loved it. Not only was it so good, she said it was the easiest thing on the planet. So tonight, I made up a batch of my own and it really was the easiest thing! I served it with my Butter Lettuce Salad with Hazelnuts & Orange Dijon Vinaigrette, zucchini pancakes and spaghetti with browned butter, mizithra, parmesan and pecorino romano cheese (equal parts of each cheese). Great dinner!

Roasted Chicken Dijon
Clinkerdagger Restaurant (Spokane, WA)

4 chicken breasts, scallopini style - cut in flat halves and pounded thin (or in thirds if you don't want to pound them)

Sauce:
5 T Dijon
1 stick butter
1 large garlic clove, minced

Panko Mix:
1.5 cups panko
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan (or more)
2-3 T parsley

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat sauce ingredients in pot, stirring. Let cool and then whisk until completely mixed. Do not let cool for too long.

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then toss into mustard sauce and coat completely. Dredge through panko mix and place on a large cookie sheet.

Bake chicken for 10 minutes, flip over and bake for 10 more minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. If the outer crust is not crispy then raise oven rack and increase temp to broil. Cook chicken for a minute or two on each side until golden brown.

Style Icon: Kate Moss

I am such a fan of Kate Moss's style. It is definitely a look and not for everyone but I pretty much love everything she puts together. I would love to emulate her style but it doesn't come naturally to me, nor do I have a wardrobe full of rocker chic clothes. Therefore I generally leave the house in my same old boring uniform (jeans, t-shirt, cardigan, flats or boots).

The necklace, pictured above, is so super cute and would actually go well with my uniform, spice it up really. It is a Ben Amun Gold Plated Brass Coin Necklace available from Singer 22. I want it bad. Too bad the birthday has come and gone and I am trying to put myself on a spending freeze. Well... maybe... just... one... last... purchase???? Maybe the freeze, like diets, should start on a Monday?

I also really like some of the new Kate Moss Topshop collection. I really like this Feather Frill Dress and might have to order it. If the freeze starts Monday...!

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Autumn Soup

There are so many great recipes for butternut squash soup. Any soup lover probably has a version they adore so I won't bore you with another basic recipe. If you're looking for something a little different though, try the Barefoot Contessa's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Curry Condiments featured in House Beautiful (not the current issue). The condiments really mix it up and offer a unique twist to a traditional soup. Toppings include raisins, banana, cashews, coconut, and scallions. What a delicious combination with the curry spiced soup. I loved it. Serve with a great green salad and you've got yourself a perfect autumn dinner.

It's been a long time since I made this recipe but I do remember adding more chicken stock. It was quite thick with only 2-3 cups so have a few extra just in case you run into that problem too. Bon appetite!

Mini Ballet Flats

How stinkin' cute are these children's Elastic-Back Ballet Flats by Little Raggio. They are available from Neige, although they only have sizes 12 and 13 available. I could cry my eyes out that they don't have smaller sizes in stock.

Not So Flat Flats

I am a huge fan of these navy Jil Sander Platform Ballet Shoes. They give you the look of a ballet flat but you also get a little lift, and who doesn't love that?! I wonder why more designers don't offer a similar ballet flat. Maaaaaaybe this new style will take off and we will see more versions of it in the future. My short little self would sure like that. And I might add, these are cuter on than in the picture. They look cute with jeans, trousers, skirts and dresses, with tights or barefoot. I'm loving the look.

Little Chairs for Little Ones

There is something kind of adorable about these little Lela Kids Chairs. I think one would be so cute in a child's bedroom, although I think the cushion needs to be covered with a really great fabric. That would be easy enough to do and would make all the difference in my opinion.

P.S. The red and yellow ones are on sale!

I Want! I Want!

Adidas by Stella McCartney. Sooooooooooooo super cute. Wish I would have come upon this stuff a week ago when I needed some birthday gift ideas. I'm loving all of it.

Lucky Me for Finding Lucky Wang

I came across this little snugly outfit at Fireworks and loved it. They didn't have the size I needed for a gift so I jotted down the brand and thought I'd look online.

Well lucky me to find this fantastic brand that I've never heard of before called Lucky Wang. They have the cutest pieces in a plethora of great Asian-inspired fabrics. I can't stand how cute this little dress is. I must have it for my daughter for this year's Chinese New Year (we want to throw a big party!).

If we have a girl for child #2 I will have to order some of these little kimono onesies. They would also make such cute baby gifts.


They have cute sale stuff too like this little green dress. A-dorable!

Oh! So Good

I am a total chocolate fiend and my most favorite chocolates are from Oh! Chocolate in Seattle. They blow Frans & See's Candies away. There is no contest in my opinion. I received a box of 24 for my birthday yesterday morning and it is almost gone. Save me from myself!

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They can mail boxes out for you which is a great way to send a special Christmas or birthday gift to a loved one. We always buy about 10 boxes during the holidays for gifts. My "grandma-in-law" says they are the best chocolate she's ever tasted. I concur!

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My favorites are the milk chocolate caramel, cranberry caramel, milk chocolate with almonds, the Northwest truffle (blackberry), and the Nutty Irishman. They are "Oh!" so good!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my birthday and rather than go out to celebrate, I chose to stay in and cook dinner myself. I have been wanting to cook Ina's beef bourguignon ever since the day I first made it eight months ago. It's a bit labor intensive so not a recipe I would make an your average night plus I didn't crave it during the summer so this was the perfect excuse to make it.

Ina's Beef Bourguignon

+ her sour cream mashed potatoes

= heaven on earth!

I also made a little salad creation of my own, an adaptation from the "salad verte" at Le Pichet, one of my favorite French bistros in town. It turned out to be a delicious dinner and the best part is all the leftovers we get to enjoy today!

Butter Lettuce Salad with Hazelnuts & Orange Dijon Vinaigrette

1 head butter lettuce

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts, toasted and skins taken off

Dressing:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 t honey

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T red wine vinegar

2 T good olive oil

1/2 clove garlic, minced and mashed into a paste with a sprinkle of salt

freshly ground black pepper

To toast and skin hazelnuts:

Preheat oven to 300. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, until the skins crack. Let cool on a kitchen towel, then roll the hazelnuts in the towel until skins flakes off.

I love to call hazelnuts "filberts" so I figured I should know why they go by both names. Here's the answer from the Global Gourmet:

The most commonly accepted explanation is because hazelnuts mature on or around St. Philibert's Day, August 20. Other historians believe the term filbert derives from the German vollbart meaning full beard, a reference to the appearance of the husked shell. Although the current definition of filbert tends to refer to commercial cultivated crops of hazelnuts, the terms hazelnut and filbert are generally used interchangeably. Hazelnuts are also known as cobnuts in some areas. Other experts claim these are all different varieties of the nut, but once shelled, they are quite difficult to tell apart.

L is for "LUCKY" Little Guy

Luke? Leo? Liam? Whoever he is, he's one lucky little guy to have such a cute sweater. These little Manly Man Baby Sweaters are the cutest. I want! I want!

They just sold out but I'm going to follow this Etsy site because this would make such a great gift for a new babe. I'll keep you posted if more become available.

Party Dress

This is a picture from an old posting over at A Cup of Jo. I think it is such a cute party dress for a little cutie patootie. Actually, what a perfect New Year's Eve dress for your little lady. It's too bad that (a) it's not for sale any more from Enfant Terrible and (b) that they don't make it in adult sizes because it is such a fun print. Picture with black tights and a little cardigan. So cute!

Thai Massage - It's a Wonderful Thing

My friend Whitney has been raving about Thai massage for the longest time. Being the procrastinator that I am, I have always wanted to try it but never got around to calling, until of course I heard the woman she goes to was moving at the end of the month to Argentina to study tango. Well that put the fire under my @$$ and I called that day. I had my first Thai massage a few days later and it was A-MAZ-ING. I'm totally sold and will definitely be going to her regularly when she returns. It is a combination of massage and stretching and has been called "lazy man's yoga" because of the stretching and focus on breathing. You leave refreshed and energized whereas sometimes a typical massage leaves you sleepy and flat.

I went to Grainne at Seattle Thai Massage, who is gone for several months but returning next year. She is also trained in Chinese medicine and discusses your ailments, diet, overall health and wellness and offers suggestions. I absolutely loved it and left with some new strategies for dealing with personal health issues. My friend also went throughout her pregnancy and said it really helped with those third trimester aches and pains. Good to know for pregnancy numero deux.

Do a little research for a masseuse specializing in Thai Massage in your neck of the woods. You won't be sorry!

Big Bully Bruce's "Throw It Down Carnitas"

My friend Greg, the tomatillo sauce guy, was renamed a few years ago to Big Bully Bruce Chow. It started with a prank call from a guy named Bruce, then he got all fired up one night and we added the "Big Bully" part, and during a big dinner at Mr. Chow's in Beverly Hills, we all became the Chow clan. So here is my pal Big Bully Bruce Chow's delicious recipe for pork carnitas. Great for a casual dinner party with plenty of margaritas.

Throw It Down Carnitas
by Big Bully Bruce

1 6-8 lbs pork shoulder - bone in
olive oil
fresh sage - chopped
fresh rosemary - chopped
garlic - whole bulb - diced
3 shallots - diced
salt
pepper
cayenne pepper (not too much, but not too little)
lemon juice - from 2 lemons

Combine all the ingredients and rub it all over the pork. Heat oven to 475. Place the doctored meat in a roasting pan and cover with foil... not tightly, but not loosely. Cook for 2 hours covered with foil - then remove the foil and baste the meat. Lower the oven temp to 350 and cook for an additional two hours - checking and basting every 30 minutes. Continue the process, checking and basting until the middle of the pork reaches 185 degrees on a meat thermometer and the meat is falling off the bone when pulled with a fork. It could take up to 6 hours in total. Pull the meat out and place it on a cutting board, covered with foil, and let sit for 20 minutes. Scrape up all the bits in the roasting pan and transfer that and all the juice in the pan to a dutch oven on the stove top. Put the meat into the pot and bring the juice to a boil, then down to simmer, pulling the meat apart with forks. Continue turning and pulling the meat apart until the bone comes off clean and everything is shredded to your liking. Be sure to add water as you go to keep things juicy as liquid evaporates. Serve right out of the pot - with my kick ass Throw It Down Tomatillo Sauce, flour tortillas or sopas, diced white onion and fresh cilantro. Delicious!

Thanks Big Bully (pictured with sweet baby Jullian)!

I know what you're all thinking - "He looks too sweet to be a big bully!" Trust me on this one. He's still quite lovable though, especially when he cooks for you!

Paaaaaaaaaaaaarty Perfect

My friend Jackie sent me a list of her favorite blogs and I've been blogging away for the last hour, frantically trying to see as much as possible before my daughter wakes up. There just aren't enough hours in the day to see all of the fun blogs out there. Anyway, her list had some great ones and I am really loving Party Perfect, a blog created by the former art director for Martha Stewart Baby and Kids magazines. A few things caught my eye right off the bat. I have always been a fan of beautiful calligraphy and handwriting so I was instantly drawn in by these samples by Betsy Dunlap. I have a few friends (amy t, jan vn, and jen q) whose handwriting I try to copy when addressing special cards. I think it's so fun to mix it up. I will have to take a stab at these two styles next time around.

I also loved these baby shower invitations. What a clever idea for a tea party shower. I love the letterpress invitation attached to the little tea bag and how cute is the paper lining the envelope?! I love!

The Perfect Summer Sandal - A Little Late I Know

These are my most favorite sandals and I wear them to death. I feel that they go with pretty much anything I wear in the summer - casual dresses, shorts, jeans, you name it. My friend Marly came to town and was wearing a great pair of gladiator style sandals and told me about the site she ordered them from. Ends up they're the same brand and we both swear by these sandals. Order a pair for yourself from Rondini!

Two cents from concierge.com:

If there's any single accessory that's indelibly associated with St. Trop (besides breast implants), it's the gladiator-style sandals that have been handmade by the Rondini family since 1927. These strappy sandals for men, women, and children come in all kinds of colors and leathers, including snakeskin and crocodile. Even better, they're thick-soled, comfortable, and last forever. But wearing new Rondinis around town is totally uncool. Break 'em in at home.

October Fever

I just love a crisp, cold, sunny day in the fall. It always gets me excited for Halloween, watching the leaves turn colors and bundling up for evening walks with my hubby and baby girl. Today I welcomed this beautiful fall day by preparing my front steps for the season. It brings a smile to my face every time I drive down the street toward my house.

Veggie Sannie Week

I'm not much of a salad person but I am most definitely a sandwich person. I use to eat any kind of sandwich you put in front of me but as I get older and am more in tune with how food makes me feel, I have a really hard time eating deli meat. It must be all that sodium, the nitrates and preservatives, MSG, and other chemicals they add. Every time I eat it I swear it will be the last. Anyway, because I love sandwiches so much, I have to get creative. This past week I've been on a veggie sandwich kick. I have to eat them with Kettle lightly salted potato chips. I know it's weird I will eat the chips but don't get close to me with that slice of turkey. I am the first to admit my craziness! Anyway, it's a tasty sannie and a great way to mix it up and get some veggies into your diet.

I just did a little googling to see what exactly is in the deli meat and found an article from the food editor of the Today show... "The 5 things you need to know about deli meats".

Veggie Sandwiches
A good hearty wheat bread
Cream cheese
Italian dressing
Cucumber
Tomato
Red pepper
Red onion
Avocado
Endive
Provolone

So good!

Christmas Garland

I know, I know. It's bad enough that stores are already selling Christmas decorations, I can't believe they suckered me into buying some. But I couldn't resist. Nordstrom is now carrying their own line of Christmas decor and I was drawn in by their beautiful gold garland and branches. I bought both and thought they would be beautiful for a gold and silver Christmas tree (I like to do a color theme with my tree) or on a mantle or staircase. The branches are fun to stick into the tree or green garland for some pop of sparkle and color. I couldn't find this stuff online but you can call or visit the Nordstrom gift department.

Steak who?

Steak Diane by that lovable Paula Deen! It is so good and easy too (takes less than 20 minutes!). I like it with white rice and a veggie, but if you are watching carbs you can eat with a side of sauteed spinach or something of that sort and it is a very tasty and satisfying meal. I never think that recipes like this make enough sauce so I am in the habit now of doubling those ingredients. It still wasn't enough for my piggy husband and me so there was the usual "save some sauce for me, geez!!!" comments to accompany our meal. You can follow Paula's recipe or use my slightly adjusted version below for extra sauce and shrooms (and less fighting). Bon appetite!

Steak Diane
My slightly adjusted version of Paula Dean's

8 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
4 tablespoons minced onion
3 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley leaves
1 pound beef tenderloin, cut into 8 slices

Melt 6 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes. Add mushrooms, garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and salt, and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms are tender. Stir in the parsley; pour the sauce into a small metal bowl or saucepan, cover, and keep warm. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Cook the steaks over medium-high heat, turning them once, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium. Serve the steaks with the mushroom sauce.

P.S. For the record, I really do talk about all these things "over cocktails". I was out last night with friends and we were talking about great and easy dinners to make when hosting guests. Steak Diane was fresh on the brain so we discussed "over cocktails" and it won the debate. It will be served tonight at Lynne's house! Can't wait to hear how it turned out.

Twelfth Street BABY by Cynthia Vincent

I am a huge fan of Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent so I was thrilled when I heard she was coming out with a line of children's clothing. How cute is this little Flutter Sleeve Dress in the Digital print shown above?! My daughter received it as a gift from our friend Lesley and it is so stinkin' cute on her. I have actually been stopped several times by people asking where I got it. The dress was even featured in InStyle magazine.

The new line of children's clothing was featured on Daily Candy Kids Los Angeles. She does the cutest bubble dresses too. You can buy Twelfth Street Baby online at Milkshop, Shop Style Kids and Lisa Klein Kids. Here are some cute pics from their Holiday shoot.

"A Glass of Fresh"

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I was at a boot camp workout this morning and we were talking about all these healthy drinks and smoothies. I was reminded of this one from Dr. Oz that he shared on an episode of Oprah a million years ago. Funny enough I had everything in the fridge to make it so I whipped it up and voila, my own "glass of fresh".

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Green Drink

Dr. Oz

2 cups spinach

2 cups cucumber

1 head of celery

1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root

1 bunch parsley

2 apples

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Put cucumbers in blender to get some liquid, then slowly add the rest of the ingredients (all chopped into small chunks). After everything is combined in a blender, this recipe makes 28 to 30 ounces—about three to four servings.

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I thought it was okay, not particularly good, not unbearable. I had more than I could drink so I thought I would try to force it on my daughter. Well no forcing required. She LOVED it! She asked for "moe, peees" several times. I could not believe my eyes watching her gobble it up. What a great way to load your kid up with all those nutrients!

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Calling All Moms & Cooks

When I'm not up for trying a new recipe or cooking something that involves a decent amount of time, I tend to cycle through the same easy dinners - beef tacos, chicken fajitas, Ina's Mexican soup, my chicken rice and a few other staples. I am looking for some new ones to add to the revolving door. Please email me or post a comment with your favorite go-to dinners that are quick, easy and tasty. They don't have to be your favorite meals, just your favorite quick and easy meals. I know I would love to try them and share them with my friends and other bloggers who are looking for mixing it up a bit too. Here is one of my faves in this category. It's so fast - you don't even chop one thing!

Chicken in Wine Sauce
Paula Deen’s Savannah Country Cookbook

4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
6 ounces Swiss cheese slices
One 10 ¾ ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
¼ cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup herb-flavored Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix, crushed
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Place chicken in shallow buttered casserole dish. Layer cheese on top. Mix soup, wine, salt, and pepper; pour over cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake 45-60 minutes.

CMT comments: I only use three chicken breasts but use the same amount of ingredients for the sauce. It takes less time to cook since there are only three pieces. I sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper before covering with cheese. I use 2-4 cups stuffing and don’t crush it that much. I use Jarlsberg cheese and 1/2 cup wine. I serve this with a veggie or salad and voila, you have yourself a pretty great dinner with VERY little work.

The Scoop on Loeffler Randall

I have been eyeing these Loeffler Randall boots shown on the right but felt that I couldn't justify the purchase since I have the same pair without the gold buttons. But looky here what I found on Orange Beautiful! The pair on the left is Loeffler Randall for Target and costs only $35! And they are gray which is also fun. Go get 'em girls!

Marni-ish Looks for Mini-Me's

My friend Ann just sent me this wonderful blog and clothing site called "LE BOUTON CATALOG". I'm loving it. How cute are these pieces for young girls?!

I love the clothing brand Marni and there is definitely something Marni-ish about some of these pieces. My daughter is too young now but I will be checking back in with Le Bouton along the way to see what's shaking up over there.

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