February 8, 2009

So is it portobello, or is it portabella?  I’ve always wondered that.  Anyway.  You say potaytoe, I say potahto.  It occurs to me that this Sunday Supper is a lot like my Spinach Quiche with Tomato Sauce, so the spinach with cheese and tomato must be a flavor combination that I subconsciously gravitate toward. Or maybe my body is just needing more iron, calcium and lycopene right now.  Whatever it is, these portobello mushrooms worked really well with the other flavors.

I got a big package of 4 mushroom caps from Sam’s Club the other day, and they were by far the biggest ones I’ve ever seen.  They definitely deserved a special treatment of some kind, and since I had frozen spinach, tomato sauce ingredients, and more of the Cabot 50% Light All Natural Cheddar Cheese on hand, this is the filling I came up with on the fly. I didn’t measure, and you don’t have to either. Just eyeball the amounts of each component until it looks good to you. You’re the one eating it, so please yourself!  By the way, if you have a grill, these would be incredible started on it instead of in the oven!

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Portobello

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Portobello with Tomato Sauce

4 large portobello mushroom caps
Olive oil
Salt and Shallot Pepper to taste
Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
Cabot 50% Light Cheddar Cheese, grated
Tomato/marinara sauce – any kind, homemade or bottled

Clean the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel. Leaving the gills is fine in this recipe so don’t worry about removing them. Rub or brush each cap with olive oil on all sides. Salt and pepper to taste. Place in a baking dish (13 x 9 worked for my 4 giant caps) and bake at 350 degrees for around 30 minutes or until tender, turning a couple of times.

When mushrooms are done, drain excess liquid if desired. Smear a little tomato sauce in the bottom of the dish, and place the mushrooms on the bed of sauce. Add a nice handful of spinach to each cap, then top with cheese. Spoon tomato sauce over each mushroom. Bake until hot and bubbly, around 20 minutes.

Add a nice green salad, and you have a great simple, healthful dinner for 4, or a Sunday Supper and 3 lunches for BigSis!

~BigSis

February 6, 2009

I’m not a big TV watcher.  It’s not because my social calendar is too booked, or because I have very trendy cool moral/social objections to it that make me very righteous.  I just don’t have any ding dang time to watch television.  And I do have to admit that I don’t like most of what airs, except for the occasional episode of American Idol and Top Chef.

But I do have one TV obsession that I will totally fess up to.  One show that I do not EVER miss NOT EVER NOT EVER, and that is “Lost”!  I’ve been a fan since episode one, and this show has kept me hanging on through delays and the writer’s strike and indefinite season postponements.  I’m addicted to the beautiful Hawaiian scenery, the quirky plot twists and the wonderfully odd characters.  And, one more confession…I have a little bad boy crush on Sawyer.  Admit it…you do too.  ;-D  We know we should like Jack, but we do love us some Sawyer!

Bad Boy Con-Man Sawyer

We’ve had 3 episodes in this season so far, and we’ve had some questions answered.  Miracles of all miracles!  Can you believe it?    But I still have more questions, always more questions.

• How are these folks getting back to the island?
• Can Ben go back?  Would he be the leader again?
• How are they going to convince Sun to go back and leave her baby?
• Is Claire’s mom *really* as innocent as she seems?
• Was there anything funnier than when cry baby Neal got shot with that flaming arrow?
• Is Daniel Faraday less the benevolent, bumbling scientist, and more of a villain?
• Is John Locke really dead?
• Is there something menacing or weird about baby Aaron?
• Could Sayid’s hair possibly be any greasier?  Does he have a secret stash of hair gel that we don’t know about?
• Would anyone care if Charlotte, Juliet and Miles all died from this brain displacement malady?
• What would have happened if Sawyer spoke to Kate when he saw her in the past delivering Aaron?
• What would happen if one of the characters ran across themselves in a time travel episode?
• Is Penny going to die at Ben’s hand as he promised?
• Why does Charles Widmore feel Ben stole his island from him?  Did he think he was the “heir to the throne” when Ben came along, perhaps?
• Why does Richard wear so much eyeliner?  Does it have something to do with his agelessness?  If he doesn’t age, why did he have to wear reading glasses to remove the bullet from Locke’s leg?

If you think you know any of these answers, please share them with me!  Only 5 more days til the next episode!  Not that I’m counting.  I do have a life you know.

~BigSis

February 3, 2009

I’ve been trying to intensify my gym time, and have been going 5 times a week instead of 3, plus I’m shaking up my cardio a little. You know how your body will get used to the same old routine after a while, and it stops being as effective? So, lately I’ve been hopping on the bike 5 times a week for half an hour each session before I run off to the treadmill, and I discovered that’s the perfect time to work on my stack of unread magazines. That 30 minutes ends up being a good barometer to determine which magazines are worthwhile and which are a waste of money. If I can breeze through an issue and leave it in the gym, completely done with it after half an hour, then it’s not a keeper.

Sorry, Domino Magazine, you’ve failed my gym test. I can flip through you in only a matter of minutes, just like an issue of People. I adore your cute little sticky tags, but I never find anything to mark any more! I used to love you, but I guess I’ve moved away from your demographic. I didn’t find one article or photo layout of note in the last issue, and didn’t see one decorating idea I would ever implement. So, I’m sorry, Domino, I have to end it with you. But it’s not you; it’s me.

Bon Appetit, I’m breaking up with you too. We’ve been together for a couple of decades now, but you’ve been letting me down for months and I’m not putting up with it any more. You used to be so interesting and fun, and now I just can’t relate to you at all. What happened to you?

More Magazine, you’re making the cut. You last for a couple of gym sessions, and I’m pretty much reading you cover to cover. I can relate to your articles, and I appreciate the positive tone of your issues. I’ll renew you when you come calling next year.

Food Network Magazine, you’re on probation. Your initial issue was strong, but your performance in the second issue was a bit weaker and a tad boring. I’m a demanding reader, so you’ve got the rest of this subscription to entertain me and please me. Can you make the grade, or will I have to kick you to the curb with Domino and Bon Appetit?

To the Curb! Flickr photo by JP Shooter.

Martha Stewart Living, I’m back! I cheated on you with Real Simple for a few years, thinking you were too high-maintenance. But Real Simple lost my interest eventually, shallow fickle reader that I am.  I’ve been having a little newsstand fling with you, and I think I’m ready to make a subscription commitment to you again. While others last only half an hour, you keep me reading for at least a couple of hours, and I usually tear out some of your pages for later reference. I’m back, have you missed me?

LilSis, have you done any magazine weeding lately?  I’m feeling ruthless and demanding more from my subscriptions…how about you?

~BigSis

February 1, 2009

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, you all!

This is a big party day, so please remember to take a cab or get a ride home if you are “overserved”!  Be safe and have a fun day!

~BigSis

January 31, 2009

I wish I had known about this fundraising opportunity before today.  It’s a little bit late to tell you about it, but I don’t want to assume that none of you will be able to integrate this idea into the parties you already have planned.  Check this out if you’d like to make your Super Bowl Party more than just a party; if you’d like to make it a chance for your guests to donate to an important charity.

Alzheimer’s Disease has been selected as the official 2009 charity for the College Bowl Championship Series on FOX Sports.  In conjunction with that effort, there are Tackle Alzheimer’s Parties and Tailgates going on all over the country on Super Bowl Sunday.  You can download a poster for your party, download donation forms, or encourage your guests to donate online.  You can find all of the details online that you need for your own Tackle Alzheimer’s Party.

Any contributions at all that you are able to collect or make yourself are important.  This disease runs rampant in our family…our dad had it, and so did his mother, his sister and his grandmother.  The genetic link probably goes back farther than that, but people didn’t identify it as Alzheimer’s back then;  it was just dementia or senility.  If it isn’t in your family, chances are you know someone whose life has been touched by this disease.  Thanks from all of the impacted families for your support of this cause!

~BigSis

January 31, 2009

I’m not a football fan.  There, I’ve said it.  Out loud!  Please don’t hate on me, but I really do not like football.   I used to watch the local team, but I’m just done with the whole ding dang sport (don’t ask).  I’m single so I don’t have “The Hubs” forcing me to watch football, and I’d much rather spend 3 hours baking or walking or shopping or organizing something.  Just about the only sport I like to watch on TV is hockey, and then only if the Dallas Stars are playing.

This weekend is about the Super Bowl though, and not the Stanley Cup, whether I’m watching it or not (not).  And what goes with the Super Bowl?  Snacks of course!  Appetizers, football food, dips, chips!  Woo hoo…my favorite kind of food!  There’s a flurry of activity in blogdom this week about what to serve for the Big Game, and since I’m not actively participating, the least I can do is provide a little recap for your snacking pleasure!  Ready…settie…kick-off!  Or something like that.

BigSisLilSis party favorites:

• Chili Con Carne
• Angel Hair Pasta Salad
• Easy Deviled Eggs
• Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Healthy Hummus
• Cherry Tomato, Basil and Mozzarella Skewers
• Pimiento Cheese Spread
  
• IT
• Barefoot Contessa’s Outrageous Brownies
• Big T’s Peppers
• HVR Cheese Ball
• Artichoke and Spinach Dip
• Grilled Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon
• Sun Dried Tomato Spread
• Stuffed Mushrooms Italian
• Cheesecake Crunchy

Savories from some tasty sites:

• Quick-N-Dirty Habanero Cheese Straws from Ezra Pound Cake
• Hot Popper Dip from King Arthur Flour
• Smokin’ Mozzarella Balls from Picky Palate
• Snack Food Stadium from Serious Eats
• Boneless Buffalo Chicken from Cook’s Country
• Spiced Pecans from Ezra Pound Cake
• Bacon, Cream Cheese, and Horseradish Dip from Serious Eats
• Chicken Wing Variations from DallasNews
• Super Bowl Menu from Cook’s Illustrated with Chili, Nachos, Caesar Dip, Brownies and Lemon Bars
• 75 Super Bowl Party Recipes from Martha Stewart
• Game Day Menu Ideas from Pillsbury
• Big Game Bash Recipe Ideas and Tips from Food Network
• Super Bowl Favorites from Bon Appetit
• Winning Super Bowl Party from AllRecipes
• Game Day Grub from RecipeZaar

You have to have some sweets too! How about these?

• Tropical Poundcake from Baseball, Baking & Boys
• Mounds Muffins from A Southern Grace
• Chocolate Pecan Cheesecake Bars from Bake or Break
• Cheesecake Ball from Dozen Flours
• Chunky Chocolate and Walnut Cookies from Sass & Veracity

If that isn’t enough, check out the Super Bowl Smackdown on RecipeGirl for a bunch of other great recipes with photos!

Since LilSis and I both want to laugh more this year, let me leave you with some photos of bad Super Bowl cakes from Cake Wrecks.  There are bad Super Bowl cakes and there are really bad Super Bowl cakes!  Have a fun weekend, whatever you do!

~BigSis

January 29, 2009

Great collection of sandals, LilSis.  If I were just one shoe size smaller, I’d steal some of those from you!

Besides being shoe-lovers/fanatics, I know we have something else in common, and that is being just a *little* obsessive about how we organize our lives.  Being organized and having a system just makes my life run better, and I’m not ashamed!  Can we talk about our shared love for the P-Touch labeler, for example?  Schwing schwing schwing!  Don’t get me started.  I’d label my cats if the labels would stick to their fur. ^..^

I digress.  I’m thinking today about how we all organize our shoes.  One method is the ubiquitous pile o’ shoes on the closet floor.  One is the scrambled stash of shoes under the bed.  Another style of “organizing” is shoes all over the house…wherever you took them off when you last wore them is where they’re currently filed, just waiting to be called into service again.

My preferred method – not that it’s better than any of these styles – is neat stacks of Container Store shoe boxes and a couple of wooden IKEA shoe racks.  I have to have a color photo taped in the front of each translucent box so that I can see what’s inside without opening it.  My nicer shoes get to cuddle dust-free inside the boxes, while the more casual shoes have to chill on the wood racks under my suits.  All the flip flops go into an IKEA hanging shoe sorter, and the tennis shoes are lined up like little (not that little) athletic soldiers.

If I’m not organized/sorted/filed, then my stress level goes up.  I can’t work or play or be creative if I’m living or working in a mess.  So trust me that I’m not being holier-than-thou or self-righteous (which LilSis and I have both been called – you know who you are) when I show my organized shoe collection, I’m just preserving what little sanity I still call mine!  And I obviously need every bit of it!

7 new boxes need photos! ASAP!

Sometimes I wish I was more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of a girl, but I am who I am, and that’s all what I am, to quote Popeye.  BTW, my pants are sorted by style and color in my closet, I have to confess.  I need help.

So, LilSis, share your shoe organization style.  I promise not to judge you, whether it’s immaculate or a little random!  We all have to find the method that works best for us, given our personality, the space we have available to us, and the budget we’re working under!  Show me your shoes!

~BigSis

January 27, 2009

I love shoes.  I mean…I LOVE shoes!  Have you ever heard a woman say out loud that she DOESN’T like shoes?  Not me.  Maybe some of us are more manic fanatic about shoes than other people are, but shoes are universally loved in my opinion.  You can try on shoes when you’re having a “Fat Day” and not have to worry about facing down the dreaded heinous dressing room mirror.  You can always use another pair of shoes, no matter how many you already have, and still not duplicate a pair. We all know that you can never have too many pair of black shoes.  Or in my case; pink shoes!  Fabulous shoes can make you feel fabulous, and turn a mediocre outfit into something stunning!

I seem to gravitate toward one style of shoe in particular, and that’s the t-strap!  I adore them, and how they look on the foot.  They’re lady-like but not prissy, professional but not stuffy.  I love them, and I now have 6 pair.  Would you like to see them? I knew you would!  I should have photographed these on my feet, but I didn’t.  Rats.  My poor photography doesn’t do my beauties justice, but here they are.

These Naturalizers have been my go-to black shoe for a couple of years and you can definitely tell they’re worn to exhaustion and need to be retired!  I haven’t been able to bring myself to do that yet.  Maybe I can when I find a replacement go-to pair to fill their shoes!

Naturalizer T-Strap

I love Antonio Melani’s shoes, and just happened to find a black pair of his t-straps at Dillard’s 2 years ago.  They’re the only pair of ankle t-straps in my collection, which I don’t usually buy since I think they cut off the flow of your legs.  These are great with pants.

Antonio Melani T-Straps

That’s 2 pair of black t-straps already; how about a third?  I just bought these Kenneth Coles when we were in Vegas a couple of months ago.  I didn’t have a pair of patent leather ones, so you know I had to get these.  And they were on sale!  Plus they’re a wedge, which is super comfortable and practical for me since my work day involves running to and fro all day long. I like the contrast of the wood wedge with the shiny black patent leather.

Kenneth Cole T-Straps

I don’t just wear black though, I love color.  I especially love these turquoise wedges, and have found more outfits to wear these with than I imagined.  They came from Nordstrom’s and are their own brand.  They’ve worn very well, even though they’re fabric and have a cork wedge sole. I’ll be sad when these have to be retired; this is one of the most flattering colors on me, and it isn’t a color you find very frequently in a shoe.

Nordstrom T-Straps

In my wardrobe, brown is definitely the new black, and it looks much better near my face.  I have several pair of brown shoes, but I didn’t have a brown pair of t-straps.  These Bandolinos came from DSW Shoes (who by the way, has 106 pair of t-straps online right now. Schwing!), and are suede with a faux crocodile heel, platform and strap.  So yummy!  Are they comfortable?  Nope.  Do I care?  Nope.

Bandolino Brown T-Straps

How much do I love Bandolino’s take on the t-strap?  So much that I bought them in gray too!  I’m crazy about their updated 1940s retro style with the little peep toe!

Bandolino Gray T-Straps

That’s my stash of t-strap shoes!  I want to go put the Bandolinos on right now, even though I have on workout pants.  😀  I know you’re a fellow shoe lover, LilSis.  What’s your favorite style of shoe?

~BigSis

January 24, 2009

Before you start calling me a MAC traitor, let me explain myself!  Yes, it’s true, I did order 10 La Femme eyeshadows from Makeupmania.com, but MissChevious is all to blame!  She talked about MakeupMania.com in one of her MissChevious Channel YouTube videos, and said that La Femme actually makes high-quality eyeshadows for prestigious makeup companies, but most people don’t know that.  Since these shadows are only $3.50 each, and MissChevious seems to be pretty much in-the-know, I figured it was worth a little experiment and I went with it.  I was tempted and I caved!

I ordered 10 shadows, and one – Iridescent Brown – is still on backorder.   Here is what I got:

La Femme Eyeshadows

From left to right, the top row is Pink Blush (very frosted), Pink (matte) and Nude (matte).

The middle row is Rose Petal (very frosted), Iridescent White and Bisque (matte).

The bottom row is Plum (matte), Clove (light frost) and Beige Pink (very frosted).

I’ve now used all of these, and can report that they are indeed high quality eyeshadows.  I applied them as I do my MAC shadows: packed on with a good brush over a thin layer of Urban Decay Primer Potion.  I found that all of the shadows lasted throughout the entire day with no creasing or fading.  I dropped one of the shadows on the tile floor today, and it didn’t crack or show any damage at all from the fall.  Most drugstore brands at a higher price point would not have survived that challenge intact.

Although they are good shadows, I didn’t love all of the colors I chose, especially the matte shades.  Bisque and Nude were just nothing colors at all, I much prefer MAC Yogurt for a good neutral foundation color if I’m going to use one.  These are not very pigmented and were just blah.  They also seemed a little fly-away during application.  The Pink shade was more of a matte peachy melon on me rather than a pink, and was just ok.  I wasn’t a huge fan of the Iridescent White, which I hoped would be a good highlight color. The color doesn’t apply very evenly and it can’t decide if it’s too sheer or chalky…it’s kind of both at one time.

There is some good news, and it’s mostly about the shimmery La Femme colors.  I really liked the Pink Beige, Pink Blush and Rose Petal.  The frost was just right, and didn’t fade away to nothing after 15 hours, even though it’s fairly sheer.  I also liked the Plum, which is more reddish than a purple.  I used it to blend in my MAC Corduroy, and liked the rosy brown hue I got.  Clove was more terra cotta/orange-toned than I expected, but it’s a great warm color for bringing out blue eyes if your skin tone will allow you to do the orangy thing.

That’s my verdict on the La Femme eyeshadows.  The formula is good, they last a long time, the price is fabulous, and the MakeupMania customer service is efficient.  Just choose your colors carefully!  If you get one you don’t love, at least you haven’t dropped a huge amount of money on it!  The main thing is to have fun, it’s just makeup!

~BigSis

January 22, 2009

I’ve had some amber agave nectar and organic coconut oil in my pantry for a while, and it’s been recently screaming to be used in baking.  Once I saw that Anna at CookieMadness had whipped up a batch of Agave & Honey Oatmeal Cookies, I was reminded that it was time to put those 2 healthy ingredients into action.

My recipe was adapted from Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Raisin Cookies in Baking with Agave Nectar by Ania Catalano.

Baking with Agave Nectar

It’s similar to the recipe Anna used and to RecipeGirl’s variation with M&Ms.  I baked the full recipe instead of scaling it down, and I got 24 cookies.  I substituted coconut oil for all of the butter, and agave was my only sweetener.  I also used ground flax seeds instead of wheat germ, and omitted the raisins since I’m allergic and skipped the M&Ms to make these as guilt-free as possible.

As soon as I got these scooped out on the cookie sheets, I was wishing that I had added some sunflower seeds and chopped walnuts to the batter.  Once these were out of the oven, it was clear that those additions would have been scrumptious, so next time I’ll do that!  I may also add some dried cranberries or cherries, and perhaps a little shredded coconut to complement the coconut oil’s great flavor.

I hesitate to even call these cookies, to me they’re more of a healthful substantial pre-workout or post-workout snack.  They’re sturdy and cakey, and not very sweet which is a plus for me since I’m not a big sweets eater.  A slight little sprinkle of turbinado sugar on top of each cookie before baking might even be called for!  I loved these chunky cookies, and they got thumbs-up from my coworkers.  I’ll definitely make them again.  I love that they’re tasty, but they seem to be such great fuel for our bodies!

Agave Coconut Oatmeal Cookie

Agave Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup organic coconut oil
3/4 cup amber agave nectar
2 extra large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 3/4 c oats (not quick cooking)
1/4 c flax seed (pulverized in coffee grinder)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or release foil.

Beat the coconut oil in a large bowl with the agave nectar for about 2 minutes until it’s well blended and slightly fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla.  In another smaller bowl, combine the flour, oats, flax, cinnamon, soda, and salt.   Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined. Drop onto cookie sheets by heaping tablespoons and flatten out slightly.  Bake for about 12 minutes until the bottoms are slightly browned and the tops are dry.  Don’t overbake.

~BigSis