Thursday, December 15, 2011

Holiday Songs

Here are a few on my favorite holiday songs--two are funny, one's classic, and one's political. When I hear these songs, I know the holidays are here.

The Killers "Don't Shoot me Santa"


Adam Sandler "Hanukkah Song"


Faith Hill "Silent Night"

 
John Lennon "Happy Christmas (war is over)"


Warmly,
Jamie

Friday, December 9, 2011

Shake it out

The band Florence + the Machine has large sounding songs and here is another one of their great works.


Enjoy,
Jamie

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Holiday Movies

The holiday season to me means that great movies are either being released or old favorites need to be watched! 

A few of my favorites to watch this time of year are:





What are some of your favorites?

Warmly,
Jamie

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Sausage Cheese Grits

The first time I had this was in Palm Desert and my sister and I begged for the recipe. This recipe seemed like comfort food to us, even though we never ate grits growing up!

You can adapt this recipe for vegetarians, personal likes, or what meats and vegetables you have in the fridge. I once made this when I was short on sausage, so I added a bacon and mushrooms to add more flavor.


























Sausage Cheese Grits Casserole
8 oz of Morning Sausage or any meat sausage
1/4 chopped red onion
1/4 chopped bell pepper
3/4 cup of quick cooking grits uncooked
4 oz sharp cheddar shredded
2 eggs beaten
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese sprinkled on top

Directions:
Saute the chopped onions, bell pepper, and sausage in a fry pan with a little oil until golden and sausage is cooked.

Cook grits according to the instructions on the box.

Combine sausage mixture, with grits, 4 oz of cheese, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour mixture into an oiled baking dish, then place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden on top.

Serve with salad or fruit.

Enjoy,
Jamie

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Gift Wrap

With the holidays nipping at our toes, here are a few alternatives to buying wrapping paper that is only single use.

Maps, comic, newspaper, kid's art work:












Hat box or storage box:





















Fabric:







Wrap a present in a present:






















Images found here.


Warmly,
Jamie

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Green Tip

Weekly, I'll post one easy sustainability tip that I find very useful and makes a big impact.

A tip for Black holiday shopping and grocery shopping is to bring your own bags!

Three resons to bring your own bags:
1) We only use a  plastic/paper bag for only 5-12 minutes
2) It takes about 1,000 years before a plastic bag starts to decompose
3) Plastic bags are made of non-renewable resources, which hurts the planet and reduces our nautral resources

You can reuse your paper bags from previous shopping trips.




Also I have a slew of these canvas bags that I have gotten for free at events, concerts, and as a thank you for signing up for a magazine. I leave these canvas bags in my car and I grab them whenever I am going shopping.




If you think carrying around these extra bags are too bulky or not spontaneous enough for your shopping habits, you can also get this reusable bags that folds in on a small bag. This way you can always have a reusable bag on you!





Do you have any  other green shopping tips?

Warmly,
Jamie

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Peanut Butter Pie

To celebrate Ryan's birthday, I made him one of his favorite desserts Peanut Butter Pie. I only make this pie for parties because otherwise I will devour the whole thing! This pie is smooth, salty, chocolaty, and very addicting.


Peanut Butter Pie

1 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup of peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1 chocolate graham cracker crust, store-bought

Directions:
Whip 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl mix the cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectioners' sugar together until blended, then fold in the whip cream. Scoop into crust and chill for an hour or more.

Using a double boiler (a pot with a 1/2 inch of boiling water, then a larger glass bowl on top of the pot), place chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of cream into glass bowl. Stir until chocolate and cream are combined, then pour over peanut butter filling.

Chill pie for another two hours or more, then serve!

Enjoy,
Jamie

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Panzanella

I was craving a crisp and zesty salad last night and panzanella was the answer! The recipe reminds me of summer and can be thrown together in minutes. I think tomatoes are a must in this salad, but you can substitute in other veggies like bell peppers, artichokes, grilled zucchini, olives, pepperoncinis, Italian meats, cheeses, etc. Also, a store bought Italian or balsamic dressing would work well too!

We ate this salad on its' own last night, but it would accompany grilled chicken breasts or fish or burgers perfectly.


Panzanella
Salad:
2 1/2 cups of french baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes 
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup of cucumber, cut into cubes
1/4 cup yellow onion, small chop
4 basil leafs, torn
4 tablespoons of feta, chopped or crumbled

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave/honey
salt, pepper, and thyme to taste

Directions:
If you have stale bread, please chop that into 1 inch cubes.

If you bought a fresh baguette please pre-heat oven to 400 degrees, then chop the bread into one inch cubes and toast in the oven for 5 minutes or until crisp. The bread needs to be dried out to ensure it doesn't become soggy in the salad.

Chop cucumbers into cubes, small dice the onion, chop cherry tomatoes in half or you can use whole tomatoes and chop in medium size pieces, and tear basil by hand.

Place the vegetables, bread, and feta into a salad bowl.

Stir the vinaigrette ingredients together and pour over the salad, stir until completely covered. Let sit for 10 minutes and then taste. If the salad tastes a little dry, please add more vinaigrette.

Enjoy!
Jamie

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Skin Deep

This past spring I took a sustainability workshop series through Sustainable Works and one website I now frequent is Skin Deep. Skin Deep discusses the health and safety impacts of cosmetics ranging from eye drops to sunscreen to deodorant to makeup to soap, etc. Their website is user friendly and you can search by company or product or chemical.

This image shows you some of the harmful effects of products that females use every morning.


Some of the products I had in my house were considered "high hazard" like carmex chapstick and Essie nail polish, so once they ran out, I consulted this website to find low or moderate hazard products. I do take into consideration price point and how easy it is find new products when shopping, so usually I write out a few options and see what my local store has.

One of the challenges is finding safe products that are the equivalent of the products I used to have, but usually I can find it within the first or second try! Have you used Skin Deep before?

Warmly,
Jamie

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Movember

November is here and you may have noticed some of your friends and loved ones now have moustaches (or are trying to grow one...) This is because Movember has officially started! 


November is moustache "mo" and November combined. This month long charity event helps raise awareness and funding for men's health issues and prostate cancer. Movember is an international campaign and stashes are now being grown in Australia, South Africa, Canada, and Europe to support this cause. Globally, 174 million dollars has been raised for Movember!


You can support this cause by encouraging your males friends to grow moustaches or make a donation  here.





















Photo taken at the Chelsea Market in New York during the magnificent specimen's exhibit.

Warmly,
Jamie

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Banana Pancakes

Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes definitely inspired our rainy morning and this song makes me smile whenever I hear it.


Our pancakes followed the back of the Krusteaz pancake box for two people and added 3/4 of a smashed banana.

Warmly,
Jamie

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Brussel Sprouts

My family never had brussel sprouts on the table growing up and I knew they had a reputation of tasting horrible, so I avoided them. Within the last year I have grown very fond of them and even crave them now!


Brussel sprouts are now in season and you can buy them in these large stocks at Trader Joes! They are a part of the cabbage family, but they don't taste like it.  Brussel sprouts are easy to prepare and taste nutty and earthy after roasting them--which is my go to way of cooking them, but they are great sauteed with bacon like my friend Kate makes.


Roasted Brussel Sprouts
1/2 lbs of brussel sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lemon wedge

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and line a cooking sheet pan with tin foil.

Cut brussel sprouts in half from top to bottom and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Line halfs face down of cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until golden. Then flip them over and cook for another 12 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Enjoy!
Jamie

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Tim Burton

Now that it's only two days till Halloween, we carved our pumpkin!

























We decided to carve the classy Jack Skellington from the Nightmare before Christmas due to his simple lines and because we just saw the Tim Burton exhibit at LACMA.

 
Inflatable Tim Burton piece at the LACMA

The Tim Burton exhibit was really interesting, creepy, and fun! We loved seeing his point of view and would recommend seeing this exhibit before its' doors close at midnight this Halloween! Tim Burton Exhibit Info

Romeo and Juliet by Tim Burton

This is probably one of the sweeter paintings by Tim Burton, which I adored!

Warmly,
Jamie

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Quiche

Quiche is one of my favorite dishes to make ahead! So the night before I cooked all the veggies and grated the cheese. Then in the morning, I assembled the quiche and threw it into the oven while I got ready!

Below is the recipe I used, but really you can substitute what vegetables and cheese you prefer or have in your fridge.

Photo taken by mom

Vegetable Quiche
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
3 cups of raw spinach
1 package of crumini mushrooms
1 large Italian squash
1 cup of cheddar cheese
1 cup of jack cheese
2 slices of bacon
1 frozen pie crust
5 eggs
3 tablespoons water
salt and pepper to taste

Turn oven to 350 degrees. The crust will be need to be par-baked to avoid raw dough in the middle, so first poke holes into the crust to let air escape and cook for 7 minutes. Place a layer on cheese on the crust.

Cut the onion and mushroom into bite size pieces and saute till golden, season with salt and pepper, place into pie crust and layer cheese on this. Repeat with squash, spinach, and bacon. **This part can be done the night before and place into fridge.

Combine eggs with water, salt, pepper and beat with whisk, then pour on top of the veggie/cheese mixture. Cook for 40 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked!

Enjoy!
JB

Monday, October 24, 2011

The Getty

This weekend we had company in town, so visiting the Getty was a must!

The only fee is to park your vehicle, then you take a tram up the museum.  Most of the buildings were made of these large white stone blocks with clean edges, very bright inside, and quite expansive.

 
My favorite part about the museum is their gardens! Here is a photo of the stream that runs through their shaded garden.


Then the stream empties out into a pond below the geometric hedge. The bottom of the pond has pennies in it, where wishes were made! I did throw a penny or two in..


These metal sculptures with bougainvillea are very striking in person! I am able to weld, so this project is even more impressive to me--knowing the time it would of taken to build these and them being able support the weight of the plant too.


You can find out more information about the Getty here.

Warmly,
Jamie

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Herb Box

Ryan and I have have a cozy roof top deck that's great to entertain on and gets ample sunlight, so a few succulent pots decorated the patio in no time! To ensure it didn't get too crowded, we added hanging herb boxes instead of having them on the ground.


Home Depot had everything to make this work--the planters are supported by the metal box that clips onto the balcony and no screws were needed to mount it.


We planted rosemary, lettuce, basil, parsley, fennel, and mint and they have made their appearances in a few dishes too!


Maybe we will plant some seasonal fruits and vegetables this spring!

Warmly,
Jamie

Sunday, October 16, 2011

There's no place like home?

Over the past few months, I have seen these sparkling ruby heels hanging from telephone wires across LA and they were recently hung up two blocks from me!


I first assumed it was a tribute to Wizard of OZ or marketing for Wicked coming back to LA, but I was wrong. After some research, I found out it was artist Manny Castro promoting his new show "This Hollywood Life." The whole story and more photos can be seen here.

I do enjoy spotting theses shoes while stuck in traffic and reminisce about one of my favorite movies while growing up...

Warmly,
JB

Friday, October 14, 2011

Chicken Stew w/ Biscuits

In the midst of craving everything yesterday, Ina Gartner's chicken stew with biscuits recipe came to mind and I had to make it that night!

I usually alter most recipes, since I'm cooking for fewer people than the receipe calls for or use what I have in the kitchen or cut down on cost and time.

So here is my take on Ina's chicken stew with biscuits and it would comfortably feed four with a side salad.

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

1 large chicken breast
3 tablespoons EVOO
3/4 cup chopped onions
3/4 cups chopped carrots
3/4 cups frozen peas
2 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup half and half
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons of flour dissolved into 4 tablespoons of water
Pre-made biscuits

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook chicken breast for approximately 25 minutes in oven with EVOO, salt, and pepper. Cool, cut chicken into cubes and set aside. **Would be great to use chicken leftovers or a roasted chicken from the store. 

-In a stockpot, add EVOO and saute chopped onions until clear. Then add the carrots, chicken broth, spices, and bring to a boil. Add half & half and dissolved flour/water mixture, stir until thickened, and lower the heat to a simmer. After simmering for 5 minutes, add peas, chicken, then pour into a oiled casserole dish. 

-Turn oven to 400, then place pre-made biscuits on top of the chicken stew and cook for 15 minutes in oven.

Enjoy!
JB






Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Mushroom Soup

I am big fan of LA Restaurant Week, where you are able to dine at restaurants for a fixed price.  The restaurants participating in restaurant week can be seen here. Ryan and I treated ourselves to a lunch at Fig and Olive, which is where Obama ate at when he visited LA.

One of the many dishes we enjoyed was their mushroom soup, so I tried to see if I could recreate it. I altered a Wolfgang Puck recipe and it tasted very similar to the original and was delicious!
  
Photo taken by Katelyn

Mushroom Soup Recipe

1 lbs total of fresh portabello and crumini mushrooms
1 medium lemon
1 tablespoon EVOO
2 tablespoons of minced shallots
1 medium garlic clove minced 
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cup of half and half
3/4 cup of white wine
1 3/4 cup of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of flour, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water
Parsley, truffle oil, and baguette to garnish

Directions:
Combine mushrooms and lemon juice in a food processor and mince. Depending on the size of your food processor, this may need to be done in phases. 

In a stockpot, saute the shallots, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper in EVOO over medium heat until all liquid disappears approx. 12 minutes.

Then add chicken broth, wine, and half and half to stockpot, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Dissolve flour in 1 tablespoon of water and once mixture is smooth, add to soup to help thicken. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Garnish soup with parsley, truffle oil and plenty of baguette to dip!

Enjoy,
Jamie

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Trading up

To preface, most of my family gardens from succulents beds to English gardens to Mediterranean landscapes and I believe I have a green thumb as well!

I always have plants around the house and at work to help purify the air and they adds that je ne sais quoi to the space, but one of my house plants didn't do so well after I moved...


I swear it was the move, not my neglect! Luckily I bought this plant at Home Depot and if you save the receipt and it's in the same container, they will give you store credit for the dead plant! So my friend Fran and I meandered over to Home Depot and used the store credit towards a new indoor plant and container.


Currently this plant happily lives on my desk and I give it plenty of TLC, but I keep the Home Depot receipt in a safe place just in case....


Warmly,
Jamie

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Lush

First time I discovered Lush was in Scotland and since they weren't in the states yet, we thought we needed to stockpile their products! We bought a few bath bombs, massage bars, dusting powders... 

Now they have stores across the US and counters at Macy's too. Lush has products for males and females and everything I have tried has been great. I am a sucker for face masks--the below smell fresh and minty and makes me look like the Wicked Witch of the West!


What I love about Lush is that their products  are organic, no animal testing, minimal preservatives, smells amazing, and a decent price! Their staff is very knowledgeable and you're able to test most of their products in store!

Have you been in a Lush store?

Warmly,
Jamie

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Barley & Almond Pilaf

Fall is nipping at my toes a.k.a almost 75 degrees in LA... A recipe I enjoyed when growing up was barley & almond pilaf, so I decided to see if I still liked it! I accompanied the pilaf with lemon wine chicken and roasted squash. The pilaf was great with its' depth of flavor and made me nostalgic of being young and would go great with a Thanksgiving feast! You could easily alter this recipe for guests with dietary restrictions like vegans, vegetarian, gluten free, etc.


Recipe courtesy of my mom:
1 cup dried pearl barley
3 T EVOO
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 small onion chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onion
3 cups of chicken broth or veggie broth
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Lightly brown almonds in EVOO, then set aside. Saute onions until clear, then add barley and lightly brown. Place browned almonds, onion, barley, parsley, green onions, salt, & pepper in a oiled casserole dish. **This can in advance and placed in the fridge overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 375. Heat broth until boiling, pour over barley mixture, then stir. Cook uncovered in oven for 60 minutes and enjoy!

Warmly,
Jamie

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Sip the good life.

On our trip up to northern California we made our way up the coast by--a Cajun breakfast in Santa Barbara, wine tasting in Edna Valley, tri-tip sandwich at Firestones in San Luis Obispo, then finished off the night at the Thursday farmer's market with friends.


In college I really didn't enjoy wine, but now I write this while sipping on a glass. While tasting we notice the below signs and the stewards explained they are certified sustainable vineyard meaning they're mindful of their watering practices, use of pesticides, impact on air quality, etc.





I was impressed by all the SIP certified wines we tasted and the prices were reasonable too! Have you seen bottles with the SIP labels at your local market?

Warmly,
Jamie




Sunday, September 25, 2011

Unplug.

I was driving in LA this past weekend and saw the below advertisement in a bus shelter. I wasn't sure what the campaign was about, but from the looks I had to go to the website when I got home.


 It is a PSA campaign encouraging teenagers to go outside and reacquaint themselves with nature. The website it fun to play around on and informational. I found a new hiking spot on there for this weekend! Overall this campaign has a great message and I am curious to see what press and momentum it gets! Have you seen these posters in your neighborhood?

Warmly,
Jamie