It’s Sunday Funday and its time for the ‘Song of the Week’!
Today’s song is ‘Way Out Here’ written by David Lee Murphy, Casey Beathard and written and performed by Josh Thompson. The song peaked at #15 on the Hot Country Songs Charts.
Find it on Josh Thompson’s Debut album also titled ‘Way Out Here’
This song describes the America I live in, we live in and we should keep living in. Based on exactly what Teddy Roosevelt described:
“Americanism means the virtues of courage, honor, justice, truth, sincerity, and hardihood. – The virtues that made America.”
Teddy Roosevelt
Ali
I am in the process of job hunting and every time I end up with an interview, I ask myself this very question. Is a suit still the way to go in today’s more casual society? I think a suit is always necessary for certain jobs and professions (think doctors, politicos or stockbrokers). In my more creative field, I don’t know that it is always the answer. While I don’t think you can go wrong wearing a suit, is it worth the investment? PR, marketing and events have an interesting place in the world. They really attempt to strike a balance between business and creative. Let me tell you, it is not always easy. As a young professional in the field, you want to feel pulled together and age appropriate at the same time. Fashion forward yet professional. How do you best strike the balance? In addition, I think the answer varies a bit by region. I always feel compelled to wear a black suit and panty hose (yes, they still exist) for East Coast jobs, whereas I would probably never consider it for a job in LA. Here in Boulder, I generally wear a nice skirt and a jacket, but not necessarily a suit. Like this:
Elizabeth and James Available Here
I don’t want to feel like I am relegated to wearing the boxy “power suits” of yesteryear…
…so I have been on the hunt for something that is the perfect blend. Here are some that I like (affording these is, of course, a separate issue)!
Nanette Lepore Available Here
Theory Available Here
Elie Tahari Available Here
Rebecca Taylor Available Here
What do you think? Do you have a rule on interview suits? Would you wear any of these? What are your favorite places to find clothes for work? I would LOVE input!
Kelly
Sunday breakfast often seems to be the time for eggs and bacon or wonderful pastries, but in our house, Saturday is for lighter fare. This morning we threw together a quick smoothie that turned out delicious! Smoothies are one of those great things that are easy to make and allow for creativity. I have to admit, not all of my smoothies come out perfect, but I have fun playing with it! We had cappuccinos this morning, so we didn’t need more espresso, but this smoothie would be great with a shot of espresso added! Try it and let me know what you think.
Kelly
Saturday Smoothie
2 T Almond Butter
1 Banana (Frozen)
½ c Frozen Peaches
2 Scoops Chocolate Protein Powder
1 c Skim Milk
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth. Add more liquid if necessary. Serve immediately.
If you are like us, you love a little heat in your food! We constantly have a bottle of Tabasco on the table with dinner. Sometimes, other hot sauces are the way to go, like for these stuffed peppers. Find yourself a bottle of Frank’s Wing Sauce and get ready for a treat! What I like about this recipe is the variety of flavors. They are like nothing I have had before. I usually use Anaheim peppers, but you can use something a little milder if you prefer. Chiles are funny because they always seem to be different in the amount of heat they give you. Sometimes, they are just right and they you will get a super spicy one. Sometimes adding a little something extra to counteract the heat helps. You can also adjust by getting the milder Frank’s. There are several levels available, so choose the one best for your crowd!
Shrimp Stuffed Peppers
Feeds 4-6 People 1 lb Shrimp (peeled and deveined, tails removed) 8-10 Anaheim chiles 1 Plantain 1 Avocado Cubed 1/2 c Shredded Cheddar Cheese 2 T Butter 2-3 Green Onions ~ 1/3 c Frank’s Wing Sauce Cut the shrimp into small pieces (usually three per shrimp) and set aside. Place whole washed chiles on a baking sheet under the broiler until they blister turning them so they are blistered on all sides. (This can also be done over an open flame.) Keep an eye on them, as this can go quickly! Place the chiles in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 10-15 min. After the peppers have steamed, peel the peppers and open a slit in them while keeping the peppers whole. Remove seeds, rinse and return to baking sheet. Peel and slice the plantain. Heat 1 T butter over medium high heat in a skillet. Add the sliced plantain and cook until brown on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside. 
Combine the shrimp with Frank’s sauce, add salt and pepper to taste. Add remaining T of butter to pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook until firm and pink. Remove from heat. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine shrimp, plantains and avocado and divide between the chiles filling them. Sprinkle with cheese and sliced green onion. Place in oven to melt cheese and brown slightly. 
Serve immediately with Spanish rice and beans. Enjoy!!
Kelly
I woke up this morning and knew that scones were the only way to celebrate the Royal Wedding today! This recipe is a light all-purpose rendition. We have in the past added crystalized ginger to the dough with great success. You could add almost anything to make them your own! They also store quite well, unbaked, in the freezer. I decided to keep it simple this morning and served them with my favorite Huckleberry jam and strawberries.
Buttermilk Scones
Courtesy of The SONO Baking Company Cookbook
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t coarse salt
1/2 t baking soda
6 T chilled butter cut into small pieces
3/4 cup buttermilk
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
- Work butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1/2 cup of buttermilk and fold together then continue adding buttermilk 1 T at a time until the dough just comes together and there are no dry spots.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two balls. Form each ball into a 7 inch disk, 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick. Using a scraper or a sharp knife cut each disk into 6 equal wedges. Place wedges on prepared baking sheet and chill for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400°
- Bake on middle rack for 16-20 minutes, until golden brown. Rotate about 2/3 of the way through.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes.
- ENJOY!
I will be the first to admit that I was more than a little excited about the Royal Wedding. I did not drag myself out of bed to watch it live, but I did make scones to celebrate! (Stay tuned for details).
I watched the (DVRed) coverage start to finish relishing every detail of the transformation of Miss Catherine Middleton to The Dutchess of Cambridge. Though she is not a Princess strictly speaking, it really is a fairytale. The Brits do pomp & circumstance better than anyone. I admire how proper even the crowds seem to be exhibiting their best British behavior this morning. Everyone simply excited to be a part of the pageantry!
The highlights for me were seeing the siblings interacting. Kate and Pippa (who looked fantastic herself) were just sweet and supportive. Harry was both emotional and jocular (not to mention just perfectly disheveled). Seeing the love and understanding that seemed to be present between William and Kate. Seeing the crowds all along the way. It seemed to be a wonderful day for the monarchy. It was interesting to see how conservative this wedding was compared to Charles and Diana. From the dress to the flowers, everything was understated. I loved the gown, though it was quite simple for the venue. The whole look was just what you would expect from her. I would have loved to see a more elaborate bouquet as well as a cathedral-length veil, worthy of Westminster Abby. Otherwise, I thought everything was stunning and tasteful. The trees in the Abby were a fabulous touch! Kate had such poise and I don’t think she could have done anything better. The kiss was sweet as well and I loved that they gave in for a second kiss!
What did you think? Did you watch? Do something special to celebrate? Have a favorite part? Anything you would have done differently?
Congratulations to the happy couple!!
~Kelly
I got a very exciting package from Amazon today containing two NEW COOKBOOKS! I know, I know, I am a bit overly excited about this, but new cookbooks offer so much promise of fun new experimenting ahead. I will report back on the fabulousness of these books!
Happy Weekend!
When it comes to Chicken Piccata, recipes vary a bit on the details, but the basics are simple. Think chicken breasts, lemon and capers. This is absolutely one of my favorites and this is a recipe that has evolved over the years. Some people prefer to bread the chicken while I prefer just a seasoned flour coating. Some people prefer to pan fry the chicken in just olive oil and add butter to the sauce later, I think using both butter and olive oil to fry adds some depth and a lovely golden color. Many recipes choose either chicken stock or white wine, I like to use both. Sometimes I adjust it based on what I have on hand, but this is my favorite combination. I tend to like the sauce a bit more on the tart side. One other note: I buy chicken cutlets that have already been prepared by a butcher to save time, but you can buy boneless breasts and butterfly them or pound them to the thickness you like. Enjoy playing with this recipe!
Chicken Piccata
1 Package Chicken Cutlets (5-6 cutlets)
4 T. Flour
Salt
Pepper
1/3 c. Chicken Stock
2/3 c. White Wine
2/3 c. Lemon Juice (Freshly squeezed, about 2-3 large lemons)
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Chopped
2 T. Capers
6 T. Butter
4 T. Olive Oil
Fresh Parsley, Chopped
Add flour to a plate and season generously with salt and pepper. Dredge the cutlets in the seasoned flour and set aside, making sure to shake off any excess flour.
In a large skillet, melt 1 1/2 T. butter and 1 T. olive oil over med high heat.
Place two or three cutlets in the pan (making sure not to crowd them) and cook until golden brown, approximately 3 minutes per side.
Remove from the pan and cover with foil while cooking the next batch.
Wipe out the bottom of the pan before adding another 1 1/2 T. butter and 1 T. olive oil and repeating with the next batch of chicken. When the chicken is cooked, wipe out the pan again and add 2 T. of butter plus 1 T. olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant and lightly brown. Add the wine, lemon juice, stock, a pinch of salt and pepper, bring to a simmer.
While the sauce is cooking, make beurre manie by mixing equal parts flour and softened butter (1 T. of each) which will make a paste to thicken the sauce.
Add half of the beurre manie to the simmering sauce and add more as needed. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when ready, 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the sauce to finish the cooking (about 5 minutes), turning several times to coat evenly.
Add capers. Adjust seasoning as needed. Add the chopped parsley just before serving.
Serve with some good bread to sop up the sauce!
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