FASHION: Fur

...I'M BACK!




I know, I know; I've taken quite the hiatus from blogging, but I've been a little busy the past few months...vacationing (VEGAS - Pittsburgh - DC - Texas), being a bridesmaid, studying, taking exams to get into grad school, interviewing, self evaluating, leaving my job, and, of course, dating... I definitely had a few spring and summer romances to get me through the chaos that has been my world lately and I can easily say it was the best summer of my life.



But now it's fall and it's time to be serious...



JUST KIDDING!



While I am a little sad that I had to say goodbye to such an epic summer, fall is by far my favorite season...primarily because of the wardrobe the weather dictates: jeans, boots, jackets...the best! One of the most fun aspects of this fantastic season is that it's time to wear FUR!



Last year I was lucky enough to score some great deals on some beautiful fur pieces - some real and some faux - which I added to the few pieces that I already owned. These pieces can be worn dressed up or dressed down, day or night, all day, everyday! Thank God, because I can't wait to get these beauties out of my closet!

Not sure what the brand is on this fun lamb fur vest, but I picked it up from Macy's for about $20!

Reversible Real Rabbit Fur Vest, Aqua, via Bloomingdales

Real Rabbit Fur Jacket, State & Lake, via Shopbop

Ambre Babzoe via EB Pepper in Pittsburgh...found this beauty on a random trip home to see my family and COULD NOT pass it up! It was on major mark down and a few sizes too big...but after an alteration or two, it fits perfectly!

Isn't the sequin and beading detail amazing? I love how it gives the piece a vintage feel.

State & Lake Leather Motorcycle Jacket with Rabbit Fur Collar via Shopbop...This is literally my fall staple jacket. I rarely leave home without it!

FOOD: Seeing Red!

As you would assume from this blog, I'm a pretty healthy person. Don't get me wrong, I definitely indulge myself whenever I feel the need, but it's certainly not everyday. My diet generally consists of egg whites, fruit, spinach, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, chicken, low fat cheese....you get the idea, nothing terribly exciting or out of the ordinary on a daily basis. When I'm feeling the desire to splurge calorically, I usually go for some light cheddar popcorn or some chocolate covered nuts. However, there are some times when you just need to go ALL OUT...for instance: when your best friend is getting married.

One of my best friends, who I've known since I was 9 years old, is getting married in June and I am lucky enough to be one of her bridesmaids. This past weekend, I travelled back to our home town so we could throw her a fun and traditional bridal shower at a beautiful venue in Pittsburgh. The shower was classy and elegant and big surprise, I volunteered to supply the sweets.

I made two kinds of cupcakes for the shower (both recipes from NYC's famed Magnolia Bakery) but one of them is my all time favorite - Red Velvet. This particular recipe calls for a cream cheese frosting which I think makes the cupcake...It's tangy and sweet and compliments the faint chocolate taste of the red velvet cake perfectly. Heaven in a few bites if you ask me!

Now there are a few substitutions that I frequently utilize when making this recipe in order to cut down on calories and fat just a little bit - like I said, it's ok to indulge every once in a while, but if you can make simple substitutions to cut down on a few calories, you might as well go for it.

POSSIBLE SUBSTITUTIONS

2 ¼ cups sugar - use 1 ¾ cup sugar and ½ cup baking splenda

1 ½ cups buttermilk - use just under 1 ½ cups reduced fat or skim milk plus 1 ½ TBSP lemon juice (let it sit for about 5 minutes)

cream cheese - substitute neufchatel cheese


Ingredients

3 ⅓ cups cake flour
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 ¼ cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
6 tablespoons red food coloring
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

Frosting

1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and lightly flour three muffin tins. Place cupcake papers in the tins.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and mix well. In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts, alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not overheat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well.

Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Divide the batter among the prepared pans.

Bake each tray for 20 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool partially in the pans. Remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting: In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating continuously until smooth and creamy. Cover and refrigerate icing for 2 to 3 hours, but no longer, to thicken before using. When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting liberally on the cupcakes. Makes 3 dozen cupcakes. 

Here are the red velvet cupcakes displayed along with the vanilla cupcakes with vanilla butter cream:

and some beautiful flowers courtesy of Pittsburgh Cut Flowers!

BONUS F: Free yourself to find yourself

Freedom only comes
when you jump
into your life.

I have spent the past 6 months of my life on what I can call none other than a never ending emotional rollercoaster ride though hell. There have been high moments of elation and fun followed by low times of deep sadness and frustration - I hate to admit more of the latter than the former.

While I have spent countless hours seeking the advice and comfort of friends, family members, co workers, doctors, and even potential love interests, none of these outlets have given me the answers or explanations that I seek. However, this is not to discount the great advice and support I have received. Many of these people have been of great moral and emotional support and I owe each person an incredible amount of gratitude for their efforts in helping me cope with my life's stresses.

The latest and greatest place to which my journey toward self discovery has led me is an fairly unfamiliar one - far more so than I'd like to disclose.  This undiscovered sanctuary of potential answers is…(dramatic pause)… church.

I have not been to church of any kind of regular basis in over a decade; and to be quite honest, I’m not entirely certain of what finally subconsciously motivated me to make the trip 60 some blocks uptown to the Church of St Paul the Apostle this past weekend. Whatever the unknown force may have been, I am extremely glad that it propelled me to the cathedral doors on Columbus Avenue.

The Church of St Paul the Apostle, built in 1885

The major premise of this Easter season service was that in order to find ourselves, we must free ourselves from the facets of our lives over which we have no control.

Free yourself to imagine that you are not in control of the things around you – other people’s opinions, the economy, broken relationships…

What a foreign concept – the idea that we as individuals are not necessarily responsible for every aspect of our lives. It is an idea that can certainly lift the proverbial weight from our shoulders to realize that there are certain things we simply cannot control. Perhaps many of us already know there are things in this universe outside of our control, but the ultimate challenge is to truly understand and accept this fact. Once we have come to accept this realization, I surmise and hope that it is slightly easier to breathe and carry on.

This concept of letting go  (after all, it is lent) seems it may give me many heart palpitations in the process of achieving the aforementioned freedom because, to be rather frank, I have a Type A personality – I prefer to do things specifically my way in my time. I like to take control and be responsible; letting someone else drive is simply not in my nature. The pastor said these words verbatim during the service – “live without anxiety.”

Please, sign me up for that life!  No anxiety? Don’t mind if I do.

In all seriousness though, being anxiety free is a conscious choice that we each have to make; and it will certainly be a challenge for me. But the first step in the process of recovery is recognizing that you have a problem, right? So each day going forward, I must repeat to myself “Don’t stress; some things are out of your control.”

You have to leave things behind to go on your own journey to find yourself.

The first thing that I plan to leave behind is the notion that there are answers...there are no answers; there is just a life which we cannot control - and all we can do is hope that the landing is soft when we jump. 

FOOD: How about some hash?

Sweet Potato, Bacon, and Apple Hash

A friend recommended this recipe to me and I have been slightly obsessed ever since. As you can tell from my previous posts, I love comfort food – nothing makes me happier than a belly full of it. This is definitely one of those comforting dishes. It is so incredibly flavorful but the recipe is so simple and quick. I’m going to make it as many times as possible until the warm weather is here to stay!

The original recipe came from the famous and spunky Anne Burrell, but I have made a few modifications to suit my tastes and diet. First, I substituted regular bacon for turkey bacon in order to make the recipe lower in fat. Next, I omitted the scallion and used an extra large onion because I love onion. Lastly, I also omitted pepitas because I just didn’t think the recipe needed them.

See the original recipe here.

INGREDIENTS

     . 2 garnet yams, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

     . Extra-virgin olive oil

     . salt

     . 4 to 6 slices thick cut bacon, cut into small pieces

     . 1 large onion, diced

     . 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and diced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss the diced sweet potatoes in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Make sure the potatoes are coated evenly and arrange them on a baking sheet. Roast the sweet potatoes until they are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and set aside.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Cook the bacon over medium head and when the bacon has started to brown, add the onions, season with salt and saute until the onions are very soft. Add the apples and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the sweet potatoes, and saute until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and starting to become crispy, about 7 to 8 minutes.

After I finished cooking everything, I mashed it all together slightly…just enough to break down some of the potato cubes, because I prefer this consistency better. You don’t have to do this though, whatever you prefer is fine.

Transfer to a dish, serve, and try not to inhale the whole dish enjoy!

YUM, this dish is so good it almost makes me want the cold weather to last a little bit longer…

ALMOST. 

FITNESS: Is it in your genes?

Great article courtesy of the New York Times - check it out.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/is-fitness-all-in-the-genes/

FITNESS: Step it up!

Everyone knows that cardio is a very important part of any work out routine, no record breaking revelation there. The problem is, basic cardio machines can get very boring and monotonous rather quickly. If you, like me, live in an urban area that doesn’t allow you to exercise outdoors very often, you are probably forced to utilize the cardio machines that your gym has to offer...either that, or you sit at home on your couch all night – let’s hope it’s the former and not the latter!

Ok, maybe I exaggerated a bit when I said you can’t exercise outdoors in urban areas…Yes, here in NYC, we do have amazing parks in which to run…but have you ever even walked through Central Park?! You are one in a gigantic herd of runners / walkers / skaters / bikers / stroller moms / smelly horse and carriages / tourists with cameras strapped around their necks who stop at every future cab road kill damn pigeon that crosses their path…the list goes on…Not too fun when you deal with crowds upon crowds of annoying tourists!!! people everyday of your life. 

Anyway, the point is – in order to maintain a regular cardiovascular work out – we are often forced to use the cardio equipment available at our gym. But it doesn’t have to be a dull and droning 30-60 minute cardio session on the treadmill or elliptical machine – there are more fun options out there. I have always been a big fan of using the Stairmaster at the gym; the step mill version that resembles a mini-escalator, not the kind with two petals that barely move. These great machines live in the shadows of the dull and boring treadmill but need to recognized for their benefits.

My favorite Stairmasters at my local New York Sports Club

 Not only does a workout on the Stairmaster get your heart pumping vigorously but it is also a tremendous workout for your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and calves. The incline of the stairs really engages these lower body muscles much better than standard flat surface activity….and trust me, it’s tiring! And it gives you a great ass…who doesn’t want that?

As with most cardio routines, the most efficient way to burn fat is by performing intervals – a period of intense exertion followed by a period of reduced exertion (followed by a period of intense exertion…then reduced exertion….you get the point - REPEAT!)

But feel free to start slow and work your way up to a more difficult level…don’t start out too quickly or you might lose your balance and tumble off the machine… no one wants to be that girl!

Another great way to get in a good and sometimes subconscious stair work out is to (...wait for it...) USE REAL STAIRS! Some of us lucky city dwellers live in walk-up buildings where we actually HAVE to walk up and down the stairs every time we enter or leave our apartments. (Side note: I had friends visit from out of town recently who, after lugging their luggage up the two flights to my apartment, gasped “Where’s the elevator?!” I just giggled and said, “Welcome to New York!”) So the long and short of it is – use the real stairs whenever you can.

I recently took a trip out to California and had the unfortunate opportunity privilege of encountering the Santa Monica stairs… those are some serious stairs! Even though I was scared of accidentally slipping and somersaulting all the way down the 200+ stair flight, it was an incredible work out… I was sore for nearly a week afterwards…my butt is thanking me now though! 

Going up the Santa Monica stairs

You don't want to fall down these stairs...

So if you want your ass and thighs to be thanking you by the time daisy dukes season rolls around (ahem it’s sooner than you think!), get to steppin’!

FASHION: Finder's Keepers

I purchased this great Python ring on a recent trip to Nordstrom. It sat amongst an assortment of similar over the top costume jewelry. Naturally, I wanted nearly every grandiose ring in the display case. However, much to my dismay, most of the pieces cost over $225...no thank you! After much digging around, I stumbled upon this ring (with some help) and gasp it was just under $40! Buying it was a no-brainer. I love how obnoxiously huge it is! With a piece of jewelry that makes a statement such as this, the rest of your look for the day can be simple and monochromatic - that's how I wore it (with all black). Definitely a new favorite!

ps ditched my Essie "Little Brown Dress" nail color for OPI's "You Don't Know Jacques" - glad I jumped on this bandwagon because it's just as great as everyone said!