BuiltBurger truly does “take the burger to a new level.” Gourmet burgers sent right to your doorstep? Alright! Choose your burger with a given variety of meats, flavors, occasions, and “BuiltBurger Faves.” Did someone say Trailblazer Melt? Oh My! They tagline themselves as “the world’s finest burger.” Does this statement leave you curious? Please read on as CRAVE asks BuiltBurger co-owner, Rebecca Makuen, some questions about her tantalizing burger business.

What was the inspiration behind BuiltBurger?
For a long time, we were disappointed with every single prepared burger we tasted at home or restaurants. We discovered we made a much better product ourselves and decided to go for it. Plus, what’s better than an amazing burger?

How have you found success?
We receive extraordinary reviews from everyone who tastes a BuiltBurger. As a startup, we are simply pounding the pavement to create brand awareness in Seattle and beyond. It’s all about getting customers to try the product and fall in love with the flavors, quality and service you expect from BuiltBurger.

The “world’s finest burger” is such a statement! Tell us why?
When we were soliciting reviews of our burgers prior to our launch, all we heard was that statement…so, it stuck as our tagline. If you haven’t tried them yet, taste a few and see for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

What is your BuiltBurger fave?
That’s a really tough choice because they are all so unique. Three are tied for first place: The Utopia Chicken, The Magnificent Chorizo and The Stellar Short Rib (all my favorites so far).

Which burger is your most popular?
The Pinnacle Bacon Bleu! Who doesn’t like bacon?

A build-your-own burger company… You definitely thought outside the box. How can you encourage other female entrepreneurs to do the same?
Don’t be afraid. You have to seize the moment. Right now is the best time to follow your passion. Plus, starting a business with the people you love the most is incredibly rewarding and a lot of fun.

What could be a better time than today to check out BuiltBurger. Send a few invites to friends and celebrate the summer before the rain hits. Impress your guests with the brilliant flavors of Built Burgers’ cuisine! Delicious food delivered right to your doorstep. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Check them out and savor a sample of BuiltBurger’s goodness at Seattle’s CRAVEparty on August 19th.

Blackberry bushes are going wild right now, producing glorious high antioxidant morsels jam-packed with polyphenols and anthocyanins—the excellent cancer and heart disease defense chemicals found in some plants.  We recommended taking advantage of nature’s bounty by grabbing your girls and heading out for a day of blackberry picking followed by cooking and cocktailing!  Check out a few seasonal recipes we are loving right now:

Blackberry Mojito via Foodchannel.com
Ingredients: 6 each mint leaves, 5 each fresh blackberries, 1/2 part simple syrup, 1 part fresh lime juice, 1 part white rum, 1 part crème de cassis, 1 part club soda.  For garnish: 1 sprig mint, 1 each fresh blackberry speared with cocktail pick
Preparation: In a Collins glass, muddle mint leaves with blackberries and simple syrup.  Add lime juice, rum and crème do cassis and stir to combine.  Fill glass with ice, top with club soda, and stir to combine.  Garnish with mint sprig and blackberry.

Blackberry Chicken via tasteofhome.com
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, divided, 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 3/4 teaspoon paprika, divided, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each), 4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions: In a small bowl, mash 2 tablespoons berries. Add 1/4 cup broth, brown sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and cumin.  Place chicken in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; pour broth mixture over the top. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper and remaining paprika.  Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until chicken juices run clear, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove chicken and keep warm.  Skim fat from pan drippings. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir in drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken; sprinkle with remaining blackberries. Yield: 6 servings.

Blackberry Salsa via Nikibone.com
Ingredients: 2 chipotle peppers, dried, 6 serrano peppers, finely diced, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon ground oregano, 1/2 cup water, 12 ounces blackberries, fresh or frozen 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup, 2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Directions: Place chipotles in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil.  Cover, and boil until tender about 15 minutes; drain.  Set aside to cool.  Finely dice the rehydrated chipotles and combine with serranos, sugars, salt, cinnamon, oregano and water in a medium saucepan.  Bring mixture to a low boil.  Cook until thickened slightly about 7 or 8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add blackberries and cook until they start to break up but not disintegrate.  You want the salsa to have a chunky texture.  Remove mixture from heat, and stir in chocolate syrup and pecans.  Chill thoroughly, and serve over ice cream.

The recent heat has got us hot and bothered. Keeping cool when temperatures reach record highs isn’t just about comfort. Dangerously high temperatures can result in heat-related illnesses ranging from heat cramps to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The following tips via MedicineNet help you keep cool all summer long.

1. Alter your pattern of outdoor exercise to take advantage of cooler times (early morning or late evening). If you can’t change the time of your workout, scale it down by doing fewer minutes, walking instead or running, or decreasing your level of exertion.

2. Wear loose-fitting clothing, preferably of a light color.

3. Cotton clothing will keep you cooler than many synthetics.

4. Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the refrigerator for a quick refreshing spray to your face after being outdoors.

5. Fans can help circulate air and make you feel cooler even in an air-conditioned house.

6. Try storing lotions or cosmetic toners in the refrigerator to use on hot, overtired feet.

7. Keep plastic bottles of water in the freezer; grab one when you’re ready to go outside. As the ice melts, you’ll have a supply of cold water with you.

8. Take frequent baths or showers with cool or tepid water.

9. Combat dehydration by drinking plenty of water along with sports drinks or other sources of electrolytes.

10. Some people swear by small, portable, battery-powered fans. At an outdoor event I even saw a version that attaches to a water bottle that sprays a cooling mist.

11. I learned this trick from a tennis pro: if you’re wearing a cap or hat, remove it and pour a bit of ice cold water into the hat, then quickly invert it and place on your head.

12. Avoid caffeine and alcohol as these will promote dehydration.

13. Instead of hot foods, try lighter summer fare including frequent small meals or snacks containing cold fruit or low fat dairy products. As an added benefit, you won’t have to cook next to a hot stove.

14. If you don’t have air-conditioning, arrange to spend at least parts of the day in a shopping mall, public library, movie theater, or other public space that is cool. Many cities have cooling centers that are open to the public on sweltering days.

15. Finally, use common sense. If the heat is intolerable, stay indoors when you can and avoid activities in direct sunlight or on hot asphalt surfaces. Pay special attention to the elderly, infants, and anyone with a chronic illness, as they may dehydrate easily and be more susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Don’t forget that pets also need protection from dehydration and heat-related illnesses too.
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Entreprenesses undoubtedly face a unique set of challenges, and often run different types of businesses than our male counterparts. What can the Obama administration and Congress do to help? Check out this thought provoking article from The Wall Street Journal.

1. Re-evaluate small business administration lending programs
Many women don’t significantly grow their operations beyond a few employees for family and lifestyle reasons. This makes it extra difficult for these businesses to secure post-start-up capital, especially when compared to male business owners with aggressive growth plans. NWBC recommends adapting SBA-backed lending programs to make growth capital more accessible to women, including: offering “stage-based” loans that provide money to businesses based on the stage of development; extending credit lines once start-up loans are paid off; allowing accounts receivable to be pledged as collateral and aligning women business owners with “patient capital” investors who don’t require immediate or fast repayment.

2. Give tax credits to angel investors
Women-owned businesses can benefit greatly from angel investors, affluent individuals who invest in small businesses but don’t demand the same size and growth aspirations of venture capitalists. Congress should seriously consider a bill that would provide tax credits to angel investors.

3. Create tax incentives for improving employees’ experience.
Many women business owners want to offer programs such as child-care assistance, good health benefits and wellness programs that improve employees’ lives. They would like tax incentives to offer these types of programs.

4) Ensure women-owned businesses win at least 5% of federal contracts
A 2000-passed law mandates that federal agencies must dole out 5% of all federal contracts to women-owned businesses. NWBC says its members “overwhelmingly” support that rule and want to see it enforced (which it hasn’t been). Also set up a federal contracting clearinghouse just for women. Many women entrepreneurs don’t try for contracts because finding opportunities and pursuing them is so complicated. The government should set up a special Web site that lists contracting set-asides just for women-owned businesses along with resources on topics, such as how women can apply for 8(a) certification.

5. Increase funding for federal entrepreneurs’ support organizations, such as Women’s Business Centers and SCORE
Many women rely on these federally funded programs and business incubators for help. Also offer more outreach to women entrepreneurs and mentoring opportunities.

6. Ease costs and regulations for “microbusinesses.”
Since many women do run businesses with very few employees—and often from their homes—the government should consider how it can assist these businesses. Among suggestions: Amend the home-office deduction to make it more attractive, get rid of self-employment tax for firms without employees, expand micro-lending through the SBA and provide federal contracting set-asides just for microbusinesses.

Readers, what do you think of these recommendations? Should the government do more to help women entrepreneurs?

Two girls with two styles join forces in one great city. Stephanie Belfiore and Dawn Miller, co-founders of Alice & Isa, aim to bring creative designers of San Francisco together under one fantastic cyber roof. No matter your style, Alice & Isa welcomes you! They have one-of-a-kind items for everyone. Stephanie (whose alter ego can be found in “Alice”) and Dawn (who you know as “Isa”) both seek to “support and highlight local San Francisco talent and showcase the city’s unique style.”

CRAVE perused aliceandisa.com only to find a fabulous assortment of bracelets, earrings, necklaces, handbags, and much, much more! Here are a few of our CRAVE-ings…

	Bramble: Designer Alix Bluh creates a bracelet entitled Bramble. The sterling silver brambles & smooth leather cuff combine to produce an organically sophisticated piece.
	The Classic Rose Scarf: “Versatile, unique and beautiful, The Rose Scarves are exceptionally feminine and functional scarves that will turn heads when you wear them!” Yes please
	Ophelia: Need to add a little spice to your shoe collection? These Leather and Tweed Spats with Ruffles (an Alise & Isa exclusive) are your answer to a shoe-lift! These beautiful accessories are carefully constructed with black leather and wool tweed. They are fully lined for your comfort.
	Pushover Crossbody – Grey: Who could say no to designer 49 Square Miles’ stone colored bag? Made from Italian lamb skin, this lush accessory is perfect for everyday use. The neutral shade and adjustable strap makes for a very versatile purse!

These four products exemplify the quality and talent Stephanie and Dawn seek as they provide their Alice & Isa customers with exquisitely unique merchandise!