CRAVE CRUSH the urban girl's blog to all that you CRAVE

Put a Spring in Your Step with these Hot Colors

February 22, 2010 by Madeline C. | Comments (1)

When we think of spring we think of pastels and floral prints, but those just seem a little too passé and boring. What will you be wearing this spring to spice up your wardrobe? Here are some of the color trends that you won’t want to miss out on. Pick up a few bright accessories that are both trendy and timeless.

Turquoise – We’re pretty sure this is on EVERYONE’S hot-list, along with other aqua-colored hues. This vibrant color turns every outfit up a notch, making you just exude that cool confident aura that will make you the center of attention. Splurge on a Jamie Joseph brightly colored stone ring. We love this Sea Blue Chalcedony Ring for a beautiful eye-catcher.

Light Pink – More specifically, champagnes and corals are two “light pinks” that won’t have you gagging on pastel and cotton candy. Champagne is the closest you can get to a nice neutral color while adding a little pop! And for coral, try some of Cara Lyndon’s hairpins, we recommend Coral Wheel . Whether your hair color is light or dark, this feminine flair will turn heads.

Yellow – In every shade and size. Add a dash here or there or a big bright bag to have everyone around you smiling. Evoking sunshine and happiness, everyone could stand to integrate this cheerful color into their wardrobe or even their home. Try a bright throw pillow to add to your living room, we like the yellow Gloria pillow from Henry Road. The great thing about throw pillows is, when spring is over, you can just throw them back into the closet until spring comes again!

Valentine’s Day – Pink Themed Recipes

February 12, 2010 by Madeline C. | Comments (1)

There are so many pros to going out to dinner on Valentine’s Day and we can think of a lot of cons to staying in and cooking. But with the following recipes, staying in and making a home-cooked meal with your sweetheart might just look like the best idea ever!

Rack of Lamb with Herb and Olive Crust
For a pink themed menu, let’s start off with a delicious lamb recipe. It comes from Caroline in Chicago’s blog (hwhippedtheblog.com). Our mouths are watering already!

1/3 cup coarsely chopped olives – kalamata, picholine or Manzanilla
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 racks of lamb (7-8 ribs each, trimmed or frenched)
salt and pepper
3/6 cups breadcrumbs

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine olives, parsley, thyme, garlic and red pepper in a food processor or mortar. Make a rough paste. Stir in mayo. Set aside. Trim lamb so only a thin layer of fat remains. Heat a heavy skillet (NOT a nonstick) over high heat. Season racks with salt and pepper. Set in skillet fat side down and cook for about 2 minutes. Spread breadcrumbs on a plate. Coat the surface of the lamb with the olive paste then dip in the crumbs to coat. Put bone side down in a roasting pan. Cover the bone tips with foil so they don’t burn. Roast until instant read thermometer is 120-125 degrees for rare or 130-135 for medium. It will cook another 5 degrees when out of the oven. Let the lamb rest for 5 minutes. Cut apart between the bones and serve.

Strawberry Cupcakes
Amy Sherman, a San Francisco-based author, writer, and developer of all things food, shares an amazing strawberry cupcake recipe on her blog (cookingwithamy.blogspot.com). Cupcakes and strawberries are the key to any beau’s heart.

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 large egg
6 ounces Dannon® All Natural Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt (or any other fruit flavor of yogurt)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Frosting:
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 fresh strawberries, about 2 Tbsp. mashed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. With an electric hand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg, Dannon® All Natural Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt and vanilla, blending until smooth.
2. Measure the dry ingredients into the bowl and blend, then fold in the strawberries.
3. Divide the mixture equally between the 12 paper-lined cupcake cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
4. Beat together butter, powdered sugar, and mashed strawberry in medium-size bowl until creamy and smooth. Chill frosting for 15 minutes or until thick. Frost cupcakes with a spatula. Keep cupcakes in the refrigerator loosely covered.
Yield: 12 servings

French Kiss
To accompany your beloved meal (cupcakes are a meal, right?), the Wedding Paper Divas have some suggestions for romantically festive drinks (blog.weddingpaperdivas.com). May we recommend the French Kiss? It’s just the perfect shade of pink to match you cupcakes…we mean cheeks!

¾ oz Chambord
¾ oz Peach Schnapps
¾ oz Vodka
Splash orange juice, pineapple juice, cranberry juice
Serve straight up in a martini glass

Interview with Andrea Martins of Expat Women

February 5, 2010 by Madeline C. | Comments (0)

Andrea Martins may be Australian but that certainly hasn’t defined her. From where she travels to the company she keeps, she is a world-class CRAVE gal. No matter where she goes, she finds comfort in her friends and relationships. Through her experiences, she has created a massive website full of useful tips and stories for women living abroad, ExpatWomen.com

Why did you initially go abroad?
Once upon a time, my husband followed me on a domestic move for my career. So then it was my turn to follow him. We went to Jakarta, Indonesia (3 years), the Mexico City, Mexico (4 years), and then we retreated to the beach in Australia (2.5 years), before moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (6 months ago).

What is the hardest part of living away from your home country? What is the best part?
The hardest part is always missing friends and family back home, especially when you miss special occasions—birthdays, weddings, illnesses, etc. The best part is all the new friends you meet, from all over the world, who all have so many exciting stories to share with you from their own adventures abroad!

What or who inspired you to start your business?
I was desperately searching for a product or business idea that excited me and that I believed in. When I shared the idea of a global website for expatriate women with a friend living in Mexico with me at the time, she loved the concept so much that we inspired each other to make this dream a reality. In doing so, together we made the business concept even bigger and it’s this later concept that you see today in ExpatWomen.com

How do you spend your free time?
Swimming, Going out with friends. Sleeping.

Where is your favorite place to go with your girlfriends? What is your favorite place to live/travel?
My favorite place to go would be the Balinese-style spa near me for that much-needed fortnightly massage! My favorite place to travel would be any beach with crystal clear water. My favorite place to live changes every week!

What do you CRAVE? In business? In life?
More time—for myself, to spend with my husband, to hang out with my girlfriends, to sleep, and to pursue my other fantastic business ideas!

People may be surprised to know…
That I attended the then President of Mexico’s (Vicente Fox) daughter’s wedding in Mexico in 2006