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CRAVE DC Book – Sneak Peek

August 4, 2010 by Lilla | Comments (2)

The CRAVE DC team is hard at work wrapping up the 1st edition of the CRAVE DC Guide: the urban girl’s manifesto! To ease the wait check out this cute video featuring some of the amazing women owned businesses  in the book! Also we are hoping to see you at our Pre-Launch Happy Hour Party – August 10th! ( click here for more info).

World Cup Celebration: Indulge in Global Treats

July 8, 2010 by Nicole S. | Comments (0)

For weeks we have been huddled around the television, sometimes at ungodly hours of the morning, to watch beautiful men from around the world kick around a soccer ball and compete for the coveted World Cup. Whether you have followed the sport for years or just recently discovered what terms like “off-sides” or “stoppage time” mean, it is truly amazing how soccer can bring entire nations together for a common goal.

America’s run has ended, but there are some amazing teams that have risen to the top of the competition! Gather your friends together and indulge in these fun recipes perfect for a summer barbecue or potluck that are inspired by the stand out teams of the 2010 World Cup!

Chimichurri Steak- Uruguay/ Argentina

Chimichurri is a sauce from South America and is served in countries like Uruguay and Argentina over steak and chicken.

Ingredients:

1 cup packed fresh flat leaf parsley
Âź cup packed fresh cilantro
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves peeled
ž teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
a pinch of salt and pepper
a squeeze of lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients in a food processor and serve over steak, chicken or fish.

Party Sangria- Spain

Ingredients:

1 bottle of red wine
1 lemon cut into wedges
1 orange cut into wedges
1 lime cut into wedges
1 apple diced
1 cup raspberries or strawberries
1 small can of diced pineapples with juice
2 tbsp of sugar
4 cups ginger ale or lemon lime soda
2 shots gin or triple sec

Preparation:

1. Pour wine into a large pitcher and squeeze the juice from the lemon, oranges and lime into the wine.
2. Toss in the fruit wedges and add pineapple, apples sugar and gin.
3. Chill overnight.
4. Add ginger ale or soda, berries and ice just before serving.

Potato Salad- Germany

Ingredients:

2 pounds red potatoes
Âź lb bacon cut into small pieces
½ medium onion chopped
1/3 cup cider vinegar
Âź cup water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

1. Place potatoes in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to simmer, uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain. Let potatoes cool. Peel potatoes and cut into Âź inch pieces.
2. Cook bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp and set aside.
3. Cook onion in bacon drippings until tender.
4. Combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt and mustard in a large bowl. Toss in potatoes and bacon and mix until well coated.
5. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Oliebollen (Apple Fritters)- Netherlands

Ingredients

2 tbsp sugar
2 pkg yeast
4 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 cups scalded milk
½ cup butter softened
10 cups flour
1 ½ tsp salt
3 diced Granny Smith apples
1 cup raisins pinch of cinnamon
canola oil for frying

Preparation:

1. Dissolve 2 tbsp sugar in 1 cup warm water. Sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand while preparing dough.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, add scalded milk, 1 ½ cups warm water, yeast mixture and butter and beat well. Add flower, 1 cup sugar and salt. Mix well. Add diced apple.
3. Let dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size.
4. In a separate bowl mix 3 cups sugar, and cinnamon to taste.
5. Fill a fryer pot with 3-4 inches of canola oil. Heat to 375 degrees and scoop spoonfuls of down into the oil. Turn to ensure even browning.
6. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture and serve warm.

*written by Alyssa Goldberg for the CRAVE company. Alyssa is a lover of all things to do with food and travel- check out her blog, WorldSavour by clicking here.

America, It’s Your Birthday!

June 28, 2010 by Nicole S. | Comments (0)

Let’s face it, we CRAVE any excuse to get together and throw a party with our best friends. What better reason than for a birthday? Happy Birthday America! Since every birthday should involved presents- why not think of some ways you and your friends can give back to your community to commemorate the occasion? Check in with local organizations who do volunteer work. Maybe you can spend the afternoon helping clean up a park, planting some trees, or participating in a food drive.

After a day of doing something good for your country, you can feel good about having a little fun at night for yourself! Get your friends together, nosh on some festive treats and try to catch a glimpse of your local fireworks show. Here are some recipes to inspire your celebration:

This first recipe is from a chef bloggess we adore, CakeSpy!

Hartford Election Day Cupcakes: This spicecake is light but flavorful; all your friends will love munching on these treats which you can decorate in red, white and blue.

Dry ingredients:

• 8 ounces (1 cup) superfine granulated sugar
• 5 ounces (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon potato starch
• 1⁄8 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
• Pinch of allspice
• Pinch of salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon baking soda

Wet ingredients:

• 3 ounces (6 tablespoons) butter, melted
• Âź cup half-and-half
• 1 tablespoon rum
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 egg yolk

Old-Fashioned Milk Buttercream

• 1 cup milk
• 2 ounces (Âź cup) all-purpose flour
• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 8 ounces (1 cup) superfine granulated sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sip

While you are savouring some cupcakes, it is likely you will want something to sip as well. Here is a great list we found that lists five different themed cocktails: click. Are you adventurous? You have to try the first drink on the list- it includes jalapeno or Serrano peppers to add a little fire to your night. Prefer something a little sweeter to sip? Strawberry schnapps will be a key (red) ingredient for you. To give any red drinks a patriotic vibe try garnish with blueberries, blackberries or just throw in a blue straw!

The Stiletto Stampede

May 22, 2010 by Wendy M. | Comments (1)

Stand back, the “Stiletto Stampede” has begun. The Sex & the City 2 movie premieres in theaters throughout the Washington, DC area starting May 27.  However the frenzy that we experienced two years ago when we last left Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha is already reaching its peak.  The much anticipated movie sequel to the popular HBO television series is the reason for the ULTIMATE Girl’s Night Out, where we get together with our girlfriends and revisit the lives of our favorite characters.We made our list of upcoming Sex & the City events that we’ve heard about. Each event has its own flavor – fun, sassy, sophisticated, and bold.  For those of your hosting a private bash with your closest girlfriends, we’ve listed some local, SATC-themed sips & treats just for you.

First up, City Shop Girl held a look-alike/act-alike contest and fabulous movie-themed event at the Bar Dupont. 400 City Shop Girl readers sipped on signature cocktails fashioned after each SATC character, while the first Sex & the City movie played in the background. There was even a special cocktail, the Tribeca, a MOËT champagne cocktail topped with a gold ball — and for the first 70 who ordered it, the champagne flute had a free ticket to see the Sex & The City movie cleverly tucked underneath the glass. It was fun and nice event to get everyone excited for the upcoming movie. The night wasn’t complete without the Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha mini cupcakes provided by Hello Cupcake treat-filled goodie bags and some fantastic prizes overflowing with some lovely delights that any chic girl & a few of her close friends would love.  Prizes including everything from “staycations” at the Hotel Dupont  to private master classes with a professional makeup artist to exclusive shopping parties.

We had a great time. Check out City Shop Girl’s Blog to get the scoop and take a look at some of our pics from her event at Bar Dupont.

SATC Goodie Bags & Fab Prizes

Saturday, May 22 – 6pm – 10pm

• Sex & The City II – All That Glitters Soiree at Recess Lounge.  Event hosted by Anji Corley of WPGC .  Be Glam’d Bar (Advance Tickets $25), Gourmet Hors d’oeuvres, Cosmos or Flirtinis.
  Contact: Cataanda J    269-217-7973   269-217-7973 or Aida    301-455-6277   301-455-6277  for information

Tuesday, May 25  – 6pm-8pm

• URBAN CHIC hosting stylish Chic in the City at all of their locations, Annapolis, Baltimore, Bethesda and Georgetown.

Wednesday, May 26 – 6:30pm

• FRESH of Georgetown along with several of Washington area’s fashionistas, bloggers and philanthropists hosting – Get Carried Away: Exclusive Sex and the City 2 Pre-Screening on Wednesday, May 26, 2010 starting at 6:30p. Part of the event proceeds will support Labels for Love.

Thursday, May 27 – 7:00pm

• DC Fashionista Group is hosting a fashionista meet-up at the Carriage House located at 1327 Naylor Court NW, Washington, DC (entrance is behind 918 O St, NW) and then heading to Regal Gallery Chinatown to view the Sex & The City movie @ 10:10pm. You should pre-purchase your movie tickets.
• Blogalicious DC-Sex & The City II Movie Night kicks off @ Zengo at 5:00pm on Thursday, May 27  for Happy Hour and then 7pm show at Regal Gallery Place Stadium 14 to see the movie. Tickets for the 7:00pm showing must be pre-purchased.

Friday, May 28 - 10:30am -2:00pm

• Success in the City, one of the Washington Area’s premiere networking groups for professional women, is hosting a the movie and a luxe after party at the Bloomingdales in Tyson’s Corner with mimosas, makeovers, great raffle prizes (raffle tickets are $5 each) Register soon, it’s a hot ticket. The movie event is SOLD OUT, but there are still tickets available for the Bloomies in the City AFTER PARTY!

Sunday, May 23 – Sunday, May 30

• Several Georgetown businesses are celebrating the Sex & The City movie with Style in the City May 23 – 30.  You can win complimentary movie tickets, VIP gift bags, bubbly and more.

Doing your own thing w/ your girlfriends? Satisfy your sweet tooth with the Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte or Samantha cupcakes created by one of our featured CRAVE DC women-owned businesses, Hello Cupcake. We got a taste of them @ City Shop Girl’s event the other night and they are scrumptious. The special cupcakes, available for a limited-time only from May 17-31, will rotate daily.  In conjunction, customers can vote on their favorite flavor in the online Facebook SATC Cupcake Competition.

Carrie  – Cosmopolitan: Lime/triple sec cake with cranberry lime frosting, pink sugar sprinkles, and an edible fondant stiletto decoration

Charlotte – Vanilla Rose: Rose scented vanilla cake with rose and vanilla bean buttercream, topped with a crystallized rose petal

Miranda – Chocolate Cabernet: Chocolate Cabernet cake with chocolate Cabernet ganache glaze and an edible fondant martini glass decoration

Samantha  – Manhattan: Sweet vermouth-soaked chocolate cake with bourbon vanilla bean buttercream and a maraschino cherry

How to Plan Your Perfect Summer Party with LA Glam

May 20, 2010 by Nicole S. | Comments (0)

Planning a party can be loads of fun but let’s be totally honest…planning and attending the same party can be tough. That’s why CRAVE asked Christina Murphy, who runs LA Glam Events with her partner Erin Preuss to give us a few pointers. The good news is that with a little planning and creative magic you can host a party everyone (including you) will love!

With the summer party season about to get into full swing starting on Memorial Day Weekend it’s a perfect time to treat your friends to a love-everything-about-summer party that will set the standard for everyone else. (And no, it doesn’t require boatloads of cash or a swank Hampton’s seaside soirees.)

4 easy ways to make your Memorial Day BBQ better than everyone else’s…

1) Invites: Evites are ok, Paperless Post is so cool (but pricey) and so why stick to the norm. A trip to the 99 Cents store will yield a plethora of fun and funky ideas. It’s much less expensive than you would think to send unusual invites and it’s a great way to make your party stand out from the rest. Mix and match and let your imagination run wild. It’s half the fun.

2) Food: it’s sort of crucial to a good party. Nothing is more delicious and easy than good old fashion burgers on the grill and burgers don’t have to boring. Add an array of interesting self-serve toppings like sautéed mushrooms, arugula, bacon, avocado, etc to create a gourmet burger bar. You can even ask people to write down their custom burger, name it and take pictures for your own Burger Hall of Fame.

3) Cocktails: a trip to your local farmers market will start your inner mixologist juices flowing. Take all the favs (fresh squeezed OJ, grapefruit, lemon and lime) throw in some new twists (muddle berries, pineapple or watermelon) and some smoothie-like purees (cantaloupe, honeydew, banana and mango).Use some basic alcohols and set it all out for people to create their own signature cocktail. People love experimenting and the bonus is for the people who are going adult-beverage free they can make a killer virgin version of the same thing.

4) Décor: for some seriously-talented-crafty types décor is a hallmark of their parties. For me, with limited time, décor needs to be simple and accessible. My favorite budget friendly décor item is cotton quilt fabrics. These fabrics are your new, super crafty best friend. You can make awesome mix and match table overlays (most standard fabrics aren’t wide enough for a full table linen) but they make cute overlays either over whatever linens already have or over plain white sheets hemmed to fit your table. Mix patterns and colors to create a really festive look.

The good news is all these projects are relatively easy and don’t require a bunch of time or money. Just give yourself a week to work on your décor projects in the evening and prep your food and juices the morning of your event and you will be able to party-hardy with all your pals!

DC Goes Green

March 31, 2010 by Sarah Clise | Comments (0)

Throw a CRAVE-worthy Event

March 31, 2010 by Sarah Clise | Comments (0)