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Meet Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh!

November 3, 2010 by Nicole S. | Comments (0)

The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) in Los Angeles is hosting an event this Friday featuring Tony Hsieh! Not only is Tony the CEO of Zappos.com, but he is also the New York  Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today’s best-selling author for his book “Delivering Happiness.”

When: Friday, November 5th, 8:30am- 11:30am
Where: L.A. LIVE – Grammy Museum, 800 W Olympic Blvd. Ste A245
Price: $55 members/ $65 non-members (registration includes a copy of “Delivering Happiness“)

Register now, click!

Connections Galore!

July 14, 2010 by Jenny P. | Comments (0)

When running a business (or just running your life), you are constantly making new connections. Whether you are heading up an event, composing a website or publicizing your blog- you are building up your network of people you need to know. We are constantly CRAVEing assistance from professionals that can give us good advice and help us grow. We have scoured the L.A. area and found some women owned businesses that will do the trick!

Wildfire PR & Branding
LA based, Dana Sarbeck and Crystal Gryniuk have established a beauty, fashion, and lifestyle public relations and marketing agency with global reach. Through collaboration with clients, they use a 360 degree approach that generates brand awareness while increasing retail revenue. From an independent boutique to a nationally-recognized brand, they ignite the buzz that builds brands! To find out more about them see their website.

LA Glam Events
Creative and stylish, LA Glam Events is a full-service firm specializing in design and production of events ranging from small dinner events to large-scale fund-raising galas. Owners Erin Preuss and Christina Kaye Murphy have more than 15 years of experience producing beautiful, legacy building events for individuals, corporations, and non-profit organizations.

Success for Solopreneurs
Encouraging and knowledgeable, Katy Tafoya empowers small businesses and solopreneurs to reach beyond just having a website and basic social media. She helps clients create their online strategy and claim their expertise to gain control of their online presence.

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
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves peeled
¾ 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
¼ lb bacon cut into small pieces
½ medium onion chopped
1/3 cup cider vinegar
¼ 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 ¼ 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
• ¼ 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 (¼ 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!

How to Plan Your Perfect Summer Party

May 14, 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!

 

CRAVE LA Best of Women Owned Businesses Tour

February 19, 2010 by Nicole J. | Comments (0)

This past weekend CRAVE, along with a small but mighty group of local bloggers, writers, and friends, took to the streets of LA for a fun filled day of shopping and discovery.  We joined forces with Chevy’s Best of Tours to create the CRAVE LA Best of Women Owned Businesses Tour and traveled to four amazing businesses soon to be featured in the upcoming CRAVE LA guidebook. After brief hellos and an introduction to the day, we hopped in to our chauffeur-driven car of choice and got on the road. The sleek and sexy collection of Chevys included a Camaro, an Equinox (our personal favorite, well, after the red hot Camaro), a Malibu, and an Avalanche, all complete with On Star concierge service to help us navigate through the crowded streets.

Our first stop was Calleen Cordero on Beverly Blvd.  This chic boutique is filled with a carefully crafted selection of the most beautiful shoes, belts, bags, and accessories you’ve ever seen. Just as much about comfort and function as it is about high fashion, Calleen is out to “prove that hand crafted luxury can be made in the U.S.A”. All of the products are handmade right here in her North Hollywood Factory by the 45 artisans she employs.

Next we traveled across town to Santa Monica where we visited STUDIO BEAUTYMIX at Fred Segal.  The ultimate stop for beauty lovers worldwide, Studio Beautymix is truly a feast for the eyes.  Long time store manager Rosie walked us through the lavish 250 lines of makeup, fragrance, bath and body products, and accessories in the store.  She shared founder Robin Coe-Hutshing’s story and showed us some of her favorite products like their signature Memoire Liquide fragrances and brand new line Soft Corp before letting everyone loose for some power shopping!

Up next was The Drybar in Brentwood.  LA’s first blowout only salon opened their doors just one day before we visited and is already buzzing with press.  While we sipped champagne, owner Allie Webb took a few minutes to share her story.  We love the selection of fun blowouts offered like the sleek, smooth Manhattan, or the messy and beachy Mai Tai.  We adore the beautiful, bright, and modern décor too and know where we’re coming the next time we need a “big night out” ‘do.

After a full day of shopping and beautifying, we headed back across town towards Silverlake for our fourth and final destination; Valerie Confections.  A perfect ending to an indulgent day, and a very timely stop for the day before Valentine’s Day! Valerie Gordon greeted us with a huge tray of scrumptious chocolate treats all handmade on site.  Our personal favorite was their signature Almond Fleur De Sel Toffee.  Need we say more?

As we said our goodbyes, each guest went home with a very generous pile of goodies from all of the stores we visited as well as a few treats from some other special CRAVE ladies and Chevy.  Thank you to all who participated on what we think was an incredible and fun day.  We loved getting to know each and every one of you and made some great memories along the way. Lastly, we want to send a very special thank you to those strong and inspiring women for sharing their stories with us. Hat’s off to you for following your dreams. We love what you have accomplished!

Want to know what the tour was really like first-hand? Check out these short video clips from some of our favorite bloggers to see what they liked best about the tour!