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Valentine’s Day – Pink Themed Recipes

Friday, February 12th, 2010

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 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

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Best of Portland: Cupcakes

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Cupcakes have quickly become the new darling of the dessert world, and we here in Portland are stout supporters of this tasty trend. Never ones to shy away from a challenge, Portland’s culinary artists have outdone themselves with these filled and frosted creations. The little cakes found in the bakeries below are sure to leave you with the certainty that your waistline will never be the same after your first bite of these mouth-watering treats. But what are a few extra calories when compared to pure bliss?

Cupcake Jones. I discovered Cupcake Jones, on NW 10th and Everett St., shortly after its opening in 2007, and have been addicted ever since. Owners Lisa and Peter have created a truly unique treat with their jumbo filled cupcakes in amazingly inventive flavors. Some of my favorites include the Cherry Cheesecake (white velvet cake filled with homemade cherry filling and topped with cheesecake icing and a homemade graham cracker crumble), and Peter’s Chocolate Mint (devil’s food cake filled with chocolate mint ganache). Simply sinful. Their Red Velvet is also their most popular flavor! The staff here is spectacular, the quality and flavors are flawless, and the samples are endless! What more can you ask for? Except perhaps a frequent buyer card …

Saint Cupcake. Now with two locations in Portland, Saint Cupcake bakes five flavors of vegan cupcakes, hot cinnamon rolls daily, and even cupcakes whipped up from co-owner, Jami’s, grandmother’s recipes! Any way you slice it, the sweets found here are labors of love and uniquely Saint Cupcake creations! The Big Top Cupcake is even frosted by color according to the mood of the baker of the day! Stop in for fun flavors like the Fat Elvis (banana chocolate chip poundcake with peanut butter fudge), the Malt Ball, or the Toasted Coconut Cream … hand toasted coconut flakes, toffee chips, and creamy vanilla cream cheese icing. You’ll have to try it, because the name doesn’t do it justice! Find Saint Cupcakes at 407 NW 17th Ave., and 3300 SE Belmont, and online!

Bliss Bake Shop. Located at 4708 NW Bethany Blvd., Bliss Bake Shop bakes batches of delicious cupcakes daily, on a rotating menu. Bliss’ cupcake flavors include Creamsicle Bliss, S’mores Bliss, Luscious Lemon Raspberry Bliss, and many more. This is a great little shop to bring kids to, with a truckload of sweets to delight them, and a play area to distract them (so you don’t go home with the whole store in hand). Bliss even employs the owner’s kids as full-time taste testers! Quality guaranteed! Now serving vegan and gluten free cupcakes, stop in and give these cute cakes a taste!

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An Eye Cream Predicament

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Some may perceive me as supercilious because I constantly wear sunglasses during the day – rain or shine, winter or summer. I wear them not out of pretense but rather as a protection device to prevent eye wrinkles and lines from the harshness of sunlight. The cosmeceutical industry has become astoundingly prosperous selling eye creams to combat eye wrinkles and dark circles. There are so many eye creams available on the market, each boasting dramatic results and total revitalization. How are we to know the efficacy of each and which one will suit us best? Are eye creams any different than the facial moisturizers used for the rest of our face? Some argue no.

A lot of people believe that eye creams are exclusively formulated for the skin around the orbital area. While the eye area tends to be more prone to allergies or sensitivities, and wrinkles tend to appear there before other areas of the face, various results indicate that product formulations for eye creams don’t differ much from those for facial moisturizers. The most significant difference between eye creams and facial moisturizers are the waxes put in eye products to make them thicker. Upon an informal study, I compared the ingredient labels of several facial and eye moisturizers only to find that they don’t vary apart from the price and packaging. Eye creams are quite possibly the greatest craze of the cosmetics industry intended to suggest a miracle product!

I visited a well-known cosmetics counter at a major department store and solicited opinions from various salespersons. Only one was bold enough to say “the only time you want to use a different product around the eye is if the skin is different from the rest of your face such as an oily complexion around the cheeks and/or drier around the eyes.” In fact, the dermal layer around the eyes is not considerably different from that on your face; perhaps just thinner. Thickness or thinness of skin does not affect basic skin care needs. One of the disadvantages of eye creams – when reading ingredients – is that they hardly ever contain sunscreen. This can make eye creams risky business, hence the sunglasses!

Before spending a fortune on an ounce of “eye cream”, why not channel your inner Jackie Kennedy and invest in a pair of large, black sunglasses to protect your eyes?

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11 Ways To Be Single on Valentine’s Day

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Single, taken, or “it’s complicated”… regardless of your relationship status, Valentine’s Day can frankly be very obnoxious. If you’re with someone, you’re pressured to partake in extravagant displays of lovey-dovey cuteitude against your will. If you’re single, it’s even worse. You’re brutally reminded that those millions of cheesy greeting cards with kissing puppies on the front simply aren’t meant for you. Of course Valentine’s Day isn’t all bad, but it can be tough to go solo on a day when the rest of the world seems madly in love. In an effort to give single gals out there some solace, here’s a smattering of ideas from women (and two men) on what to do on February 14th if you’re single.

  • Get all your single girlfriends together for a fun-filled night of vino and good music… that’s what I’d do. Oh and shopping too (hell make an entire day of it)! -Phaedra, Taken, Los Angles [A Very CRAVE V-Day]
  • Two words: Southern. Comfort. Now you have advice from lady AND gentleman – Corbin, Taken, Washington DC [Best "Drink Your Sorrows Away" V-Day]
  • Celebrate the Chinese New Year! -Jocelyn, Single, Woodinvile [Best V-Day Replacement Holiday]
  • I heard the trick is to not make Valentine’s Day about loving a person you are in a relationship with, but to make it about loving all the people you love. If it isn’t about one person than it can be less disappointing when you spread out the love! – Courtney, Single, Santa Clara [Sweetest V-Day Idea]
  • Remember that it’s easier to be single on Valentine’s Day than stuck in a relationship that’s going nowhere fast. -Mike, Divorced, London [Best V-Day Reality Check]
  • This might be an LA only thing…but going to Disneyland with friends is awesome, as is going to Amoeba Records by yourself. – Natasha, Single, Los Angeles [Most LA V-Day]
  • Offer to babysit for your friends with kids! -Deborah, Taken, Woodinville [Most Charitable V-Day Idea]
  • I loved my single Valentines the best! Having a dinner party (with yummy cocktails) is fun with your single friends, or taking a little trip somewhere- the ocean, a cabin, a movie- with a few friends is wonderful! Just celebrating the people you love is what it’s all about! – Carly, Taken, Camano Island [Best Girlfriends V-Day]
  • If I were single on VDAY I’d go to Vegas for sure. But that’s just me… – Ashley, Taken, Los Angeles [Best V-Day for Ladies on the Prowl]
  • It’s two weeks away…. whose to say you will be single? Also… I hear having a bonfire is great fun… and if things go awry, a fireman comes over to visit – Adrienne, Single, Santa Fe [Hottest V-Day Idea]
  • Valentine’s Day is just another day…I would go to brunch and buy yourself some flowers. – Jess, Taken, San Diego [Best "Celebrate Yourself" V-Day Idea]

So there you have it. Booze, babysitting, brunch or bonfires – whatever you do, you definitely do not need a beau to enjoy your Valentine’s Day this year. Have fun!

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Hit the Slopes at Ski Camps for Girlfriends

Monday, February 8th, 2010

The Groundhog said it all – On February 2, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and doomed the rest of us to six more frigid weeks of winter. Rather than crawl under the covers and hibernate ’til spring, why not make the most of the chilliest time of year and go skiing (or snowboarding) with your girlfriends? Take a look at these women-only snow camps and book your long weekend now!

1. ROXY All Star Snow Camps – Whistler Blackcomb
These 2-day snow camps are all about girls, fun, and hitting the slopes! The women-only camps are taught by highly skilled female skiers and riders and give you the opportunity to make friends with other women in the group. ROXY caters to ladies at any level of skiing and snowboarding, from beginner to expert, and they even throw in some prizes to get you motivated to boost your skills! Check the website for rates and dates.

2. Women’s Edge – Aspen Snowmass
Women’s Edge is a 4-day female-centric experience for intermediate to advanced skiers. You’ll spend time getting to know the women in your group while being instructed by female pros and getting treated to a luncheon, lectures, and chances to ski at nearby mountains with skiers in your same skill level. It’s a fun program with chances to build relationships with like-minded women while having a great time! Check out the website here.

3. Women’s Ski Camps – Snowbird
In Snowbird, Utah, these 3-4 day ski camps offer small group sizes and ample one-on-one coaching with women instructors to make for a truly rewarding experience. Intermediate to expert skiers can be accommodated, and the intimate program comes with an optional Meal & Spa Add On with special perks! To see prices and itineraries, check out the Women’s Ski Camps’ website here.

These are a few examples of resorts that currently offer women-only skiing and snowboarding camps. Check out your favorite mountain’s special deals for girls in advance and start planning next year’s wintry adventures now!

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Interview with Entrepreness, Jillian Rabe

Friday, February 5th, 2010

As a freelance event planner, model, film, print, and runway producer, Jillian Rabe is one busy entrepreness. Quickly becoming a fixture in Portland’s fashion scene, Jillian’s name seems to be ubiquitous through all hip happenings in town, including co-producing our fabulous runway show at the 2009 Holiday Cravings Party! Jillian is a friend to some of the coolest designers in town, a colleague to the most mobile entreprenesses, and a partner within many of Portland’s most connected organizations. She brings fresh enthusiasm and immense talent to the projects she is involved in, be it traversing language barriers while producing international fashion shows, or sharing blossoming new boutiques with us through her famous video blog entries. Jillian Rabe is a woman on the move, so we caught up with her to give you the inside scoop!

In 2008, you left a corporate marketing position in order to pursue a career as an independent event planner and model. What motivated this move?
I feel most successful when I am helping people. After 1 ½ years in a cubicle working hard but still finding myself assigned to tasks that rarely resulted in feeling like I was contributing anything of value to the bigger picture – I began to feel depressed and directionless. When I expressed these concerns to my manager, she looked at me for a moment and flatly replied, “welcome to the real world.” I wrote my letter of resignation shortly after and I remember believing that if I wound up disappointed in not finding the REAL world I believed existed, that I was just going to have to take a deep breath and create it myself.

What advice can you give to other women looking to reach similar success in their professional lives?

1. Make it a point to be the first person to smile, introduce yourself and give a firm handshake! It is never a bad idea to let people know who you are – especially if you know what you’re capable of bringing to the table.

2. Everyone has a bellybutton! The fact of the matter is that no matter who you are talking to – famous, future employer or cute guy – that underneath it all, they are just a person…

3. Always follow your gut instinct! Even if along the way you may not feel like a decision was the right one, being honest with yourself is the only sure way to know that you tried everything possible to ‘make it happen.’

Producing and walking in fashion shows must be very hectic, what is it like to play both roles in a day?
I love my job. And guess what? Models do have brains! I was producing events before becoming a professional model – and discovering that I could combine the two in a runway setting was just awesome. It does get quite hectic – but that’s where teamwork comes in. I’ll work for several months or weeks on a runway (depending on the size of it) and then start pulling in assistants when the task list gets too huge. By the time the show comes around, I have great communication with my backstage and front house managers, giving me enough control to still manage the overall production, but then slip backstage to change right before I need to start walking. Communication and organization are everything.

Do you have a mentor or a role model?
My sister Megan is my role model. She has demonstrated to me all her life that being natural and true to yourself is when you shine the brightest. Kerry Yu and May Tee are my mentors. They have both shown me what beautiful, strong, intelligent women can be capable of if they put their minds to something.

If you could work with any designer to produce or walk in their show, who would it be?
Emilia Kaye. She is an amazing storytelling artist. With each one of her pieces being a true one-of-a-kind garment of wearable art.

What gave you the idea to video blog the shows you’re involved in, shops you visit, etc.?
When I was 9, I started my own radio show by recording myself on cassette tapes, I got my hand on a camcorder when I was 15, and I started filming my entire life my senior year in high school. Video blogging was a natural addiction for me as I hit the digital world. To be honest, I just really like filming things. The business part of it started when clients started watching and hiring me to come document their behind-the-scenes too. I think its funny that people like to have me around with my flip cam just because I love to do it so much and because I look like a dork always walking around talking to myself.

You recently traveled to Beijing for fashion week, what challenges do producing in foreign countries present?
LANGUAGE BARRIER! Learning Mandarin is next on my agenda. China Fashion Week was awesome because it opened my eyes up so much to the international market. The show I produced in Zheng Zhou featured Portland designers exclusively which was such a privilege to coordinate and manage. We were working with professional teams in hair, makeup, and AV – so the hardest part for me was just getting the fittings and lineup organized in a way that people knew where they were supposed to be and when. Everything worked out great. Our show was on the front page of the paper the next day featuring Portland fashion on every street corner!

You have a goal of making 60% of your closet Portland-made fashion. What do you love about Portland fashion and why is the goal important to you?
Portland fashion to me is a movement – we’re not New York, we’re not LA – we’re Portland! With our own style and personality. I just love this city so much because of its eclectic attitude toward everything! Choosing to be local in my wardrobe purchases was simply a tangible way for me to “practice what I preach.” It’s important to me because when the fashion industry flourishes here – we all will. It’s a ripple effect – and if fashion is successful … photographers, models, stylists, local publications, TV, film, hair and makeup artists, graphic designers, event planners, etc. will all experience growth.

American fashion currently seems to revolve around Los Angeles and New York, how do you see Portland growing as a fashion capital?
We need more local manufacturing power and more high-end production value. Manufacturing is important because it would allow our designers to source and produce more locally/efficiently; thus enabling us to export and better fund the local economy. And I am hugely dedicated to producing runway in Portland that can become competitive with larger markets as well. When I think of Portland as a fashion capital – I see it as a destination for people who want to experience our unmatched character in design, show appeal, education, personality, and business development opportunities. I see it becoming a place that is at the top of an emerging or existing designer’s list to relocate because they know that Portland offers world-class opportunities with a personable and interconnected approach.

What exciting projects are you currently working on?
Here is my current list – in no particular order, with lots of room for elaboration if anyone is interested in learning more or getting involved!

• Producing runway for the Chinese New Year
• Exclusive partnering with 94.7 Alternative Portland radio as their fashion liaison
• Producing runway for non-profit, Dress For Success
• Planning my 2010 trip back to Beijing, Zheng Zhou and Shanghai (with Kerry Yu/Portland Fashion Synergy – lots of plans for action to be announced)
• Coordinating the press conferences surrounding our China trip
• Projects scheduled with RYZ, The Art Institute of Portland, Looptworks, Lyon Films
• And even working CRAVE Portland on a few new ideas!

This is what I have going on until April, anyway…

I love Portland. I am thankful for the people I have encountered and look forward with open arms to everything to come.

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The Paris Haute Couture Shows

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

The Paris Haute Couture fashion shows are unlike any other fashion experience you have ever had, seen or heard of. True to what couture is, this kind of fashion is definitely one-of-a-kind. Showcasing their spring and summer couture collections, the French designers filled the runways with whimsical, wonderful and weird creations this season. There was bizarre head-wear at Jean Paul Gaultier (shocking, right?), Lady-Gaga-inspired hairdo’s at Chanel, and clothes with a strong space-age feel at Armani Prive.

Like Hilary Alexander, fashion director of The Daily Telegraph in London, says, the couture shows are a “laboratory of dreams”. Made to fit exactly to the wearers specifications, these one-off creations aren’t something you will see another girl at the club wearing – they are far from anything worn in everyday life. True haute couture is art. Its the kind of clothing that makes for a lush, other-worldly Vogue fashion spread. Its usually impractical and at prices that rival a small house or car, its the best kind of fashion fantasy.

This season, Chanel seemed to be channeling the great Lady Gaga with hairdo’s resembling giant bows or ears, but their colorful collection had us drooling from start to finish. Actually, it seemed like everyone was feeling the Lady Gaga vibe on the catwalks this season. The Jean Paul Gaultier headpieces looked like something we might see Ms. Gaga sporting at the next awards show, and a balloon bubble dress from Armani Prive looked like something she might rock down a red carpet any day now. If not Lady Gaga, then the architectural, space-agey dresses from Armani would definitely look fabulous on any future astronaut/fashionista. Finally, the pieces at Stephane Rolland were escapism and futuristic fashion-as-artwork at its best with laser cut Plexiglass forming coils and crenelations on shoulders and pockets.

Across the board, this year’s couture shows were all about pastel colors and Lady Gaga-inspired style. Haute couture may not be made for a trip to the grocery store, or even your next birthday party, but the shows are spectacular and the pieces are a work of art in themselves. Vive la Haute Couture!

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Best of Portland: Local Olympians

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

The Winter Olympics are just 9 days away, and 313 miles up the road from us here in Portland. Fortunately, for those not making the trip this year, we have plenty of Olympic spirit right in our backyard. Portland boasts many successful Olympians originating and residing right here in town, and below are just a few local heroes deserving of our praise. Also, don’t forget to catch the opening ceremony on February 12th. On Deck Sports Bar & Grill in the Pearl is offering a Widmer Snowboard giveaway and food and beverage specials from February 12th to the 28th. The Oregon Sports Authority and KGW are also hosting a live public viewing event of the Vancouver ceremonies in Pioneer Square with interviews with Oregon Olympians, warm drinks, and a hockey goal-scoring challenge on the 12th! Who knows, you may just meet one of the Olympians below!

Marla Runyan: Marathon Runner
Marla Runyan, a Eugene resident, is an inspiration in many ways. She won third place in the 2000 US Olympic 1500 meters at 4 minutes and 6.44 seconds at 31-years-old. And she happens to have suffered from Stargardt’s disease, a degeneration of the retina, since she was nine. There is a hole in the centre of her vision, turning her competitors into mere blurs of figures.

“My peripheral vision is intact and this enables me to get around very well. I can walk or run without assistance, and I can even navigate through a crowded room. But in these instances, I wouldn’t be able to recognize the people around me. I never really think that much about my vision as much as the media does. And I don’t think my competitors do either. I just think about my personality and the person I am. I’m definitely an athlete.” - The Independent

In the 1992 Olympics, Runyan had won the 100, 200, 400 and long jump, achieving status of a Paralympian champion, and in 1996 winning the pentathlon. But she didn’t stop there and pushed her way into the Olympics. “I never said to myself, I want to be the first legally blind Olympian. I just said I wanted to be on an Olympic team.” It is clear that Runyan does not allow for her physical condition to define who she is. Her story will inspire each of us to rethink our own hesitations and inhibitions.

Phillip Dunn: Speed Walking
Phillip Dunn began his journey to the Olympics at the age of ten when he unexpectedly entered the 1,500m race walk at his school track meet. In the following years, Dunn remained involved in track and field, cross country, and speed walking competitions, eventually making his first Olympic team in the year 2000. Dunn continued his move upward the next year, winning the U.S 50km title, and achieved his first ever #1 US ranking after attaining a personal record of 3:56:30 at the 2002 World Cup. In 2004, Dunn made his second Olympic team by placing 3rd at the 50km Olympic Trials, and bettered the Olympic A standard with a time of 3:59:12. Dunn placed 35th at the Games that year. 2006 was Dunn’s best year in the 50km competition, as he posted the fasted time achieved by an American that season! Two years ago Dunn once again achieved acclaim when he won the Olympic trials by a margin of two and a half minutes. What an impressive record of achievement!

Gary Wallesen: Triathlon
A long-time Portlander, Gary has been competing in triathlons since 1985. Blue Lake was his first. He is a member of the Ironheads multi-sport racing team and is currently focused on the 70.3mi race. Wallesen typically competes in the Sprint, Olympic, 2x Olympic (approx 70.3 mi/113.1km), Long course (approx 140.6 mi/225.3km). But it’s not just about a race for him; it is a way of life. Wallesen has managed to entrench himself in this world, having cultivated a professional niche within his passion. He is a certified Race Director as well as partner for Athletes Lounge, a triathlon store located in Hillsboro. Wallesen also designed the triathlon route in Forest Grove, OR, which was submitted for the Ironman Oregon 2009. This competition would qualify triathletes for Ironman Hawai’i– the most rigorous and challenging triathlon in the world. Multiple routes were submitted throughout the state, though it seems that Forest Grove lost to Lincoln City as the route for Ironman Oregon. You can follow Wallesen’s blog here.

Olympians native to the Northwest competing in the 2010 Winter Olympics include Erik Fisher in alpine skiing, Daron Rahives in Freestyle Skiing, Morgan Arritola in cross country skiing, and Seattle’s Apolo Ohno in short tract skating. Be sure to cheer extra loud!

- by Katelin Villamil and Katerina Margolin

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Rachel Ray, I’m not…

Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010

I don’t know if any of you are “culinaryily challenged,” but I sure am. I am obsessed with the Food Channel but don’t cook anything I ever see prepared on there. There is something soothing and brain numbing about watching them create, compete, build absurdly shaped cakes, and whip up mystery ingredients I have never heard of.

How about that Rachel Ray gal? She rocks it every night in less than 30 minutes. The big difference is when I go to my pantry or fridge I don’t conveniently have all the spices and sauces placed by the elves so my 30 minute meal turns into a frustrated 80 minute search for cumin, and a trip to the grocery store. (Consequently, I leave the grocery store with everything BUT cumin and swing through the drive-through window before returning home.)

When I do cook I seem to have portion control issues. I grew up in a big family so I assume spaghetti noodles come in “single serving” bags only. Needless to say, I have a lot of leftovers and anyone who reheats spaghetti noodles knows, they aren’t too tasty.

My Mom is an amazing cook and she knows how to put on a party with picture perfect hors d’oeuvres, now SHE could have her own Food Network show. I think I was busy outside shooting hoop when she was whipping up chef lessons. So the pressure to live up to that is huge. She would bring heaping scrumptious cupcakes to my class parties… with every child’s name monogrammed on them. I am lucky if I can pull off a drive by drop off of Oreos for the school Valentines Day party!

My southern Mother-in-Law once tried to help me out by buying me a southern cookbook. Every dang recipe started with “make a rue”…have you ever tried to make a rue? Well, it’s a special little concoction of flour and butter that you have to try not to burn. I never made a single recipe from that book!

I will have to say I have the “sipping” part of this sip/savor category down pat. Never met a cocktail I didn’t like and they seem to be MUCH easier to make. Although I recently tried a signature cocktail recipe and it actually called for pear sorbet…my Coors Light generally does not come with ice cream and- huge surprise- I didn’t have any pear sorbet in my freezer (unlike Rachel) so I skipped the garnish, the vodka tasted fine without it!

If your idea of comfort food is a large bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos and you don’t own a food processor…you are not alone. Rachel rocks…me, not so much!

* a weekly humor post by Lynn Edwards

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