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cathubbard@hotmail.com
I am obsessed with booties! Open toe or closed, I am in love with both versions. One of my shopping philosophies is to go high-low. I like to purchase key pieces that are expensive and exceptionally made and pair those items with lesser expensive items. Here are my picks for amazing booties at both high and low prices….
Rag & Bone Harrow Leather Bootie – $525 at Nordstrom.com: This is a classic that is beautiful and exceptionally made. However at $525 I have been on the hunt for a less expensive version and think I may have found it with the BP bootie listed below.
BP ‘Train’ Wrap Belted Bootie – $119.95 at Nordstrom.com: I am a tough critic when it comes to lesser expensive versions and I think this one comes pretty darn close
Vince ‘Brigham’ Open Toe Bootie – $450 at Nordstrom.com: In my eyes these are a perfect bootie. Perfect to wear with shorts, yet dressy enough to wear with a dressier pair of slacks. At $450 I may pay this much, however I do think that the less expensive version is pretty darn cute as well.
Nine West Tiptoe Bootie – $129 at Zappos: There are some differences between the texture of the leather however let’s keep in mind that there is a $300 savings that could be used towards the BP bootie and you would still have money leftover to purchase some makeup.
Christian Louboutin Chesterfille Leather Ankle Boot – $1095 at Saks Fifth Avenue: I have a soft spot for Louboutin’s. There is something about that red sole that makes me swoon. Although at over $1000 I am not sure these perfect shoes will be mine.
ALDO Piedim Leather Bootie – $120 at Zappos.com: OK, so there is no red sole, but these are a pretty close dupe for the beloved Chesterfille bootie that I will continue to admire from afar.
Have you ever gone out to eat and had something so delicious that out of the blue you will find yourself fixating on the sheer deliciousness of that meal and you can’t stop thinking about it? Well…I tend to get that way and the only way I know to satisfy the craving is to of course – honor it!
My husband and I went out to eat at a restaurant called Black Bottle that is located in Seattle. They have a Chicken Larb on their menu that is super spicy and amazing! My mouth waters just thinking about it. I have to warn you that this recipe is spicy, however you can adjust the spiciness based on how much Sriracha you add. I use a heavy hand which you can tell by the pictures but this recipe would be just as yummy if you used less. I concocted my own recipe using soy sauce and worcestershire sauce in lieu of fish sauce because I didn’t have any. If you do have fish sauce by all means use that option.
Do you have any favorite recipes that you concocted after visiting a restaurant? I would love to hear about them!
Chicken Larb
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c. coarsely chopped shallots
1 garlic clove
1 T. fish sauce or 2 tsp. soy sauce + 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
3T. sriracha (or to taste)
2 T. vegetable oil
Lettuce Leaves (for serving)
3 T. cashews, finely chopped
Directions
Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor. Drizzle 1 Tbsp. oil over and pulse until chicken is very finely chopped. Heat remaining oil in a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium–high heat. Add chicken mixture and sauté, breaking up into small pieces with the back of a spoon, until chicken is starting to turn golden brown and is cooked through, about 6 minutes.
Place 2 lettuce leaves on each plate. Top leaves with chicken mixture, dividing evenly. Garnish with cashews and serve.
My slow cooker is kinda like a bad boyfriend that I just can’t break up with. You know those boyfriends that will make promises but let you down – kinda like a casserole that looks amazing on Pinterest but it looks like roadkill in reality. Yet, just like a crap boyfriend (that is really good looking) I can’t give up on my slow cooker. Maybe one day things will change and some form of magic will occur in the form of a meal worthy of sharing with Martha Stewart, however I am not too optimistic of that, however I will continue to try out my “bad boyfriend” and see if I can make some magic with it.
Being that it is about 90 degrees in Seattle I am trying not to turn my oven on, yet I am wanting some loaded baked potatoes.
I have read that you can make baked potatoes in the slow cooker so once again I busted out my large oval device and hoped for the best. Rubbed down with olive oil and sprinkled liberally with salt and pepper I placed them in the pot, turned them onto low for 6 hours and went on with my business. Here you can see the beginning of what my Idaho russets looked like:
Here is my finished product. This slow cooker actually did what it said it would do – cooked a large baking potato until tender. They weren’t soggy or anything and man was this easy! Definitely give this one a try and let me know what you think.
Whenever I go to a BBQ or cookout I always bring my tried and true White Trash Potatoes. There are three things I LOVE about this recipe which becomes a favorite at all cookouts I attend:
1. They are super fast and easy to make
2. They are delicious
3. They are always a crowd pleaser. I have yet to take any home after a BBQ.
Now, these are not Paleo friendly, they are not Raw, they are not low carb and I would guess that a generous serving would all but obliterate your Weight Watchers points. So in a word – these are awesome!
I should also add that my family loves these as well so don’t feel like you need to wait for a potluck to make these. I have been known to make a batch and freeze half and bake the other half. When frozen I increase the cooking time about 20 minutes until they are warm in the center.
Ingredients
2 lb. frozen hash browns, thawed
1/2 c. diced onions
1 c. cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
1 stick melted butter
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
Directions
Mix all ingredients and add to potatoes. Pour into a 9″x13″ pan. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour. Can be made up to 2 days in advance before baking.
Here is a close up….YUM!
I am a chocolate chip cookie freak. They are definitely one of my favorite foods and I have to say that there is nothing I love more than eating them fresh out of the oven. So incredibly good! I have blogged about my tried and true chocolate chip cookie recipe here and still use this as my go to. If you haven’t tried it you must – they are foolproof and incredibly delicious. Oh and you don’t need to bust out a mixer – this one can be done completely by hand. 🙂
So since I am madly in love with chocolate chip cookies I am always eager to come up with a way to make them healthier. I have combined numerous recipes to come up with my Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies that I think are pretty tasty. My two boys even thought they were good and didn’t complain when eating them asking what was wrong with them and why they tasted funny. A couple of things to keep in mind – I used coconut oil as the fat, however if you chose to use melted butter that would work as well and would probably taste even more like chocolate chip cookies. As for flour – I chose a combination of equal parts all-purpose white flour, whole wheat flour and coconut flour. As long as you use 1 1/2 cups of flour you will be golden. Just keep in mind that the flour you choose will affect the taste and texture. By using the three I listed above they didn’t have a heavy wheat taste and were very soft.
I hope you try these out and let me know what you think. They are my new favorite skinny cookie and when I am trying to be good, I will whip up a batch of these instead of my full fat version.
Skinny Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour of choice (you can use all whole wheat or AP flour – I used a combination of coconut, whole wheat and AP flour)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. organic coconut oil, melted or 1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. dark chocolate chips (more anti-oxidants!)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In another bowl mix together coconut oil (or butter – whatever you choose), applesauce, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Once combined, add flour mixture and stir just until incorporated. Add chocolate chips.
If you have time, put the dough in the fridge for about an hour, if not put the dough in the fridge in between batches that are baking. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheet and bake for about 9-10 minutes. Let cool.
Make approximately 36 cookies depending on the size of themm
