Working Girl

(courtesy of Gwynne Davis)

It's been all work and no play. Staring at this picture has me wishing for some sunny days I can actually enjoy. This week has been unusually warm (60 degrees warm) and I've been inside! It's torture. Truly painful. Also, very painful are my skinned knees. An epic fall, which resulted in skinned knees, tattered clothes and a shattered, but still functioning iphone occurred a few days ago.

 Here's the scene: the bus was scheduled to arrive in 3 minutes and I took off jogging, phone in hand. Less than a block away and skuuurtt! A solid plummet on the concrete. Pants AND shoes ripped. Knees bruised and bleeding. Skinned palms. My phone sacrificed itself for my hand, although, I think that hurt more. With that said, this week I've been slightly handicapped and sleep deprived. Must heal quickly! Loose fitting pants are not my best look. 

Tuesday Food Day: Beets

Roasted or raw, beets are delicious. They are nature's candy. I fell in love with beets about 4 years ago. Since then, I've found a variety of ways to prepare them. Jamie Oliver recently introduced me to raw beets. However,  my favorite way is roasted. Then combining them into a salad with avocado, nuts, basil, onion, balsamic vinegar and goat's cheese. Also, beet chips make a great snack. Of course, beets tend to have an earthy flavor, but there is a sweetness, too. 

 (via savorsa)

(via Tony Fitts) 

For quite some time, I never knew there were golden beets. How brilliant are these colors! Not only do they taste amazing, but it looks beautiful. 

Last week I roasted beets and ate them plain with a little olive oil. Yum! 

Be adventurous and try this beet salad.          

One bunch of beets

1 avocado

chopped walnuts

chopped onion

basil

balsamic vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup or less of water

Cut the beets into medium sized cubes, toss in olive oil and place in a pan. Add the water, but it should only be touching the bottom of the beets. This is so they don't dry out. Also, add salt and pepper and a little balsamic vinegar to taste. Let them roast for 30-45 minutes on 375* checking and stirring occasionally. After they've cooled, add the other ingredients. Beet juice will stain anything it touches and the color overpowers other ingredients. Be sure to combine the other ingredients first, then add the beets. It will be more attractive if combined in that process. 

Eat some beets, peeps!

Ode to Andy

These sketches by Andy Warhol are so simple and whimsical. Andy was the pioneer in bridging fashion and art. In present time, fashion and art are inseparable. Well, Mr. Warhol, we salute you for revolutionizing the fashion culture. 

Tuesday is Food Day

I've never committed a day to anything in particular on my blog, so from henceforth Tuesday is now named Food Day. Recipes, inspiration, features, restaurants, questions, etc will all be on Tuesday, but not limited to Tuesday. Which guarantees Tuesday  as some fun and exciting libations, but don't believe  food can be limited to only one day of the week. How can it when our lives revolve around food. 

Continuing to last night's dinner: Salmon Fish Tacos. And, WOW! It was completely unexpected, unplanned and undeniably phenomenal. With my creative and innovative mind, I was able to stretch a very small piece of left-over Salmon into a mouth-watering, satisfying meal for two. 

So here's the rundown: coconut brown rice, black beans, red onion, salmon, shredded cheese (cheddar is good) & salsa.  If I could only eat rice one way the rest of my life, it would be with coconut milk. I use the light kind because it can be very caloric. Cook the rice in the milk just as you would any liquid, rice tip down below. A can of black beans- I didn't make any ahead. Black beans are another favorite of mine. Chopped red onion for a kick. The salmon had been sauteed previously in red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic, seasoned with S&P and thyme. Simple. After all the ingredients are ready make you tacos. 

Ingredients:

Coconut Milk

Brown Rice

Can of Black Beans

Chopped Onion

Salmon 

Cheddar Cheese

Salsa or Hot Sauce

There is no firm measurements for these except for the rice. Always double the liquid to your rice measurement. If you are cooking 1/2 cup rice, then 1 cup of water. With brown rice, sometimes you add a tad more liquid, maybe a tablespoon. My Mexican mother shared the secret with cooking rice after many failed attempts. 

Cooking Rice: sauteed onions and garlic in olive oil for a couple minutes, add the rice for another minute or two. Then add the water, let it boil, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes. 

Other add-ons: avocado, roasted red pepper, lime, cilantro, greens. Unfortunately, I had none of these, but would add great flavor. And don't forget your veggies! I steamed some broccoli. Yum!

I think I covered all the important things. Hope you enjoy and please pass it along. 

A Cathedral and a Rooftop

The rain nearly ruined this rooftop shoot. Gwynne and I took advantage of the surprising sunshine and warm weather that followed the dreary rain. This 55 degree January day had me confused about winter. It seems she's clarified any confusion over the weekend though,  it's freezing! Winter has me hibernating and slightly depressed. Spring must come soon for my sanity. It's killing my social life. I rarely leave my house besides work.  

So, the rooftop and the National Cathedral. Well, about a month ago I realized I have unauthorized access to the roof. How fortunate that one of the keys opens the door. With the cathedral directly across the street, this location seemed rather perfect for a photo shoot. Gwynne, a fellow blogger and jewelry maker, joined me and, boy, was it a blast. She also brought me a funky, recycled earring she made! Of course, I wore it.  We gave our best posh looks, but couldn't help laughing at our, well, my, failed attempts. And the shadows, well, that was plain  fun. 

(seater and velvet pants-thrifted, necklace-Madewell,  boots-Loeffler Randall, scarf-Valerie Stevens)

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