The Chic Life

A Sweet Fourth of July

I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July. Ours was spent relaxing most of the day - exactly what I wanted to do. I started it all out by sleeping in (yay!) and then me and the hubby hit up a local pancake house for a delicious brunch. Next, we headed to Tar-jhay (aka Target) so I could pick up a Rubik's cube. I know...random! I've never had the desire to try to solve the silly thing till recently, but that's another story for another day. Anywho, the hubby got on the phone with some buddies and ended up planning for us to spend the night doing the all-American tradition (to celebrate today's holiday) - grilling! We promptly headed to the grocery store to get all the essentials we'd need, plus a few extra to make a dessert I'd recently been eyeing in one of my mags.

I don't know if you saw it, too, but I saw a yummy-looking dessert that appeared to be as easy as it was tasty in my Real Simple magazine - the July 2008 copy. I'm talking about the dessert made from ice-cream sandwiches and whipped cream. Did you see it!? I knew from the minute I saw it that I'd be making it soon, and I figured what better dessert on the Fourth than something cool & creamy to wash down those hamburgers and hot dogs?

The recipe came together very easily. It was basically just two layers of ice cream sandwiches separated by two layers of whipped cream - all topped with chopped chocolate chips and re-frozen. The hardest part was making the whipped cream from scratch (which isn't very hard at all if you have an electric mixer). The recipe suggested using wax paper or parchment paper to line the bottom of the baking dish. The wax paper was a bit hard to get off the dessert when I was removing it from the pan - it kind of fell apart and ripped, so if you try that recipe, maybe try parchment paper instead? I'm not sure if it would be much better.

All in all, though, the dessert was a big hit and everyone loved it. We left our friends with big smiles and the rest of the dessert and headed back home to relax some more.

If you celebrated it, how was your Fourth? What did you eat?

Giada's Chicken Piccata & Chocolate-Strawberry Paninis

I haven't felt much like cooking since getting back from the Bahamas. It's not so much that I have gotten used to someone else cooking for me (although that was nice), but more that I was expecting to have so much more free time now that Pink at the Plaza is over, in addition to the more obvious wedding. I was expecting my house to miraculously clean itself, my schedule to be completely empty, my laundry done and I expected to have all the time in the world to do all the things I've been wanting to do the past year. Alas, such is life...and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I've managed to get myself to make a couple of my favorites for dinner, though.

This is Giada's Chicken Piccata - one of my all time favorite chicken dishes. This classic combination of lemon & capers is a treat for your tongue. I like to serve mine with angel hair pasta nests.

And, then I had these amazing strawberries I picked up from some local farmers. I work in the downtown area of my city and farmers actually set up tents on the streets to sell their fresh veggies, fruits, honey and all kinds of other goodies. I love the vintage-turquoise look of the crate against the ripe, red strawberries.

I love thinly sliced strawberries with a sprinkle of sugar, but I wanted to do something a bit more fancy (and with more chocolate...or just with chocolate at all)

Slice frozen pound cake, spread with Nutella, top with your sliced strawberries - sandwich - grill on a panini press and...

...Voila! You have a simple & delicious dessert - Chocolate-Strawberry Panini - another Giada creation. Yum!

Anywho, I hope I have time for more cooking and more crafting! I'll keep you posted.

Fiiiinally! I have an iMac!

Hey Kids!

I fiiiinally got my computer! Yay! Here's Bailey modeling with our new toy - an iMac. He's a pretty good Vanna, eh?

I can't really afford this right now, but it was a necessity, so what are you going to do? I found a pretty sweet payment plan at BestBuy, so at least we have that. Now I've just got to get rid of this silly credit card so I can pay off the iMac!

Cheers!

Diana

My Little Happily Ever After

Hey guys!

Well, I'm back from the Bahamas and so excited about blogging again!  Only kink is that my computer is still dead and I don't have a new one yet.  Bummer, eh?  Anywho, in the meantime, here's a photo from our wedding:

Hope you're all doing well!

:) Diana

Peeking In

Hi Dear Blog Friends,

I'm just peeking in to say a quick hello and that I haven't forgotten about you.  I miss my blog friends and my blogging and my sharing and my...relaxation time.  It seems so relaxing just jumping from one happy blog to another, no?  Sometimes, most of the time, actually, I think it's relaxing just to blog.

It seems that I have so many things going against me right now, though - so many things taking my time or preventing me from blogging: my wedding, my integral part in planning Pink at the Plaza, and the fact that my computer is completely dead (I can't get my files nor my Photoshop)...oh, and the fact that I need to buy a new computer which, with all the software and parts I need, will run me well over a thous.  Yikes!  Anywho, no more whining.  I'll get a computer soon, my event will be a huge success (*fingers crossed*), and we'll be married and relaxing on a beach somewhere tropical and then I can return to my regular life and tell you guys all about it.

:) D

My First Art/Craft Show (That I'm Planning)!

Ok, so I know I've been MIA for awhile now, but I've had something big in the works.  No...seriously...huge!  At least to me.  This has been a tough secret to keep from you, but I didn't want to say anything lest I jinx myself.  Anywho, everything's public now so it's safe to share the news with you!  I'm planning my first craft show!  Yes!  I mean, I've been in many craft shows to sell my jewelry...well, if you count all the craft shows my dad took me to when I was a kid, then I guess I've been to craft shows all my life, but details...details.

Ok, so for the show details...I've been wanting to do a craft show in the Charlotte, NC area for awhile now, but I wanted to find a good charity to work with so the event would benefit a good cause...win-win, you know?  I'm super-excited to tell you that I've teamed up with the Charlotte Avon Walk for Breast Cancer to plan a craft show to benefit the walk...how cool is that?  It's called Pink at the Plaza and it will be Saturday, May 17th from 10am - 3pm in Charlotte, NC near the beautiful SouthPark and Cotswald areas of town.  It's going to be an awesome outdoor show and so much fun! 

Anywho, I've spent many, many, many hours over the last couple weeks creating the web site (http://www.pinkattheplaza.com) for the event, as well as creating the Vendor Application and working on other details.  The set-up work is done, so now I just need to get the word out.

I think this is going to be an amazing event benefiting a great cause, so if any of you lovely crafters & artisans would like to set up a booth to sell your handmade beauties, please consider applying for this most awesome event.  You can find information on being a vendor here: http://www.pinkattheplaza.com/Vendors.asp

If you'd like to promote the event, please consider placing a banner on your blog somewhere by copying the following code into your template:

<a href="http://www.pinkattheplaza.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.pinkattheplaza.com/images/PATP-Banner.gif" border="0"></a>

Wish me luck!  This is the first craft show I've helped plan! :)  I think it's going to be really great, though.  We've got lots of ideas to promote the heck out of the show including working with local newspapers, magazines, and radio stations, putting up flyers all around town and spreading the news of the show through lots of good word of mouth. :) 

Pie a la St. Patrick's Day

I wasn't going to cook this weekend b/c I have lots of projects (that I'll be sure to share with you soon) in the works and I'm just running myself into the ground these days.  Anywho, I happened to be on FoodNetwork this weekend and saw a couple casserole and savory pie dishes listed for St. Patrick's Day.  I had forgotten it was St. Patrick's Day (and I forgot to wear green today), but the photos reminded me of one of my favorite 30 Minute Meals: Shepherd's Pie by Rachael Ray.

I had Shepherd's Pie for the first time just a couple years ago in Orlando, FL.  It was my birthday, but I was on a project with my company - a week-long trip for a premliminary evaluation of a company's test scripts (yes, my geekiness slips out now and again).  My two co-workers with me on the trip had been on a couple other projects together before and were pretty close, while I was the "newbie."  On my b-day night, they were meeting up with a friend they used to work with who now lived in FL, and they let me tag along...thank goodness b/c who wants to be alone on their b-day?

I was hoping they'd want to go somewhere I wanted to go since it was my birthday, but I was truly just tagging along for the ride.  Their friend had already suggested meeting up an an English pub off I-drive.  An English pub?  I'd never eaten at such a place before and I don't much care for beer but I figured I'd make the best of it and have a good time anyways. 

I stared at the menu blankly for some time, but narrowed it down between two meat dishes...one being Shepherd's Pie (the other I forgot).  Whenever I'm torn between two options at a restaurant, I always ask the waiter which one they think is better...even if I've had both before, which was certainly not the case tonight.  Anywho, the waiter strongly suggested Shepherd's Pie so I went with his suggestion.  Of course, clueless little me didn't know what to order for a drink next.  I tried to talk to the waiter about beers but without knowing much about them, I couldn't explain much.

Perhaps he could sense it was my birthday that night or he was just being nice but without me even asking, the next thing I know he's brought a beer sampler to the table for me and for free - like 4 or 5 beers in mini glasses for me to try.  I couldn't believe it...I mean that's customer service, right?  Anywho, I figured out that night that I like light beers and I figured out that I like Stella and another light beer that has a long name - it starts with a 'B' and comes from England...Bodington or something?  I should have written it down.  Anywho, so the pie comes out and it's one of the best things I've ever eaten.  Why had I not heard of this before, I wondered?  It's like, what's not to like?  Meat - good.  Potatoes - good.  Veggies - good.  Gravy - good.

Shepherd's Pie - Good!  I don't think it's a true Irish dish, but I read online it was Irish-American?  Works for me - we enjoyed it either way!

Happy St. Patricks Day everyone!

Garden-Inspired Jewelry

I love making jewelry using color combinations found in natural life.  It seems like flowers and other plantlife make the best color statements.  Recently, I was inspired by the March 2008 cover of Martha Stewart Living magazine to make a gemstone-embellished necklace

I just loved the bright greens paired with the deep pinks and purples - so pretty!  Can you imagine having a garden like that?

The necklace features chalk turquoise, Russian amazonite, and Peridot-colored Swarovski crystals, which remind me of the greens - both light and dark - in the photo.  I also added some amethyst, freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystals in Fushia and Amethyst to represent the purple and deep pink blooms peeking from the greens.  The necklace includes sterling silver components and is a steal at only $45 for all those amazing materials in one beautiful, garden-inspired design.  Email me at thechiclife at gmail dot com if you're interested.

Cursing Over Risotto? Not in This House!

Do you ever hear something, like the name of an entree, or even just the type of side, and think...hmm...that sounds really good?  I swear, I heard the word "risotto" more times than I can count when I was watching Hell's Kitchen, and every time I heard it, I swear it sounded more enticing (yea, through all of Chef Ramsey's cursing and what not). 

Last Friday, my SO and I went to Olive Garden for dinner, and since I cannot eat meat during Lent, we couldn't enjoy our usual: an appetizer (usually the cheese fonduta or bruschetta) and the chicken parmesan sub fettuccine alfredo - split.  We were stuck with the task of picking out something different to eat at Olive Garden for the first time in years.  Something interesting caught my attention from the corner of my eye: Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto.  Wow!  That sounds great, I thought!  I somehow managed to talk my SO into splitting it with me and boy was it good.  I mean, they had completely over-salted it to the point it was burning my tongue, but I could tell that underneath all that salt, there was something really great.  I knew I'd have to figure out how to make it on my own since the chances of us ordering it again were slim to none (not b/c of the over-salting but b/c my SO really likes his chick parm).

Anywho, on Sunday, with my new March budget, I was feeling generous and decided to try the recipe out on my own...sans recipe, that is.  I looked up the Basic Risotto recipe (kinda like this one, but without the mushrooms and peas - I recommend the book version, though) in my Everyday Italian cookbook and figured out the extra ingredients I'd need: shrimp, asparagus, heavy cream, and parsley for good measure.

I started per Giada's recipe and melted the butter over medium heat, then sauteed the onions till tender, about 3 minutes.  Meanwhile, a box of chicken stock was coming to a simmer in a pot behind this pan.

Next, I added the rice, tossed to coat, then added the wine and stirred till absorbed.

The rest of the recipe is pretty simple in concept, but quite a workout on the arms.  Add 1/2 cup of simmering chicken broth to the rice, stir till absorbed...about 2 minutes.  Continue adding broth and stirring continuously until rice is tender...about 20 minutes.  At about 6 minutes till complete, I added the asparagus.  At about 4 minutes till complete, I added the shrimp.  As I couldn't quite tell if the shrimp were done, and I tend to freak out over undercooked food, I added about a cup of hot water to my pot of broth and ended up cooking the whole thing for a few minutes more.  When I thought everything was done, I turned the heat off, added an additional tablespoon of butter, about 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese, and about two tablespoons of heavy cream and stirred till combined.  Just added cream until the mixture is the consistency you like...I ended up using about 2 tablespoons.

I served my shrimp & asparagus risotto in shallow bowls and topped with more, yummy parmesan cheese grated over the piping hot risotto, then topped the dish with chopped Italian parsley.

I was surprised at how good it turned out, but I guess the recipe is pretty simple.  If you try it, be sure you add salt and pepper along the way, but don't over-salt it - apparently that's easy to do with risotto, which I can attest to.  lol.  Anywho, this was a winner in my house...I'll definitely be making this one again!  Yum!

Magazine Holder Makeover

I got these simple, white magazine holders awhile back from a local organization supplies store.  I knew I'd be able to do something cool with them...I just wasn't quite sure what.  I've been seeing lots of craft projects involving spray adhesive and figured since I already had some that I'd give it a go and give my magazine holders a makeover with some pretty fabric from my stash.

I gathered my materials and selected a couple fabrics.  The magazine holder came partially pre-assembled so I couldn't easily make a template as it wouldn't lie completely flat (and I didn't feel up to taking it apart and re-gluing it later...lazy me, I know).  I figured I'd "cheat" and just do two colors - one on each side and and another corresponding color around the narrow edges.

I started by cutting my fabric pieces and giving them a quick ironing as they had been pre-washed and were a bit wrinkly.  Then, I laid newspaper over my dining room table and sprayed one side of the magazine holder with the glue.  I let it dry for approximately one minute (per the bottle) and carefully applied the first side, gently spreading the fabric to help keep it nice and smooth. 

As I didn't want the inside of the magazine holder to be sticky and this spray adhesive is a bit hard to control without covering stuff up, etc., I decided to use my friend, hot glue, to tack down the sides and stick the fabric down on the inside.  I repeated the previous steps for the other side of the magazine holder.

Then, I took a long piece of fabric just a tad wider than the narrow width of the magazine holder and trimmed the sides with my scallop-edge pinking shears to give it a decorative edge as I wasn't sure I could hide the raw edges.  I figured if they were going to show, they might as well be cute, right?  Anywho, b/c I was feeling a tad lazy, I decided just to use hot glue to glue down the long piece along the narrow edge of the magazine holder.  The spray adhesive is rather messy and gets everything sticky if you're not careful, and I didn't want to be bothered with the newspaper sticking to me and stuff.

What do you think about the finished product?  I have soooo very many magazines, I think I could possibly spend a lifetime making these little holders to contain all of them, but alas...I do not have such free time.  Maybe I'll make one here and there?

I can be a bit slow with my crafting at times, so I'm not sure if tonight was the case or whether this project is just a bit lengthy, but this one took about two hours to complete.  I guess that's not really too bad, but two hours more than I typically have every night!  lol.  I guess if I'm lucky, I'll make at least one more...haha.  Hey, at least I finished a project for once, right? :)