Restless

Feeling restless is the worst, it's my least favorite emotion.

Here is a pretty picture that kinda describes my restlessness.  I didn't take it, but what the hell.

Any suggestions on how to not feel restless?

xo

GOOD times!

Since one of my good friends moved to Los Feliz I've begun a deep love affair with the Los Feliz / Silverlake area.  I love the charm, the ease, the eclecticness, the variety, and how it seems like a playground for people in their 20's and 30's.

Last night my friend invited me to Mystery Beer Night at Good Microbrew and Grill in Silverlake.  And you betcha your bottom I was in.  I looovvvee beer.  With it's vast selection of beers, this place is the place for me.

On Wednesday it's Mystery Beer Night from 6pm to 10 pm.  It's $3 bucks for a beer, which I like.  But you don't get to pick your beer, which I might not like if I end up with an IPA.  They pick the beer and it's a mystery to you - hence, mystery beer night.  There is a list of 11 beers on the table and you can guess which beer you have and then check the number on the bottom of the plastic cup.  Try not to cheat! That's no fun!  I guessed both of my beers correctly! Yay me!  The night was a lot of fun, guessing beers is a great conversation starter and sometimes you find out you like a beer you didn't think you would.  The one problem, at 10pm the restaurant closes.  We shut the place down.  So if you wanna keep the night going you gotta find a new place at 10pm to drink at.  Unfortunately the night was over for me.  Gotta get my beauty sleep :)

peace, love, beer, and happiness!

Mangia! Mangia!

Pasta is a recent addition to my ever growing list of "things I love to eat."  I find it somewhat odd that I did not discover the wonderfulness of pasta until recently.  How did I not know that there were so many ways to make it besides just plain old spaghetti noodles and a jar of Prego sauce?!  I use to just order chicken parmigiana every time I went to an Italian restaurant.  But with the discovery of some amazing Italian restaurants in LA, like Il Capriccio in Los Feliz, where just this Friday I had squid ink pasta for the first time and it was phenomenal.  Silky black and very smooth spaghetti noodles with a creamy tomato sauce, caramelized onions (...swoon...) and finished off with a healthy amount of shrimp.  Wow.  Who knew pasta could be this good?  (I'm willing to bet a lot of people, just not me.)  With my new found love for pasta I decided to try making a dish my friend always talks about when she goes out to get Italian food -  Spaghetti alla Carbonara.

Here is where I have to admit that I have never had spaghetti alla carbonara before, so I can not attest to the authenticity of my version to traditional versions or restaurant versions.  But I can say my friend and I went back for third helpings.  Hey, it's Monday, it's practically still the weekend.  Don't judge me.

Recipe adapted from Food Network's Tyler Florence

Servings 2-4 (depending on if you eat like me)

Ingredients:

about 7 ounces dry whole wheat spaghetti noodles (about half a small box)
2 shallots chopped
8-10 Italian brown mushrooms sliced
about 8 slices of bacon chopped (or more if you like, it never hurts)
4-6 cloves of garlic chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup reserved cooking water from pasta, or cream, or low-fat milk

It is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta alone cooks the raw egg.  Plan accordingly.


Heat oil in pan.  Add bacon, mushrooms, and shallots.  Saute till shallots are slightly caramelized and bacon is cooked throughly.  Add the garlic.


Boil water for pasta and cook pasta according to directions on box.


Meanwhile, mix with a fork the egg, water or milk, and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese.


After pasta is drained add the noodles to the pan with the bacon, mushrooms, and garlic.  Saute briefly - about a minute.  Remove from heat and stir in egg mixture.  Stirring gently.  You are not trying to scramble the eggs but instead make a sauce out of them.  Add more water or milk if needed to achieve a saucy consistency that you like.


Top pasta with a healthy amount of parmesan cheese and freshly grated black pepper.


Enjoy! (I know I did!)


Peace, love, pasta, and happiness!

Helping Haiti

I've decided on another New Year's Resolution!  Do more charity work and help others.  I've taken part in things of this nature sporatically throughout my young adult life - helped kids learn how to read while in college, sorority philanthropy events, volunteering at a soup kitchen, made and passed out sandwiches for the homeless on a corner of Cahuenga and Hollywood Blvd, and recently I volunteered at a dog adoption.  While I'm proud of the small contributions I have made, I think it would be beneficial to help out more than once a year or once every two years.

And it is important to note that helping can be done in many different forms - from volunteering your time, or your resources, to simply donating money, or attending fundraising events.  Last night I attended my first fundraising event which was a Haitian Earthquake Relief Fundraiser at Bar Marmont.

Now I will admit (don't judge me), that I wanted to go paritially because this event was being held at Bar Marmont which is a famous Hollywood hotspot.  And the drinks and appetizers were enticing as well.  But I maintain that my intentions were in the most charitable of places.  It's nice to attend something where you can meet the people that are putting your money to good use and hear how it is helping others.

{decorations inside Bar Marmont}

While it was fun to be at Bar Marmont, which is beautiful eclectic old Hollywood glamour at it's best - with peacock feathers hanging from the walls and butterflies attached to the ceiling, and the appetizers were delish, the best part was knowing that my small contribution was going to help others.  In fact, the organization that this event supported was the same one that had doctors and medical help on the ground within 24 hours of the earthquake and also treated the 4 year old boy that was buried for three days. 

I don't like to urge people to do anything (besides eat good food), but if you can try to lend a hand in anyway you can this year!  It gives you a warm feeling inside!  Next up, Disney's Give a Day, Get A Day!

Peace, love, helping others, and happiness!

Raindrops and Roses - Golden Globe Best Dressed!

Good ol' perpetually sunny Los Angeles (as those who are not from LA tend to think) really let us down this past weekend at the Golden Globes.  While, I've spent my share of award shows bundled up in a jacket covering my cute and painstakingly sought out dress while running from one covered area to the next (which are few and far between) in heels (which, by the way, are not meant for the rain), it seems this year the weather really wanted to stick it to us.  As if on cue, right before the red carpet arrivals, the sky opened up and dumped buckets of water on the Beverly Hilton.  (And I'm sure the rest of LA as well, but does that really matter?)   As umbrellas popped up all over the red carpet the media outlets began to worry that the stars would rush inside and skip interviews, which would be a big problem.  And of course, we did not have enough umbrellas, so I settled for getting soaked.  Luckily (and unfortunately), my job required much running around and a credential that got me kicked off the red carpet just as all the action started to happen.  So today, (as yesterday was dedicated solely to sleep) I finally found out how the celebs weathered the storm and checked out all the gowns.  Here are some of my favorites.

Penelope Cruz holding her own umbrella - got to love her! (I've been the hold-the-umbrealla-girl, it's no fun, your arm gets tired.)  {image via NYDailyNews}

Oliva Wilde - she blows me away every year.  Normally she goes more sweet than this sultry, sparkly number; but I love, love, love this on her.  Maybe I just have a girl crush on her?  {image via Glamour Fashion}

Modern Family's Sofia Vergara - while this isn't a dress that I'm head over heels for, I do like it, and I had to put her on my list because I saw her in the lobby on rehearsal day and she is unbelievably gorgeous and Modern Family is one of the best new shows on TV.  {image via Glamour Fashion}

Sandra Bullock - I love her so much that she can do no wrong in my eyes.  I literally screamed aloud (along with many others) when they announced she won Best Actress while watching the show at the hotel bar.  Plus, purple is one of my favorite colors.  {image via Glamour Fashion}

Jennifer Anison - I love Jen's leggy look.  I just wish the top was symmetrical, that way all the attention is on the amazing slit and lots of leg.  {image via UK Daily Mail}

Christina Hendricks - there is something about her red hair, red lips, hourglass shape, and sultry stare that just makes this dress work.  On anyone else as pale as her I don't think it would have. {image via Glamour Fashion}

And of course I can't leave you without a photo of yours truly working hard on the red carpet.  (I coordinate all the talent for our Countdown to the Golden Globes 2 hour show.)  I'm obviously not on the best dressed list (and wasn't allowed on the red carpet shortly after this), but I liked my dress and feather earrings! (Don't mind the walkie attached to my dress.)  This is pre-terential downpour.  Shortly after this I wasn't looking as happy.

Peace, love, award shows, and happiness!

Golden Globes! (and one of my dreams come true!)

Tomorrow it's award show party time! It's that time of the year where the red carpet is rolled out, the Beverly Hilton gets decked out in gold, and I get to wake up at 5:00 am tomorrow for a long, partly stressful, partly fun day. That's right, tomorrow is the Golden Globes - the award show where the stars let loose, have a few drinks, and have some fun. While my day consists of coordinating schedules, simultaneously having conversations on my cell phone, walkie talkie, and in person all while running around in heels, I look forward to the excitement and fun of the red carpet. And most of all I look forward to wearing my new hair extensions (if I wake up early enough to put them in... which isn't looking like it's gonna happen). It has been one of my major goals in life to have long hair, but my hair refuses to cooperate with my wishes. Lucky for me TV Guide can't afford models and this made one of my dreams come true, I was selected for a little award show hair how-to segment with the fabulous celebrity hairstylist, Ken Paves, where he gave me long hair with his amazing clip in extensions. And let me keep it! So I can Rapunzel myself up anytime! You can see the segment tomorrow sometime between 1pm and 3pm on TV Guide's Countdown to the Golden Globes. I don't like to post about my job all that often, BUT I'm just too excited to about my beautiful hair extensions to keep it too myself, so check out the video and let me know what you think!! Oh long hair, you are my favorite thing ever. Plus it never hurts to throw out a shameless plug here and there. Watch Carrie Ann Inaba and Chris Harrison Live on the Golden Globe red carpet on the TV Guide Network! Hey, you never know, you might be helping me keep my job!





peace, love, flowing long locks, and happiness!

Dinner Accomplished

While I fancy myself an expert planner in most areas of my life, the reality is when it comes to cooking I am decidedly not.  I get overwhelmed, excited, and more overwhelmed way too easily.  When planning a meal I often get my heart set on one certain dish and find myself trying to plan a whole meal around that, regardless if it's just an appetizer or side dish.  Then I flip through what feels like a hundred cookbooks (which is really only about 5), feverishly bookmarking every recipe that catches my eye, completely forgetting the task at hand.  Then I get fixated on fancy ingredients and end up with a grocery list way too long and even farther out of my price range.

It's a good thing that while planning dinner for girl's "Bachelor" night I came across the website Smitten Kitchen and the recipe I became fixated on was this amazingly simple roasted tomatoes and cipollini onions.  I decided I simply had to plan my menu  around this divine recipe which features baby tomatoes (I used baby heirloom tomatoes) and cipollini onions roasted to tender juicyness with olive oil and coarse salt.

To find the perfect pairing with this dish I gave up my chicken strike and marinated some breasts in lemon, garlic, and rosemary and baked them.  It was simple, cheap and surprisingly good.  I also made cauliflower with toasted garlic and panko crumbs.  Another easy and cheap dish.  I keep panko in my pantry at all times for when my craving for crunchy shrimp with spicy mayo kicks in.  And who doesn't have a head of garlic on their kitchen counter at all times?  Pick up a head of cauliflower and boom, side dish complete.

But still, the star of the meal in my mind was the roasted heirloom tomatoes and cipollini onions.  Dump them (with the juices, of course) over a bed of ciabatta bread and white beans and sprinkle with basil and you have an appetizer / side dish / hell, even a meal worthy of catching your guests attention and taste buds.

Thanks to Christina for bringing a delicious salad to go with the meal and to Jessica for a great dessert and of course for the company of good friends!

And props to me for planning a meal that didn't break the bank and wasn't terribly hard to prepare.  (Although I still didn't get dinner on the table till well after 8:00 PM, but that's an improvement from the spinach lasagna dinner party where we were eating at 10:00 PM.)

Peace, love, cooking, and happiness!

Food, Fresh

I'm still working on my final draft of New Year's Resolution (I know, I'm quite behind) but one of the items on my rough draft is to eat more local, fresh food.  This task should be rather easy if I kick my laziness to the curb and plan out some meals.  Los Angeles has a good amount of farmer's markets - in fact, there is one every Sunday just down the street from my apartment that I must take full advantage of this year as I have not in the past.  But one of my favorite places to go is The Farmers Market at The Grove.  

It's celebrating it's 75th anniversary and I love the history and charm, the feeling you get walking through the bustling aisles.  It's as much fun to shop there as it is to eat at all the wonderful food stands.  The selection of goodies is amazing, from roasted nuts to fresh baked bread, and candied fruit.

Yesterday I wandered around picking up fresh fruit for brunch with my friend.  I was there fairly early and it was nice to shop in the soft morning sunlight and not have to dodge too many people (everywhere in LA is always sooo busy!).

I even picked up fresh sausage meat for breakfast patties.  I've never bought meat straight from a butcher before!  And while I took a picture of the meat, I've decided posting pictures of raw meat kinda creeps me out... especially since at this place they shape the hunks of ground pork into a pig face and use olives for eyes.  Eeek. It's almost enough to make be want to go vegetarian again, at least until I tasted the cooked patties I made drizzled with maple syrup.  Oh. My. Goodness.  They were the highlight of brunch.  

And of course, like every time I am there, I absolutely must stop at Monsieur Marcel's Gourmet market to admire the selection of unique spices, sauces, gourmet items, and old fashioned olive barrels.  And the cheese!  Oh, how I love cheese.

Brunch was a success thanks to the items from the farmer's market and with the help of Sabrina opening the champagne for mimosas (since I am inept at such tasks) and working the french toast frying pan like a pro.  What a great way to start a relaxing and quiet weekend!

Hope everyone else is having a good weekend!

Peace, love, fresh food, and happiness!

Peaceful and Planet Blue

I wish I was on the beach again, dreaming away peacefully.

{photo by Capture Scratch}

And I really wish I was wearing this Willow Gown while on the beach.

Planet Blue is having a great sale on their super cute clothes!  Check them out if you are in LA or shop the sale online.

peace, love, more peace, and happiness!

A Glimpse at my Holiday

Sorry I've been absent!  I've been brainstorming ways to make my blog better and evaluating my New Year's resolutions before sharing them with the internet world.  I have some great things planned for the blog that I hope everyone will enjoy and I can't wait to share them with you!  But for now here is a little look at my Holiday.  My parents call Lake Havasu, Arizona home and that's where I spent my Christmas with my amazing parents and their amazing dogs.  I hope everyone had time off of work to eat, spend time with family, and have fun!

Christmas Sunset

Christmas Puppy!

Christmas Dinner: Prime Rib with mushroom ale cream sauce, homemade flat bread, roasted balsamic glazed winter vegetables, and mash potatoes with spinach.

Making the Mushrooms

Mash Potatoes with Spinach

Hemi and Indy

Indy

Hiking with Hemi at the rock slide

Two miles to get to the water...

and totally worth it for Hemi

Mom

Another fun thing I did while out in Havasu was attempting to go out on the dune buggy with Dad (the battery was dead), it's becoming a tradition that we take the dune buggy out only to discover it isn't working. Ha.  What did you do over your Holiday?

peace, love, family, and happiness