This year I plan on just maintaining my fitness.  Yes I still have fitness goals, but my fitness goals are different to what they were.

For example in June I set these goals:

Smoked Almonds

Smoked Almonds

2 C. unblanched almonds

½ C. liquid smoke

Smoked salt – amount to taste – experiment, and add more while the almonds are warm

Soak almonds in liquid smoke for 20 minutes. Drain well. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast in a very slow oven, 250°F (120°C), until crisp (about one hour). While nuts are hot and still a bit damp, salt to taste. Drain on paper towels. Makes 1 pint smoked nuts. These keep well stored in tightly covered jar.

One of my absolute favourite items from the Spring/ Summer 2013 showings is the Lanvin ‘ARPEGE’ evening bag; a hand-polished black enamel case, trimmed with gold clasp and gold snake handle. The bag is a tribute to the 85 years of Arpège fragrance, resembling the black ball bottle designed by Armand Albert Rateau in 1927.

Did I mention it’s available this month? Sigh…

Alexandra Greenhill Fashion Stylist & Consultant
www.alexandragreenhill.co.uk

Magnify Magazine
www.hellomagnify.com

Enough of the girlie stuff! Gotta resist a tacker or other attackers and you know how it go – I learned that long time ago: The best defense is offense. No offense!

With the Super Bowl going down this (given) Sunday, the ad departements are going overall crackbrained (hence, wear a helmet).

TYPES

ANTIPASTO, ANTIPASTI, OR ANTIPASTA? The Italian word is “antipasto” & literally means “before the food” (“pasto” comes from the Latin “pastus,” the past participle of the verb “pascere,” to feed). “Antipasti” is the plural of antipasto, & “antipasta” is just plain wrong.

BEGGAR’S PURSE A beggar’s purse is an appetizer composed of a crepe topped with a savory filling & tied with thin strips of chives. The visual effect resembles a little purse.

DIM SUM Dim Sum means little heart or touch your heart. This Cantonese cuisine, which dates back to the 10th century AD, usually consists of small dishes, served in tiers of bamboo steamers or small to medium-sized plates, & varieties include savory pastries, dumplings, filled buns, noodles, sweet pastries, vegetables, meats, crisp croquettes, sticky cakes, & fried rice. Families, friends, & coworkers alike all gather for this very social meal.

HORS D’OEUVRE Simply an appetizer before a meal, hors d’oeuvre (pronounced or duhrv) is French in origin.  Comprised of “hors” which means outside, “de” meaning of, & “oeuvre” meaning (the main) work, it means a dish outside of the main course.  Customarily served with cocktails, they are usually one -  or two – bite size & can be cold or hot.  The purpose of the hors d’oeuvre is to whet the appetite; if there is a long waiting period between when the guests arrive & when the meal is served, for example, during a cocktail hour. Antipasto is the Italian word for hors d’oeuvre, literally meaning “before the meal.”  In Italian cuisine, this typically consists of cold foods such as cheeses & raw or marinated vegetables, as well as meats, especially cured meats such as prosciutto & sometimes salads.

RUMAKI HORS D’OEUVRE Combine a piece of chicken liver that’s been marinated in soy sauce, garlic, & ginger, with a water chestnut slice & a strip of bacon; skewer it together with a toothpick, & grill or broil it till the chicken liver is cooked & the bacon is crisp.

SAMOSA Have you ever eaten samosa?  Do you know what they are? Samosa (pronounce it sah–MOH–sah) are deep–fried East Indian snacks (I‘ve also seen them as appetizers on the menu of one or two restaurants).  A triangular piece of pastry is wrapped around a filling of meat and/or veggies, & frequently these delicious goodies are served with a dipping sauce.

TAPAS A “tapa” is a small meal or snack eaten between main meals. Its origin is credited two ways beginning in Spain. Spanish king Alfonso the 10th, the Wise, was ill & had to take small bites of food with some wine between meals. He then ordered all inns to serve food with wine. The small meals were welcomed by farmers & union workers, which allowed them to continue working until it was time for the main meal. The other story claims that tapas began in Andalusia, the home of sherry. Customers & travelers were given pieces of bread to cover the glasses. “Tapa” means lid or cover. This led to innkeepers adding ham, sausage, seafood, or cheese to the bread. Tapas have evolved into an array of dishes, which are eaten at all times of the day & night.

APPETIZER IDEAS

°  SAVORY BISCUITS One thing you could do way in advance are tiny savoury biscuits (especially nice with a little cheddar, poppy or sesame seed or a fresh herb worked into the dough). Cut them into shapes with canape cutters (or small cookie cutters), bake & freeze. When you’re ready to serve, thaw, warm just a bit & split & serve with … slivers of ham & dijon, a really nice cheddar with chutney, brie, smoked turkey & havarti, a hint of onion & smoked salmon…whatever you like.

°  BACON/PINEAPPLE BITS Wrap pineapple chunks with bacon, Broil. Serve with Chinese Mustard.

°  CHERRY TOMATOES WITH HERBED TUNA PATE & TAPENADE Hollow out cherry tomatoes & filled with Herbed Tuna Pate (RECIPE #19457), top with a bit of tapenade.   (For filling the tomatoes I place this mixture in a plastic freezer bag fitted with a nozzle for filling the tomatoes.)

°  CHICKEN OR SEAFOOD SALAD A good hors d’oeuvres is to take wonton wrappers ( or egg roll wrappers cut in ¼’s). Spray mini muffin tins with cooking spray, push one wrapper down into well leaving corners hang over top, sray again & then bake at 350 degrees until crisp & lightly brown (I think about 15 minutes – watch the first batch to see how long it takes as I can’t remember). Remove from pans and cook on wire racks. After cooling these can be stored in covered containers until ready to fill. Fill with chicken or seafood salad. They hold about 1 Tbs.. As these can be made ahead & quickly filled they are good to serve. Also are filling.

°  Go buy those little tart shells in the freezer section & buy a brie cheese & a jar of Major Gray Chutney. Put a small amount of chutney in the bottom of a shell & then a small chunk of brie & bake them off. Makes great finger food & very tasty. Cut the rind off the brie.

°  HEARTS OF PALM WITH SMOKED SALMON Roll a slice of lox around one piece of canned hearts of palm – slice into ¾ inch slices. When I ran out of smoke salmon I used prosciutto. The salmon wrapped pieces went quickly.

°  QUICK & EASY KIELBASA Cut kielbasa into bite size pieces. Spread in oven-proof baking dish. Cover with whole cranberry sauce, sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake til hot & sort of crispy on top, 350F for 20-30 mins.

°  TORTILLA WRAP I take softened cream cheese & add things like diced ham and crushed pineapple, or diced ham, finely chopped green onions, garlic powder & dill, or dried beef, red onion, & garlic powder. Whatever you add, you mix well with the cream cheese. Then I spread the mixture on large tortilla shells & roll up. Then I put them in a long pan or on a platter & wrap up and put in the refrigerator overnight so they will firm up some. The next day I take & cut them into about 1″ slices & they have a pinwheel effect. They aren’t difficult & are pretty popular. What you add to the softened cream cheese is really up to your imagination, & budget.

°  Heat up some Lit’l Smokies & serve with a dip made by blending & heating equal parts red currant jelly & yellow mustard. These will disappear so fast you won’t know what hit you.

°  Almost anything SERVED ON A CRACKER, dips, spreads, etc., taste just as good on a slice of cucumber, assuming you like cucumbers.

°  An ELEGANT APPETIZER is hearts of palm, cut into 1-inch slices, with strips of nova salmon or lox wrapped around, & speared with a toothpick. A little chopped fresh parsley, dill or chives sprinkled on top is attractive. Serve with a side dish of mayonnaise mixed with capers & drops of lemon juice to taste.

°  Mix softened cream cheese with horseradish & Worcestershire to taste. Spread on boiled or deli style sliced ham, roll up, chill & slice into bite size pieces. I do the same with a dill pickle. I also spread salami with a good mustard, add a piece of cheese & repeat as above. My husband likes a piece of lettuce rolled up in these too. Since they go pretty quick, the lettuce doesn’t get limp. I have used various luncheon meats with various fillings & they have all been hits. You can use your own ideas to roll up. I never have anything left.

POTATO CHIP CRISPER Before serving potato chips alongside the rest of the dinner, warm them up in the oven at 200 degrees for five minutes in the bowl you will serve them in. This brings out their flavor and makes them crisp again.

°  Cream cheese – has long been a versatile food to build a quick appetizer around.  Top cream cheese with any of the following for a quick & easy appetizer:

green pepper jelly drained small shrimp & cocktail sauce chopped pickle or pickle relish a dash of Worcestershire sauce & chives chopped chutney & a dash of curry powder

Each of these combinations can be served with crackers, thin–sliced toast or chips.

QUICK WEDGES Make sure to have unusual chutneys or jellies on hand to pour over a square of cream cheese or a wedge of Cheddar then serve with crackers.

TIPS

Salsa  – has become one of America’s most popular foods, primarily from tsp. abundant use as an appetizer.  Not only is salsa tasty, but it contains little or no fat.   For a change from basic salsa, mix with an equal amount of refried beans & top with cheese.  Heat in the microwave & serve hot.

Chips  – are the natural companion to salsa, including potato chips & corn chips.  Most potato & corn chips are fried, & therefore, contain a high level of fat.  Baked chips, or even baked pretzels, are a good alternative when used with salsa.  The taste of the salsa generally makes up for any loss of taste from baked rather than fried chips.

Cut, raw vegetables  – arranged on a try can make a decorative & colorful appetizer.  Salad dressings make easy vegetable dips, but try to use low–fat versions.  Most regular salad dressings are loaded with fat.  Low–fat sour cream can be mixed with ketchup & garlic powder to make an easy vegetable dip.

RELISH TRAY TIP Marinate celery , carrot  & cucumber sticks & onion slices in Italian dressing for a relish tray.

Use canned bisquits rolled out flat as individual pizzas.  Top with desired topping.

VEGGIE TRAY DECOR TIP:  Dress up a tray of vegetables by making holes in the stem ends of baby carrots. Insert little sprigs of parsley so they look like miniature carrots with the tops on.

And now, for the Pièce de résistance:

BRIE TOPPED WITH CRANBERRY MARMALADE

1 12″ wheel of brie

3 C. fresh cranberries (or 2 C. dried cranberries)

½ – ¾ C. brown sugar

1/3 C. dried currants

1/3 C. water

1/8 tsp. dry mustard

1/8 tsp. ground allspice

1/8 tsp. cardamom

1/8 tsp. cloves

1/8 tsp. ginger

Cook cranberries over medium heat until they pop. Bring to room temperature.  Take skin off top of brie, but leave ¼” around the edge. Leave all skin on the sides. Put cooled marmalade on top.  Bake @ 180°C until cheese melts, ~ 15 minutes. Serve warm with apple & pear slices & crackers.

Those two links deserve your attention also. They liked some posts of ours, so I link them for the most of few hours. Saletti!

I made this rather big portion for myself using double layers. There’s nothing worse than having all the good stuff on top and then nothing but dry crisps underneath.

Simply scatter a layer of tortilla chips (cheese Doritos are best) in an ovenproof dish, dollop salsa all over and scatter a generous amount of grated cheese on top. Repeat the process, then cook under a hot grill for about 5-6 minutes. Blob some sour cream on top and there you have it! Enjoy.

…that this beat and flow are most likely to be heard while starting the day?

…that this track is one hell of an 80′s reminder?

…that this collabo will soon present itself with some nice street goth visuals?

…that I’m out like mother nature?

…that those kix were inspired by the pic above?

Then we have that dude wich is kind of funny, but at the same time not so… that’s why it’s probably even more Nutso!

The 3rd link is something else. Cripes! Let’s call it different. Beware of iCancer!

Wowzers, that was n-10-s! Now Commes the Fuckdown, except for you, coach!

Uhm, what? You really want me to cuckoo(l) down? Here, have this:

So, everybody ready again? Not yet? Yeah? Aww, eff that!

Ha! Guys, it might be new – for you, but I knew – you do – want more!
Make sure 2 check out K.O.be & Sir Charles also, ’cause they fall so – hard.

It’s a wrap! Gotta get my work ethics on. Right after this (romanticized ad):

While I recover from an extraordinary amount of Swedish meatballs… (Yes I ate them all, and what.)

I will share with you my little IKEA bargain from today’s adventure and how I jazzed it up, with my pants- Don’t panic and shut down your computer, it;ll all become clear soon.

So this is the £1.50 IKEA purchase I snapped up today:

I liked it because it was simple but in typical ‘me’ fashion, the moment I got it home I wanted to cover it in stuff.. “oooh I could cover it in photographs, or tissue paper.. make like a collage or something?!” No Fleurie. You can actually see a nail that I hammered into it without hesitation, though I have covered this up with the final design alteration which I’ll share with you here.

You can pretty much use any material that you like, maybe one of your favourite tops that has a hole in it or a nice piece of scrap material you spot in the bargain bins. For this, I used a pair of unused but beautifully printed underwear that I got for Christmas last year. While they’re beautiful, they did nothing for me so I got the scissors out instead to use the lovely print!

STEP 1. I picked the bit of the material that I wanted on the frame and stuck it to some card with prittstick, being careful to push out any ruffles in the fabric so it doesn’t look like underwear any more:

STEP 2. I secured the elasticated top of the materials with a little bit of selotape wither side:

STEP 3: I popped it on the radiator to dry and and pulled off the selotape when I was sure it was completely dry. Next I turned it over, cut off the excess material and secured the remaining material on the back with prittstick again.

STEP 4: Next I pulled away the lacy bit where you’d be able to see through to the frame and cut the card tight to the triangular shape like so:

STEP 5: Now for the good bit, align it wherever you’d like it on the frame and get the prittstick out again.. it’s time to pop it on the frame. I secured this under some weight for about 10 minutes and then it was dry and looking lovely!!

--

So there you have it.. a simple but easy way to add your own touch to little bits around the house.

Thanks for reading!

Fleurie x

Put on a short black skirt and a “fancy” tee. Get your mom to do your makeup because you have no idea how any of these brushes and powders are supposed to work. End up looking like a 12 year old who is trying to get hired to work in HR, because that is what your mom does and that is the makeup that she has.  Go to the dance with the highest of hopes for True Love and Romance and Previously Undiscovered Dancing Skills. Get asked for ID by the principal because you’re wearing heels and now you’re a 6’ preteen and he doesn’t believe that you are one of his students.  Return home sweaty and disillusioned.

This photo pretty much sums up my junior high dance experiences. Nest looks cute. I’m wearing running clothes because I was a dingus. Please note that we are sitting on a hay bale and that even that paper chicken behind us is all “this is the worst.”

I’m happy to say my 2013 dance experience was better.  I was stationed right in the middle of the dancing action, instructed to watch for and interrupt any “lewd or inappropriate behavior.” Lucky for me, there wasn’t even a whiff of lasciviousness (there was more than a whiff of sweaty armpit, but I’ll forgive them for that). Instead, I saw a room full of kids partying with the kind of carefree abandon that’s usually absent from adolescence. I saw kids dancing in groups, sliding across the floor in their socks, and two separate boys breakdancing with the intensity and focus of extras from Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo.  I notably did not see the forlorn wall-leaning and grody grinding that I remembered observing in my youth.

Friday night’s dance was inspiring and heartening and encouraging, and everything I expected a middle school social event not to be.  Cheers to kids these days.

“Every good gardener needs a hoe”

“I own the universe and also am good at cuddles”

“I’ll make you melt”

“Born to be bad”

“Stars and Straps”

“I loved faced my fears”

“Girlfriends are like medicine, they come with expiry dates”

“I’m not perfect, but I’m limited edition”

“Dont’ be a hell mate, wear a helmet”

“Your face, my ass, whats the difference?”

“I am your dad if you are rad”

“Just 1 thing FUCK you”

“This product 100% men safe for use”

“I’m busy now, can I ignore you later?”

Elaine May and Mike Nichols.  From now on, I am modeling my entire aesthetic after the vibe of this photo. Expect a lot more cheek to cheek greetings from me.

On the terrible side of things, I am sick today.  However, my sick day was full of many not so terrible things, like Holland mints, garbage television, naps, thick socks, and the Vanity Fair comedy issue.  I also spilled tea onto my fake chicken cutlet, which was totally terrible, but I will admit that worse things have happened in the world. Probably.

Take it away, Elaine May.  I am far too ill for further typing.  Cough.

Me and my family have an obsession with cheese jokes. It’s strange but true. They are great fun to tell to your friends. Here are a few jokes to get you started.

Q.What cheese is made backwards?

A.Edam

Q.What cheese can get Yogi out of a tree?

A. Camembert (Come-on-bear)

Q.What cheese can disguise a horse?

A.Mascarpone (Mask-a-pony)

Q.What do you call a cheese that is not yours?

A. Nacho Cheese!

A cheese looks into a mirror and says… Haloumi!! (hello-me!)

I hope you like these jokes!

Hebegebe

“What do you do?”….one of the first sentences out of anyones mouth upon meeting for the first time. I have met so many new people this last year, and the inevitable question always makes a quick appearance. And I always dislike answering it (I’d say hate – but as a yogi currently practising my Yamas and Niyamas….). Over the past couple of years I have been noticing how much I dislike this question, and what I’ve been finding humorous lately, is catching myself asking people upon meeting them “What do you do?”. Hypocrite….c’mon Ash! The reason why I don’t want to answer this question is because its a whole lengthly boring story in itself that no one really meant to initiate from such a simple question. I am not able to answer this succinctly as anyone engaging in small talk is usually hoping. “I’m a teacher” “I’m an engineer” “I’m a plumber” ….the list goes on. What also bothers me about this question, is that most people actually answer it with 1-3 words….why do people feel that their  job/careers are the principle definition of themselves? So, to get this much revered and habitual question out of the way, I feel it is appropriate to start my very first blog by answering it. Well…..uhhhh….I do a lot of things I guess…..or nothing? I just received my certification as a yoga teacher, so thats one thing. I also have a genetics degree, and have spent a good chunk of time doing cancer research and working in clinical trials…so thats something as well….ummm well I bartend and serve every now and then, I started designing clothes with my friend, work at a backpacker hostel sometimes, travel a lot, and am now taking a stab at writing a travel blog that hopefully someone will find interesting! I also am attempting to learn Spanish and learn to ‘cook’ & eat raw, and love cats. Does that count? Maybe now that I’m starting to teach yoga I can answer “yoga teacher” and avoid the other ummmms and uhhhhhs associated with the small talk question I dread. Now that I’ve answered your question: you can expect to find anything related to all of these topics, right here in my very first blog!