Allow me to momentarily have your attention as I tell you a story of second chances and opportunity about my home land South America.

In the heart of Porto Velho on the outskirts of the Brazilian Amazonian Jungle five tribes were stuck in a bitter war. War is easily cinematised and made to look heroic and glorious in films, war is far from heroic and this one was full of backstabbing, rape, child labour, slavery and more. The Chief of the largest tribe a powerful and charismatic leader managed to bring about peace and unite the tribes together. Not everyone wanted peace some young men from the Chiefs own tribe, believed themselves superior to the other tribes and decided to rob and kill the small villages, houses were burned, wives were stolen, babies killed, immediately the tribes were on the brink of war again, the smaller tribes demanded the death of a hundred youth of the larger tribe, seen as they did not know exactly who the culprits were.

The Chief spent sleepless nights trying to work out which young men he would send to their deaths, he had worked for peace his whole life, and no one would admit who it was, but justice had to be done he couldn’t afford war again many more than 100 men would die and he had 24 hours before a decision had to be made. As he sat on his throne alone with his thoughts, his servants came pouring in that the war was over the 100 men would not have to be sent, he stood up asking why, confused, he then fell to his knees in tears as a servant whispered in his ear his seven sons had volunteered themselves to the smaller tribes and accepted to be executed as justice. They had left him a note, read by the head-servant, “Father we know your whole life was a battle for peace, and you put your life on the line countless times, we only hope by are sacrifice the village we love as much as you can be brought to peace and we can join the legacy you set before us.” The villages never again fought and forever they remembered the sacrifice of the seven sons.

Whilst your seven sons may not have been killed, make no doubt we stand on the blood of many martyrs whether it’s the black power movements, abolition of slavery, woman’s rights movement, the children’s rights movement and many more thousands of people have died and fought so we can stand as free men and women, with countless opportunities and chances they would loved to have had. I am not going to say the world we live in is perfect, but if we don’t become like the villagers and realise we are only here because of the lives that have come before, we spit in their faces.

Every black person that sighs at how hard it is to get a job, gives up and starts trying to live on the road like some kind of gangster, not only spits on the face of people like Malcom X and Martin Luther king, but are brothers and sisters living in poverty in Africa, every women who gives up because of the glass roof that faces women in business ignores the hundreds of years women were oppressed and the fight they made to even get a vote, every young person who goes to university and spends their student loan on champagne whilst their mum struggles to pay rent laughs at the fight we still have to continue. We all have a chance and opportunity; if you don’t listen to anything I ever say please listen to this.

People have died, people have fought people have bled so we can be where we are now, the fight is not finished, but if you aren’t fighting for progression you fight for oppression.

On the 4th of feb I went to see a band called Taking Dawn im not sure if I’ve already written about this but this was an amazing night.  A because they were fucking HOT, B because an absolute ANGEL… threw me on stage… and I’m very proud to say I was the only female up their dancing with the band.. pulling out all the moves I had to offer in my PVC trousers. It was a small venue… but .. great atmosphere… legs were shaking when I came off stage.

Adrenaline much?

Then I spent valentines night with Mr Lauren… He picked me up from the station, took me back to his and had bough me twelve red roses, a cute card and a little teddy, was soo sweet, wasn’t expecting anything. Just wanted to spent time with him.. Not to mention he rememberd my favourite book from out first conversation , Pride and Prejudice. He also bought me a first edition copy.  He loved the book I’d bought him, also which made me very happy. The angel cooked me veal, beautifully not to mentionand we spent the rest of the night drinking champagne and wine  … I’m a truly lucky lady I know.     Never had a man treat me like this before… But we get each other.. we can talk about the world.. our opinions…art.. music.. each other even… its nice to be able to to that.

We’ve been seeing each other regularly, every few days. Things are going good. Possibly too good …

But I won’t think like that.

Even if it ends.. It’s been a beautiful dream and for that Mr Lauren I thank you.

 P.S. I can’t stop watching the Beautiful Dangerous Video… Fuck I want Fergie.. Its sooo wrong but so right… ;D

Peace

Introducing the Wright Dining Room, a sophisticated dining set primarily in black.  With a glass-topped table and fabric-wrapped chairs, it’s the perfect blend of modern and traditional.  Wrought iron lamps with bold red shades add a punch, and this room is sure to make a statement in any home.

In case you’re more of a traditionalist, we also have Wright in cherrywood.

Teleport to the Loft Mainstore! (excuse the clutter while we remodel)

Now for the super exciting news!

We have a brand new in-world update group!  Some of the advantages include:

• Discounts on room sets
• Member-only events
• Group gifts

Search for Lofty Spaces in group search, or copy/paste this link in local chat to join: secondlife:///app/group/8c0fdde3-df8b-b424-c433-343461ffa284/about

In addition, for every major release (room set or larger) we will be drawing five names at random from this group to receive that release for free!

This group is L$650 to join, but the advantages more than make up for it!  Right now, the group gifts includes:

• A free copy of the Wright dining room (*EXPIRES IN ONE DAY, BETTER HURRY!*)
• Candles
• Streltiza Groove vase
• Copiable texture-change draperies

To take advantages of the group discounts, all you have to do is activate your group tag, and purchase the room set meant for members!

Adapted from Rachael Ray’s Big Orange Book
♥♥♥♥♥

Okay, this recipe doesn’t exactly fit the Working Gal Gourmet mold. It’s not quick, it’s not easy (but not terribly difficult either), but it is one thing for sure, gourmet. That is why it’s here. I decided to cook a special meal for New Years Eve, and the fact that I can’t drink any champagne just means that I needed to infuse my food with it instead. So what if I stuck my head so far in the pot to smell the champagne I nearly burned my eyebrows off. There are no rules against smelling the alcohol (FYI pregnancy czar, aka my husband).

This recipe did take an hour of hands-on-cooking and attention (which came dangerously close to our required departure time to catch the 7pm showing of Harry Potter. 7pm of course so I could be in bed by 9:30- duh). There is a lot going on at the same time for this dish, but none of it requires a culinary degree, just pay attention to what you have going on and it will come out fine. And filling! Rachael Ray called this a recipe for two, but we both ate a healthy New Years Eve portion, and a few subsequent leftover portions each since then. I would recommend cooking this on a cold Sunday afternoon, when you have the time to devote to preparing/cooking and enjoying a hearty meal on Sunday evening. Then, you can also enjoy leftovers for lunch that week! Now that is Working Gal Gourmet!

Total Active Time: 1 hour
Serves: at least 2

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup arborio rice
salt and pepper to taste
200 ml of Champagne (or sparkling wine)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 lemon
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 slices thick-cut bacon
1 small bundle of asparagus (2/3 – 3/4 lbs)
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 to 4 springs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped and chopped

Directions
1. Heat 3 cups of chicken stock in a small pot over low heat. Cover and keep warm with burner set on low.

Uncooked risotto, which is actually arborio rice

2. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic and saute to soften. Add the uncooked rice and toss to coat. Pour in the champagne and stir, allowing to cook off, 1-2 mins (deep fume inhalation recommended here). Stir in two ladles worth of warm stock and cook until the liquids are absorbed, stirring occasionally. Continue adding the stock a ladle at a time until the rice is creamy and tender. (The key to successful risotto is keeping it moist while cooking.) Total cooking time for the risotto will be about 18 minutes.

3. While the risotto cooks, heat the heavy cream in a small pot with a 3 inch piece of lemon zest. Cook gently over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, until the cream is reduced by about half and slightly thickened.

At this point you've got multiple pots cooking, but I promise it's manageable if you just stay alert!

4. In an additional (non-stick if possible) skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken breasts dry, and season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and cook until finished, flipping the chicken once to cook both sides (cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken). Remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board to rest. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock to the skillet and stir to deglaze, using a spoon to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir the stock and pan juice combination into the cooking risotto. Remove the lemon zest from the cream.

Asparagus, bacon, shallot and lemon juice is like heaven in a pan

5. Using the same skillet you used for the chicken, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes. While bacon is cooking, trim the tough ends off of the asparagus and cut the spears on an angle into 1 inch pieces. Add the asparagus and sliced shallots to the skillet with the bacon and cook until bacon is cooked, and asparagus is barely tender. Turn off the heat.

5. To serve, stir the Parmesan and thyme into the cooked risotto and spoon portions into a shallow bowl. Slice the chicken breasts on an angle and fan them over the risotto, spoon the reduced lemon cream over the top. Cut the lemon in half and douse the cooked asparagus (still in the pan) with the juice from both halves. Toss the asparagus to coat, and spoon it around the edge of the risotto.

This recipe benefits from advanced preparation. Have your ingredients measured, cut and ready to go, and you'll see how easily it all comes together!

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In one of the last posts I wrote before she was born, I mentioned my hope that I could convince the medical teams to induce me at my prolonged pregnancy appointment to put me out of my waiting misery. I did go to that appointment on Monday morning, even though I arrived a bit late: there was a tube strike in London, which meant that I didn’t make it all the way to the hospital. The last station that was open was about a 20 minute walk from the hospital, so I took the occasion to see whether the old wives tale about long walks would help and made the rest of the way on foot.

The tube strike became a major theme for the day. It turned out that while I hadn’t had any classic signs of impending labour (the ones that you see in the movies), I was already in labour and A. was well on her way into the world. The medical team sent M. and I out for lunch, and for another one of those infamous walks, and explicitly told us not to go home because the tube strike meant that traffic in Central London was terrible, and they were worried I wouldn’t get back to the hospital in time if I went all the way home. The hope was contractions would speed up, and she would be born shortly thereafter.

But no luck. While M. wrote his weekly newspaper column at a local Starbucks, A. and I walked up and down Tottenham Court Road several times in hopes that something would happen. But nothing did. And so we went back to the hospital, and sat around some more. At some point later that afternoon, they sent M. back to our house on his Vespa to get the infamous hospital bag. When he returned at about 5:30 that evening, I was still not having any contractions of note. So, in what is probably the oddest medical advice ever given to a woman already in labour, they sent us out for dinner and drinks as a last resort before sending us home.

We took advantage of the warm evening and found a table at a beautiful outdoor cafe. That’s when I decided to indulge a bit. The night that I went to the hospital to be induced with N., I decided to break my 9 month abstention from alcohol and have a couple of sips of wine. I figured it only fair that A. should be treated the same: so champagne it was. While I didn’t drink much of it, just a taste of champagne seems to be enough to have convinced my little princess to come into the world… shortly thereafter some more real contractions started. But that didn’t stop M. and I from going to an Argentine steak house for a quick dinner before returning to the hospital. The look on the faces of the American tourists sitting next to us when they asked when I was due and I said that I was already in labour was fantastic.

I’ll spare you the rest of the details, but suffice it to say A. was born shortly thereafter, without much real labouring on my part. I’m convinced that the champagne and Argentine fare helped her along. While she’s got her my sister-in-law’s mouth and her father’s skin tone, she’s got my taste for the good life and Latin America.

I have moved many times but I have never taken time over each item like this before deciding whether to sell, take or store each precious belonging.

Today I went through our CD collection which is rather substantial and can’t all come with us and practically every CD brought a smile to my face or a laugh that I actually once liked that particular band or singer. These CD’s are like the soundtrack to my life. There is David Bowie who I loved as a young teenager – although then I used to play a vinyl not a CD on a little portable record player at full volume (which really wasn’t that loud at all) to annoy my parents whenever they had done or said something that didn’t go down well with my angsty teenage self. The 70′s & 80′s were a huge influence on me music wise (it still takes nothing more than a bad tune from either decade to get me up on the dancefloor hurling myself around for all my worth) so they make up a large portion of our collection. I’m nothing if not diverse though and smattered amongst Bowie and Abba and all my 80′s favourites can be found Celtic music which I love and classical and lots and lots of Christmas carols including a CD of christmas tunes to the beat of steel drums that we brought on our honeymoon in Barbados and which I play every year whilst putting up the christmas decorations.

Hubby has his favourites too – lots of ACDC (oh how I remember going to see them with him – I couldn’t hear for days!) and his favourite (and allowed) female singer fantasy – Kylie. I have Robbie on my list and his CDs feature heavily too.

Choosing what was to stay and what is coming was no easy task and I fear I may have too many in the to take box – weight is an issue apparently when towing your home behind you – we may need something more substantial than Gigi at this rate!!………………….

Once done with the CD’s I moved on to sorting our glassware out and realised that we pretty much have a glass for every sort of drink going – not a good advert for a Personal Fitness Trainer and would be health freak!! In my defence I would say that we hardly use them anymore (hic). Our drinking style has definately changed over the years – for one I no longer drink pints of bitter – thank goodness as they are neither ladylike nor do much for the waistline. Hubby has a selection of beer glasses from his time living and working in Hasselt, Belgium back in the heady days of our fledgling romance. We have wine glasses and decanters a plenty from our time living in France and lots of champagne glasses as our tastes acquired the more expensive habit of quoffing Dom Perignon and Krug. My favourites I will store or take but the rest will be sold or given to charity shops so others can have the pleasure that we have had over the years that drinking out of a nice glass can give.

All this memory recall can make for tiring work though and I think I may leave it there for today and go and do something less thought provoking instead – I have a HUGE pile of ironing that can no longer be ignored but which is perfect to switch of too……….oh and one of the cats needs rescuing after entangling herself in bubblewrap – maybe she is trying to tell me something and just wants to stay there until it is all over. I may just join her……………………

Ryan humoring me by posing with Ryka completely ignoring me.

Could it really be? After our seemingly insurmountable mortgage woes (don’t worry, I’ll save those stories for people who can actually absorb mortgage lingo… aka not me), somehow, someway, in our wildest dreams, we bought a house! We bought a house, people!

Lucky for us, we found a house with plenty of space that was perfectly move-in ready about which we would change not a thing. Ha! Of course I’m kidding. Who really wants a house like that anyway? Somewhere amidst the four times we visited the house pre-closing, we amassed a list of must-happen renovations that touched every single room except one: the kitchen.

Haywood stats:

3 bedrooms

2 baths

2000ish sq ft

gas fireplace

kitchen with lots of newness

delightfully large yard for the puppy

third floor currently converted to a one-bedroom apartment with separate entry

So what do you do on closing day? If you’re us, you prepare by eating lunch at Chipotle. I mean, really, is there a better celebratory food? No way. So we stuffed ourselves, drove over to our Realtor’s office and signed the papers, and then took the dog to meet her new home.

She l-o-v-e-s that screen front door where she can observe the neighborhood's going ons. And stalk the cat across the street.

Oh, yeah, we also cracked open a bottle of champagne!

Awkwardly trying to clink our glasses right as the timer on the camera goes off.

Little did we know this would be the last night we dressed our ache-free bodies in paint-free clothing for a long, long time…

Image courtesy Red Wagon Shoppe

This information is based on a series of experiments conducted in 2008 and 2009 on runs on 5-8 miles, each time utilizing a different alcoholic beverage as the variable. I’ve only gone running on these beverages. Other forms of exercise may bring out unique advantages or drawbacks for each listed booze. If you know how, let me have it in the comments.

THE GOOD

Image courtesy Paul Meiss Beercam

WINE - Not enough is said about how good red wine is on a long run. The buzz comes on nice and clean, and there’s no carbonation or fizziness to bother your stomach. White wine is also nice, but gets slightly funky as it warms up.

WHISKEY, SCOTCH, VODKA - These are very good ‘adrenaline’ liquors. They may burn on the way down, but are generally not that noxious once they’re in your stomach.

THE BAD

Tequila, A. Sanchez, 2004

CHAMPAGNE – The fizzy carbonation is not going to help you at all, and the high sugar content can lead to upset stomachs or headaches. Mimosas are less toxic, but still have the same fundamental issues.

JAGERMIEISTER, OUZO, FERNET - These anise-based liquers — the ones that taste like licorice or black jellybeans — will give you horrible, unpleasant burps. Your stomach will never feel OK. I do love these drinks, but I tell you they are not good for exercise.

THE CHRONIC

MARIJUANA - Several of you have noted in the comments your deep enjoyment of reefer on multiple-mile runs. I am going to go into a lot more detail on this once Proposition 19 passes.

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Drink slowly and safely!

First impression – crikey, it really is a very rosey pink colour. Very effeminate looking (and quite offputting for anyone who prefers their beer to look like beer rather than wine) it pours with a mass of bubbles and a high white head that quickly subsides in the glass, with a light and biscuity aroma that’s not entirely pleasant.  

As a lager, it fails to impress – very dry and astringent, with a slightly cardboardy taste that prompts memories of drinking disgusting bizarre cocktails of wine and beer as a teenager who knew no better. Unfortunately, this is a combination that really doesn’t hit the mark. For Kasteel Cru Rose, my first impression was right – this just isn’t good beer. Don’t do it.

JBB6 Rating: Just Not Right

Credits: http://www.youtube.com/user/EternalAngelBoo

Nothing is new. Or so said some old poet or other. Having said that, I think our take on the black velvet classic champagne cocktail is a nice little twist.

Take the best champagne method West Country cider (instead of “real” champagne) and give it a Guinness float – it looks great (a little cloudy maybe) and is a wicked hangover cure.

Problem is, you need Guinness with a widget (a method they use of recreating draft Guinness) – it works v well but the fizz disappears quite quickly meaning it all needs drinking there and then.  I played around with serving extra Guinness on the side but I think the best bet is to serve it in a tankard or make it a drink for two  - a bit like a Chateaubriand.

Turns out nothing IS new – [wiki →]

• Today I feel like: Paris Hilton, because I used my extra anxious energy to go shopping and spend a lot more more than I should have.  

I think this particularly applies now that Paris is disinherited and probably has to watch the bankroll.  However, she does have a new show coming out that will help her I’m sure.  Paris’s BFF.  I’m sure it’ll be golden.  

I do wish I had not bought so much stuff.  I really think I’m going to return one of my purchases, if I ever get the energy to go back to bloomingdales.  Oh well.  At least I also got my laundry done.  And I’ll be drinking pink champagne at midnight.  

Shouldn’t life be all bright and bubbly like champagne?  

I wish I could reschedule my birthday

Superior Habitats is really about lifestyle choices; surrounding oneself and one’s family with fine living. I enjoy highlighting quality products, household tips, gift suggestions, recipes, cocktails and projects. No one is expected to live perfectly – but an overall appreciation for the superior things in life, is what we are all about.

I like to be the sort of person who invites people over on a whim after work and can literally open the front door after being gone all day, 3 friends trailing me, and find my house impeccable, food in the fridge, champagne chilling. Sometimes this isn’t possible (again, I don’t have children so this is a huge help, but I have dog who is about as active as triplet 2 year olds high on speed). But there are a few things I do to at least convey to the gods of entertaing that I am making an effort.

No one over the age of 25 should be without champagne chilling in the fridge. I get nervous when I go to someone’s house and open the fridge they don’t have champagne sitting there. And yes, under the guise of helping you with dinner I am checking out the contents of your fridge. Prosecco will do, but even more points if you have both. There is always something to celebrate – life is too short not to. Promotions, birthdays, Tuesday’s, no cavities, etc.

Superiorists have cleaning help; no doubt – if I could afford it I assure you I would be on top of that faster than you can say “vodka-tonic”. I try to keep my home pretty neat. I dust and vacuum once a week (although with the dog you really need to vacuum a few more times to keep up with the fur). Inevitably, there is always something to wipe up or put away or threaten to kill if he doesn’t get off the couch. What’s a superior person to do? Personally, I follow the 15 Minute Rule. Right before bed, I run around folding blankets, washing dishes, wiping the coffee table. 15 minutes is literally almost every commercial break in half hour time slot – totally doable. It’s always nice to come home to a neat house and even better to bring home friends to a clean house. If you follow the 15 Minute Rule every night for a week – you will be hooked. I guarantee it.

Food in the fridge. Yeah – this is tricky, which is sad. I will always have wine on hand, but there use to be times when I would eat tuna 3 days in a row. Two words will help you never to find yourself in a spot where you are entertaining without superior sustenance. Trader Joe’s. Their frozen food section is scrumptious. If you haven’t already – please try it. If there isn’t room in your freezer, make some.

Essentials on my grocery list? 1 package (serves 4) of chocolate croissants. This is so superior to serving cereal to guests who have to crash in your guest room because of too much fun the previous evening. You literally take them out and leave them on a cookie sheet over night (to let them rise). Pop in the over for about 15-20 minutes and hello happy! These croissants are flakey, moist, fresh, light and just incredible. Seriously – you will find yourselves with way more overnight guests than you ever dreamed of.

Frozen ham, onion and gruyere pizza – very flat, oozing with cheesy-ham goodness, done in 10 minutes in the oven. This is a great appetizer to start the evening, or as a late night snack after a long evening.

The Tiramisu isn’t bad either – comes frozen, you just let it sit out for a few hours (or overnight in the fridge). Secretly, I love it and think it’s pretty damn good for frozen tiramisu, but that’s totally embarrassing to admit it.

The spontaneity of having people over last minute, especially on a work/school night is indescribable. Some of the best conversations I have had [read: hangovers] have developed over evenings like this. You can’t really plan these types of soiree – that takes out some of the fun. Being prepared, however, to say at the last minute, “Why don’t we head over to my place for some drinks – I’m right around the corner”, is priceless. Everyone secretly envies [read: hates] the person who has it together enough to have company every night of the week if she chooses. And that’s superior living.