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Archive for February, 2011

Cucumber, Yogurt & Dill Salad

This salad is a really, really good thing. I could – and might, starting now – eat it every day, it’s just that fresh and light and delicious. (Oh, and it’s also excellent alongside lots of different dishes, including last night’s Curried Chicken A La Oscar.)

CUCUMBER, YOGURT & DILL SALAD (serves 2 as a side dish)

What you need:

Half an English cucumber (the kind sold in plastic wrap in supermarkets), very thinly sliced

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Big squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1 minced garlic clove

1 tsp olive oil

Salt & pepper

What you do:

Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl; season to taste with salt & pepper. Serve garnished with a little extra chopped dill.

P.S. If you grate the cucumber rather than thinly slicing it, this makes a fabulous tzatziki dip.



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February 28th, 2011 | Eat | 5 Comments »

2011 Oscars Style Rundown

Best Total Package (tie)

Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Couture & Mila Kunis in Elie Saab.

This is so obvious that I’m bored with myself for even naming these two Best Dressed, but what can you do? I didn’t think anyone else even came close: this year’s Oscars weren’t exactly showstopping in terms of fashion (hair and makeup was another story; I thought almost everyone looked spectacular from the neck up).

Love or hate Cate’s dress – and it’s true: that thing, much like Angelina’s emerald Golden Globes gown, would look good on exactly nobody else on the planet – you have to give her credit for astounding originality, elegance, and attention to detail, and for her razor-sharp understanding of what works on her (and nobody else). As usual. Also, that lavender/yellow combo is to die for.

Mila is also a completely unsurprising choice – media outlets were naming her “Best Dressed” almost before anyone else had made their way down the carpet. She’s the It Girl of the moment, and this gown encapsulates why: she’s simultaneously beautiful and sexy, girl-next-door and girl-way-over-there.

(Oh, and an honorable mention goes to the lovely and composed Hailee Steinfeld. Her Marchesa was just perfect for her.)

Now, on to more interesting categories.

(more…)



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February 28th, 2011 | Style | 3 Comments »

Curried Chicken A La Oscar

Last night, we ended up holding a little impromptu Oscars-watching party for our neighbors. I had a moment of flusteredness because it was so last-minute, and I hadn’t planned to be feeding more than two…but then realized that I had already been planning to make one of those meals that easily bulks up to feed an army. And in this case it was a vast and intimidating army of…four. So really, there wasn’t a whole lot to worry about.

Last month’s Real Simple included a Slow Cooker feature (above), which I obviously clipped out and saved. I was especially excited to try the Curried Chicken with Ginger & Yogurt – curry is on the shortlist of Kendrick’s favorite meals, but isn’t something I’ve ever experimented with making. I ended up not being nuts about the recipe, though – it was a bit bland, and I tweaked it a bit moments before serving to add more flavor. So: the below recipe contains both the original proportions and my suggested fixes.

CURRIED CHICKEN A LA OSCAR (serves 6)

What you need:

1/3 cup tomato paste

4 cloves chopped garlic

2 tbsp curry powder (recommended: 3 tbsp)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (recommended: 2 tbsp)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 medium onion, chopped

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I bought 3 packages, which contained 18 filets) (Note: as Emma mentioned below, this is a lot. But the filets I chose were itty bitty; if yours are more averaged-sized two thighs per person should do the trick.)

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (recommended: twice this amount)

1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt (recommended: 1 cup reduced-fat)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Salt & pepper

What you do:

1. In your slow cooker, whisk together the tomato paste, garlic, curry powder, ginger, and cumin. The instructions say to whisk in 3/4 cup water, but I’m going to recommend just 1/4 cup water (to keep the sauce from thinning out too much). Add the onion, and stir to combine.

2. Place the chicken on top, and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. Cover and cook until chicken is tender, on low for 7 1/2 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

4. Just before serving, add the yogurt and a bit more salt to the chicken, and stir to combine. Serve over rice, sprinkled with scallions.

(Cucumber-Yogurt Salad recipe coming up shortly!)

If You Like This, Try These:

Best-Ever Baked Beans; Elizabeth’s Angel Chicken; Beef & Beer Stew



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February 28th, 2011 | Eat | 9 Comments »

Doing A Little Oscars Tweeting…

Click here to follow along!



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February 27th, 2011 | Lifestyle | No Comments »

Cheddar & Gruyere Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Today was Stephen’s birthday brunch, so I woke up bright and early(ish) to make a version of the phenomenal mac ‘n’ cheese Morgan made for her Holiday Brunch a couple of months back. It’s based on a Barefoot Contessa recipe; I just tweaked it a bit to make it even creamier and less breadcrumb-heavy. FYI, it’s a little labor-intensive – or at least results in quite a few dirty pots and plates and implements – but things move along much more quickly if you grate the cheese ahead of time.

Happy birthday, Stephen!!! Love love love.

CHEDDAR & GRUYERE MAC ‘N’ CHEESE

What you need:

1 lb macaroni pasta

Olive oil

About 3 cups cheddar

About 3 cups gruyere

1 quart whole milk

7 tbsp butter

1/2 cup flour

Salt & pepper

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup white breadcrumbs

10-15 cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

What you do:

1. Heat the oven to 375, and cook the pasta in boiling water drizzled with a little olive oil according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Next, grate your cheese. Feel free to use more or less of one type of cheese or the other, depending on your preferences.

3. Heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don’t let it come to a boil.

4. In a large saucepan, melt 6 tbsp butter and then add the flour. Whisk together; it will be 100% not a liquid and will make you think that you’re doing something wrong; don’t worry, it’ll all turn out well in the end.

5. Add the milk to the butter/flour mixture and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for a couple of minutes.

6. See? You just throw the cheese, macaroni, and salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the pot and stir it all around; it might still look a bit thin, but that’s nothing to worry about.

7. Pour it all into a big casserole dish and dot with halved cherry tomatoes.

8. Melt the rest of the butter (1 tbsp) and combine with the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the pasta and tomatoes.

9. Cook in the oven for about half an hour, or until lightly golden brown and bubbling. Yummmm.

If You Like This, Try These:

Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili; Breakfast For Dinner; Turkey Tetrazzini



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February 26th, 2011 | Eat | 2 Comments »

Express Swim / Sexy Suits

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Want to see what I’m planning on living in the second the sun comes out?

From left: this; maybe this; definitely this.

Express just got in a ton of new women’s swimwear pieces, and I am l-o-v-i-n-g them. As it turns out, my favorite suits are on the girly side, which isn’t something I’ve always gone for: I’m usually a basic-string-bikini kinda lady – and they have those, too – but this summer I want to try mixing it up with lots of color and pretty, feminine details. That yellow suit on the left also comes in pink, and is just too cute. And I adore the nautical stripes on the center suit…but my favorite is the black, because it’s such a fun twist (ruffles!) on a sexy classic.

The line includes monokinis (which I can’t wear, ohgodno, but bless you if you can), great reversible styles, and gorgeous detailing like beaded embellishments, hardware, and side-ties. More good stuff: the tops have removable padding, and the bottoms offer moderate coverage. There are also swim shorts available for men, as well as accessories including sunglasses, totes, hats, and sandals (I am thisclose to buying these cork heels).

Also: if you sign up for Express e-mails you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of 10 $200 gift cards (sweepstakes rules apply).

SO excited for summer!!!

Visit Sponsor's Site



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February 26th, 2011 | Lifestyle | No Comments »

Reader Question / Bridesmaids’ Shoes

Q. Hi Jordan,

I am writing because I need your help! I am in a friend’s wedding in July and we need help picking a shoe color for all the bridesmaids. The dresses are an ebony color:

Her “main” color is a mustardy yellow…Now, should we go with the soft black or neutral color, or should we try to find a color that will “pop”? We thought an eggplant color would look nice, but we live in Minnesota and the bride does NOT want it to look like we are attending a Vikings game =) Any advice or help is greatly appreciated! Thanks Jordan!

- Ashley

A. Hey Ashley!

My favorite idea: go for dusty rose shoes in a slightly retro shape with some super-feminine detailing, to pick up on the vibe of the dress (I love the idea of a rose/mustard combo). I also threw a bright-pink pair in here in case you want even more contrast.

Clockwise from top left: Nina Evelixa in Tea Rose Satin ($89.99); Badgley Mischka in Rose ($215; oof, I know – but they’re too beautiful not to show you); Steve Madden Fifi in Pink ($99.95); Audrey Brooke Rosette Pump ($59.95); Audrey Brooke Estella Pump ($44.95); SM Boukay Platform Pump ($89.95).

Another pretty combo is ebony, mustard, and blue. Go for a pure robin’s-egg blue or a bright teal for a daytime/garden wedding; go slightly darker – like the Nine West pumps – if you want a more formal, evening-appropriate look.

Clockwise from top left: Patrizia Pepe High-Heeled Sandals ($195); RSVP Ivana Blue Satin ($66.75); Audrey Brooke Madia Pump ($59.95); Bottega Sky-Blue Sandals ($165); Nine West Joanne Pump ($59.95); Audrey Brooke Estella Pump ($44.95).

If you decide to go with a neutral shade, I’d pick nude or silver – both go with just about everything, and both can of course be worn to countless post-wedding events, so the other bridesmaids will thank you :) .

From left: Guess Amity Peep-Toes in Light Pink ($90); Mossimo T-Strap Sandals ($22.95); Audrey Brooke Madia Pump ($59.95).

Have fun!



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February 25th, 2011 | Style | No Comments »

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