Master of the Restaurant Seating Chart - NYTimes.com
“It’s like doing stories in the magazine,” he said recently, a few minutes before pulling out a pink painted pencil and putting the last touches on the night’s seatings. “It’s about coming up with a good mix and a juxtaposition of stories.”
Ben and Jerry realized the power of social networking in 1978 and started off by hosting a free film festival and by establishing several traditions, including a give away of free ice cream on the anniversary of the founding of the first store. “We measured our success not just by how much money we made, but by how much we contributed to the community. It was a two-part bottom line.”
As much as I used to love shopping, I don't really dig it so much these days. Too much to do. I hate parking lots. Houston summer heat is obnoxious. I have a 3 year old that is still conquering her fear of public restrooms, etc. <<Enter other random complaints here>> In fact, sometimes even getting to the grocery store can be a challenge in itself.
Sooooo.... that's where copious amounts of online shopping (or at the very least, OCD price comparisons) come in. Muy importante to this familia - we save time, money, energy and best of all -- no parking lots.
Here are 6 different spots to hit online to keep you sane and save up some cash:
Milo (www.milo.com) - shop for it online, buy it offline
Use this great search site to learn about updated inventory at your local brick and mortar shops. This means that you won't waste your time driving to some place that is out of stock, but can still support your local economy.
Yokel has a similar local shop search engine, except they offer paid features for store owners to refine the way their products, specials and promotions appear online.
Alice (www.alice.com) - stock it up, baby
You know those things you just always kind of need - detergent, soap, tissue, snacks, diapers... It's annoying to run out of them, so Alice let's you order basic essentials (divided up by room for easy finding) with automatic coupons, free shipping, reminders to re-order and bargain prices. I can't say enough for the functionality and divinely gorgeous user interface this site employs. I heart you, Alice. Friend them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/alice.
Ebates (www.ebates.com) - money back shopping, awww yeah
Qcait showed this to me a few months back and I've been addicted every since. This is a free site that lets you login and go to your favorite stores from their site (or search for products and go from there). Ebates has relationships with these retailers and deposist a certain percentage of your purchase back into your Ebates account - sending you a check when it reaches a certain amount. Wonderful.
CutesyGirl (www.cutesygirl.com) - deals, deals, deals
If you've ever wanted to go crazy on funky, strappy sandals and wedges - but didn't want to pay boatloads for shoes you wouldn't wear more than one season... meet your shoe nirvana. Prices are typically $13 - $20 for some very cute shoes. Free shipping for over $50 orders, great (and interesting) options. Check out the cheap accessories and clothing as well.
ZenniOptical (www.zennioptical.com) - helping you see a great deal (nyuk nyuk)
Never underestimate the power of having more than one pair of prescription glasses. I recently lost my only pair of remaining glasses - big trouble when you're as blind sans contact lenses as I am. Thank goodness for Zenni Optical - I ordered 3 pairs and paid about $10 per pair. INSANE!!
Purse Focus: (www.pursefocus.com) + Watches Wow (www.watcheswow.cn)
It's like your favorite knock off purse and watch dealer in Harlem got all high tech and geeky. If you are a designer purse and/or watch junkie, these sites are for you. You'll pay around $180 to $200 a bag, but the quality looks amazing and the inventory seems very true to their, shall we say, "inspirations".
Huge hat to tip Monolith for their beautiful Story (so far) of Twitter:
Conversations With A Cupcake: Dear Abby.
Tiger Butter Bake Sale Bars
Pretty as a picture, these cocoa-butterscotch babies were a hot-ticket item on the bake sale table. Even better, one batch makes a boatload & they hold up well to being wrapped up in their own plastic bags. Oh, and did I mention...yum?!
3/4 c. oil
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 c. flour
11 oz. butterscotch chips
1 c. milk chocolate chips
Set aside 1/2 c. of butterscotch chips for frosting. In a large bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs, salt, baking powder and flour until well mixed. Add chips & stir until incorporated. Spread dough evenly across a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees fpr 18-22 minutes (or just until center has set). Remove from heat & allow to cool until warm to the touch. Cut into squares, then remove individual squares, placing each bar onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool. Glaze with ButterBaby glaze.
ButterBaby Glaze
1/2 c. butterscotch chips
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. milk
Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Over medium-low heat, melt until all ingredients are well mixed and a smooth but slightly runny glaze has formed. (Add more or less milk, or more or less powdered sugar, as needed). Transfer to a plastic bag, seal. Cut one bottom corner off plastic bag and pipe onto cooled bars. Allow frosting to set before serving or sealing in plastic
Hands down the best collection of vinyl wall art i have ever, ever seen. Great site.
Nothing says healthy good eating like a bowl full of Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah). It is a perfect food. The Mother Grain. A sacred Incan crop. And absolutely delicious.
With the highest protein of any grain, all 8 amino acids, Vitamins A and E, calcium, fiber and more... it is a complete protein and a versatile ingredient to substitute for most rice, pasta and even ground meat-based sides and entrees.
And best of all, you can buy it in bulk for about $2 - 3 a pound. Given that a cup of this gorgeous stuff will get you pretty far, that's a phenomenal deal for a tasty grain with just the right amount of bite to it.
Here's a great recipe I made the other night, after suffering from severe Freebird's Burrito Bowl cravings. Eet smakelijk! :
happykatie's Scrumptious Burrito Quinoa Bowl
--> 1st prep the quinoa
1 Cup quinoa (rinsed a few times to get rid of that bitter coating)
2 Cups of veggie or mushroom broth
Place the quinoa and the broth in a pot - your quinoa will double in size as it cooks, so judge your pot size accordingly. Cover and bring to a boil and immediately bring back down to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes. I like to stir occasionally and season to taste with garlic salt, dried basil, poultry seasoning, whatever...
--> 2nd prep your veggie mixture
Half a large white/yellow onion, cut intro thin strips
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red/green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 carton of your favorite mushroom blend, sliced
2 small zuchinni, diced
1/2 Cup veggie broth or juice from can of tomatoes
(optional) 1 - 1 1/2 Cups of chopped seitan
Saute your onion, garlic and bell pepper in oil (try coconut or substitute water instead), stirring regularly and adding broth as needed for moisture, for 8-10 minutes. Toss in your mushrooms, zuchinni, seitan and any other veggies you love until the onions and peppers are nice and soft - everything else should be nicely browned and flavorful. Season to taste as needed, with whatever you've got that makes you smile.
--> 3rd prep your bean mixture
1 can of black beans, drained
1 cup of frozen corn
1 can of Mexican flavored diced tomatoes
1 small jalapeno, leave some seeds for heat and dice
Simmer all of your bean mixture ingredients in a covered pot on Medium for 10 - 15 minutes. Make sure you give plenty of time to meld those flavors together and get everything all one temperature. Season generously, be creative.
--> Put it all together
Layer your quinoa, veggie saute and bean mixture in a bowl. The more the better, seriously. Garnish with freshly cut tomatoes, fresh cilantro, a bit of chopped raw onion, avocado, garlic and jalapeno, a dollop of Tofutti sour cream, your spiciest and tastiest salsa and finally a sprinkle of shredded rice cheese (I prefer the mozzarella flavoring on most anything). A little dried cilantro, basil, dash of red chili powder and garlic salt never hurt either.
Drench your creation in a Tablespoon or two of a nice fresh lime - that's the kicker. Enjoy your bowl of deliciousness with a cold beer or a nice sipping glass of Patron. Voila - no waiting in line at Freebirds and no shelling out $9 for a less tasty and less healthy version of one of the greatest foods ever.
This week's Cupcake Monday is going to focus on an aspect of cupcake love that you may not pay attention to all the time, cupcake LINERS!!!
Typically, I just cross my fingers at the grocery or dollar store when having to make a last second liner purchase for a cupcake project. Sometimes I come across AMAZING finds, sometimes they are just so-so. Don't get me wrong, I've got a great mom and set of pals that pick up cute cupcake accoutrement when they see it - but sometimes your cupcake cookery needs a very particular special something.
So what happens when you've got a drawer full of fabulous cupcake liners, but no cupcakes that need immediate baking!? Oh yes, it's Cupcake liner crafty time:
Cupcake Liner Garland
Ingredients: A needle, some thread, cupcake liners and a wall hungry for cupcake love
Resources: happy.blissful blog + Petunia blog (where the lovely image above was found)
Kiddo project: Cupcake Liner Fireworks Explosion!
Ingredients: Cupcake liners, paint, glitter, glue, scissors, little fingers and construction paper
Resources: Not time for flashcards blog
Cupcake Pin Cushion
Ingredients: Silicon cupcake liner, felted wool, needle, thread, stuffing
Resource for inspiration (or purchase): Dottyral Etsy shop
Besides batter, icing and love - what are some unique ways you've used your cupcake liners?
Brilliant bamboo lady - also the curator and caretaker of Austin's Casa De Luz bamboo gardens.
The story of 2 milk teeth, returning home from wherever it is that milk teeth go when they escape from under our pillows.
