Thursday, March 26, 2015

DIY: Whimsical Skirts Inspired by the Quirkiest of Fashion Icons--Zooey Deschanel

It's almost my favorite time of year: Skirt Season.

It's unfortunate that this joyous occasion brings with it a daunting task: shave your legs season. We'll save that topic for a different day though.

I want to dedicate this post to one of my newfound passions: sewing!

My husband knows I have a crafty side so when he bought me a sewing machine for Christmas I was ecstatic. I immediately started mentally redecorating out entire house. New curtains for the living room, an appropriately sexy kitchen apron, pillow cases...the list went on and on. Before I started on all of those more complicated projects, I thought I should start a bit simpler. Making a skirt seemed like the perfect beginner's project. After all, I love skirts, especially pencil skirts.

I ran to my closet and picked out the skirt that fit me best. Armed with the determination to make whimsical skirts that would stop Zooey Deschanel in her tracks, I went to Jo Ann Fabrics and emerged 3 hours later with a stack of adorable prints and a much lighter wallet.



Step-by-step instructions will be detailed in my next post. Here's a teaser of a finished product:


Here's to creating the skirt wardrobe of your dreams,
Filly

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Peace out 2011: NYE 2012!


I'm normally not a pessimistic person but New Year's Eve tends to be the most anti-climactic holiday of the year. Whether you'll be in Times Square, your parents' living room, or with 2 dozen mostly B-list celebrities (i.e. the cast from the new, undoubtedly Oscar-worthy movie: New Year's Eve), there is one thing worth keeping in mind before the big night:


Here are some options to maximize your NYE 2011:

If you'll be in Detroit:
The Resolution Ball at the Fillmore Theater ($30) includes high-wire acrobats, roving illusionists, a midnight buffet, and a champagne toast. Your standard NYE party fare.

The Amnesia NYE Party at Motorcity Casino ($30) will have a champagne toast, party favors, giveaways, and a continental breakfast. Party until 4 am and then come back on New Year's Day for the NYE Rewind Party and experience it all over again. That sounds dangerous.

Bookie's ($50) will have DJs spinning on all 3 floors, a 4 hour premium bar, late night Coney dog buffet, champagne toast, balloon drop, and door prize raffle entry.

If you'll be in Ann Arbor:
If you're a beer snob Arbor Brewing Company (Free!) will be the place for you because they will release a different keg of beer every hour from 8:30 until 11:30. The evening also features dinner specials and live music.

If you'll be in Royal Oak:
Fifth Ave gives you two options. For $75 you get to party on the second floor where there will be food, appetizers, and music but probably still no dancing since they lack a dancing permit. Oh, did I mention this was a black tie event? The first floor is appropriately named the no tie event and admission is free.

Luna ($8) will have complimentary food, champagne, and party favors. Party until 4 am!

Rock on 3rd ($15 or $10/person for groups of 6+) will have an appetizer buffet, party favors, and a champagne toast.

The intersection at Washington/6th will have a free outdoor concert featuring the Gin Blossoms (talk about a blast from the past) and the Romantics with a ball drop to countdown to midnight. Visit rockintheeve.com for more info.


Planning ahead doesn't always guarantee a great night. You've been there. You spent weeks picking out the perfect outfit, coordinating who you'd be spending the big night with, perhaps even paying for a ticket that promised to be the best party in town. Little did you know that the weeks leading up to the big night would be the best part. The worst part: probably around 11:59. With your party hat on and a glass of Andre in hand, it dawned on you that your NYE was a decent night at best. If you find yourself in that predicament my best advice would be to drink more.

Just kidding. Well, kind of.
Just remember that there's always the option of skipping the expensive bar party to host your own NYE get together. Make a play list of all of the hit songs from 2011, enjoy your friends, and get your pots and pans ready to bang on when the new year arrives.

No matter how you decide to spend NYE 2011, here's to having a safe and fun night!
--lc.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Detroit Foodie: From Pizza to Coneys to Crepes

After a 6-month hiatus from blogging I had two options for topics: human anatomy or the few restaurants I've been to in Detroit. Although I am probably better-equipped to discuss the former, I went with the latter for obvious reasons.

Detroit is known for many things: great sports teams, Motown, lawlessness, and I would argue that great restaurants is quickly climbing up the list thanks to restaurants like Slow's and Atlas. Rather than sing the praises of restaurants that you've probably already heard of, I want to dedicate this post to the obscure places. Places where you may at first be hesitant to park your car, but once you try the food that thought becomes irrelevant.

Pizza Supino

I will preface this post by saying that I never considered myself to be a fan of thin crust pizza until I tried theirs. Located in Eastern Market, Pizza Supino barely has the capacity to fit more than 20 dine-in customers and on most days it's standing room only. The best part? The unique toppings you can choose--from an egg to prosciutto. Prices range from $7-$17 depending on how fancy your pizza is. I recommend the Supino: black olives, roasted garlic, ricotta, chili oil, and mozzarella. It's mind-blowing.


Detroit One

You'll find a Coney Island just about on every corner in Detroit and every one makes the same claim: "Best Coney in Detroit". Thanks to the Class of 2015's never-ending appetite for coneys, I was able to try out more than I'd ever like to admit during orientation week. Detroit One sticks out in my mind more than the others and although my memory of their food may or may not be a bit skewed due to the festivities that preceded the meal, they had the best chili cheese fries I've ever had. They were so delicious that all conversation at our table ceased until after we were done eating. The fries were golden and crispy. Not to mention they were topped with just the right coney to cheese ratio. Just don't order the 50 wings even if it seems like a good idea at the time.


The Bronx
If you're in the mood to knock back a few and enjoy the non-stop hilarity provided by an elderly, but unbelievably sassy bartender, then the Bronx is for you. Be prepared to take your empties to the bar or you run the risk of being publicly called a lush. If you're looking to grab something to eat while you're there I recommend the Stoopid Sandwich or the egg sandwich with corned beef. Their portions are big enough to split--trust me. If you're like me and you have friends with attention issues, the Bronx has you covered: Donkey Kong and a Juke Box. I'm convinced the Juke Box is rigged to only play music the aforementioned bartender approves of because I've lost more than a few dollars trying to play anything and everything off of TLC's CrazySexyCool album. Did I mention you can get a hair cut here?

Good Girls Go to Paris Crepes


Get overwhelmed by options? You might want to check out their menu online before you go because they give you a plethora of options. Narrowing down from savory to sweet is just the beginning. I've always been biased towards savory breakfast foods and I was not disappointed by The "O". Filled with feta, kalamata olives, spinach, and Greek dressing, it spans the entire plate and is sure to leave you satisfied. My friends were equally impressed with their choices, most of them going with a sweet crepe. All of the crepes are $5-$9 and worth every penny.

Here's to being a foodie--
lc.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

fəˈlanTHrəpē post #3: Top of the Park


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Some Ann Arborites consider the townie party to be the event of the year, for others 4/20 is the occasion not to be missed, while most consider the Art Fair to be the highlight of the summer, but I prefer a lesser known annual Ann Arbor event: Top of the Park.

For 3 weeks each June/July the corridor between the Modern Languages Building and the League is transformed into an outdoor concert venue/movie theater. The best part? Admission is free to almost everything! Most days the events start around 5 and continue until midnight without stopping. Typically, musical acts are featured in the afternoon and the night ends with a movie. The outdoor festivities are technically "Top of the Park" while the indoor Mainstage series includes ticketed performances or music, dance, theater, and comedy. The festival officially kicks off next Friday, June 17th. Here are some of the highlights this year:

Amococo--(prepare yourself for a lot of adjectives) An enormous, interactive, walk-through, inflatable sculpture. There are 86 3-sided domes to explore in this labyrinth. It looks like the love child of cirque du soleil and a rave--what's not to love about that? 

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Performers:  
Andrew Bird (@PowerCenter, not a free event, unfortunately) 
Theo Katzman (Former member of My Dear Disco and UM alum, this solo performer with knack for poetic melodies is worth seeing!!!)

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Movies: 
Despicable Me
Inception
The Social Network 
Back to the Future

You may be asking what this event has to do with philanthropy. Well, I've been attending Top of the Park for the past 5 years and I have been thoroughly impressed at the entertainment they provide for free. Thanks to the generosity of donors and donations this event is able to come back year after year. At the entrance there are donation receptacles and if you attend this year I urge you to contribute something little, if you can. Events like Top of the Park help maintain Ann Arbor's reputation for being a unique, fun place to live.
Visit the official website for a more comprehensive list of events: http://www.annarborsummerfestival.org/

Here's to Festivals--lc. 

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Stuffed Mushrooms: Nature's Mini-Tupperware Bowls

Shrooms, mushrooms, fungi--call them what you will, but mushrooms hold a special place in my heart.




They'll absorb any flavor they're paired with and I have yet to come across a dish that a mushroom couldn't accent. One of my favorite things about Sparrow Market is that they always have a gorgeous selection of mushrooms. Yes, I used the word gorgeous to describe produce. Judge for yourself.

The key to a good stuffed mushroom is well-seasoned sausage. Sparrow Market happened to have some incredible breakfast sausage that day so I was in business. In all honesty this recipe took 10 minutes to prepare and about 1/2 an hour to cook. Not much effort for a delicious pay off.

Gluten-free Stuffed Shrooms 
8 medium-large mushrooms, cored (reserve stems)
1/2 lb sausage
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used Glutino, a corn-based bread crumb)
2 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook sausage on medium heat and add garlic and chopped mushroom stems. When the sausage is almost browned (~10 minutes) add the bread crumbs and mix thoroughly. Prior to filling the mushrooms, taste test the mixture and add seasoning only if needed. Fill mushroom caps and place on a cookie sheet. Cook at 350 for 25 minutes.

Here's to fungi--lc.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

I Love Tea Parties--as long as Sarah Palin isn't invited.

I drink more tea than the Queen of England.
That statement is even more true now that I’ve cut down on my coffee intake.


Tea is my go-to drink for two reasons. For one, it’s basically a hug in a cup. I can think of only a few things that are more comforting than a cup of tea--regardless of the weather. The second reason is because tea takes me back to my childhood. Visiting my aunts with my mom, we could barely make it through the door without hearing the familiar whistling of a hot tea pot. My aunts would just skip over asking if I wanted tea, which is symbolic of a trait that runs in my mom's family. There is this unspoken assumption of answers. In those instances where my mom and her siblings do ask you if you'd like something, it's more of a formality than anything else. Your answer is completely irrelevant because they bend over backwards when it comes to taking care of others. 

What I love most about tea is the endless variety. I like having options.
Being overwhelmed by options? Even better.

Black teas, Red teas, Green teas, Herbal teas, White teas—and that’s just the start. Should you choose a traditional Early Grey or an antioxidant-rich Rooibos? A cup o’ Darjeeling or a relaxing cup of Chamomile? (Warning: You may fall asleep midway through a cup of Chamomile.)

If you’re not inherently a tea connoisseur, don’t stop reading just yet. Most people assume tea is bland and they’d much rather have something sweet. With a few modifications (i.e. sugar, honey, half and half, lemon, herbs, wine--yes, I said wine) a good cup of tea can rival and/or enhance just about any drink—even the alcoholic ones.

With summer right around the corner, now is the perfect time to concoct some delicious iced tea recipes, especially if you’re trying to lose a few pounds. If you substitute tea for your favorite pop you’ll be saving yourself from a lot of unnecessary calories. Furthermore, there have been some articles published about Green Tea's ability to help with digestion. Just from my own personal experience I can attest to how much tea (especially a mint or ginger tea) alleviates stomach discomfort after a particularly large meal.

Simple iced tea recipes:
  • Earl Grey and a dash of half and half--This is a great alternative to coffee.
  • Green tea, a bit of honey, and pineapple chunks. (Mix in the honey while the tea is still hot.)

More complex recipes:

Mint Iced Tea
(A Paula Deen recipe)

• 1 quart water
• 4 quart-size tea bags
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 bunch mint leaves
• 1 lemon, slices for garnish

Bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, add the tea bags, cover with a lid, and allow tea to steep for 20 minutes. Pour the sugar into the jug and add enough hot hot tap water to dissolve the sugar. Once the tea has steeped, remove the lid and the tea bags. Pour the tea into the jug, stir, and place the tea bags back into the jug. Fill the jug with cold water to yield 1 gallon. To serve, pour each glass of tea and garnish with a slice of lemon and mint leaves.

Strawberry Basil Iced Tea
(A Martha Stewart recipe)

• 8 black-tea bags
• 1 pound strawberries, hulled and halved (quartered if large)
• 1 cup water, plus more for steeping
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh basil, plus more for serving
• Ice, for serving

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add tea bags, and let steep for 5 minutes. Place strawberries in a bowl. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add basil, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain over strawberries; discard basil. Toss to coat. Let stand until cool, about 25 minutes. Combine strawberries with syrup and tea in a pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve over ice, and garnish with basil

Jasmine Tea & Brandied Fruit Ice Tea--Tea, fruit, & brandy for a pseudo-sangria. This recipe blew my mind!
(A Cynthia Gold recipe)

• 2 cups thinly sliced fruit, any combination of oranges, apples, peaches, plums and peaches
• 1 cup brandy, plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup loose-leaf jasmine green tea leaves
• 6 cups boiling water
• 1 bottle Riesling, chilled
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup

Place the sliced fruit in a container and completely cover with the brandy. Let sit overnight (the fruit may be soaked in brandy for up to a week, so if you expect to make another batch soon, cut and soak extra fruit in advance to save time), or if you're pressed for time, proceed to steps three and four and let it sit for at least 20 minutes as your tea cools. Place the tea leaves in a large pitcher. Add the steaming water and steep, covered, for 2 minutes. Strain, discarding the leaves and returning the tea liquid to the container, and let cool completely.  Add the chilled Riesling, brandied fruit and simple syrup. Taste and add additional simple syrup and the brandy from the macerated fruit to taste. Serve over ice garnished with a slice of fresh orange. Refrigerated, this tea sangria will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days--but let's be honest, it won't last that long.

Thai Iced Tea
(An Emeril Lagasse recipe)

• 6 cups water
• 1 cup Thai tea
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons cream
• 6 tablespoons condensed milk

Pour the boiling water over the tea and let steep until bright orange in color (3-5 minutes). Remove the tea bags and add sugar, stir to dissolve. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Fill 6 tall glasses with crushed ice and add tea to 3/4 full. Add 1 tablespoon cream and 1 tablespoon condensed milk to each glass. Serve with a spoon so guests can swirl the mixture themselves.

Here's to Family traditions--lc.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Demystifying the Gluten Free Diet

May is Celiac Disease Awareness month so I’ve decided to dedicate my latest post to the culprit: Gluten.


Going gluten free? The top 2/3 of the food pyramid have now become your bff.
 Gluten-free (GF) items are popping up in grocery stores and restaurants across the country. PF Chang’s has an entire page of GF items on their menu and Olive Garden has just recently jumped on the bandwagon. Despite this rapidly evolving gastronomic phenomenon, there are plenty of people who don’t know what gluten is so let’s start there.

Gluten is a protein composite found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye. Unfortunately, for reasons the medical field still really doesn’t understand, some people mount an immune response when they ingest gluten. In the case of Celiac Disease (CD) the immune system begins attacking the small intestine producing diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, fatigue, and headaches along with a mosaic of other symptoms. Ultimately the undiagnosed individual becomes malnourished and will begin losing weight.

Within the past few years the medical field has slowly recognized that people can have a gluten sensitivity without having CD. The sensitivity can present as a variety of symptoms including fatigue, brain fog, pain, acne, or it can just aggravate the symptoms of other ailments. It’s estimated that 3 million (1/133) Americans have CD and that nearly 20 million Americans have a gluten sensitivity. However, the majority in both groups have not been diagnosed which is unfortunate as uncontrolled inflammation keeps your immune system unnecessarily preoccuppied.

Earlier this year I became suspicious that I might have a gluten sensitivity as I had very little energy despite being well rested and I had a really stubborn case of acne. I went cold turkey. I cut out what had been the culinary staples of my diet: pasta and bread. I’m not going to sugar coat this experience. It was traumatic and not to mention, heartbreaking. Those who know me best know that my favorite meal is either a meatball sub or a pot pie, but I was determined to see if I could fix this problem without spending hundreds of dollars at a dermatologist.

I set out to the grocery store and wore blinders as I passed by the bakery. In the beginning I didn’t even buy GF packaged food or canned food for that matter. I was afraid that I would not know what red flags to look for on the ingredient labels. I stuck with fresh produce, rice, quinoa, and meat. I started to notice a difference almost immediately. I was no longer randomly falling asleep like a true narcoleptic and although my acne had not disappeared, it had significantly improved. Curious if this had just been a coincidence, I cheated and had a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs about 3 weeks into the experiment. Simply put, that meal was heaven-sent, but within hours my acne flared up again. That incident was enough to make a believer out of me, well almost at least. I still wanted more proof that I had to say adios to the American staples once and for all and that opportunity came to me this past week. I’ve been working 2 jobs and I’m not the least bit exhausted. It’s Friday and I haven’t even had a cup of coffee yet.

I am not advocating that people go Gluten Free for the heck of it. (That’s Oprah and Gwenthy Paltrow’s job.) For me it has been great because it’s made me feel so much better! Not to mention I’m eating healthier. Sure it’s more expensive to eat healthy but I like to think of your health in terms of a balance. If one skimps at the grocery store now and buys unhealthy items, decades later that money will be scooped up by the medical field and pharmaceutical companies as a result of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.

If you suspect that you might have a gluten sensitivity you do not have to cut pastas, breads, and desserts completely out of your life. There are GF pastas made with corn and quinoa and Bob's Red Mill offers a line of outstanding flours, pancake mixes, cake mixes, pizza crusts, etc. Sure you'll have to do the baking yourself but for me that has been therapeutic. What has been even better is browsing the Internet for GF Food Blogs. I've stumbled upon some pretty incredible recipes. 

This would not be a fair post without some mention of the downsides of going gluten free. Here it goes:

Buying groceries
Reading the labels of everything you put in your cart becomes tedious really quick as you make sure the items do not contain wheat, food cornstarch, barley extract, etc. Not to mention the GF alternative products can be very pricey. If you're looking for a grocery store that really caters to their GF customers check out Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. They VERY clearly label their products.

Alcohol
GF means no more beer for me. There are GF beers out there but I’ve heard they’re terrible. I also have to pay close attention to the liquor I drink. Tequila and wine are absolutely fine, but alcohol extracted from grains (i.e. vodka) is another story. Supposedly it is safe as long as it has been distilled because gluten is too big to make it through the distillation process.

Eating out
Some chain restaurants have caught on to the GF trend, but there are still a lot of restaurants who do not cater to the GF crowd. My best advice? Choose a Mexican restaurant and make sure to order corn tortillas rather than flour.

Explaining why you’re GF
Some people assume going GF is the fashionable food trend of the moment--the Atkins diet of 2011. They do not realize that there are underlying symptoms that you’re trying to alleviate. When you explain this to them all you see is a look of skepticism as they stuff their faces with a heaping plate of spaghetti.

Here’s to Food allergy/sensitivity awareness—lc.