They say you can always talk about the weather when chatting with strangers because it’s the one thing we all have in common. But you know what else is a great universal topic of conversation? Three things: bread, cheese and bacon.
It would be useful for parties in situations where you’re talking to a stranger and you’ve run out of things to say. Just pick up a piece of bread at the appetizer table and say something like, “Man, if there’s one thing I can’t live without, it’s some good bread and cheese.” I can only imagine their eyes will light up in agreement and they might even say, “And bacon!” Then you will be friends for life! Unless of course the person is vegan, allergic or obviously lame. [...]
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I found this little nubbin when I pulled out the center portion of the red bell pepper for our fajita dinner tonight. You would think it was kind of adorable because it’s like a mama pepper with a baby pepper inside. But it’s strangely the exact opposite. It’s just creepy and alien-like. The boyfriend proclaimed it was the big pepper’s parasitic twin. I agree. Just don’t google image search it.
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To the tiny community of people who read this blog,
Sorry for my absence! The combination of tiredness, cases of the blues (maybe it’s the summer heat!), dental surgery and eating bad food over the weekend has really thrown me into a very fuzzy mood. I couldn’t even enjoy a really good episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations in San Francisco because my nausea was preventing me from ogling the delicious food.
The good news is I’m feeling better. I’ll be back soon but I had to check in and say hello. HELLO!
-Sheila
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We’re only midway through Summer, it’s 100 degrees outside, and I’m already tired of my drab hot weather wardrobe. But in about a week, I will be comforted with the arrival of every fashion magazine’s most important September issue. I will get a taste of Fall coats, boots, sweaters, and best of all – lots of layering!
But out of all the magazines, I am really looking forward to Vogue’s phone book-sized issue. Under the careful direction of the legendary editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, it is considered the fashion Bible of the year. So when I found out they were making a documentary out of Vogue’s September issue, I was so excited that I had one of those moments where everything around me was a blurry mess. I immediately plugged my headphones into the computer and watched the trailer on YouTube. Wow. Just wow. In the words of Rachel Zoe, “I die.”
The September Issue gives us a behind-the-scenes peek into the fashion world and documents the creation of Vogue magazine’s 2007 issue. The film follows Anna Wintour and her team on a journey through Fashion Week, photo shoots, and staff meetings and chronicles the demanding process of putting together a magazine. It’s the real version of The Devil Wears Prada that I dreamed to see. I cannot wait to watch Anna Wintour kick some ass!
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“The bacon jam is coming today, I know it! It should only take two days to arrive from Seattle. I thought I saw the mail truck in front of the building but there’s no package at the front door? Have you checked the mail? Did you see a note outside our mailbox?”
I was like an excited puppy waiting anxiously for a doggy treat the day that my jar of Bacon Jam from Skillet Street Food was supposed to be delivered. I had everything planned out days in advance. All the ingredients for the hamburger were ready for dinner and I just needed was for the star of the show to arrive. To my relief (and my boyfriend’s), it finally showed up. Phew!
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Recipe | Coconut Avocado Ice Cream
Posted on 19. Jul, 2009 by Sheila.
When I first discovered guacamole at a young age, I was repulsed. Avocado mixed with tomatoes? And you scoop it up with tortilla chips? Ew. It’s not supposed to be salty. Growing up in the Philippines until I was 7-years-old, I only knew avocado as a sweet ingredient. It was a special treat when my mom brought home some pricey avocados from the store because I knew she would be making her special dessert. I would watch her scoop the avocado meat into a bowl, throw in a bit of sugar and cover the whole thing in cold Carnation evaporated milk. My family would gobble it up fast and fight over who got the last bit of avocado infused milk left over in the bowl.
Recently while sitting at the doctor’s office, flipping through my third magazine, my eyes lit up when I saw a recipe for Coconut Avocado Ice Cream. Ooh! I’ve had avocado shakes before but never ice cream. Plus the addition of coconut would be an interesting spin on my favorite Filipino dessert. I immediately pulled out my camera and snapped a picture of the recipe. [...]
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Penguin or Grimace?
Posted on 16. Jul, 2009 by Sheila.
On my visit to Trader Joe’s, I couldn’t resist picking up a bag of gummies shaped like penguins. I got lured in by the cute cartoon on the packaging with the cool blue color. Maybe it was some subconscious need to get away from the summer heat.
They’re a little different from gummy bears because the penguin’s little round bellies are made up of a flavored gel that oozes out when you bite into it.
But you know something? They don’t really look like penguins. They look more like Ronald McDonald’s friend, Grimace.
Don’t you think?
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Look-alike tees: Leanne Marshall & Anthropologie
Posted on 09. Jul, 2009 by Sheila.
L: Leanne Marshall Bluefly tee, $98 | R: Anthropologie Corolla tee, $78
While perusing Project Runway winner Leanne Marshall’s Bluefly clothing line yesterday, there was a particular top I thought I had seen somewhere else before. I immediately picked up my copy of the Anthropologie catalog and found her little twin.
Which one do you like better? I vote for Ms. Leanimal’s. Though I must admit I was a bit disappointed with her Bluefly collection which looked too basic especially in comparison to her real work. Let’s assume working with eco-friendly materials has many limitations.
Images via Bluefly and Anthropologie
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Recipe | Leftover egg yolks means Creme Brulee!
Posted on 08. Jul, 2009 by Sheila.
Even though a dozen large eggs cost about $1.50, throwing more than four yolks down the sink makes me cringe with guilt. When I was making batches and batches of macaroons for Father’s Day, I was left with nine egg yolks. I looked at them as if they were little abandoned orphans who needed to be saved from the dark hole that leads to the InSinkErator. Luckily for these cute, yellow buttons I always have the perfect home for them- whisked into the sweet, decadent goodness of creme brulee. [...]
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Young fashionistas that make us oldies jealous
Posted on 06. Jul, 2009 by Sheila.
If you were like me in junior high and high school, you probably spent a lot of time trying to figure out your identity through your wardrobe. At the same time you played it safe so you didn’t cross the social suicide border. If I could do it all over again, I would be looking for inspiration from these incredible style prodigies who feel comfortable stepping outside of conventional trends.
