Divatosity

Courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net This Christmas will be a little more festive than ones in recent years. Mostly, because I am buying a Christmas tree and making a good faith effort this weekend to decorate my apartment.  Last year, my apartment was sparsely furnished and we spent Christmas huddled around a folding table and chairs. The only Christmas decoration hanging up was a wreath. My lack of furniture did not prevent my guests from enjoying great food and lively conversation. This year, I have a couch, coffee table chair,  and TV stand. Word on the street is that an ottoman will soon grace my living room as well. But, most importantly I feel more at home here in this apartment than ever before.

 Earlier in the week, a couple of friends and I attended a Third Eye Blind concert. We stood in line for what seemed like forever. The icy November winds whipped around us and caused momentary lapses in our conversation. An hour later, the Texas based opening act Hydra Melody took the stage and I was impressed with their energy and the clever lyrics of their songs. Most notably, their haunting song entitled: "California" struck a chord with me. It made me think of the relationships which I had to break off during the early 2000's because of  my decision to move to California. The auditorium is on the chilly side and we spend a majority of the evening singing and dancing whilst wrapped up in our winter gear. Still, I had a blast singing along to the classic Third Eye Blind songs such as: "Jumper" , "Never Let You Go", "Semi-Charmed Life" amongst others.

I spied these flowers just a few weeks ago during an afternoon stroll in my neighborhood. I was surprised at the resilience of these flowers. Still hanging in there in the midst of autumn.

I first spied this lovely kimono about a month ago during our local Japanese festival. I was struck by its simple yet, ornate appearance. I recall years ago, wearing kimonos as dressing gowns and for date nights.  You can find kimonos on eBay , Etsy , Japanese specialty shops, thrift stores, and even flea markets.

 One of my favorite aspects of early autumn is sitting outside and watching the sunset with a mug of hot peppermint tea. Within a few minutes, the day's earlier stresses melt away. I am left with this feeling of quiet elation.

Temperatures are dropping and perhaps so is your bank balance. Colder weather can bring with it higher heating costs, more expensive grocery bills, and of course, the unexpected expenses of the holiday season. Cold weather sandwiches provide a versatile and low-cost meal option. You can make a sandwich using bread, tortillas, egg roll wraps, hoagy bread, flatbread, naan bread, or ingredients rolled in lettuce leaves. Yet another option is to prepare the ingredients as a stand alone meal. This evening I am going the more traditional sandwich route. I am preparing a chopped pork sandwich on a standard hamburger bun with chopped Baby bella mushrooms, green onions,  and a half slice of Havarti cheese. I marinated the pork in garlic oil and lemon juice. Afterwards, I slow-cooked the pork in vegetable broth on a low heat for about an hour or so. Next, I lightly sautéed the Baby bella mushrooms and green onions in basil oil. I lightly baked the hamburger buns in the oven for a  few m

October is more than halfway over. Have you had a chance to visit your local pumpkin patch?  Are you liberally snapping photos of the leaves on the trees? This evening, did you sip warm apple cider whilst out on a leisurely stroll?   Are you alternating between watching Major League Baseball, the NFL, and college football? Has weekend tailgating become a way of life for you? Are you looking forward to dressing up for Halloween?  Don't fret, if you answered "No" to a majority of the above-mentioned questions. You still have a couple of weeks to enjoy these activities. So, pour yourself a mug of warm apple cider, throw some meat on the grill on game day, and take a quick trip to your local pumpkin patch. A month from now, we could be dealing with more wintry conditions and the somewhat balmy breezes of October will be a distant memory. Pumpkin patches, apple cider, country drives

 Mushrooms add a texture and smoky flavor to your meals. Mushrooms are my "go to" ingredient. I use them to add weight to simple soups, texture to a majority of my potato dishes, and to flavor   salads. Below are some vinegars and oils which I use to prepare mushrooms. 1. Safflower oil 2. Grapeseed oil 3. Extra Virgin Olive oil 4. Garlic Oil 5. Balsamic vinegar 6. Basil Oil 7. Red Wine Vinegar 8. White vinegar In addition, I have also found that soaking mushrooms in lemon, lime, and/or tangelo juice adds a yummy spark of flavor to them. Especially, when used on salads and chicken.

 Roller skating isn't just for the children. Many roller rinks have nights specially designated for those 18 years and older. They play tunes from both the old school format and current hits. I went roller skating a couple of weeks ago and it was a lot of fun. I rocked out to old  school Journey tunes and got my skate on with some Nelly music. The first thing that I noticed about roller skating as an adult was how nervous I was about falling down. As a kid, I was such a daredevil on skates. The 30-something version of myself is a little leery about taking corners too fast and  the whole skating backwards thing. My fellow attendees were comprised of older Baby Boomers, college kids, wannabe roller derby queens, and Gen Xers whom were lucky enough to find a sitter on a Thursday night. Luckily, I survived my night of roller skating and I plan on going again sometime in the near future.