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Very Berry Blueberry!
Tonight, I am going to try the recipe for Blueberry Crumb Bars from Smitten Kitchen. They looked so crumbly and juicy when I saw the recipe on Cupcakes and Cashmere that I had to check it out for myself. We have a breakfast potluck at work tomorrow, so I’m going to try my hand at this delicious looking creation while the hubby keeps our son occupied.
Note: We went to 4 stores to find fresh blueberries today and we finally ended up at Costco. They are Northwest Blueberries from Curry and Company and look absolutely delectable! Stay tuned for the results!
Update: My whole kitchen smells like blueberries. This is by far one of the best smelling recipes I have tried in a long time!
Update 2: I decided to change the picture to the finished product (click the link to see the original picture from Smitten Kitchen). They taste as good as they look, trust me.
By request, here is the recipe from Smitten Kitchen:
Blueberry Crumb Bars
Adapted from AllRecipes.com
Recipes like this make me wonder why I don’t use AllRecipes.com more. After seeing a blueberry crumb bar on another site, I immediately wanted to make them but the first recipe seemed overly fussy. I knew there was a simpler way to do it, and lo and behold, All Recipes had it. Once I swapped the shortening for butter–of course–and dolled it up with some lemon juice and lemon zest, they were just as heavenly as the 176 commenters promised they’d be.
I could imagine easily swapping another fruit or berry for the blueberries–I’m especially thinking something tart like sour cherries or cranberries in the fall (I’d use orange instead of lemon with cranberries). But if you have blueberries on hand, do not miss a chance to make these.
These are easiest to cut once chilled, and store even better in the fridge than they do at room temperature–something unusual for cookies!
Yield: I cut these into 36 smallish rectangles
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.
3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. (This took an extra 10 to 15 minutes in my oven.) Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Red Carpet Review: The 2010 Emmy Awards
I’ve worked backstage at a couple of local Emmy ceremonies through NATAS in San Diego. Although they are not as glitzy and glamorous as the Primetime Emmys in Los Angeles, they are still a prestigious award, local or otherwise. I can never tear myself away from an awards ceremony, so I briefly watched the 2010 Emmy Awards and the Red Carpet preview tonight (only briefly because the new True Blood was on, which was then switched over to Steelers football by my husband).
I love to play dress up, but surprisingly enough, I’m not one for evening gowns. I’m much more interested in “street style” and the creativity it offers. But these awards shows always have show-stoppers, and I did see some very beautiful gowns tonight. I managed to pick a “Top 10” from what I saw (in no particular order). Let me know if you agree!
(Click on each picture to enlarge. All images from In Style)
Boot Camp
These are the boots that I am determined to get for fall. There are a couple more that I’ve seen in my latest Lucky and Vogue magazines (The September Issue!) that are not online yet, so I’ll post a “Boot Camp Part Deux” at a later time. They all have very clean lines with utilitarian/military details, which is on point for many of the styles that will be out this coming season. My favorite bits: The fold over the wedged heel of the Vince Camuto boots; the riveted clog detailing of the Steve Madden Luxe boots; and the subtle detail and clean lines of the Coach booties.
Don’t you just love the fall?
1. Alician Black – Vince Camuto; 2. Yea Clog Boots – Steve Madden Luxe (DSW); 3. Astrid Bootie (in suede) – Coach
(Click on each picture to enlarge)
House of Cards: “How-To”
Here are the easy steps on how you can make your own greeting cards at home. I’ve been making cards for around 8 years now, and I seldom buy greeting cards unless in an absolute emergency (because I’m not near my house) or due to pure laziness. If you like to scrapbook and create with rubber stamps, you will enjoy making greeting cards.
What you will need to get started: Rubber stamps, ink, a paper-cutter, scissors, adhesive (I use a Hermafix dispenser), printed scrapbook paper, card stock, colored construction paper, mounting tape, embellishments (such as stickers)
Note: Sometimes it’s hard to come up with new designs on the fly, so to help save time and spark creativity, I purchased a themed scrapbook page making kit (which included cut outs, printed paper, flat and raised stickers). Also, most of my rubber stamps and ink are from Stampin’ Up (others are from my personal collection). Most of the paper products and tools were purchased at Michaels.
Tools of the trade
1. For this card, I cut the printed scrapbook paper with a paper-cutter to the size of the bottom of the blank card
2. I affixed the cut out to the bottom half of the card using a Hermafix adhesive dispenser
3. Use a saying to stamp the inside of the card (I used a Stampin' Up rubber stamp and ink)
These are some rubber stamps I've collected from all over the world (and Stampin' Up!). I use these to show the cards are created and designed by me!
4. Stamp the back of the card with a personalized stamp and sign your name (optional)
5. After adding all the stamped images (it's better to do the stamping on a flat surface), I added a raised sticker as a final decorative touch. Instant birthday card!
Into The Gap
I was going to post my “How-To” on making greeting cards, but that’s going to have to wait until tomorrow because it’s going to take a little while to put together. Instead, I’m going to post my latest purchase. I’m sure you won’t mind!
I have been coveting these Pierre Hardy for Gap wedge sandals on The Glamourai for about a month (pictured left and seen here). I didn’t realize that they just came out at the beginning of the summer. I was looking to use a “Give & Get” coupon that my best friend sent me (she works for Banana Republic). Feeding America gets 5% of what you spend when you use the 30% off promo code online, or the coupon in the store. I was browsing through Piperlime.com and decided to check out Gap.com. I found the shoes still online…and on sale!
Originally $98, they were on sale for $59.99. With my coupon, they were just $41. So I saved money and gave to a great cause. And as I posted not too long ago, it’s still an endless summer for wedges (see the entry here)!
House of Cards
My original intention this evening was to go see John Mayer in concert. But alas, that was not to happen. So I’m just posting the results of what I did instead. My creative juices were flowing and I finally made about 20 greeting cards that I should have made last year for a work related charity silent auction. They turned out better than I had expected! I made 10 birthday cards, 5 thank you cards, and 5 blank ones. Here are 6 of them that I really liked, and my post tomorrow will be a “How-To” on making greeting cards for any occasion.
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Knit Pick
Marled Boyfriend Cardigan - ASOS
When I think about cardigan sweaters, Mr. Rogers always comes to mind. Remember when he would come home and sing his “Won’t you be my neighbor” song, hang up his coat and put on his cardigan? It reminded me of my father (who’s first name is Roger). I have old pictures of my father in his classic grey and black cardigan over a white t-shirt, with slim pants and Trilby hat. He looked like he could have been in The Specials playing sax. Such a classic look, it’s no wonder I’ve had a love affair with the cardigan for years.
Striped Rosette Cardigan - Old Navy
So versatile and always on trend, cardigans can be dressed up or down. I love the variety: plain classic v-necks (pictured right from ASOS); sequenced three-quarter sleeved numbers for an evening out; printed, argyle or striped with embellishments (pictured left from Old Navy). They are by far the best substitute for a coat when months are slightly warmer. When winter rolls around, the thicker cardigans come out, which are like jackets. And really, you can never have too many.
This won’t be the last time I blog about the cardigan. In fact, the last time I checked I think I had 20 (including that cute one from Old Navy)…but who’s counting?
My Fashionable Heritage
- The Glamourai + Josie Natori Dress
I was reading a new favorite blog, The Glamourai by Kelly Framel (yes, I am a little late to this scene). Her style is undeniably artistic and completely appeals to the visual artist in me. She has elegance, flair and drama, but always with a sense of fun. She recently designed a dress with Josie Natori that she wore for the launch of her limited edition Coach purse (those who also launched purses that day were Emily, author of Cupcakes and Cashmere; Karla, author of Karla’s Closet; and Krystal, author of What is Reality Anyway?). I was instantly in awe and the dress is amazing. The dress was later auctioned on ebay and the proceeds went to Women in Need, a charity for disadvantaged women (Josie Natori is on the board). The dress sold for $710!
I remember when I first heard of Josie Natori. I was shopping in Nordstrom looking around for lingerie and left with something from Josie Natori that was perfect. I later found out that she is an award-winning Filipina designer and that she has a whole line, including Ready To Wear. Being a very fashion conscious Filipina myself, that got me thinking: are there other Filipino designers out there? This is just a short list of what I found (with the help of my mom!):
Rafe New York – Internationally known handbag designer. I have one of his bags and featured one of his purses in my “Clutch Performance” entry.Monique Lhuillier – Designer of bridal wear, but has expanded to ready wear. Her designs can be seen in bridal and fashion magazines as well as on celebrities on the red carpet.
Bench – Casual wear and underwear, plus fragrances and bath and body.
Jose “Pitoy” Moreno – My mom said, “You have to include Pitoy Moreno!” Known as the “Fashion Czar of the Philippines”, his designs have been seen on the runway as well as dignitaries and celebrities all over the world. He is considered a national treasure for his years of artistry.
I’m on the hunt for more, so stay tuned for more designers of my native homeland!