Warm Brussel Sprout Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing

Happy St. Patrick's Day. I decided to make this warm smokey dish in honor of the holiday. Brussel Sprouts aren't particularly Irish, but they are green. I mean I'm not particularly Irish either, but I did spend an afternoon in an airport in Ireland...close enough. Sláinte

Here's What You Need: 

• 1/2 sliced yellow onion
• 1/4 cup balsamin vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
•  2 good dashes of liquid smoke
• 2 1/2 cups sliced brussel spouts
• 1/8 teaspoon salt 
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Here's What You Gotta Do: 

1. Heat a very lightly oiled non-stick pot with a lid, over a low heat. 
2. Add onions to the pot and heat until onions are soft and brown ( about 5 minutes). 
3. Add balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and liquid smoke to the pot and let the sauce reduce over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
4. Toss in the brussel sprouts, cayenne and salt. Turn off the heat and stir well to coat the brussel sprouts with dressing. Put the lid on the pot and let the salad soften and stem for 5 minutes. 
5. Serve Warm and Enjoy!

Serves 2 as a salad and 4 as a small side dish.

Brussels sprouts contain sulforaphane, 

a chemical believed to have potent anticancer properties

 Brussels sprouts are an excellent source of vitamin C; 100 g ( 3.50 oz) 

of Brussels Sprouts provide about 141% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamin C. 

For comparison's sake, 100 grams of orange juice yields 83% of your RDA.  

Getting Sauced. 

Bowl of Green Goodness

Showering myself in the Luck. 

Life is Delicious...Go Taste It!

Abstract St. Patricks Day Nails

I celebrated my first St. Patricks Day as an adult in South Korea four years ago.  I wore green, drank my first "Irish Car Bomb" and spent the evening enjoying whiskey and darts with my fellow expats. I've celebrated the holiday ever year since. Last year, in New Orleans, we celebrated with the locals for three days straight. I have a feeling that the folks in New Orleans have extended celebrations for every holiday, but that's just a guess. This year, I'm getting a jump on some work so that I can revel in the celebration without guilt, hence the homicide chart in the back ground. I like to call this manicure "Luck of the Irish"... or if I try it again after the holiday "M is for Murder". 

For the soft gold color I used from Moonstone from Urban Outfitters and  the vivd green is Jungle Me from H&M and a clear topcoat. 

I painted 2 coats of the gold color. 

When it was completely dry, I used masking tape to create the V shape and painted the exposed area with green. 

When the green was dry to the touch, I applied the top coat. 

Life Is Delicious... Go Taste It!

It's Always a Good Time to Turban

Turban wearing is not for the faint of heart, but gosh they are a fabulous fashion accessory. Turbans have been around for thousands of years. Traditionally worn by men to signify a religious sect or social status, turbans began to show up on western trendsetters in the 70's. Turbans are a great "Anytime" accessory. They can be paired with a casual tunic and jeans in the spring, big sunglasses and a swimsuit in the summer, fall coats and boots, and faux fur in the winter; you simply cant go wrong with a turban. This timeless piece really adds a big impact to any outfit and hides dye jobs gone awry, impeccably!

I embellished this $2 turban with a vintage earring.

 I lost the other one a long tome ago, but couldn't bear to throw this one away. 

When hoarding goes right!

Turban in warm weather...

Just as stylish in colder weather!

Road Runner Pin sent as a graduation gift form my Aunt Karen. 

Turban and Treats!

Life is Delicious ...Go Taste It!

DIY: Tassel Necklace

I survived the Arizona Bar. I won't get my score  until May so the next few months will be spent looking on the bright side. It was grueling marathon toward this moment and now its over. I have so much free time and I have quite a few ideas on what to do with it. First project: make some use out of my graduation cords. Up until today, they hung in my coat closet full of promise but virtually useless. That was until I stumbled across this gem on Anthropologies's website.

Photo: Anthropologie Sailor's Delight Lariat

$89 Originally $328

Then there was this golden bauble on the Bergdorf Goodman Website. 

Photo: Rachel Zoe Long Tassel-End Necklace$292 Originally $650

I really like the bohemian vibe of the cord and tassel look but I couldn't help but wonder if there was a cheaper better way to get that aesthetic. Cue graduation cords! They could finally be dusted off and repurposed. You could easily do this project with curtain tie backs. They are available at any local home-wares store that sales window treatments. I found some on ebay for less than $5 apiece.
Mine cost me $0 dollars if you don't count the $100K+ spent on law school in order to get my honors cords. But that is neither here nor there. 

You'll need one cord with tassels and about 2 minutes of your time. 

Here's what you gotta do: 

1. First drape the cord on your neck with the tassels hang in the back.

2. Then bring the tassles across your back to the front of you. so you will have one full look around your neck with the tassels hanging in the front. Make sure the tassels are hanging evenly. 

3. Start by tucking the tasseled end of the cord into the front loop and wrap the tasseled end around

4. Rock out with your cord out!

For this one I left the tassels uneven. 

Got this one for Negotiating the heck out of some legal conflicts. 

No big deal!

 These bad boys came from serving on the SBA. 

I draped these haphazardly and loved the statement necklace quality I was left with. 

And yes this represents the chaos of any student board association!

Life is Delicious... Go Taste It!