Monday, April 28, 2014

Music Monday//Local Show.


Happy Body Slow Brain will be touring throughout the Northeast next
month + will be performing at Amityville Music Hall on Saturday, May 3. 

Friday, April 25, 2014

Greeting Cards by Elephant Print.

I am a sucker for snail mail. A couple years ago, I wrote about the importance of handwritten letters + I was a dutiful pen pal. I slacked off for quite some time, but within the last few months, I have been into finding fun cards to send to friends.

My friend Victoria is a graphic designer who owns Elephant Print, a company specializing in greeting cards. One afternoon, we were discussing how I needed the perfect card to give to a friend, but didn't really know what I wanted, in terms of style. I told her to create something unique, that would fit my personality.


The card reflects an inside joke, but we soon realized that this is a great card for people planning a surprise party, bridal shower, or anything that needs to be kept on the down-low. Victoria hit the nail on the head with this card - its so me, which makes this even more special.


Elephant Print offers an array of unique, eco-friendly greeting cards for all occasions. Personalized messages can be added to any card, which is another awesome feature. Who doesn't love receiving a card that was created specifically for them? The back of the cards also feature a sweet message as well.


Elephant Print is offering 40% of all orders with the coupon code "SHORTGIRL." Head over to the shop + support this budding small business. Make sure to check out Victoria's graphic design portfolio as well.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Music Monday.

 

Friday, April 18, 2014

Netflix Fix: Music Documentaries of the Female Persuasion.

Learning is a lifelong journey. When I was working in the classroom, I always felt that history was far more exciting when audio//visual elements were included. Students who had sassed me the first day to try + push my buttons actually paid attention as they absorbed Jimi Hendrix's performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" from Woodstock. The fact that I could get seventeen-year-olds to engage in conversation about the event//era//historical significance, ask questions, plus gain some musical knowledge was always the highlight of the lesson, even if it was only eight minutes of the class period.

Now that I'm not in a classroom [teaching or obtaining another degree], I often find myself viewing documentaries on Netflix to keep my brain from turning to mush. Books//newspapers//journals are also utilized, but I have the attention span of a fly + I absorb information better in an audio//visual format. Since most of the documentaries I have seen are of the musical persuasion, I figured "ladies first."

For those who don't use Netflix, I included links to the rentals via Amazon + iTunes.

Good Ol' Freda [Amazon//iTunes]


Hit So Hard [Amazon//iTunes]


The Punk Singer [Amazon//iTunes]


20 Feet From Stardom [Amazon//iTunes]



Madonna: Truth or Dare [Amazon//iTunes]


Sunday, April 13, 2014

Roasted Potatoes + Red Onions = Two Variations.

Last summer, I was on a roasted veggies kick. The other day I was talking to my friend, Tori, about blogging recipes. She mentioned how the roasted veggies I made always looked good, so I decided to make something simple - roasted potatoes + red onions.  When I say simple, I really mean it. The most difficult task you're going to encounter is waiting until the potatoes cool down so you don't burn the roof of your mouth.


I tested out two recipes. Feel free to follow them or branch out + change up the spices.

Roasted Cinnamon Ginger Potatoes w// Red Onion
Ingredients:
1 lb potatoes, cut into chunks [only had organic Russet + they worked well]
1/4 lb red onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon of each: cinnamon, ground ginger, pepper, + salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

Traditional-ish Roasted Potatoes w// Red Onion
Ingredients:
1 lb potatoes, cut into chunks
1/4 lb red onion, sliced
1/2 teaspoon of each: pepper, rosemary leaves [crushed], sage, salt + thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil

Tools:
Aluminum foil
Baking dish [9" x 13" is a good size]
Clean hands
Spoon


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
Line your baking dish with aluminum foil [super easy cleanup + helps transport from tray to serving dish]. 
Place potatoes + onion slices in baking dish, then add olive oil. As evenly as possible, sprinkle the spices on top. 
With clean hands, mix//coat the potatoes + onions in oil//spices. Trust me, this is the way to go - just like I said last week, referring to grandma's meatball mixing technique - your hands are one of the greatest tools in the kitchen.
When you're done, wash your hands, ya filthy animal.

Put potatoes into the oven + set the timer for 30 minutes. Stir [with a spoon, not your hands] after 15 minutes. Shut the oven off. Remove potatoes, stir, then place the dish back into the oven for another 15 minutes [yes, while the oven is off - you read that correctly]. Remove from the oven + serve.

I am a lazy human when it comes to scrubbing dishes, so the aluminum foil is my BFF. Plus, If I'm transporting into a bowl, all I do is wait for the aluminum foil to cool, pick up the corners + dump into the bowl. 

Out of the two recipes concocted, the cinnamon ginger is my favorite. Next batch, I'm going to double the onions, because they're the first to disappear from the dish. 

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Things I'm Loving Lately.

wait what - the notorious xx [the notorious b.i.g. vs the xx]. A coworker's playlist blared "dead wrong intro" over the weekend + I loved it. Snag your free download via SoundCloud + check out the rest of the mix tapes, available at wait what.

image via

Alien Yard To-Go Cup [Urban Outfitters]. This bad boy is 1/4 the size of me + keeps me hydrated. I don't know why, but it reminds me of the flick-flop Spring Breakers.

Befriending Your Ex: The Ultimate Repurposing Project. Keri Pina's latest piece on HelloGiggles is a must-read. Go. Now. Trust me.

Shazam Playlist. I frequently use the app Shazam when I hear a song I like + I'm unsure of the artist or song title [especially while Nexflixing my life away]. Last month, I decided to create a playlist of the songs I looked up in March + am working on the one for April. You can listen here via Spotify.


Star Wars Episode VII Filming Commenced. Alan Horn, the Walt Disney Studios chairman explains at Loyola Marymount University School of Film and Television that casting isn't fully complete for the most anticipated film of 2015, but filming has already begun. The story, which has been penned by JJ Abrams + Star Wars script vet Lawrence Kasdan, will be complimented by an original John Williams score, bringing some serious Star Wars alum to the table. Saying I'm stoked about this is an understatement.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Raw Fruit + Nut Bites.

I am the worst when it comes to posting recipes. There are enough recipes strewn around my room to assemble a cookbook [not to mention an obnoxious amount of food pictures on my iPhone], but they never make it to the 'net. Well, I decided to go through the recipes, recreate them + start sharing them.

This girl = total sucker for snacks. Instead of sitting at the table + enjoying a meal, I usually eat standing up [a habit I developed during high school marching band that I can't seem to break it] or in my car [not a morning person, so eating on the go is crucial so i'm not a total crankypants]. Any food that can be prepped in advance, taken on the run + not make a mess is my favorite.


These raw fruit + nut bites are an awesome snack that definitely keeps me from eating junk, plus help keep my sweet tooth in check.

Raw Fruit + Nut Bites
[makes anywhere from 1 to 2 dozen bites, depending on the size you make them]

Ingredients:
1 banana [the riper, the better]
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup figs, chopped
1/4 cup raw unsalted almonds [can be whole, chopped, or slivered, whichever you have on hand works. If they're whole, chop them in a blender or with a knife]
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 tbsp hemp seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp cinnamon [i prefer saigon cinnamon for baking//sweets]
1/4 cup filtered hot water

Tools:
Blender
Large glass bowl
Small glass bowl [to soak raisins]
Measuring utensils
Square//Rectangular glass dish [to shape the bites]
Wax paper

First things first: put your raisins in a small glass dish, sprinkle them with the cinnamon + add hot water.   Stir + let them sit for at least fifteen minutes - you can work on the rest of the recipe while you wait.

Since I used whole almonds, I tossed mine into my Vitamix + let them pop around a bit, just to break them into pieces.

Put almond butter, chopped almonds, figs, dried apricots + the banana into a blender. Pulse until the ingredients are incorporated - it doesn't have to be smooth. Transfer to a large glass bowl.

Drain the raisins, but don't rinse - you want some of the cinnamon to stick to the raisins.

Prep your glass dish for the bites with wax paper, while you're at it.

Add rolled oats, coconut oil, chia seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds + mix gently with clean hands [its like grandma's meatballs - your hands are the best tool for this trick]. The raisins shouldn't be too hot, but if you feel that they are, wait a few minutes to mix it all up.

Once the ingredients are mixed + the oats are coated, transfer to the glass dish with the wax paper. Pat down the mixture so its evenly distributed. Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top + gently press them down with the palm of your hand, so they don't come off when you cut the bites up.

Place the glass dish in the freezer for an hour or two, so they can harden up. When you're ready, remove the block of goodness + cut into bites! The size of the bites is totally up to you. These usually keep well for 3-5 days in the fridge, but I keep most of them in the freezer + defrost a handful the night before work.

If you try the recipe, let me know what you think!