Chicken Parm

After those long workdays when we're just craving some nostalgic comfort food, this has become our go to dish.  Everyone seems to have their own take on Chicken Parm; I grew up with a Mom's version and a Dad's version.  The recipe below is a twist on your more traditional Chicken Parmesan.  Here, I've reduced time, ingredients, associated cookware, and cost; it's a healthy at home alternative.  I hope this will become a staple in your household, too!

Ingredients:
2 Organic Chicken Breasts
4 ounces fresh pasta (spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine)
1 15-oz can Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
Olive Oil spray
Garlic Powder, Basil, Oregano, Salt, all as desired

Serving Size for 2

Directions:

1)  Preheat your oven to 450 degrees or Broil.

2)  Lightly spray a medium sized oven-safe fry pan with the olive oil and place on the stovetop.

3)  Place the breadcrumbs on a plate and season to your liking.  If you've bought already seasoned breadcrumbs, great; otherwise, add about a teaspoon of your favorite Italian seasonings - garlic powder, oregano, basil.

NOLA Eats

NOLA, the nickname for the southern city of New Orleans, Louisiana, is all about indulgence.  Yes, there are museums, and shops, and other things to see and do, but let's face it, most of us are there to eat and drink.  On and off Bourbon Street in the French Quarter there are a number of places to do just that.  Here are some of my favorites:

Acme Oyster House (724 Iberville Street, just off Bourbon Street) - Classic for Oysters and Po Boys.  There will be a line that forms outside, but it moves sort of quickly, and you can drink while you wait.  NOLA is very "drink on the streets" friendly, so grab a cold one before getting in line.  If Acme is just too packed, there is Felix's across the street, which I hear has a mean Po Boys as well.

Jim's Cheesesteaks

Recently we found ourselves in Center City Philadelphia for a wonderful wedding at the College of Physicians, which is a coolly unique museum and garden if you have time to spare. But, you cannot go to Philadelphia without visiting one of the classic cheese steak hot spots. Upon an earlier visit to the city of Philadelphia, my husband not only visited Geno's for a cheese steak, but then also went across the street to Pat's for a second fix. He declared that he had to give both a fair shot at his taste buds. I watched excitedly from the sidelines, satisfactorily full after the first cheese steak went down the hatch. Needless to say, I don't know if he was able to eat anything else for the rest of the day because he was so full, but it was well worth it! Those two are classic joints.

These days we find ourselves going back to Jim's Cheesesteaks on South Street. Jim's does it just right. The roll is soft and fresh and just the right size. The cook behind the counter knows just how much steak to accompany the cheese, onions, peppers, etc. I usually go with the steak and provolone, while most still swear by the whiz. Sometimes I go with onions, maybe I'll add peppers, but you can't go wrong with just the steak and cheese. Classic.

Toms

What first attracted me to buying a pair of these very unique looking shoes was not necessarily the fashion of the shoe itself, but the "one for one" campaign behind it all. In 2006 on a trip to Argentina, a 30-year old by the name of Blake Mycoskie saw a need. Children were walking the streets barefoot, unknowingly putting their health and safety at risk. Some of these children were walking more in a single given day than you or I would in a week, and this was without shoes. Blake, without any sort of shoe making or cobbling in his background, had a blindsided vision to make the impossible possible. He was going to change things. He was going to give these children shoes.

The one for one campaign means that for every one pair of shoes that you buy, Toms will give one pair to a child in need. Not knowing whether or not this idea would conceptualize, Blake did what many successful entrepreneurs have done; he went for it. What started as a strong-hearted mission to fill the gap has now grown into a movement worldwide. Shoes are now given to children in over twenty various developing countries around the world. As of September 2010, Toms had given more than 1 million shoes to those in need.

Tips to Cutting Basil

Fresh Basil is one of those lovely additions to almost any dish.  While some herbs tend to have a stronger flavor, and don't always match up as a pleaser to every one's taste palate (i.e. cilantro, thyme, rosemary, etc.), I have yet to meet someone that doesn't like the joy of fresh basil.  And somewhere along the line, I picked up the trick to cutting these Basil ribbons:

Find the two biggest basil leaves and set them aside.  Take the remaining leaves and stack them, one on top of another.  Sandwich those leaves in between the two bigger pieces.

Martin's Tavern

While DC can be a very transient city, with a melting pot of people that come and go year after year, Martin's Tavern delightfully remains unchanged.  Located on the corner of N and Wisconsin in the heart of Georgetown, we've been frequenting Martin's since our introductory summer internships, and we don't plan to stop this habit anytime soon.

Originally co-founded in 1933 by Billy S. Martin and his son, Billy G. Martin, the tavern was then passed along to Billy A. Martin, and today's owner, Billy A. Martin, Jr.  Suffice to say, it's a Billy Martin establishment.

Bermuda

My husband and I went to Bermuda for the first time on our honeymoon. We loved it so much that we went back that next year for our anniversary, and every anniversary thereafter we have always had the debate as to whether or not we would splurge on another trip to the lovely island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. I am happy to say that come our anniversary this year, we are going back!

Long Bay at Cambridge Beaches

Bermuda was founded by accident, but what a lucky accident it was. In 1609 a fleet of ships set sail from England with an intention to dock in Jamestown, VA, but during the journey, the fleet was sent asunder by a dreadful storm at sea. Be it fate, or luck, all 150 passengers aboard the flailing ship made it onshore without the loss of a single life. Nowadays that can be taken as quite ironic since the island of Bermuda is the top point of what outlines the Bermuda triangle, an infamous area of the Atlantic Ocean known for the disappearance of those that brave to venture into the region. Ultimately, the British presence of the early inhabitants can be still felt throughout the island today, and is visible in the territory's flag:

Which brings us to the Bermuda shorts. Yes, people do, to this day, wear Bermuda shorts with tall socks. Where did this come from and why do they do it? Well, the British began to use this newly discovered island as a vacation destination due to its continually satisfactory climate, as opposed to the common seasonal rains found in England. But, as they started to vacation in Bermuda, this was still at a time where men were not supposed to show their bare legs, but it was too hot to walk around all day in pants. So, they cleverly cropped their pants to a knee length, and then pulled up their trouser socks to cover the bare portion. The look is then finished with a sports coat and tie. It was, and still is, considered suitable attire for a male in a Bermudian's professional or fine dining environment.

Midnight in Paris

Woody Allen has done it again.  He has made a movie, captive of all audiences, to be watched over and over.  Hopefully you remember some of Woody's classics, like Annie Hall and Manhattan, just to name a few. Whether you watched them when they first came out, or like me, years later when you were old enough to appreciate them, they are classic Woody.  Midnight in Paris falls right into that category.

If you have seen a Woody Allen before, you know exactly the kind of movie you are oddly in for, and if not, you should really consider giving one of his classics a try. Woody has this uniquely creative way to make a movie like no other writer and director.  They may not always come out initially as Hollywood blockbusters, but unlike those that hit it big at the box office, these movies stick around for days to come.

The plot line for Midnight in Paris follows an engaged couple that travels to Paris current day, yet somehow the fiancé, an aspiring writer, finds himself in a car that takes him back and forth between the 1920s, an era he idolizes with the authors he idolizes.  Unlike previous Woody Allen films where he not only writes the main character, but also acts in the portrayal himself, Woody Allen has stepped aside to let Owen Wilson play the part, and Owen Wilson, bravo!  I would never have thought that someone could come close to the individual talent that is Woody Allen when he takes the screen, but Owen, you sure did hit the nail on the head.

Boat Shoes

Dating back to 1935, there is nothing more classic on the east coast than Sperry Top-Siders. The name Sperry comes from the original founder and creator of the shoe, Paul Sperry, and the second part of the name, well, that will be explained herein. While these shoes have gained popularity more recently as a fashion fixture, they actually were originally made, and to this day still, to serve a purpose. Allow me to explain a few reasons as to why a boat shoe is what it is.

First of all, a boat shoe, which is also sometimes referred to as a deck shoe, is supposed to have a white or light bottom sole. The reason for this is in its name. The shoes were made for boaters that did not want to dirty or mark up the decks of their boats. So, they wanted non-marking soles as the "top siders" aboard their boats. Identification of a classic boat shoe number one.

Quick! Banana Bread

Brown bananas?  Do not even think of throwing them away.  While you could possibly make some good compost, there are just so many other additional uses for a banana in any shape or form.  If it doesn't happen already, when you see a browned banana, train your mind to naturally kick into gear to make some good old fashioned banana bread.  Well, the good part remains in the recipe below, but the old-fashioned bit may have been tweaked slightly.  When I have browned bananas, I know I can put them to use, but that means I need to make haste, a.k.a use whatever it is I have on hand.  So, through trial and error, I have created this recipe to be pretty standard upon ingredients, but still turn out quite tasty.  And boy, will your house smell delicious!


        Ingredients:
        3-4 well ripened bananas
        1 Tablespoon butter
        1/2 cup sugar, preferably brown
        1 teaspoon vanilla extract
        1 1/2 cups flour, all-purpose or bread flour
        1 teaspoon cinnamon
        1 teaspoon baking powder
        1 teaspoon baking soda
        1 teaspoon salt


Directions:
1)  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2)  Melt the butter in a medium sized bowl.

3)  Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and peeled bananas.  Mash together to a smooth and creamy consistency.

Chanel No. 5

When middle school rolled around, the young girls around me started dabbling into the world of the woman, or more specifically make-up, jewelry, purses, shoes, and perfume. I was a bit of a tomboy growing up, so it took me a little longer to blossom into my feminine side, but when I finally came around, I had a very specific desire to find my right scent. I was on a mission.

Having heard people start to say how a certain smell reminded them of someone, I wanted that. I wanted people to associate a smell with me, and obviously a good one at that. But, that meant I had to be smart in my decision, so it took some time to finally find the smell that was right for me. I forget how I was initially introduced to what would become my staple perfume scent, but I was immediately smitten:

London

London, England should be a must-see on the bucket list for everyone. It's the very essence of many of our American customs, culture, and traditions. And okay, I'll go ahead and say it - there is a big plus in that there is no language barrier. While most other countries where English is not the primary language (France, Greece, Italy, Spain, etc.), the natives do typically still speak English, but there's that hinge of guilt that never leaves your side from feeling like an outsider. In London, all is equal with regards to communication, that is, assuming you understand each other's accents.

But aside from language ease, when it comes to London, there is just so much to do. Like most major cities, you can spend days moving around from place to place and still not cover it all. What is nice though about the set-up of the city of London is that there are a few tourist attractions that are within range of one another to be done in a day. They really are must see sites, and include attractions that have to be seen in person to truly appreciate the scope and magnitude of their significance.

First, of course, is the Royal Palace, more commonly known as Buckingham Palace. Since 1837 Buckingham Palace has been the official London residence of Britain's sovereigns; more currently it serves as the administrative headquarters of the Monarch. In May, June, and July, you can catch the changing of the guard around 11am.  An interesting fact to know is that the Queen is in residence when four guards are present at the gate, versus two guards when the Queen is away.