Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Turkey
I found this great turkey breast recipe on the Food Network site. It was so simple and easy, I just had to share. It makes "just enough," and takes turkey out of the special occasion category. You can easily make this on the weekend while sewing as it doesn't require a lot of fussing over.
Herbed Roasted Turkey Breast from the Food Network
(Recipe courtesy Juan-Carlos Cruz)
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried sage
2 tablespoons dried poultry seasoning
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (canola or olive)
1 (7 pound) turkey breast, bone in
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
4 medium carrots, roughly chopped
4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
14 ounces chicken broth
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix spices and garlic with oil. Rub seasoning mixture all over the turkey breast. Place onion, carrots, and celery on the bottom of a roasting pan (note: I used a large Pyrex casserole dish) and top with turkey breast. Pour broth over vegetables.
Roast for 3 hours, or until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 160 degrees. Mine only took a couple of hours, but was a little smaller. Baste as needed. Discard vegetables. Let turkey stand for 5 minutes and then remove skin before eating.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Thanksgiving Weekend
1020 is a nice wardrobe collection. I especially like the top, dress, and skirt.
1022, another Issey Miyake.
1023, what a neat coat! The short length is great for the climate here in Albuquerque.
8454, Marci Tilton. I love her designs.
8462 appealed to me because of the cowl tops and the simple jacket.
And here are the Simplicitys. Hancocks had these on sale 5 for $5, and since JoAnn's didn't have any special on this brand, another stop was needed:
3562, I like that houndstooth jacket.
Once again, it's a holiday, so we had snow Thanksgiving night and yesterday. The trend continues! It's all melted though, and it's sunny and bright today.
I'm on my own for the rest of the weekend, so I'm hoping to do some sewing. I have some kitchen smocks (aka "Aunt Sook" aprons) cut out for my sister and her friend, which will be easy to make up even if my sewing mojo wanes again. We've nicknamed them after our great aunt, who always wore these when working in her kitchen or doing housework. I'll post more about them later in a separate post, so stay tuned.
Since I didn't cook on Thanksgiving and I'm home, I'm roasting my own turkey breast today. Mmmm, mmmm!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Enabled!
Speaking of garments, I received an unexpected incentive on Friday. My boss announced that Casual Fridays have been eliminated. The 2 major executives for New Mexico recently toured several of the branch offices and were appalled by what people were wearing (note: one executive is a late 50-ish man and the other is a mid-30's woman). Time to look like bankers again--frankly, I'm kind of happy about it. I'm so tired of skin tight pants, belly shirts, and massive amounts of cleavage at the workplace. At the risk of sounding old lady-ish, it's a bank, not a nightclub. The message was clear: Business Banking will step up, lead the way, and look sharp.
So...now I need more traditionally business apparel, tailored things, in other words. I have a lot of items that will work already, but any excuse for more clothes! And remember, this is New Mexico, so business apparel is still much more relaxed than the east coast. We can wear color!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
No Lasik for Now
So I went to see my new optometrist on Friday; he prescribed different contacts and gave me a sample Rx for some eyedrops that help with allergies. Being the cheapskate that I am sometimes, I proceeded to wear my old contacts all weekend, even though the near vision is not right on them (I know, I know...) . Anyway, I was so surprised at the new Rx that I even called his office to confirm that I had the correct lenses.
I can see better with the new Rx, good vision is restored, and I can avoid the laser for the time being! I'll call and place my order tomorrow for contacts and drops, then see how I do during the next round of hayfever in the spring before making any further decisions.
Friday, November 9, 2007
ASG Annual Meeting
Last night was my ASG chapter's annual meeting and silent auction. It seems like our chapter is struggling a bit, having lost some members during the last year. But the new slate of officers seems good and hopefully, they can build some momentum for 2008. I don't participate in Guild activities as much as I used to, but I've made some long term friends and I'm supportive of any organization that promotes sewing.
And here's what was in them. First, the fabric.
OK, this picture has the small goodies, plus a book and some binding I won. The small items were laid out on tables and priced, so they weren't part of the actual auction. I thought this was a good solution to keep the auction from becoming overwhelming. The book is "Quick and Easy Vests and Jackets" by Kate Mathews, which cost all of $2.00. I was the only bidder. The dark green and plum binding is from a bag of felt binding, which is used for Pendleton coats. That was $1.00 and I was also the only bidder on this item. And the good thing is, the green matches the double faced taffeta I bought last month. The pink, lavender, and aqua items in the middle are varieties of picot edge elastic. The aqua is a little weak and may need to be pitched, but the other colors are fine. I also got a zipper, a spool of thread, 2 spools of floral ribbon, a marking wheel with a wooden handle, and a "snagnabbit" for knits.
Best of all, the whole lot was $26. I'm happy with my haul and the proceeds went to a good cause, chapter programs.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
I've Been Remiss
Anyway, she posted an offer a while back. Request the book, How to Be a Budget Fashionista, by Kathryn Finney, and she'll send it to you. All that's required is a review of the book on your blog. Well, I requested one. And until now, I haven't done my review. Bad girl!!!
I hope to make amends with this post. Nice book! One of the things I especially liked was Step One: Know Your Budget. I'm a financial professional and really, this is important. You don't want to bankrupt yourself to look good. I realize this may seem boring to some, but so many fashion and wardrobe books leave this out even while presenting very expensive options to wear.
Step 2: Know Your Style: I might have placed this section first, but no matter. If you're on a budget, you'd best get the most bang for your buck. So you need to make those clothes work for you! This is where the author brings in the concept of reality dressing. This includes concepts like knowing your measurements, something that all of us sewists (should) know about. But having shopped with a lot of my girlfriends, a lot of them have no clue. Fear, denial, lack of a tape measure? Yes, all of the above. Get. Over. It. No one needs to know but you.
Step 3: Know Your Bargains: I bet you thought this is where she'd start from. This part is full of tips on how to "game" the RTW system. It includes how to shop department stores, outlets, online, even thrift and consignment.
Remember, budget does not necessarily mean cheap, so if you get this book thinking that the content will tell you how to buy $5 Gucci, this is not for you. And the author does advocate buying used sometimes, I know that can be a yuck factor for some. But don't knock it till you've tried it.
One thing the book doesn't have in it is a discussion of sewing your own. But really, is that really budget? I know it can be if you already have a machine, iron, and tools. But isn't this a major gripe of sewists, that people think you sew because you're cheap?? We all know that's not the case. I think sewists can take away tips from this book too even if if "making your own" is not specifically addressed. After all, I can't deny words of wisdom like:
- Never buy something just because it's on sale.
- Always buy the best-quality items you can get on sale.
- Fit is more important than size.
- Focus on complete outfits.
- Try EVERYTHING on (well sewers can't do this but our corollary is to make a mock up before committing to good fabric)
- Always wear good undergarments when shopping. It affects how garments will look on your body.
- And last, LOVE what you buy (or sew) and only BUY (or sew) what you LOVE.
I think I was already a Budget Fashionista before buying this book, but I enjoyed reading it, and I took away some good tips. So yes, I'd recommend it!
And do go visit the companion site, the Budget Fashionista!