As NYFW came to a close with some of the heavy hitters showing their fall collections, Ralph Lauren sent some of his best work down the runway. The color palette of winter whites, mauve and grey will grab your attention! They designed everything we want to live in for fall; including refined sweatpants, oversized knits and effortless evening wear. Hope you enjoy the collection as much as I did!
Style Pantry
This is a very rich pie, but oh-so wonderful. If you like chocolate and peanut butter, you’ll like this!
For the crust:
1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick), unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter until well blended. Press the mixture into the sides and bottom of a nine-inch deep dish pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely.
For the filling:
14 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Beat cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.
Beat in the melted butter gradually. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the cream into the peanut butter mixture using a spatula. Do not over beat.
Pour into the prepared, cool crust and refrigerate for several hours until set.
For the Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces semisweet chocolate finely chopped (high-quality such as Ghiradelli – not chocolate chips).
Bring the cream to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over the chocolate in a bowl. Stir gently to melt the chocolate and mix well. Cool slightly and spread evenly over the pie. Chill until served. Cut with a knife that has been heated under hot water and wiped dry between each slice.
My sex appeal is nurtured.
The work is not condensed to digest
in real life.
Superb actor apply within
limits staged in familiar settings
Episodic, sit-com, mini-series
promotional clips – the act
beats living disappointing rehearsals.
Turn up wine bottles
before I light candles or place the
glasses near flowers (I bought myself).
And believe that what I do for you
Is more than what I do…
Ignored ambience, stolen credits,
suppressed applause.
How would I act with a man who sees
the same movie?
As most of my followers know, I am always looking for guidelines and information about leadership that make sense to me. I came across the following submission and had to share it. If you are a leader in your family, community or at work, I think you will gain some insight from this take on leadership and dignity. I know I did.
Repost: Denise Restauri, Contributor
Forbes.com
“A bold new way of tackling poverty that’s about dignity, not dependence and choice, not charity.” When I first read that on Acumen.org, I thought beyond poverty. I asked myself, “If dignity is about being worthy of honor and respect, what role does dignity play in leadership?”
To find the answer, I went to three Acumen Global Fellows from the class of 2013 – three women in their 20’s who are the next generation of social impact leaders, a new kind of leader who sees the world as it is and knows she can be a part of the solution that creates lasting impact on the ground. A one-year fellowship, 10-12 individuals from all over the world spend two months in New York undergoing intensive leadership training, followed by nine months working with one of Acumen’s portfolio companies in India, Pakistan, East Africa or West Africa. It’s not about sitting around and talking about the problems, it’s about taking action. It’s about leading.
These three Fellows will share their stories with us over the next few weeks. They are from three different countries: United States, Japan and China. They had three distinct experiences. And they all had major learnings about leadership and dignity:
1) Recognize human dignity. Each one of these women started with a goal to recognize and support human dignity. None of them wanted to help people that they felt sorry for, but rather, be part of a solution that recognizes the dignity in all people. That’s empowerment.
2) Do what’s right, not what’s easy. All of them learned by doing, combining their hard skills with new lessons about how to build trust and support teams to have an impact on the ground. It wasn’t easy and sometimes they couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, but they kept moving forward with great integrity and intent.
3) Share the shining star. Each of them saw as their greatest lesson the need to collaborate with the people closest to the ground doing the unglamorous work of execution, day after day. It was not about being a shining star, proving what they could achieve, demonstrating their abilities. It always boiled down to their ability to listen to and learn from the teams they worked with and help them be shining stars.
4) Leadership is a muscle. Leadership is a muscle that needs to be trained and exercised in real life. The lessons they learned, how they overcame challenges, admitted to and fixed their mistakes – those learnings far outweighed the leadership lessons they learned from books.
If you could just give me a moment…alone with this sandwich, I’d appreciate it. I am a loyal fan of grilled sandwiches, especially of the cheese variety. But, this sandwich is great especially for my readers who have to watch their dairy intake. You can’t keep a girl from her bread though. #chocolatefriendsofTenaciousM I give you the grilled dark chocolate, pomegranate and almond butter sandwich. Your taste buds will thank me!
Yield: 2 Sandwiches
INGREDIENTS
4 slices whole grain crusty bread
2 Tbsp dairy-free butter (Earth Balance) or olive oil
4 Tbsp roasted salted almond butter
4 squares dark chocolate (dairy-free for vegan; don’t exceed 70% cacao)
2-3 Tbsp pomegranate perils
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Butter the outsides of four slices of bread, then slather the inside of two slices with almond butter. Next add two large squares of chocolate on top of the almond butter and top with pomegranate arils. Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side up and place the sandwich in the skillet.
Push down with a heavy spatula to compress. Gently flip when the bottom is browned and crusty – about 2-3 minutes. (be careful not to burn) Cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Serve immediately.
Ready for flaky layers of pastry overstuffed with a decadent chocolate filling? Good, because these Chocolate Napoleons are so delicious that you just might need to make more than one per person!
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min.
Bake: 10 min.
MAKES: 12 servings
Ingredients
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
2 cups cold milk
2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream
2 packages (3.9 ounces each) instant chocolate pudding mix
TOPPING:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
Directions
On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 12-in. square. Cut into twelve 4-in. x 3-in. rectangles. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 9-12 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. In a small bowl, whisk milk and sour cream until smooth. Add pudding mix; whisk for 2 minutes or until blended. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. To assemble, split each pastry in half. Spoon pudding mixture over bottom halves and replace tops. Combine confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth; drizzle over top. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Serve immediately.
Here’s hoping that you all have a happy and inspiring week. La vie, le rire, et aimer
(live, laugh, and love)!
Luke 6:37-38
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
I am really loving the combination of chocolate and orange flavors lately. #chocolatefriendsofTenaciousM enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
6 Tbsp pinch of salt
2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp sugar
¼ cup pinch of salt
1 skim milk
2 tsp large eggs
¼ cup canola oil, divided
½ cup water
DIRECTIONS
1. To make crepes: Combine flour, cocoa, sugar, salt, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon oil and water in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour or for up to 24 hours.
INGREDIENTS
½ cup sugar
2 water
1 cup zest from 2 oranges, cut into very thin strips
DIRECTIONS
2. To make orange syrup: Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, add orange zest, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the syrup has thickened and the zest is tender. Several times during the cooking, brush the sides of the saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water to keep sugar crystals from forming on the sides. Remove from heat and let cool.
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ Tbsp yogurt cheese (see Tip)
1 tsp confectioners’ sugar
vanilla extract
Chocolate Sauce (recipe follows)
DIRECTIONS
3. To make filling: Whisk together yogurt cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a small bowl until well-blended. Cover and refrigerate.
4. To cook and assemble crepes: If necessary, add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to crepe batter so that it has the consistency of light cream. Heat a small nonstick skillet or crepe pan over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles when sprinkled on the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low. Brush pan with a little of the remaining 1 teaspoon oil as needed to prevent sticking. Pour about 2 tablespoons batter on the skillet and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Cook 30 to 40 seconds until the top of the crepe has a dull surface and the edges begin to curl. Flip and cook for 20 to 30 seconds, or until the crepe is firm. Remove to a plate and cover with a dry cloth. Repeat with remaining crepes. (The crepes may be stacked until served.)
5. Place a crepe on a dessert plate. Spread 2 tablespoons of filling across the middle. Fold in half and spoon 1 tablespoon Chocolate Sauce over top or beside it. Spoon 2 teaspoons orange syrup and zest over the crepe. Repeat with remaining crepes.
Tip: To make 1 cup of yogurt cheese, line a colander with a large cotton towel or double thickness of cheesecloth, and place the colander in the sink. Pour in 3 cups low-fat yogurt. After 15 minutes, transfer the colander to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours or overnight. Gathering the edges of the towel together, gently squeeze out any remaining liquid. Transfer cheese to a separate container. Refrigerate until ready to use. Keeps 1 week.
I was dining with friends at a restaurant in Chicago when I first heard Gotan Project. The restaurant had a Colombian-styled menu and atmosphere to match. A couple of tracks in and I was hooked. Enjoy!
Gotan Project is a musical group based in Paris, consisting of musicians Eduardo Makaroff (Argentine), Philippe Cohen Solal (French) and Christoph H. Müller (Swiss, former member of Touch El Arab).
Gotan Project formed in 1999. Their first release was “Vuelvo Al Sur/El Capitalismo Foráneo” in 2000, followed by the album La Revancha del Tango in 2001. Their music involves tango, but also uses elements such as samples, beats, and breaks. Live material was also broadcast on Gilles Peterson’s world music show Worldwide on BBC Radio 1 in May 2004. Philippe Cohen Solal has also released a DJ set: Inspiración Espiración – A Gotan Project DJ Set Selected & Mixed by Philippe Cohen Solal (2004). This album is a compilation of classic tangos from the likes of Aníbal Troilo, Ástor Piazzolla and Gotan Project remixes. The album also includes a bonus CD with the track “La Cruz del Sur” – which was meant to be included on La Revancha del Tango, but did not make the cut in 2001.
Eduardo Makaroff arrived in France in the early 90s to develop Argentine tango music, he performed with his band “Mano a Mano”. Christoph Müller and Philippe Cohen Solal formed a duo called Boys from Brazil.
The name of the trio is a play on the name of a famous tango compilation album that featured several American classical musicians who came together to record a tango album, originally released in 1982. This album, called the Tango Project, includes a rendition of Carlos Gardel’s and Alfredo Le Pera’s “Por Una Cabeza” which had been featured in movies such as Schindler’s List, Scent of a Woman and True Lies.
Credit: Wikipedia
This is the early version of TenaciousM. Still don’t know why Nana (Dad’s Mother) called me “the devil” and refused to babysit till I got over that pyromania phase… Is that not the tallest 2 year old you have ever seen?
I was hanging out with Mama Ocia and Aunt Delores (my Mom’s Mother and sister) in Cedar Grove, TX near the town of Newton. I think I’m dressed for the family Homecoming which is in August, so I was almost 3. I know, it’s crazy that my memory goes back that far, but the spankings I got on the regular served as a sort of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to jolt my memory at an early age. (Here’s where all the anti-corporal punishment folks need to take a seat. I was one bad ass kid… my peeps did what they had to do).
What’s even funnier is that this was the visit when my Aunt Dee had to explain the “Birds and the Bees” to me. I had asked where I’d come from and she said I was an egg in my mother’s womb. I thought she said “my mother’s room”, and was shocked. I told Aunt Dee that seemed dangerous and that Ceal and Barry (my older sister and brother) could have easily come along and broken me.
Alas, a writer was born! -Marcia AKA: TenaciousM
…still a little naughty. That crown was on my friend’s birthday cake.
Egos & Buffaloes 