The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. Ernest Hemingway

Me version of business attire #2. (pic)

Braised Endives (blog)

Have decided to share one of my favorite comfort foods with you this week. It has a unique flavor and may not be for everyone… but if you're into trying new things, this comes highly recommended. The following is a recipe for Braised Belgian Endives from http://www.toomanychefs.net/archives/001585.php

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I first came across braised endives in an awful job many years ago. I was nominally hired as au pair in a very snobby nouveau riche family in the 16th. Being pretentious gits, they had a cook/housekeeper. Being cheap, they hired an illegal immigrant from Mauritius and treated her very, very badly. And they shouldn't have done, because she was a treasure: cheerful, hard-working, and a fantastic cook. (Of course I would never argue they should treat her badly if she were depressed, lazy and a bad cook, but it was augmenting the crime.) I will always regret that I left that job (in a hurry, I might add) without getting her recipe for samosas. They were wonderful.

And so were the braised endives. I wandered in the kitchen one afternoon, drawn by the savoury smell of chicken and an indefinable vegetable. I saw them bubbling merrily in a milky sauce. And I asked, "What on earth is that?" She looked at me as though I had suddenly dropped down from the Planet of the Terminally Clueless and said "Why, braised endives, of course!"

That night, I stopped at the épicerie on my way home and bought a kilo of them. I remember they were wrapped in a piece of paper that, very helpfully, had recipes for cooking them. It's as though my guardian angel was sitting on my shoulder, directing the fates in my direction: it included one for braised endives.

I can't give credit for the following recipe as I have no idea what Belgian Endive Food Board had the bright idea of putting recipes on the paper that was used to wrap the darling Endives. But I am grateful. That was some 12 years ago and I'm still making them the same way. I haven't even tried to improve them as I think they are perfect as they are. This is coming from a girl who thinks that cooked celery is an abomination to man. And endives aren't that far from celery in texture.

*Braised endives*

3-4 Belgian endives (enough to fill your frying pan snugly when sliced in half lengthwise)
3-4 Tbs butter
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tbs (roughly) lemon juice
1 scant tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Put the butter in a nice heavy bottomed frying pan and heat until it is frothing. Slice the endives in half lengthwise and add them to the pan, keeping the heat relatively high so that the butter browns (but does not burn!) and the edges of the endive caramelize. After a few minutes, when you really think you are in danger of burning the butter and/or the endives, turn down the heat to low and pour in the chicken broth. (If you are Barrett, you can use vegetable broth.) Sprinkle the sugar and lemon juice over the endives and cover loosely. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. (Obviously it depends on the size/thickness of your endives.) Salt and pepper to taste.

It's that simple. I make this pretty frequently when the Critic is away at an Official Function. I also sometimes make up a batch solely to bring in to work for lunch. It's my secret indulgence. The sauce goes milky and is full of chicken flavour and salt and a touch of sugar. The endives, even when tender, retain a bit of bite and are steeped in the wonderful broth. It's a fantastic combination.

Jousting, Gypsies, and Kings (blog)

Show me a man who doesn't like Vegas, and I'll show you a man who doesn't know how to have fun. :)

I went to Las Vegas last week on business and pleasure. After all, Even if your initial reason for going is business it almost always turns into pleasure as well! Hard to avoid in a city like that.
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Aria is now one of my favorite hotels (despite the fact they charge for every single thing, including a $150 mandatory fee to use the internet) due to the beautiful rooms and general style of the hotel.

While, I can't give you the details of all my adventures in Vegas, I can tell you about my favorite part of the trip. It may come as a surprise, but this happened at Excalibur… of all places! My friends and I managed to acquire some medicinal green, if you catch my drift. Which we promptly took to use and then headed to "The Tournament of Kings" show at Excalibur. If you don't know, this show is intended for children and features jousting and general medieval debauchery. What I discovered that evening was that THC + Jousting + Turkey Legs = BEST TIME EVER. Watching knights gallop at each other with large sticks, and beautiful maidens gently dance, among other things, I was absolutely elated. Stress free. Fancy free. Totally content. T'were a fantastic moment in time, and you should do the same next time you find yourself in the city of sin!

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you go?

My version of business attire. (pic)

Last week, dressing room trying on summer attire for upcoming trip to Panama. (pic) Happy #MirrorMonday :)

They say love without pain isn't really romance. What do you think?

Maybe if I post pictures of me outdoors during warmer months it will make summer come faster! I'm ready for the warm stuff!

Love Lesson (blog)

As some of you may already know I was in a terrible relationship most of last year. Worst relationship of my life. I've spoken a bit about it on cam. Sometimes people pretend to be who they aren't and when they finally show their true colors, it can get rather ugly. It's also disheartening when you realize the person you thought you fell for doesn't really exist at all. They were a projected version of what they thought you wanted. A con game.

Anyway, after that experience I thought through some of the good things to have come from being in a relationship like that. Turns out, the most prevalent end product of said situation is growth in character. When you date someone like that and don't let them bring you down to their level, you're forced to look at yourself in a different way. A way which makes you ask, "Am I that terrible?" "Is there anything within me that needs sprucing up?" You question your character. All the bad behaviors that your partner exhibits can teach you what it is about you that needs improvement. In the last few months of that relationship, I saw what I lacked and I filled that hole (no sex jokes!). Glass half full, most definitely!

I guess all I am trying to say is… if you're stuck in a bad situation, remember to look for the lesson and not focus so much on the problem. There is always room for improvement.

Holy Canoli. Whole Foods "Stage 4" rib eye is so yummilicious. The real deal! Still looking out for a "Stage 5" but it's not easy. Read here: http://bit.ly/QPHzN0

Site Update! (blog)

Site update!

Just spoke to my web master and apparently the member site software is being installed and finalized. So, by the end of January it should be up and running. I thought it was going to be done by the beginning of January, but unfortunately that was not the case! If I had total control over completion this baby would have been done long ago. I'm so excited to finally get this show on the road!

So, if you haven't already done so, and would like to know when my site launches… please sign up for the newsletter at www.femmefetish.com. You'll be notified when it goes live. And you can be among to first to tinker with my buttons. Hehe.

So this isn't exactly a #MirrorMonday photo, but I wanted to share it anyway! White top and clear heels.

Whoever sent me these shoes needs to speak up… I’m in love! Thank you! #shoes #feet #fetish

- Posted using Mobypicture.com

Heard of Comet ISON? You're going to...

Heard of Comet ISON? You're going to, and you're going to want to keep an eye out for it… will be brighter than the full moon at one point! Keep your eyes to the sky in November 2013.

"It's being called the "comet of the century" -- a dazzling astronomical display that may prove to be brighter than the full moon. Comet ISON may give us earthlings a "once-in-a-lifetime light show" if it appears in the sky in 2013, astronomer David Whitehouse wrote in The Independent.

The recently discovered object…is due to fly within 1.2 million miles (1.9 million km) from the center of the sun on November 28, 2013…

As the comet approaches, heat from the sun will vaporize ices in its body, creating what could be a spectacular tail that is visible in Earth's night sky without telescopes or even binoculars from about October 2013 through January 2014."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/31/comet-coming-in-2013-ison_n_2388685....

 

Smile. Don't worry be happy. :)

Saw The Hobbit. Was rather disappointed in the lack of story and overabundance of sword swinging.

Resolution: I'm going to start taking aerial silk classes! Did you make any New Years resolutions/goals/activities?

Hibbity Hobbity.

The Hobbit.

Saw it. Thought it was OK. Loved Bilbo. He made the movie palatable. Of course the entire thing was beautiful, acting was well done, and beaucoup bucks must have been spent on those special effects, but the movie lacked in the most important part… story! Since the book has been split in to three separate movies there was a lot of "battle fill." Long stretches of unnecessary battle scenes that seemed to drag on for days. I enjoy good battle scenes, but when they are there for lack of story my eyes begin to roll.

Can't decide what I thought of the two musical numbers either. I suppose they must be in there for some important reason or another, but it was odd seeing a mini musical when all other LOTR movies had not such a thing.

Side note: Did anyone ever see the original Hobbit cartoon from the 70s? AWESOME. Check it out if you haven't!

Here is to hoping that the following two movies have a bit more substance!

Leggings this #MirrorMonday

Heads up, gentlemen (Double entendre? Hehe.) I'll be playing on MFC today (www.myfreecams.com/#FemmeEden) starting at 1pm MST. Hope to see you then!