So if you have been following this blog, you might remember back to last fall when you got a first glimpse of my potted herb garden. This post is a little upgrade that I made to my herb garden that allows me to get out into the garden early in the season.

In Southern California we are obviously blessed with pretty amazing weather. The problem is   that when we have nice warm days in January I want to get outside and get my garden going. What is this thing we call frost? How am I supposed to know when the last frost will be when we have no clearly defined seasons? So in seasons past I have been way to eager and all my little plants die because of frost and I have to end up planting everything again anyways. A perfect example is that I planted my herbs about 2 weeks ago and this morning there was ice on my windshield. I didn’t even know how to get it off, this is Southern California right?

Anyway, I am really glad I made this little greenhouse because not only have my herbs not died a premature death, but they are actually flourishing in their protected new bio-dome.

So the whole idea is pretty simple and you only need a few supplies:

• one bubble umbrella (got mine at target)
• one large pot/planter (mine is a galvanized steel basin)
• potting soil
• herbs (or whatever you like!)

Tips: I recommend trying to find a pot that is very similar in diameter to the umbrella that you have purchased. So umbrella first, pot second.

Step 1: Fill your pot with potting soil and plant your desired seeds or plants. Don’t overcrowd the pot because soon your plants will be filling in just fine. The only important thing to note is to make sure to not plant anything in the direct center of the pot. This is where the pole of the umbrella will go.

Step 2: Using large metal cutters, cut the handle off of the umbrella (and by cut, I mean I had to squeeze multiple times and then bend the handle back and forth). This should leave the pole crushed into a flat shape at the base because it is hollow. Using duct tape, cover this end. This will not only make it safer for handling, but will prevent dirt, water, and bugs from making their way into the umbrella.

Step 3: With the umbrella open, fit over your pot using the pole as a post to anchor the umbrella in place. If you pot is smaller than the umbrella, release the latch and allow the umbrella to “custom fit” your pot. The greenhouse effect still works this way.

You should still remove the umbrella weekly to water, but watch how your plants grow faster, are shielded from the weather, and are protected from an abundance of bugs!

I don’t eat meat very often, but I still strive to be able to cook everything to perfection and chicken is something I can do right every time. Are you ready for my secret to amazingly moist chicken with crispy skin? It is kind of mind-blowing. The secret to moist chicken is dry chicken.

WHaaaat?

Yes, making sure your bird is throughly dry is going to make for the best chicken. I dare you to try this recipe. It will be one you keep in the books forever and make for simple dinners and even dinners to impress. (Last minute Valentine’s Day idea right here.) It is really simple, so don’t try to cut any corners.

Ingredients:

• whole chicken (4-6 lbs)
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• pepper (to taste)
• herbs (optional)
• butcher’s twine

Preheat your oven to 450°F. Let your chicken temper, meaning let it come close to room temperature, before you truly begin.

First you are going to want to wash your chicken thoroughly. Remove all innards or imperfections and give it a gentle scrub. After draining, I like to move my chicken on to a couple of paper towels. This helps the drying process in that you are not constantly re-wetting your surface. With additional paper towels I meticulously dry the inside and outside of the chicken.

Salt and pepper the  cavity of the bird. If you are adding herbs (only dry herbs or citrus rinds) you should add them into the cavity. Once that is done I truss the chicken. (Check out this video if you don’t know how to truss. Everyone has a style, but this one is pretty easy to follow) Then I pat it dry one last time.

Starting with the back of the chicken, liberally dust the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Place the bird breast up in a large stainless steel (oven safe!) sauté pan and dust salt and pepper again. The chicken is going to start sweating the second the salt touches the skin, so get it immediately into the oven.

Cook the chicken for about 15 minutes per pound or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. I like to make a foil tent to help prevent the chicken from browning too much. To do that, just take a piece of foil and crunch it into a dome shape. Place it over the top of the chicken, do not seal it in or cover it completely. I remove the foil 30 minutes before my the chicken is done to get that great golden color.

I always use a thermometer to test the chicken because I would never want to poison anyone. Once the thermometer reads 165°F, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before carving. I like to sprinkle some dry herbs over the chicken while it is resting.

That is really it. You don’t need to baste or add butter, in fact, you shouldn’t. Don’t add anything to this recipe that is going to add moisture or create steam. Just keep it simple. This recipe has never not worked for me so I really urge you to give it a try!

I studied abroad in London for four months during my junior year of college and it is still one of the greatest things I have ever done. Not only did I have an amazing time traveling and being introduced to the world, but I also found myself falling in love with the city. This cake, named for Queen Victoria, reminds me of sitting in The Orangery at Kensington Palace having high tea with my mom when she came to visit me. Every Sunday when I watch Downton Abbey I literally feel like Pavlov’s dog since I find myself craving tea and Victoria Cake; then I curse myself for not having made a cup of tea before the show started because I can’t rip myself away from it.

These cakes are so cute and so sweet that I thought they might be a perfect snack for Valentine’s Day as a little tribute to the city I love.

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter; room temperature
• 2 cups baker’s sugar
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp lemon zest (optional)
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/4 cup milk

My #1 kitchen helper, Luna!

Preheat the oven to 350°F. This recipe can either make a large 2-tiered cake or, if you follow my lead, approximately 18 mini cakes in a whoopie-pie tin. Grease cake tins or whoopie-pie tin.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add in eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. I like adding a little lemon for a really fresh flavor, but this isn’t exactly “traditional”, so you can leave it out if you ‘d like. I then switched to the paddle attachment on my mixer to mix in the flour. You can switch to a large metal spoon if you are not using a stand mixer. The mix is going to get pretty thick but you’re aiming for an “easy drop” (meaning it will fall easily from the spoon to the pan) consistency which is somewhere between the average cake mix and biscuit batter. Add in the milk by spoonful until you get to this consistency. You may use less or more that 1/4 cup.

Fill your greased tin and bake for 15-20 minutes for a whoopie-pie or 20-25 minutes for a cake.

For the filling you will need fresh whipped cream and strawberry preserves. I really love Bonne Maman, especially for this recipe. The taste sends me straight back to London. AND I love their jars; they’re so cute I fill them up with my jewelry.  The fresh whipped cream is very, very important.  I cannot stress this enough. Whipped cream from a can is going to melt into a puddle and just be gross. An easy and stable whipped cream recipe is simple;  just 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of instant vanilla pudding. Whip until stiff. This makes a really firm whipped cream that will not melt even if you have to leave it out until tea time!

Once cakes are fully cooled, assemble like PB&Js. Sprinkle the tops with plain sugar, fun colored sugar, or glitter sugar like I did. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a cucumber
• 1/4 of a red onion
• 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 15 cherry tomatoes
• jalapeños
• lime
• avocado
• optional shrimp, chicken, steak, fish, or tofu
• lettuce

The part I make ahead is basically just the preparation of the veggies. I chop up the cucumber, red onion, and tomatoes. Then I add the black beans and a lot of jalapeños because I love them! I throw all of this into a tupperware bowl and then squeeze the juice of half a lime over the veggies before I mix it up.

This mix is good for a couple days so it is great to be able to make a fresh and tasty salad fast or even to pack for lunch.

I usually just scoop some over a plate of lettuce and add some dressing. (I like a cilantro caesar, but ranch or a balsamic would work too.) Since I was feeling a little fancy and had some time to spare, I sliced up a quarter of an avocado and grilled up some shrimp to top it off. Yum!

My first car was a hand-me-down. It was my grandfathers, then my mothers, then my sisters, and finally mine when my sister went off to college. You will never hear me complain that it was a hand-me-down because I loved that car and it was incredibly built and well equipped. That being said, the hand-me-down factor meant that I have never have to be involved with the car buying process. Now, being 23-years-old and being in great need of a car, a lot of the decision-making was up to me.

Even though I have grown up around car-enthusiasts and even with my family being in the car painting business, I found that I didn’t know much about cars besides 2-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive, and 4-wheel-drive, and that I knew that I loved my first car. So I had a lot of research to do and that is what I would like to share with you. Some tips on how to learn about what you want in a car and how you can become educated fast.

1. If there is anything you like or dislike about any car you have already driven, look it up. Find out what the actual name of that car trait is. This will help you make a list of things you are looking for in your new car. – I knew I liked the power of my first car and I knew that power was determined by horsepower so I looked up how much horsepower my first car had.
2. List the things you need. You aren’t going to get a two-seater sports car if you are a mom of three, right? Make sure you know what you need out of this car. Good MPG? Seven seats? Trunk space? Great warranty?
3. Get your research on! There are lots of sources out there to help you get the facts and figures on every car, new and used. I recommend picking up the latest issue of Consumer Reports “New Car Buying Guide.” This is a great resource because not only does it show the ratings for every aspect of the car, but it also shows those same ratings for the last 10 years. Consumer Reports also has some great articles about decoding car features and how to save money when it comes down purchasing time.  Kelley Blue Book (KBB) is also a mecca for car information. You get to enter the year, model, and style of each vehicle you want to research. They also have a great comparison tool. I also really liked starting my search with their top rated vehicles in each category. The best aspect of KBB is that they tell you what you should be paying for the car. Use this as a negotiating point when you purchase and don’t let the dealers try to pull the wool over your eyes.
   

   Sample of a review from Consumer Reports

   

   The comparison tool on KBB

4. Ask around! Don’t forget to ask friends and family about what they might recommend. Chances are they might have a lot to say about the cars they have driven and they are going to be the most candid with you.
5. Get out and test drive. Once you have a couple of vehicles in mind, get out and test drive some. This part can be intimidating because car salesmen can be like ravenous piranhas and might make you feel pressured to make a purchase. Just be honest. Tell them you are only there for a test drive and get them to work for you. Tell them what cars you are comparing and ask them why you should buy their car.
6. Compromise. Unless money is not an option, you are going to have to make some compromises. Remember tip #2 and make sure the car fits your needs first and your wants second. Having a premium sound system means nothing if you can’t afford your monthly payments.

Doing all this research not only will help you make the right decision, but will make you feel confident in that decision. From personal experience I can say it feels pretty good to know more about some cars than even the dealers did.

My perfect choice!

So here is the story:

Two weeks ago I made a super impromptu decision to drive up to San Francisco/ Bay Area to see a multitude of friends and maybe even get in some recruiter visits for that ever illusive job I am searching for. Even though I made the decision last-minute, it seemed like everything was falling into place ever so perfectly. Each of my friends were free on the best days for me to see them and even more graciously, willing to let me stay with them.

The drive up was fine and when I arrived I got to spend some time with one of my best friends at her office happy hour and got to meet some of her awesome co-workers. The next morning was great, getting the opportunity to again get ready with my friend just like we used to in the good-ole college days. She headed off to work and I headed off to see a friend that I met in Lourdes, France on a service trip all the way back in 2009, so our reunion was long past due. We drove into the city across the Golden Gate Bridge (something that neither of us had ever done) and then down Lombard (a street famous for being steep and its 8 hair-pin turns). We then began our venture for a cool fabric store or something of the like to appease our crafty personalities and sadly that’s where our adventure ended. We got into a car accident, had to be towed, and as two out-of-towners, that ended our day together.

RIP 2001 Acura MDX. We had some great times together.

Thankfully no one was hurt and thankfully her brother, who is also a friend from Lourdes, was also in the city and able to take her home because as sure as I am that I would have found a way to get her home, it really made the moment so much less stressful than it already was. Another thing I was glad to have in my arsenal was a good sense of direction and no fear when it comes to hoofing-it and finding my way home without a vehicle. That comes from a longtime love of maps and having the technique perfected in my study abroad travels. So, remembering that CalTrain was just about two blocks away from the body shop, I left my largest possession behind and for $7 was transported to within feet of the front door of my friend’s office. While my friend was gracious enough to offer me her car to get back to her apartment, I just wasn’t feeling like getting back into a car so fast. The first time being in an accident as a driving adult is very shattering when you realize that you are no longer in control of hunk of metal, plastic, and rubber that weighs a ton, so I just caught a cab.  Although I severely mourn the loss of my first and only car and now have to get a new one, I would rather be living in a place where I didn’t have to have one. (The whole situation could have been avoided if that were the case!) But I live in L.A. where the public transportation is less than desirable.

This experience, though not what I would describe as desired or pleasurable, has given me a lot of insight into what really happens in an accident, after an accident, and most recently, into car buying. All things that I hope to be able to share with you should you ever be in the same situation.

I believe that everything happens for a reason, so I just hope that one day it might be a little clearer as to why that happened. Even though I didn’t get to spend enough time with everyone I wanted to see, no one was hurt and we get to say we had an adventure together.

While I get some tips together, check out my previous post on being prepared for an accident. Because I did that post, I was totally prepared as far as paperwork and procedure goes, but now I have more insight into the actual moment.

I don’t really believe in buying all those special spice mixes like lemon salt/lemon pepper or garlic salt because I think about 90% of the time you already have all those ingredients and those mixes are always full of additives that either act as bulk or de-clumping agents. Bleh!

It is incredibly easy to make these mixes ahead of time if you just want to have them on hand. One I like is lemon salt because it is so versatile. It is great on fish, chicken, veggies, using in mexican food, and can even be used to rim some margarita glasses!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of kosher salt (that is important)
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Combine salt and lemon zest in a small mixing bowl. While still stirring, slowing add in the lemon juice. This helps the salt get evenly coated and not create one big clump.

I got these great spice shakers at World Market (one of my favorite stores!). They were only  $3.99 for a set of 4 and I like that they are the perfect size for my print out labels and the twist and shake lids are great for the size of kosher salt.

Homemade vanilla extract is one of my favorite things that I made for my family for Christmas. It is so easy to make, but it really is a gourmet treat. It rivals what you can buy in the fanciest stores, but is so much less expensive and you probably won’t find many with the whole vanilla beans still left in the bottle so that flavors can keep developing over time.

Traditionally, vanilla extract is made with either bourbon or vodka. For mine, I use bourbon and Jack Daniel’s Honey Tennessee Whiskey. As you can see the darker bottles are the bourbon and the lighter bottles are filled with the Honey Whiskey.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup alcohol (bourbon, vodka, honey whiskey, etc)
• 3-5 whole vanilla beans

The key is to keep the ratio of 1 cup alcohol to 3+ vanilla beans, but you can make as much or as little as you want.

I bought all of my ingredients at Costco. First because I was making a lot and second, because I like saving money. Costco often carries Kirkland/Rodelle Vanilla beans at about $15 for 10 beans and when a single bean usually costs about $4, that is a huge discount. I also love them because they come in these great glass vials that I like to repurpose.

You will want to take each bean and split it down the center with a sharp paring knife, always moving away from your stabilizing hand and body. This allows the flavorful little beans to mix with the alcohol and what helps make this extract unique.

Combine ingredients in sealing glass containers, label, and store. This is a recipe that you should let sit for three months or more. Store the vanilla extract in a cool dark place. Feel free to shake the bottle every time you see it as you wait in anticipation to use it! I am going to make some vanilla bean ice cream with mine when it is ready.

One of the great things about homemade vanilla extract is that you can just keep adding beans and bourbon to continue developing flavor while never having to run out.

Get great ideas or easy and QUICK DIY projects.

Good Luck! and here is to the rest of 2012!