All posts tagged: food

penne with eggplant and parsley

I know I said I wasn’t going to write down my own recipes in this blog, but I guess it doesn’t hurt to write recipes which I have used from various magazines throughout my life. Here is one of my favorites since I am a huge fan of eggplants, cheese of course and parsley. I can’t remember which recipe magazine I got it from but when I remember I will reference it accordingly. In the meantime you need the following items/ingredients: 1. One whole eggplant (medium size).  I use a large size because I love eggplants 2. Sausage: I use Jimmy Dean Spicy but you can use any sausage you want.  If you go with Jimmy Dean, you should only use half the packet unless you love a meaty pasta. **Note: sausage has to be ground, remove skin before cooking 3. One bunch parsley, again you can use whichever type parsley you like but I prefer the one in the photo. 4. One can stewed tomatoes, any brand, even homemade if you are into that sort of thing. I …

french women don’t get fat

Now here is a book I read about 5 years ago and loved every bit of it and for a while applied some of the recipes in the book in hopes of losing the weight I needed to. It started to work, but then as any lazy woman would say, life got the best of me and I didn’t follow through. Well, recently as a result of my packing and moving, I began to separate all the books I wanted to give away and those I wanted to keep and of course this one is a keeper. I smiled as I flipped through the pages, because I had put a sticky note on almost every page that contained a recipe with my notes and plan of attack written in pencil. Now that I dusted off the book and  have it on my work desk, I plan to follow the recipes in hopes of maybe losing a few pounds and inches a la francais. After all the American diet plans didn’t work and besides what do …

shoe fashion for fall 2010

I was looking through fall 2010 shoe trends and I came across photos of shoes they plan to sell this coming season. I don’t know about you but I am not sure what the message is or what the thought process is in regard to sho fashion. The thing is that bizarre clothing fashion trends come and go and then come back again and then go back and ok we can live with that, but shoes in my opinion are a different thing.  They can either harm you or put you in a hospital as a result of designer’s craze.  Do the designers realize how damaging these so-called trends are to any woman old enough and sometimes not old enough interested in owning a pair or two for the sake of being in fashion?  The other question I have is, when these types of shoes are marketed and sold in stores, does the fashion industry understand the impact these designs have on the women over 40, who craves to feel young and sensual but cannot physically handle the contraption …

jennifer aniston and lolavie fashion

Now here is a woman you hate to love, Jennifer Aniston. In my opinion Aniston is a true symbol and an icon of “physical” beauty. Although how she got there is questionable since being a celebrity require a nip tuck here and there, a botox or two, lipo and more nip tuck. But I guess it’s ok if the end result looks like Jennifer Aniston. She is a woman over 40 now and I think with time, she has blossomed into an “old school” classy individual. This is why I love her so much. She makes no effort to dress in fashion, nor do things with her hair that is too obnoxious. Her shoes are always safe and one dimentional and that works. I could care less what the fashion police may say about her “stuck in the 80s look” because for some reason or another it works just fine. She knows what works and she sticks to it. Sometimes it is not the extremities of fashion that put you on a list, it is …

breakfast of champions for the over 40 years olds

You know we read here and there and listen to news about what “we” need to eat in order to stay healthy and maintain our weight. Whatever that means. I mean this topic annoys me to no end. I want to understand how it is that people can maintain a healthy lifestyle while coping with life’s pressures, breathing in the pollution day in and day out and consuming processed foods? No, but seriously, aside from the b.s., it is difficult to do our part and as a result we sometimes tend to eat a quick muffin for breakfast, or chomp on frozen waffles while we drive the kids to school, maybe even just settle on a cup of coffee if we are watching our weight just to pretend we got something in our stomachs before tackling the day. Well, here is my take on this. I am a firm believer of eating a good breakfast and taking the time to do so in order to have the most positive day possible. I understand most women …

cheese and more cheese please

Don’t you hate it when you go to a restaurant and order, mostly Italian food, and when asked if they can sprinkle Parmesan cheese, they always end the sentence with “tell me when” and all you can think is, leave the block of cheese with me and I will gladly return it when I am done with it. But instead, you just wave your hand a minute after the waiter shaves some cheese unto your plate, feeling embarrassed to ask for more. Well the point of this story is, of course, to tell you how much I love cheese. I think if I were asked to list my 5 top favorite foods, cheese would be number 1. Seriously. Yes I understand eating too much cheese has repercussions but if eaten moderately and carefully then it shouldn’t be a problem. Check out some of my favorite cheesy blogs and hang outs PaniniHappy.com – a place to get your cheesy panini fix Whole Foods Market – organic cheeses with great pairing suggestions Napa Cheese Stores – Artisan …

angelina’s Cafe

I must have driven by Angelina’s Cafe on California Street and 22nd (in the Richmond District in San Francisco) about a hundred times and said to myself, wow what a cute place, I have to go there sometimes. Well, finally today, after years of contemplating and planning, I finally decided to eat breakfast there after my one hour walk. As I parked my car half a block from the corner where Angelina’s Cafe is situated, I got a great feeling in my stomach as I walked by the French bistro table and chairs lined along the outside of the cafe. When I entered through the door, I noticed the customers lined up along the deli counter, waiting to order their food. Some were holding on to their dog’s leashes. I instantly knew I would love this place since they allowed dogs to be in the store. (Just in case you are wondering, I feel dogs should be allowed everywhere) I ordered a sesame bagel with eggs, cheddar cheese and bacon and was asked if I …

handbag and shoes for the woman over 40

If there is anything I can say I am addicted to, even in midlife, is shoes and handbags. I can walk through department stores and browse through the selection of designer shoes and handbags, oh probably an entire day without feeling tired. I know I am not alone in this, but choosing the right shoes and handbags for a woman over 40 could sometimes be very challenging. There is a certain protocol when you reach a certain time in your life and the shoes and handbags you select should compliment your maturity rather than hinder it. A handbag should never be too big or too small and the handle should be designed so that when you carry it, it doesn’t seem like you are struggling. Sticking to pale colors in the summer is ideal and keeping with the blacks is appreciated in the winter months. Women over 40 should stay away from bright yellow or fuchsias and greens. If color is your thing, then stick to lavenders and power blues instead for spring and summer. …

pebbles and such

I love pebbles. I can honestly say that I prefer a collection of pebbles in my household more so than diamond  in my jewelry box. I often walk the ocean beach in San Francisco in search of unique pebbles and also shop home furnishing stores for bagged or boxed pebbles as well. This is probably an obsession of mine, but who cares, I am entitled to one or two. I have canisters and glass vases full of them around the house and one day with the proper loft design I plan to incorporate pebbles into my living room space or along a long hallway either outdoor or indoor of an eco-friendly home. The most interesting thing I found about pebbles  is that a collection of them in a glass container goes with almost any neutral decor in any coastal city as well as, if arranged correctly most decors elsewhere. Pebbles are also very easy to work with, whether you create your own design or purchase a ready-made design from a store. The possibilities are endless if you put your mind to it. Pebbles also come in different …