Clever Cocktails and Cookouts

One Last Cookout Before Fall..Then Keep On Grilling & Sipping! 

We have exactly ONE weekend left before summer is over and fall officially begins.
Hold onto that oasis of calm with both hands and pour yourself a drink! Fire up that grill! 

To ensure you have the perfect temperature for your grilled meats, use the TheSteakChamp 3-Color is an innovative meat thermometer that makes grilling the perfect steaks easy and efficient.  It's technology alerts you when steaks have reached either medium rare, medium, or medium well doneness by a LED light that either flashes red, yellow or green. How cool is that!! plus, you can recycle it when it's hit about 1000 uses! 

Now, after you've grilled up your goodies, start mixing some delicious cocktails. Hangar1 Vodka is a smooth, refreshing vodka that blends well with any chosen mixer- from Friday night happy hour drinks, to Saturday brunch, to Sunday afternoon football parties. And just because summer is nearly over, doesn’t mean grilling season is over.

Plus, don’t forget 1800 Tequila and Boodles Gin- perfect for anytime creative cocktails.

Hangar 1 Vodka offers range of all-natural, fruit infused vodkas made in an aircraft hangar just outside of San Francisco in Alameda, California. Fine grapes are blended with Midwestern grains to make perfectly-balanced straight vodka drinks with a slightly fruity note.

Try this cocktail for your next Saturday Night Soiree- the Celeste & Barlett.

• 2 oz.  Hangar 1 Straight Vodka

• Muddled pear

• 0.75 oz. Lemon

• 0.5 oz. Fig shrub

• 0.5 oz. Black Tea Syrup

• Shake all ingredients over ice. Strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with a slice of fresh pear.

1800 Tequila is the world’s first 100% agave luxury tequila, made from agave harvested and grown on family owned estates. 1800 Tequila is renowned for being expertly aged and consistently smooth. 

Each bottle is double-distilled and matured in American oak barrels for 15 days, then blended with a touch of aged reserves for some added complexity. 

The Marguerite is always a unique favorite, perfect for brunch. 

• 1.5 oz. 1800 Reposado

• 1 oz. Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice

• 0.5 oz. Fino Sherry

• 0.5 oz. Maraschino Liqueur

• Shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 

• Top with soda water and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

Boodles London Dry Gin isn’t fussy and is quintessentially British. Made with an approachable blend of botanicals- sage, rosemary and nutmeg- leads to an understated aromatic nose and taste.

Boodles + Tonic of Arabia

• 1 oz. Boodles Gin

• 2 oz. Tonic Water

• Garnish with date. 

• Add ingredients into glass and stir. Garnish with date and serve. 

Reserva de la Familia tequila is the result of a family tradition passed down through the Jose Cuervo family line, resulting in the finest extra añejo tequila ever made. 

The bottle comes inside of a wooden box that is adorned with the work of a Mexican artist, with each year displaying a different artist hand-chosen by the Jose Cuervo family. 

This year’s artist is Enrique Rosas, famous for crossing the boundaries of art, science and technology and deftly blending them all together.

Grilled Peach Old Fashioned 

• 2 oz. Reserva de la Familia

• 0.75 oz. Carpano Antica

• 1 slice Fresh Yellow Peach

• 2 Italian Amarini Cherries (Luxardo)

• 2 cube Demerara Sugar

• 3 dashes House Citrus Bitters

• 1 slice Fresh Grilled Peach, garnish

• In a mixing glass, muddle peach, cherries, sugar and bitters. 

• Add Reserva de la Familia and Carpano Antica and stir to combine. 

• Strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a grilled peach slice.

PA Wine Fest In Oaks-September 12 & 13!

The PA WineFest in Oaks on September 12 and 13 had a great turnout, plus wine tastings and more! Inside Hall D at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center 100 Station Ave, Oaks, with plenty of free parking.

Many wineries offered unique flavored (habenero wine?) wines and interesting vendors, like BeSpoke Bacon and Health & Tea loose leaf teas from West Chester.

Wineries: 
Boyd's Cardinal Hollow Winery
Buddy Boy Winery & Vineyards
Kog Hill Winery
Nectar Valley Winery
Papa Joe's Wine Cellar
Peace Valley Winery
Reece Winery
Stonekeep Meadery & Wine Cellars
The Vineyard at Hershey
University Wine Company

Other vendors included scented candles, jewelry, makeup, toys, the ever-present Mary Kay vendor, and vendors selling windows and timeshares. There was also a vendor, Drinkable Arts where people could design and paint a wineglass, which was a fun and unique way to pass an hour.

Once I got through the throngs of bachelorette parties and bridesmaids, I was able to sample some unique flavors.

Vendors: 

Bespoke Bacon
CC Silver Stuff
Cynful Bliss (Sunday Only)
Drinkable Arts
D's Sexy Legs 
Fortes Finest
Health and Tea, LLC
It Works 7cs
Jesse's Specialty Snacks & Gifts
Keystone Farms Cheese
Mary Kay Cosmetics
MerVino Mixes
MH Marketing
Origami Owl
Renewal By Andersen
Sabika Jewelry
Scentsy
Sundance Vacations
Theresa's MakeUp Erasers
Vacation Getaways
White Caterpillar

Sadly, there wasn't a cupcake vendor to be seen, although keystone farms cheese vendor had cheese curds, which I adore. 

Hershey's winery had a delicious strawberry wine that was like biting into a fresh berry, perfect as a base for a sangria.  

Dry Rieslings, fresh pino grigios and tasty Merlots rounded out the tastings. 

Plus, all wineries offer bottle check so wine can be bought and held at the door until the customer is ready to leave, without having to carry it around all day. 

Today's Sunday session is still available: noon to 4pm, just $30 each!

DD tickets available. 

This is a 21+ only event.

And don't miss future PA wine events:

Monroeville 9/20/2015

Pittsburgh 10/11/2015

Indiana 10/24/2015

Altoona 11/15/2015

Heluva Good!® Dip Brings First-Ever 8-foot “Snack Combinator” to Philadelphia

Free pop-up event to feature larger-than-life slot style game; hundreds of prizes available including a new living room set, field games, chips & dip and more

Heluva Good! Dip is bringing their popular online “Snack Combinator” to life with a one-day pop-up event for the public at Ben Franklin Plaza on September 11, 2015.

Just like Heluva Good!’s big flavors, the Snack Combinator is larger than life. Standing at 8-feet tall, the slot-machine style game will be dishing out hundreds of prizes including a complete living room set, a new television, a year’s supply of chips and dip, game tickets and more.

Event attendees are encouraged to stop by between 12 pm – 4 pm and spin to win*, as well as enjoy free samples of Heluva Good! Dip, music and field games.

Ben Franklin Plaza

200 6th St. Philadelphia, PA 19102

(On the corner of 7th St. and Race St.)

Friday, September 11, 2015

12:00– 4:00 PM EST

The family-friendly event is part of a larger multi-city tour in which the Snack Combinator will be traveling to three different cities throughout the month of September. A full schedule is listed below.

·         Philadelphia, PA – Ben Franklin Plaza, September 11, 12–4 pm

·         Pittsburgh, PA – Schenley Plaza, September 15, 12–4 pm

·         Cleveland, OH – US Bank Plaza, September 21, 11 am–3 pm

The Snack Combinator first appeared online on Facebook.com/Heluva Good, and was designed to showcase the many ways fans can enjoy their favorite Heluva Good! Dip with any snack at any time.

*Consumers must be 18 years or older to play.

About Heluva Good!®

The Heluva Good!® brand has held a reputation for quality and taste for more than 85 years. The Heluva Good! name has been as much a promise as a brand name and dates back to 1925, when Perry Messinger, Heluva Good!’s founder, began making wedges of homemade washed curd cheese in a basement in Sodus, NY. Today, Heluva Good! is part of the HP Hood LLC family of brands. You can now find Heluva Good! products in dairy cases throughout the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest (to the Rockies) and all of Canada. For more information on Heluva Good! please visit HeluvaGood.com.

500 DAYS OF BEAUTY HAS MOVED!

500 DAYS OF BEAUTY HAS MOVED!

You can still get all the great beauty news and reviews you have ever wanted on my NEW SITE!


http://engchik500daysofbeauty.blogspot.com/

Live a Fire-Driven Life with the Right Foods

With so many health and diet books on the shelves, how do you know which one to chose that’s right for you and your lifestyle? I’ve tried many, read most, stuck with, well, none.  I retain a lot of the info that goes along with it, but I don’t always make the right choices.

Enter Vanessa Chamberlin’s new book: The Fire-Driven Life: How to Ignite the Fire of Self-Worth, Health, and Happiness with a Plant-Based Diet. Chamberlin, Certified Holistic Health Practitioner and Lifestyle Coach Vanessa has figured a way to write a book that reads like a (very smart) friend telling you how to enjoy your life. I absolutely loved this book! It’s a cookbook, a health book, an advice book, a life manual. I can open it at any page, glean some info, and out it to use in my life instantly.

Her book focuses on food in three ways- all to have a fire-driven life. The “PlantFire” diet is based on foods’ metabolic activity. Green-Fire or “go” foods are foods that you can eat at any time; Yellow-Fire or “caution” and Red-Fire or “stop” foods should be used sparingly; and No-Fire foods are foods that should be avoided at all times.

“My book is a not a standard ‘plant-based’ vegan cookbook,” explains Chamberlin. “It’s a manual for living a ‘Fire-Driven Life,’ which means a life that’s healthy, inspiring and fulfilling. Upon reading the book, I hope you become super-charged to not only change your diet but also become armed with a healthier toolbox that will help fuel every aspect of a your health, happiness, and wellbeing.”

The book begins with histories and information on foods and origins of things most people think are healthy but aren’t really. Recipes for smoothies, dinners, recommendations on going out to eat and visiting at friends’ houses and info plus charts and a detailed glossary, seasonal produce chart, and recommended resources

This book does not talk down to you- rather it lifts you up and inspires you. Vanessa’s pictures of her family and friends enjoying a fire-driven life shows that she isn’t a lofty celeb sipping a coconut on a mountain spa somewhere- she’s in her kitchen cooking for her family, and most importantly- enjoying life!

I for one love to enjoy food, and the recipes and info in this book strive to create the balance between eating well and enjoying food so you can better enjoy a fab quality of life.

I was inspired by Vanessa’s book to try a variation of salsa- I used slim sweet peppers and tomatoes from the CSA, plus limes, black beans, sea salt, and pepper! I enjoyed a lovely array of colors from my veggies and beans.

Get inspired and start living a Fire-driven life!! Fall is the perfect time to reinvent yourself.

Vanessa Chamberlin holds nutrition and coaching certifications from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, The Institute for the Psychology of Eating, Cornell University, SUNY Purchase, and the Wellness Forum, where she is certified as a Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner. She is accredited through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP), is a member of the National Charity League, and is a board member of both Create a Change Now and The Miss Nevada Scholarship Organization

Chamberlin’s Fire-Driven Lifestyle includes a TV series, several books, and various events centered on the PlantFire cooking style. She also owns Vasari, a luxury clothing and shoe boutique in Las Vegas, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

The Fire-Driven Life can be purchased from Amazon and all major booksellers.

Delish recipe from Vanessa's book:

Chia Raspberry Cookies

Ingredients:

FOR COOKIES:

2/3 cup raw cashews

2 pitted dates

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch Himalayan salt

¾ cup raw or rolled oats

FOR JAM:

½ cup raspberries

3 pitted dates, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon chia seeds

Instructions:

FOR COOKIES:

Combine cashews, dates, vanilla, salt and 1 teaspoon water in food processor. Blend for 2-3 minutes or until thick, chunky paste is achieved. Add oats, and process until mixture starts sticking together.

Roll dough into 20 small balls, then place on baking sheet. Make thumbprint indentations in center of each ball. Refrigerate for 2-6 hours or until firm.

FOR JAM:

Process raspberries, dates and 3 table spoons water in a blender until mostly smooth, but with some chunks or until desired consistency is reached.

Transfer to a small bowl and stir in chia seeds.

FINAL STEP:

Fill each cookie’s indent with 1 ½ teaspoon jam. Store in single layer in sealed container in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Pictures Courtesy of Vanessa Chamberlin

Pantry Escapades: Shrimp Salsa

I was trying to use up my CSA veggies and I ended up creating a lunch and dinner for two days!

I used a can of rinsed low-sodium black beans, three large yellow tomatoes chopped, two small red tomatoes, 2 small sweet peppers, chopped.

I then added the juice of two lines, fresh diced avocado, a handful of husked ground cherries ( little orange pearl 'tomatoes' that are sweet!) and sliced up an ear of corn kernels.

I tossed all the ingredients with sea salt, pepper, and cilantro, and added a handful of frozen cooked shrimp. 

I love making this recipe because you can use whatever is on hand! 

September Goals!

September 2015 Goals!

Be super-awesome at my day job

Stay under budget and pay down the credit cards

Get two new writing/PR clients

Squeeze every bit of sunshine & summer out of September

Downsize house clutter and stuff by 5%

Kayak, swim, cook more, and spend time with my awesome family and great friends.

Have lots of fun and stay thankful and grateful!

What are your goals?

Summer is Still Rockin at Valley Beach in KoP

So…the unofficial end to summer is nigh, but as we head into another heat wave, your local pool and the shore are always good options. But there’s one gem that has a pool, AND a beach, AND great food AND drinks AND it’s closer than you think..AND it will stay open til September 30…an entire month from now!

I’m talking about Valley Forge Casino’s Valley Beach!!

Nestled in the crux of the casino, the convention center, and the Radisson, this King of Prussia sparkling jewel has a huge glorious pool, comfy lounge chairs, a sandy beach with games, waitress service, a bar, live music and DJs after dark, a huge lounge area with fire pits and couches. Or, enjoy a cabana for a small get together!

It’s just $10 a day for patrons to visit the pool, and if you are a registered hotel guest or Valley Forge Casino card-holder you can come on in and splash around!

The food and drinks are great- it’s your typical bar food, but with fresh, flavorful twists! Try the Summer Shandy Steamed Shrimp, or the Fresh Coconut Fried Shrimp with Curry Sauce. The Mandarin Sesame Seed Chicken Tenders are fantastic. Crab cakes, jerk chicken, sandwiches, and more all are on the menu.

So summer ain’t over yet, kiddos. Enjoy every minute of sunshine at Valley Beach!

Valley Beach Hours: 9am – Dusk Daily for Pool Access

Valley Beach Restaurant & Bar Hours: Thursday & Friday: 2pm – close

Saturday & Sunday hours: 11am – close

Must be 21+
Guests under 21 are welcome if accompanied by a registered hotel guest until 6pm daily.
Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Enjoy a stay at the hotel and visit the casino!

Photography by Samara Messer.

Special thanks to the Valley Beach team, especially Veronica, Mark, Stephen, and Kristen!