Project Rehab and other creative things.

MacBookSnuggie

2009-11-13T23:50:00.015-07:00

Chris bought me a new MacBook a few weeks ago and Im in love, he really knows how to make a girl swoon. Only one problem, we have three dusty dogs and I wanted to protect my new love from the elements, so I made a little MacSnuggie/cooling pad/mousepad. Yes, it has multiple uses. I made the MacSnuggie out of avocado-colored soft vinyl (water resistant) and the inside is a chocolate brown microfiber suede, so it slides in and out smoothly. I left the end open so I can still be able to charge it while it's not in use. I'm thinking about making another one, this time with handles.

PHXDW Overview

2009-10-28T23:14:00.028-07:00

I think I might be feeling back to normal after the last few weeks which were a whirlwind. So I've finally found a little time to write up my thoughts on Design Week. I'll start with the exhibits, which were held Tuesday night - Friday. I acted as Director of Exhibits and I think they turned out pretty dang good. The receptions at both Santy and Terralever were a success with around a hundred people at each. Everyone loved the designers work, and actually Terralever might purchase one of the designers installations to keep there.

The first exhibit of the week was at Kitchen Sink Studios in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday night. I LOVE their office. They held the student poster exhibit which got a great turnout.

Wednesday night was the Santy exhibit, Jenny Messerly, Liz Magura, Tammy LePham worked really hard with me to get the installs up. It took about seven hours to set up the poster contest and "REJECTED" logos exhibits which included 25 printed posters, a window projection and over 40 "REJECTED" logos.

The individual designers who set up at Santy for design week were Daniel Davis of Steamcrow, Jon Ashcroft (awesome prints), Jeremy Smith displayed his typeface Karmaform and Drew Dulap with his MSCED exhibit.

The Terralever reception was just as successful with Tiphani Brooke's Heart Condition, Miro Chun's Wirework install, the Pulpture exhibit, which we successfully got one entry for :) and the Phoenix Layers Competition exhibit, all of the Quarter Finals matches were printed and Andrew Coppola also put together a movie of the entire season.

So that's a quick summary of the exhibits, which ran through Friday. Friday night Punchcut showed the Typofile Film Festival which was amazing and which we got a fantastic turnout for, over 200 people! You can see a preview of the film on Vimeo.

The conference which spanned Saturday and Sunday was a huge success. It was almost flawless. Saturday kicked off with the opening titles, which if you look closely you'll spot myself and my little dog too. Then I attended the "Where is the Valley Going" and "Evolution of the Agency" panels which we got some interesting insight from some large and small agency and business owners around Phoenix.

Saturday afternoon was Debbie Millman's presentation, she is a fantastic speaker, and I love that she talks about science (and the brain) and how it relates to design. After that I checked out Eric Torres and Daniel Davis' discussion about the life of a professional illustrator. Even though I am not an illustrator, I still found what they were talking about to be relative and true for some of the things I run into in my work-life also. Then I attended Jared Benson's (of Punchcut) preso about Mobile Design, which I found to be immensely interesting, I learned new words like "biomimicry" and love the idea of "digital ecosystems".

Sunday morning kicked off with Bennet Peji, an energetic start to the day, which was great. He spoke about branding cities which I found really interesting since last year I worked on rebranding one of the cities around Phoenix. The "State of Phoenix's Creative Class" debate was after, which was fitting. After lunch I thought that Robert Neal's "UX Design and the Mind" sounded interesting, and I was right. Robert spoke about psychology and UX Design and I loved it.

Sadly the week had to end and Chaz Maviyane-Davies "the guerrilla of graphic design" ended by discussing and showing many of his social, controversial and environmental pieces of work.

Phoenix Design Week was an overall success, I am proud to have been a part of making it happen. It was a lot of work and sleepless nights for many, but well worth it. If you didn't make it out this year, I hope to see you next year, where I have heard rumors that it will be even bigger and better. I better rest up now.

Check out more photos on flickr and sign-up to be part of making next years events!

Hairlapeno Hair Salon

2009-10-23T09:21:00.005-07:00

This pic taken by James cracks me up, so I'm posting it cause it makes me smile.

The Brightside Project

2009-10-23T08:50:00.005-07:00

Man, I have totally been neglecting my Rehabilitated projects. It's too bad too because I was featured on thebrightsideproject.com last weekend and haven't really been able to revel in it yet. They wrote up a nice little blurb about Rehabilitated, very sweet. Check it out, it's a fun site and maybe you can win a set of Rehab pillows.

PHX Layers Quarter Finals Weekend!

2009-10-04T12:42:00.015-07:00

Yesterday's match was between myself and Safwat Saleem. He's a tough competitor, but it was a good match. The new format allows all of the images to come together in the end and create one large image of the match, pretty awesome idea. Voting is now open.

The other competitions were between Tiphani Brook vs Pricilla Gomez, Jon Ashcroft vs Sean Cornwall and Elliot Fuller vs Luz Galusha-Luna (in that order). Some amazing design going on this weekend.

Check out the PHX Layers exhibit durning Phoenix Design Week

Old Grandma Footrest - Rehabilitated!

2009-09-29T13:58:00.012-07:00

What? Two rehabilitated projects in one week?! aaaand I actually have one more project that I'm planning on finishing in the next few days too. Yup. I was busy this weekend.

A friend of mine had this footstool, let's call her Grandma Footrest, she is depressed and in need of some attention. It looks like she might have been attacked by a pit bull at some point, plus her outfit is sooo not fabulous, I decided to help her out.

Grandma is going to mostly be used by a three year old named Christian so he can reach the bathroom sink to brush his teeth. It will be kept in the master bedroom (of a bachelor pad). I covered the stripped-down footrest with new cushion, chose a masculine pattern for the bachelors and a fabric that will hold up to a rompin' 3-year-old for years.

I painted the legs a glossy black to match the rest of the furniture in the bedroom...and because I've been dying to paint something glossy black, don't ask me why. I also found this gorgeous, sturdy upholstery grade fabric, perfect! Now that's gonna make for a nice bachelor pad accessory, wouldn't you say? Classy.

Oh and see that set of shiny, square pillows on the chair? They are going to be given away in a few weeks, I'll post details soon. Keep your eyes peeled!

Five Tier Shelves

2009-09-27T19:00:00.014-07:00

This fun shelf has been neglected and stuck in a dark closet for years. We have been working on her self esteem and believe she is ready to come out of the darkness and shine. Can't you picture this cute little shelf in the window of a boutique downtown?

Check out on Etsy.

Phoenix Design Week

2009-09-16T20:08:00.008-07:00

As you may know, I've been involved with the creation of Phoenix Design Week and I'm super excited about it! It's been an awesome opportunity to work with some great creatives around the valley and pretty cool to be part of this revolution in the local design community. I hope you can make it out, there are some really cool speakers, exhibits, films and lots of fun parties planned. Oh and speaking of exhibits, that's kinda my sector, if you're interested in submitting design work to show during the week, or create something for one of the exhibits we've created, check out the Exhibits Page. Hope to see you there!

Photoshop Layers Match

2009-08-31T21:42:00.007-07:00

Saturday's PHX Layers match was myself versus Victor Vasquez. Basically what happens in a Layer match is first, a coin toss, and whoever wins has 30 minutes to come up with a design in Photoshop. After their time is up they then pass it off to their competition who has another 30 minutes to manipulate the file keeping some element(s) from the previous design. This goes on for three rounds. It's tough, thirty minutes is not a lot of time once you get started.

It's kinda strange because I think I'm becoming addicted to this competition, it's fun, I even get butterflies right before it begins. Check out PHXLayers.com to see all the matches.

Here is my final "volley" from Saturday's match.

PHX Layers Competition - Qualifiers

2009-08-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

A couple months ago I invited my friend Elliot to a Photoshop tennis challenge, being called Phoenix Layers. It's a chance for local Phoenix designers to show off their skills and will eventually be part of the Phoenix Design Week. It is being done tournament style, I think there will be an elimination every week or so, then the top two will go head-to-head live during the Design Week Conference at the end of October. Elliot and I both qualified to be in the tournament, here is the first challenge between us.

Elliot started the challenge with an image of his new devil-baby, Cash.

Next, I had a little trick up my sleeve for Elliot...or should we call him "bunny"?

Dazed and confused, Elliot didn't know what "bunny" meant, but he fell for the trap and kept the "bunny" theme going.

Little did he know, that, wham! I found a picture of him, dressed like a cute lil pink bunny.

He tried to make himself look like a badass in a bunnysuit, by going the "look at me, I'm crazy" route.

So I took his crazy eye and turned it into a happy ending.

Thanks Ell, it was fun!

Hopefully I'll make it to round two, I'll post when that happens!

Andy's "Friend" - Rehabilitated

2009-08-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Can you believe he went from this sad, rundown, pea-soup-lookin' old man...to this new and improved awesome guy (plus entourage)? It's like he saw the God of Style and couldn't help but be reformed.

What a turnaround, and I couldn't have done it without help from Sally "The Slayer Seamstress " Hauser. I first started by stripping the green layer, and found that, woohoo, there was another layer beneath it! I thought about leaving it, for padding, and I tried shampooing it, but seriously, it was dirty. So, I stripped the orange layer as well. This guy has had a colorful past.

Okay, so next step, pull out nails (pulling out twenty of these 5-inch, thirty-year-old nails reminds me that I should probably get a tetanus shot soon). I am now left with a box, some springs, wooden feet, metal plates and buttons that will need to be recovered.

After staining the wooden feet a dark, chocolaty brown and painting the brass to silver, I drag all the remaining parts over to "The Seamstress Slayer's" house. She is a vetted reupholsterer and I'm hoping she can help me out with the piping around the top ledge. Of course she does, plus much more. But I have to beware because she is the dangerous type and does "accidentally" shoot me with the staple gun, though I should be lucky that it's not a rattlesnake this time.

After my near-death experience, we covered the wooden box and springs with new batting and muslin so it's nice and clean. Sally suspects that, because of the style of the orange fabric, that this ottoman may have originated in the 1930's or 40's. So it is probably a good thing that I decided to replace it rather than cleaning this 80-year-old (wow) fabric.

I am pretty happy with how he turned out. Clean and off the red chicken.

I had some leftover pieces and I'm not about to throw away this awesome fabric. So pillows to go on the couch where the ottoman will be is just what needs to be done to pull everything together.

Little details, it's what I'm all about. This is the custom tag that I tacked to the bottom.

New Vessels Added To Etsy

2009-07-19T12:22:00.001-07:00

Since I've been spending a lot of time in antique shops lately, I've noticed that there are many other things (other than furniture) that people have given up on, but I think they are really cool and with a little elbow grease, are definitely worth saving. So, I'm going to experiment a little and see if anyone else finds the beauty in these pieces.

I purchased these three, scrubbed them thoroughly, painted them and put them up for sale on Etsy.

Let me know what you think! Come on, that owl is sooo cute!

Check Out Rehabilitated On Etsy

Number One - Rehabilitated

2009-07-17T14:05:00.002-07:00

So this is actually the first chair (hence the name) that I rehabilitated. But I wasn't crazy about the fabric I chose the first time. I AM really happy with the ebony stain and stainless steel plates around the bottom of the legs, and after searching I finally found this fun, bright pattern that lights up a room.

Camping '09 Polaroid Photobook

2009-07-12T11:15:00.001-07:00

In complete contrast to the two beautiful, clean-styled books I have completed in the last month, this little camping memoir is small and grungy. Chris and I took the dogs camping this weekend and I brought along one of my favorite toys, my polaroid camera. We managed to become incredibly filthy so I thought this book should reflect that. It turned out pretty cool especially since polaroids also have the reputation for being mucky, perfect!

Etsy Site Is Up

2009-07-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

Etsy
Buy Handmade
rehabilitated

Check it out! I have some rehabilitated furniture and some original large format museum mounted prints available.

Magazine Table - Rehabilitated

2009-06-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

Maybe you remember from a few posts ago that we recently acquired this guy into our rehab program. He used to have a good job as a top magazine holder, but then the internet came along and his job was outsourced to a computer. After a few years out of work, he ended up living in some guys garage, but we believe that there is still some work out there for a magazine holder/table, and have high hopes for him.

After a good scrub down with the electric sander, fixing up a few little bruises and a fresh coat of paint, we are going to send him out into the real world again.

Thanks to ReadyMade Magazine for posting this project on their blog.

Catch me also on Twitter @rehabilitated
For more information, dimensions, color samples or how to get your hands on one of these pieces, email me at catchatori [at] gmail dot com.

Cocktails and Clothes Party

2009-06-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was invited to a cocktails and clothes swapping party. I love this idea, so I sorted through my closet to find the dresses, shirts, jeans and skirts that I hardly wear anymore and put them in a bag hoping to get some cool stuff in return. I arrived with my homemade jalepeno poppers (spicy!) grabbed a glass of wine and started digging. I can't think of a more fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon than hanging out with friends, meeting new girls, trying on clothes while drinking and chatting!

It actually felt really good that I hooked up some girls with outfits they loved and I walked away with some really cute stuff too! Although, if I would have left with only this cute burnt orange dress, I would have been completely happy.

It was so much fun, thanks Taylor!

Gorgeous Portfolio Book

2009-06-27T12:56:00.003-07:00

I started working on this book back in January, so six months of consulting with the client, gathering images and copy, it's finally completed and printed! Kim at Good-Stock.com was a pleasure to work with and crafted a gorgeous portfolio. The leather cover is so soft, I want to take a nap on it.

The printing turned out fantastic, the divider pages, which are Tizziano hand-made italian paper with debossed foil stamping are a highlight of the craftsmanship of the book. It really turned out nice.

The Revere

2009-06-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Look at this piece of history. My mom dropped the "Revere" off yesterday. She got it as a gift from my grandmother when she was 13, so this machine has been around since the 60's, it's heavy and used, but definitely loved. I think I'll start by making some pillows with leftover fabric from one of the restored pieces of furniture I've done lately. Maybe I'll run a promo, buy a chair and receive a matching pillow!

Meet The Twins - Rehabilitated

2009-06-22T18:05:00.001-07:00

Look at these two, just gorgeous.
Sadly, they were not always this way.

When they were accepted into our rehab program, they were beat up, cigarette burns and wine stains on their seats, a broken back, a little wobbly (most likely from alcohol abuse) and it looks like one of them was involved in some sort of criminal activity.

Luckily we saw hope...

After some time in our facility, the twins turned themselves around. We worked on their exterior and stripped them down to the basics. Then we got them some new kicks, new threads and accessories. They decided on a lovely all-over mahogany color with red highlights.

We are very proud of these two, they are now stable, healthy and beautiful.

Detail of the radiant fabric used to cover the newly re-cushioned seats.

Detail of the of the matching red highlights that accent the backrests.

Here is our newest patient, updates will be coming shortly.

For more information, dimensions, color samples or how to get your hands on one of these pieces, email me at catchatori [at] gmail dot com.

PHXDW | 12seconds.tv

2009-06-11T00:27:00.001-07:00

PHXDW on 12seconds.tv

Great meeting about Phoenix Design Week tonight. I am so excited to see my little Phoenix turn into design-central for a few days. We are planning lots of exciting things, studio tours, exhibits, follow @phxdw on twitter or check out http://www.phxdw.com/main/ for more info and to participate.

If you are in the Phoenix design community, you want to be part of this.

Animated GIFs

2009-06-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Animated GIFs making a comeback? I dunno, just something fun on a Friday afternoon.

Created by:
Jaime Martinez (Mexico)

by Brandon Jan Blommaert

Pie Chart of Experience

2009-06-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

Over the last 7 years or so, I have gathered a variety of skills. Here is a little pie chart of what my experience looks like.

Looks like I may need to update my pie chart to include furniture restoration.

Portfolio

2009-06-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

I made a little portfolio book, it turned out pretty nice, if you'd like me to send you one email me: catchatori@gmail.com

Wedding Book Design

2009-06-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

FedEx just dropped off my latest book and I'm pretty impressed with how it turned out! Blurb.com had contacted me a few weeks ago about a beta test they are doing specifically for graphic designers. They asked me to custom design a book using InDesign and then output a pdf to them (instead of using their online pre-made templates), in return I get a free book. What better way to use the 400+ images I have from our wedding?

I just submitted another book design to a printshop in Seattle today, they do old-school hand-binding, so I'm really excited to see how that one will turn out. Stay tuned!

I created another book a couple months ago using Blurb, that time I chose the softcover, I was a little disappointed in the quality so this time I chose the hardcover image-wrap and it has a much better feel.

Leftover tortillas = baked tortilla chips

2009-05-31T12:44:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why I haven't thought to do this before, it's so easy to make tortilla chips at home. If you're anything like me you have tortillas on the counter or in the fridge all the time. Yesterday I noticed I had 2 cilantro-jalapeno tortillas, a couple regular and a few wheat tortillas hanging around. So I cut them up into little pizza-like slices, brushed olive oil on both sides and sprinkled salt on them. I stuck them on a cookie sheet in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for five minutes on each side and there you go, homemade tortilla chips!

Vintage Octochair - Rehabilitated

2009-05-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

I found this chair at an antique store in CenPho. As you can see it had a pretty hideous covering on it when I got it, but I loved the lines and the octagonal shape. After some serious sanding, a couple coats of stain, and then searching high and low for the perfect fabric, I ended up with a beautiful little accent chair.

My Pattern Obsession

2009-05-18T09:57:00.000-07:00

Since I've started my new hobby, refurbishing furniture, I've become even more obsessed with patterns, I love patterns. I went on a pattern hunt the other day, literally, went to 3 different stores to find the right one. It is a little overwhelming, I think Joann Fabric has about 100 thousand sample fabrics to choose from, but, I've managed to narrowed it down to three. The new chair I'm working on is a retro 60's octagonal-shaped chair, so I think it's important to have a retro geometric pattern to keep the feel, but not too overwhelming. I'll post it up when it's finished, but until then, here are some fun swatches to check out...

OVO Party

2009-05-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

I was invited to OVO's anniversary party last week. They do really nice work, thanks for the portfolio book guys, it turned out very nice.

Redesigning Christmas

2009-05-12T13:39:00.000-07:00

I was listening to archives of one of my favorite NPR shows this morning, Studio 360. One of the topics (since the show was from Dec. 5, 08) was to redesign Christmas. Kurt Andersen (host) asked the design firm Pentagram to re-brand the holiday. One of the first things Michael Bierut at Pentagram suggested is to get rid of green and red, yes! The official color of Christmas will be white, and shades of white. That's what I usually try to stick to when doing Christmas-related design, and am happy to have some backup!

Here is the podcast, it's a fun listen, whether or not you agree.

Sneak Peek Wedding Pics

2009-05-11T10:12:00.001-07:00

Diana sent me some of the wedding pics, they are looking gorgeous. Here is a little sneak peek, the rest should be posted by tomorrow, I'll send a link out!

PAPERSHAPERS

2009-05-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

Did anyone catch the PAPERSHAPERS exhibit in LA that just ended? Well, it was put on by Scion and GiantRobot. It looked really cool, here are some of the submissions I found that I thought were inspirational.

Layers of intricate xacto-knifing, Hunter Stabler has some pretty amazing paper work.

There is a special place in my heart for these little miniature buildings by Ana Serrano. My college roomate was an artist who made miniature ceramic buildings and furniture, we always had them around the house. I love the satellite dish, nice touch.

My favorite new cookbook

2009-05-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

I was at Barnes and Nobel the other day looking for a baking book and while searching through the aisles of cookbooks, this one caught my attention. I picked it up, loved the feel of it, it is a lot lighter than you would think. The cover is a creamy linen, so it makes it feel really down home. I love the layout, styling and the way it's organized by seasons. The content it really nice as well, he not only gives you recipes, but explains how to grow some of the ingredients. The wood-cut graphics add to the organic feel of the book and the photography fits in perfectly.

By the way, the book was $40 at BnN, but I found it on Amazon for 15 bucks.

1954 Vintage Chair - Rehabilitated

2009-05-06T21:36:00.000-07:00

I like to take old ordinary things and give them new life.

I found this old chair at an antique shop in downtown Phoenix, originally built in 1954, it's obviously been very used. It took quite a few hours to complete this guy, mostly sanding all the previous paint and crud off. I stained it with an ebony stain, replaced the cushion fabric and spray painted the metal plates on the feet, that were gold, silver.

I reupholstered a chair like ten years ago, all I had then was a staple gun, I have since acquired a few more tools and skillz. Here are some of the tools I had for this project...

Yummy Low-Fat & High-Protien Turkey Chili

2009-03-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

This chili is savory, flavorful, low-fat and healthy, but you can't really
tell how good it is for you. If you're not concerned about those types
of things, you could garnish with cheese, sour cream and top with
tortilla chips (I recommend Tostidos multigrain chips).

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion - chopped
4 garlic cloves - thinly sliced
1 can mixed beans (kidney, pinto, black beans) drained
1 can diced roasted tomatoes
1 lb ground turkey
1 adobo chili - chopped
1 c chicken stock
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil for a minute or two add the onion and garlic and "sweat" for a few minutes. Then add chipotle chilis after a few minutes to add heat and smokiness (use more or less depending on what you like, can eliminate it completely if you want). When the onions and garlic are looking translucent add the ground turkey and cook through, using the back of a large mixing spoon to ground the turkey into small pieces, to cook faster.

When the turkey is looking about done, add cinnamon, cumin, salt n' pepper. Add chicken stock, to your liking, I kept it at about a cup to a cup and a half to keep it from being too watery. Add drained tomatoes and drained beans, toss in a bay leaf and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Finished!

Garnishing options:
Cilantro
Cheese
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips

Fresh Little Black Bean Chicken Cilantro Salad

2009-02-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

So fresh and so green.

Ingredients:

1 grilled chicken breast
1 15 oz can of black beans (drained)
1 8 oz can of yellow corn (drained)
1/8 c chopped up red onions
1 small chipotle chile
1/4 c cilantro chopped up
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 dashes of red wine vinegar also to taste

This is so easy, do I even need to explain? Okay, well put some sort of dry rub on the chicken breast, at the least, salt, pepper and some ground cumin, pound out the chicken breast and grill. Let cool and cut into little chunks. Combine the first 7 ingredients together (everything but salt, pepper, red wine vinegar), then add salt, pepper and red wine vinegar to taste.

Eat this little salad solo, or stick it in a tortilla with cheese, salsa and sour cream.

Makes 2 servings.

Homemade Strawberry Lemonade

2009-02-25T12:50:00.000-07:00

Could the weather be any more perfect for strawberry lemonade? Strawberries and lemons are in season, and are super cheap, the only other ingredients you need are sugar aaaand club soda, for some fizz!

What you need:
1 c fresh squeezed lemon juice (4-5 lemons depending on the size)
2 c quartered strawberries (cut out the white middle too)
1 c sugar
2 c water
1 tbsp lemon shavings
1 can club soda
1 shot of citrus vodka (optional)

Start by boiling the water, add all of the sugar, then reduce the heat and simmer until the sugar is totally dissolved, then add the lemon juice (strained) and lemon shavings. Remove from heat and let cool.

Cut up the strawberries, blender them until smooth. Also stick in the fridge to cool.

Once everything is cooled down, combine the strawberry puree and the lemon juice concoction together in a pitcher, and add your can of club soda. Pour over ice in a glass, garnish with strawberries or lemon wheels and enjoy!

This recipe also makes a great cocktail, I suggest citrus vodka.

Super Easy And Scrumptious Chicken Chipotle Salad

2009-01-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

What you'll need...

Salad:
1 chicken breast (grilled and cubed)
4 c. of butter or bibb lettuce (you can also use romaine)
1 c. cherry tomatoes - halved
9 oz can of corn - drained
15 oz can of black beans - drained
1/3 c. chopped up red onion
1 avocado diced
ground pepper to taste
salt to taste

Dressing:
2/3 c. light sour cream
1/3 c. chopped cilantro
4 tbsp. lime juice
1 chipotle pepper - chopped up
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
pinch of salt

Okay, so mix all the salad stuff together. Mix the dressing stuff together.
Mix the dressing into the salad. Serve.

See, easy.

P.S. The dressing makes a lot, so add it a little at a time until it's to your desired dressingness.

I Finally Made Eggs Benedict And Didn't Completely Screw It Up!

2008-12-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Our favorite brunch spot for Eggs Benedict closed a couple weeks ago, so I thought I'd try my hand at it. At first I just made poached eggs with some english muffins. The next time I tried it out I added the canadian bacon and hollandaise sauce, but he sauce didn't turn out quite right.
I had the heat up a little too high and accidentally cooked the yolks, oops. Sooo, I tried again today and it was a success!

It is a bit time consuming, but hopefully after making it a couple more times, the process will become a little smoother.

Some of the utensils you'll need are a big pot to make the poached eggs, a little frying pan to heat up the bacon, a stainless steel bowl and a saucepan to simmer some water for the sauce, a couple ramekins for egg poaching and a whisk.

The ingredients you'll need are pretty simplistic (makes 8 little benedicts):
4 egg yolks
8 eggs
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon
1/2 c. unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
pinch cayenne
pinch salt
8 slices of canadian bacon
4 english muffins
1/4 c. white vinegar (poaches the egg faster so it doesn't spread in the water)

I started out by making the hollandaise sauce. First melt the butter in the microwave, then start the sauce by separating the egg yolk, over a bowl crack the egg in half and go back and forth with the yolk until the egg whites have fallen off the yolk into the bowl and add the yolks to the stainless steel bowl.

Whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together until fluffy then move over to the saucepan with simmering water (not boiling). Whisk in the stainless steel bowl vigorously over the simmering saucepan and slowly add melted butter until nice and frothy. Remove from heat and whisk in salt and cayenne pepper. When the sauce is it done, you can keep it warm for a half an hour and even then if it starts to thicken, just whisk in a couple drops of warm water.

Now for the rest of the eggs benedict. Poaching eggs is waaay easier than I thought it was going to be. Get your big pot boiling, add 1/4 c. white wine., not crazy boiling, just a good amount of bubbles. Put an egg in each ramekin and slowly slide into the water. I wouldn't cook more than two at a time. After about a minute and a half, if they need to be reshaped, use a slotted spoon to shape it back together, cook another 2-3 minutes depending on how runny you like your yolk, four minutes if you like it hard. Start toasting the english muffins, and heating up the bacon now, so everything comes together at the same time. Set eggs on a towl as they come out, cause they will be really wet when they come out.

Get ready for plating; muffin, bacon, egg and then topped with hollandaise sauce. Next time I think I'll try adding some chipotle peppers to the sauce!

Southwestern Spicy Chicken Stew

2008-12-30T22:01:00.000-07:00

Last night we made a nice n' healthy stew, with a little kick. It's super easy, pretty much just throw a bunch of stuff in a pot and garnish. This is easy to alter too if you don't like something in it, it's not a big deal to omit some of the ingredients, or add something (maybe some green chilis? I've done that before too) you can pretty much adjust to your liking.

This makes a pretty good amount of stew. Two people could probably eat for dinner and lunch the next day.

2 chicken breasts - grilled & shredded
1 yellow onion - chopped
1 zucchini - cubed
1 red bell pepper - roasted under the broiler, deseeded and skinned
3 c. chicken stock
1-2 garlic cloves - minced
1 cup grilled (preferred) or canned corn
28 oz. can of diced tomatoes (drained)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 adobo chili (find in the mexican food isle) - chopped up
1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
salt to taste
bay leaf
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 grilled chicken brests
cubed or shredded cheese
tortilla chips
Cilanto - minced

In a large pot add the chopped onions and minced garlic to some olive oil and sweat them for about five minutes. Add 2 cups of chicken stock, zucchini, corn, tomatoes and paste, roasted bell pepper, adobo chili, salt, pepper, bay leaf and cinnamon. Add more chicken stock if needed. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 20 minutes.

Put a dry rub on the chicken and grill it while the pot is stewing. Cube the chicken add to the stew and serve! Add some cheese, cilantro and tortilla chips on top. You could also garnish with sour cream or chopped up red onions.

Starting The New Year With Soups And Salads

2008-12-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

Chris and I are feeling a little overfed from the holidays, so we've decided to start the new year with lots of fruits and vegetables. Tonight I started with a basic spinach salad and a super easy to whip up balsamic dressing, simple but really good.

Mandarin Orange and Chicken Spinach Salad

Dressing:
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 c. olive oil
1 clove of garlic - minced
pinch of oregano
pinch of salt
pinch of fresh ground pepper
(this makes more than what is needed for the salad, so stick it in the fridge for later)

Find a glass jar, put in all the ingredients, screw on the lid and shake.

Salad:
1 chicken breast
5 oz. baby spinach
1/3 red onion - chopped
1/3 c. slivered almonds
3 oz. canned mandarin orange slices

Put a nice little rub on the chicken, grill it, let it cool a bit then cut it up into little cubes. Wash the spinach and take off the stems. Chop up the onion. Toast the almonds, I did it in a small pan on the stove with some olive oil spray. Toss the ingredients with desired amount of dressing and place on plates then top with the oranges.