Happy St. Paddy's Day!

(above: celebrating this year at Geraghty's Pub)

  As if life in general & the fact that it's "almost" the weekend isn't reason enough to crack open a brew this evening--it's St. Patrick's Day too!  Which is definitely an obligatory day of drinking in my book.  I think I've even read somewhere that it's bad luck to pass up drinks on this fine holiday...and I certainly don't want that!  It's a funny day, when everyone appears to have some Irish heritage that they cling to whilst donning kelly green (which is a universally flattering color--in my opinion) & hopefully, paying homage to Guinness in some way.  It brings me back to my trip to Dublin with my husband, sister & brother-in-law.  All I can say is-- good times.  Very, very good times.  My not-so-nice older sister, decided to take some Amy Winehouse-esque shots of me at my best on our last night in Dublin.  That's just rotten & I'm not quite shameless enough to share those.  But I will offer up some of the pics from our visit to the Guinness factory where I got to taste some of the most delicious Guinness I have ever been privy to.  Today we should celebrate the smooth, rich taste of this famous stout.

     And I think we can all agree--Black is Beautiful.

    Just for kicks--here is Cici's festive socks & leggings!

and the winner is....

  Last night was Oscar night, and in addition to being Hollywood's biggest night to celebrate film, it has definitely become one of the biggest nights for fashion as well.  When it comes to awards season for film, a formal occassion like the Oscars demands something divine & I for one, appreciate a little drama at an event that celebrates...well...mostly drama.  Here are my favorites of the star-studded evening:

Favorite Fabric--Mila Kunis in a lavender, lingerie inspired Elie Saab
    Best Train--Halle Berry in a perfectly placed tulle train, Marchesa

    Best Color--Jennifer Hudson in  a bold "tangerine-orange", Versace

Best Jewelery-- Natalie Portman in memorable, tassle Tiffany & Co. earrings (dress by Rodarte)

Best Hair--Reese Witherspoon's sky-high, 60's style ponytail (styled by Fekai)

Best New-Comer-- Jennifer Lawrence in a simple & extremely sexy, Calvin Klein Collection by Francisco Costa
 

Best Beaded-- Annette Bening in brilliantly beaded & stand-out black, Naeem Kahn

Best Metallic--It's a tie!  Between Anne Hathaway's liquid blue, Armani Prive & Gwenyth Paltrow's sulty, silver, Calvin Kelin Collection

VB

  In case you missed it, my article on Victoria Beckham's Spring 2011 line is featured on fashionpaparazzis.com. Click on the link to view it:

http://fashionpaparazzis.com/?p=11000

Quick Quinoa Salad

  I just recently had a proper introduction to this super-food, quinoa (keen-wah) & have been sharing my new found love for this miracle "grain" with all my friends!  I say "grain" because it is actually a relative of leafy green vegetables, such as spinach & Swiss chard.  It is gluten-free & is a tasty alternative to rice, pasta, oatmeal, you name it!  You can practically supplement quinoa for any of your favorites.  I'm not kicking bread to the curb, but I like quinoa as an alternative to our usual grains because it is a great way to add more protein to your diet.  It is actually considered a "complete protein" which means it contains all nine essential amino acids.
  I got this recipe from my Mom & have been eating it almost everyday.  I usually warm it up a bit & then make myself an egg over medium & place it on top of this delicious quinoa medley.  A serious protein punch to start my day off right!

Ingredients:

-12 Oz black beans

-1 cup Quinoa

-2 cups of stock (chicken, beef, vegetable)

-3 Tbsp sherry vinegar

-1 Tbsp Low-sodium soy sauce

-1 Tbsp lime juice

-1 chipotle in adobe, minced

-2 Tbsp olive oil

-6 scallions, white and green parts only, thinly sliced

-1 red bell pepper, finely diced

-¼ cup chopped cilantro

In a med saucepan combine the quinoa with 2 cups stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer the quinoa over low heat until the water has been absorbed, about 15 mins. Spread the quinoa on a plate and let cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice and chipotle. Add the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking until blended. Add the black beans, quinoa, scallions, red pepper and cilantro. Toss to combine and serve.  Enjoy hot or cold!

*Just like rice you can cook quinoa w/water, stock or any liquid of your choosing to infuse extra flavor. 

I love cooking it w/coconut milk--especially for a breakfast dish (add nuts or dried cranberries) or when paired w/stir-fry.