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I'll be at the vita.mn NYE Bash tonight around 10 tonight. Whether I'm rolling solo or not still remains to be seen.
As a reminder, all sex-related content is now directed to the Alexis on the Sexes blog page, so if you find Girl Friday even remotely interesting, you might want to bookmark that, too.
2007. The good, the bad, the uncomfortably close to ugly. I chose the plus and minus system this year.
Beauty Bests & Busts
+ Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream: Hello soft and dewy skin! I don't have the bankroll to follow the whole regimen (despite wholesale prices being available to me via my sister's business) but this moisturizer I cannot live without.
+ Diorshow Blackout Mascara: Going from organic botanicals to God knows what's in it, my hypocritical beauty addiction is this intense mascara, an upgrade from Diorshow. Use sparingly for everyday, apply liberally for porn star effect.
+ PureOlogy Hair Hydrate Shampoo and Hair Masque: Three cheers for this vegan, color-protecting haircare line that smells like heaven and actually smooths my textured hair without having to add post-shower product. I get mine from Hair Wizard Sarah Buckley.
- St. Ives Healthy Brilliance Firm & Glow: I predicted it wouldn't stand up to the cold, dry Minnesota winter air and I was right. My scaly legs were begging for mercy come November, and now St. Ives has mysteriously discontinued the product after only a few months.
What I Rocked Out to All Year Long
+ Daddy Yankee's El Cartel: The Big Boss: Far and away my favorite album of the year. I was slow to the reggaeton, hearing it (and Daddy Yankee) for the first time in January while in San Juan. I've since plunged into the genre, listening to it almost exclusively now. This album is reggaeton, hip hop, salsa, rap, hot, cool, everything. Love it.
+ Maria Isa's M.I. Split Personalities: Of course I'm gonna give some love to our local reggaeton queen. You go, lil' girl.
+/- Wyclef Jean's Carnival II: Memoirs of an Immigrant: Do I love it? Do I hate it? I hate that I've been listening to this album for most of December and I can't tell yet. I get the message--believe me, I get the message--about immigration, and parts of it are musical genius. But there are definite flaws in comparison to, say, Creole 101 or the original Carnival.
Local Online Fun
+ The Fashion Opinions of vita.mn Users: I'm glad most people are in agreement with me that the polyester halter-tunic hybrid tops must go, but why aren't they going? Go. GO!
+ Drive Smarter with Afterglide: Jeremy Gibbens' commentary on the random things he encounters is rarely short of hilarious, but this one had me on the floor. Bookmarked for rainy days.
+/- Herb on Alexis: Did you know I had a fan blog? Yeah, it kind of weirds me out, too.
Culinary Adventures
+ Macaroni and cheese at Red Stag: My love for the pasta and the cheese is no secret, and I have finally found The One. The kitchen kindly omitted for me the lobster from the lobster truffle macaroni and cheese, and the result was perfect; a tempered but tangy white cheddar cream sauce over campanelle with just the right amount of truffle. I'm actually salivating right now.
+ Acorn Squash at Red Stag: I thought the new joint might be just another Barbette, but I should've known better since I know who's in the kitchen. This squash is seeded then baked whole with lavender honey and spiced butter inside, and I could write a separate blog entry on the experience of scooping, sopping, and slurping up every morsel of this sweet ambrosia.
- Cafe Maude (Take Your Pick): Ouch, right? I'm sorry, but everything failed to impress me at the buzzy new south Minneapolis bistro, especially the macaroni and cheese and my special request vegetarian pasta dish (the dreaded pasta, olive oil, cherry tomato, parmesan bit-- hello, I have tastebuds), but also the braised greens, brussel sprouts, olive selection and croquettes. Blah. The only crave-worthy bite I wanted to take home was our nubile host.
Where I Buy My S**t
+ Second Debut Fashions by Goodwill: It's almost impossible to stop in at this shop (conveniently located on Excelsior Blvd, en route to Opitz and Trader Joe's) and leave empty-handed. Merchandised like a boutique but priced to sell like a thrift store, the browsing is fun instead of chaotic and high-end basics like jeans, sweaters and boots don't bust up your wallet.
+ Cub Foods: Believe it or not, I'm a converted Cub shopper. The University & 694 location is a weekly midnight stop for me, where I can browse the big aisle of peculiar South and Central American produce, marvel at the vast international foods section, and load up on half-liter glass bottles of Mexican Coke. All the mercados in my 'hood only sell the little bottles, but these are the tall ones you dream about from childhood.
+ Minneapolis Picks: I look forward to the first Friday of every month, if only for this website. Updated just once a month, it's a dream for the shopping lover who's been finding herself with less and less time to actually shop. A long list of thoughtfully selected, mostly local retailers are shopped and reviewed, with the occasional write-up of an outstanding dessert or cocktail in between. The result is a breezy-to-read newsletter that never fails to mention a store even I've never heard of.
This Craigslist ad is really cracking me up.
After five days that seemed like fifty, the Stratus is back in working order and I'm ready to take on some post-Christmas shopping.
The Half Price Books sale that ends tomorrow is worth a look, and I definitely want to spin around the MOA a few times to see if anything I was eyeing during my Christmas shopping has since been marked down. (I'm happy to report that, courtesy of my parents, I am no longer in need of the Cuisinart immersion blender I had on my Wish List. This was by far the highest priority item this year.)
Fans of the Second Debut thrift store take note: the semi-annual clearance sale on winter merchandise starts Wednesday, January 2nd, with 30% off winter pants, tops, coats, boots and more. The art room clearance sale starts Saturday the 5th, with markdowns on framed art and prints.
I'll be hacking out a "Best Of 2007" list at some point this weekend, to which I feel compelled to add a "Most Disappointing New Restaurant" category this year. Chandrew's right, man: if you want people to come back, you gotta bring it. Now that every other blogger is a restaurant critic, you can't trust that kind of word-of-mouth unless you trust the palate behind it. I think this is what my "foodie" rant was going to be about; I'm hardly going to take advice on dining out from someone who's gushing about and posting photos of her Thanksgiving turkey just because it turned out for once.
This is the Evolution of Alexis, though, I suppose. I used to blog about cooking quite a bit and I even took a picture after successfully making poori for the first time. But now I cook multi-course meals from scratch a few times a week and am gradually mastering the basics of vegetarian cooking from all over the world. (I've been happily stuck in Central America for the last few months; you absolutely must try my enchiladas.)
I'm also getting ready to teach myself the fundamentals of baking. I can already whip up an irresistible soup or warm cheese spread with whatever's in the fridge; how awesome would it be to knock out a loaf of my own herbed crusty bread to go along with them?
I was watching an interview with Rick Bayless the other day and he said something that I've secretly known for a while, but am notoriously terrified to admit: In order to be a good chef, you have to be a good gardener. I just very reluctantly added "grow some of my own food" to my list of New Year's resolutions, which was not easy for someone who grew up in a household that used gardening as a form of child slave labor. At least I already know the basics.
No, I don't have much to say about Hell's Kitchen owner Mitch Omer publicizing his personal feelings about Andrew Zimmern in a piece over at The Rake. Some commenters on the piece, and on the inevitable MNSpeak thread, were quick to point out the obvious hypocrisy of his angle. Aside from that, there are too many fallacies to list, and it's frankly not even worth my time. (I don't think I could trudge through that editing nightmare again, anyway. Yikes.)
What I do have to say is... UM, JEALOUSY!
A bat'leth?! Damn you, Diablo! Damn. You. That is so wicked cool I can't even stand it.
Um, whoa. I just noticed that Life Time Fitness has been charging me membership dues for a joint membership that was cancelled in 2006. I'll have to get the bank on the phone to see how far back the charges go, but in the meantime: Has anyone else had problems with the handling of your Northwest gym membership after the company was taken over by Life Time?
You can relax. I've found the best boxed, all-natural macaroni and cheese you can buy.
After extensive research involving countless pats of unsalted butter*, splashes of whole milk, and boxes upon boxes of every brand of natural and/or organic, classic style macaroni and cheese you can find in the aisles of Whole Foods, Byerly's and Rainbow, I can confidently declare a true winner:
Annie's Naturals, Simply Organic, and Whole Foods private label don't even come close. Their grainy cheese sauce texture, bland flavor and mouth puckering amounts of salt (respectively) make them worthy of winning in the "starving" or "in a pinch" categories only. "Best of" is reserved for Back to Nature, which has a buttery smooth sauce and deliciously full-bodied cheddar cheese flavor.
What's next? I'm open to suggestions.
*I recommend always using unsalted butter when making boxed mac and cheese. The sodium content is pretty high to begin with, and you can always add table salt when it's done.
(Lame post, I know, but I've been busy Christmas shopping.)
Here's a casting call I was asked to share with my fellow Minneapolites:
Are you someone who has tremendous talent and integrity? Have you worked hard to get where you are but have never been nationally recognized for it? Are you a photographer, journalist, artist of any kind, a musician, or an athlete with a story to tell? If you are over 25 years old and have an extraordinary skill or talent and are passionate about what you do, please send us your story! Include your full name, contact phone number(s), city, state, age, photo and a paragraph about yourself and your talent. Email: Stephgholam@gmail.com
The only other information that I have is that you will be featured in your own short documentary film about your life and your talent, and these films will eventually be posted on the internet. You can be an individual or a group who lives in the U.S. The most important detail is that you have an interesting talent and a good character. The casting agency is looking for humble people with lots of integrity.
So this is insomnia season, no? I haven't slept through the night in almost a week, usually waking up around 5am to stare at the ceiling for two hours or so. I finally crashed hard last night, with the help of Ambien and a hot bath.
I highly recommend that perception-warping experience, by the way. Though I don't recall it, it seems I gave myself half a pedicure in the tub last night but (thankfully) did not attempt to shave anything. I also spattered some words into a notebook with my new favorite pen that I'm attempting to decipher now. It appears to be a rant on self-proclaimed "foodie" bloggers who "don't know the difference between manchego and mozzerella."
Anyone else feel me on that?
Shifting gears, had I known ahead of time that Diablo Cody was going to be our vita.mn cover girl last week, I would've thrown some sort of shout out into my column. As it is, though, I think suggesting that a girl dress up like Dita Von Teese to try and get herself in the mood for her man is pretty sound advice.
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