Easy Cooking For Your Date!!!

Being of Spanish/Puerto Rican decent, I grew up with food constantly being cooked. Growing up, people always hung out in the kitchen. It was the the heart of the house. And there was always something so comforting about the food. I've taken all the knowledge I gained, by watching my family cook, and have applied those skills to many dates.

Nothing is more attractive than a man that can cook! So here is one of the recipes I've used. It's for Stewed Eggplant. A lot of people get scared to cook eggplant, but it's really not that hard. And best of all, your date will be impressed! Just pair this dish with some baguette, cooked chorizo or shrimp and a nice bottle of Spanish red wine, I prefer a nice Tempranillo.

Stewed Eggplant

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant
5 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
4 ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters
3 garlic cloves, crushed with a knife
6 tbsp red wine (you could just use the wine you're going to serve)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and ground black pepper
extra chopped parsley for garnishing

Directions:

1) Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick round slices. Rinse in a colander and sprinkle with 2 tsp salt. Let them sit in the colander for about 30min.
2) Rinse the eggplant again and drain all the water. Then pat them dry with a paper towel to help remove any excess moisture.
3) In a large pan, heat about 2 tbsp of the oil. Place a single layer of the eggplant in the pan and fry. Turn periodically until golden brown. Then place them on a plate with a paper towel to absorb the oil. Repeat this with all the eggplant.
4) Heat another 2 - 3 tbsp of the oil in the pan. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook for about 6 minutes, until golden. While that cooks, cut the cooked eggplant into strips.
5) Stir in the eggplant with tomatoes and wine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes
6) Stir in the parsley and taste for the seasoning. Add extra salt or pepper as needed.
7) Serve in a nice dish and top with some fresh chopped parsley.

***This dish can be served cold too. Just sprinkle some olive oil on top before serving.***

And one last thing. Don't worry too much about how you chop things. The point of this dish is the flavors, not how well you could use a knife. If it tastes good, your date will not care how well you chopped!

Friends Forever!!!

I remember when I first heard this song performed on Saved By The Bell. That's right, I am going way back down memory lane for this one. I was surfing around youtube and stumbled on it. It's still a pretty rad song. Hope you all enjoy it!!!

Would A Cylon Use A Touch, Nano or Shuffle???

I came across this shirt recently and was really impressed. Everyone who knows me, knows how much I loved the new Battlestar Galactica series. It was a great show and it really explored the nature of humanity while throwing in kick-ass stories and effects.

I don't normally go around wearing t-shirts with big prints on them, but this one is just way too rad to pass up. It's a Cylon listening to an iPod!!! It doesn't get much better than that! Could you imagine them patrolling the streets of Caprica, listening to an iPod? Then you got to wonder which iPod they would prefer.

Personally, I have a nano. But I'm not a Cylon....... or am I????

You can pick up one of these rad shirts at NerdyDuckling

SO SAY WE ALL!!!

What To Wear On A Coffee Date: Module #1 - Southern California

I was recently asked by a friend, to help him get ready for a coffee date. This was a first date situation so he wanted to impress. I love the guy, he's a good bro, but he lacks any sense of style.

So this got me thinking. If he's having trouble figuring out what to wear, there must be other guys out there struggling too.

When we got down to it, he had all the basics in his closet already. Most guys do. It's just knowing how to pair things and not over do it.

Geography can play a huge role in fashion. Having lived on both coasts, I know first hand that a New York wardrobe won't quite fit in Los Angeles and vice versa.

For the southern California look, I chose items that most guys out here will already have on hand. It's all about comfort out here. You want your look to appear relaxed and effortless, while still looking polished.

Pairing basic pieces with the right accessories is key. So take a look, soak it in and start thinking about what's in your closet.

1) T-Shirt - Billabong - $20, 2) Ring - Fantasy Jewelry box - $59.95, 3) Bracelet - Fantasy Jewelry Box - $39.95, 4) Belt - Republic - $33.91, 5) Jeans - RSQ Amsterdam - $44.99, 6) Necklace - Jean Paul Gaultier - $48, 7) Hat - Henley's - $25.42, 8) Watch - Nixon - $79.99, 9) Boxer Briefs - G-Star - $28.83, 10) Sandals - ALDO - $31.98

Cockblocker!!!

Ever feel like you are finally about to seal the deal with some new hottie, only to get cockblocked? You bought the drinks, told the jokes, used your best lines and then some idiot comes along and ruins your game.

Well the folks at Orange32 have the perfect product for these situations. They call them Blocker Cards. For $5 you get twenty-five of these smart ass cards. So when you get cockblocked, you pull out one of these and hand it to the lame-ass-offender.

You can buy these here.

Silver & Beer???

We all know we should recycle. We know it's good for the planet. Well there is a jewelry designer that decided to take recycling to a fashion forward level. D-LICIOUS has decided to make rings from used beer and soda cans. These aren't just cheesy rings that were cut from cans. This artist sets strips from the cans in sterling silver rings. You can see the rings here.

Now you can show everyone how classy it is wear your beer. Well..... the beer can at least.

You can buy these and other great items at ELSEWARES

Drinks For Two, In Style!!!

So you got your date to come back to your place for drinks. You want this to go well, so drinks can turn into breakfast, right? Well here is my suggestion. Prep a nice bottle of red wine, before the date. But dudes, that is not enough! You have to show your date that you have style! So I recommend you buy the Vin-Eau Carafe by Mint. Pour your bottle of wine in this sleek and sexy piece so it's magically ready when you get home.

This is a great product. The Vin-Eau Carafe is a stark white porcelain carafe accompanied by two red cups. The cups stack and sit in the carafe, acting as a top. This piece is so different that your date will be impressed with your modern sense of style.

You can buy this and other great things at ELSEWARES

When I Say On The Rocks, I Mean It!!!

Like a real man, I 'm not really into mixed fruity drinks. I want to drink stuff that'll put hair on my chest! Stuff like whiskey! But I hate warm alcohol. I like my hair promoting beverages to be on the chilly side. Now normally, I would just throw a couple ice cubes in a glass, pour my whiskey, and sip away like a proper Gent. But now there is no more need to have watered down whiskey. Thanks to the On The Rocks Whiskey Stones, I can make my drink cold without it getting watered down.

These are hand carved soapstone cubes made right here in the USA. The best part is, they are easy to use, just pop them in the freezer until you are ready to use them. Then just drop a couple in a glass and top with whatever your favorite spirit is. Come on, what's more manly than drinking whiskey with actual rocks in it?

So now when your buds say "On the rocks!", you'll be able to impress them with these babies!

Pick up a set of these on amazon

Style Your Home....

Many guys go through bachelorhood with old frat house furniture that smells like it should have been burned long ago. You bring a date over and they either think a) "Get me out of here" , b) "When I move in this will change." or c) "He is never getting lucky!"

So why not start to figure out your own sense of decorating style so your dates won't be scared. There are lots of things you can do to you pad to make it look nice and still keep a masculine feel. One obvious cure is to buy new furniture. Now normally I am all about the diy, dumpster diving, salvage way of decorating. But let's face it, not everyone has that in them. Luckily for a lot of you out there, there are places you can buy stylish handmade furniture.

One such place is Lunar Lounge Design. And the piece that grabbed my attention right away is their Mid Century Love Seat and Ottoman. It's the kind of love seat that shows you're willing to take a risk and yet still has classic design elements. Gents, this is the kind of love seat that will make your date want to sit and cuddle!

So search around and start thinking about what you want your apartment to say. Hopefully, it'll get your date to say "Can I spend the night?"

Check out this piece and many more at Lunar Lounge Design.

Mr. Hare, Where Have You Been???

It's no big surprise that I love shoes. And personally I have always felt that men's shoe design was an area that needed a renaissance. The same old brown or black shoes get boring. We dudes want to look good too. Well finally our Shoe Renaissance has arrived!!!

There is a hot British designer that is making the men's shoes the world has been waiting for. Let me introduce you to Mr. Hare. This visionary designer is taking us in to the future, while utilizing the classic feel of the past. Two of my favorites in his collection are Mr. Orwell and Mr. Fitzgerald. These are shoes that can be worn to almost any place a Gent wants to be noticed! And best of all, these shoes are made to last you for years!

You will be able to buy these shoes at oki-ni

Red Shirt Star Trek Cologne???

I know many of you must be thinking this is a gag. I know I did when I first heard about it. But believe it or not, this is the real deal. Available at ThinkGeek in a 100ml bottle for only $30, it's worth trying out. The tag line alone makes me want to buy it: Smell like the future, because tomorrow may never come.

The company describes the scent as -

Bright, clean and direct with top notes of green mandarin, bergamot and a hint of lavender (your hope), finishing with base notes of leather and grey musk (your smoldering shoes after you've been vaporized).

Now if that is what the future smells like, I'm all in.

Buy it now at ThinkGeek

Item Of The Day!!!

This is the start of something brand new on this blog. From now on I will be posting one item a day that I have found and you may want.

The pick of today is a great belt buckle. Now I'm not really a gun guy, but this buckle is so rad I had to share it with you all. It's called 300 Winchester Magnum Nickle Silver Tip. A really straight forward name for a buckle that is definitely not shy! You can pick up this one, or many other buckles, at Bad Ass Belt Buckles right on etsy.

Personally I love the silver tips. Not sure they'll help you stand a chance against that neighborhood werewolf, but you'll get noticed by your peeps!

The World's First Portable Espresso Machine

We all know that the average adult lives on way too much caffeine. Well now it has been made even easier for you to get your fix! That's because the clever people at mypressi have come up with the world's first portable espresso machine. That's right, I said PORTABLE!!! This is perfect for when you don't have time for those coffee runs.

This sexy gadget, named the Twist, weighs about a pound and is just under a foot long. You can just throw it in your bag with some ground coffee or espresso pods and you are ready for your weekend get away.

You can pre-order it now for $129. And since most of you probably spend more than that on coffee in a week, this is a bargain!

Pre-order at mypressi

What is the future of chocolate???

We all know about the regular chocolate bars we grew up with. The kit-kat, Snickers, Milky Way and of course the classic Hershey's Bar that we all knew and loved. Well with the world ever changing in terms of cultural melding and the never ending growth of technology, what happens to our old friend chocolate? Well like all of us, chocolate didn't want to get left behind. I have scoured the Internet and found some fantastic melt-in-your-mouth chocolate treats that prove chocolate is not going anywhere. In fact, at some points it may even be ahead of it's time.

Now of course there are still the classic milk, dark and white chocolate bars out on the market, and I believe, like a good black suit, they will never go out of style. But here are some exciting new ways to enjoy our old friend.

1) Single Malt Scotch Bar - This adult take on the traditional chocolate bar is being made by a company that really knows their chocolate, Bon Bon Bar. They promote the bar by saying "This candy bar is bold enough for Scotch lovers and smooth enough for all chocolate lovers." Scotch and chocolate seem so right together I don't know why these weren't out years ago.
2) Dagoba Lavender - I know what you're thinking. Lavender? Really? But trust me you will not be disappointed! I have always been a big fan of Dagoba Organic Chocolate and they did not let me down on this one. This is the kind of bar that you'll want to enjoy while you sit and relax after a long stressful day. Pop a piece into your mouth and feel like chocolate heaven is melting into you.
3) Hibiscus Flower Chocolate Bar - This flowery bar is being hand made and sold by Black Flower on etsy. The description given to the bar is short and right to the point, "70% dark chocolate blended with organic dried hibiscus flowers. Dark and fruity."
4) Gnosis Pomegranate Acai Bar - This is a great and healthy bar that packed full of anti-oxidants. To top it off, it's vegan! That's right, it really is raw, organic, handmade and guilt-free. The healthier take on our old friend is being sold on etsy by Gnosis Chocolate.
5) Dagoba Xocolatl Hot Chocolate - OK I know it's not a chocolate bar, but sometimes you just want to drink your chocolate! Dagoba Organic Chocolate has resurrected the ancient drink of the Aztecs with this recipe. It is definitely not like the hot chocolate my mom used to make for me. This orgasmic drink is a blend of chocolate, chilies and cinnamon. Now I know chilies don't sound like a fun treat to everyone, but Dagoba has really mastered the perfect way to marry the sweetness of chocolate with a slight kick from the chilies.
6) Le Whif - Chocolate has just been propelled into a future where it no longer needs to be eaten. Now it can be inhaled! That's right, INHALED!!! This futuristic take on chocolate can be purchased at Le Labo Shop. And as if the idea of being able to breath chocolate wasn't enough, it is also ZERO calories. I think that might be healthier than the air I breath for free in Los Angeles! You will also be able to buy these babies in 4 flavors, - mint chocolate, raspberry chocolate, mango chocolate, and plain chocolate.

Now of course I couldn't write about all the different kinds of chocolate bars that are on the market now. A whole book could be written on all of them. But feel free to go searching on your own and report back on new and exciting flavors. I know Vosges makes bacon chocolate bars and lots of other exotic flavors. So go out and show chocolate that no matter what he changes into, he'll always have a place in our hearts!

What Could Men Wear To A Gallery Opening???

I get asked this question all the time. Usually by my female friends that want to dress up their men or by my single guy friends that aren't used to going to places like gallery openings or trendy restaurant openings. So I have made a couple selections of pieces that I feel would make a man stand out in a great way. Of course season, time of day and specific event will always play a role in dictating your outfit, but there are a few key rules that will almost always apply. And those rules are:
1) Black is classic! It's always in style and is a safe bet when you're not sure.
2) Don't be afraid of color! It could be a bright tie or one daring option is bright shoes. Men do it all the time in Europe. Solid dark or muted colors for the outfit and then BAM!- bright orange shoes.
3) Wear clothes that fit you! Too many times do I see men wearing clothes that do not fit. Too big or too small is just not good gents. Our bodies come in all different shapes and sizes and not everything we buy will fit perfectly. Don't be scared of your friendly neighborhood tailor. There was a time when men would take all their clothes to a tailor and this is a tradition that needs to be resurrected.
4) Jewelry! Don't be scared to show some bling bro! There are tons of great choices out there for men now. They can be found in many retail jewelry stores now as well as indie places like etsy.com Figure out what metal looks good on you and don't be afraid to experiment with different materials like fiber, glass, wood or rubber.
5) Hats! Somewhere along the way, men wearing hats became less fashionable. Well that time is over. Dudes should not be scared to wear hats. Now I'm not talking about your grubby Mets cap. I mean real hats. The kind you can tip to someone when you say hi. Or a really nice beanie can be pulled off if done right.
6) Scarves are not just for the winter! Women have known for generations that a good scarf can transform any outfit. Well dudes are finally catching on to this. There are tons of scarves on the market for men now that are meant more as a fashion accessory than a utilitarian object to keep your neck warm. Look around for these. I have found great ones in our local Little India but many major retail stores and indie online shops are also carrying them now.
7) Shoes are in! I remember when you would go into any men's department store and all the shoes looked the same. They were black or brown and just a few variations on the same style. Well now the world has woken up and we men have options! Granted the women still have more options, but we are catching up. So go in to the stores and look around. And TRY THEM ON!!! Nothing is worse than spending a whole night in shoes that are uncomfortable.
8) Scent is key! Luckily there are tons of cologne options for men now. I recommend setting aside an afternoon and going with a friend that can be honest with you. Smell as much as you can and remember to ask for the coffee beans to clear each scent out from your nose before moving on to the next. I also recommend getting more than one scent. It's always nice to have variety and different occasions could call for very different scents. You could also have your own custom scent mixed. A lot of times it's cheaper than the commercial stuff and it's your own signature scent so you will always stand out. Check out your local holistic shops and see if anyone does custom blends.
9) Be fashion forward! There are so many great men's wear designers out there that aren't getting the media attention they deserve. If there is some new concept out there and it speaks to you, don't be afraid to go for it. Every trend started with one person wearing it. Maybe you could be a new trend setter.
10) Be you! Don't try to be Usher or Brad Pitt. Let people see who you are, reflected in your style. If you're a little more rock, then gear your outfit that way. There is nothing wrong with injecting personality into clothing. Just remember not to overdue it.

Here are just a few samples of things guys could wear. Explore dudes! And don't be afraid to ask questions. If you're not sure what looks good on you, ask for opinions.

1) Ray Vincente Eclectic
2) Necklush
3) Joseph Cuevas
4) Eve Shan
5) FORZIERI
6) Lotus Jewelry Studio
7) Wendelart
8) FORZIERI

My very first one....

Well I kept saying I would do it but I kept putting it off. So I decided to take advantage of this flu/cold/sinus thing I have and sit down to get it done. That's right, I finally made a youtube video of my work. It's nothing fancy but I am proud of it. Let me know what you think of it.

Love you all!!!

Felicity Kind of Mood....

So being born in 1982, my teen years were all about the WB network. I was a WB whore. I watched every show they came out with and loved every second of it. I learned all my big words from Dawson's Creek and all the shows taught me how to be overly dramatic when it came to matters of the heart. But there was one show that always touched me. One show over all the others. That show was Felicity. Something about Felicity always touched me. From the very first episode, she took the biggest leap she ever could. She followed a guy to NY. A guy she didn't even know. And as the show progressed, she progressed. She grew into this amazing person and challenged everything she had always held true in her heart. She quit pre-med. She loved two guys. She embraced her art. She over thought everything and yet still managed to follow her heart whenever possible.

My life paralleled that of hers in a lot of ways. When I started college I was pre-med. I did that for a couple of years and I was good at it. But there was always something missing for me. I wanted to work on my art but I didn't have time with all the labs. I over thought every situation and weighed out pros and cons before acting. Till oneday I was tired of it. I was tired of feeling like my whole life had been planned out. So I quit pre-med and I jumped on a plane destined for California. I had never been there, I just knew I needed to find myself in a completely new place. See felicity had used following Ben as an excuse. She really just wanted to break away. She wanted to find her own life somewhere else. Well my life not being a TV show, the road was a lot bumpier for me than it was for her. I had to live out of my car for a while and there have been really good times and really bad times but all in all I am happy I made the leap. I am finally working on my art full time and I love it.

But let's get back to Felicity. In the last season of the show the creators did something amazing. First they gave you what would have been an incredibly perfect ending to the show at mid season. She graduated college and ended up happy with her life and Ben. She became her own person after trying to find herself for so long. But the show went further. They decided to show us what could have happened if she had made a different choice. See Felicity had always loved two guys, one was Ben the guy she followed. The other was her best friend Noel. Well the writers wrote in a plot that had Felicity unhappy with her life a few years after graduation. She was wishing she had chosen Noel over Ben all those years ago. So her Wiccan friend Megan casts a time travel spell and sends her back in time so she can choose Noel. We got to see how different everything would have been if she chose Noel over Ben.

This was amazing to me because, as I've descibed in a previous post, I often sit and wonder how life would be different if I had made a different choice in even a small way. She was incredibly unhappy with the way things turned out when she chose Noel. She realized she was happy before. Would I not like my life if things had been different? What if I had waited a year to move to California? What if I had started working with glass earlier in life? What if I hadn't taken back my husband so many years ago when we split up for a bit? Even the small stuff. What if I hadn't been late to class? or What if I took an earlier train?

Every choice we make has so many reprecussions and we never think about it. So is it better to follow your heart?

Haha wow I started with felicity and gave you guys a lot of info about me. Hope you enjoyed it! I'll leave you all with a youtube video of all the theme songs they used on Felicity. Senior year was my favorite. Listen to them all and enjoy!

Everyone should see this!!!

OMG I love this video. It has got to be one of the funniest things I have ever seen. It was made in response to the "Gathering Storm" commercial that is being aired. Tell all your friends about this video. Everyone needs to watch this!!!

My Artist Statement

A lot of artists have a really hard time writing these. I know I definitely hated the process. But I thought it would be good to share what I came up with. For all those out there reading, this is probably not the best example of what one should be like but it is mine.

Don't be to harsh with me!

Narcotic Art

Glass casting and fusing are like heroin. It is like crack or crystal-meth. Stained glass started it all. From the start, the process of transforming sheets or chunks of glass into sculptures has felt like the perfect high. Over the years, that magical high has made me an addict. Creating art fills me with a sense of euphoria and freedom, and has been an excellent way to release pent-up and stirring energy.

I surrender to the glass. It is like that person at the bar you can’t keep yourself from approaching. You might get hurt from touching, and you know that, but you can’t stop yourself. I can’t stop myself. My work is primarily in the lost wax casting method and glass fusing. In both methods, my raw materials are placed in the kiln and I must wait till all the glass is married together and cooled before looking to see if the finished piece is what I intended.

I am currently exploring this feeling of being drawn to something dangerous. Combining welcoming and familiar shapes with textures that appear dangerous is accomplishing this goal. Why do we approach things that we know may hurt us? The glass and I both want to know.

2 Become 1

Haha I don't really know why, but this song has been in my head all day. I keep humming it. I was there for the Spice Culture Explosion so I thought I would share this throw back. Set your spirit free people....... it's the only way to be. Sit back and think about what you were doing when this song was out.

Love you all!!!

Vuelve

I was thinking recently about Ricky Martin prior to his english cross over albums. I loved his music way more when it was in spanish. The following is one of my favorites so I wanted to share it with all of you. Even if you don't understand the words, it is still beautiful to listen to. I'll post an english song next just to balance it out.

What would you do?

I often stay up late at night just lying in bed thinking. Most nights my thoughts center on one idea. If I could go back in time with all the knowledge I have now, what would I change? What would I do differently? I think back to all those key moments. All those times that I hated in my life. Even the times I really enjoyed but later regretted. What would you change? Would you really know what the "key" moments are? What if it's the little moments that we don't even remember that shape us more than the big events?

Even with all those questions I would still want to know how my life could have been different. I always think about this song whenever I have these thoughts and so I decided to share it with you. So sit back, relax and just wonder "what if?"

Unsure Future

I just finished watching the live stream of the Proposition 8 hearing. I thought it would be pretty clear cut. We had 4 Justices on our side before and those same 4 would be on our side again. Well after watching, I'm not so sure anymore. This really is going to be close.

Furthermore the precedent that will be established if Prop 8 is allowed to stand, will change the future for the GLBTQ community across the country. This will be the first time a right will be taken away from a minority group. Really think about that. Granted, other states have banned same-sex marriage, but in those states gay marriage was never legal to begin with. California had same-sex marriages for 6 months. More than 18,000 same-sex couples married during that time. Now a slim majority of voters want to relegate those tax paying citizens to second class status. Taking away rights that our state constitution alloted and nullifying the more than 18,000 marriages that were already performed.

What would be next? If a slim majority can take away a minority group's rights what would be next? Can they take away our right to own property? How about holding public office? Having children? Where would it end? Would anyone really stop them from taking us to Concentration Camps?

Most people don't know that Gay men were sent to the camps and forced to wear an inverted pink triangle as a badge.

I am tired of having to fight for equal rights. I am tired of being worried that I might get bashed again. I am tired of feeling like I will never really be seen as an equal to the majority of people in this country. I am tired of feeling like my marriage is less than my neighbor's.

I'll probably post more later. Just wanted to get all that out right now.

I don't really know why....

So for some reason I am obsessed with this song lately. I don't really know why though. I am not upset about an old lover or anything. In fact I am happily married to my husband. He hates this song, says it's "too depressing." Personally it doesn't make me depressed, just makes me sit and listen to the words. Take a listen and let me know what you think.

HOPE!!!

This video was emailed to me and I really just wanted to share it with everyone in the world. It is really touching and gives me hope that we will have equality for everyone really soon.