New Couch

We are finally moved into our new house in Phoenix Arizona. It has really been a trial. Our kitchen is still not usable, no power to our dryer and we are still living out of boxes mostly. One positive thing happened today though, we finally found a couch. Sitting on folding metal chairs was getting tiring! So here are some pics for you all. It's a great mid-century design. And although I'm not a flower guy, the print is so bold, I don't mind them!

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!

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