Easy Turkey Chili

Longer than 30 minutes is what I would call this recipe from the 'Food Network'... Don't get me wrong it turned out to be quite delicious with a few tweaks here and there, it's just that simmering it longer thickens it and intensifies the flavor.  I simmered for about 3/4 of an hour.  Turned off the heat because I had to take my son to a music lesson and then I came home and warmed it back up again... it was very tasty.

I changed a few things... for instance I didn't have chipotle chili en adobo with sauce, so I used a 1/3 of a poblano chile pepper and added a green bell pepper for a mild heat and some crunch.  The beer adds great flavor and the garnishes give it a freshness... it's my kids favorite part.  They feel like they're part of the cooking process.  That's why they like taco and burrito dinners because they put the amount of what they like together. 

For garnishes (or condiments), I used a mix of mexican cheeses pre-packaged by Sorrento, fresh cilantro (my favorite), scallion (green onion), and these dried Jalapeno Pepper Flakes from "Victoria Gourmet", which I purchased on one of my trips to TJ Maxx, where they have great bargains on gourmet food.  I know, most Moms go there for the clothes...

30-Minute Turkey Chili

Victoria Gourmet

What's your favorite Chili recipe?

Plaid of the Moment

My teen and tween boys wear clothes in the mens department now.  Of course, they love it because it's cooler than boys stuff, but that means their clothes cost more too.  So when I picked up these great lightweight plaid shirts on sale at American Eagle I was very happy....  The best thing about them is that they're made from a lightweight cotton poplin and they're on sale... and because it's always so HOT in school even in the dead of winter the boys won't overheat wearing them.  I paired them with Graphic T's that they can wear underneath...

Sale $29.95

$15.50 Buy one get one 50% off

Sale $29.95

I love shopping for these growing boys, but it's crazy when they grow out of clothes that are hardly worn.  That's when I give them to friends with younger boys who appreciate the hand-me-downs and some clothes go to charity.

The Afterglow

AFTERGLOW; definition: A broad high arch of rosy light appearing in the sky long after sunset.

Yesterday, my special day in the spotlight as the 'Featured Blogger' on SITS Girls has passed and last night after all the excitement I was truly basking in the afterglow of it all.

Like all good things... you know... the poet Robert Frost says it so well in this poem titled, "Nothing Gold Can Stay".

Nature's first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf's a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.  

*Note: This poem earned Robert Frost the 1924 Pulitzer prize for poetry.

Thank you to all those who visited my blog yesterday.  The support was fantastic!

Yo SITStahs!

Welcome to my blog... I roll out the PINK CARPET to you... and thank you for visiting 'Mama Lisha Lifestyle'...

Today is my special day in the spotlight among the thousands of SITStahs, the blogging SITStahs, the FABULOUS community of SITS girls... over 7,000 women bloggers supporting one another in this wild and crazy place called the blogosphere... where we're explorers of sorts...  21st Century explorers!

First... News... 
Did you know that, "More than half of web users will read blogs this year."... says eMarketer in a recent article, "The Continued Rise of Blogging".
Blogs will eventually become invisible...  that's not a bad thing, it just means that blogs are quickly becoming such an integrated part of our global social fabric that they will "become indistinguishable from other media channels".


About Me...

I'm a Mom (50+) and artist (painter), with a wonderful and dedicated (doctah) husband, and two great boys ages 12 and 14, who I love watching grow into (almost) men... and as their 'voices' and 'pits' call out, are BOTH experiencing full-blown puberty. 

  

Why "Yo" in my post title?... because I come to you from "New Yawk", and that's how they tawk around heea... the suburbs of Long Island... where seeking a richer life (as my tag line says) "for my family, myself, and anyone who will listen" is certainly a challenge and I love challenges!


Why Blog?
Having had a wonderfully exciting and fulfilling career (pre-kids and husband), I've had to reinvent myself along the way, using creative outlets that are available to me like painting, raising kids, and now blogging.

"I focus on family life with a creative and cultural bent. I like to write about food, fashion, family fun, art, music, and education."

Blogging is the perfect way to 'connect all the dots'... a way to tie your vision of things together, and connect that to people with similar interests, to cross-pollinate or link people and things together.  My post, Turn Off TV... Turn On Stumbleupon is about a great search engine, a tool connecting you to your specific interests.

How about a blog post for those of you who have had careers and are now full-time Moms... In a Former Life or one about the First Day of School.

For those foodies and fashionistas out there or Moms who just need some inspiration, there's Cranberry Compote Like Never Before, It's a Wrap!, or Spanx for Him?!

Epilogue...
After seeing my blog last month an editor of an online newspaper hired me as a freelance writer... so SITStahs, as they say around here, ya nevah know...

Wishing my SITStah bloggers wonderful things now and in the future...

Thanks for visiting!

Yeah SITStahood!

I'm so excited, no not that it's Friday, yes I'm happy it's Friday, but I'm excited about the BIG news I got last night after my husband and I were leaving Back-To-School night at my sons middle school.  Music to my ears...  those three (or is it four) notes that alert me to an incoming email on my phone broke the silence as we were leaving the parking lot.  After reading and rereading the email,  I realized it was a message notifying me that it was finally my turn to be in the mommy blogging spotlight... WOW!

That means that Monday, in just three days, it's my special day to be a featured blogger on The SITS Girls, The Secret is in the Sauce, a wonderfully supportive community of 7,000 women that blog.  They show their support by leaving comments.  I'm nervous and excited and I have work to do to get ready.

So for those of you that read and support my blog but have no idea what this is all about, first of all... THANKS...  and 'stay tuned' for a glimpse into the blogosphere and just how BIG and limitless it is... you may find some women whose voices you relate to and you may want to follow their blogs too!

Thanks Tiffany and Mama Kat!

Have a great weekend and as my Dad would say, "Hurry back y'all!".

That Girl!

Sometimes I just need that girl energy around me... with 2 teenage boys (actually one is still a tween going through early puberty) and a husband in the house (love them dearly), the testosterone level gets a bit much at times.  While checking out some clothing sites online yesterday (there's no online store yet), I landed at one of my favorites... Zara, a Spanish clothing line, with a reasonable price tag, located nearby in Manhattan and Roosevelt Field Mall.  I was surprised to see they have kids clothing and the girls things in particular drew me in... so sweet...

Thinking about girl energy and what title to give this blog post today got me thinking 'that girl', which led me to a TV sitcom I remembered from the late 60's and early 70's called "That Girl", starring Marlo Thomas, about an aspiring actress and working woman.  It was the first sitcom about a single woman who was not living at home... the forerunner of shows like Mary Tyler Moore, highlighting the changing roles of American women.   It didn't matter that a struggling actress couldn't afford the kind of fabulous mod wardrobe that the character 'Ann Marie' wore... it was make-believe and a transitional time! 

The show was later parodied on 'Saturday Night Live' and 'Family Guy'.

  

Marvel at Their Beauty

They're perfectly beautiful... say no more... What I made from these baby bokchoy, red and napa cabbage for dinner last night didn't do them justice, so here they are in a raw state, tasty and deliciously crunchy, reminding me that the red cabbage makes a wonderful snack, just chop and place in little snack baggie for those on-the-go days... say everyday, right Moms?!
  

Sukkahs in the City

What a way to spend the last Sunday of summer...
I drove the kids into the city (NYC), picked up my mother and rode the subway down to Union Square to see a 2-day architectural display called 'Sukkah City'.  What is a sukkah?  The sukkah is a temporary structure erected for one week each fall for Jews to gather to celebrate the harvest.
This was a design competition, 600 architects entered and only 12 radically innovative structures were chosen to be displayed in the square yesterday and today.  We had a chance to cast our vote for our favorite sukkah, which will then stand in the square for the duration of the holiday of Sukkot, which begins this Wednesday.
Here are a few of my favorites...

My kids loved it and were snapping photos on their phones to send to friends...

  

After strolling through the square for about an hour we headed a few blocks south to 'The Stand' for a burger and the best shake I've ever had... "Marshmallow Shake"...

We finished the day at Spin, a table-tennis club on 23rd and Park Avenue.  My 14 year-old is obsessed with ping-pong!

We had a great day... I miss the city and all the energy swirling the air!

What's your perfect day in NYC?

Nail Color Trend

As an artist and Mom I find it hard to keep my nails manicured with color for more than a few days.  Coupled with my impatience, I keep my nails in neutrals, but my toes are a different story...  Each season I like to try a new OPI color and this Fall is no different.  I chose 'Ski Teal We Drop', a stunning grey-green-blue, which is a knockout with this seasons denim leggings and saturated REDs ...

How fabulous... Pair it with this look from a beautiful 15 year old blogger from LA, the stylish wanderer...

This look would be flattering for a woman of any age.  You can also shop her clothes on ebay through her site. 

Have a GREAT weekend... and if you're fasting (for Yom Kippur) on Saturday, I hope the day flies by! 

A table setting from Rosh Hashanah with flowers arranged by me

If Things Could Speak

It's 2010 and THINGS can speak, now that there are companies like Stickybits, "a fun and social way to attach digital content to objects"...

Stickybits

 In The New York Times Magazine, September 5th issue, Rob Walker wrote a short, but eye-opening article about a technology that will change how we see 'things'...  just scan an object (it's barcode) and you'll get the story of the thing, maybe more data than you cared to know, but it's powerful stuff with many applications...

Itizen is another company, "offering an online service that provides a way to tell, share, and follow the 'life stories' of interesting things".
It's free to sign up with these companies and for instance, Stickybits has teamed up with Zazzle to offer products that make great gifts, or if you're in the job market, you can order a business card where you can attach your resume to it for a potential employer... that would surely impress them!

Camel Coat Craze

I know I'm posting so late today.  I spent the morning helping my husband get ready for a business trip... his nickname is Last Minute Larry, you know what I mean, it's frustrating but seriously, his other assets out way this little thing... right honey?

This season it's the must-have Camel Coat, but somehow I haven't seen too many in the stores.  So here are a few I liked on Shopstyle... it will look beautiful with all the black I wear too...

Spiegel, $199

ASOS, $379

Macy's, DKNY $99

Which one do you like?  Can you make a suggestion, a camel coat that won't break the bank?

"These Boots..."

... are made for walking." Nancy Sinatra sang it in the 1966 hit  and I'm saying it now because I no longer will wear a pair that causes pain even in the name of fashion.  I think since child birth I'm more selective about PAIN... or should I say "NO MORE PAIN" if I can help it!
Hence, I choose shoes and boots these days with either crepe soles, platforms, or moderate heels.  These are a few of my picks for Fall in neutral shades that have comfort in mind.
They can all be had from Piperlime, the online store brought to you by the folks from GAP with free shipping and returns...

Enzo Angiolini, $225

Cole Haan, $348

Ash, $235

Here's my thinking about shoes... Spring and Summer you can get way with inexpensive sandals that won't kill your feet, but Fall shoes and boot... you'll have to spend a little more to be happy and pain free, maybe not in all cases but for the most part it's true.  Of course, sales are everywhere, so you can wait for a markdown too.

I'm going to look through last years boots sometime this week now that there's a chill in the air.  How about you? 

Tour YOUR Artwork!

Calling ALL... "Anyone - from anywhere in the world - can be a part of the project."... ARTISTS! 

The Sketchbook Project...

The Brooklyn Art Library is running a project where artists receive a sketchbook for $25, fill it with artwork loosely based on a pre-chosen theme, send it back to them by the deadline and it will tour the country in galleries and museums.

It's a simple idea and a great way to get yourself and your creative kids to put their ideas on paper for the world to see!

Oh, and teachers there is an educational and group discount available.

The Tour...

Examples of previous sketchbooks...

The deadline to sign up is October 31st, 2010 and books are limited.  I will have the link (see above right) posted on my blog until the deadline.

I will be choosing a theme for mine in the next few days.  Can't wait for you to join the tour with me!

Back To School Tools

Many of us Moms have made a few plus trips already to Staples for the obligatory back-to-school supplies. If your looking for something a little different for your tweens, teens or college bound children I found some great organizational tools that are well designed.  And for that reason they are on the MOMA Store (Museum of Modern Art) website.  So here are a few really I liked... they make great gifts...

Amigo Leather Desk Accessory

Tower of Clips

Conceal Bookshelf

Poster Hanger

If these are too nice for the kids then maybe it's time to buy something for Mom or Dad... and they're not expensive!

What organizational tools work for you?