Last year I dressed up as a Dancing Queen for a Halloween Party. (Go ABBA!) The costume choice shouldn’t be much of a surprise given my obsession (healthy of course) with salsa, and the fact that I own an awesome red dress (courtesy of being in Jenny’s wedding a few years ago).

The party was fun, the red velvet cupcakes were to die for, and when the “Dancing Queen” by ABBA came blaring from the ipod, everyone at the party guessed my intended costume. After the party the dress went back into the closet (right now it’s packed in one of the boxes, stacked on top of more boxes in Olga’s living room), and I returned to regular dancing.

Fast forward a year ago. I am now in DC where I am feeding my sole and body with salsa dancing, which I have been sadly deprived during my stay in Upstate New York. Here in DC, Olga and I have been frequenting Salsa Room on Fridays and Saturdays. This past Saturday, the club was having a $100 bachata contest. After much begging and pleading, I convinced my favorite partner Parker to enter the competition with me.

And then the magic happened! Out of 8 couples that entered the dance off, Parker and I took the first place!!! All these years of dancing have finally paid off, literally!

Love, Dancing Queen

Could this weather be any more perfect for a nice, hot bowl of soup? Probably not! And it was just my luck, that Robyn Webb needed a recipe tested for soup.

This is a relatively quick, and absolutely delicious recipe for Escarole and White Bean Soup.
(The exact recipe will be published by Robyn, so below are the ingredients and general instructions).

In a heated pot, saute onion, garlic, carrots, and celery over medium heat, until vegetables are slightly softened. Add flour, and cook for a few minutes (This makes a roux that will slightly thickens the soup).

Add chicken stock (you can use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version), a can of diced tomatoes with the juice, and a can of white beans of your choice (drained and rinsed). The soup gets extra flavor from dried oregano and rosemary – make sure to crush the herbs with your fingers before adding them to a pot.

Bring everything to a boil, lower the temperature and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes.

Next, add the escarole and continue to cook for a few minutes until the escarole wilts.

You’re all set for a bowl of heart-warming and stomach-pleasing soup. The tomatoes add a nice touch of acidity that contrast beautifully with the creamy beans. The vegetables are still “al dente” by the time the soup is finished – no mushy carrots here!
Photos are from Olga – I still have to learn how to take photos :p

This is incredibly earthy and satisfying, and couldn’t be any simpler.

Roast beets (covered in foil) until tender – 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from foil and allow to cool. Peel the beets and dice/slice/cube.

Sprinkle the beets with crumbled goat cheese.

Drizzle with good olive oil, and add a touch of freshly-ground black pepper.

There’s so much more you could do with this recipe (adding herbs, garlic, nuts, etc), but it truly doesn’t need anything else.

If you haven’t tried beets, what are you waiting for?

Remember that Rachel Ray’s show, $40 a day?
Well, how about $400 a day? Plus, instead of visiting just ONE city or state, if you follow my plan, you’ll visit four states! Here’s how. (Note: $ amounts have been rounded up to full value at some instances)

1. Pre-purchases a one-day roundtrip ticket Washington, DC – Birmingham, Al. You need to make sure that on the way to Birmingham you fly through Detroit, MI (state #2), and on the way back from Birmingham, AL (state #3) you fly through Memphis, TN (state #4). Cost of the ticket $300.

2. Call a cab for 5AM on Monday. Arrive at Reagan National Airport, thank the cab driver and deposit $9 into his hand, happy that you made it to the airport on time.

3. Save $1 or $2 by skipping on *$s (Starbucks), and instead purchase an iced coffee from Euro Cafe. $2

4. Fly from DC to Detroit, make connection flight just to be delayed due to some de-icing problems (figures, since you have a very tight connection, and a meeting in Birmingham).

5. Thank your lucky stars when you arrive in Birmingham in time to frantically speed-walk to the Budget car-rental counter where you deposit $61 for a ONE day car rental. Politely decline an up charge for GPS since you brought your own with you (thanks parents!)

6. Arrive at Southern Progress Corporation, interview with Southern Living and Cooking Light. Take a tour of the facilities and snack on free and delicious strawberries…and cheese…and crackers.

7. Get back into the rental car, drive back to the airport, stopping at a gas station to fill up (to avoid paying $7.99/gallon in gas). Stand for what seems forever by the rental car while trying to figure out how in the world to open the gas-thingie-maging. Finally realize that it’s a manual opening, fill up 1.5 gallons ($3) and head back to the airport.

8. Because you are so tired that you could easily pass out, you buy a BBQ pulled pork plate with fried green tomatoes and potato salad to keep yourself nourished. $9 but worth every cent. It even comes with unexpected two individual corn bread muffins (you eat only one, b/c seriously, how much can you actually eat?)

9. You fly from Birmingham to Memphis where you stop by a lounge/restaurant, attracted by a live music performance. Sit and enjoy free entertainment.

10. Prior to boarding the plane to head back to DC, you stop by *$s (pop quiz – remember what it means?) and buy a medium (ok, grande) iced tea – 50% passion, 50% green. $3

11. Finally back in DC, you take a metro back. $1.35

Cost of the trip $400
Visiting 4 states in 1 day and interviewing with one of the largest magazines in the nation – PRICELES

From a recycled issue of Marie Claire (May’08) found by the elevator at Olga’s apartment.

Amy Poehler: There are a lot of girls who look at you as a role model. Maybe they’re really smart and funny but aren’t quite getting a lot of boy attention, and they’re stressed out about it. What would you say to them?

Tina Fey: You know what? Let the boys practice on other girls. Let them treat other girls like crud, let them learn how to French kiss for, like, 10 years, let them give some other girl a bunch of crappy Valentine’s Day gifts, and then you just move in when they’re fully formed.

Amen