Food Inspiration!

Poached egg with Hollandaise sauce on toast, roasted Parmesan garlic peppers and asparagus with caramelized onions ~ Strawberry, grapefruit and cumber salad (with balsamic vinegar and olive oil)

 

Homemade Pad Thai topped with fresh lime, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts

Fresh ingredients make the difference

Lobster with corn on the cob, butter sauce, baked potato and homemade coleslaw

MUSIC WE LOVE: Trevor Hall

We love this video. Check out the newest song called"Brand New Day" from Trevor Hall and download it from iTunes August 23rd!

Fashion Finder: Crochet Scoop Tank Top

We love this lovely, vintage-inspired crochet tank top on Nasty Gal. It's a summer layering essential. At $38, it's a real steal too!

Summer Food Lovin'

  (Above) June's local strawberries! (Below) Baby garlic, scapes, mint and basil from the garden

 Freshly shucked peas

 A delicious salad with pear vinegar, goat cheese, basil, mint, apples and spicy pecans.

Summery wine paired with a garden-fresh meal.

What have I been up to? Making the most of fresh summer produce! If you are trying to get back into shape for bikini season, there's nothing better than eating a diet low in processed junk. I am lucky to live in the mountains of Vermont with a large backyard garden and access to multiple farmers' markets within a 20-mile radius. The abundance of local produce is one of my favorite things about summer. I encourage you to grow your own food and to seek out the farmers markets near you. If you live in the city and don't have a backyard, plant container gardens. There's nothing better than an herb garden in your kitchen. When I lived in Prague, I made sure to have a couple potted herb plants handy. Being green is good for the Earth, your health, and your waistline!

To get started, here's a simple recipe using rainbow chard.

You'll Need:
1 bunch of rainbow chard, chopped
Bragg's Liquid Amino
1 Baby garlic bulb (milder than full-grown garlic)
2 Garlic scapes
1-2 handfuls of peanuts
1/2 tsp. fresh ginger (or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Sautee garlic and peanuts in olive oil until golden. Add the garlic scapes, chopped chard and cook the chard down. Add fresh ginger and Bragg's Liquid Amino or soy sauce to taste. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Event Review: Ha Ha's for Ta Ta's Delivers Serious Laughs

April is National Humor Month, and we're celebrating it! On April 8th, a friend and I had the pleasure of attending the "Ha Ha's for the Ta Ta's" event featuring The Vermont Comedy Divas (left), and benefiting The Pink Ribbon Butterfly Project, LTD. Playful and raunchy, The Vermont Comedy Divas tell it like it is!

Hip chicks Josie Leavitt, Mary Anne Gatos, and Tracie Spencer delivered some serious snorts and laughs to a full house in Killington, Vermont. Did you know that dicks.com isn't a good place to look for sports equipment because you'll find more than last-minute holiday presents? Subjects also touched upon included why women are told to leave socks on during a pap smear ("Why, as if that makes it any better?"), the ipad ("I thought it was just an iphone with large print"), and halters in the wintertime ("Eskahoes... even a slut knows that the correct term is Inuit!"). With the nonstop quips and jokes, I had a hard time trying not to choke on the delectable Santa Fe nachos.

Josie, Mary Anne, and Tracie provided hilarious stories that any woman (or man) can relate to! If you've ever looked at an unrealistic Pottery Barn catalogue's images of kitchen chalkboards and wanted to change "get BMW detailed" to "get Buick off blocks in the front yard," or wondered what happens when you check out the Chiquita Facebook page ("Seriously, get a life"), then I highly recommend visiting The Vermont Comedy Divas here. Be sure to also view The Pink Ribbon Butterfly Project's FB page here and find out about the awesome, local projects they're doing to help breast cancer survivors in their everyday lives... because we can't wait for the cure.

An Exclusive Interview with "American Idol" Costume Designer, Soyon An

If you don’t know her name, you probably know her work. Soyon An is the head costume designer of FOX’s hit TV shows “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” She has worked in the music, TV and film industries, and her past experience includes Jennifer Lopez, Carrie Underwood, Sean Kingston, Kate Bosworth, Mariah Carey, Avril Lavigne and Pink. Soyon earned her second Emmy award for her work on “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2010, after winning in 2009.

Hip Chick Zine: Did you always know you wanted to a designer?
Soyon An: No. I grew up being the biggest Tomboy. All I wanted to do was play outside.

HCZ: [Laughs] Me too. Your looks are so beautiful and unique! How do you get your inspiration?
Soyon An: Thank you! I draw inspiration from everything. Colors on a day after the rain, traveling, walking around in a busy street. And of course runway shows, magazines, movies, TV shows... The list can go on and on because it truly is from everything. And I'm very much into detail.

HCZ: Describe your personal style.
Soyon An: I see myself as a bohemian, rock-n-roll, and geek. [Laughs] I like to keep things low-maintenance.

HCZ: How did you get involved in “So You Think You Can Dance?”
Soyon An: I got my start as an assistant to the costume design on Season 2. That was the first season the show was going on tour, and I was the designer and supervisor of that show.

HCZ: How has winning not one, but TWO, Emmys changed your career… and life?
Soyon An: It definitely made me more confident in my work. It's an amazing feeling to receive an award like it. The fact that people who have been doing this for decades take notice of your work is life changing. I am now pushing myself to do better than the last, especially in my work and even with myself. I want to give more to the world... I don't know who's paying attention, but I want to give it my best.

HCZ: What’s the process like for designing a look on “American Idol?”
Soyon An: Well, to start, I only get 2 hours with each idol. It ranges, but a lot of idol's image styling is off the rack clothes that I tailor. This season, I have done a lot of custom pieces... The girls are smart this season! The fashion world is their oyster with me as their stylist, or if we can't find it the stores, I'll make it for them.

HCZ: What other projects are you working on right now? Future plans?
Soyon An: I am a fashion editor for Jimon Magazine, I'm helping to re- brand a company, possibly a boutique... Check out my upcoming website www.soyonan.com, follow me on twitter @soysfashion or read my blogs for the latest!

HCZ: Who would you love to collaborate with next?
Soyon An: I would love to collaborate with JLO, Gaga, or Rihanna... and maybe Banksy!

HCZ: What advice do you have for women who would like to become designers/stylists?
Soyon An: Get hands-on experience. Be prepared for long hours, a lot of schlepping, and organizing. Keep positive and when you see your work, or assistant work in a spread, on TV, or in a film, it's very rewarding.

HCZ: Off the topic of style, what’s your favorite travel destination and why?
Soyon An: I've had tons of fun all around the world, but I'd have to say Cusco, Peru was amazing. That's where Machu Picchu is, and when you get to the top, you know that anything is possible!

Photo Credit: Collin Stark

Beauty Buzz: You Glow, Girl!

We get some fun products in the mail, but one of our new favorites is this Manasimakeup LYSTER Cream Bronzer from Stockholm, Sweden! This unique cream bronzer offers color, glow and light coverage just in time for the warmer weather. Is your skin a little dry? Cream bronzer is easily absorbed and won't flake off like powder bronzers. Wear LYSTER Cream Bronzer alone, or mix it with your moisturizer for subtler color. It even smells delicious with a light vanilla and tangerine scent.

LYSTER was developed by professional makeup artist and hair stylist, Susanne Persson, based in Stockholm. Since 1995, Persson has worked with numerous fashion magazines, advertising agencies, actors/actresses, artists and models in Sweden and worldwide. While this break-through cream is Persson's first product, she plans to grow the brand to include other goodies currently missing in the beauty scene. LYSTER Cream Bronzer is free of paraben and mineral oil, and made of natural ingredients, so you can also feel good about wearing it. A new Hip Chick Zine favorite! For more information and to purchase, check out Manasimakeup.

Photo credits: Woman, FreeDigitalPhotos.com/PhotoStock. Cream, Joanna Tanger.