Contouring can be a great way to enhance your facial features. If you use the right products and techniques, you will be amazed with the results. I use both a cream-based and a powder-based palette. Anastasia of Beverly Hills makes the perfect cream contour palette while Smashbox has a wonderful powder-based kit.
Very excited to be back on FOX 46 Good Day Charlotte with Peter Carey from PAC public relations, and Fashion D’ Lux Peter and I were featured in two segments. One to highlight poolside bites, and the other to highlight poolside fashion, while promoting Fashion D’Lux’s Fashion Industry Night on July 30th.
Peter and I make a tremendous team! We have so much fun working together. He has a great eye for fashion, and is a great partner. Together, Peter and I, courtesy of Nordstrom Southpark styled the models for our fashion show. The models were courtesy of Bridge Talent Group and Laura Starling.
We had so much fun at the Show! Thank you Felicia Lawrence and the cast and crew of FOX 46. My two-piece outfit came from Vestique in Blakeney. Check them out!
Thank you to Ben Clark for capturing these moments.
Peter Carey from PAC Public Relations and I had another great segment on Charlotte’s Fox 46 Good Day Charlotte in October featuring our top three restaurants in Charlotte with great patios for fall dining. What three restaurants made our list. You can view the segment here:
A few months ago, I was asked to head up the Culinary Creations column for a new magazine, Lake Norman Lifestyle Magazine. The magazine was brought to life by two of my very dear friends, Peter Carey and Josh Anglero of PAC Public Relations.
Growing up in the Pittsburgh area, fresh seafood was not always readily available. My Mother used to make these with patties with canned salmon…I decided to elevate this dish with all fresh ingredients. Wow…what a difference. So grab a beautiful piece of Scottish Salmon at your local fish market, or if you are local…visit The Carolina Fish & Food Market to get the freshest salmon in Charlotte.
Start by soaking about three slices of bread (cut into tiny cubes) in enough heavy whipping cream just to cover the bread. Allow to soak for about 20 minutes. In the meantime, dice up about 1/2 of a small white onion.
I’m typically not much of a honey lover. However, I happened upon this spicy version of honey at Magnolia Emporium a few months ago called MIke’s Hot Honey. I used it in a shrimp recipe that received rave reviews. I decided to see what I could create with chicken. Keep in mind you could substitute the chicken with shrimp, pork, salmon or even beef.
Start by creating a marinade for your chicken…I used organic chicken tenders that I cut into pieces. In a bowl, combine 3 TBLS of Mike’s Hot Honey, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 to 3 TBLS of paprika, a few dashes of hot pepper flakes, 3 to 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 TBLS of orange blossom honey, the juice of one lemon, and salt/pepper. Add the chicken and allow to marinate for an hour or longer, if you have the time.
While the chicken is marinating, prepare you favorite rice. I used Jasmine rice for this recipe. Next, take about 3/4 pound of fresh green beans, cut off ends and chop into 1″ pieces. When chicken is ready, heat a cast iron skillet to medium high with about 1 tsp of coconut oil. Add the green beans and sear for about 4 minutes. They should turn slightly golden brown, but still have that snap. Remove green beans and reserve. To the same pan, add about 1 Cup of walnuts and brown for about a minute…be sure to watch these carefully and keep stirring. Nuts can burn easily. Remove nuts from pan and reserve with the green beans.
Once the walnuts have been removed, add the chicken with the marinade to the cast iron skillet and brown until chicken is fully cooked and marinade has carmelized. This should take about 6 to 8 minutes.
Once chicken is fully cooked, add back the green beans and walnuts…toss to heat through and serve on top of your cooked rice and ENJOY!
I was so very honored and grateful to become a member of Boardroom Advisory Group, LLC this past week. As quoted on their website, “Boardroom Advisory Group, LLC is a global, independent advisor network of CXO’s, business owners, and industry leaders specializing in a wide array of business disciplines who share a core focus; provide customers with innovative, comprehensive and high-quality solutions at a level of service exceeding expectations.” Take a moment and visit their website to learn more about how you can become part of this amazing network.
I received my MBA from Waynesburg University in 1995 and had a lengthy 16-year career at Waynesburg University as an Accounting Professor.
I launched my own company, Charlotte Fashion Plate in September of 2015 to showcase my passion for both fashion and food. I am very pleased by its success and strive on a daily basis to build my brand. The work is very rewarding and fun. I keep my focus positive and love the relationships I have built with my fellow entrepreneurs, local businesses, and social media followers.
Thanks to Steve Driben of Boardroom Advisory Group, LLC , for the fabulous profile highlighting my career and for believing in me and my company and the direction I am heading in the future.
My Executive Profile is available by clicking here.
One of my favorite dishes to order at any Italian restaurant…Chicken Parmigiana. You may think this is a difficult and time-consuming recipe to prepare. It is not…in just a little over 30 minutes, you will have a juicy and crunchy chicken parmigiana recipe that you will want to prepare again and again. Feel free to substitute veal or even shrimp. You will love this recipe I created!
I have to admit that I do take one very little short cut…I typically do not make my own marinara. I have found two that I love and are just as good as homemade. I combine a small container of Pasta & Provisions Marinara Sauce (can be purchased at The Carolina Fish and Food Market or at any Pasta & Provisions locations) with 1/2 jar of Mario Batali’s Marinara Sauce and a touch of olive oil in a saucepan and heat to medium-low.
Take two boneless chicken breasts and pound evenly to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch. Season with salt/pepper. In a freezer bag, add 1 Cup of flour and season with salt/pepper. In a bowl, beat two eggs with 1 TBLS of milk. In a separate bowl, combine 2 Cups of seasoned breadcrumbs with 1/2 Cup of Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 Cup of rice flour (the rice flour makes the chicken super crunchy and allows the chicken to stand up to the sauce).
Heat to medium-high enough canola oil in a nonstick frying pan just to cover about 1/2 the thickness of the chicken breast. Place the chicken breasts in the flour, zip and shake to coat. Take one piece of chicken out of the bag, shake off any excess flour and place in egg mixture. Coat both sides then dip in the breadcrumb mixture…be sure to cover both sides. I typically double-dip. Add the breaded chicken back to the egg mixture then back in to the breadcrumbs. Repeat the steps above with the second piece of chicken.
Add to heated oil and flip when one side turns golden brown. Once both sides are browned, place on paper towels to remove any excess oil. Prepare a glass baking dish by spraying with nonstick spray and add a thin layer of the heated marinara to the bottom. Place chicken in dish and cover each piece with a generous amount of sliced provolone cheese. Top the cheese with additional sauce. Cover and bake on 350 for about 10-12 minutes. Uncover and allow cheese to brown…about another 5 minutes…2 minutes if you turn on the broiler. Top with chiffonades of basil. Serve with your favorite pasta mixed with the remaining marinara…I usually add a touch of heavy cream to the remaining sauce just for an added richness. Serve and Enjoy!
For me, Thanksgiving comes only once a year. So, when I prepare the meal, I take very few short cuts. Gravy, to me, has to be rich and thick and definitely homemade. You can prepare this recipe the day before and finish right before you serve. After you taste this gravy, you will wonder why you ever bought gravy from a jar. Thanks to my Momma!
In your local grocery store, search for either turkey thighs, wings, legs or a combination thereof. I used turkey thighs for this recipe. Heat to a medium high, 2 TBLS of butter and a TBLS of olive oil in a pan. Season your turkey thighs with salt/pepper on both sides. Dredge the thighs in a dusting of flour and add to the pan.
Turkey thighs…
Brown both sides very well. Be sure not to burn. When turkey has browned, add 1/2 box of turkey or chicken stock. I used turkey stock. Start scraping the browned bits then turn heat down to medium to medium low. Add about 4 whole stalks of celery. Cover and allow to simmer for about an hour until the turkey is fully cooked. Check about half way through and add a touch more stock if needed.
Once the turkey is cooked, remove from pan along with the celery and discard. Strain the liquid through a wire strainer twice. I do this to ensure that no tiny bones are left in the gravy. Once strained, add liquid back into pan and scrap sides. In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry. Add about 2 TBLS of cornstarch to about 1 1/2 TBLS of liquid. I used turkey stock as my liquid.
Grab a whisk. Turn heat up to medium high and slowly pour the cornstarch slurry in a little bit at a time. You may not use the entire amount. Whisk really fast as you are pouring in the slurry, so as to avoid lumps. You will notice the gravy starting to thicken and become rich. Once the gravy has reached the desired consistency, no need to add more slurry. Go slow with the slurry and fast with the whisk and be patient. Turn off heat and serve with your homemade mashed potatoes and stuffing. If you want to prepare the day ahead, cool down mixture after turkey is cooked then place entire pot in fridge. In the morning, scrap off any excess fat, reheat, strain and follow up with the slurry.
Thanksgiving for me is typically the only time of year that I make this amazing stuffing recipe. This recipe was handed down to me from my Mother who still has the handwritten recipe from my Grandfather. Even though I never got to physically meet him, when I make this, it makes me feel nostalgic and close to him. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It is definitely an old school preparation and takes time to prepare, but it is so worth it in the end.
Start by browning one package of Jimmy Dean Sage Sausage. While the sausage is browning, you want to start toasting 1 and 1/2 loaves of white bread. I use a combination of the toaster and oven to speed up the process. Once the bread has been toasted, start pulling it apart into pieces in a large deep bowl.
Once the sausage has browned, remove from pan, drain any excess grease and place, in batches if you have to, in a food processor. Pulse only about three times to break up the sausage. Do not turn into a paste. Should looks something like this when you are done processing.
Cut three stalks of celery into tiny bits. I am all about knife cuts and tend to like my veggies, in this preparation, cut really small. Do the same with about 1/4 of a small white onion. Feel free to add more onion if you would like. I just do not like the onion flavor to overwhelm this dish. In the pan you browned the sausage, remove any remaining grease and add one stick of salted butter and the veggies. Allow to soften for about 5 to 8 minutes…do not brown.
Once the celery and onions have softened, add 2/3 of a box of stock to the pan. I use turkey stock, but feel free to use chicken or even vegetable stock. Allow to cook for a few minutes then add back the browned sausage. The mixture does not look that appealing at this point, but I promise you…it will be fantastic!
Add about 2 TBLS of dried parsley to the bowl with the toasted bread, then pour the stock mixture on top and start combining. The best way I have found to do this, is with your clean hands. Mixture should not be dry at this point…if it is just add a bit more stock and mix. Allow the mixture to cool just enough to add one beaten egg. Do not add the egg while it is too hot or it will scramble. Mix the egg into the mixture. You can then form into balls, place in buttered dish and bake on 375 for about 15 minutes and/or stuff your turkey. I usually make both for Thanksgiving!
Charlotte Fashion Plate 
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