Oh, Did We Come Together: The Broke Socialite Helps Macy's Fight Hunger

Hi y'all!

How are you?

I've missed you, sure enough.  I've been busier than a one-legged woman in a butt kicking contest.  Not too busy for a cause, though.  The folks at Macy's asked The Broke Socialite to host a dinner party to bring awareness to and discuss the real issue of hunger and the 10 million people who are dealing with it each and every day.  For the majority of this month, Macy's 'Come Together' initiative has utilized an array of media to educate us all and raise money. Today is the last day you can go to Macy's and make a donation to Feed America. You can also use this link.

Instead of spending an exhorbitant amount of money on food (I just couldn't), I thought it might be a good idea to put a TBS spin on said soiree.  I opted to host a brunch and each attendee made a donation to the cause.  For less than $50, I created a simple menu for 6:

• Southern Fried Chicken
• Waffles (thank you to our short order chef, Christie Crowder)
• Scalloped Potatoes
• Three Berry Fruit Salad
• Juices
• Coffee

In addition to myself, Christie and The Boy (of course), Joan of All Trades, The Fabulous Do-Gooder and my friend, Denise enjoyed the fellowship.  "A Good Time Was Had By All" was an understatement. Brunch began at 1 PM and didn't wrap up until 6 PM.  TBS throws a great party.  I've included recipes for my menu.

TBS's "Macy's Come Together" Brunch Setting

What are your favorite brunch dishes?

5 Things To Do With A Can Of Tuna

I'm not too high-falutin' to eat canned tuna and am always looking for a way to incorporate inexpensive items into my meal planning (read: meal scrambling).

Check out bon appetit's blog post that offers ideas for this pantry staple.

Have you any tuna recipe ideas to share?

Rain, Rain Go Away: The Perfect Time To Try A New Dish!

You've likely heard about the unfortunate flooding in Atlanta that occured over the past few days. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before. If my math and recollection are correct, it rained for nearly a week straight. Typically rain doesn't bother me; I've lived in Seattle before for Pete's sake. Last Saturday, I actually began to feel a little blue. I watched TV, lounged around, cat-napped...you name it...but I still couldn't shake my funk.

As I flipped through a stack of magazines, I came across a recipe for pozole in the October issue of Real Simple magazine. So off to the market I went to get the ingredients for supper. Doing so actually took my mind off of the weather and gave me a sense of purpose for the day.

I was suprised to realize that the preparation and cooking time wasn't very long. Before long, we were enjoying our individual bowls of goodness. Mr TBS and The Boy loved it...but what don't they love?

Here is the recipe. Very simple. Real Simple (wink) annnnndddd very inexpensive. I've posted pictures of my version above.

Have you tried any new recipes lately? What do you do when you're held hostage by a rainy day?

I Scream, You Scream...

...we all scream for cocktail popsicles. I didn't mean to throw you off, Lovelies!

I stumbled upon this delightful recipe for Bellini pops....the latest rage in adult beverages. For about $10, you can whip up approximately 10 popsicles. Try your local Dollar Tree, Dollar General, et al for popsicle molds. Or you can go old school and use wax-lined paper cups and craft/popsicle sticks. Here's the recipe:

16 to 18 oz. ripe peaches (about 4 medium), peeled, pitted, and chopped

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2-1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 cups Prosecco

Stir the peaches, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Most of the peaches will have broken down, with some softened chunks remaining.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the Prosecco and blend briefly to incorporate it. Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until cold.
Divide the mixture among ten 3-ounce pop molds or wax-lined paper cups and freeze until just barely set, about 1-1/2 hours. Insert craft sticks and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours more. When ready to serve, unmold or peel off the paper cups.

I promise you...these will be a hit in the heat of summer. Come back and let me know.

What's YOUR favorite cocktail?

15 Recipes in 15 Minutes! Even YOU Can Do That!

If you haven't already, pick up the June issue of bon appetit magazine. In addition to a wonderful recipe for shrimp enchiladas that I must try, I so enjoyed a story which highlights '15 meals in 15 minutes'.

God only knows how much help I need with time preservation these days. It's really been crazy, y'all. My life seems to become crazier and crazier by the day. I'm trying to figure it out...how do I juggle it all?! I've even recently begun to think about giving up the blog (gasp!)...sad but so.

Until I decide what I'm gonna do with myself, I'm trying to cut corners.

When I saw this story, I reveled in the possibilities. I think the herbed chicken with blue cheese might be an entree that I'd like to take a stab toward soon!

So...from me to you! Consider these ideas when you're shopping this weekend for next week's meals. A bonus: the ingredients in most all of these dishes aren't that expensive.

What is YOUR quick go-to meal?

Photo credit: bon appetit

Recipes Via Twitter...Really.

I was reading the New York Times and came upon this story about a delightful woman who tweets recipes....all in 140 characters or less. Can you imagine that?! A tweet-a-holic like me is getting nervous twitches as I even think about it. The meals serve 3-4 and vary based on cuisine-type and such.

Check the link: twitter.com/cookbook

Here is an example of a recipe:

Saffron Asparagus Orzo: brwn c orzo/T butter/garlic; +.25t saffron&s+p/2.5c broth. Cvr@low9m; +2c asparagus3m. Fold+8T parmesan. Srv w parm.

Do you use Twitter? If so, what types of things do you tweet? If not, why? Aren't I nosey?

Photo credit: The New York Times

If You Don't Get Another Cookbook in 2009...

I've probably had this cookbook for almost 2 years and I continue to sing its praises. Real Life Entertaining: Easy Recipes and Unconventional Wisdom is a compilation of several budget-friendly recipes, tips and tricks from Jennifer Rubell, a contributor to Domino magazine.

As I pondered my New Year's Eve menu, I whipped it out and had forgotten how much fun and witty it is. The last time I menu that I cooked from it included shrimp, mini-corn on the cobs (both seasoned to perfection) and a papaya salad. I love that it's so easy. You should pick up a copy this year. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Amazon has copies for less than $10.