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World Cup for Novices

June 14, 2010 by

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Barely in it’s first week, the World Cup has taken the world by storm. Everywhere I look, it’s World Cup this and World Cup that. While at my local Chicago Starbucks this morning, I even spotted a man wearing a FIFA soccer jersey. That is saying quite a lot coming from a city that just won it’s first Stanley Cup in almost 50 years.

I won’t even pretend that I am a World Cup expert. I’m quite the opposite – a complete World Cup novice. Except for David Beckham and Pelé, I probably couldn’t tell you any other footballers that I know or have read about. Although I’m a newbie at soccer, it doesn’t mean that I don’t like to watch it. After all, have you seen those guys! I don’t understand how a girl is actually supposed to watch the games without being completely distracted by the players.

You don’t have to be a FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association for my fellow soccer/football novices) or even a soccer enthusiast to enjoy watching the World Cup. All you really need is the inside scoop to the schedule of matches, the favorites to win, and the World Cup lingo.

World Cup 2010 Schedule of Matches

With over 30 teams and what seems like endless match-ups in the Cup this year, it might be a little overwhelming to decide who to watch. Here’s a down and dirty list of the most popular matches coming up:

Most Popular World Cup 2010 Matches

*all times are Eastern

  1. Brazil vs. North Korea, June 15, 2:30 p.m.
  2. Spain vs. Switzerland, June 16, 10:00 a.m.
  3. France vs. Mexico, June 17, 2:30 p.m.
  4. United States vs. Algeria, June 23, 10 a.m.
  5. Ghana vs. Germany, June 23, 2:30 p.m.
  6. Netherlands vs. Cameroon, June 24, 2:30 p.m.
  7. Brazil vs. Portugal, June 25, 10 a.m.

You can find the full World Cup 2010 schedule and even watch some of the games live from South Africa on ESPN3.

Top 10 Favorites to Win World Cup 2010

If you want to appear at least half intelligent about FIFA football, you’ll need to know the favorites to win this year and the reasons behind their expected success. Despite David Beckham’s absence from the 2010 championship games (he’s injured ladies), England has a strong showing and makes the Top 10 List. But England will have a tough time beating out the true favorites. In most professional sports circles, you’ll find that Spain is the absolute favorite to win this year (apparently they have a flawless team), but Brazil is a close second, as always. Let’s see who else makes the cut…

  1. Spain
  2. Brazil
  3. Netherlands
  4. England
  5. Argentina
  6. Germany
  7. Italy
  8. France
  9. Ivory Coast
  10. Portugal

World Cup Slang

Finally, avoid feeling lost when you hear the words niggle, cheeky, or WAG, by brushing up on a few colorful World Cup words and phrases. The more you know the lingo, the less you will appear like a novice.

For more in depth details on the teams, players, or match ups at World Cup 2010, check out these very informative sites:

Ciao!

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Mediterranean Style Dining

June 7, 2010 by

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a lovely French bistro for dinner on Friday night, which was followed by a fabulous Spanish tapas dinner on Saturday. These meals, although quite different in flavor and presentation, were more similar than you might think. French and Spanish food may appear different at first glance, but they share many similarities. When you compare traditional French cuisine and dining style to Spanish tapas dining, you’ll find that they have strong Mediterranean influences:

Mediterranean Influences in French and Spanish Dining

  • Based on real, homemade food, not processed
  • Include much smaller portion sizes (at least by American standards)
  • Focus on eating in courses or “rounds” – not serving or ordering the next round/course until the first is finished
  • Promote slow eating, savoring eating bite
  • Include a mix of many flavors and foods
  • Emphasize food quality over quantity
  • Encourage socialization at the meal
  • Consider wine as an important part of the meal
  • Both cultures tend to eat their meals late in the evening (after 8 PM)

Tapas Dining At Home

I have been a fan of tapas-style eating for years. I love trying new tapas restaurants and cafes. And, when I can’t get out to a tapas restaurant, I try recreating that same tapas-style dining and overall Mediterranean feeling at home. Here’s how:

  • Eat on smaller dishes and change plates for eat course. Yes, it means more dishes, but that’s what dishwashers are for!
  • Serve your tapas in “courses” or rounds, where you serve 2-3 tapas at a time, allowing everyone to get a taste, before serving the next round
  • Serve a variety of tapas with different spices, flavorings, sauces, as well as other ingredients
  • Serve high quality (or at least decent) wine or sangria
  • Adapt meals that I love to a “tapas” version
  • Eat outside whenever possible!

Easy Tapas

Even if you’re a tapas novice or don’t have time to prepare intricate little dishes, think about how you can adapt your favorite dishes to make them tapas-style. For instance, we love tacos in our house. To make them tapas style, I use a round cookie cutter to make smaller flour tortillas, which means smaller holders/bites for the taco filling. Even soup can be made into a tapa when served in an espresso cup or small ramekin. If you’re still not sure how or what to serve as tapas, you can’t go wrong with these standard and very easy tapas, many of which take very little preparation:

  1. Cheeses – all kinds, from soft to hard, and stinky to non – served with crusty bread
  2. Small sausages – roasted, and screwed with roasted veggies
  3. Olives or olive tapenade – spread on flatbreads
  4. Homemade dips – served with crostini or raw veggies
  5. Nuts and Mediterranean style fruit – grapes, figs, and dates make great choices
  6. Anything stuffed – little bell peppers, olives, cherry or roma tomatoes, mini artichokes, mushrooms, dates, grape leaves, etc. stuffed with flavored rice, cheese, or ground spicy meat, etc.

Time for Tapas! Ciao!

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They Came From Royalty

May 31, 2010 by

Bonjour and Happy Memorial Day! This weekend I had a lovely time visiting with family in the beautiful state of Michigan. The weekend was full of eating, reminiscing, and a few surprises, including a few presents!

My gifts included a lovely tea-for-one butterfly teapot and saucer – a birthday gift from my sister –  and a collector’s edition magazine – The Royals – a Mother’s Day gift from my mother. There’s no need to explain my love for teapots – anyone who has been following me knows I love them. However, the magazine may leave you a bit confused.

The Royals magazine, published by Time Inc., gives a glimpse into the lives and loves of royal families around the world – particularly the British Royal Family. Although I was very young when Lady Diana and Prince Charles were married, I remember watching the wedding on television. I was amazed at how many people attended the wedding and how long Diana’s train was for her dress. From then on, I was fascinated with the British Royals. So, when Princess Diana died, my mom bought me a book about Diana’s life and a collector’s edition CD of Elton John’s song for Diana. About six months after her death, I was able to travel to London and actually saw the numerous bouquets of flowers, still at the gates of Kensington Palace, left by Diana fans and mourners. Diana may be gone, but the Royal Family lives on.

Although the magazine seems to focus on the British Royal Family, it does spotlight several other prominent royal couples and royal figures, including:

  • Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco
  • Prince Naruhito and Masako Owada
  • Queen Rania of Jordan
  • Crown Princess Letizia of Spain
  • Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden

Even if you’re not a fan of the Royal Families, the pictures are worth a look – if not for the dresses/fashion then definitely for the candids of Princes William and Harry. At the very least, the photos and stories will remind us how wonderful having a “normal” life can be.

Ciao!

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Decorate Like a French Girl

May 27, 2010 by

In her book, Entre Nous: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl, author Debra Ollivier reveals the many secrets of French women, including her sense of style. But Ollivier doesn’t just give insight into the French woman’s closet, she extends her knowledge of French style to decorating all around home.

She explains that a French woman’s style is not one thing, but many things – a layered look, if you will. However, when you delve deeper into the heart of a French woman’s apartment, you will invariably notice decorating influences that reflect her distinct taste- the style that makes her who she is:

  • The Classic French Girl – She prefers old world French style – the kind of kings, queens, and aristocrats. She swoons over a plush arm chair or revels in a new tapestry or oriental rug. And, of course, her scheme would not be complete without hard wood floors and rich, dark, and elegantly colored walls.
  • The Chic French Girl– She is modern, practical, sophisticated, and has an eye on the future. She has the quintessential Parisian apartment, where less is definitely more, due, in most part, to space, and the fact that apartments in Paris are so expensive they must decorate on a smaller budget. Although, when she does select a few simple but striking pieces, she opts for black and white accents.
  • The Bohemian French Girl – Mismatched, artsy, and eclectic would describe this French girl well. She takes the anything goes approach to life and style. She may pepper her abode with vintage flea market finds or pieces of significance collected on her travels.
  • The Provincial Girl – This country girl prefers authentic, natural items to store-bought pieces. Baskets, handmade pottery, and dried flowers are her staples of style. This down home decor is often accompanied by the smell of freshly-made bread or herbs just picked from the garden.

What’s my style? Well, I have classic furniture – a large dark, fluffy, oversized sofa, dark hardwood floors and tables, etc. However, I’m not must for kitsch, so I keep decorations to a minimum, and mostly use candles when I do. Simple, sufficient, chic. As for dishware, I have your standard full set of china as well as a full set of French country everyday dishware, yet my other accent dishes/glasses, are a mish mash of things I’ve found over the years. As you can see, I’m not completely classic nor am I all bohemian or provincial. I consider my style a mix of all of these. It’s a style all my own – a layered style – and I like to call it Bistro Chic!

So, what’s your French decorating style?

Ciao!

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Sexiest European Cities

March 18, 2010 by

The Sunday Times Travel Magazine just released its picks for the top 12 Sexiest Cities in the World. Europe leads the pack with 8 cities on the list. So what makes these European cities sexy? Let’s take a look…

Rome tops the list as the world's sexiest city.

Europe’s Sexiest Cities

  1. Rome – Spanish Steps, gladiators, romantic art, and, not to mention, plentiful Italian men, help put this city on top of the sexy list.
  2. Bath – I’ve been to Bath, England, and have to say, I did not find it very sexy. Although, it was quite romantic with its Roman Baths and Jane Austen-era architecture.
  3. London – You can’t go wrong with Shakespeare and his romantic plays, and, of course, sexy British accents.
  4. Berlin – Smoking in bars? Not sexy. Staying up all night dancing, very sexy!
  5. Paris – Who needs the Eiffel Tower or French kissing? Let’s face it, a croissant is sexy in Paris.
  6. St. Petersburg – The cold, cold winters encourage lots of cuddling and vodka drinking, what’s not sexy about that?
  7. Seville – Spanish flamenco dancing and late-night tapas bars keep this city steaming all year long.
  8. Stockholm – Home of beautiful waterways, IKEA, and ABBA. Sexy? Obviously.

Want to see the other four cities that made the list? Check out the full sexy article at the Times online.

Ciao!

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