(Photo courtesy: www.photos8.com)

Please make sure to check out the new

"TIDY SOUL FILMS"

We're online:

www.tidysoulfilms.com

On Twitter:

http://twitter.com/tidysoulfilms/

And on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tidy-Soul-Films/140522289344183

Thank you!

Super Bowl YumDay

Low-key Super Bowl at home with just Patrick and the Pug. This is what happens when I decide to sit down and watch the Food Network:

Chicken Adobo, Corn bread with green chili and corn, and black bean and citrus salad:

Now... wait until you see dessert! Next post...

H & M Mania Hits Portland - Anita Kissee

The retail giant, H&M, finally comes to Portland. If you're thinking, "H and what?" Anita Kissee explains the reason behind the hype. November 2010. Story courtesy of KATU-TV. www.katu.com ;www.anitakissee.com

Low-fat Coconut Mango Rice Pudding

It's unhealthy, but I must confess my obsession with Rice Pudding. That sweet, creamy goodness... cold, hot... it doesn't matter - I want it!

A friend recently rekindled that devotion by taking me to "Pudding on the Rice" in Southwest Portland. Despite my resistance to fat these days, I gave in and tried it. And I didn't just go for the basic... NO! I had to go for the fat gold: coconut rice pudding. Top it with a dollop of tart frozen yogurt... and you now know where I'll be sneaking on my lunch break.

To ensure that the new bikini fits by the END of the summer, I'm attempting to master my own LOW-FAT version. Coconut and low-fat may be an oxymoron, but I choose to believe they don't have to be. So, here's my LOWER in fat recipe:

Low-fat Coconut Mango Rice Pudding:

1.5 cups - Jasmine Rice

2 cans - Low-fat Coconut Milk

1 can - Fat-free Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 cup - Fat-free Milk (Plus more to keep creamy while cooking)

3 Tbs. - Coconut Extract (Plus more to suit your taste)

1 Tbs. - Vanilla

1 tsp. - Cinnamon

2 tsp. - Ginger

Pinch - Salt

2.5 cups - Sweetened Coconut

1.5 cups - Mango (Fresh or Frozen)

Lime (optional)

Combine rice, 1 cup of water and one can of low-fat Coconut Milk. Cook on med-high until it bubbles. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes.

Toast 1 cup of coconut in the oven. Cool.

Add remaining can of Coconut Milk, Sweetened Condensed Milk, 1 cup of milk, vanilla, coconut extract, spices and salt. Simmer on low 30 minutes, adding more milk as needed to keep creamy. Stir often so it doesn't stick. (I ended up adding an additional cup of milk because I like my rice pudding very creamy.) About 15 minutes in, add the remaining uncooked coconut.

Chop mango and add, cooking rice another three minutes - just long enough to soften the fruit. Add a touch of fresh lime juice. (I added the juice from one-half of a lime. It really perks up the flavor.)

Top with toasted coconut and DEVOUR!

Assuming you can divide this in to ten servings and not eat it all yourself --

Nutritional Information: Calories - 365, Fat - 8 g, Carbs - 63 g, Fiber - 4 g, Protein - 8 g

PLEASE, LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF THE RECIPE - IMPROVEMENTS, ADDITIONS, REDUCED CALORIE IDEAS, ETC.

Emmy Nominations 2010 - Anita Kissee

A collection of Emmy Nominated stories for 2010

Category: Politics/Government

All stories for KATU-TV in Portland, OR

Photographers - Sean Estes and Michael Brandenberger

Using a Pattern

Ok - can I say it? I'm so proud of myself!

I'm not trying to sound egotistical, just amazed I finally completed my first sewing project using... wait for it... A PATTERN!

The most difficult part was understanding the language - a call to CraftyMom helped with that.

Cutting straight lines and sewing straight lines - also a challenge.

From this distance - not bad! Just don't inspect my seams too closely.

Feeling Crafty

Gray skies are deterring me from the ambitious hike in the Gorge I intended to take on this Sunday. Instead, I think I'll actually SEW with this fabric I recently purchased, rather than just admire it. I have a horrible habit of buying everything I need to complete a project, only to have it sit a in box for a year. In a dream world, I would pick fabric combinations and someone else would do the tedious work to make my vision a reality.

Now... where is that sewing machine?

Oh yes... as usual and per request... these will be aprons. But - these aprons are not the usual you've seen from me. Just wait and see....

Learn to Dragon Boat Race

Doesn't this look exciting! Wouldn't you like to try it?

Come out and try dragon boating with my team, The Castaways!

We're having a free paddling clinic THIS SATURDAY.

You can come learn the stroke and spend a sunny morning on the Willamette River.

The best part - not only is the clinic free, but you get six weeks of free paddling, and your first race in Olympia next month is FREE!

The clinic starts @ 9 a.m. at RiverPlace in Southwest Portland. We meet by the flagpole.

See ya on the water.

Why I've Been Away... Again

(Photo taken by Jewel Images, Julia Radlick)

After reviewing my wordpress attempt at a website/online portfolio that I threw together while in graduate school and shooting/editing/writing a documentary...

I decided it was time for an upgrade.

Check it out - let me know what you think.

www.anitakissee.com

Eventually, the videos will be embedding on the actual website.

I really enjoyed making it, but man! It was a time suck!

(And if you don't have flash - you can always go back to:

www.anitakissee.wordpress.com)

Wondering Where I Have Been Lately?

Here:

And here:

Prague and Vienna!

Yes - It was frigid - the coldest winter in 13 years.

But she who is in Europe even in January - shall not complain.

More pictures and details to come...

including from the wacky and wild Cyclocross World Championship!

He's NOT sewing

Would you look at that.

Someone is fixing his own darn jacket... the one he begged me to mend for two months.

BUT -

Don't you dare say he is "sewing."

OH NO!

PatrickinPortland is "mending."

I think he might have enjoyed this exercise a bit to much.

The next post will likely be on me fighting him for sewing/mending machine time.

(Note his concentration.)

Back at it

After a 17 month hiatus due to graduate school and laziness... wait for it...

The sewing machine was brought back out!

Partly under pressure from PatrickinPortland in order to fix something for him, and partly out of a craving to do something creative, I drug the machine down off the shelf, dusted it off and set out to remind myself how to use it. The methodical sound of the stitching was, in a way, soothing as I set out to make one of the few things I know how: an apron.

I think I'll finally keep this one. It goes against my nature of wanting to share them, but seeing as this was my first one in a while and it's not quite perfect... I can't stand to give it away. I'm working on another one now with... get this... a pattern! I've never used one of those things before! I don't cut in straight lines so, we'll see how that goes.

December Day

After too much Christmas Eve Morn brunch... PatrickinPortland suggested a quick hike.


With the largest city park right in our backyard, we set out on a brisk walk. The colors, even slightly muted by the bright sunlight, were so eye-catching I couldn't help but try to capture them. The pictures just don't do this gorgeous, chilly December day justice.

The "Madmen" Me

We're in the Newspaper!!!

I don't remember posing for this!

Honestly - it could not be more accurate!

I spend my Sundays with these crazy people.

One word:

Cyclocross

Catching Up!

So... thanks to facebook and twitter, I seem to have been ignoring the blog.

The Chic Chick has been a bit busy these days... no time to craft.

I have cooked a few delicious items over the last few weeks... here's a quick catch up.

Comment if you want the recipes:

Stuffed Winter Squash:

Potato Latkes:

Pecan Cinnamon Rolls:
Homemade Biscuit Sandwich:
Fresh Blueberry Pie:
Spicy Asian Citrus Salmon:

Shout Out

2009 M.A. alumni from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

We've launched a blog to highlight some of our work.

www.columbiaMA2009.blogspot.com

Please bookmark and check from time to read/watch solid journalism from around the world.

Always impressed by them.

Across America Redux: South Dakota

By the time we made it through North Dakota and in to the South one... we were bored.

The eastern part of the state offers a dismal view of vastness.  1880 did provide a bit of inspiration.  We're planning to build 1980 town across the way as competition.  Trust me... 1980 is waaaaayyyy cooler!

I will say South Dakota impressed us the closer we go toward the West.  The Badlands National Park was never on my "must-see" list.  Boy - was I wrong.  Have YOU seen it?  WOW!

Numerous friends said, "Oh!  You have to go to Wall Drug Store!"

The only place in the country where you have your choice of Jackalope paraphernalia: 

And this type of "art?"

Enough of that... and on to this:

Even with the sun in the absolute worst spot... the view was impressive.

Across America Redux: Final Stretch

Racing a nearing empty tank, grumbling stomachs and fading daylight... we ventured off the highway to see the infamous Devil's Tower in Wyoming.  This was as close as we chose to get.  Trust me - it's still quite far away, but quite impressive.

The next morning we ventured in to Yellowstone National Park for some incredible and eye-popping scenery.

Leave it to me to make a poor shoe decision.  While it was almost June... I forgot we were in the MOUNTAINS!  Note the snow:

FINALLY - a BUFFALO!!!! We waited three states to see this!

Sigmund - not too impressed.

Until we got to the Teton National Park.  Unbelievable.  It takes a lot to put me in awe... this was it.  They shoot straight up out of nowhere.  We had to pull over because PDX2NYC Photog and I couldn't take our eyes off of them.

3,600+ miles later: HOME.

This is 14 states worth of bugs...

And my entire NYC apartment (minus furniture) in the back to unpack.