The Get 'Em Girls' Guide to the Perfect Get-Together: Delicious Recipes to Delight Family and Friends

admin — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 17:31:00 +0000

By Shakara Bridgers, Jeniece Isley, Joan A. Davis

Once you get past the bright pink and purple cover with cartoonish women and the “you go girl” writing style of the introduction, The Get 'Em Girls' Guide to the Perfect Get-Together is actually a pretty good cooking and entertaining book. Confession: I’m a girl who actually does like pink, and entertaining, and cocktails with little pieces of fruit for garnish. I even like cartoons. However, I can’t help but be a little bit turned off by marketing that screams, “You have estrogen! You must love this!”

I decided to experiment with the entertaining menu concept, since the central theme of the book is simplifying the get-together so that you don’t have to agonize over what to serve. Being a huge fan of brunch (what’s not to like about getting up late and drinking mimosas?), I decided to host a small, late-morning party for a few friends using the “Meet the Family Sunday Brunch,” though I went with the “Meet Prince Charming” menu (out of three choices) because it featured grits, and being a Southern girl, I am a sucker for grits.

The full menu consisted of sweet potato waffles with honey butter, easy coffee cake muffins, and of course, the baked cheese grits. I was a little bit unsure about having muffins and waffles (won’t most people pick one or the other?), but both were a huge hit. The waffles were perfect—enough sweet potato flavor to be different, but enough like a waffle to qualify as real brunch fare. The muffins were crumbly and moist and sugary delicious. They were probably not super-healthy (hello butter, sugar, and shortening!), but worth the indulgence. And I practically finished the pan of cheesy grits myself.

The book is divided into chapters by type of social event, and is prefaced with some quick information about wine, decorating, and cleaning up. The chapters even have little tidbits of handy knowledge mixed in. (Hosting a poker night for the girls? Here’s a quick guide about cards.) I found most of the information useful, with the exception of the list of eight reasons to host a get-together. Assuming that I bought this book, I probably wouldn’t need too much convincing to have my friends over. Especially not for the reason number eight, “Last but not least—you are a Get ‘Em Girl!” I am?

I will definitely try more recipes from this book. In fact, when my friends saw the book on the counter at my brunch, they demanded another party featuring the key lime and chocolate martinis from the cocktail section at the back. My advice is to ignore the girly trappings and start cooking the tasty food (and drinks!). Your guests will keep coming back for more.

Written by: Jennifer Wedemeier, August 15th 2009

Chiconomics 101: The Fun, Fabulous Girls’ Guide to Making Smart Money Moves

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:15:00 +0000

By Debbie DiVito

Chiconomics 101 is a pink-themed, Cosmo-drinking ladies-geared blog about basic money management seemingly written by and for the twenty-something set of singles with less money to burn now that they have “real world” bills to pay. The blog bubbles with ideas perhaps not so novel or inventive for folks remotely experienced in the pinching of pennies—brown bagging lunch instead of eating out, visiting the local library instead of the local Barnes & Noble, making coffee instead of dropping dollars on store-bought lattes—but ultimately, from this feminist’s perspective, fizzles and falls flat.

Alongside standard tips for everyday things a “fun, fabulous girl” can do to save a few bucks, the blog also offers more substantial advice The tips are mostly geared toward someone thinking about these things for the first time; she could find some good starting pointers and helpful links to get started towards a financial goal. These posts were genuinely interesting, informative, and pertinent to some aspect of my current financial life. I learned what FICO stands for, what I could do to improve my credit score, and some solid alternatives to a basic savings account. I read comments from other women in my age group who also do their own taxes, along with some straightforward and helpful tips for how to be successful in, what most of us agree, is an overwhelming process.

It wasn’t the information I objected to—the information was great, if basic or limited at times—it was the delivery that was hard to stomach. There are dozens of other “Finance for Women” blogs out there, even of the “101” Introductory variety, that do it better—more sound advice, tips for saving, investment strategies—without the cloyingly fabulous “chiconomic” lingo exclusively employed on this blog.

Money-talk doesn’t have to sound like a Cosmo article to become magically appealing to women. Each concept need not be accompanied by a grating metaphor meant to bring it down to “our” level—(hetero)sex, high school cliques, cocktails, pop music, dieting, more sex. Here’s a fabulous thought: A women’s finance blog with straightforward advice, no gimmicks, no “girl talk,” no gratuitous comparisons, acknowledging the fact that many women do not get the financial education they need and deserve to make the most of what they earn. Chiconomics doesn’t stack up.

Written by: Kelly Moritz, June 19th 2009