First,  I have to give a HUGE thank you to all of the wonderful friends, colleagues, bloggers,  sponsors, and just all around great companies and people who have been there for me over the past few months interjecting life and vitality into TheLadyinRedBlog while I’ve been packing, moving, unpacking and getting myself into gear again.  They believe in me as much as I believe in them, and I believe in all of you who stay with me on this spicy journey!

In the spirit of saying “Thank you”, we’ve got one more great giveaway for you guys before this blogger starts it up full force again and is back to business.  Oh yeah – rumor has it Chef Jeff is concentrating on something in the kitchen, too, so Emergency Eats will make a comeback with its usual tantalizing tastiness!

Speaking of food, we’ve got a copy of Tastosterone up for grabs guys! What’s Tastosterone?  Well, it’s not some hormone hyped-up supercharged athletic improvement enabler.  Instead, the author, Debra Levy Picard, would like to think of it as a cookbook for men – and not just a cookbook for men, but the best cookbook out there for all males.  Don’t just take her word for it, Bobby Flay thinks it’s “a really creative cookbook encouraging men to get cooking at home…” too!

Oh heck, I’m gonna go a step further and say that women can take a peek at it too!  As a matter of fact, that’s what intrigued me about this cookbook – it was like the forbidden fruit for girls so I had to see what it was all about.

What’s so great about this collection of recipes is that there are ones that highlight the simplicity of good cooking, for example, with step by step garlic bread, scrambled eggs, or bacon, and you can get fancier by serving up orange chicken or sole almondine.

Of course, it highlights very manly meals like chicken wings, football fare like Kefka lamb meatballs, and yes, there really is a recipe for Man Quiche.  You’ve got to check that one out!

In my opinion, the best chefs are still men.  It’s true.  Think about all of the renowned Michelin-starred restaurants, or some of your favorite eateries – chances are – the recipes are inspired by men, the food is prepared by men, or well, men just run the joint.  This has nothing to do with sexism or a male-dominated industry.  Some things in life just are the way they are. That’s not to say that women aren’t completely capable of tempting your taste buds, too!  They are!  We just approach cooking in a different way, I think, while men just have this innate talent for perfecting meals that make your mouth go  “Mmmmm!”

I’ll give you an example.  My brother and I can make my mother’s recipe for a Thanksgiving turkey, side by side, starting out with the same size bird, same ingredients, and for some reason his will be a tad juicier, or have a bit more crispy skin. Why?  I don’t know.  Maybe he bonds with food better!  Hah!  But I’ll still go head to head with him in the kitchen any day! 

Back to the book….

Picard takes some of her culinary skills and spotlights them in Tastosterone, and shares with you some family recipes, too.  She wants to get men (of all ages) cooking in the kitchen and not be intimidated by the tools and tricks.  Many men (and I’m finding many women, too) have relied too long on the boxed frozen dinner companies to provide them with uniform, aged, chemical-laden, preservative-ridden foods for too long.  There’s a reason why when you taste something homemade from scratch you are wowed!  It’s time to definitely get back to the basics and take a few minutes to prepare something that doesn’t just fill you up, but makes you feel fully satisfied from the first time you place a delicious forkful in your mouth. Anyone can make great food without great effort.  It’s true!  What makes her recipes even easier to follow is that there are mouth watering photographs of every meal so you know if something “looks” right as you go.

The way Picard included the basics of making guacamole or French toast makes her book less intimidating than many published by restaurateurs.  You don’t need to be a CIA graduate to appreciate the simple goodness she features with photography, and your execution of the simple steps she outlines.

Recent generations have lost the important skill of cooking for themselves.  It’s sad but true.  To many people, cooking means picking up a pre-made roast chicken at the supermarket, and reheating it along side some frozen packaged veggies in a corporately designed sauce. While that’s ok in a pinch, there’s a lot to be appreciated from a personal standpoint when you know what to do with all of the amazing fresh and sometimes local produce available to you.  As a bonus, you’ll be able to season and prepare meals to your own tastes, too, if you just grab on to the basics - and as Picard calls them the “triple T’s” – tools, technique, and time.

So to inspire all of my culinary artists out there, inBLOOM Communications in collaboration with author Debra Levy Picard, is giving away a copy of Tastosterone: The Best Cookbook for Men, on TheLadyinRedBlog. So get all “souped” up, and inspired to create some red, hot cuisine.  Maybe you will be the lucky chef who walks away with this delicious prize!

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This may be the most exciting collaboration TheLadyinRed has done to date.  You know her love of red hot fashion, gorgeous shoes, and fab handbags!  Well, this is what happens when a luxury leather goods company meets style, plays a little on the color red, and hands over a handbag to a gal to take out on the town and all around.  Meet 7Street’s California creations, inspired by photos taken of graffiti art from around the world, featuring the brilliant colors red, white, black, and turquoise.  What makes fashion fun is being the first to break the news and show off the latest trends for what's about to hit the big time - and that's what TheLadyinRed excels at with fun, food, fashion, entertainment, and art in a big way - so check this out.

Designer Susan Hugo creates an urban chic line of handbags that are casual enough to compliment jeans, yet classy enough to show off with more formal attire.

“As far as my color choice, I think that both red and turquoise are the perfect accent colors since they both look great with black and neutrals. They are complimentary colors so they hang well together and both pop and catch your eye,” says Hugo.

And she’s right.  While I test drove, walked, and fluttered about the state with my 7Street Zip-Swirl in red (of course), I didn’t feel the need to swap out bags for a second.  The swirls of black and white went with my neutrals, the red accentuated my wardrobe, and at times gave it a color “pop”, and there is even a touch of cool colored magenta seamlessly and artistically blended in the bag that works with my brighter, bolder fashions. The West Coast vibe translated easily into East Coast urban as passersby looked at my leather wristlet and it caught their attention.  It’s different.  It’s bold yet blendable into any wardrobe.  It’s portable, exciting, and you’ll just love the way the soft leather feels between your fingers.

Beyond color, which I must admit I love showing off my signature red in a beautiful bag, the silver hardware is bold, yet elegant, with the wristlet chain that has a nice weight to it.  The zipper is anything but wimpy, which allows your fingers a good grasp.  And – 7Street didn’t miss the mark as many designers do – both the side slit and the inner zipper pouch comfortably hold a cell phone without wedging it in. (One of my pet peeves is paying for a purse, and then you don’t have a single place to put your smart phone!  My iPhone now loves its new 7Street home!)

Sometimes I want something small enough to hold my essentials without it weighing me down.  The “Swirl” accomplishes that.  I can comfortably tuck in some cash, credit cards, a small mirror, a lip gloss, my phone, and I’m good to go.  It’s bigger than a wallet, but smaller than a purse.  There are enough compartments to separate everything in an organized way so you don’t have to fumble, stumble, and search for something.

Hugo’s premiere collection launched in 2013 and is unique in concept because it relies on the photographic and painted artistry of others.  Her husband took photos of original street art during their global travels.  These were then incorporated into the eclectic design of the handbags.  There’s a style and graphic print suitable for everyone.  Some may prefer the Cross Body Zips in either black/turquoise or a vibrant red/natural look.  They sport leather and silver chain shoulder straps that are adjustable depending on your mood and outfit.  Then there are the Zip Wallets that you can just grab and go as a wristlet or a conversation-piece clutch.  Leather linings range from bold black, to red, or turquoise depending on the featured graphic.  If you want something more “hands on”, there’s the selection of Mini Zip Wallets that are just a tiny bit more petite, so you can slip one into a coat pocket or even deposit it in a bigger bag if you need to.

7Street stands apart from other fashion houses with its artistic prints and elegant yet bold designs.  Soon you will see their bags sweeping across the landscape at the hands of many glam gals – and you can get yours – now…with a little luck.

TheLadyinRed and 7Street are giving away one 7Street Mini Zip-Kiss to one TheLadyinRedBlog reader!  Of course, it’s in TheLadyinRed’s signature color – red.  The richness of the red leather, lining an exterior touched by a red lipstick kiss, will become the focal point of any ensemble.  Flip it over for a bold solid black star making a statement against the speckled white leather and vibrant crimson edge.

These bags by 7Street are the ultimate accessory for any gal on the go that wants to look good, loves quality, and isn’t afraid to stand out in a crowd.  Go bold and check out the premiere trendy collection on 7Street’s website.  You might just find the 2014 stylish wardrobe refresher you’ve been searching for. 

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