Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist's Blog – July 2009 Archive (11)

Putting On My Apron at Apron's: Week Two

After last night’s Basics of Culinary class at Publix Apron’s Cooking School, I’m going to have to re-evaluate whether I’m going to class to learn or to eat. If every meal is as good as last night’s, the answer will be to eat! It was Italian night and what better person to teach Italian cooking than a true Italian chef. Bob Vitiello, one of the resident chefs of Apron’s, is just that! In the cause of making an authentic Italian meal, Bob and… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 29, 2009 at 4:44pm — No Comments

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Penne ala Vodka with Grilled Chicken

Remember Nick's on the Water that used to be at the Quay? Then, you may remember that the restaurant served the best Penne ala Vodka around. Now's your chance to make it yourself, thanks to Nick's former chef, Bob Vitiello. Now, you can find Bob at Apron's Cooking School at Publix. Bob adds Italian seasoning and butter to the recipe.

Penne ala Vodka with Grilled Chicken

Serves four

Ingredients

1 pound chicken breast

Salt and pepper

2 fluid… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 29, 2009 at 12:30pm — 4 Comments

RELATIONSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK: Give A Little

Last week, I talked about the value of requesting what you want from your partner. This week’s tip is about what to do if your partner makes a request of you. The cherishing response for any reasonable request is to give it, if you can.

Notice that I said “reasonable.” That does not mean that you agree to let your partner watch you have sex with the UPS guy (yes, those kind of requests actually happen) or to any other request that violates your own sense of safety or principles.… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 26, 2009 at 11:00am — 3 Comments

PUTTING ON MY APRON AT APRON'S

Fellow Students Watching the Cream Whip

I was greeted at The Basics of Culinary Class at Apron’s Cooking School with an apron and a name tag. I was beginning to feel like a real chef already. Being the last to arrive, I was pleased to see a small class of only nine people with an almost equal mix of men and women. “Good,” I thought “I won’t be making a fool of myself in front of… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 23, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

RELATIONSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK: Move from Complaint to Request

For all of those things you want to complain about in your relationship, change the complaints to requests. Requests are present or future-oriented which is what really matters anyway. Complaints are about what has already happened. The present is where we should be living; after all, we can’t change the past and hanging onto the negatives from it won’t do any good either.

Requesting your partner to do something is much more likely to… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 21, 2009 at 2:00pm — 1 Comment

KITCHEN CONFIDENTIAL REVEALED

“Why on earth are you going to take a Culinary course? You’re a great cook! You don’t need to learn anything!” exclaimed my mother. Although my mother may be biased, most people do consider me a good cook. My dishes are sought out at potlucks and praised at dinner parties. But what has heretofore been unveiled is the chaos behind the scenes. My knife skills are far from adequate. It usually takes me at least twice as long to make a recipe as the recipe suggests, and just as much time to… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 20, 2009 at 10:00pm — 1 Comment

The Nightlife Comes To Life

Those of us who complain about the lack of dancing opportunities in Sarasota had no reason to complain this week-end! The Vinyl Festival brought electronic music mixed by both world and locally renowned DJs to multiple venues, bringing the nightlife in Sarasota to life! Paul Mendez, Master Jay, Diamond, Drager, and DeeJay Barry were just a few of the names. It was one of those rare week-ends when you want to be everywhere at once, and the only… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 19, 2009 at 1:23pm — No Comments

Internet Dating: Proceed with Caution

The internet has opened up a world of possibilities, including the chance to meet a world of potential dates you would not otherwise meet. It affords you the opportunity to meet men who aren’t just hanging out at the bars or extroverted enough to try to make a date in the grocery store, meaning online dates might be better choices than you’ll find elsewhere. As in every crowd, there are going to be a few bad apples. While there are definitely men on singles dating sites that are misrepresenting… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 15, 2009 at 1:30pm — No Comments

RELATIONSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK: Stop Gauging Your Behavior on Your Partner’s Behavior

This week’s tip is about being your self. How many times have you based what you are about to say on how you think your partner will react, or what you think he wants to hear? How often do you gauge what you do on his expected behavior? You probably know the drill. You express the opinion or answer you think he wants to hear because you are afraid of being rejected if you say what you really think. You tiptoe around him in an effort to avoid igniting further the bad mood he already seems to be… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 13, 2009 at 12:30pm — 1 Comment

Camellia Balm Is Oh So Sweet

I must confess that I had never heard of Camellia oil prior to receiving a collection of Julie Hewett Los Angeles makeup. So when I initially opened the package, my first reaction was “What’s this?” followed by “Why did she send this to me?” Now I can totally understand why anyone would want to pass the word about these Camellia oil products. My face loves drinking in the moisture of the Camellia Balm Pot, and it carries a glow long after applying the… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 8, 2009 at 5:30pm — 1 Comment

RELATIONSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK: Say What You Mean

All too often, people say mean or hurtful words and then dismiss them later. "I was angry" "I was just having a bad day" or the proverbial "I was just PMSing" are all excuses people give for words they regret in hindsight. It is not acceptable to say words that hurt someone you care about in the heat of the moment and then fail to take responsibility for it. Words can cause a lot of pain, and often the very words that cause the most pain weren’t ever meant to be said.

So before you… Continue

Added by Amy Warren, LMHC / WQ Mag Columnist on July 5, 2009 at 6:30pm — 1 Comment