November 2008

Earlier this year, Nicole Kidman impressed us all with a really generous donation to UNIFEM. But, don’t think for a second she just spends money to help out good causes — she also physically takes a stand.

Yesterday, Kidman visited the United Nations headquarters in New York to announce that an astounding five million people have signed an internet-based petition for the “Say No to Violence Against Women” campaign, a part of UNIFEM, which works to provide financial and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategies to foster women’s empowerment and gender equality.

The actress and new mom said, “We thought that the more names we collected, the stronger our case to make ending violence against women a top priority for governments everywhere,” adding, “Well, the results are in. We’ve tallied the numbers from Bangkok and Tanzania, from Ecuador to Fiji, from Jordan to India. I am so delighted to announce that they have far, far, surpassed our goal.”

This is a cause that Kidman is obviously passionate about — I can’t wait to see what else she does for UNIFEM!

Photo courtesy of hollyscoop.com

Some charity work is physically difficult, and some is emotionally taxing. But sometimes, it’s just plain fun. Debra Messing’s latest charitable endeavor definitely falls into the third category — the Starter Wife and Nothing Like the Holidays star is joining with famed jewelry designer Robert Lee Morris to create a piece of jewelry to benefit YouthAIDS.

You’ll have the opportunity to check out Messing’s design skills — the piece will be featured in InStyle magazine this February and May. Also, a special website will go live to showcase the piece on January 13, staying up for a little over a month.

Additionally, Messing has been confirmed as a celebrity participant in the Leaves of Change charity initiative. She is the first A-Lister to join in, but will soon be joined by others in designing a gold pendant necklace with some sort of leaf motif. The stars will then decide whether they want proceeds from the sale of their designs to go toward a charity of their choice or Jewelers for Children, which helps children whose lives have been devastated by serious illness or abuse.

Hoping to get your hands on a celebrity-designed piece of jewelry? You’ll have to wait for spring, at which point a charity event will be held in Los Angeles, along with an online auction. I’ll keep you up to date, don’t worry!

Want to add something new to the Thanksgiving spread this year?

This is a fresh seasonal salad made with oranges and red onion. You will be surprised at how well these flavors compliment each other! And this taste bud sensation couldn’t be easier to fix and serve.

Healthy? You bet! This colorful salad is loaded with Vitamin C, Vitamin B (folate) and a number of different antioxidants. For example, red onions are a source of the phytochemical quercetin which has anti-inflammatory properties. That’s another way of saying oranges and red onions are good for you!

Savory Orange Salad

3 naval oranges
¼ red onion, sliced thin
2 teaspoons good quality olive oil
black pepper, freshly ground
salt

Cut the peel and white pith from the oranges with a sharp knife. Slice the oranges into rounds and place on a serving plate. Cover with the slices of red onion and drizzle with olive oil. Add coarsely ground black pepper and a light sprinkle of salt. Chill until ready to serve. Serves 4.

What about the kids? Serve their sliced oranges unadorned on another serving plate. Now everyone is happy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Alicia Silverstone is might not be taking leading roles in major movies anymore, but the girl is busy. She’s an actress, producer, and animal-rights activist, and now it looks like she’s adding “author” to that list.

The former “Clueless” actress is extremely passionate about veganism and the positive effect it has on our planet, and so it only makes sense that her new book will spotlight veganism. Titled “The Kind Diet,” the book is “a 3-step diet program that explores the connection between what we put in our bodies and what we’re doing to the planet, and how choosing the right foods in the kitchen can help you feel lighter, sexier, and more alive.” And, it will include 75 vegan and macro-biotic recipes.

I say, if it’s going to help me look like Alicia Silverstone, sign me up! I’ll have to wait a while, though, as it won’t be available until the fall of 2009. I think I’ll go clear a spot on my bookshelf in preparation, though.

Photo courtesy of starpulse.com

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are slated to be the hosts of UNICEF’s 2008 Beverly Hills Snowflake Lighting ceremony. They’ll be flipping a switch, which will light up the UNICEF Snowflake and 20 Baccarat chandeliers along Rodeo drive. These bright, beautiful lights will stay lit throughout the entire season, symbolizing hope, peace, and compassion.

The ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 22 at the intersection of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard. The day’s festivities will kick off at 3 p.m., with the lighting ceremony happening at 6 p.m. Activities will include loads of family-friendly activities, live entertainment, and a visit from Santa. Fireworks atop the Beverly Wilshire will end the evening.

Nicole and Joel have shown a great commitment to UNICEF’s child survival mission ever since Nicole became pregnant with their little girl, Harlow, so they were a natural choice to host this event. If you’re in the area, swing by and kick off the holiday and support a good cause!

Photo courtesy of eonline.com

If you love fresh tomatoes too much to give them up in the winter, look for fresh cluster tomatoes on the vine. They may not compete with a home grown tomato, but they can deliver real tomato taste year round.

There are some amazing health claims out there for the simple tomato. Tomatoes are Superfood #4 for women, rich in antioxidants (like lycopene), Vitamin C and a variety of other vitamins and minerals. They are also a negative calorie food. No, they really do have calories, but some people think more calories are burned eating and digesting these foods. Now that is an appealing idea!

This is one of my favorite quick salads. The red onion, olive oil and basil (and sometimes a splash of vinegar) help boost the flavor of the tomato; just for a moment you might forget it’s not summer anymore…

Fresh Tomato and Red Onion Salad

Fresh cluster tomatoes purchased on the vine, cut in wedges
½ red onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
5 or 6 basil leaves, rolled and sliced in strips
Salt to taste

Cut the desired number of tomatoes into wedges and place in a serving bowl with the sliced onion and basil. Drizzle with olive oil; add a splash of water, season with salt. Toss well and refrigerate before serving.

Keep the slices of onion large enough to remove if the little ones won’t eat them (but they might surprise you). Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices…just don’t get caught by the etiquette police!

I’m going to admit, I have a bit of a crush on Pierce Brosnan. The smile and the accent play a big part, but what I really love is his dedication to environmental causes — activism is sexy, you know?

Pierce was honored for his charity work last Friday at the second annual Jane Goodall Institute Global Leadership Awards Celebration, where he, along with his wife Keely Shay, were presented with the Responsible Activism in Media and Entertainment award. Pierce been a part of the institute’s Roots + Shoots global environmental youth program since it came into being, and, of course, was honored to receive the award.

He credited his wife with making him more environmentally focused, saying, “I have a wonderful wife in Keely, who is very versed in the world of green. This is a partnership now of 16 years and she has educated me on the environment and how to bring up children, whether it’s the food they eat or the food that we grow at home in Hawaii — clean water, good vegetables, and recycling.”

Awww. All that mushy talk just makes me love him more!

Photo courtesy of celebritywonder.com

This weekend, some concert goers got a rockin’ surprise — The Killers took to the stage, unnanounced, on the first night of Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions in London to play Human, Smile Like You Mean It, and a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

A number of other well-known British rockers are scheduled to play the Little Noise Sessions, including Kasabian, Stereophonics, Keane, and Razorlight. But even they expected other, bigger names to join in the eleven-day event. Last year, U2′s Bono and The Edge played four acoustic songs, also unannounced.

Mencap is “the voice of learning disability,” working to support and value those who have a learning disability as well as their families and carers. They help those with learning disabilities with education, training and employment, independant living, housing, and just about any other type of support they could ever need.

If you’re in the London area and want to see who else shows up over the next week and a half, you can get your Mencap music tickets right here.

Breaded chicken doesn’t have to be fried to be good. Oven-fry this chicken using just a sprinkle of oil before baking and add grated Romano cheese and garlic to the bread crumbs for flavor that will beat fast food chicken any day.

Breaded Chicken, Italian Style

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, whole or cut into 2 or 3 pieces
½ cup flour
1 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
½ cup grated Romano (or Parmesan) cheese
½ teaspoon dried basil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil

Line a cookie sheet with foil; spray lightly with cooking oil. Rinse and dry the chicken. Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, basil and garlic together and place on a large plate. Sprinkle the chicken pieces lightly with flour, dip in the milk and then in the bread crumb mixture. Pat the crumbs into the chicken so they will adhere. Place the chicken pieces on the prepared cookie sheet and drizzle each with a small amount of oil. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes (less time if the pieces are small).

The chicken should come out of the oven just before you think it is done…it will continue to cook for a few more minutes. This chicken will be tender and moist as long as it is not overcooked.

Keep bread crumbs in the freezer so they will always be fresh. Make them from leftover bread (using a few quick pulses in the food processor) and keep different types on hand. (Try whole wheat bread crumbs for breaded fish; plain or sourdough for chicken, etc.)

And finally, make extra! This chicken is great for dinner, sandwiches, lunches; it packs up perfectly for potlucks, picnics and tailgating!

Gavin Rossdale might have a brand new son of his own to focus on, but the rocker still found time to step on the tennis court for the Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic, which raised money for the fight against drug abuse, child abuse, and homelessness.

The Classic has raised more than $16 million for its selected charities, and this year, the celebrities joining Gavin in taking the court included Chevy Chase, Jon Lovitz, Greg Norman, Jim Courier, and Mary Pierce. Gaving is an avid tennis player — he has a network of tennis players all over the country, so no matter where he’s traveling, he can find someone to challenge him and give him a good workout.

The Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic isn’t the only thing Chris Evert does to raise money for good causes. She’s been heavily involved in charitable causes since her retirement from professional tennis in 1989, and is currently a board member for a bunch of charities, including the Make-A-Wish Foundation, The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, the Florida Sports Foundation, Save the Children, Women’s Sports Foundation, and the National Committee to Stop Child Abuse.

Photo courtesy of gavinrossdalefans.com

Ashanti headed up an all-star cast for a special performance of the hit musical, Wicked, last Monday night. Mario Cantone, Joy Behar, George Wendt, and Matthew Settle joined her in telling the story of the relationship between Elphaba, who will become the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

This wasn’t just a regular performance by a special cast, though — it included never-before-seen scenes and songs, taken from a rough draft of the musical’s first act, and it all benefited Bette Midler’s New York Restoration Project, which works toward creating clean, green areas in all of New York’s neighborhoods. The special show was subtitled The Yellow Brick Road Not Taken.

Ashanti was able to bring a unique perspective to her role as Elphaba — she has also played Dorothy. And while Ashanti brought her beautiful voice with her, not all of the performers were quite so vocally talented. Wendt, who played the Wizard, got credit from the audience for trying, while Behar didn’t actually sing, instead opting to speak rhythmically.

It was surely a show to be remembered, and let’s hope that it is, because a performance like that will likely never happen again.

Photo courtesy of forums.superiorpics.com