Off Road with Land Rover!

Last weekend I had the privilege to tag along with one of my best friends on an amazing off-road trip with Land Rover of Encino!  Let me be the first to say “I get it” the experience was definitely on the luxury side- even though we and the vehicles got down right dirty!  Land Rover of Encino takes their clients on various trips such as Joshua Tree and Ojai but this trip was just about 60 miles outside of downtown Los Angeles at a California state park named, Hungry Valley State Vehicular RecreationArea.  The park provides about 130 miles of trails for various levels of off-road adventures plus an amazing obstacle course with sand traps, rock and bolder courses, deep and shallow water traps and extremely steep hills a.k.a. you cannot see the tip of your car and at times you are literally driving by faith! If you own or know someone who owns a motorcycle, four-wheel drive, or all-terrain vehicle and you are looking for a day trip or even somewhere to camp where you can have a fun-filled day of exploring and testing your personal  and your vehicle's extreme limits I would definitely recommend visiting this state park.  Remember, do not forget to pack sunscreen, plenty of water and lunch – if you get to go with Land Rover of Encino they have all of this covered for you!  Enjoy and let me know about your “Extreme Adventures” as I’m always looking for new ideas!

Here are a few photos from the day! 

 Cheers!

Cort aka Cortney

DREAM, DESIGN, DWELL

Have you checked out my other Blog?  Click the link below!!!

Dream, Design, Dwell: Making Your Home Your Wonderland with Cortney Bailey

Today BELIEVE in yourself! Allow yourself to DREAM – I give you permission! If you want to create your own WONDERLAND for your home, no matter if it’s the entire home or just a small corner tucked away for you, open yourself up to what makes you HAPPY in the place that you Dwell! Maybe a certain color just makes you feel good about yourself or perhaps it’s a secure feeling you get when you wrap yourself up in a soft blanket or it could be having your space extremely organized – no Wonderland is wrong and all of our ideas will be different  – Thank Goodness!!! Whatever your Wonderland may be, whether it’s Modern or Traditional, Large or Small or somewhere in between -  it’s your space. Start today and let’s DREAM, DESIGN & DWELL together!

Cheers!

Cort

a.k.a. Cortney

Follow me on Twitter: @CortneyBailey

Happy 4th of July!

Wishing You a Happy & Safe 4th of July!  Let Freedom Ring!

Cheers! Cort

aka - Cortney

Become GREAT!

"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. When you are seeking to bring big plans to fruition, it is important with whom you regularly associate. Hang out with friends who are like-minded and who are also designing purpose-filled lives. Similarly, be that kind of a friend for your friends."

- Mark Twain.

Beach City Real Estate

Today I took a fun bike ride through Los Angeles' Beach Cities: Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice and Marina Del Rey.  It was a great day and hundreds of locals were out enjoying their day as well.  Right now the market in Los Angeles is on fire! If you are thinking about Buying or Selling a home to be closer to the beach lifestyle, now is the time to do it!  Summer is a great time to transition.  If you are even considering living near the beach, whether it be your permanent residence or a vacation home or condo, I would encourage you to take a peak at the housing inventory. You might just find your perfect home  - close to the beach, great shopping, world famous restaurants and fantastic entertainment!

Cheers!
Cortney a.k.a. Cort

Twitter: @CortneyBailey

CortneyBailey: PeaceLoveHomes

Hard Day At Work: Peace, Love & Homes!

It's a HARD Day at work but someone has to do it!  Are you looking for a Summer Vaction Spot?  Let me help you!  Real Estate by CORTNEY BAILEY: Peace, Love & Homes!

FLY!

"You were born with potential
You were born with goodness and trust
You were born with ideals and dreams
You were born with greatness
You were born with wings
You are not meant for crawling, so don't
You have wings
Learn to use them and fly!"

- Rumi, was a 13th Century Sufi Mystic.

Easy Vodka Chicken Pasta

Easy Vodka Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

Makes 4 Servings
1 pack of *Italian Style Chicken Sausage, I use Aidells fully cooked and cut the links into bite size pieces
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
16 oz pasta, I like to use wheat or gluten free
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 32 oz can crushed tomatoes
20 leaves fresh basil, I cut mine in small pieces with kitchen scissors but you can also tear them

* If you are not using fully cooked sausage you will need to add one more step and fully cook the sausage before adding it into the sauce.

Directions

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until fully cooked.
·
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the extra virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Gently sauté the shallots for 3-5 minutes, this helps to release their sweetness.

·
Add the vodka to the pan and let simmer for about 2 or 3 minutes.

·
Add the chicken stock and the tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

·
Stir the cream into the sauce, add chicken sausage and basil, when the sauce bubbles, turn the stove off.

·
Drain the pasta. Toss the hot pasta with the sauce.

This dish is great with a crisp salad and crusty bread.

Final Good-Bye to the King of Pop

This past weekend I attended Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil. The “King of Pop” was honored through his personal music, eccentric dancers, colorful multi-media screens and over-the-top acrobatic performers. Although the show is presented by Cirque du Soleil it is not the traditional company performance. The show is a tribute to Jackson’s life with routines that reflect Cirque du Soleil.

From the candid mime that keeps the show anchored to the wildly creative costumes and ultra-talented performers to Jackson’s amazingly famous tunes everyone in the audience truly has the opportunity to connect one last time to Jackson’s legacy. Mirroring Jackson’s “heart” for the world, children and less fortunate much of the show was dedicated to demonstrating his passion for such by literally incorporating the common thread of a “heart” throughout the scenes.

Captivating the audience and basically stealing the show was a one-legged dancer! You could feel the energy of the audience rise every time he took to the stage and twirled on his crutches, break danced and balanced on his one leg. He definitely embodies the can-do attitude while embracing his God given talent to preform – just like Jackson!

The show is currently on a world tour and if you can get tickets to Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour by Cirque du Soleil I would highly recommend doing so. You will get to rock out to his melodies while being touched one final time by the King of Pop’s last honored tribute.

I love the Jackson Five tunes … What is your favorite Michael Jackson song? Tell me on Twitter @CortneyBailey

Cheers!
Cortney a.k.a. Cort

EASY Stuffed Bell Peppers - YUMMY!!!

This recipe is a super easy dish to make. The leftovers are even better the next day. For those of you who confuse Bell Peppers with hot & spicy, I’ll clear it up for you … they are super sweet and release an amazing taste as they cook with the below ingredients!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

What you will need:
4 large Red, Orange or Yellow bell peppers
1 pound of ground turkey (or a little less)
1 medium onion chopped (I use a sweet onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chicken or veggie bouillon granules
Salt to taste (pinch)
Black pepper to taste (pinch)
Garlic powder to taste (pinch)
1 cup cooked rice (I use brown)
½ cup cheddar cheese
½ cup sour cream
1 cup diced tomatoes
½ cup chopped green onion tops
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup hot water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Start by cutting the tops off the peppers and, remove the seeds and ribs inside. Using a hot skillet, sauté the ground turkey, onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon of bouillon granules and salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Saute until onions become translucent. Add rice, cheese sour cream, tomatoes, green onion tops and soy sauce. Mix well and stuff the mixture into the peppers. In a small bowl mix the hot water and the remaining bouillon granules. Pour this mixture into a shallow casserole large enough to hold all peppers. Place stuffed peppers in the dish, cover with foil and back for 25 – 30 minutes. Remove foil and spoon the juice from the bottom of casserole dish over the top of peppers. Bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes. Let the peppers cool for about 5 minutes and Enjoy!

Tell me about your easy to make dishes on Twitter @CortneyBailey

Cheers!

Cortney a.k.a. Cort

Domestic Divas, Schedule Your Dirty Work!

If you are a "Domestic Diva" and need to put your home on a cleaning schedule this one just might be of great help! I know it was for me. I came across the below list on Pinterest via the blog “Organizing Made Fun” and had to share it. Personally, I will never find organizing fun but necessary! No matter if you are the one who accomplishes your own "Cinderella Chores", as one of my friends refers to cleaning her house, or if you are one of the lucky people who hires someone to do the dirty work for you this schedule can be followed exactly as you see it or you can adjust it to fit your life ... it's all about making it convenient for your lifestyle and needs!

Monday:

Vacuum house thoroughly - vacuum each room, occasionally do vents and curtains and window crevices. (Total time: 25 – 30 minutes depending on house size).

Tuesday:

Dust house (Total time: 15 minutes depending on knick knack amount.) Occasionally wipe down nice furniture with polish.

Note: this is one reason I do not own lots of knick knacks!!!

Wednesday:

Clean back bathroom including toilet, counters, mirror, tub shower and clean floors. (Total time: 15-20 minutes).

Thursday:
Clean front bathroom including toilet, counters, mirror, tub shower and clean floors. (Total time: 15-20 minutes).


Friday:
Clean kitchen – mop floor and clean counter tops with bleach product. (Total time: 15 – 20 minutes)


Weekends:
Other small projects or NOTHING!!!!

Share your Domestic Diva tips with me on Twitter @CortneyBailey

Cheers!
Cortney a.k.a. Cort

All You Need Is LOVE!

All you need is LOVE - or at least a great seat, which is what you will get at the Mirage Resort and Casino in Los Vegas! "With The Beatles LOVE, Cirque du Soleil, celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles, through their timeless, original recordings," this according to the official web-site.

I personally did fall in "LOVE" with every minute of the preformance. In fact when it was over I wanted to stay for the next show! I've seen several Cirque du Soleil shows, and while they are all fasinating in their own way, every scene in LOVE took my breath away. From the legendary music, to the colors and props to the mega talented cast your mind will be racing to take every moment in - which is why a second show would be ideal!

Don't worry about seating either. Just like every great scene in the show, every seat in the house is perfect! Since the audotorium is round not one guest of the show has a bad view.

Personally, I rate The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil the best show by the company! Not only would I see it again and again I would highly recommend you adding it to your "to do" list when visiting Vegas or when planning your next trip!

Let me know your favorite Cirque du Soleil show on Twitter @CortneyBailey

Cheers!
Cortney a.ka. Cort

America, What Is Your Dream?

Every year I stop and take time to watch Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, "I have a Dream." The first time I remember hearing about King was in the forth grade and even then his famous speech touched me. I still get chills when I hear the words. "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

I hope you will take a few minutes out of your busy day to ponder King's last words of his "Dream" speech, "From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!'"

If you literally only have few moments to glance at the above video then fast forward to the last two or three minutes and watch.

What is your Dream for America? Let me know on Twitter @CortneyBailey

Cheers!

Cortney a.k.a. Cort

Easy “Egg-Pie” aka Quiche? – Why Yes Please!!!

Are you are looking for an easy yet impressive breakfast or brunch dish to make? Then this recipe is it! This quiche, or as one of my family-in-law members likes to call it “egg pie,” is scrumptious and simple to make yet everyone who eats it will think you are quite the chef!

Shhhhh! … Between us, you literally chop a few items, crack some eggs, toss the ingredients all in a bowl, mix them together, then pour it all in a pie crust, cook it and it is ready to eat! No matter if you are cooking for family, weekend houseguests or just yourself this is a super yummy dish that you will toss together over and over!

What you will need:
1 frozen pie crust
7 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 of a large sweet yellow onion chopped
2 cups of finely chopped spinach
5-7 thinly slices prosciutto chopped
1/2 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
pinch of salt, fresh cracked pepper

How to:
Preheat oven to 425.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, crack eggs, pour milk, pinch of salt and cracked pepper. Blend together until eggs are well mixed, then add chopped prosciutto, chopped spinach, grated cheese, and chopped onion. Fold together gently. Pour it into your crust and pop into the oven. Cook on 425 for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 300 and bake an additional 30 minutes.

Ta-Da! Your yummy breakfast or brunch dish is ready to serve, Enjoy!!!

Let me know how your “egg pie” turned out or send me a photo on Twitter @CortneyBailey

Cheers!
Cortney a.k.a. Cort

Happy 2012!

Wishing everyone a blessed and happy New Year 2012!

Tell me what you are planning for the year 2012 on Twitter @CortneyBailey

Cheers!

Cortney a.k.a. Cort