The News At Village Shoes

It's getting springy here at Village Shoes! We're beginning to get new Spring inventory in, and starting to do more markdowns of leftover Fall inventory. Thus far, we've received new shoe merchandise from Eric Michael, John Fluevog, Chocolate Negro, Encanto, OTBT, Worishofer, and Corso Como, oh, and of course, Fidji. At this point, we expect to have new items delivered almost daily, so if you don't see what you're looking for yet, there's plenty more to come!

New Leaders In Leather!

We beefed up our Fluevog collection for all of you fanatics out there! (Heller, Halle!)

If you come into Village Shoes and don't see anymore M. Cummings necklaces (or me), it's because I stole them all and am occupying a cell at our county jail.

I also will be prosecuted for stealing all size 36's of our new Chocolate Negro.

photos by Halle
post by Amanda

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Somebody Make Me: Buffalo Chicken Nachos

Buffalo. Chicken. Nachos.

BUFFALO FREAKIN' CHICKEN NACHOS!

I'll whisper it: Buffalo Chicken Nachos.

Words cannot describe the love I have for Frank's Red Hot sauce. We all love it on our chicken wings, but some of us love it on everything. I came across this recipe randomly, and seriously haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. If you have the time or desire, you can cook your own chicken or make your own tortilla chips, but if you're like me, you'll just buy a roasted chicken from the grocery store, remove the meat, toss in a plastic bag and shake with Frank's Red Hot and buy a bag of your favorite tortilla chips. Easy peasy.

Since I'm pulling this recipe (and images) from HowSweetEats.com, I'll post the instructions as they do:


Baked Layered Buffalo Chicken Nachos

8 whole wheat tortillas

4-5 ounces of shredded chicken

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

1- 2 ounces crumbled gorgonzola

1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (or more)

1/4 cup chopped scallions

avocado for garnish

olive oil for spritzing

Preheat the oven to 450.

Cut the tortillas into wedges and spritz with olive oil then sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. (You can also skip this step and use tortilla chips.) Once finished, add a layer to the bottom of a baking dish, then top with chicken, cheese, buffalo wing sauce and your other toppings. Continue layering until chips and ingredients are gone. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until cheese melts. Drizzle additional wing sauce over top and garnish with more scallions and avocado.

recipe and photos courtesy of HowSweetEats.com

post by Amanda

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Shoes We Won't Be Carrying in 2012. Or 2013. Or Ever.

I think it's safe to say that the average woman is drawn to shoes that stand out. We all want to feel as if we're not wearing the same shoes as every other chick out there, so we buy shoes that are fun in color, or creative in design to give some pizzazz to our otherwise typical, everyday outfit. That being said, some women want to wear hooves on their feet to add a fun flair to their garb. Some women would have a high heel surgically implanted in their foot, and some women want a pump with the platform shaped like a hamburger. If you are that woman, I'm sorry to say to say that you'll hate our store because we won't ever be carrying the following:

These hoofers are perfect for a trip to the petting zoo.

Our FB fan Ryan Chaney referred to these as 'Lawn Aerators'.

I'm wearing these to the Sandwich Festival in Albuquerque this year.

S*@t!

Sorry, babies, no "heels" for you either.

A cloven hoof for the wicked westerner (or "southerner").

Heels to match Grandma's walker.

No comment other than this picture gives me gas.

SCUBA is now an acronym for Seriously Clever Unsightly Barf-inducing Accoutrement.

Perfect for standing on top of a camel or over anthills.

I hope I don't lose too many customers over this post. Wink!

post by Amanda

images via google search 'ugly shoes & funny shoes'

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Complimenting Carson

Last month we received a fill-in order of the Carson Lace Up by Frye. Our customers have always been drawn to this boot; however seem to be unsure as to how they should wear it. After seeing a picture of actress January Jones wearing her Lace Ups with cuffed boyfriend jeans (pictured above), Halle and I decided to take photos of us in different outfits to show you additional ways to wear them. This boot literally can be worn with any style of bottoms.


We also think the Carson Lace Up would look fantastic with shorts during the warmer months. We decided not to photograph me wearing shorts with them to spare you of the discomfort you would experience after seeing my see-through winter white legs.

So, what do you think? Pretty versatile, huh? What do you plan on wearing yours with?


post by Amanda
photos of Halle & Amanda by Halle & Amanda

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Vintage Valentines

Vintage Valentine Walking with Floating Hearts by YesterdayCafe
Create a Full color postcard with zazzle.com

Vintage Victorian Couple Kiss on a Crescent Moon by YesterdayCafe
View more Newly weds Postcards

Vintage Soda Shop; Teens on a Date by YesterdayCafe
make money as an artist using Zazzle.

Vintage College Coeds in Love by YesterdayCafe
View more Vintage Postcards

Romantic Kiss by YesterdayCafe
Begin selling my art online at zazzle.

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Somebody Make Me: Almond Joy Chocolate Spread

So, I came across a recipe for Almond Joy Chocolate spread and my jaw dropped. I mean, almond, coconut, and chocolate combined in a way that allows me to spread it on whatever I want? I can dollop some on vanilla ice cream. I can spread it on toast. I can place a scoop of it inside pre-made croissants to bake. I can eat it out of the jar with a spoon! So many possibilities…so many reasons to have this in my life...so many people I would fight, if need be, to get my hands on some of this.

Please, oh please, I’m begging you, make me a massive supply of Almond Joy Chocolate spread.

I found the recipe on TheHealthyFoodie.net which is ran by Sonia from Québec, Canada.

ALMOND JOY CHOCOLATE SPREAD

INGREDIENTS
(Yields 3 half pint jars)

• 4 cups raw almonds
• 200g unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¼ cup unpasteurized honey
• ½ cup extra dark cocoa powder
• ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lay the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast them in a 275F oven for about an hour, then raise the temperature to 350F and give them an extra 8-10 minutes or so, until the almonds get really fragrant and take a nice golden brown color.
2. Take the almonds out of the oven and allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add the coconut to your food processor and process until it turns into a crumbly, thick paste, about 8-10 minutes (you will have to scrape the sides quite frequently). Add the honey and process until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and reserve.
4. Add the almonds to your food processor (no need to clean it, really) and process until smooth and creamy, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and cinnamon and process until well incorporated.
6. Add reserved coconut paste and process again just to combine, no more.
7. Transfer to glass jars and allow to rest for a few days before you dig in.
8. You could keep this in the refrigerator if you wanted to, however, I dont’t believe that it’s really necessary, unless you intend on keeping it for an extended period of time (which I dare you to do!)
   
   

Mmmmm, come to mama!


post by Amanda

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Nail Art!

I’ve been an on again, off again nail biter ever since I can remember. The only time I manage to not bite my nails is when I paint them. The problem is that I’m pretty lazy, so my nail panting sessions are few and far between, especially during the wintertime when I don’t feel pressured into painting my toes.

Recently I have noticed that some ladies are freakishly into nail art right now. Celebrities like Zooey Deschanel, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna all enjoy their nails decorated as fabulously as possible. Luckily these girls have heaps of money to pay for eccentric nail art once a week, however I’ve come across a lot of girls through Tumblr (a blogging platform) where they do their own nails and do a damn fine job at it too.

Here are some of my favorites:

They're pretty impressive, right? I haven't thought about painting my nails using different hues of the same color like the purple one above. That one is easily do-able. Embellishing your nails using little 'sticker dots' looks easy enough too. After browsing through tons of photos, I decided that using your nails as a canvas is a great way to express yourself creatively. Nail polish can be fairly inexpensive depending on what brand you buy, and you can easily trade colors with friends. Photographing your nails after they're completed is a great way to document what you've done, and will also serve as a reference if you want to recreate the look.

For painting my fingernails as infrequently as I do, I happen to have a HUGE nail polish collection. For some reason I'm unable to turn down a pretty color. My favorite brand of nail polish is Butter London. Their colors are fantastic, and they are also the first company to sell non-toxic polish in the US. Currently I'm wearing British Racing Green and Diamond Geezer on my ring finger only. That right there is my version of 'nail art'.

So, do any of our readers paint their nails? What's your favorite brand and color? Do you create any of your own nail art?

post by Amanda

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Somebody Make Me: Pumpkin Empanadas

At this point, it’s safe to assume it’s known that I can’t cook. I mean, I can, but I won’t. Every time I cook myself something special, I wind up spending $80 in groceries, and I never eat the leftovers. It doesn’t make sense for me to cook for myself. It makes sense for me to buy Hot Pockets and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Don’t give me that look. It tastes good. The only problem with not cooking for myself is that I come across recipes that look amazing, and that I’d love to try, but I’ll never make them. Because of this, I decided to regularly start posting recipes on this blog in hope that someone out there will take pity on my hungry little soul and make them for me.

PUMPKIN EMPANADAS

Years ago, my friend Monique and I worked together and she made Pumpkin Empanadas to take to our work potluck. I love all sweet things pumpkin. (Read this next sentence like your Bubba from Forrest Gump) “Anyway, like I was sayin', pumpkin is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it.” There’s pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread…Monique’s pumpkin empanadas were obviously loved. I’ve been craving pumpkin empanadas for a while now, and I don’t see Monique around anymore, so I’m going to need someone to make some for me.

Here’s the receipt from the Muy Bueno Cookbook’s website:

Makes 24-30 empanadas

Pumpkin Filling

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed firmly

1 cup organic pumpkin, NOT pie filling

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until it dissolves with the butter. Stir in the pumpkin and the spices. Continue to stir over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Make sure the filling is not too watery; otherwise let it cook for a couple more minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let it cool down. After it’s cooled off for about 15 minutes, put the filling in the refrigerator to help it set for 30 minutes or overnight.

You can make the Empanada Dough while the filling is cooling off.

Empanada Dough

Ingredients

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup shortening

2 eggs

½ cup milk

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Mix the first 3 dry ingredients. Cut in the shortening with the dry ingredients. Works better if you use your hands. Add the eggs, milk and sugar. Continue to work in with your hands. Split the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes. Take out one half of the dough and split it into 12-18 balls of dough. Depending on how small you want your empanadas. I prefer one dozen per half of the dough. They also fit nicely on one large cookie sheet.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. You can fill your empanadas with any preserves made ahead of time.

Roll out the dough into small round circles. Add a small dollop of filling on one half of the rolled out dough. Wet the bottom edge of the dough with water to help seal the two halves. Fold over the dough to seal. Seal off the edges with a fork by pressing down along the two edges. This also makes for a pretty pattern when baked.

Brush each empanada with egg whites, sprinkle with sugar and puncture each empanada with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray, place the empanadas on the cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes on medium rack in the oven. If after 15 minutes you notice the bottoms of the empanadas starting to brown, move the cookie sheet to the top rack and continue to bake for the last 5 minutes.

Looks good, right? Any takers? Please?

Photography by Jeanine Thurston

Post by Amanda

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