Thursday, December 30, 2010

Daily Inspiration from My Mom

This is a display my mom did in my parent's new house. She used nature as an inspiration, and got a lot of the pieces for it from the woods surrounding their house.


Sunday, December 19, 2010

Cabernet Sauvignon

Here are some great holiday cabernets from Food and Wine magazine!


Under $20: Value Cabernet Bottles for Big Holiday Parties
2007 L de Lyeth Cabernet Sauvignon ($13) This Sonoma producer's bottling is more elegant than most reds at the same price.
2007 Fineline ($14) The Paso Robles region's warm climate makes this Cabernet especially juicy.
2007 Josh Cellars ($15) A vineyard in the up-and-coming Red Hills AVA provides the grapes for this rich red.


$20-$50: Best Cabernet Wines for Special Holiday Dinners
2007 Sequoia Grove Napa Valley ($38) A complete winery revamp has distinctly improved the quality of this longtime producer's wines.
2007 Frog's Leap Napa Valley ($42) Black currant fruit and the dusty note typical of the Rutherford Bench define this impressive wine.
2007 Selene Dead Fred Vineyard ($50) Winemaker Mia Klein's superb, structured red comes from a vineyard named after the owners' beloved cat.



Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Christmas Breakfast

This is a compilation of recipes from different holiday breakfast menus on Epicurious. There were a lot of dishes to choose from, but these ones looked the best to me!

Frittata with Bacon, Fresh Ricotta, and Greens
Find the recipe here.

Cardamom and Orange Panettone Toast
Find the recipe here.

Eggnog French Toast with Cranberry-Apple Compote
Find the recipe here.

Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls
Find the recipe here.

Spiced Hot Chocolate
Find the recipe here.

Blood Orange French 75
Find the recipe here.





Friday, December 3, 2010

Holiday Recipes!

This looks like a delicious pork roast recipe from Epicurious 
that would be perfect for Christmas dinner!

Pork Roast with Winter Fruits and Port Sauce

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Happy Hanukkah!

Hanukkah started last night, and here is a menu to celebrate!


Traditional Hanukkah menu can be found here! 

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Mini Brownie Cupcakes

I recently made these cupcakes for my niece and nephew's birthday party and they were delicious! It's hard to find a really good cupcake recipe, but this one is great. I found it on Epicurious. 


I added vanilla buttercream frosting with sprinkles. For Christmas I am 
going to add peppermint extract to the frosting to make a nice
chocolate and mint combination, which is one of my favorites! 

Thanksgiving Countdown!

9 Days till Thanksgiving! 

Cranberry Sauce with Port and Dried Figs from Epicurious

Find this recipe for this colorful side dish here

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Thanksgiving Countdown!

12 Days till Thanksgiving! 

Roasted Carrot and Chestnut Soup with Parsley Cream

The recipe for this soup is from Williams Sonoma and would be a great 
first course for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. 

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Happy Birthday Babies!

Its Jack & Lola's 2nd Birthday! 
They are the best niece and nephew an
aunt could have and I love them so much!

This is from the day we found out Robin was having a
boy and a girl! She surprised us with booties the color
of the sex she was having. I have a whole collection of these pictures
with the booties all over the place. 

The first day they were born. 







Thanksgiving Countdown!

14 Days till Thanksgiving! 

Yukon Gold and Fennel Puree with Rosemary Butter from Bon Appétit

This delicious looking recipe can be found here: Potato Puree 

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Thanksgiving Countdown!

16 Days till Thanksgiving! 

Cranberry Kir Royale from Epicurious

This is a delicious cranberry and champagne cocktail that would be
great to give your guests as they arrive. A great start
 to the festivities of the day and a nice ice breaker to get 
the conversation flowing! 
Find the recipe here: Cranberry Kir Royale 


Sunday, November 7, 2010

Thanksgiving Countdown!

18 Days till Thanksgiving! 


Italian Sausage and Bread Stuffing from Gourmet


Find this delicious recipe here: Italian stuffing 

Note: This is very similar to the Italian stuffing my mom makes every year and it is
the most delectable and savory bread stuffing I've ever had! 

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Holiday Decorating

Here are some inspirational decorating ideas, all of 
them from Pottery Barn, that make me very excited 
for the upcoming holidays! 







Friday, November 5, 2010

Baby Shower Flashback

It is almost Jack and Lola's 2nd birthday (my niece and nephew) and for 
that reason I want to flashback to my sister's baby shower. It was a 
beautiful day and a beautiful set up. The theme 
colors were turquoise and orange and my other sister Aimee, 
of Aimee Grace Catering did an amazing job with the food.


We set up round tables on my mom's lawn and used turquoise 
runners to add some color. The flowers were from the local
farmer's market and featured orange dahlias to go with the theme.


We set up a present area with the crib and wrapped our presents in 
the theme colors. There were also lots of doubles since she was 
expecting twins! 


A goat cheese "lollipop". Goat cheese rolled in
pistachios and truffle oil. These were delicious!


One of three flavors of cupcakes. I ordered the baking cups in both
theme colors as well. 


The lovely fruit platter!


Thanksgiving Countdown!

20 Days till Thanksgiving! 


Bourbon-Pecan Tart from Bon Appétit  

Find the recipe for the dessert here: Bourbon-Pecan Tart 

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Thanksgiving Countdown!

22 Days Till Thanksgiving! 

Food & Wine Magazine's Haricots Verts and Chesnuts w/Date Vinaigrette 

You can find the recipe here on F&W's website: Haricots Verts 

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Holiday Centerpieces

Some ideas from Martha Stewart




This centerpiece uses a white pumpkin as a "vase". I love the
fall colors of the flowers and the use of mini pumpkins. 



This one is more of a winter display with the bright red color of the cranberries
against the pure white of the roses. 

Happy Election Day!

Don't forget to VOTE!



Monday, November 1, 2010

Thanksgiving Countdown!

24 Days till Thanksgiving! 


Martha Stewart's Perfect Roast Turkey

Here is the link to the recipe: Perfect Roast Turkey

Autumn Display

My sister Robin created this lovely display on
 her mantle in her living room.
 I love the combination of the white pumpkins with the 
red branches and mercury glass stands. The mirror above 
the mantle adds a sparkling reflection of the beautiful 
chandelier, the mercury glass, and the candles when 
they are lit. This is one of my favorite holiday 
arrangements Robin has done.



Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Nail Polish

I am loving the trend of the putty/taupe colored nail polish that has been seen all over the runway and on celebrities. It is an unexpected neutral that is perfect for the Fall season!



"Khaki Brun" Chanel


"Over the Taupe" OPI



"Fash Pack" butter London