Sunday Dinner

On this cold, drizzling Sunday, I'm craving my warm weather food.  I love going to the farmer's market and buying fresh tomatoes warmed by the sun, fragrant basil, crisp cucumbers and crusty bread.  That's all I need to make a meal: some salad fixin's and a loaf of bread.  Alas, it will be months before I taste my first fresh tomato, so I need a substitute.  On Friday's episode of Rachael Ray, she created this Warm Provencal Chicken Salad.  It's chocked full of fresh herbs, roasted vegetables, and leafy greens.  I figured it was a good compromise.  So, that's what's for dinner for my family tonight!

Warm Provencal Chicken Salad

1/2 to 2/3 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 pounds baby white or gold potatoes, halved
4 small onions, sliced 1/2-inch thick wedges
8 to 10 cloves garlic

1 pound trimmed green beans or asparagus, halved
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup black pitted Nicoise olives

8 pieces boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 shallot, coarsely chopped
A small handful of sage leaves
A small handful of tarragon
A couple of sprigs fresh marjoram or 2 teaspoons dried
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 cups arugula
Baguette


Preparation

Heat oven to 450˚F.

Place potatoes, onions and crushed garlic in a bowl and toss with just enough EVOO to coat, a couple of tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper, place on baking sheet and place in oven. Roast 45 minutes, turning once.

Place green beans or asparagus in bowl with tomatoes and pitted olives, dress with a little EVOO, salt, pepper and place on baking sheet. Roast 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle or grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat chicken lightly in EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Cook chicken 12 minutes, turning once, then thinly slice on an angle.

While chicken cooks, place shallot, herbs and mustard in food processor and season with salt and pepper. Pulse chop to finely chop the mixture then stream in about 1/4 to 1/3 cup EVOO to form a pesto-like sauce. Scrape sauce into a large, shallow bowl.

Pile roasted vegetables, potatoes, onion, tomatoes, olives and arugula into a bowl. Top salad with sliced chicken and serve with crusty baguette.

Don't Forget: Liberty Of London Debuts at Target this Sunday!

I just wanted to remind people that Target will be launching their Liberty of London line this Sunday.   Liberty of London is a wildly popular brand in the UK that is best known for their prints.  Most of the prints featured at Target will be florals.  (Although I'm in love with a peacock print that I spied on one of their pillows.)
Many items are only available online.  Be at your local Target early as there has been lots of hype and they are expecting crowds.  To see some of the prints that will be available go to www.target.com/liberty.

Here's the number one item on my shopping list:

I have a vintage "handlebar basket" that would look just perfect on this.  Wish me luck!

SCORE!!!

I was checking in on all my usual spots today and I was in the right place at the right time.  I am happy to report that in addition to finding some cool items for my shop, I also scored a great piece of jewelry for myself.  I'm a sucker for all things nautical (must have something to do with inhaling the salty, Atlantic Ocean air my whole life).  A woman came in to donate some jewelry to a local non-profit thrift store and I happened to be right there as she was describing the anchor pendant below to Joe, the manager.  As I am a frequent customer, I got it for $30.00!  "It pays to thrift."  This will be a staple in my spring jewelry wardrobe. 
I also posted a few of my other finds below.

The gold anchor pendant...

I couldn't resist this pair of vintage 80s earrings because, I swear, I owned these in 1984....

Another nautical item, a very large, vintage brass whale...

A few more from today, a vintage tin house bank, an art deco lighter, and vintage Ray-Ban reading glasses...

A Nod to the Olympians

Thank you to all the Olympians for bringing some excitement to the doldrums of winter.  The talent of all the Olympians was amazing to witness.  

Here are some of my favorite moments (all photos are courtesy of  www.nbcsolympics.com ):

Kim Yu-Na nails both the long and short programs in Women's figure skating and breaks all scoring records on the way to gold.

Shaun White performs stunts never before landed in competition for USA Gold in Snowboarding on the half-pipe.

Joannie Rochette earns the bronze medal with enormous strength and grace just days after her mother's sudden death.

Canada takes the Gold in men's ice hockey.  This was tough to watch as an American, but it only fitting that Canada should win their sport on home soil.

The USA men's four-man bobsledding team takes home the gold in a bobsled made right here in Connecticut by the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, Inc.  As a side note, the Russians wanted to purchase a sled from the company and they said, "These sleds are made by Americans, for Americans."

Last but not least, I found a new sport to follow and I am convinced that if I practice every day for the next 8 years I can make it to the 2018 Olympics....

Women's Olympic Curling

(Okay, maybe only as a spectator, but aren't dreams are what the Olympics are made of?)

A "Grown-Up" Snow Day

Well, it's another snow day here in New England.  My girls are still asleep so they haven't heard the news yet.  But, I know soon they will come shuffling down the stairs looking for me and then I'll be "on call". 

"Mom, I'm hungry!"
"Mom, can we watch a movie?"
"Mom, I'm hungry!"
"Mom, can we go sledding?" 
"Mom, I'm hungry!"
"Mom, she's bothering me!"

Hey, this is all good stuff and I'm not complaining.  I love being a mom, but sometimes I daydream about what I would do if I had an entire day to myself.  A snow day.  A day that I couldn't run any errands or do any housework.  What would I do? 

I'd start my day with a large mug of hot tea and sit myself on the sofa to read one of the 20 or so books that I have scattered throughout the house waiting to be read.  Then I'd make myself some homemade blueberry muffins with plenty of butter.  Maybe I'd actually have time to take a relaxing bath--I've heard about them but never actually experienced one.  Then I'd put a fire on and rent a mindless movie or a great thriller.  I'd order some pizza for lunch/dinner (You can have slash meals when your not responsible for others) and call it a day.  That's good enough for me.  A day to be completely lazy and self-absorbed.

But what's the fun in that.  Instead I'll make the muffins with my girls and clean up the resulting mess.  I definitely won't have time for the books, but I could put on that fire and watch a Disney movie.  There will be laundry and dishes and picking up and playing and probably sledding.  But, best of all, there will be hugs and kisses and snuggles.  I guess the books can wait a few more years.

Here's my virtual "Grown-Up" Snow Day:


Blueberry Muffins courtesy of Martha Stewart...

Ingredients

Makes 6 large or 12 small muffins

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for tins
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup milk
1 3/4 cups blueberries

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.butter large (3 3/4 inches) or small (2 3/4 inches) muffin tins, and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2.In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, egg yolks, and vanilla; mix until well combined. Reduce speed to low; alternate adding reserved flour mixture and milk to mixer, beginning and ending with flour. Remove bowl from mixer; gently fold in berries by hand. Divide batter among muffin tins; sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until light golden, about 45 minutes for large muffins, about 30 minutes for small muffins. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan; transfer to wire rack, and let cool completely.


Book courtesy of Kristin Hannah...

Relaxing bath, courtesy of House Beautiful...

What's better than pizza you don't have to cook??

My Quest for the Perfect Handbag

I have had a thing for handbags since my first little purple Jordache bag in 4th grade.  I don't know why I find them so appealing.  Part of it could be the feeling that I can pack my life into a 12"x 15" x 6" space.  I always carry too much (part of the that is a hazzard of motherhood).  I have the standbys: wallet, keys, lipgloss, cell phone, a small calendar.  Then add the "mommy stuff": band-aids, Purrell, tissues, Epipen, inhaler.  But, you never know when you may need: extra cash in a smaller purse, 2 small moleskin notebooks, pens, emergency earrings (in case I forget to wear some), another lipstick, hand cream, a brace for my tennis elbow, gift cards, business cards, a checkbook, and a mini can of Lysol.  They're necessary, aren't they?

I know I carry too much.  I've accepted this about myself.  I haven't carried a tiny bag since that 4th grade Jordache bag. So in my quest to find the perfect bag, for starters it must be BIG.  It must be something with lots of pockets to handle my excess without creating a jumbled mess.  I'd like it to be fairly light-weight so I don't create back issues for myself. Oh, and it must look good--please nothing too practical!

Here's one from Piperlime.com, and it's a  "Rachel Zoe pick".  Hey, if it's good enough for Rachel, it's good enough for me...

You have to love that all of these are handmade by etsy sellers.  I'd love to own any or all of them! 

From arebycdesign...

From artoncrafts...

From otgam...

And if I didn't have to renovate my 1950s bathroom, or put my children through college, I'd get this bag from the Michael by Michael Kors collection at Saks...

The Titanic: More Than Just History

I had the opportunity to visit the Titanic Exhibit at Foxwoods Casino in CT on Monday.  This traveling exhibit contains actual artifacts recoverd from the Titanic and tells the story of the Titanic and the people aboard.  It was quite a moving experience seeing personal possessions and realizing that these were people with plans, hopes, and dreams that went unfulfilled. 
One artifact recovered was of a gentlemen's itinerary.  According to this itinerary, he was supposed to continue traveling through Europe and Africa.  Had he followed these plans, he would not have died aboard the Titanic. There were many stories of passengers that were not supposed to be aboard the ill-fated ship but were transferred at the last moment.  There were heroic stories of people sacrificing their lives for the greater good and cowardly stories of people only out for themselves.  It reminded me that under extreme cicumstances you see the best and worst of humanity.  I like to focus on the best. 
One story that struck me was of a crew member that continued to send out distress signals to ensure that the people on the lifeboats were saved.  He eventually made it to a lifeboat, but died of exhaustion and hypothermia.
This exhibit also reminded me of why it important to preserve the past.  These stories are all part of our common history.  They remind us that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves and that each part is important.  I think that's why I love antiques so much; they connect me to the past and I feel that by appreciating these "things" we are helping to preserve our history for future generations. 

Visit http://www.titanictix.com/ for more info about the exhibit...

Photos of the recovery effort...

Passengers aboard the Titanic...

Recovered artifacts...

The City of Love

On this day of love, I thought it only fitting that I write about the destination I have been dreaming of for the past few years...Paris.  I have yet to go to France, but I have been dreaming of walking along the River Seine, eating decadent pastries at a small bistro and, naturally, looking at the brilliant light of the Tour D'Eiffel under a star-filled sky. 
Of course, these are just my dreams.  In reality, in the nighttime in a large city like Paris, you probably can't see many stars.  And my stomach may not be ready for the heavy creams and butter of the French pastry, but still I am making it my mission to someday visit "The City of Love".
 The antiquer in me, has been picking the brains of all the francophiles I meet.   Forget about the boutiques and antique shops, I want to know where the junk shops are.  The best stuff is always found in the places only the locals know about.   I dream of  taking annual pilgrimages to the European countryside in pursuit of unique finds for my shop.
And, since this is my fantasy, after an afternoon at the Louvre, I might as well pretend that I have enough spare cash to buy myself a gorgeous Louis Vuitton bag. 

Come dream with me....

A French pastry from epicurious.com...

Sorry, no pictures of my Louis Vuitton bag, but you can visit http://www.louisvuitton.com/.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Spread Some Cheer

     The SUN!  It appeared this morning after about 30 hours of driving snow and wind.  I awoke to a peaceful snowcovered world, which meant...it was time to start digging out.  I spent about an hour shoveling the driveway, uncovering the mail box, and wiping down my car.  This is one of those tasks I usually delegate to my husband, but he was "stuck" in Georgia due to flight cancellations (I know I feel really bad for him-insert sarcasm here, please).
    I think the whole eastern seaboard could use a little pick-me-up.  So here are some spring-inspired items to get us all in cheerful mood.

Nate Berkus vintage inspired floral sheets from HSN.com:

Liberty of London will launch it's new line for Target in March--you know I will find a spot for that chair!

And now, my shameless plug for http://www.hydrangearow.etsy.com/ .  Add some cheer with these vintage snack trays..

Waiting on Spring

This feels like the longest part of the year to a New Englander.  The novelty of the cold and snow has long since worn off, yet the hopes of warmer temperatures are still months away.  This is about the time of year where my husband and I have our annual promise to each other that we are going to move away from New England to someplace with better weather...but where? 
The Carolinas always come to mind even though neither one of us has ever spent any real time there.  It's on the list.  Maybe Florida?  How about California?  Then I think, why stop there.  The Almafi Coast sounds nice... maybe a Greek Island...I do love the food.
We do this for 2 -3 months just until the daffodils begin to sprout their blooms and the grass turns green. It's right about this time that New England comes back to life and we remember why it is a vacation destination.  It's tough to give up access to beautiful coastlines, soaring mountains, history, culture, and the greatest sports teams in the world.  I guess I'll always be a New Englander.  Hey, if the Pilgrims could brave the winter without adequate food and shelter, I certainly can.  Italy sure does sound nice, though..

Ahhh...The Almafi coast (fodors.com)

Good old Cape Cod (tripadvisor.com).....