A Little Something Extra

Good morning to all my darling readers. I’ve been an absentee blog parent for some time, but with good reason!! I have started a new job at a fabulous, fun company. Not wanting to say too much online, let me just tell you I’m working in the French Canadian market and as such, am getting a lot of paperwork written in French. So I have been trying to brush up on my language skills while immersing myself in french food, music and culture. Music doesn’t strike me as “French” unless it features a tiny accordion which I always secretly hope is being played by a handsome gypsy. Anywho, here is a beautiful painting done by Nom Kinnear King featuring one of these fabulous instruments.

They bombed my city yesterday…I don’t know who they are, but the act shocked me to my core. Having spent my late teens through mid twenties in Boston, I never though of it as a target. Terrorism, though prevalent in our news cycle for the past twelve years, was always someone elses problem. I suppose now, we Bostonians have a better understanding and respect for the phrase “hitting too close to home.”

With the misinformation and lack of suspects, I feel almost too numb to form an opinion of what should happen to the perpetrators; though many people have offered me suggestions over the last 20 hours.

In the wake of all this, I suppose I simply want to say that Boston will heal. It’s citizens have braved many winters, both literal and figural, always emerging with enthusiasm and hope for better, sunnier times ahead. In closing, whether you live in, have lived, studied, support the sports teams, or simply respect Boston and it’s people, we embrace you….and we’ll see you next Spring.

Good Afternoon to all! It’s been a slow start to my day here as I’ve been enjoying Hob Nobs and coffee in bed reading all morning. After a particularly unproductive week, I’m in the mood to decorate my office. Tamara De Lempicka is my favorite artists and I was going to hang this picture up:

This image is so wintery and I love love love the art deco style. I think this may be the one or I may do a gallery wall and have this as the largest print. Decisions; anywho, I’m off for a day in my city. I think this will be a week for book reviews and more recipes.  

Well, I said my camera took horrible photos and as such, you get a picture of carrots instead of the carrot soup. This recipe was absolutely delicious! The soup was far better than I dared to hope and the recipe yielded just the right amount for two slightly overweight people like me and DBF (we’ll work on it when food stops being awesome). This recipe can be adapted to be completely organic, or vegan friendly and has a lovely farm to table feel. I’ll be making this as the first course for my Easter menu. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp EVOO  - or thereabouts
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, half lengthwise then chop 
6 medium carrots
2 tsp harissa
sea salt
3 cups chicken stock (veggie stock if you want to go full vegan friendly)

*garnish with cilantro

Directions:
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook leek until just soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in carrots and harissa and season with salt. Cook until carrots are just soft, 5 minutes or so. Add chicken stock, and bring to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes or so.

Using a stick/immersion blender, puree half the soup until smooth. Stir the puree into remaining soup and divide it among 2 or 3 bowls. Garnish with cilantro.

Invest in a stick blender! This kitchen tool has changed my life. Putting soup in a regular blender is a recipe for disaster.

My local William’s Sonoma recently closed and as such I had to go and buy everything there on the cheap. While loading a basket up with seasonal hot chocolate and bakeware, I stumbled into the spice section looking for some lavender (for ice cream) and came across a spice I had never seen before. 

I have never used or heard of Harissa spice and bought it just for that reason. I have been scouring the internet and found some interesting recipes utilizing this spicy substance and am going to attempt a carrot soup tonight. However, I wanted to reach out to my handful of readers for recipe suggestions!! Let ‘em rip! I’ll let you know how the soup turns out and will attempt to take pictures as well, though the lighting in my house makes for ghastly photographs. 

It took me a whole week of looking at Red Carpet photos to really narrow down my top three. Why? Well, if I’m being honest, this year’s Oscar fashions were a bit boring. If you look at last year’s post you’ll see a lot of vibrant color, old Hollywood glamour, and even a daring cape! This year however, was all lavender, blush, white, and blah. Luckily, I was able to pull out a few looks from this year and have posted them in order below. I’d love to hear other people’s top picks.

1) Naomi Watts - Nominated for: The Impossible

This dress is out of this world amazing and stood out more than anything else on the red carpet. The asymmetrical neckline really works with Naomi’s updo and understated jewelry. Had Naomi won the Oscar, the silver and gold would have offset each other perfectly. Although Naomi’s movies are always underrated, she never disappoints when it comes to Oscar fashion.

2) Zoe Saldana - Presenter

Some fashion critics have been saying this dress had too much going on , which is probably what I love about it. Firstly, I love when a dress has an interesting cut at the bottom; particularly if it shows off shoes! Secondly, the detailing at the top was very pretty and not too overstated. Finally, the belt: yeah yeah, the dress may have still been okay without it, but I feel like the belt really added something to this look. This dress has a defined beginning, middle, and end…just like a great movie!

3) Sandra Bullock - Presenter

Is it just me,  or does this dress scream Dowton Abbey? At first glimpse this dress seems kind of dowdy, lacy, and nothing special. However, that was when I saw it on E! After switching to ABC’s coverage of the show, I saw that this dress actually has some nice color in it. Also, there is a lot of sparkle in the lace overlay that is hard to pick up on in photographs. The fact that this dress is sheer up to the knee also adds an element of fun to an otherwise understated gown. Why is this in third place? Well, I feel Sandra could have done more with her hair to make this look a bit more dramatic. Maybe a better hairpin? Perhaps she can ask Michelle Dockery for some Downton Hair advice next awards season. Also her bag is a little clashy so third place for Sandy!

Honorable Mention: Innocente: Documentary Subject

It was extremely hard to find a good, full length picture of Innocente’s dress on the red carpet but it needed to be done. When Innocente won for best documentary, the film’s namesake had me in tears due to her outpouring of emotion. This girl went from being homeless 1 year ago to looking stunning on the red carpet in an innocent  white dress with flower embellishment. Innocente’s tattoo pops out just enough to show us a bit of her personality while her hair and makeup are flawless/glamorous. I’m sure this dress wouldn’t be too hard to come by but I loved it on her and thought she was one of THE most beautiful women at the Oscars this year. 

That concludes this year’s posts about the Oscars. Here’s to next year’s movies!

It’s finally here! Time to make drinks, food, and watch the event of the season! That’s right my darling readers, the Oscars are Sunday night!!!! Can you feel the excitement in the air? Are you planning your very own Oscar party or going to one?? Let me know!! I still need cocktail ideas!

The Movies:

Typically, I go see all the movies in theaters over months, but I was unable to do that this year. As such, today I’m indulging myself in some Oscar movies so I know who to root for. Beasts of the Southern Wild, Lincoln, and Silver Linings Playbook are all in my queue for today’s viewing. I’ll also be going to see Django unchained in the theater tomorrow. As I don’t watch sporting events, the Oscars are my big thing. I have a feeling I’ll be rooting for “Beasts” because I love the South as a backdrop for a great story. What movie are you rooting for?

The Fashion:

Let’s face it, fashion is a huge part of Oscar night. I’m predicting we’re going to see a lot of Zuhair Murad and Marchesa on the red carpet this year. One designer is bold while the other is more whimsical. It ought to be an interesting mix. Here’s hoping Jennifer Lawrence wears something a bit bolder than a strapless fit and flare again. I’m looking for pops of color! As per usual I’ll have my top three pics and an honorable mention post show.