Yummy Canadian Candy

The lovely Lisagh from Grosgrain Garage recently sent me this scrumptious stash of goodies:Whoo hoo - I heart Wine Gums (...and have already eaten half of them)!

Donating Blood at Memorial

Earlier this week Chappy and I went to Memorial Sloan-Kettering to donate blood.

Donating blood is a simple, easy, nearly painless (really!) process and it's a terrific way to help a hospital and its patients. At Memorial you can donate blood or platelets to a specific patient, or you can do what Chappy and I did and just make a 'general donation' to the hospital.

When you arrive you fill out a lot of forms - like 6 pages worth - on your medical history, past travels, etc. and have your hemoglobin level checked by a finger prick test. If you pass those two screenings you're off to the donation room.

The donation room looks a lot like a recovery room. It's a large, open space with lots of little stations set up. Each station has a bed, a small TV, a BP cuff, scales to weigh the blood, etc. Chappy and I were able to get beds right next to one another.

Here's Chappy preparing to donate:Thumbs up indeed!

And no, it doesn't hurt when they poke you to start collecting the blood - it's just a tiny pinch.

See, I was all smiles mid-donation:You watch some TV, read a magazine, or chit chat with your husband in the next bed over and before you know it you're done.

Afterward they wrap your arm, give you some juice and cookies, and you're on your way. It took about 10 minutes to actually donate the blood and the entire process from start to finish took us one hour.

There's often a need for blood and blood products, and I'd encourage others to donate if you can.

Please visit the MSK blood donation page or the Red Cross's website for more information.

Australia's 2009 Fashion Design Talent

Last week I went to the Australian Consulate in midtown for an event that previewed Australia's 2009 Fashion Design Talent.Nine Australian designers were showcased, and many featured Australian wool in their collections. I love knitwear - it's so comfortable and easy - and this wool was soooo soft and delicate. But these fabrics didn't just feel nice, they looked great too...

Here are all the little booths set up with the designers and their clothes:
Viktoria & Woods:Lovely basics. Nice shapes and beautiful colors with a fabric that felt velvety soft - I particularly loved that striped purple cardigan.

Twitchett & Tonge:Edgy designs, graphic patterns. I totally love their young and fun take on houndstooth.

Susie Mooratoff:Very flow-y, sexy pieces. She custom designed the pretty print on the fabric for that purple floral top.

Katelyn Aslett:Flowers, bright colors, and girly designs - my kind of line! The designer hand dyes all her pieces and then felts the detailing on. These were some of my favorite clothes of the entire show - different and original.

Aelkemi:These clothes were playful and fun - lots of over the top detailing (like those feather epaulettes!). Very glamorous 80s vibe.

Metalicus:Australia's leading bodywear company - stretchy, easy-to-wear basics for layering. Tons of colors and styles. Their rep gave me a long-sleeved shirt - it's super comfortable and cute.

Katherine:Lady-like, preppy line with bold colors and intricate detailing like the embroidery on the dress pictured. Adorable things that I'd happily wear - reminded me bit of Milly (one of my favorite designers).

G'Day Australia!

Out and About - Winter Antiques Show

With Chappy last week at the Winter Antiques Show's opening night preview to benefit the East Side House Settlement:photo by Patrick McMullan via nysocialdiary.com

DPC has a full write-up on NYSD with tons of great snaps of the attendees and the exhibitor's booths.

For more information on the East Side House Settlement please visit their website.

Monty Monday - another visit with baby Bradley

Remember baby Bradley from this summer? Monty and I went to visit him again when we were in Boston last month.

Bradley is growing up fast, but he's still cute as ever...

Monty and Bradley hanging out on the sofa together:
Hello handsome boys!:
A curious Monty and a happy Bradley:
Bradley was super sweet and gave Monty some gentle pets:
It looked like Bradley might try to lean in and give Monty a little kiss:
But Monty beat him to it -- big doggie kiss for Bradley!:Awwwwww.

Cocktails - Italian Greyhound

A cocktail for Monty - recipe from washingtonpost.com.

Ingredients:

Kosher salt, for rimming the glass
3 or 4 ice cubes
2 ounces Punt e Mes
2 ounces grapefruit juice
Directions:

Rim an old-fashioned glass with salt, then fill with the ice cubes. Add the Punt e Mes and grapefruit juice; stir and serve.This is cocktail is sweet and tart -- it's very different, but definitely delicious. Cheers!

Jamaican Holiday at Half Moon

Half Moon:
Our room:
The daybed in the sitting room -- perfect for lounging inside:
The chaise on the balcony -- perfect for lounging outside:
The little cottage where we stayed. Our room was on the upper right:
So happy to be on the beach. Wearing my Gretchen Scott cover-up from C. Orrico:
All smiles after a swim in the ocean:
Reading and relaxing:
...with a mango daiquiri:
...in the shade:
Riding a lion statue:
Riding a different lion statue:
Flaming limbo show - very impressive:
Soursop juice - a sweet local specialty:
The hotel's tropical bathrobe:
A gorgeous sunset:

What's Cooking - Risotto with Spinach and Peas

Risotto with Spinach and Peas
Serves 4 - recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 14 oz chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1.5 onions, chopped
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 cup Arborio rice
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 5 oz baby spinach, stems removed, chopped
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup grated Piave cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine broth with 2 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes.
3. Add rice; cook, stirring, until well coated, 4 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes.
4. Add 2 cups of hot broth mixture; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, until absorbed, 7 minutes. Continue adding broth mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for liquid to be absorbed before adding more, stirring often, until rice is just tender and creamy with a little liquid remaining in the pan, 25 minutes total.
5. Stir in spinach, peas, Piave cheese, and butter; cook until heated through, 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

It's totally delicious -- enjoy!

Blueprint Cleanse

I needed a change of pace from all the holiday indulgence of December '08, so I did a 3-day Blueprint Cleanse this week. I feel great now, and am happy to be getting '09 off to a healthy start.

Blueprint Cleanse is a nutritional juice cleanse that has been quite popular in NYC for the past year or so. It's less intense than the traditional cleanses (like the master cleanse), so it's a nice choice for someone like me who doesn't like to be hungry, lightheaded, etc. but still wants a change from their usual routine of desserts and cocktails.

There are 6 juices a day -- they're all unpasteurized, raw, and vegan -- and there are different cleansing 'levels'. I chose Blueprint's beginner level with the most calories, the renovator. The renovator lady on their website says, "Fruit? Easy, it's the garnish on my cocktail." Yep, that's definitely me.

Blueprint delivers 3 days of the juices to your doorstep, and then you're off...

Apart from the juices, you can have herbal tea and water but that's it -- no food at all (ah!), no espresso (eek!), and no alcohol (sob!!!).

Here's the daily rundown of juices -
#1:A green juice. Tastes like a salad with a heavy parsley flavor. Refreshing.

#2:A fruit-y juice. Tastes like watered down pineapple juice with a minty aftertaste. My least favorite.

#3:Same green juice as #1.

#4:A lemonade with a spicy little kick. Good.

#5:A vegetable juice. Tastes like beetroot and ginger. Sweet and full-flavored.

#6:Dessert juice. Cashew milk with vanilla bean and cinnamon. Absolutely delicious. Cleanse or no cleanse, I'd have this for dessert any night of the week.

Overall, the juices are quite yummy and it's a very easy program to follow. I wasn't hungry (honestly), and I was even able to do a light workout on day 2. I think I lost about 3-4 lbs on the cleanse, but I don't weigh myself regularly so I'm not certain of the exact number (and besides, I did this to feel better, not to drop lbs).

Blueprint Cleanse is a great tool for someone like me who doesn't have the discipline to cut espresso, alcohol, and dessert out of their diet for any stretch of time (...let alone whilst eating vegetarian).

I probably could go without one of my espresso/dessert/alcohol vices for 3 days, but I need a well organized plan if I'm going to go without all three of them. This cleanse gave me the structure I needed, and it acted as the perfect jump-start. Now I'm getting back on track with my eating habits/exercise routine, and I hope to keep it up all year long.

For more information visit the Blueprint Cleanse website.