Snow Day

Another 12+ inches of snow fell in Manhattan yesterday. Chappy and I were supposed to drive to CT in the morning, but the roads were icy/yucky so we decided to stay put and have a fun snow day in our neighborhood.

We donned our big boots and went out to enjoy the winter wonderland:
There was a lot of slush, but side streets were pretty -- fluffy snow on the tree branches and bright blue sky in the background:
I wore my furry trapper hat to stay warm (and to channel my inner Elmer Fudd):

We visited the Frick, a favorite museum. It's got El Grecos, Titians, and Rembrandts hanging on the walls, and the Neoclassic architecture is grand and gorgeous. Here's the Frick's Garden Court with its fountain, palms, and plants:
Around the corner, the Ralph Lauren/Rhinelander Mansion looked lovely with snow dotting the balconies:
Chappy, dreaming of a Caribbean beach vacation, posed with Ralph's cruisewear mannequins across the street:We moseyed over to Exhale for a pair of spa treatments. We wore plush robes, padded around in slippers, and drank herbal tea. It was really luxurious and relaxing. I give Exhale a thumbs up and a big ahhhhh for a nice, tranquil afternoon.

We made a pit stop for some Belgian Hot Chocolate at Le Pain Quotidien:Sooo delicious! It tasted just as rich and decadent as it looked.

I ended the day by snuggling up with Monty and watching the fascinating - if you're into that sort of thing - documentary 'In Search of Beethoven':And yes, I sang along to 'An Die Freude' (Ode to Joy) in German. I'm thinking of adding it to my karaoke performance repertoire.

All in all, it was a pretty perfect snow day here in New York. I hope you and yours are staying warm and cozy.

Clementine Vanilla Bean Cake

I found this recipe for Clementine Vanilla Bean Cake over on Camille Styles's fun blog.

I loved her photos and I loved the idea of using all the ripe, yummy citrus I had on my counter.

This cake is zesty and sweet. It's been the perfect little bit of sunshine during the recent New England arctic blast.

Ingredients:
Makes one 5-by-9-inch loaf

* 10 clementines
* 3/4 cup heavy cream
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 2 vanilla beans, split and scraped
* 2 large eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Zest 4 clementines to yield 1 tablespoon zest. Juice 2 zested clementines and 6 remaining unzested clementines to yield 3/4 cup juice. Cut pith from 2 remaining zested clementines. Slice fruit along membranes to release segments into a bowl; discard membranes and any seeds.2. Combine 1/4 cup clementine juice, cream, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.

3. Beat zest, butter, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla seeds with a mixer on medium speed until combined, about 4 minutes. With machine running, add eggs, 1 at a time. Reduce speed to low, and beat flour mixture into butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

4. Fold clementine segments into mixture, and pour into pan. Gently smooth top using an offset spatula.

5. Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, bring remaining 1/2 cup clementine juice and cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.

6. Remove bread from oven, poke top all over with a skewer, and brush with half the clementine syrup. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool for 15 minutes. Invert pan to remove bread. Let cool completely on wire rack, top side up7. Brush remaining clementine syrup onto sides and again on top of bread. Bread can be stored, wrapped, at room temperature overnight or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Enjoy!Clementine Vanilla Bean Cake.

Monty Monday - Dessert

Monty likes to hang out in the kitchen when I'm cooking or baking. I made a yummy citrus dessert this weekend, and my little buddy was by my side throughout the entire process.

While pouring the cake batter out of the mixing bowl I accidentally dropped a tiny bit on the floor... Monty swooped in and devoured the batter. He licked his chops and whined for more.

So, I decided to give the dog a special treat by letting him lick the beater:(I know, I know - it's raw cake batter, but neither of us are immuno-compromised so we took the risk. We both had some leftover batter and we're both fine.)

Monty loved the citrus-y goodness:
He attacked that beater from every angle:
He used his long nose to his advantage and worked to reach the inside of those wires:
After he'd cleaned the entire beater he sat down for a rest:That lasted for about five seconds.

He soon began licking the floor, searching for any remaining morsels of cake batter:I cleaned everything up - the kitchen, the kitchen floor, the dog's nose - baked the cake, and gave Monty a tiny piece for dessert later that night.

The entire family thought the cake was delicious; I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

Monty Monday - Houndz in the Hood coat

Our artsy and stylish friend, Paula Carleton Evans, gave Monty and me matching gifts for Christmas. He got a long-sleeved tartan doggie coat and I got a fleecey tartan scarf. Now we're both well-equipped to handle the New England winters.

M & m, rocking the matching plaid from Houndz in the Hood:
Warm, happy, and color-coordinated - that deserved a kiss:
Monty modeling his long sleeves, looking prepared for the next blizzard:
And since they were coordinating gifts, I thought we'd change it up by trying each others clothing item on:We're probably better off sticking with him in the jumper and me in the scarf.

Salut de Paris

Here's a sampling of what I did on my Parisian holiday this past week...

It was sale season and every shop had big SOLDES signs in the windows. There were terrific deals to be found, and I shopped till I dropped at the Palais Royal:If you go to Palais Royal, visit Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido by Serge Lutens. Their perfumes are terrific, but the low-lit, wood-paneled violet and gold boutique is one of a kind and worth a look.

Other shopping highlights included concept store Colette (my favorite shop in the whole wide world), tea emporium Mariage Frères, and department store grand dame Le Bon Marché.

I almost had to purchase another suitcase to bring home my Parisian haul.

I saw art, art, and more art. The Grand Palais was hopping:I went to the super-duper, giant Monet show. It's a landmark exhibition with 200+ paintings - a comprehensive look at the artist's work. I don't love Monet (gasp!), but it was well-curated and was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

I also saw the Bulgari exhibition '125 years of Italian magnificence'. Room after room was filled with jaw-droppingly gorgeous jewels. I particularly loved the Elizabeth Taylor room - it had cases filled with her baubles and quotes from Richard Burton like, "The only word Elizabeth knows in Italian is Bulgari."

For an off-the-beaten-path museum experience, visit the Musée de la chasse et de la Nature. It celebrates any and all things hunting - taxidermy, antique guns, sporting paintings, etc. The collection is artfully arranged in a grand, old mansion in the Marais. It's quirky, but very cool.

I enjoyed some street art and spotted Space Invaders all around town:
I took long, lazy walks and relaxed in two perfect parks...

Parc Monceau in the 8th - love those Corinthian columns:
and Place des Vosges in the 4th:
I ate my weight in Laduree macarons:The salted caramel ones (light brown above) are to die for.

For restaurants, I went back to two of my favorites -- art deco chic La Société and classic bistro Café de Flore. The food and the people-watching were equally superb.

I heard some knock-your-socks-off fantastic music. I went to 3 concerts:The Orchestre de Paris playing Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé was particularly impressive. I was also fortunate enough to see Janine Jansen play Britten's Violin Concerto. She's an amazing talent; I can see why Monty is so crazy about her music.

I got a killer head cold:I spent one full day in bed, under the covers, consuming all of those medications, gallons of hot tea, and many Laduree macarons. Thankfully that did the trick and I bounced back quickly.

Even though the weather was a little grey and occasionally drizzly this past week, the city is still so beautiful. La Grande Roue looked pretty all lit up in Place de la Concorde:
And the Seine, with its splendid bridges, looked lovely in the cloudy afternoon light:
Ah, Paris - merci pour le grand voyage. Je vais revenir bientôt!

Paris - Hotel Keppler

Greetings from Paris.

I'm over here for the week enjoying this beautiful city during its non-touristy season. It's been mild (in the 40s), sunny enough, and completely sans crowds. It's better than I'd expected it to be, and I would definitely visit again in the winter.

I spent the first part of the week at the Hotel Keppler, a boutique luxury property in the 16eme:I prefer to stay on the Right Bank. I love the Left Bank's shopping (especially in Saint-Germain-des-Pres) and the casual, artsy vibe, but I've never had good luck with the hotels there. The Right Bank is a little more staid/formal, so it's not the epicenter of hipness, but I've always found better accommodations on that side of the Seine.

The Keppler is on a small side street off of Avenue Marceau. It's a nice location with a quick, five minute walk to the Arc de Triomphe and all the Metro lines you could ever need.

I didn't sleep a wink on the flight over (too much turbulence - ick!) so when I arrived I was thrilled that this plush, pillowy awesomeness awaited me:I collapsed face first onto that plaid bedspread.

It's a small space (although not super small as Parisian hotel rooms go), but the big windows made it feel a bit more airy:
My view:I was on the 1st floor - the 2nd floor in America - and had a nice bird's eye view of the action on the street... I mostly saw lots and lots of speeding Vespas.

The bathroom was lovely. It reminded me of the country hotels I've stayed in in the UK. I dig the marble and nickel:Although those shaving mirrors can be frightening.... no one needs a 10x look at the dark circles under their eyes after a Transatlantic flight.

There's a pretty, bright solarium on the main floor. (The hotel's website has a nice pic of that room - I couldn't manage to get one.) I lounged there in front of the fireplace and enjoyed the WiFi and the decor:Can you tell I'm missing my doggie?

Bon travail Hotel Keppler - I had a delightful stay.

Stay tuned for more from Paris. À bientôt...

Sperry Top-Sider Boots Giveaway

We all love the original Sperry Top-Sider boat shoes. They're perfect for sailing, but I wear them because they're good for any summer activity that doesn't require socks -- for me that's Vespa riding, Farmer's Market shopping, and beach strolling.

Now that it's freezing out and there's no sock-less strolling going on, it's time to slip on some of Sperry's winter kicks. They've got a bunch of boots for chillier months -- snow boots, rain boots, chukka boots, etc.

I think their boots are super cute, and I'm giving away 2 pairs of them...

Boot #1 - Hingham boots:These tall, equestrian-inspired boots will keep you warm and dry and look great with your skinny jeans tucked into them.

Boot #2 - Shearwater boots:The playful pattern and pretty colors on these duck boots kind of makes me want to jump and splash around in puddles as the snow melts.

Want to win both pairs of these boots? Sure you do!

To enter:

1. email me at: MCMGiveaway@gmail.com
2. tell how you like your Top-Sider laces...

a.) barrel rolled:

or b.) traditional:(I'm in the barrel rolled camp myself, but it's all a matter of personal preference. Any answer enters you in the giveaway; I'm just curious to see how you guys wear your laces.)

The contest will run until 11.59PM on Friday Jan. 14th. I'll use a random number generator to select a winner. I'll email you, get your sizes/address, and Sperry will send you 2 new pairs of boots made for walking in a winter wonderland.

For more info on Sperry's boots, click here.

Good Luck!

Monty Monday - Monty and the music

We all know Monty is elegant and well-behaved, but did you also know he's quite the cultured pup?

Monty's got an ear - well, more like 2 big floppy ears - for classical music.

This all started awhile back when he was super anxious in the vet's office... I usually sing to Monty to soothe/calm him down, but I didn't want to burst into song in a crowded waiting room. So, I put my iPod on him, selected a quiet movement of a Beethoven piano concerto, and watched my dog fall in love with the music. He relaxed after about 30 seconds of Krystian Zimerman's playing and has been happily listening to my iPod ever since.

Here he is in his dog bed listening to that beautiful Beethoven:He's just so blissed out. (And don't worry, the volume is very, very low - I know how sensitive doggie's ears are.)

His all-time favorite piece of music is Janine Jansen playing a Britten violin concerto.

Look at that face!:He adores this piece of music. I put it on repeat and took this pic the 2nd time around. I think he would've been content to hear it all afternoon.

I love The Rite of Spring, but not everyone is into Stravinsky's dissonance and adventurous rhythms. My dog definitely is not into it.

He went from serene to irritated in about 10 seconds:
And then he seemed puzzled with the iPod, wondering where Janine and her sweet violin had gone:
And then he got fed up and violently shook the earbuds loose:I took the hint, ditched the Stravinsky, and put on Gergiev and the LSO doing Bolero.

He liked the snare drum and the repetitive melody (...and I liked the looks of Gergiev in white tie):That's my boy, the most sophisticated Greyhound in town!