meet piet, jan.11

as i near my 11th year of apartment dwelling, i've come to the conclusion that working fireplaces are nothing more than a daydream, and i must settle for warming my hands with a mug of hot chocolate, and roasting marshmallows in a toaster oven.

thank goodness! for fredrik hyltén-cavallius and his little friend piet, a smoke-free, soot-free, chimney-free indoor stove that burns ethanol instead of wood. ha.lle.lujah.

coffee talk sept.10

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i'll give you 3 good reasons why my long-term love affair with coffee has just received a kick in the pants:

1. with the new season and cooler weather, my usual cup in the morning doesn't do the job - i need an afternoon delight.

2. just the thought of 11 days in italy (in less than 10 days!) makes me want a machiatto in the worst way.

3. hampton chutney co. cardamom coffee. i don't know how i lived so long without it.

tea for two, jan.10

i am in need of a pick-me-up! normally at the end of a work day...or, in today's case, a jury duty day...i get a little jolt of energy. but lately i'm so groggy and ready for a nap. i'm hoping this is just a mid-winter thing and not some bad germs having their way with me. so maybe what i'm in need of is less pick-me-up and more cup-of-relaxation...something like this cutie should do the trick:



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snow business, jan.10

this recipe for maple syrup taffy sounds umm-azing. i'm so jealous of anyone with snow access right now!

pom wonderful, jan.10

i have a new food crush: pomegranates. on the outside they are such a mysterious looking piece of produce, but on the inside it's a treasure chest of little ruby jewel-wrapped seeds. last weekend i added pomegranate seeds to an arugula, beet, squash seed salad - part of a dinner i made for my lovely friend lynners in an attempt to lure her to new york for good. here is a similar recipe- i improvised a bit and skipped the feta.

this butternut squash + pomegranate galette is next on my to-make list, i think i'll serve it with a savory salad and wintery cocktail for my ladies tomorrow night...i'll let you know how it goes!

Decwmber 16th: holi-date

spice things up mid-week and surprise your boo with a holi-date. i can't believe it's been almost a year since my last winter date! a few great date ideas:

*sip manhattans with your man at manhattan inn

*share a slice of spiced hot chocolate cake

*take a spin on the ice at rock center and then get toasty with a snowplow at the new igloo bar


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nesting: sheepskin seats, nov.09

I recently noticed that I've used the "cozy" label on practically all of my posts in the last month...no sense in stoppin now!

sheepskin has a look and feel that is soooo luxurious, i especially love the idea of eating each meal surrounded by such coziness...

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nesting: striped blankets, oct.09

don't get me wrong, i totally love the cozy housewarming gifts from my dad. they will definitely come in handy when no one is looking, but in the event that we have guests over and need to offer warmth, i'd like some of these, please:

etsy

blacker designs



west elm


on a striped note, this is my dream bed:
dwell

Thrifty gifties no.2

Ibarra Mexican Hot Chocolate