I’m definitely a SKINNY girl when it comes to wearing jeans. Believe me I have all kinds and all lengths from faded and distressed to torn up and dressed-up dark denim and I love them all but 9 times out of 10 I will go to grab my skinnys. It seems to be the most flattering for my body type and like a legging (which I also tend to live in ) the most versatile for layering and wearing a blouse or sweater over top. You can dress the skinny up or down as they look equally good with heels or plain white runners (not the ones for actual running). Even though I secretly long to wear my super soft Hudson bell bottoms with hippie boots…I just never get around to doing so.
Kate Moss – google images
My favourite skinny jeans are ones that have a little bit of stretch but don’t lose their shape when washed. And just like another simple staple (the White T-shirt), it’s not so easy to find the perfect fit. They’re everywhere but all are not created equal.
Which brings me to a recent article in Vogue talking about the Superfine label. Have you heard of it?
Long before the skinny jean had reached its zenith of popularity, Superfine was pioneering the shape. Launched more than a decade ago, the label rose to prominence on the gams of cool-girl stalwarts like Kate Moss and Sienna Miller, in many ways becoming synonymous with a particular brand of lean, London rock chic. Says the brand’s founder, former stylist Lucy Pinter: “At that time there were a ton of denim brands that came out of L.A. Everything was blue and distressed and bootleg. Back then I started because we wanted to make a skinny jean and no one did one. Obviously that silhouette—with no branding—other people ran with that and did very well with [it].” With the designer denim boom that followed not long after, the line remained something of a cultish entity, never fully taking hold in the United States.
Photo: Courtesy of Superfine
All that will surely soon change, though; Pinter and co. are doubling down their efforts stateside, having launched in the U.S. for fall with an array of stockists (Saks Fifth Avenue, Shopbop, and Nordstrom). Strong retail hopes aren’t the only thing Superfine is banking on; the designer herself has relocated to Los Angeles, where production of a brand-new secondary range, Fine By Superfine, will be based. As Pinter tells Vogue.com, “The problem with our denim in the past was it was all being made with Italian fabrics, in Italy, with these incredibly high-end wash developments and zippers and hardware. It became really expensive, so we sort of out-priced ourselves from that really lucrative denim market.” Per Pinter, the aim was to isolate Superfine’s more typically “contemporary” elements (jersey, sweats, and yes, plenty of denim) and give them room to breathe under the Fine By label.
That’s just super fine by me. I’ll be on the lookout for the label.
I’m curious to find out which jeans are your go-to favourites?
I find INSPIRATION everywhere – sometimes in the strangest places
chopping ginger & getting ready to make the cake with all ingredients in the background
These delicious recipes came to me just last week when I was lying in my dentist’s chair with headphones on looking up at the TV on the ceiling (anything to divert my attention away from the work at hand) watching the Food Network channel. Can you think of abetter way to spend an hour while having your teeth cleaned? The two recipes that I saw looked so appealing that I made them both on the same day to rave reviews.
The first recipe is sweet and perfect for guests coming over around or on Christmas day, and the second reminded me that I had not made lasagna in ages. Both were excellent and I was told that the lasagna was the best ever. I’ve never followed a recipe for lasagna before but this one looked too good not to follow…with a slight diversion as usual.
Gingerbread Jars with Cranberry Curd
You can use different sized jars – my versionNancy’s original – you can decorate as you like
Ingredients Gingerbread:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra butter at room temperature for greasing the pan
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup molasses
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup crystallized ginger Cranberry Curd:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cranberry juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 large egg yolks
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pats
Sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Directions
Make the gingerbread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch cake pan with a little softened butter and line with parchment paper, letting any excess hang over the edges of the pan.
Place the orange juice and raisins in a measuring cup and set aside to soak. In a mixing bowl add the melted butter, molasses and sour cream, whisking until well combined. Add 1 2/3 cups of flour, the ginger, baking soday, cinnamon, cloves and salt and whisk together until combined. Drain the raisins, then add them to the batter along with the remaining 1 cup of flour and the crystallized ginger. Combine with a silicone spatula, then pour into the prepared pan and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and set aside to cool completely before cutting the cake into 1-inch cubes.
While the cake bakes, make the cranberry curd: Into a saucepan set over medium heat, add the sugar, cranberry juice and salt and whisk until smooth. Once the sugar is dissolved, whisk in the egg yolks, then add the butter. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until the cranberry curd thickens and reaches 170 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from the heat and transfer the curd to a bowl to cool.
To assemble: Place a few pieces of the gingerbread cubes in a small jar, add 2 tablespoons of the cranberry curd on top of the gingerbread and top with *whipped cream.
*TIP: I added a little pure peppermint extract to the whipping cream. You can also make it a lot easier and just slice or cut the cake & drizzle the curd over it.
This Recipe courtesy of Nancy Fuller – Farmhouse Rules (the Food Network)
Lasagna alla BesciamellaIngredients Meat Ragu:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pushed through a press
1 pound ground beef
2 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 links hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
Three 26.5-ounce boxes strained tomatoes, such as Pomi
1 cup dry red wine
Besciamella:
3 cups whole milk
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
Lasagna:
1 pound no-cook lasagna noodles, such as Barilla
2 1/4 cups finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
One 8-ounce package part-skim low-moisture shredded mozzarella
Directions
To make the meat ragu: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the ground beef, sausage, salt, basil, Italian seasoning, oregano and pepper to taste and increase the heat to high. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned all over. Add the tomatoes. Pour some of the wine into the empty tomato boxes to rinse out the last bits of tomatoes and add to the pot, along with the remaining wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together, about 1 hour. Add a healthy amount of black pepper.
To make the besciamella: Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour to the butter and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and then loosens again, about 2 minutes. Add the hot milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, whisking almost constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and use immediately.
To make the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread an even layer of the meat ragu over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over the sauce lengthwise across the short side of the pan. Avoid overlapping or allowing them to touch the sides of the pan because they will expand as they cook. Press down slightly to let the sauce spread around them. Cover with one-quarter of the besciamella and sprinkle with one-third of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add another layer of ragu. Add 3 more noodles, arranging them in the opposite direction from the first layer and breaking 1 of the noodles in half if necessary to fit. Add one-quarter of the besciamella and half of the mozzarella. Make a third layer of ragu, noodles (alternating directions again), besciamella and one-third of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add another layer of ragu, then the remaining mozzarella, noodles (alternating the noodles again), besciamella and ragu.
Cover the pan with foil and bake until heated through, about 35 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is brown and bubbling, about 20 minutes more. During the last 10 minutes of baking, scatter the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano all over. Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before serving.
*TIP – instead of the besciamella (Béchamel) sauce I used old-fashioned Ricotta cheese which Valerie’s mother makes and prefers and I did not use any wine for this (surprised,are you?).
Adapted from “One Dish at a Time” by Valerie Bertinelli
Recipe courtesy of Valerie Bertinelli
SHOW: Valerie’s Home Cooking
EPISODE: Ho! Ho! Ho! Company’s Comin
p.s. I have a thing for wearing aprons while cooking and have a little collection going on. The one I’m wearing in the photo was a gift from my sister & it came with matching pot holders from a little boutique in Vancouver called “Wishlist”. I have a vintage “Kenzo” with daisies & pockets that a friend picked up in Japan, animal prints from Africa, original white chef aprons and one that says “Living in Zin” that was a gift from friends I visited Napa with. They all have a story, they’re all very useful and I feel like I’m getting down to business when I put them on.
“The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery” – Francis Bacon
The LATE PAINTINGS – magnificently framed in GOLD
There’s something about Francis Bacon’s paintings that are surreal and difficult to describe in detail (especially if you’re not an art critic) so I’ll keep it brief and just say that I find them to be completely compelling. You have to experience them for yourself. His versions of the human form are unlike any I’ve witnessed before and they conjure up disturbingand hystericalfeelings at the same time – at least for me. Brilliance on the brink of insanity? Bacon succeeded in deepening the mystery.
The Gagosian Gallery in New York just ended a run presenting “Francis Bacon: Late Paintings” encompassing more than twenty paintings that Bacon made in London and Paris during the last two decades of his life. The third exhibition of Bacon’s work following “Francis Bacon: Triptychs” (Gagosian, London, 2006) and “Isabel and Other Intimate Strangers: Portraits by Alberto Giacometti and Francis Bacon” (Gagosian New York, 2008).
If like me, you were too late for the exhibit, here are a few of the images of works that were shown.
Although it’s never too late to appreciate his paintings.
I like this quote:
“Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is”– Francis Bacon
These must-watch Holiday Commercials will bring a smile to your face. They were voted part of the top 12 holiday commercials worldwide. Here are my 3 favourites:
#1 I love a man in a tuxedo:
#2 Closest to my heart:
#3 Perhaps the most heartfelt:
What do the kids want for Christmas?
Jia Jia’s Wish List:
This is what I did with my old cashmere sweatersFeeling a bit blue
Dear Santa, I want a drivers license, a coat that fits and no more hand me downs. But most of all I wish for World Peace.
Where to Jack?
Jack’s Wish List (condensed from a verrry looong one):
Dear Santa, I want more coats, sweaters, toys, treats, live squirrels, an otter box for my phone and a car of my own (don’t really need the license).
I like your coat. I see that your owner tries to dress like you – but can’t pull off the look as well.I want a phone that will take good selfies
Jack, I know it’s confusing but this is NOT the otter box I was referring to. Guess you didn’t hear the word BOX?
I otter keep Jack on his leash more often because just the other day he chased this big guy all the way to the water. Seriously!
What’s on your wish list?
One of the lucky winners was Jia Jia. Last night we picked up a door prize from the Santa Paws Fundraiser – from Love on a Leash in Kits.
A Christmas party is a good excuse to go full on GLAMOUR
with products to help you out
These six will help to put your best face forward so you can go from the desk to the dance floor
1) Show some polish
Dazzle them with this new fabulous glitter crimson shade from Essiethat looks good on everyone.
2) Silver/Gold
Dior’s Grand Bal makeup palette will add some zing to your lids and comes enclosed in a beautiful gold case with a jet-black eyeliner pencil and 2 shimmer glosses. Bonus: it fits perfectly in your purse.
3) Diamond Dust
Guerlain’s Limited Edition Liu Perfumed Body Powder lightly dusts on glitter in a glamorous fashion – in a spray bottle. Looks indulgent and smells fantastic.
4) Smoky Hot
This new limited edition palette from Georgia Armani has a gorgeous silver highlighter, sophisticated grey eye shadow and a red-hot lip to give you a sexy beauty look – in one go. Go for it! Giorgio Armani Moonlight White Palette
5) Golden Goddess
Clarins limited edition Christmas face palette has gold coloured mother-of-pearl to give you a sexy goddess glow.
6) Silver Star
This intense cream formula from Estée Lauder has staying power without creasing so it’s perfect for an all-nighter. It can be worn as a base, highlighter or eyeliner. Estée Lauder – Pure Colour Shadow PaintReally, you don’t need much. You’ll look BEAUTIFUL with just a little extra effort!
It’s that time of the year again: that seasonal conundrum ofWHAT TO WEAR? to the annual office Christmas party.
Leave it to Louboutin (Nordstrom, Vancouver). Sometimes it’s best to start to dress from the ground up!
The first cardinal rule? There’s no need to don the ornamental bells and whistles of a Christmas tree. You can still keep it simple but add a dash of bling & a red lip.
Just remember this
The second? Unless the theme is ugly Christmas sweaters, then make somewhat of an effort. If your party is right after work and you don’t have the time to change then at the very least slip on a pair of pretty party shoes and/or a decorative piece of jewellery.
It doesn’t have to be too much, just something festive. You can keep them incognito until the night kicks off. If you want to up the ante on the accessories, the only thing you need is a simple pair of drop-dead drop earrings to keep in your bag. They’ll add a slight shine to your ensemble if the rest of your look is pared back. Speaking of bags….
How about an elegant evening clutch bag? These are found at KATE FRENCH Wear – 2352 W. 4th Ave. in Vancouver. There is a lot more to this store than what is shown here. Clothing, etc.
Luckily, there are easy one-step tricks to the holiday office party trade. The best thing to do is to keep it simple yet with a little more chic ‘oomph’ than usual. Try a sleek A-line tea length skirt; it has that immediate Grace Kelly effect of polish. If your work place is casual and you usually wear jeans then opt for a black cigarette pant and oxford button-down or lacy blouse.
You can’t go wrong with these made in Canada simple but classy clutch bags which will come in handy after the holidays too. I love the ease of the handle which just slips over your wrist. KATE FRENCH Wear, Vancouver.
Rule #3 – if you’re into glam & glitter then this is the month to pull out all the stops.
Rule #4: no matter where you work, remember you’re still amongst your colleagues so go easy on the liquor.
Think about this old quote that Phyllis Diller once said:
“What I don’t like about office Christmas parties is looking for a job the next day”
Rule #5 – have fun, make it festive and look and feel your most FABULOUS!
But I didn’t really have a choice. When my freezer had a meltdown last week I had to do some quick thinking as to what would be the best ways to use up lots of chicken, ribs, pork and fish within a short time span. I baked, steamed and grilled but I also put a few things in the slow cooker. Here are two recipes I tried for the first time that turned out extremely well. I forgot how easy & convenient it is to use my slow-cooker. The only thing is that I took it one tiny step further – instead of throwing everything into the pot (which most people tend to do) I advise first browning the meat in another pot. It only takes a few extra minutes, one extra pot to clean and it will give you so much extra flavour. Trust me – it’s worthwhile!
Recipe #1: SWEET & SPICY CHICKEN (slightly adapted from a Martha Stewart Recipe)
TIP: You can serve it Moroccan style in a tagine over cous cous (or cous cous on the side) and add cilantro or green onion for an exotic spin.
INGREDIENTS – serves 4
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 chicken leg quarters (2 1/2 pounds total) *I used boneless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (root end left intact)
3 garlic cloves, minced
3-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, sliced into rounds
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup raisins
DIRECTIONS
In a large zip-top bag, combine cumin, cimmamon, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; add chicken and toss to coat. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Cook chicken, skin side down, until golden, about 4 minutes each side.
In a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker, place onion, garlic, and ginger. Add chicken, skin side up, then top with tomatoes and their liquid and raisins. Cover and cook on high until chicken is tender, 3 1/2 hours (or 6 hours on low).
Leftovers are always better the very next day
Recipe #2:
MAPLE DIJON PORK CHOPS
serves 2
INGREDIENTS
2-3 large bone-in pork chops *(I used boneless but next time I’ll use bone-in as I think they have more flavour)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
5 tbsp pure maple syrup
4 tbsp dijon mustard
½ cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp course salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS
Heat up the oil in a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add the pork chops and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Sear both sides of chops over high heat (about 2 minutes per side) then transfer to your slow cooker.
Lower the heat to medium low and add the onions. Cook until onions are just starting to soften then add the cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes and then pour sauce over chops in the slow cooker.
Cook on low for 5-6 hours (but check after 3 hours – depending on your slow cooker they could cook faster). Serve chops drizzled generously with sauce.
Tip: Try serving it with a side of egg noodles to help soak up the juice. It’s delicious. The only thing is that there was not enough – no leftovers to enjoy next day!
Source: adapted from eat.live.run.com
What kind of food do you take comfort in at this time of year?
It’s one of the human world’s most colourful, modern day, micro-migrations.
In the first week of December of every year, the art world descends on Miami Beach for ART BASEL Miami Beach and the dizzying range of young, wannabe rival fairs that have sprouted up in its shadow. From discreet European billionaires looking out of place amidst the Latino bling, to desperate crowds trying to force entry into exclusive art parties, to the variety of art installations and performances dotted along the ocean front, the spectacle of the art world temporarily grafted onto the hot mess that is Miami Beach is truly something to behold.Buried underneath all that wealth, naked ambition and partying, is the thing-in-itself – the art. Dazed previews the best new art that’s being shown at the best fairs – NADA at The Fontainebleau hotel and Untitled, operating from a vast tent-cum-hanger right on the beach as well as Art Basel Miami Beach itself.
Feeling Moody?
Maybe one of the most interesting art installations to land in New York recently is theMuseum of Feelings.
A first of its kind installation combining innovative technology, scent and art to generate an unforgettable and emotional experience, controlled by feelings from around the world. Crazy, right? And completely amazing…
The mysterious façade of the museum allows audience members to embark on a sensory journey through five distinctive zones that explore the connection between art and emotion in unassuming and surprising ways. Meanwhile, the museums radiant exterior, linked to various social network sites, simultaneously extracts data from news and weather reports, stock exchange and even flight delays and incorporates the various information into feelings, ultimately depicted by a hue of interchangeable colors. Kind of like a giant and interactive mood ring.
The Museum Of Feelings, nestled in lower manhattans Brookfield Place (near Battery Park City) will be free and open to the public until the 15th of December.
As a general rule I don’t like to watch Christmas movies until at least 2 weeks before Christmas. Even listening to Christmas songs…same thing. That’s about the time I begin to get into the spirit. It’s not being bah humbug…it’s just that it feels a bit too much, too soon.
But it’s close enough!
Even though I never tire of watching Christmas Classics around this time like Miracle on 34th Street (the original & the remake), It’s a Wonderful Life, the Grinch (both the cartoon & the film version starring Jim Carrey as the Grinch), Scrooge, Rudolph (the original), Home Alone (always funny) and some more recent ones like Elf and The Holiday… it’s nice to watch something new, light, fun and fresh. Something with Bill Murray.
Miracle on 34th Street – the Original
An entertaining cast, directed by Sofia Coppola (she directed “Lost in Translation” also with Bill Murray which I loved), filmed at a New York institution (the Carlyle hotel where I once stayed with my parents while on a visit to N.Y.) a dash of Clooney and all things combined, I enjoyed this one hour mostly musical very much. New on NETFLIX.
Watch the Trailer:
Which Christmas movies (animated or otherwise) are your favourites?
Jack’s rendition of The Cremation Of Sam McGee by Robert Louis Stevenson
He was always cold but the land of gold
Seemed to hold him like a spell
Though he’d often say in his doggy way
That he’d sooner live in hell
How about NOW? NOW can I chase them?
And there lay Jack, looking cool and calm
In the heart of the furnace roar
And he wore a smile you could see a mile
And he said, “Please close that door”
I think the sweater my grandma knit looks a bit small for you
“It’s fine in here but I greatly fear
You’ll let in the cold and storm
Since I left my home in Bangkok
It’s the first time I’ve been warm”
He’s so clever, that dog! He chased a squirrel right up a tree. Now where did that darn squirrel go? Oh no; not the other tree!
He likes to WINDOW SHOP; literally!
I use him as a sniffer dog – to sniff out the right pairs of shoes. Mary Janes are his faves.
Believe me I have all kinds and all lengths from faded and distressed to torn up and dressed-up dark denim and I love them all but 9 times out of 10 I will go to grab my skinnys. It seems to be the most flattering for my body type and like a legging (which I also tend to live in ) the most versatile for layering and wearing a blouse or sweater over top. You can dress the skinny up or down as they look equally good with heels or plain white runners (not the ones for actual running). Even though I secretly long to wear my super soft Hudson bell bottoms with hippie boots…I just never get around to doing so.
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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