How to Cure a "Saints are 0-4" Funk...

I just cannot believe that our Saints are 0-4.  I sincerely hoped we'd be the first team to ever host and appear in the same Superbowl.  I need to get out of my Sunday no-fun-day funk.

Here's a few treats that might help!

Revenge is back!!!  It's as good as always...

These silk bow napkin rings...

This exquisite Oscar de la Renta gown

This adorable Halloween costume.  Jane as Audrey!  Yes, please.

That it's Fall yall!

What gets you out of a funk?

Tasty Tuesdays: Autumn Chopped Salad

Photo and Recipe Credit to Iowa Girl Eats

I know that I often associate fresh salads with the spring and summer months, but this Autumn Chopped Salad has me craving one now!   I love the mix of colors and textures in this salad.  You could add or substitute all of your favorite fall flavors.  I am partial to toasted walnuts and dried cherries myself.  

Ingredients: 
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
3 slices center-cut bacon
1 pear, chopped
1 apple, chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup Poppy Seed Salad Dressing (or more or less)
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or more or less)

Directions:

1. Lay bacon strips down on a folded paper towel on a microwave-safe plate, then cover with another folded paper towel. Microwave for 1 minute then rotate the plate 1/4 turn and microwave for 30 more seconds. Continue rotating and cooking in 30 second increments until the bacon is crisp, then let cool and chop up.
2. Add cooled bacon, romaine lettuce, pear, apple, peanuts, dried cranberries, and feta cheese into a very large bowl, then add salad dressing and balsamic vinegar to taste. Toss well then serve immediately.

What are your favorite fall flavors?

Ten Quirky Questions

Hi!
I thought I'd scour the internet for some quirky questions to answer.  I love reading question and answer posts on people's blogs.  I hope you enjoy getting to know a few new things about me!

Do you take the shampoos and conditioner bottles from hotel?
I do!  I love how practical they are.  You can always use a mini bottle when you go to the gym or a trip where you stay at a friend's.  My favorite hotel lagniappe is the little sewing kit.  I keep one in my desk drawer at work!

What is your biggest pet peeve?
I absolutely CANNOT tolerate people who are rude to waiters.  Is that a pet peeve?  It has to qualify for something because it literally makes me crazy!

Do you chew your pens and pencils?
Ummmm... (pulling pen out of mouth).  I am embarrassed to admit that I am a pen chewer. I always have been.  There is nothing worse than looking down and realizing you've been chewing on the pen you borrowed from your boss at a conference...

Do you believe in ghosts?
I don't, but I am completely scared by ghost movies.  It doesn't make sense if I don't believe, but I don't think I slept for two days straight after seeing Sixth Sense.

What was your first concert?
I grew up wishing that I could say it was New Kids, but it was actually Kenny G.  For a long time that was also my most embarrassing moment!

Have you ever cried because you were so happy?
I mean the Saints did win the Superbowl!  I cried like a baby when Drew Brees hoisted up the Lombardi trophy and then cried even more when he lifted up his little boy.

Do you crave sweet or salty food?
Ohhh...  I actually crave the combination.  It's why salted caramel is my favorite thing in the world.

How late is "sleeping in" to you?
Until my trip to NYC over Labor Day with my sister, the latest I had slept since I got pregnant last March was probably 7:45.  I did, however, sleep until 10:00 am in NYC.  It was amazing until I realized I had slept through so much of the morning.  Waking up really early gives you so much more time to do fun things!

What is a food that you never thought you would try, but then 
tried and liked? 
Blue cheese.  I hated blue cheese one day, and the next day I had it on a salad and loved it.  I've never looked back.  A good creamy cambozola on a cracked pepper cracker = heaven!

DJ or band at a wedding?

I love a good band.  It adds something so special to an event.  We had a band at our wedding and my college roommate joined them to sing our first dance, At Last.  It was such a great wedding moment.

Thursday is the New Friday

A few week's ago, I heard Mark declare that Thursday is the new Friday.  How genius!!  I love that kind of outlook.  Why can't we extend our laid back, enjoy the moment weekend attitude.  We aren't always able to do so with his call schedule, but when we can, it's so much fun.  Sometimes, we pop into our neighborhood bar, St. Joe's, and pick up a walking drink.  My choice is always the blueberry mojito.  It pairs wells with an Uptown stroll on a hot summer night.  Other times, we will have a spontaneous dinner outside at one of our favorite French restaurants.  I find that if you dine with a baby outside, they are easily entertanied and people are less likely to give you death stares.

Tonight, we have just decided to go to a wine tasting at Cork and Bottle with Jane and my parents.  It's a fabulous little wine shop with a charming bar area (where we had my baby shower).  They offer both wine classes and wine tastings.  I haven't been to either since almost right when we moved home I got pregnant.  Then I worried that we'd never go once we had Jane, but now I can't wait to go and have her tag along.  She loves Thursday night adventures and will especially love this one since my parents will be there!

Since Thursday is the new Friday, I can officially say, "Have a good weekend!"

Pilates Boot Camp Has Me Shaking in My Boots

Is anyone esle out there completed intimidated by anything with the words BOOT and CAMP in them?  Just the thought of someone hovering over my out of shape self screaming to do more makes me queezy.  But, I am all out of excuses when it comes to getting in shape and losing Baby Jane weight. 

The truth is, I can't actually blame baby weight.  I lost the weight I gained during my pregnancy within three weeks of delivering Jane.  The additional lbs sitting on my frame can only be blamed on me.  Well, and two gentleman named Ben and Jerry.  For some reason, the typical dedication I have to a diet has just not been there. 

But with two months to go before my sister's wedding, I am ready to get serious.  I've been taking Pilates reformer classes twice a week, and while I love them, I know they are not enough to truly get the fat burning.

So I took the plunge and signed myself up for a Pilates Boot Camp at Romney Pilates.  The class is every MWF for four weeks from 6:00 am until 7:00 am.  I am not sure that I'm ready for it.  If you decide to join the class, I will likely be the one huffing and puffing in the corner of the room.  But at least I'll be there!

Here's to a new start...

And to looking like these ladies at the finish line!

Have you tried a boot camp?  How did it go?

Tasty Tuesdays: Otto's Olive Oil Ice Cream/NYC trip recap

My sister and I left New Orleans Friday morning to go to our planned sisters weekend in NYC.  While Hurricane Isaac delayed our arrival by several hours, we pulled up to our apartment in the East Village just in time for dinner.  We dined at Mercadito on Avenue A.  Think guacamole with chucks of pineapple, pork tacos, and plantains.  Deeelish!

Saturday, we slept until ten.  I have not slept in for more than 18 months.  It was the most amazing rest ever.  We cabbed it over to Bloomingdales and got our makeup done as a test run for her wedding in November.  Such a great start to our girly day!  After we got gussied up, we walk along Madison Avenue through Mid-town and the Upper East Side making stops in Laduree, Ralph Lauren Children's, Giggle, and Eric Kayser.  After more walking back to Mid-town, we met up with one of my best friends for desserts at Momofuku Milk Bar.  Heavens!  It's delicious.  I has the candy bar pie while the other girls has the crack pie. Worth every calorie.  There is no better way to walk off dessert than by walking and shopping along Fifth Avenue.  After a little rest and relaxation, we met some friends for dinner at The Smith East Village.  I had skate for the first time and it was AMAZING!  We followed dinner with some lights at McSorley's and a fabulous cocktail at Bourgeois Pig.  

After some sleep, we woke up on Sunday excited about our food tour through Greenwich Village.  It was three hours of humor, history, architecture, and, of course, good eats.  Our tour guide was Bert.  He was awesome!  I totally recommend eating your way through the city on your next trip!  We caught up with other friends for a stroll through the Village and pre-dinner drinks and apps at the Gibson Hotel.  

Our final meal of the trip was at Mario Bitali's Otto.  I love that he provides diners an option to sample his delicious fare at completely reasonable prices.  We shared the Pasta Carbonara and a pizza that were delectable!  But the best dish of the weekend goes to Otto's Olive Oil Gelato.  I had it once before, and I will tell you that it alone is worth a trip to NYC!  It is the perfect combination of sweet and salty.  And the texture is perfectly creamy. I will think about it every day until we return to NYC for the Saints v. Giants game in December. 

Until then, I will have to try to convince my pastry chef sister to make some for me!

OLIVE OIL GELATO

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split, or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 10 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Maldon or other flaky sea salt

Procedures

1. 1
   Combine the milk and cream in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring just to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
2. 2
   If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds from the bean with a paring knife and add the seeds to the hot milk. Cover and let steep for 30 minutes.
3. 3
   Add 3/4 cup of the sugar to the milk and bring just to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
4. 4
   Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt together in a medium heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk in about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture, then return the mixture to the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula or a wooden spoon, until the custard registers 185°F on an instant-read thermometer.
5. 5
   Immediately strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the vanilla extract, if using, and chill over an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until cold. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or, preferably, overnight.
6. 6
   Freeze the gelato in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions, stopping to add the olive oil about halfway through the freezing process. Pack into a freezer container and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving. (The gelato is best served the day it is made.)
7. 7
   Sprinkle a few flakes of Maldon salt and drizzle a stripe or two of olive oil over each serving of gelato.