Lafco New York

Dear Alice,

I noticed a candle on your stove in the Chicken Makhani post. Is for 'cooking odor control' or just decoration? We have the a vent that sends exhaust back into the house and it drives me crazy. Thanks for your 'ultimate' insights. My cookie sheet is the best, thanks to you.

Warmly,
Kathleen B

It's the Lafco New York Beach House scented candle and I burn it ALL. THE. TIME. Apparently, so does Oprah who named their candles one of her (breaks into singsong voice) faaaaaaavorite thingssssss...

Last year I was all about the Beach House scent but, after a recent outing with the bff to a local shop where I furiously huffed every candle Lafco makes, like 40 I think, I decided to switch things up. I left with the Ski House candle, a migraine and vasovagal syncope...

And, très happy to hear that you're enjoying your Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch cookie sheet. I just added the 9" x 13" rectangular cake pan to my Goldtouch lineup which I needed for baking Babe's birthday cake tomorrow. See how that works? It's Babe's birthday yet, I somehow manage to find an excuse to buy something pour moi. Puuure talent...

Kindness of Kathleen B for the nice email. I always love hearing when readers buy the things I post about. It's comforting to hope that I may not be alone in dodging the dog house for excessive passionate purchasing. This old cake pan??? Pshaw, got that mooonths ago..XXOO

Ralph's Silks

The bff Kimba and I have been all about Ralph Lauren's cabled silk sweaters ever since our first brush with the navy v-neck in Charlotte several years ago. And, we're STILL stalking the blue tie-dye version Robin Roberts occasionally recycles on GMA...

So, when I found myself in an eleventh hour pinch after all my Memorial Weekend party outfit planning went up in Kittygroomergate smoke, I sent a 911 to the Mad Ave women's store and had the lime green 3/4 length sleeve v-neck overnighted for a shotgun pairing with my white AG Stilts...

And, juuust when I'm a smidge over a week away from having manipulated myself in the vicinity of a Goyard counter, I receive a text from my "boo" at Polo letting me know the silk cardies and v-necks in pink (check!), turquoise (check!), lime (checkity check check!), cobalt and coral (ooooo) are now on sale for $299 and the sleeveless are $199. Rats. Welp, I can count on a coral v-neck haunting beginning tonight...

Ralph Lauren Women's Flagship Store
888 Madison Avenue
212.606.2100

Kindness of my boo at Polo for all her continued help with me and my posse. Annnd, for turning the RL peeps on to my blog. Now, THAT's a coup. Also, Babe, who will be sooo exhausted from running Goyard interference in two weekends I may have a decent chance of slipping away to investigate my budding obsession interest in the blue dress hanging next to the lime sweater in the first pic...XXOO

Chicken Makhani Kind Of

Chicken Makhani kind of cuz I don't do dark meat, which is traditionally what is called for, and I cheat and use jarred Makhani sauce from Rasika in Washington, DC (which is also carried in Whole Foods around the District). Here's the remainder of the recipe which includes homemade Makhani sauce for all y'all non cheaters...

1 3/4 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
salt to taste

To marinate: Place chicken in a nonporous glass dish or bowl with lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chili powder and salt. Toss to coat; cover dish and refrigerate to marinate for 1 hour...

1 cup yogurt
salt to taste
2 tablespoons garlic paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil

*I found all the unfamiliar ingredients at a Food Lion

Have your Sous-Chef drain yogurt in a cheese cloth for 15 to 20 minutes...

Place in a medium bowl; mix in salt, garlic paste, garam masala, butter, chili powder, ginger paste, lemon juice and oil. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken, replace cover and refrigerate to marinate for another 3 to 4 hours...

Preheat oven to 4oo°. Place chicken on skewers. Place skewers in a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until almost cooked through...

Prepare jarred or homemade sauce as directed...

Place chicken in sauce mixture. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside...

Serve over Basmati rice...

Melt chopped garlic and butter together...

Distribute with a pastry brush over Whole Foods or Teeters fresh Naan and cook according to directions on package. Another great cheaters trick...

Kindness of Babe who always acts as though everything I cook is the best thing he ever ate. Even when I cheat...XXOO

T.R. In Da House

Is it Monday already?

When I'm this tired I have a habit of referring to myself as Tired McGryyyerd. Babe has lovingly shortened it to just T.R. and, let me tell ya, T.R. is in da house tonight...

It may wholly partly be due to the fact that Babe feels obligated to pack a gazillion bike rides into his très short weekends; I bike ride alongside him in my jammies sipping tea during his 4 mile runs...we bike ride to pick up lunch...we bike ride at sunset...we bike ride at dusk...we bike ride after getting off the beach...

On the Bright Turquoise side; all that bike riding helped ease these weekend pizza/Milk Duds/Fractured Prune donut eatin' thighs into my new 80's flashback J. Brands...

But, the Bike Nazi is NYC bound so the coast is clear for this T.R. and the Ti R-Babes to crawl into bed early and start resting up for next weekend...

Kindness of Babe who will remind me to take my scissors along in my Nantucket Bike Basket during the next leg of our Tour de Fenwick so at least I can do some Hydrangea thieving during these mandatory rides. Pshaw, like some one's gonna question a crazy girl on a bike in her jammies cutting flowers from random bushes...XXOO

All Polished Up For Summer

'Twas that time o' year again...

Time to spring clean all my gold jewelry with soap, warm water and a soft brush...

And, polish the dickens outta my sterling...

All the better to see against summer bronzed skin my dear...

Then it was manically on to all my Mason Pearson brushes and combs annnd eventually sunglasses...

The cleaning mania continued très early the next morn when I whisked away the watch, belt buckle and money clip of a didn't arrive home from Greenwich til after midnight sleeping Babe for some serious deep cleaning over tea...

Stress caused by reading of wife's recent purchasing sprees on her blog each day while faaaar from home + sterling = beaucoup amounts of tarnish...

Kindness of Babe who is always genuinely appreciative when I make his loot all clean and sparkly too. Kinda balances out the purchasing spree crimes dontcha think? XXOO

Watermelon Goes Prep

I am under the gun to take my 6 hour online Driver's Safety class for my and Hilbil's annual en route to South Carolina speeding ticket so, I'm going light today...

Light in post and price but, not in pink...

How cool is this Kuhn Rikon Watermelon Knife with it's watermelon-pink serrated blade and matching sheath? "The little perforations that look like seeds and the blade's bright silicone coating makes slicing effortless". Pshaw, they had me at the color combo...

Kindness of my dear friend and chef in the know Ellen Ciciotte for the heads up on this li'l gift to myself. She also said that the Kuhn Rikon kife company is "awesome" and is PARRRticularly fond of her light pink paring knife. And juuust as my Williams-Sonoma wish list was depleting...XXOO

Haute Hues Exception To The Rule

Maybe it's because I've spent nearly every summer of my life all day every day in a bathing suit but, I have a real visceral reaction to the thought of wearing jeans during those half naked months. Minus the occasional white pair around the season's flanking holiday weekends...

So when this ad for J Brand 811 Mid-Rise Skinny Leg Haute Hues landed in my inbox, I surprised my rigid nojeansinsummer self by putting them into my further investigation required folder. They were just a smidge too old school Polo to turn my back on in haste...

Like an answered prayer, I stumbled across this collage on Tomboy Style pairing the green Haute Hues with Belgies! And, not just any Belgies but, specifically my Camel Leopards that are in Belgian order limbo along with the also pic'd Navy Lizard Calf. 'Twas all the validation this prep needed...

With the help of visiting for the weekend Amy, we made quick work of narrowing my first color choice down to the Bright Turquoise and had those babies virtual carted up before Babe returned from fetching her coffee...

I've got my work cut out for me deciding between the Pretty Pink...

And, Bright Fuschia...

But, Bright Green is a next in the queue no brainer...

Kindness of Mamacita for knowing Tomboy Style blog "had my name all over it". Your sales pitch had me at "Belgians and Hermès". And, weekend guest Amy Fahrenkopf for her pre coffee, under the gun decision making talent...XXOO