Archive   |   December, 2010

want it now: the thermomix

Posted by in decorating

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It’s almost too good to believe: one appliance that can do everything. But it’s true! The Vorwerk Thermomix measures, chops, grinds, kneads AND cooks your food for you, while you relax. This German-made multitasker is all the rage in Europe, with many top chefs using them in their kitchens and writing cookbooks specifically for it. I was skeptical when I first heard about it, but after looking online and reading reviews, I’ve come to covet the Thermomix, or at least see it in action myself. Problem is, it’s not readily available here in the US (as mentioned in this Wall Street Journal article and this one in the New York Times), and it’s not available online or in stores, only through licensed Thermomix representatives. Bummer. Guess I’ll be making a trip to Canada soon, since you can get one much more easily there. Can any readers with experience chime in? I’m dying to know! –Megan B.

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real life test kitchen: cinnamon rolls

Posted by in cooking, entertaining, holidays

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Keep your candy canes and fruitcake. For me, cinnamon rolls are the official food of the holidays. Every year, as Christmas approached, I would head out to the grocery store with my mom to procure the obscene amount of ingredients she needed to make her annual holiday gift of cinnamon rolls. I watched as she pulled the tattered recipe from her file, year after year, the same one — a sour cream coffee cake recipe, actually. I remember her mixing the enormous batches in a rubber tub on the kitchen floor, and how my dad eventually bought her a big sheet of plexiglass so that she could roll out her dough down there too. But what has stayed with me the most all these years, is the scent — a perfect commingling of yeast, butter, cinnamon and caramelizing sugar that makes my mouth water and my heart warm just thinking about it.
Click for more, and the recipe, after the jump!

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site we’re psyched about: fivegomad

Posted by in decorating, shopping, surfing

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FiveGoMad is a shop with the tagline “Quintessentially British” and all I can say is – love! Shelterrific friend Marissa alerted me to it with a Facebook post on these Anne Boleyn underpants (Anne. Boleyn. Underpants.) and then a photo of this gold glitter hand-printed skull-and-crossbones wallpaper, and I was hooked. There are humorous housewares like the Ice Cream Woman Fridge Magnet, lots of fabulous wallpapers, and a selection of food and drinks including, of course, tea. Go mad! – Mary T.

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post off: what are your new year’s traditions?

Posted by in decorating, entertaining, holidays

blackeyedeggs
“Tradition!” (sung in my heartiest Tevye voice). Sure, just about everyone stays up until midnight to ring in the new year, and I’ve mentioned before about the tradition of eating blackeyed peas on New Year’s Day, but there are tons of different New Years traditions celebrated all over the globe. In Japan, it’s customary to eat buckwheat soba before the end of the year to sever any possibility of hardship carrying over into the new year, and in Spain people celebrate by eating churros and hot chocolate (note to self: celebrate new year’s 2012 in Spain). My personal favorite is the Danish custom of smashing old dishes against friends doors to celebrate the new year — a raucous stress reliever, and an excuse to get rid of all the chipped, mismatched dishes in the cupboards. What about you, dear readers? How will you be trumpeting the arrival of 2011? –Megan B.

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steal this idea: hibiscus wine garnish

Posted by in drinking, entertaining

hibiscus

This year, our holiday cocktails held a chic and pretty surprise: wild hibiscus flowers! Anton, the member of our motley Christmas crew, arrived with his usual beautifully appointed basket of hand towels and wine, and a new cocktail garnish. Simply pour a glass of sparkling wine, fish out a flower from a jar of Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup, drop it into the glass and add a dash of syrup and watch as the bubbles gently unfurl the petals on the gorgeous edible treat. Snag a jar on Amazon, $11 for 8.8 ounces, or pick one up at Whole Foods and enjoy a Jingle Bell Bellini. This simple cocktail would also be an easy way to add a touch of pizzazz to a baby or bridal shower! Sample more recipes at the Wild Hibiscus Company website. –Sarah C.

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