Brighten Up Your Winter Wardrobe

Are you feeling the winter blahs?  Why not brighten up your wardrobe with some colorful accessories?  A bright patterned bag will definitely make you smile and get you through these next few months.

From Cordes Creations

From Roxanna Ahlborn

From Shelter Protects You

From Out of Africa

A Culinary Tour of Mexico City

I recently spent 72 hours in Mexico City with our new culinary advisor to experience the culinary wonderland we know as la Cuidad de Mexico.

Click here for the Food Republic article of our trip.

See below for some more pics that I though you’d enjoy.  Please note: there are some shots at the markets that you may not be used to seeing in American grocery stores.

Tacos al Pastor at El Fogoncito

Rabbits at Mercado de San Juan

Butcher at Mercado de San Juan

Spiny Lobster at Mercado de San Juan

Unformed chicken eggs at Mercado de San Juan

Cabrito tacos from a street vendor


Cabrito tacos from a street vendor

Freshly made tortillas

Blue corn quesadillas from a street vendor

Chickens at Mercado de la Merced

Chicken at Mercado de la Merced

Intestines at Mercado de la Merced

Sausage at Mercado de la Merced

Intestines at Mercado de la Merced

Cabezas at Mercado de la Merced

Nopales pads at Mercado de la Merced

Fresh huitlacoche at Mercado de la Merced

Beans at Mercado de la Merced

A lil bit of everything at Mercado de la Merced

Grasshoppers at Mercado de la Merced

Selling casuelas outside Mercado de la Merced

Potato chips from a street vendor

El Camino Real in Polanco

Notes from the Underground by Mark Bittman

In today’s New York Times Magazine, Mark Bittman ‘digs’ into the winter root vegetable and showcases how to use them.  Mixed Root Vegetable Saute, Parsnip Gratin, Creamy Carrot Soup…sounds good to me!

Photo from New York Times

The Ultimate Irresistible Granola

I was in the mood for something sweet this afternoon but didn’t want to leave the house.  With the limited items in my pantry I was still able to whip up something to satisfy my sweet tooth.  I found a recipe for the Ultimate Irresistible Granola on AllRecipes.com and modified it with what I had.

Photo from AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup pistachios
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together the oil and honey.  Cook and stir until blended.
3. Stir in the oats, pistachios, cherries, coconut.
4. Spread out in an even layer onto a cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until toasted. Let stand until cooled, and stir again to break up any large clusters.
6. Enjoy!

 

The Perfect Winter Escape

I’m itching to get away right now.  It’s a combo of the winter + the craziness of work.  I need a nice, long vaca far, far away from everything and everyone.  Jetsetter is featuring an escape on Fort Morgan Cay, a 29-acre private island in Roatan, Honduras.  You can rent the four-bedroom villa for only $2825/night.  Ok, so maybe it’s not realistic but a girl can dream!

From Jetsetter.com

Setting

In Port Royal Bay, a 5-minute boat ride from Roatán Island in Honduras, the 29-acre island has water-lined mangroves and three private beaches.

• Genuine 16th-century pirate fort
• World’s second-largest coral reef just offshore
• 20-minute boat ride to grocery store

Bed & Bath

The villas has four bedrooms, each with its own bath and indoor/outdoor shower.

• All rooms have AC
• Two have ocean views and two have garden views.
• Honduran mahogany four-poster beds draped in mosquito netting

Common Areas

Well furnished but low-key, the living areas would no doubt meet with Papa Hemingway’s approval. And when you get tired of lounging, there are 29 acres of palm tree–fringed land to explore.

• Living, dining and reading room
• Covered porch, sun deck, hammock terrace
• Freshwater pool
• Two kayaks and three power boats

About the area

Named for pirate Henry Morgan, who was known to frequent the island, Fort Morgan Cay is a private 29-acre retreat inhabited today solely by the villa’s staff, blue crabs, egrets and turtles. At the east end, you’ll find mangrove marshes lined with canals for kayaking. The clear, shallow water off the three beaches is rimmed with reefs. And the villa has an armada of boats to suit just about any hobby: fishing, sailing, jet-skiing, powerboating. Don’t forget to pack your suntan lotion. The nearest grocery store is 20 minutes away — by boat.