Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I.  Sifting through my Facebook newsfeed this morning, I paused on Barefoot Contessa’s status update about her New Year’s Eve tradition. Evidently, every year the infamous Food Network chef serves dinner at midnight. Not one for lavish (chaotic) parties to mark the new year, I love the idea of...

Merry Christmas, everyone!!  I hope that your holiday season has been as thrilling as mine, and that you all have a wonderful new year.  xx tt

If you’re anything like me, you’ve let your Christmas shopping linger a little too long…  With hours left for next-day shipping options, I’ve curated a list of amazing presents under $25 (savings you’ll surely need to pay those pesky freight costs). I.  Impress your friends and family with a homemade treat by making this incredibly easy lemon curd.  Present the delicious breakfast staple in a ...

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I.  The drop in mercury over the last week means that wintertime is decidedly upon us.  I plan to spend the rest of the season curled up on my sofa under a pile of chinchilla throws with a good book and my favorite holiday libation - a hot cup of intoxicated eggnog. While most eggnog is served cold,...

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I.  In the last week, I've received a plethora of frantic texts from friends begging for easy appetizer recipes for holiday parties.  My go-to recipes are Park Tavern Deviled Eggs and Baked Crab Rangoons. While rangoons are traditionally fried, these tiny treats are every bit as delicious, and much...

Let’s talk wine, because you’re either bringing some as the nice guest that you are, or using it to medicate yourself from your family.  Regardless of your need, the greatest day of the year for food cannot exist without the perfect wine pairing. The rule of thumb at Thanksgiving is Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Bubbles. Some exchange Riesling for Chardonnay in this lineup, but why enjoy anything...

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I. What better way to celebrate Thankgivukkah than with an elaborate feast?! With Hanukkah falling on Thanksgiving this year, it’s the perfect excuse to combine festive fare from both holidays to create an extra-gluttonous menu to be thankful for. (And it’s your only chance to partake in the dual...

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I.  Having nothing to do with either cooking or decor, you will have to forgive me for using this forum to share a photograph of the satellite MAVEN, which NASA launched this morning. My father worked on creating the satellite that will study the planet’s atmosphere (or lack thereof), and I couldn’t...

Infusing grandeur into otherwise drab Monday mornings with five things/ideas/events for the week: I.  Fall is my favorite time of year - I love everything about it, the crisp cool weather, the constant aroma of mulling spices, the holidays, and especially the food. Butternut squash bisqueis something that I’ve made several times already this season. To add complexity to the traditional recipe, I...