I am still in the soup making mode here. I have been dying for a really good pea soup recipe. The other day I found Ina’s recipe and was so intrigued since people said that it is the best version yet! If pea soup is not your thing, I am including my Chicken and Dumplings recipe…it is a staple in our house and a favorite for everyone who makes it. Back to the pea soup, it is so easy to make. It’s quick and comes out so thick and hearty. The secret is letting it simmer nice and slow. Bon Appetit!!!
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups medium-diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
1 cup medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled (3 small)
1 pound dried split green peas
8 cups chicken stock or water
In a 4-quart stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, 1/2 pound of split peas, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking. Add the remaining split peas and continue to simmer for another 40 minutes, or until all the peas are soft. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.
If you have been following me for a while, you already know that I am obsessed with Vintage Jewelry. I love all types but I am always on the hunt for unique costume pieces. I have found some of my favorite items in flea markets from Miami, to random shops in Paris to stalls on Portobello Rd and everywhere in between. Current prices really do not have the quality and longevity that their counterparts from the past do. And, most of the vintage pieces have so much style and are really timeless looking. One of my other go-tos to find some of the best earrings, necklaces, rings, and bracelets is Etsy. I keep a running list of favorites and go back to it when I need gifts or am looking for something to match a particular outfit. Designer pieces are really the “Unicorn” find but most not marked items are really the special pieces because you can grab something really beautiful for a fraction of the price. Here are some of my most recent finds on Etsy…click the image for more information.
I love these waterfall pearl statement earrings, they can be worn casually or dressed up for a special occasion!
These circle drop earrings are very mid-century modern..This is one of my favorite looks…
For years I have been searching for a set of jade bangles…they are really hard to find..I love the colors in these
These drop flowers are gorgeous!!!!!
I think these are so interesting too..love the disco ball look..
Charm bracelets are my favorite and a dangling clover is sooo perfect…Its hard to find one of a good size
Here is the same circle design with lucite loops…gorgeous!!!
This Asian character cuff is perfection
I have this charm bracelet in the gold tone. I wear it all the time.. Everyone stops and asks me about it. Its soo beautiful in person.
This acorn style bracelet was so popular in the 60’s and 70’s. I love the brown hue.
These Asian character earrings are one of my favorite pieces that I have found on Etsy in a while.
I love that you can wear this pendant doubled or long and the tassel gives it a little something extra!!!
Another cool Asian design..
This jade charm bracelet is another of my favorite pieces…
I also have this in Gold..I love the hanging discs. Its such a statement piece..
I am head over heels for this ring. I love the braided gold design and beautiful color of the stone..
Another fabulous pair of statement earrings..the design is so timeless…
I love the bamboo style and white enamel combo of this band ring…
This statement necklace is outstanding…I can see this worn with so many outfits…from dresses to a t-shirt or cashmere sweater and jeans.
I have been trying for a really good Home Goods Round-Up for you but the last few times I went to Home Goods it was really a letdown. The store has just not been packed the way it used to be prior to Covid. However, my friends in other areas, especially down south, are finding the most incredible things. I am hoping we are just a few weeks behind. I will keep checking. In the meanwhile….Here are some really fun things that I found in the Port Chester location this afternoon.
There were so many really pretty Ikat pillows..I love this color combo and also the pouf underneath (there was a pair of those too!)
These geometric placemats were giving me David Hicks vibes!
There was an entire set of these “marbleized” black and white china, diner and salad plates and pasta/cereal bowls too!!! So Fab!!!
These mirrors would be prefect for a cabana, or pool or beach house!!!!
This Gold and glass table was so chic in person…I really should have grabbed it…
The selection of decorative storage baskets was one of the best I have seen there in ages..
Batik tablecloths and napkins are all the rage and quite expensive…these were gorgeous and a fraction of the price…
I am always asked if I see end of the bed benches…LOVED this grey tufted upholstered one..
I am not a huge fan of artificial flowers but I do like a faux succulents from time to time and this greenery was really lush in person. Perfect for shelf decor or Zoom backgrounds!!!!
I have seen this design in the William Yeoward section at Hoaglands (one of my favorites)…these are just soo pretty and only 9.99 each. I should have grabbed them for my mom.
A woman was swooning over this assortment of French Chocolates, I picked up a couple for Galentine’s Day!!!!!!
Another really pretty and current side table…
I loved this trio of candles….
Just the other day Dabney of Dabney Lee was telling me I needed an assortment of candle holders to scatter together to hold her beautiful colorful tapers…..I thought these looked so pretty….
This little lamp really caught my eye….
I have seen oodles and oodles of rattan planters all over Instagram…how sweet is this little caned square one? I am kicking myself I left it behind. Not bad for $8.
These gold lamps were giving me Aerin vibes. They have the coolest crystal balls at the base…They were really stunning in person!!!
My friend from SC was raving over those UGG knit blankets. She said they are gorgeous and luxurious in person and make amazing throws for all over the house. I love this color. She’s right, what a great gift…I am thinking perfect for Father’s Day, if you can wait that long!!!!
Another William Yeoward look but this one I would give as a gift with pink Himalayan salt for someone to keep right by their stove or on their table to serve with a little silver spoon…
You know I cannot resist the holiday decor..I love these heart stemless wine glasses and this big red heart tray….
I am always looking for cool home office decor and how amazing are these storage boxes. They would look great stacked on a desk or on a credenza or on bookshelves…
And my favorite favorite item was hiding behind the registers, a robot vacuum..this was such a great deal for $120. If you know you know and if you don’t you need to try one!!!!
I found today’s Book Club choice, Wardrobe Crisis: How We Went From Sunday Best To Fast Fashion by Clare Press absolutely fascinating. A reader, who is living in London read it during this second lockdown and messaged me about it. I immediately bought it and started reading…
Who makes your clothes? This used to be an easy question to answer it was the seamstress next door, or the tailor on the high street—or you made them yourself. Today, we rarely know the origins of the clothes hanging in our closets. The local shoemaker, dressmaker, and milliner are long gone, replaced a globalized fashion industry worth $1.5 trillion a year.
In Wardrobe Crisis, fashion journalist Clare Press explores the history and ethics behind what we wear. Putting her insider status to good use, Press examines the entire fashion ecosystem, from sweatshops to haute couture, unearthing the roots of today’s buy-and-discard culture. She traces the origins of icons like Chanel, Dior, and Hermès; charts the rise and fall of the department store; and follows the thread that led us from Marie Antoinette to Carrie Bradshaw.
Wardrobe Crisis is a witty and persuasive argument for a fashion revolution that will empower you to feel good about your wardrobe again. – Amazon.com
For more information or to purchase this book, click HERE.
Improving all areas of your physical health is incredibly important. From ensuring you’re consuming enough antioxidants and vitamins to help with your heart, brain and all your other major organs. You should consider certain therapies that can be offered at certain clinics, such as glutathione iv therapy. IV therapies are a great way to get nutrients into your body. Although a healthy lifestyle must work in conjunction with this.
Photo: Unsplash
What is healthy food?
When you want to eat healthy and adhere to a proper diet, you do not always know where to start. One reason is that the terms “healthy food” or “proper nutrition” have different meanings: one thinks it means not eating junk food, while the other thinks it means being vegan or eating only organic food.
Anyone who reads the health sections is often surprised to find that food that is considered unhealthy has suddenly become healthy following the publication of one study or another. In addition, there are several healthy dietary approaches, whose recommendations are not always compatible with each other. For example: low-carbohydrate diets that have been shown to be effective in weight loss and improving cardiovascular risk factors, compared to diets based on complex carbohydrates that have been shown to be similarly effective. So are carbs healthy or unhealthy? Coffee – to drink or not to drink? Yes, in moderation of course. Coffee is good for the brain and also for your bowels, but do not over consume.
How do you build a menu that is all about proper nutrition?
There seems to be no single truth about proper nutrition, and as it has become clear in recent years different people are suitable for different diets. Proper and healthy nutrition consists of a set of several factors, each of which has its own unique contribution. It is impossible to change our diet overnight, changing eating habits should be slow but consistent. Each time it is worth deciding on a new change that you want to adopt and persevere with. Once the habit has become a part of life, you can move on to the next habit, and so you will continue to improve your diet until you feel that you have reached your healthy diet. Healthy eating is a very big and abstract concept, here are some ideas for turning the concept into small and practical steps. One per month in the new year.
1. Cook whole grains
Whole wheat pasta, whole rice, wild rice, whole couscous, whole bulgur, quinoa, buckwheat, millet – you should try them in different recipes and those who like to adopt instead of regular cereals.
2. Eat wholemeal bread
Whole wheat bread, rye bread, whole grain bread – plain bread or light bread. It is important to read the small print on the packaging and make sure the bread is made from 100% wholemeal flours.
3. Bake with wholemeal flour
You can choose between two options: The first is to pre-select recipes for breads, cakes, and cookies made from whole wheat flour. The second is the gradual approach, whereby you start by replacing 20 percent of the flour with wholemeal flour, and after practicing and loving move on.
A recommendation for this week’s book, What Kind Of Woman by Kate Baer came across my email. This book is so unique because it is a collection of poems that are uplifting for all the roles that women’s play in today’s world. It is the type of book that my readers say that they keep on their nightstand and reread constantly….Here is the summary:
An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
“If you want your breath to catch and your heart to stop, turn to Kate Baer.”–Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo
A stunning and honest debut poetry collection about the beauty and hardships of being a woman in the world today, and the many roles we play – mother, partner, and friend.
“When life throws you a bag of sorrow, hold out your hands/Little by little, mountains are climbed.” So ends Kate Baer’s remarkable poem “Things My Girlfriends Teach Me.” In “Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels” she challenges her reader to consider their grandmother’s cake, the taste of the sea, the cool swill of freedom. In her poem “Deliverance” about her son’s birth she writes “What is the word for when the light leaves the body?/What is the word for when it/at last, returns?”
Through poems that are as unforgettably beautiful as they are accessible, Kate Bear proves herself to truly be an exemplary voice in modern poetry. Her words make women feel seen in their own bodies, in their own marriages, and in their own lives. Her poems are those you share with your mother, your daughter, your sister, and your friends. – Amazon.com
For More Information or to purchase this book, click HERE.
