Bottle Up the Booze

With the New Year’s holiday coming up, you might be planning a holiday bash and wondering what is a great drink to make for entertaining with friends, but also on a budget! First is to forgo the traditional full bar. Now it makes sense to offer just wine, beer, and one signature drink or greet each guest with a flute of sparkling wine. Barefoot sells a wonderful sparking wine at $7.00 a bottle and is found at any Trader Joe’s or grocery store. If you don’t want to display the brand’s bottle, put your budget wine and beer in decanters. Moi’s signature drink for this holiday season was the Peppermint Martini which I tweeted about on Christmas Eve and received DM’s on how to make them. This drink is not only reserved just for Christmas, enjoy it while you countdown to 2009! 

Peppermint Martini ~ Serves 2

5 oz Grey Goose vodka

2 oz White Creme de Menthe

1/2 oz Peppermint Schnapps

Mini candy canes

Pour liquids into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into chilled martini glasses. Add a candy cane to garnish.

 

Moi xoxo

Fashion, Food, and Flashbacks

When you think of Bill Blass pictured above, you think of New York and cocktail gowns. He was an extraordinary man, a great designer, and he also made a mean meatloaf dinner. I can’t imagine Bill Blass kicking back with meatloaf at a dinner party, but guess what, he did! Yes, high Wasp society considers the humble, old-fashioned meat loaf to be the ultimate in chic, especially during these chilly winter evenings. Always a tinker with recipes, I added rolled oats in place of bread crumbs, added an extra egg, and left out the butter altogether except to grease the pan. To compliment I suggest mashed potatoes, a green vegetable, and a White Rose Pinot Noir, 2006

• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 lbs ground sirloin
• 1/2 lb ground veal
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs
• ½ teaspoon of crushed garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 cups Heinz Chili Sauce
• 3 slices bacon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F degrees; oil a 8×4 loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large, heavy skillet over medium heat, sauté the celery and onion in the butter until soft; remove from heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Add the meats, parsley, sour cream, bread crumbs and spices to the skillet.
4. Whisk the egg with the worcestershire sauce and add to mixture.
5. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, combine the mixture and mold into a loaf shape.
6. Place the meat loaf in the prepared pan; top with the chili sauce, then the bacon slices.
7. Place on a cookie sheet– to catch any drips– and bake until cooked through and browned, at least 1 hour. Serves 8.

Moi xoxo

Luxury is a Click Away!

When I travel, I love really nice places, but I also like great prices. It seems that more than ever travel can be very expensive but with the help of this site, happiness is just a bid away. Luxurylink is a site that is simply fascinating. It is exactly what it says by its name, offering travel tips and planning at the highest quality resorts. Not only do I like what they auction but the ease of purchasing one is a snap. Now buying a vacation at auction is kind of like haggling for a car, but more fun! Want to stay at the exclusive Hotel Bernini Bristol in Rome, with a bottle of champagne upon arrival, breakfast every morning, dinner one night, and all taxes, for $1083 versus retail $4331. This company also offers a unique type of auction called Best Shot where you get one bid and that is it. All of the properties have links to their own websites where you can compare prices, review pictures, and get more confused about where you want to go. Time to check out a few ourselves; I won’t tell you where I want to go, you might just bid on it!

Moi xoxo

A Mag Lover’s Best Friend

If your anything like Moi, you receive at least a dozen magazines in the mail each month. They are a cinch to read but annoying to keep up with all of those individual expiration dates and renewals. Now there is a new service that offers to deliver all of your magazines Netflix style and do the administrative work for you. Maghound gets you all the magazines you want, for a single low monthly price while you pick and choose from hundreds of selections. From Domino to Lucky, to Cosmopolitan to Time,  you’ll also have the freedom to change the magazines you’ve selected every month with no commitment to continue, so canceling at any time is a snap!  For the month of December, one month is free, just in time to start the New Year right!

 

Moi xoxo

Some Like It Haute

Lohan’s biggest fashion inspiration goal was to start off designing something small and carefree with a soft sell opening to the general public. Her public had a different approach and helped Lohan sell 700+ units of merchandise within an hour of debuting. Based on those figures, I would say that Lindsay must know a thing or two about leggings. She claims she has always worn them so why not make them. Lindsay’s leggings collection, named 6126 represents the birth date of Marilyn Monroe and like Marilyn, her leggings is the epitome of confidence and sex appeal. The collection is sold at Henri Bendel in New York City and  features over 35 styles of zippers, lace, and edgy patterns in butter-soft fabrics of cotton and cashmere. The pair I purchased is pictured above and nicknamed “holes” for their retro yet edgy vibe. Pair them under your Fall dresses, tunics, and trenches with boots or high heels.

Moi xoxo

Beauty obsessive-compulsive disorder? You Need This!

 

Got a germaphobe makeup lover on your Christmas list?  Give the designer gift of cleaning at a great price. Majority of the cosmetic brands offer a brush cleanser in a spray formula which to me does not travel into the deep crevices to get rid of bacteria as well as color. Liquid cleanser takes too long to rise from the brush, but this bar of soap rinses squeeky clean with no residue or scent. NARS Purifying Soap is the perfect stocking stuffer for under $25 for any woman who cherishes her brushes. This is a mild and effective soap designed to remove makeup and surface impurities from the skin, however, it doubles as an excellent cleanser for your cosmetic brushes without stripping them away from the handle bonds, all while providing a deep cleaning. At a rectangle 200g size, this big block has lasted me a year and a half and counting. Remember that makeup brushes can harbor lots of dirt and bacteria, but frequent washing of your brushes and sponges can keep them – and your face – clean and healthy. 

 

Moi xoxo