Monday, April 30, 2012

Brunching in NYC

Dear Kara,

I haven't seen that documentary....I am honestly so bad, I only watch movies that are on demand. Speaking of food though I wanted to take some time to highlight my favorite meal: brunch. Brunch is a NYC way of life come Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is the booze infused day and Sunday is the food focused. (typically speaking but not exclusive to) I wanted to give my favorites a shout out.

xoxo,
Margaret

1. The "Classic" Diner.... The Bowery Diner.

This diner opened in January and is absolutely outstanding. All the typical diner food but the quality and taste is a cut above. I highly recommend the shakes.

http://bowerydiner.com/

2. The "White Tablecloth" Brunch....Sarabeth's. (This is where we went together years ago!)

Sarabeth's is the classic "country club" type of brunch, inclusive of the white tablecloths and crisp linens. The food is great and I love how you can buy the preserves.

http://www.sarabeth.com/

3. The brunch with a view....The Boathouse.

The boathouse is in the middle of Central Park overlooking a pond. You go here more for the view but the food is decent. The french toast is yummy.

http://www.thecentralparkboathouse.com/sections/home.htm

4. People watching brunch...Pastis.

Pastis, located in the meatpacking area, is always slammed. On nice days it is great to sit outside and soak up the sun. This "see and be seen" type of scene guarantees you great entertainment. Pastis has a great burger and bloody mary. After brunch you can head a few blocks over to the Standard Hotel's beer
garden to continue the fun.

http://www.pastisny.com/

5. The Southern Brunch...Peels.

Peels is known for its "build your own biscuit" inclusive of the option of fried chicken. Their cocktail list is expertly done. Random but I love their turkey sandwich.

http://peelsnyc.com/

6. The booziest Brunch of all...The Sunburnt Cow.

This east village dark hole will take you right back to the night before (in a good way) with its "all you can drink" Mimosa/Bloody Mary/Screwdriver brunch for $25. This is perfect on a cold day or for celebrating birthdays. There are several sister locations around town but the Sunburnt Cow is my favorite. The Queen Adelaide is delish; it is a eggs bene with a crab cake instead of ham.

http://moolifegroup.com/

Friday, April 27, 2012

Got vegan on my mind...

Dear Margaret,
Thanks for the Mother's Day gift guide part 2..although you have now made it hard for me to chose what to buy for my mom (and myself haha) with all the amazing options.

So, when I was in L.A. last market I saw my sweet and beautiful god-mother Cynthia who just recently transitioned from vegetarian to vegan.. which of course sparked my curiosity:) When I started asking her a million questions, she told me to watch "Forks over Knives" because it had a big influence on her decision. Seeing as she is in her early 50's and looks ten+ years younger, I immediately watched it on my Netflix:)... and I highly recommend it to anyone who cares about their health! I'm not sure I could just switch to vegetarian or vegan overnight but I'm definitely flirting with the idea and have cut back significantly on my meat and dairy intake... and I feel so much better. It also got me curious how vegans get their protein, since it primarily is a fruit and vegetable based diet. I was surprised to find out how many options there really are (see charts below). I'm not going to do anything drastic but am consciously going to make more of an effort to chose the vegetarian options over meat... we'll see how it goes:) I've def got vegan on my mind.. watch it stat!
xo,
Kara

http://www.forksoverknives.com/

Table 1: Sample Menus Showing How Easy It Is To Meet Protein Needs

Protein (grams)

Breakfast:
1 cup Oatmeal 6
1 cup Soy milk 7
1 Bagel 9

Lunch:
2 slices Whole Wheat Bread 5
1 cup Vegetarian Baked Beans 12

Dinner:
5 oz firm Tofu 11
1 cup cooked Broccoli 4
1 cup cooked Brown Rice 5
2 Tbsp Almonds 4

Snack:
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter 8
6 Crackers 2

TOTAL73 grams Protein Recommendation for Male Vegan [based on 0.8-1 gram of protein per kilogram body weight for 70 kilogram (154 pound) male]56-70 grams

Breakfast:
2 slices Whole Wheat Toast 5
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter 8

Lunch:
6 oz. Soy Yogurt 6
2 Tbsp Almonds 4
1 Baked Potato 4

Dinner:
1 cup cooked Lentils 18
1 cup cooked Bulgur 6

Snack:
1 cup Soy milk 7

TOTAL 58 grams Protein Recommendation for Female Vegan [based on 0.8-1 gram of protein per kilogram body weight for 57.5 kilogram (126 pound) female]46-58 grams

Additional food should be added to these menus to provide adequate calories and to meet requirements for nutrients besides protein.

Table 2: Protein Content of Selected Vegan Foods

FOOD

AMOUNT

PROTEIN(gm)

PROTEIN(gm/100 cal)

Tempeh

1 cup

9.3

Seitan

3 ounces

22.1

Soybeans, cooked

1 cup

9.6

Lentils, cooked

1 cup

7.8

Black beans, cooked

1 cup

6.7

Kidney beans, cooked

1 cup

6.4

Veggie burger

1 patty

13.0

Chickpeas, cooked

1 cup

4.2

Veggie baked beans

1 cup

5.0

Pinto beans, cooked

1 cup

5.7

Black-eyed peas, cooked

1 cup

6.2

Tofu, firm

4 ounces

11.7

Lima beans, cooked

1 cup

5.7

Quinoa, cooked

1 cup

3.5

Tofu, regular

4 ounces

10.6

Bagel

1 med.
(3 oz)

3.9

Peas, cooked

1 cup

6.4

Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked

1/2 cup

8.4

Peanut butter

2 Tbsp

4.3

Veggie dog

1 link

13.3

Spaghetti, cooked

1 cup

3.7

Almonds

1/4 cup

3.7

Soy milk, commercial, plain

1 cup

7.0

Soy yogurt, plain

6 ounces

4.0

Bulgur, cooked

1 cup

3.7

Sunflower seeds

1/4 cup

3.3

Whole wheat bread

2 slices

3.9

Cashews

1/4 cup

2.7

Almond butter

2 Tbsp

2.4

Brown rice, cooked

1 cup

2.1

Spinach, cooked

1 cup

13.0

Broccoli, cooked

1 cup

6.8

Potato

1 med.
(6 oz)

2.7

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Mother's Day Gift Guide Part 2

Dear Kara,

I love your gift guide. I know I am not a Mom but I really want the skull key chain. I don't think Michael will go for celebrating the holiday since I am a doggie Mom. Anyways....Here are my top picks.

XOXOXOXO
Margaret

For the Mother who "Jots Notes Down"

Smythson Notebooks are so adorable and tons of different sayings. Plus you can personalize! $60

http://www.smythson.com/us/books/notebooks/fun-titles/keep-calm-and-carry-on-panama-notebook-1.html

For the Mother who needs a mental vacation.....

50 Shades of Grey Trilogy...The most talked about women's book in a LONG time $11
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fifty-shades-of-grey-e-l-james/1104280977?ean=9780345803481

The Jewelry Obsessed...

Colorblock Bracelet...also comes in coral! $58

http://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/jewelry/bracelets/PRDOVR~85018/85018.jsp

For the Techie Mother...

Dolce & Gabbana Leather Ipad Case $275

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/dolcegabbana-leopard-print-ipad-case/3280203?origin=PredictiveSearch&resultback=6914

The collector of little things....

Herand Miniatures....Lots of animal options. $120-165

http://www.scullyandscully.com/shop.axd/SolrSearchBP?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=Herend+Miniature

You can never have too many sunglasses...

Persol Sunglasses...A brand that recently came back in style. The next Ray Ban if you will. $220

http://www.sunglasshut.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PDP?storeId=12351&catalogId=&langId=-1&productId=713132361542

The lover of scents...

Bond No. 9 Perfume...All of them smell divine and the beauty of the the bottles is half the gift! $180-250

http://www.bondno9.com/shop/eau-de-parfum

The wanabe green thumb.... (Full Proof!)

Bonsai are great gifts because they are VERY easy to care for! (Like cactus) $45

http://www.easternleaf.com/Azalea_Bonsai_Trees_s/284.htm

The Healthy Cook Who wants to step it up...

Dehydrator $125
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/weston-dehydrator/?pkey=cagrarian-garden-healthy-living

The Preppy Mother.....

The WASP guide.... Great Coffee Table Book $45
http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/194108

Flip Flops.....(You know how I love Tkees)

Neon Colorblock Flip Flops!

http://www.intermixonline.com/product/designers/tkees/tkees+neon+colorblock+flip+flops.do?sortby=ourPicks

Any Mother would love.....

Natori Slip $78

http://www.neimanmarcus.com/product.jsp?isEditorial=false&index=42&masterId=cat42640765&itemId=prod120640148&cmCat=cat000000cat000672cat42640765cat42640770&parentId=cat42640770

The Eternal Hippie....

*This dress looks good on all body types. Can be worn as a cover up with a floppy hat (My choice) or casual day to night dress. Perfect for vacation.

Michael by Michael Kors $175
http://www.michaelkors.com/p/MICHAEL-Michael-Kors-MICHAEL-Michael-Kors-Smocked-Eyelet-Maxi-Dress-White-GIFTS-UNDER-200/prod15680006_cat27116_cat27115_/?index=9&cmCat=cat000000cat26702cat27115cat27116&isEditorial=false&navid=QuickToProduct

The Beauty Nut....
A subscription to Birchbox will keep her entertained with the latest and greatest. Birchbox is monthly service that delivers a box filled with beauty goodies. I was gifted this awhile ago and LOVED it.

Birchbox $10/month starting at 3 month subscriptions

https://www.birchbox.com/join/

The Iphone Camera Obsessed.....Iphone Photo Printer.

(Um AmaZing!)

Iphone Printer

http://www.sharperimage.com/si/view/product/iPhone-Photo-Cube-Printer/200196?trail=

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Mother's Day Gift Guide, Part 1:

Dear Margaret,

Speaking of moms and shopping... I realized how close Mother's Day really is... It's right around the corner (May 13th), therefore we need to be thinking of/ordering gifts:) I put together a gift guide for a variety of moms: Edgy/Cool moms, Fashionista moms, Fitness Buff/Health-Nut moms, Homemaker moms, Artistic/Nature moms, Classic "Bergdorf Preppy" moms, and universal gifts for all moms:) What doe your gift guide look like this year!?

xo,

Kara

For the Edgy/Cool Moms...

Alexander McQueen Skull key ring in rose gold $125

http://www.forwardforward.com/fw/DisplayProduct.jsp?code=AMCQ-WA12&d=Womens

Alexander McQueen leopard coin purse $390

http://www.forwardforward.com/fw/DisplayProduct.jsp?code=AMCQ-WA7&d=Womens

Elizabeth and James small thorn hoop earrings $150

http://www.shopbop.com/small-thorn-hoop-earrings-elizabeth/vp/v=1/845524441930567.htm?folderID=2534374302082591&fm=browse-brand-shopbysize-viewall&colorId=11739

Kenneth Jay Lane 22-Karat gold plated lion bracelet $125

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/315935

For the Fashionista Moms...

Missoni Wave Scarf $137

http://www.shopbop.com/wave-scarf-missoni/vp/v=1/845524441932310.htm?fm=search-viewall-shopbysize

Rory Beca Jacob blouse (so flattering) $150

http://www.shopbop.com/jacob-trapeze-blouse-rory-beca/vp/v=1/845524441932283.htm?folderID=2534374302047825&fm=browse-brand-shopbysize-viewall&colorId=40597

ginette ny lace monogram necklaces.. can special order the kid's initials:)
http://www.ginette-ny.com/

Gucci Straw Fedora $375http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/177459

For the Fitness Buff/Health-Nut Moms...

Adidas by Stella McCartney cotton-jersey hooded top $150

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/182523

Lululemon Grove pant $98

http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/women-pants/Groove-Pant-Regular-32092?cc=5763&skuId=3440581&catId=women-pants

Omega J8004 Nutrition Center Commercial Masticating Juicer $259.99 ( I want this bad)

http://www.amazon.com/Omega-J8004-Nutrition-Commercial-Masticating/dp/B001RLYOEE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS?ie=UTF8&coliid=IS4K2L24GZ64U&colid=2CANG06FHO13X

Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor Watch $70.99

http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Heart-Rate-Monitor-Purple/dp/B005M1P85O/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1335298906&sr=1-1-catcorr

For the Homemaker Moms...

Barr-Co Milk Candles.. these smell so good and are very pretty $22

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?navAction=jump&id=23946684&parentid=SEARCH_RESULTS&color=010

Painted Amaryllis measuring cups $38

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?navAction=jump&id=20097630&parentid=SEARCH_RESULTS&color=095

Personalized coffee mugs $12.99

http://www.snapfish.com/snapfish/gifts/product=collage_mug

"Coachella Valley Holders".. precious oven mitts $14

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/home-kitchen/24464802.jsp

For the Artistic/Nature Moms...

Pick up a Meyer lemon tree at your local garden store...

Guatemala Feed Bags.. with every bag purchased, 15 people are fed.
available at C.jane in Austin Texas: 512-236-1435 or
Pink Lagoon in Solana Beach, Ca: 858-792-0882

Spring Succulents.. you can plant them for her or arrange in beautiful pots!

http://www.amazon.com/36-Mixed-Succulent-Spring-Collection/dp/B004HI1KSC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335299643&sr=8-1

Love Heals necklaces... for every design sold there are 10 trees planted!
Various assortments available at: C.jane 512-236-1435 or Pink Lagoon: 858-792-0882

For the Classic "Bergdorf Preppy" Moms...

Tiffany and Co. Purse Pen $95
www.tiffanyandco.com

Classic Chanel flats.. any color way or style!
...available at Chanel and Neiman Marcus stores

Yves St Laurent Belle Du Jour glossed-leather coin purse $200

http://www.net-a-porter.com/product/192136

Henri Bendel Travel "west 57th" jewelry box $68
http://www.henribendel.com/shop/luggage-sets/west_57th_travel_jewelry_box

And Universal Gifts for all Moms:

...a gift card to her favorite restaurant or grocer, a gift card to Sunglass Hut, a charity donation in her name, a gift card to her favorite spa, a Mani/Pedi gift card... and if you wait until last minute, there's always the same day flower delivery services.. just google online:)

Monday, April 23, 2012

Window Shopping at Barneys and Bergdorfs

Dear Kara,

I love the Austin Monthly article on you and your Mother. Lots of fun!

Speaking of your favorite things, I passed Barneys and Bergdorf's today and took pictures of the windows for you. Albar Elbaz has now been with Lanvin for ten years so both stores had tributes to Lanvin. I love the color, color blocking, stripes and nautical trends.

Enjoy!

XOXOXOXO

Margaret