For Good Luck in the New Year

Supposedly eating black eyed peas on New Year's Day will bring prosperity in the new year.

I need all the help I can get, so this year I made Black Eyed Pea Salsa using another recipe from The Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients

FOR THE DRESSING:

½ cups Olive Oil

⅓ cups White Wine (or Regular) Vinegar

2 Tablespoons (to 3 Tablespoons) Sugar

1 teaspoon Celery Seed

½ teaspoons Dry Mustard

½ teaspoons Salt

Freshly Ground Pepper, to taste

VEGGIES:

3 stalks Celery Finely Chopped

3 stalks Green Onions, Sliced

1 whole Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 whole Cucumber, Peeled, Seeded, And Chopped

1 whole Jalapeno (optional), Seeded And Chopped

1 cup (or More If Desired) Chopped Cilantro

2 cans Black-eyed Peas, Drained

Directions

Mix together dressing ingredients. Set aside.

Combine all vegetables (except cilantro) with black eyed peas. 

our dressing over the top and gently stir together. 

Add cilantro and stir gently.

Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Serve with tortilla chips. 

So good and it reminds me of the restaurant Cowgirl in New York.  It's one of my favorites!  (Good salsa & great margaritas!)

Here's to a happy (and hopefully prosperous!) New Year!

Third Time's a Charm

Goodbye New York City.

I'll miss you, but I'll be back!

(to visit)

Great SCOTS!

Yesterday, Southern Culture on the Skids (SCOTS)

played at this year's Big Apple Barbeque Block Party in Madison Square Park, right next to the famous Flatiron Building.

Mary (and her wig!) was gorgeous,

and Rick was entertaining.

Grillmasters come from all over the country (including South Carolina!),

and even though The Salt Lick (my favorite) was here from Austin, my friend & I wanted to finally try barbeque from Memphis, and 17th Street BBQ is supposed to be one of the best.

Honestly, it was just ok, but that might be due to sitting around all day.   (A trip to Memphis may be necessary!)

SCOTS, though, was awesome.  They're funny, a bit raunchy at times, and the blend of "Americana, surf, R&B, rockabilly, and swamp pop" is different, in a very good way...






But, be forewarned, if you ever go see them in person, and they play 8 Piece Box, you may want to take cover!

The Road Less Traveled

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost

Fort Tryon Park

The Dreams That You Dare to Dream

really do come true.

On Friday night, I went to see Rhett Miller at City Winery.

Rhett was cute and entertaining, as always.

Then he began introducing the song Fireflies, a duet he recorded with Rachel Yamagata.

Usually, when he sings this song solo, he looks in one direction when he sings his part, and the other direction when he sings her part.

I've had this dream (a fantasy really) that one night, he'd begin introducing the song, and some friend of mine (usually the friend that lives in Mississippi, who would totally do something like this), would point at me and yell out that I could sing it with him.

So he'd nervously call me up onstage, and as soon as I'd start to sing, the crowd would go wild!  And Rhett would just smile in amazement.

On Friday night, it happened.

Just not to me.

(Which is actually a really good thing, because I am a terrible singer.)

Still, it was pretty cool.

It's Christmastime in the City

Soon it will be Christmas Day.

Happy Holidays!

Close Enough

One thing I wanted to do during my last trip to California was go to a winery.  

But, I ran out of time.

Luckily, my friend Kris had a voucher from White Silo Farm and Winery in Sherman, Connecticut  (just a 90-minute drive from New York City) for a tour of the vineyard, wine tasting, picnic lunch and a "free" bottle of wine.

For two!

And, luckily (for me), her husband had plans this weekend.

My favorite was the rhubarb 

Old apple press, used to make the rhubarb wine

It was a gorgeous day, and the wine was delicious.

I still need to check out a winery (or two) in California, but this, for now, was definitely close enough!

Time Flies!

It's been over a year since the last Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York.

And this year, I was prepared.

I had two patterns (the Gap-tastic Cowl and La Cape Capuche) and one checkbook.

And, of course, the Sheep & Wool Festival provided the rest...

Action Shot

Before & After

You Say You Want a Revolution

Well, you know...

We all want to change the world.

Don't you know it's gonna be

all right?

New York City, 10 Years Later

FNO 2011

It's that time of year again...

This is actually the first year I've "celebrated" fashion week.

But hopefully not the last!

I went to Lord & Taylor for "TEN FLOORS OF FABULOUS!" (although I only made it to four floors of fabulous).

There was free champagne,

a white chocolate Lord & Taylor shopping bag,

a band,

and Ivanka Trump.

My first stop was to buy the Brahmin Fashion Night Out Canvas Tote in Natural. It was "only" $50 and the proceeds go to the New York City AIDS Fund.

(I love shopping for a good cause.)

And, with my $50 purchase I was eligible to spin the "wheel of fashion"...

My prize was a super-soft kelly green cotton scarf by Michael Stars.

I can't wait until next year!