poll: you tell me what to do, and i'll do it

Then, I'll post about it.

Please take a second to select an option, or even better, to suggest a recipe or even a concept (who doesn't love a challenge?) in the comments. I'll be on spring break (although I'll still post) next week so I won't bake whatever you guys pick until the week of the 24th.

perfect for vacuuming

In honor of tonight's pistachio success, how cute are these pale green shoes from Nine West? Enclosed platform, the newly (or renewedly, if you prefer) trendy ruching-and-knotting detail, and a sexy slingback shape. The color is more minty than nutty, but they're fun and under $100. Available on Zappos and Nine West.

success: pistachio shortbread

If you life with me--and at least a few of you do--you might have noticed my obsession with pistachios this week. It started mostly out of forgetfulness, as in, I forgot how much I liked pistachios and then I ate some and promptly remembered. Pistachios are delicious, work really well in many desserts (they complement cherries, and chocolate, although the three together are kind of gross).

I had a lot of fun making shortbread last week, and decided to play around with the proportions and the flavors. These cookies are super decadent and tasty, although I wouldn't make them if you're not fond of pistachios, since they're loaded with that flavor. If I ever invest in an ice cream maker, I think an extra rich chocolate ice cream would be amazing with either some of these crumbled into it, or frozen chunks of the (conveniently eggless) dough mixed into it. For a gift, each heart (or square, flower, or star) could be dipped into dark chocolate. The done cookies are nice, pale pistachio green. You could dye them a deeper green, but I'd respect you less.

If I made these again, I would consider toasting the nuts first. Does anyone have any experience with toasting pistachios?

pistachio shortbread

12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar or confectioner's sugar (I pulsed the regular sugar with the vanilla in my magic bullet)
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
1/2 cup raw, unsalted pistachios, divided
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups flour

Preheat the oven to 325. Beat the butter until nice and fluffy. Beat in the sugar and vanilla thoroughly; you definitely want "light and fluffy". Pulse 1/4 cup of the pistachios in a magic bullet, blender or food processor until it's a nice, even, fine consistency, something like bread crumbs. Add the pistachio meal and almond extract to the butter and sugar and beat until uniform. Add the flour, one quarter cup at a time, until the dough almost forms a ball. Chop the last 1/4 cup of pistachios roughly and stir into the dough. Press into a square or similar shape of uniform thickness, I went for less than 1/2 inch. Pierce the dough throughout with a fork to prevent bubbling. Bake for twenty to thirty minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Cut with a knife or cookie cutters while the shortbread is still warm. Cool before storing.

For me, this recipe yielded 12 2-inch-ish hearts and a ton of "trimmings".

unconvinced: jelly shoes

Remember jelly shoes? I wore them at age 8. In fact, I had a pair I loved so much my mother had to pry them off of me and throw them out, threatening my life if the shoes emerged from the trash. This is a common theme in my childhood.

For the love of this blog, I spend a good amount of time looking at shoes from a variety of retailers at different price points, although most of the shoes featured here are fantasy shoes and so are often higher end. The first time I saw the jelly ballet flats that are becoming ubiquitous was while glancing through Target's website.


These are by Xhilaration, come in a variety of colors, and cost about $8. I would almost consider buying them for beach. Almost. If I ever went to the beach.

But then, while clicking around on Barney's site, I saw these.


They are by Marc Jacobs, and cost $160. No, that's not a typo. Sure, they have a cute little shape and unique heel but hello, they're jelly shoes.

It gets better. At Neiman's website, these Fendi jelly shoes are available. They come in a nice shade of pink too.


But they are jelly shoes. And they cost $175. And they have the dreaded ankle strap. Save me.

So I looked at Nordstrom.


Stuart Weitzman, ugly, made of plastic, and yours for $115.

Where does one wear these shoes? I can't imagine they're office appropriate. I think they'd be hot on your feet, and everyone knows synthetics cause blisters and sweatiness. I have a pair of grape-colored jelly thong sandals I picked up at Gap for $4 two summers ago that I hardly wear because that jelly plastic stuff kind of hurts. Also, if I'm remembering correctly, the jelly plastic gets dirty pretty quickly, especially the translucent kind (all three expensive pairs), which spells disaster since they're not easy to clean.

Even if you think they're cute, I can't imagine investing more than $10 on something like this. I'm unconvinced. How about you?

perfect for vacuuming

You all must be very sick of me. Or at least of my passion for mary jane shoes. And peep toes. And patent. Wow, no wonder my readership remains small...

But the other day S and I were flipping through the J. Crew catalogue (and commenting on how as their prices rise and rise, their quality sinks), and I noticed these in yellow. I think the yellow ones are tacky and sort of florescent, but I thought the emerald would be lovely, and I think I was right.



Now, these are not a "shoe wardrobe" shoe, which makes their $198 price tag a bit hard to swallow. Still, they're pretty and shiny and would look magnificent with lighter neutrals or even with some nice contrasting pieces, especially pinks for the woman who can pull of that super-prep look. I really love the chunky buckle and how the front of the shoe is open enough to show off a really nice pedicure. At J. Crew, if their continual inflation hasn't frightened you off yet.

shame and groceries

Apparently, many people are really, really opinionated about groceries. Over at Serious Eats there's a great discussion going on about those items we buy that we're not exactly thrilled to show off. Instant mashed potatoes (seemingly used, ubiquitously, in alternative applications like sourdough starters and potato bread) are proving popular, among luncheon meats and that stuff in the blue box Kraft insists on calling macaroni and cheese.

Part of me wants to laugh (who cares what you buy if it makes you happy) and part of me knows that deep down, I am a food snob too. I can't help it, my mother raised me that way, and stressed what I call "real food" over most processed conveniences. I was still a little kid when I began to eschew such American family favorites as that curiously sawdust-like cheese product in a green cylinder Kraft insists on calling parmesan cheese (ahem, real Parmesan must be shredded or grated or crumbled or shaved, at the table please). I glance over my purchases in the grocery store and even sometimes feel they portray a certain image, and feel satisfied that if I am what I eat (or at least what I buy at the market) then I have at least small cause for satisfaction. I cook, prepare or bake things that many people buy (bread, cookies, cake, soup, macaroni and cheese, salad). I try to buy organic dairy and produce. I like my chocolate dark, my coffee black and Lipton tea sort of terrifies me (NH keeps asking me if it's "brown" tea) , though I'll have it at Waffle House with my Cheese 'n' Eggs and Cinnamon Toast.

Still, I think it's a little silly to fret over conveniences that make our lives work out a little easier. My mom cooked plenty while I was growing up, but we also did plenty of nights of making our own toppings for a frozen pizza (I did this with NH this weekend, as we are both fiends for caramelized onions on our pizza), and I know she always had a box of instant mashed potatoes on hand, along with all kinds of stuff that a working mother needs: garlic powder (gasp!), taco seasoning (boo!), string cheese (agh!) and frozen stuff for snacks, like toaster strudel (no!). She emphasized health but it's not like she had time to be a gourmet chef three times a day, and you know what, I turned out fine. She taught me about eating good things, eating (not too many) bad things, and leaving time in your day for fun.

I once debated whether those Polly-o string cheeses that used to come with "pizza sauce" for dipping were an actual food with my friend's boyfriend. She and I, both very interested in healthful eating and checking out New York restaurants and cooking things like tofu or spinach, had loved the things as children. He mocked us endlessly for them. In the end he was probably right, presented with one of those things (or the pizza Lunchables I once embraced) today I probably wouldn't give them a nibble. In the end, that's not the point. How you eat and what you eat really is a personal decision, and no one should feel embarrassed to like string cheese, frozen burritos, or chicken nuggets.

I've caught people tossing discriminating glances toward shopping carts laden with soda, stacked with chips, or featuring a case of Easy Mac (I think I lived on that freshman year, sigh). This sort of behavior is really childish. It's impossible to know why someone else eats or buys what they do, and since it hardly affects anyone but the person doing the shopping and their immediate family, I'd like to advocate for keeping our eyes on our own carts. Even more so, it'd be nice to see people stop judging themselves for the products they love or use as timesavers. No grown man should feel he needs to engage in furtive Nesquick purchasing.

What are your favorite grocery conveniences?

fat attack

Has anyone seen the Bowflex commercial where the "newly ripped" character says something like "I gave all my fat clothes to my fat friends"?

Does it disturb anyone else?

The first time I heard this I thought I was hearing wrong. Luckily, I was cleaning at the time, and I do like to leave the television on while cleaning (I also like to wear heels while cleaning) so I heard this repulsive comment again. I'm all for celebrating weight loss and physical fitness, these are great things and most of us could use more exercise. Still, I can't help imagining the conversation in which the Formerly Fat Dude (FFD) informs his Currently Fat Dude (CFD) friend that he is welcome to his fat clothes since FFD will now live the life of a hard body and relegate CFD to a life a perpetual obesity. I think this is really rude and it really irks me.

What do you think?

perfect for vacuuming: special edition

I needed to post these because they are amazing.

And saying that is enough. At Neiman's. Louboutin, but that was kind of obvious.

perfect for vacuuming

The sun is shining through my window, despite the bitter cold. Okay, that was just for dramatic effect. In New York it's actually very "spring" today, although the official start of spring is three weeks off, and I don't have spring break for another two. Digression aside, when I think spring I think lush colors in interesting shapes. I think about shoes that make me want to get a fresh pedicure and swap out my wool for a trench.

I think of these. I like the mix of purples. I like the subtlety of the enclosed platform (which has become so ubiquitous this year that it's making me a little sad). I even like the wood heel, a feature that turns me away from many otherwise delightful shoes. Here, the wood heel contrasts with the purples and makes the shoe right for warm weather. Weirdly, although these are not clogs, they make me think of that scene in Clueless when Cher's dad asks her what she did in school today and she says, "I broke in my purple clogs." The shoes are Giuseppe Zanotti and are available at Shopbop.





I also think of shoes like these. I don't usually like this heel shape, because I think it makes me look a little short, but the color is so pretty, a nice dusty teal. The back of the heel, which you can see in the second, is a really cool detail. I like the detailing of the leather too. I think these would be adorable with white pants. I never wear white pants (prefer skirts, white always ends up dirty), but that's just how I'm seeing these. Or a skirt to show off that stellar heel. These are Chloe and can be had from net-a-porter.com.

ginger vanilla bean shortbread cookies

I made these after reading this post over at Brownie Points. It's an old post but I happen to love ginger and I'd never made shortbread, so I decided to give it a whirl. I made some smallish modifications to the original recipe, so I've written up my version below. I used the vanilla beans largely because I was out of vanilla extract, but I like the speckled appearance of vanilla-bean baked goods. I didn't do the lemon curd, since I was just looking for a simple procrastination project. I think if I made these again I would try and pump up the ginger by adding some ground ginger to the ginger-sugar mixture. I'd also cut down the salt.

ginger vanilla bean shortbread cookies

1/3 cup crystallized ginger
1/3 cup white sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a food processor or similar (I used my magic bullet because I don't keep a food processor at school), whir up the crystallized ginger and white sugar until you have a fluffy powder. In a small or medium mixing bowl, beat the butter with a mixer until it is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean scrapings and ginger-sugar mixture to the butter and beat until light and fluffy. Now add the flour and salt and mix until dough forms. Since I used a hand mixer, the dough never really formed a ball, but it worked out fine anyway. Put the mixture onto an ungreased cookie sheet or other shallow pan and press into a rectangle of even thickness, about 1/2 inch (or your desired thickness). Use a fork to pierce holes all over to avoid bubbling. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until light brown around the edges and set. If you'd like shapes, cut them out while the shortbread is still warm. I cut mine into 1-1 1/2-inch bars while it was still nice and warm. Cool before packaging.

Yields about 20 1-1 1/2-inch bars.