I’ve recently been using Boscia’s Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel every morning. I cannot rave about this product enough. Since I first started using it, I saw improvements to my skin right away, less red spots, my face stays moisturized all day, and best of all, the lightweight feel is much more comfortable than a heavy lotion. All of Boscia’s products are preservative-free and botanically based so you don’t need to worry about any harsh chemicals.
H
I walk by a Fresh store every day on my way to the office. They changed the window display a few weeks ago and when I saw this new lip treatment, I couldn’t stop myself from picking one up. I already love the original and tinted Sugar lip products, so this was an easy sell. After three weeks, I’m completely in love with this product. I have a tendency to buy lip moisturizers and love them for a few days and then feel like they suddenly stop working, but not with this one. I’m devoted. It’s definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for this kind of thing.
K
Valentine’s Day might be over, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy some romance year round. Here are a list of some of my favorite love songs to help you get in the mood:
Etta James - At Last
Nat King Cole - L-O-V-E
The Four Tops - Baby I Need Your Lovin’
Al Green - Let’s Stay Together
Neil Young - Harvest Moon
Tony Bennett - The Way You Look Tonight
Daniel Johnston - True Love Will Find You In The End
Patsy Cline - Crazy
Check out these songs and more on my playlist on Spotify!Â
H
(image via hybridlava.com)
I’m not much of a makeup wearer, but I’d like to be a lady who wears lipstick all the time. I have a stockpile of lipsticks that I wear for special occasions, but most days I use uncolored lip moisturizers. Not much fun, but I think I found a solution: Supercalifragilipstick! from Kate Spade. The shiny gold tube and the Mary Poppins reference are irresistible and fun. Bashful Blush is my current favorite color and, like the name suggests, it’s subtle enough for everyday wear. I’m working my way up to wearing some of the bolder colors every day rather than saving them for special occasions. I know Valentine’s day is already over, but these make perfect gifts for any lady you may know (and who needs a holiday to give a small gift?).
K
Happy Valentine’s day!
Love,
Certain Ladies
ps - How cute is this card? It’s from Hello! Lucky
This is a short and sweet Friday Cocktail. It’s Valentine’s weekend: drink champagne. And if you can, make it an extra special bottle. Why not?
Cheers!
K
I’ve been on the hunt for new undergarments — pieces that feel luxurious and ladylike. I was all set to go to the new Cosabella store in SoHo until a friend told me about Eberjey. I checked out their website, liked a lot of what I saw (real girls modeling, and great prices), and ended up making a pretty large order. Even though it wasn’t on my list, I threw the chemise pictured above into my cart before checking out. I am officially in love with every item I purchased. Everything is so soft and pretty. It definitely feels like a treat to put these things on. That last-minute chemise purchase was a very good move — it’s my new favorite thing to sleep in and I already want to pick up some of their other styles. I really can’t rave about them enough. If you’re in the market for new underthings, definitely consider Eberjey.
K
PS — Look who agrees with me!
While sitting on a conference call today I pondered my plans for dinner. I was really in the mood for something comforting and warm, perhaps a pasta? I thought about the things I needed to use up before they went bad: two perfectly ripe avocados, a big bunch of dinosaur kale, and a bag filled with rinsed and ready to go Italian parsley from a few weeks ago (this stuff stays fresh forever!). Could I make something more exciting than a salad out of these virtuous ingredients? What I really wanted was baked shells and cheese, but then again, I wasn’t really in the mood for a heavy dairy-centric meal or the way I’d feel after eating it.
I vaguely remembered seeing a recipe for a creamy pasta where the creaminess came from an avocado. Hmm…I googled quickly and sure enough, people do that! I started racking my brain with other ingredients in the pantry and fridge that needed to be used up and by the end of the call I had scribbled the outline for a recipe. A few hours later I tested out my theory and…success!! The resulting pasta was creamy and warm, salty and substantial, and it definitely hit the spot. Gentleman G and Mr. Weasley also seemed to enjoy it, so it must have been at least okay!
Ingredients
1 lb. whole wheat penne
2 ripe avocados
1 bunch lactinato kale
2 cloves garlic
8 oz. can of chickpeas (or dried if you can plan that far in advance!)
1/3 c. Italian parsley leaves
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c. whole pecans
4 tbsp. olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
splash of white wine
Instructions
Remove ribs and rinse kale. Roll in a kitchen towel to remove excess water.
Heat a large pot with enough water for 1 pound of pasta. Season with a pinch of salt and add pasta when water reaches a rolling boil.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Smash and remove skins from garlic and add to hot pan. Sauté garlic for about a minute before adding the kale in small bunches. Add a splash of white wine and turn kale until all pieces are wilted, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let kale cool.
Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Scoop out flesh with a large spoon and add to food processor. Pull leaves of parsley from stems and add to food processor along with the juice of half a lemon and 2 tablespoons of oil. Pulse until combined.
Add kale and garlic to food processor and use the skillet to warm the rinsed chickpeas.
Pulse kale in food processor until the mixture is an even consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a small dry pan toast the pecans over medium-low heat until aromatic, about 7-10 minutes. Transfer pecans to a cutting board and roughly chop.
Once pasta is al dente drain and add to a large mixing bowl. Add kale mixture, warmed chickpeas, 3/4 of the chopped pecans and toss to combine.
Serve in large bowls and top with a sprinkle of pecans and grated parmesan.
Enjoy!
A
For many in New England and New York this Sunday is going to be an extremely important day. For many others this Sunday will be a day to gorge themselves on munchies and drinks. The perfect drink for the occasion is of course, a nicely chilled beer. Instead of our usual cocktail we’ve decided to suggest a few beers for the big game. To keep with the NE vs. NY theme, I’ve picked two great beers, one from each location.
First up is Berkshire Brewing Company’s Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale - the name is a mouthful and the beer is my absolute favorite local brew. Living in Boston it’s easy to find this on tap at bars and restaurants and more often than not, I opt for it. It’s light, crisp and bright, with a touch of honey sweetness. It’s a perfect pick to sip throughout the long game.
The second pick is a Brooklyn local and is one of the classiest cans around. Sixpoint’s Sweet Action is a cream ale which provides a bit more body than Steel Rail but is still light and crisp with a nice balance of sweet and bitter.
At my place we’ll have both on hand for sipping, but we’re firmly in the New England camp. Go Pats!
A
I picked up a random issue of Remedy Quarterly while browsing my favorite book store in San Francisco and I instantly fell in love. This happened about a year ago and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to mention it (for shame!). The small publication includes fun writing, recipes for cooking, and “recipes for feeling good.” It’s also got a well designed cover which, I’ll admit, drew me to it in the first place. I like it so much I think I’m going to sign up for a subscription (and it’s good to support independent publications like this). As you might be able to tell from the photo, each issue has a theme — some might grab you more than others but they’re all interesting or relatable. I think a bundle of these would make a perfect gift for any occasion. So keep that in mind if you’ve got food-loving, bookworm-type friends.
K
We here at Certain Ladies are big fans of Instagram. I try to make an effort to take snapshots of my meals when I can remember. Here are some of my favorite food photos I’ve snapped this month!
1-2/ Waterloo & City, 3-4/ Eva, 5/ BLD, 6-7/ Pizzeria Mozza, 8/ Canelé, 9/ Yabu
Follow @certainladies on Instagram!
H
Working in food is rough on your hands — between the hand washing and the dish washing, there’s no hope for your nails. After a long day in the test kitchen, I think a manicure is well-deserved. Unfortunately I don’t always have time to get them, and I don’t wear nail polish if I’m spending a lot of time in the kitchen so sometimes I can’t justify going to get a polish-free manicure. I’m pretty hopeless when left to my own devices — I can’t paint my nails very well, and taking a clipper to my cuticles is a disaster waiting to happen.
Thankfully there’s Melt Away by Butter London. It cleans up cuticles in about 2 minutes. All you have to do is paint it on, wait a bit, then wash it away. And I’ve been addicted to their Handbag Holiday cuticle oil for over a year now. It smells fun and tropical, and more importantly: it works wonders. I keep it by my bed and use it every night before I go to sleep. I may not be able to paint my nails, but I can at least try my best to keep them nice. Are there any easy hand care tricks you swear by?
K
When we started talking about this column, my mind immediately went to the Aviation. It’s one of my favorite mixed drinks. I first had it a few years ago as a bartender’s choice, and have been making it at home ever since. It’s a perfect excuse to buy Crème de Violette, which will last you forever because a little goes a really long way. Same goes for Luxardo maraschino liqueur. Too much of either and you’ve got a cloyingly sweet drink, trust me on this one. If you happen to overdo it on either of those, add more lemon. For a drink that is mostly alcohol, it certainly doesn’t taste like it, which makes enjoying more than one a slightly risky move. The recipe says to garnish with a lemon peel but I prefer to drop in a homemade maraschino cherry or two.
Cheers!
K
Aviation Cocktail from The New York Times
Makes 1 drink
2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons maraschino liqueur, preferably Luxardo
1/4 ounce Crème de Violette
Lemon twist, for garnish.
Combine the first three ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake to chill well, then strain into a cocktail glass. Drizzle the Crème de Violette into the glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
As much fun as it is to shop for new wardrobe items for myself, I have even more fun picking out clothes for my little gentleman, Mr. Weasley. With temperatures dipping into the low teens here in New England, my poor little west coast pup is finding it hard to adjust. He already has a pretty impressive selection including a toggle coat, a pinstripe parka and a tartan jacket, but who couldn’t use an extra winter sweater? I am in love with this little number from Mulberry and the colors would be perfect on my little ginger!
A
