These kitties belong to friend’s Bev and Roy. Believe it or not, they are all male and did not grow up together. In fact, Napoleon, on the far left, has been w/ them for about 6 months…a victim of foreclosure and on his way to the shelter when Bev saved him!

Now they are like 3 peas in a pod and that is one cozy pod they got happening! (what a gorgeous window bank!)

We love stories like this, if anyone has a cozy kitty rescue story, please send it in! Thanks Bev and Roy, your kitties look down right scrumptious!

The Bad Girls (and Boys) Book Club got off to a good start this 2010 with a Feb. 10th meeting at Sara’s house to discuss the inspiring fable The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. The ambitious club has decided to speed reading up a little and is scheduling their next meeting for March which considering they are the Bad Girls and Boys should be a feat! (but we’ll keep our fingers crossed!). All were in attendance except new-Reality Star Brandy who is traipsing around the globe competing in The Amazing Race. Brandy we miss you but we’re all routing for you guys! AMAZING RACE PREMIERS THIS SUNDAY NIGHT! And don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook.

So while Brandy’s Personal Legend now includes things like bungee jumping and wire walking the rest of gathered round the wine bottle to discuss the book and our own Personal Legends, what the Soul of the World meant to us and whether or not we believed in Omens.

This was all discussed over an amazing dinner (we have one VERY GOURMET book club!) beautifully prepared by Sara. Appetizers galore, delicious meatloaf, cornbread-pudding (!) and a gorgeous salad with really really good tomatoes. Super fresh ice cream and pastel macaroons – decadent! Sara thank you so much for this amazing spread!

Lots of nuts, figs and chili lime jicama!

Meredith (the book was her selection), wine and salad!

Macaroons served with pieces of dark, sweet chocolate!!!!

I think the group had mixed reviews about the book but certainly whether it was expressed or not, it certainly stirred many ideas. And speaking of many ideas, that brings us to the hilarious part of our evening, the casting!

The Alchemist Movie – directed by Peter Jackson, produced by Lawrence Fishburne
Casting by the Bad Girls and Boys Book Club CSA

Santiago – Michael Cera or if Michael can’t grow enough facial hair Gael Garcia Bernal
Gypsy Lady – Cher w/stand-in Victor Mature
Old King Melchizedek – Sean Connery
Merchant’s Daughter – Pam Anderson w/ flat chested versions – Paris Hilton and/or Kirstin Dundst
1st Thief – Christian Bale
Crystal Shop Owner – Ben Kingsley
Bar Owner – Bea Arthur
Englishman – Ralph Fiennes
Old Man – Carol O’Connoer
Camel Driver – Tom Selleck
Alchemist – Omar Shariff
Tribal Chief – Tony Soprano aka
Wind Tribal Leader – George Hamilton
Tribal goons – Lorenzo Lamas and Sasha Baren Cohen
The Wind – Don Rickles
The Sun – Susie Orman
God – Mick Jagger
Monk – Dom DeLouise
Candy Maker – Alexander McQueen
Tribesman – Charleston Heston
Village Whore – Mariah Carey
Village extras – Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
Camels – Meryl Streep and Shirley McClaim
Sheep Wrangler – Sherri Lewis
All sheep are being played by LambChop except the black sheep being played by Eddie Murphy and Tiger Woods
Animal Cameos:
Flicka
Lassie
Gentle Ben
Ben the Rat
Bambi
Samba
Nemo
Old Yeller
Black Beauty
Joan Rivers
the Grinch
All the Snakes on the Plane

Until we strike again, we are……

and finally, our mascot…

I am practically BURSTING WITH EXCITEMENT while writing this post (it’s unfortunately true!) will let the cat out of the bag immediately.

The winner of the 2010 TED conference is JAMIE OLIVER!!!

What the hell is the TED Conference you ask? Why don’t you just ask some of it’s former speakers: Bono, Bill Clinton, JJ Abrahms, Al Gore, Isabelle Allende, Bill Gates and the Google guys to name a few. So how does Jamie fit into this equation?

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design.. It is a non-profit organization “devoted to what it calls spreading good ideas”.

From the years 2005-2009 3 winners were chosen and awarded $100,000 towards their wish to change the world (each winner is given only 18 minutes – this is the time period for any talk at TED regardless of how famous a speaker is! – to unveil their wish. This year the winner was limited to only one person and that would be a Mr. Jamie Oliver!

JAMIE’S WISH:
“I wish for your help to create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.”

TED PHILOSOPHY:
“We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and ultimately, the world. So we’re building here a clearinghouse that offers free knowledge and inspiration from the world’s most inspired thinkers, and also a community of curious souls to engage with ideas and each other.”

Read more about TED here and check out something else that happened there just reminding us, not that we needed it, of how cool Google is and how amazing that this woman is getting her Ph.D in Nuclear Physics! And women, take special note of the last line………

Jeremy from Berlin

Especially if they happen to be from Burberry! These beauties are dang expensive, no question about it, and perhaps now is not the time to invest, but as the rain beats down on my Southern California window I am finding these pictures very inspiring!

Eva in Paris

I’m about to venture out and yes, I will be throwing on my trench coat – but it’s actually vintage, ok – that’s a fancy way of saying it’s from a Thrift Shop – it is super cool and I’ve had it for years! A Burberry in my future? I certainly hope so, I’m a true fan!

Check out more great trench photos on Burberry’s website click on Art of the Trench!

Joanna in Berlin

Max and Joe in London

Jo in London

Alex in Venice

The possibilities are endless…..!

Yes, I’d love to play peek-a-boo but I’m just too doozy!!!!
And no, I do not have big feet for a little girl!!!!!! (do I????)

It’s that time of year where a lot of the country is buckled under lots of snow and in other parts it’s changing by the minute. Even out here in Southern California the nights are chilly and that’s as good excuse as any to cook up something cozy!

Having some vegetarian buddies over for a casual Friday night dinner is what inspired this first menu. What could be cozier than Mushroom risotto paired with a sauteed spinach and garlic? What a fantastic combo – one really plays off the other and what an amazing way to eat super healthy spinach!

Curious to see if it would really turn out, I cooked my risotto in my new crock pot (of course, right???)! I put it in for 2 1/2 hours and it turned out great. Maybe 5% overcooked but for the effort, or lack of, no one seemed to notice. I used button and shitake mushrooms, a little white wine, some garlic, stock and voila! To serve, a sprinkling of parsley and lots of fresh parmesean. This is the recipe I modified my dish from. I also served a simple green salad afterwards.

I learned a new Italian word which I love while preparing this dinner. “Affogato” – which literally means drowned and in this case ice cream drowned with espresso! This is a super simple dessert that is beautiful, so easy to prepare, unique and delicious! Just like the picture from the magazine, I did mine in simple drinking glasses, layering the ice cream, amaretto cookies, then poured on the espresso (not too much!) finished with some whipped cream, chocolate shavings and you’re set! Unusual and great!

This one is called “Tiramisu Affogatto”

On Sunday we tried to organized going to see Avatar but the 2 hours and 40 minutes required just did not fit into everyone’s schedule so instead Elizabeth suggested we come over for dinner. I protested knowing that she had entertained the night before but she insisted by saying she had made a ton of leftover Lasagne that was just begging to be eaten – I mean who can refuse that? (first of all, we know that it is better the next day anyhow)! And getting together last minute and throwing something cozy, casual and delicious together is what friendship is all about!

I forgot to mention that she started with another winning leftover – Asparagus soup – just enough for 5 elegant portions which is just what this party needed!

I had offered to bring something for dessert and as our only stop was at Trader Joe’s we ended up with what turned out to be a most delicious Chocolate Mousse cake. Elizabeth, always artistic, put it on a platter and sprinkled (leftover) berries around it and it looked absolutely beautiful. Sometimes simple (and convenient) can work out more than fine!

What’s the moral of the story? Entertaining can be as simple or fancy as you want it to be. All it takes is some good friends, some sort of delicious food, a bottle of wine or two is preferable and you’ve got it! I suggest getting on the phone and calling up that friend pronto……..Bon Appetit!

Funny (not really…) how it seems we didn’t have rain for over a year here in Southern California and then this last week it was torrential every day. I loved it but knew that it was causing lots of people lots of hassles. Nothing cozy about mudslides…..

This past weekend seemed to usher in Spring so Marc and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went on one of our favorite walks in the neighborhood around the Silverlake Resevoir. Lots of gorgeous houses that have beautiful views of the water!

As I have already been fervently working on my geranium garden I was hoping to see lots of lots of really robust plants I could pinch a little cutting from……

Many people think geraniums are boring, normal and even ugly but I’m always charmed by them brightening the window boxes of apartment buildings in Europe, especially Italy. They also have a great smell. My garden, a work in progress, is designed to have big chunks of red next to big chunks of fuschia next to a big chunk of peachy salmon. I have found all these colors and more!

This year I have decided to introduce Nasturtiums into the mix. I love their beautiful greeny-grey leaves and of course the multitude of colors. I found a patch next to the gargage – I think some of them will be much happier in my garden!

I am also working on Mexican Sage, another plant you can pinch and put right into the ground. My success rate has been about 60% but we have a huge plant on the property that doesn’t mind an occassional haircut. Mexican Sage is also called Salvia and somehow with its purple velvety flowers it is often mistaken for lavender.

I have to admit this makes me a little crazy! Mexican Sage is not Lavender! Do not get the two confused. You can SMELL the difference!

So with my hands already full of great new geranium “pinchings”, I even managed to find the perfect lemon which had fallen from a tree and lie in the grass. Thank you whoever, it made my tea delicious this morning!

They say the rain is coming back tomorrow but that’s ok – I’m not sure I’m really ready for Spring anyhow but I know my garden is!