I Guess I Have a Type.

Yesterday I was stopped in my tracks by this picture of Tory Burch. I love everything about it. I find her beauty to be so effortless and I am completely obsessed with her personal style.

When I showed this picture to my sister she commented that she looks just like every other girl (woman) that I seem to have an inkling towards developing  a style "crush" on. 

"Yeah? I replied. What can I say? I guess I just have a type."

Others in this "type" include my fashion guru Meredith Melling Burke.

The forever gorgeous Kate Moss.

And of course Sienna Miller (although I despise her husband stealing ways.)

Blonde longish hair? Yep. Petite frame? Yep. Boho chic fashion style? Yep. Beautiful wide smile? You guessed it. Hey, at least I get high marks for consistency. 

Looks like men aren't the only ones who have a type!

Easy Eggs Benedict (For Real!)

Brunch is my favorite meal of the day. Hell, brunch is the only meal needed as far as I'm concerned. Where else can you get such a balanced meal I ask? You have eggs (protein), bacon (more protein), potatoes (carbs), and a Bloody Mary (vegetable). Really what could be a more perfect combination? If you've ever had brunch with me (you all know who you are) you know I have three necessities when choosing a place to have brunch.

1. The first is that they must have Eggs Benedict on the menu (never trust a brunch place without it,)
2. The second is that the Eggs Benedict must be really good (Stephanies' has the best as far as I'm concerned, mainly because they use brioche instead of English muffins.)
3. Finally, I always always order the Eggs Benedict. 

Sense a theme? Yep, I love me some Eggs Benedict. If I were dying and had one last meal? Well, I would probably have lobster....but lobster covered Eggs Benedicta of course! The funny thing is that I don't like eggs. Not at all. I would never order an omelet and I pretty much despise eggs. Eggs sitting on a piece of Canadian bacon, covered in Hollandaise? That is a completely different story. 

Because of my love of the Benedict I have been on a quest to find the easiest way to make this delicious meal at home. I have scoured the country (not really) searching for the perfect recipe that was not only delectable but also easy. The recipe part was actually not that difficult, it was learning how to poach a damn egg that was the hard part. I went through dozens of eggs before I realized that, hey, there are things that can actually do this for you! Oh, how I love living in 2009. I went to Crate and Barrel and picked up these cheap (3.99) egg poachers that really did the trick.

The whole poaching process took about 4 minutes and I was amazed at how well the eggs turned out. Slather on the Hollandaise and I had the perfect brunch for 2. The best part? I got to eat it in my sweats. You can't do that at Stephanies! The whole breakfast took less than 20 minutes. Yeah, I'm going to be eating a lot of Eggs Benedict!

Recipe for 2

4 Canadian Bacon slices (I used turkey)

2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt

2 Tablespoons Distilled White Vinegar

Hollandaise Sauce:

2 Egg yolks at room temperature

2 Teaspoons heavy cream at room temp

1/2 Teaspoon salt

Dash of cayenne pepper (can be omitted)

1/2 Cup (1 stick) plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and heated until bubbling but not brown (see note)

2 Teaspoons fresh lemon juice at room temp

1 Teaspoon white wine vinegar

Sugar

2 Brioche halved (or english muffins)

4 Eggs

Pepper

Chopped Chives/ Dill/ Tarragon for garnishing (optional)

Step by step instructions from here. 

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

1) Put the Canadian bacon in a large nonstick skillet. Set over a burner but do not turn on the burner. Put 2 ovenproof plates in the oven to warm.

2) Fill a medium nonstick skillet nearly to the rim with water. Add the kosher salt and vinegar and bring to a simmer over high heat. Alternatively, fill an egg poacher with water and season with salt.

3) To make the Hollandaise Sauce. Put the egg yolks, cream, the 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and cayenne in a blender. Blend on high speed until smooth and frothy, 2 to 3 seconds. With the blender still on high speed, add the hot butter in a thin, steady stream, then add the lemon juice and white wine vinegar. Season with kosher salt to taste and a generous pinch of sugar. Transfer the sauce to a microwave-safe cup or bowl.
Alternatively, put the sauce in the top pan of a double boiler or in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.

4) Cut the English muffins/ Brioche in half and lightly toast them.

5) Carefully break an egg into a cup and slide it into the simmering water, or into the cups of an egg poacher. Repeat with the remaining eggs. (Arrange the eggs in a clockwise pattern in the skillet so you will know which one you put in first. Remove the eggs in the same order.) Remove the skillet from the heat and cook until the yolks are medium-firm, 3 to 4 minutes.

6) Meanwhile, heat the Canadian bacon over high heat until slightly crisp, about 1 minute.

7) Place 2 English muffin halves on each of warmed plates.

8)Top each muffin half with a slice of Canadian bacon.

9) Using a slotted spoon carefully lift out each egg and drain over the skillet. Blot eggs lightly with a paper towel. Gently place 1 egg on top of each Canadian bacon slice.

10) If not keeping the Hollandaise sauce warm in a double boiler, warm it in the microwave for about 10 seconds and pour generously on top of the eggs and around the English muffins. Season with pepper to taste and garnish with tarragon, if desired. Serve immediately.

Note: We heat the butter in a glass measuring cup in the microwave until it begins to boil. In order for the egg yolks to thicken the sauce, the butter must be very hot and the egg yolks, cream, and lemon juice must be at room temperature when you begin blending.

Do-ahead: Believe it or not, hollandaise sauce can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated.To reheat the sauce, warm it in the microwave in 10-second increments until warm but not hot. (If the sauce gets too hot, it will separate.) Alternatively, put the sauce in the top pan of a double boiler or in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water.
When entertaining, the eggs can be cooked several hours in advance. After poaching the eggs, transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Store them in the ice water in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Reheat the eggs by lowering them into a pan of simmering water for about 45 seconds.
Drain and serve as directed.

Just writing this makes me want to make them right now! Yes, I am an Eggs Benedict addict! Do you think they have a support group for me? Nah, who needs it? Not when they are this easy to make! 

Noooooooooooooooooooooo.

That didn't happen! That didn't happen. That didn't happen. Oh, please tell me that didn't happen.

This is the thought that kept running through my head the last 45 minutes of my power yoga class yesterday. Even today I am praying that it didn't happen. 

But it did. Yesterday, I got my first "sports" injury. Crap.

So there I was. I was in a new class, with an instructor that I have had a few times. I was about to go into Crow pose when the instructor told the class, "it is easier if you enter this pose from a block." Now, I have no problem entering crow. I have been practicing yoga for about 7 or 8 years now and the arm balances are my strong suit. Crow and Side Crow are actually my two favorite poses. Make that were my two favorite poses. 

Well, I had never entered this pose from a  block before, and being the idiot that I am I thought this would be a good idea. Wrong! Immediately my left shoulder gave out and then began to ache when I tried to re-enter the pose. Ache so bad I had to go into Child's Pose just to catch my breath. For the rest of class it continued to hurt and I was so freaked out that I had really injured myself that I couldn't even concentrate. I was pretty much a hot mess. A few hours later my worst fear was confirmed when I had shooting pain in my shoulder any time I would rotate my arm inward, doing things like putting on a jacket, picking up the LM, etc.. I'm not going to lie, I started to freak out a little bit. 

I don't work out. I practice yoga. This is what I do. I need it. Not just for my body but for my mind. I NEED it. I absolutely cannot have an injury that sidelines my practice. That can't happen. Clomid + No Yoga = Psycho Mummy. It CAN'T happen. I tried to explain this to the husband who was less than sympathetic. Take some Ibuprofen he said. Gee thanks. He then said, "you probably screwed your rotator cuff, it's going to hurt for a few months." Again, thanks. (As an aside having a Doctor in the family is completely worthless because they REFUSE to give advice.) I took the Ibuprofen, it felt better and then again this morning it hurt like hell. I'm scared of going back to class because I don't want to do more damage, but on the other hand I NEED YOGA.

Other than the power of prayer do any of you have any advice? Have you ever had an injury on a body part that is central to your practice? Any advice for shoulder/ sports injuries in general? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.....my sanity thanks you immensely. 

"That didn't happen....that didn't happen....that didn't happen." Ugh, it's still not working. 

Photo from here.

Universal Nap Time?

Over the past few months we have been lucky enough to have quite a few visitors to our home. Most of our friends live in other states and we are the only couple left in Boston from our initial group. Whenever our clan gets the itch to come back to their old stomping grounds, of course, the door is always open. The best part for us is that all of them now have kiddies too. Kiddies that are right around the LM's age. This makes it twice as fun when we are fortunate enough to get overnight guests. A sleepover, toddler style. 

As we rotated families this Summer I began to notice a trend. All of their kids would go to sleep around 7:30pm, and wake around 7:00am. Nap time would begin around 1:30 and end around 4:0pm. The only reason that I took notice was because this is the EXACT same schedule (I use this term loosely) that my  Little Man is on. I began to wonder if all kids are on this schedule? Is there some sort of universal nap time until the age of 3? Like in Cinderella, when the clock strikes midnight everything falls to pieces, or 1:30pm in this case? 

I put my hypothesis to the test. Here is the park across the street from our house at about 12:15 pm. You can see it is pretty packed out. The swings and slides are in full of wild little ones. (click to enlarge)

And the sandbox was the place to be. 

Here is the same park at 1:15. The only people left are a few school aged kids. 

The sandbox was a ghost town.

Even the ever popular swings had been abandoned.

Where was my little man? Sleeping of course, and it looks as though the rest of Cambridge was doing the same. Don't you wish as adults we still had this clock? Now that I think about it maybe we do? That must have been why coffee was invented! 

Not To Get Political.....But.....

Clearly I am a Martha Coakley fan. I have made no effort to hide that fact here. I couldn't be more excited that she is running for the Senate and I think that this state and this country would be lucky to have a woman like her representing our interests. She is a woman who hails from a small town and worked her way to a position of higher power based solely on her own merits. She wasn't born with the Kennedy name or the proverbial silver spoon in her mouth and I ask how many politicians in Massachusetts can say that? I bet you can count them on one hand. I think she would be as effective as a Senator as she was as a District Attorney and currently as Attorney General.

What I am not a fan of? Commentators who are blatantly biased against women politicians. Blatantly. Commentators who think that women who are running for office need to be in some way taken to task, or asked the "hard questions" opposed to their male counterparts who somehow have earned the right to run for office simply because they were born with a penis in between their legs. 

The chauvinistic pig who is commits this crime hand over fist more than the others? Of course it's none other than the infamous Chris Mathews. His crimes against women are endless and in his interview last night with Coakley he once again proved what kind of man he really is. On the day of her announcement for the Senate, Matthews asked Coakley a series of loaded and politically charged questions. He was dismissive and condensing and he spoke over her responses numerous times.  

Sadly, this is not the first, nor do I imagine that this will be the last time that Matthews has spoken down to a woman appearing on his show. A woman who mind you is far more intelligent than he will ever be. Some of his other career highlights include a 2007 interview of Erin Burnett, a CNBC business news anchor, whom he asked to lean into the camera. "Come in closer. Really close," he said to a rattled Burnett. After which he laughed and said, "Just kidding, you look great....You're a knockout. "

In January, Matthews was forced to make an on air apology to Hillary Clinton for a comment that he made about her political achievements. He had previously said that Clinton owed her Senate seat and her presidential bid to the fact that he husband had "messed around," referring to the sex scandal that led to her husband's impeachment. In years past he has also referred to Clinton as "She Devil" and "Nurse Ratched," which refers to a scheming and manipulative character. He call her "Madame Defarge" and has compared her to a "strip-teaser." He has even (and this one really gets me) questioned whether she is a "convincing mom." Sadly, this list goes on and on. 

It turns out that I am not the only one who is appalled by this man. A nonpartisan group, called the New Agenda was created with one of it's main goals being the firing of Matthews. Media Matters has also begun a campaign against Matthews for his years of blatant bias against women on Hardball. 

Luckily for us women out there, Matthew's contract is up for renewal next year. It is unclear if he will renew, and there is talk that he may run for the Senate in 2010 in his home state of Pennsylvania. I wish him the worst of luck in both these endeavours. Actually, I take that back. I hope he does run and he wins and he finds himself on the same side of the aisle as Coakley. Maybe then she can show him how a "real" Senator can act and perhaps she will explain to him the actual definition of class, something that seems to be lacking from his vocabulary. 

If you are interesting in volunteering or contributing to the Coakley campaign, her website can be found here. As for me? Well, I can guarantee you that I just watched my last episode of Hardball.  

Photo from here. 

 

Next Stop? The White House!

Today my former employer and one of the greatest women to ever enter Massachusetts politics announced that she would be running for Ted Kennedy's now vacant Senate seat. Can you guess how I am going to be spending the next 5 months? Go TEAM MARTHA! 

Next stop? The White House!

Tunnel.

Yesterday at 5pm.

LM: Momma Trains!

Me: Yes, babe play with your trains (said while cutting potatoes for dinner.)

LM: MOMMA TRAINS!!!!!

Me: Uh huh...trains (completely ignoring him,)

LM: MOMMY TRAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Me: Ok, bud let me see your trains.

I walked over to the new train table and there was not a train in sight. Not one. Where could 12 toy trains go? Well, you out there with kids know that they could be virtually any where. Really the hiding places are endless.

20 minutes later after feverish searching. 

Me: Where are these freaking trains?

Me: Focus...where did you put the trains?

LM: Tunnel!

Me: Tunnel, what tunnel?

LM: Tunnel, Tunnel, Tunnel, TUNNEL!!! 

Me: We don't have a tunnel.

LM: TUNNEL, TUNNEL, TUNNEL, TUNNEL, TUNNEL. 

Ok, apparently we do have a tunnel.

The little man then proceeded to (finally) point to the sofa where he had stashed all of his trains in the "tunnel" aka really far under the sofa. 

Problem solved? Yes, the train were found but now the little guy has a new "trick." A trick that involves putting everything under the sofa where it is completely out of his reach, and then screaming "TUNNEL" at the top of his lungs until I bend down and pull them all out. 

Yeah, this is a real fun game....I'm really hoping he will find a new one. And Quick! 

Clutching My Heart.

How does one induce a heart attack? Well, one way would be to offer a Zac Posen Envelope Clutch for under $150 dollars. Gilt Groupe must be trying to off me, because a few weeks ago they did just that. 

I have been on the hunt for a great and practical clutch since I birthed the little man. Why the need? Because unlike before when I was footlose and baby free, now whenever we are able to sneak away from the house I always have to have one thing with me, one thing that is very big, one thing that is too big for most traditional clutches.  My Blackberry. Yep, even though we usually leave when the little guy is sleeping we still have to be "on call" in case of any and all emergencies. This means that lately I have been lugging my day bags out on the town just to carry my phone. Even worse now that the little man is two we are sometimes bold enough to actually bring him with us. Which means I have to carry even more crap. Well, no more. I am now the proud owner of this beautiful clutch. 

I love the neutral color. I love the size I love that it weighs next to nothing. I love that it fits right under my arm leaving me virtually hands free. I love that I can fit a ton of stuff in it, even some diapers if the need ever were to arise. What do I love most? I love that the retail price was almost $700 dollars, and I got it for $138. Be still my heart....

P.S. If you aren't a member of Gilt (an invite only website) than 1) you are crazy, 2) send me an email and I will send you and invite. As an aside, I really should be buying stock in this company at this point!

How I Spent My Summer Vacation.

Whew. We just got back from our week long vacation to visit family in Maryland. While we were only there for 7 full days, I feel as though we were able to fit in a full Summer of fun. Here are some of the highlights.

First off the Little Man turned two. I can't thank you all enough for your sweet B-Day wishes and I shared each and every one of them with him. Here he is at his party. The balloons were definitely the highlight of the evening for him. Here he is with his beloved fire truck balloon. 

What would a 2yr old birthday party be without cake? Not a party I say.

The little guy worked really, really had to blow out the candles.

At last he was successful and was finally able to enjoy the spoils. 

The next day we took a trip to a real working farm. Given that the town we stayed in is basically one big farm this was not too far of a trip. The little guy was mildly obsessed with the tractors to say the least. 

He even got to drive the combine. Yes, up in that glass window is my truck diving little guy.

To get an idea of how big it actually was, here he is next to the wheel. Yep, that is one big ass truck!

We soon learned that a momma cow had just given birth to two baby cows. They weren't that much bigger than my little man. We had to leave as quick as we came as the momma cow was none too happy to have us poking around with her newborns.

We pretty much spent our evenings eating blue crabs and reading trashy magazines (Grandma is an avid collector.) Here my Sis and I are partaking in both.

The last time I had blue crabs is when the Husband and I lived in Maryland, some 6-7 years ago. I made up for lost time by having them 4 nights in a row. 

We went to the beach pretty much every day. The little man finally learned what it was like to be buried in the sand. 

He also went digging for crabs. 

The beach were we go is also home to wild horses. Here are a few that wanted to crash our party. Yep, they run like that right on the beach. I can never get over it when I see them. 

Neither could the little man. Here he is chasing after them.

When the little man's Great Aunt learned of his love of fire trucks she arranged a tour for us at the local fire station. By tour I mean that they opened the doors and let us play in and out of all 8 trucks. The little man was pretty damn excited. 

He made sure to sit in all of them......twice. 

We also took a trip to the local zoo. I thought the LM would love the monkeys the most, but he surprised me by spending most of his time with the Flamangos or "Ningos" as the little man would say. The second day we visited the birds got into a bit of a "gang" style fight. Notice it is the black tails vs the pink tails. 

When we got home our Aunt Lolly arranged for a "tractor" ride, aka a ride behind the lawn mower. This way by far the highlight of our trip for the little guy. Here we are hitching a ride.

Our beloved driver. 

And the little guy taking his turn in the captian's chair. 

On our last night there we went over to ocean city to go on some of the boardwalk rides. At first the little guy was not too thrilled with the idea.

He soon began to come around.

And eventually he was loving it.

Especially the swing.

Which he insisted that we go on. Twice. 

Wow! Even I am amazed at all we were able to fit into just one week. The little man woke up this morning asking over and over for the tractor. Looks like there is some country in my city boy after all! 

We loved our vacation but as they say there truly is no place like home! Even if home is without a two story tractor.