We have a whole slew of draft posts coming your way this week, but i wanted to share a quick little something. Molly, of Orangette and Delancey fame, posted this morning a great pasta recipe, perfect for whipping up a quick holiday meal. She also shared that she is going back to writing after hiring new pantry and pastry chefs for the restaurant (we share her ‘squee’). Also, she is now selling a photo from the first dinner at the restaurant over at BigCartel. It seems a little voyeuristic, to put one of their website images up on your wall, but we have already had so many happy meals at Delancey that it seems very fitting i would want to put this in our kitchen.

Is that weird?

It just seems so fitting! (AND, its only $30. crazy!)

to celebrate Thanksgiving.

While we are gone for the weekend though, you should hop on over to Etsy. 

A bunch of shops are having sales this weekend, including our vintage shop!  {EVERY single item at RavennaGirlsVintage is buy one item, get one half off… Friday through Monday!}

I have never really understood Black Friday.  I like shopping in stores, yes, but I enjoy doing it when I can think straight about what I actually like to buy for people.  I like to take it slow and wait for that perfect thing to appear.

Which is pretty much why Etsy’s Black Friday Sales all weekend are pretty darn terrific.  You can find the perfect handmade or vintage  item in your jammies drinking coffee while everyone else is out fighting over the Wiis in the rain.  Mmmm handmade goodness, mmmm presents, mmmm cozy!

I seriously LOVE etsy.  There is so much amazing stuff over there, and I cannot believe the beauty that is made by talented people!

like….

this scarflette

this moomin calendar!

this fun reindeer!

these vintage houses….

i hope you find the perfect presents!

{in my humble opinion}

It’s a mostly Dave Lieberman, and a lil bit the goodness I love from the chutney I always had growing up.  And a little bit what I feel like at the moment.  

yumyumyum.  I cannot eat cranberry in a can. Call me snobby, but after you have this chutney, you will be singing my tune.

Ingredients to Start with:

• 1 (10 to 16-ounce) bag fresh or frozen whole cranberries,
• 2 crisp red apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1-inch thick  (today I only used one)
• 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated  (I always double this number.  I love me some ginger!)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• (I also add the juice and zest of half a lemon.)

Directions

Combine ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until softened, reduced and thickened, about 30 minutes. Cool fully before serving.

Ingredients to add at the end if you so choose after cooling:

• a handful of chopped walnuts
• a handful of raisins or currants

YUM

Almost as good as the taste is the smell of your house when you make this yummyness.

Also helpful for this recipe is learning how to peel ginger effectively.  It is another trick I learned from Dave Lieberman.  A peeler peels too deep for the root — which has very thin skin.  Instead use the edge of a spoon and just rub it against the skin of the ginger.  Works every time!

What are you doing for the holiday weekend?

and I have to say, I will be thrilled next week when I don’t have to change the channel to lifetime ever ever again.  Especially since we watched Live TV this week, there was no way to fast-forward through those terrible ashton kutcher lifetime movie previews.  {Topic for another post…  Why does Ashton Kutcher think he is a washed up star – fit for Lifetime?  Has the recession hit Hollywood that badly??}

I will miss PR though.  I will always miss PR on Bravo.

This season though was just kind of eh.  I liked watching, but thought most of the challenges were unoriginal and they did not focus enough on the process of making the garments.  After watching half an episode, you already knew who was on the top and bottom based on which designers they were focusing on.

The girl who won, Irina, was downright irritating and her final collection looked like a group of female architects with funny hats.  All black.  snore.

I’m sorry, but when did good design exclude color???  I missed that boat, thank heavens.

Now, Heidi Klum’s stylist…. She certainly did not get the black memo, for she sent Heidi down the runway in this:

She has to have a new, Lifetime paying stylist this season.  Every week, it seems the first thing out of our mouths on the couch was “AH, look at HEIDI!!!  WHATTTTTT??!??!??!”

I could not believe she pranced around in that hideous pants suit with obvious shoulder pads and judged other people’s garments. 

Now, let me step away from my negativity here…

What did I like?  Runner up Carol Hannah’s final collection.

Here, see for yourself:

I rest my case. 

Heidi, you are Auf ‘ed.

Well, we had a very relaxing weekend thanks to a sleepover with all our girls and some much-needed lounge on the couch time last night.

However, its been a trying couple of weeks, so there is nowhere i’d rather be today than curled up with a good book (I just started A Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius which should take me through to the new year) in a cozy room like this one

I love the mix of rustic and clean/crisp linens. Its also the perfect mix of feminine and masculine. I’ve had this saved in my inspiration box forever!  I originally spotted it on The Red Chair Blog, but it first was spotted over at Domino in 2008!