I May Iron Like Crap, But I Steam Like A Pro!

I suck at ironing.  I iron wrinkles in rather than iron them out.  In addition, I have singed not only my clothes but also myself.  What's a gal to do with a closet full of wrinkled clothes?  Buy a garment steamer (on sale, of course).

I was able to snag Conair's Deluxe Compact Fabric Steamer for about $20 (from Kohl's) and I can now steam clothes like a pro!

This garment steamer is indeed compact compared to the "pro" versions that have built-in racks.  In lieu of a built-in rack, the Deluxe Compact Fabric Steamer comes with an over-the-door hook that will hold hangers and the hose head:

The hose wraps around the tank for easy (and compact) storage.  Two attachments are included: crease and lint.  I'm pretty sure that I will never use the former and may occasionally use the latter.

Unless you're going to consistently steam your entire wardrobe, don't shell out the big bucks for a pro version.  This compact version works quite well.  I steamed about 8 items and it took me about less than 15 minutes, probably even less than 10 minutes.  (I will keep you posted as to durability. I'm hoping that this is a quality garment steamer and won't conk out on me after several uses.)

There was a slight learning curve but if you keep the following in mind (aka "my mistakes"), you'll be a steaming like pro as well:

• Steam your clothes from the bottom up.  Heat rises up...and that means steam rises up.  Steaming yourself is not fun.
• Steam goes through fabric.  Hold your item taut from the bottom only.  If you hold it taut in other areas, you may accidently steam yourself.  Again, steaming yourself is not fun.
• It take longer than the stated 5 minutes for the steamer to be ready.  If you're in a rush, forget steaming.
• You clothes may be slightly damp after steaming so let them hang dry for 2-3 mintues.  Again, if you're in a rush, forget steaming.
• Do not put your freshly steamed clothes in a pile...especially if they're still a little damp.  They'll just get wrinkled again.  Make sure you hang them up.  If you have the hangers ready, it'll lessen the urge to pile the clothes up.

Food Therapy: Manzo @ Eataly

I love meat.  I love Italian food.  I had to try Manzo at Eataly, the new Italian supermarket/food court/wine bar/restaurants (and more).  To avoid disappointment, I went in with NO expectations.  As a result, I left with a fantastic experience!!  (Let me just say that (a) it's crazy crowded inside Eataly, (b) it ain't cheap to eat at Eataly and (c) it takes a few trips to get a feel for the layout of the place.) 

Since we didn't have reservations, we had about a 45-minute wait.  What did we do for 45 minutes?  We kept ourselves busy by tasting an antipasto tasting platter and downing some prosecco at the wine bar!!

• We ordered an antipasto platter of cured meats and cheese:

• It also came with honey, figs, and bread (wrapped in brown paper):

• Between the three of us (me, Sunshine and my dad), a bottle of prosecco was the better value than having everyone order by the glass:

We received the "You Table Is Ready"call just as we were finishing up our antipasto platter.  It turns out that we didn't get a table but three seats at the bar. And it was probably better than getting a table!  It's more relaxed and if you want the attention of your waiter, you have it...because he's right in front of you.  Think sushi bar experience (less the sushi) rather than bartender bar experience.

I wanted to order the Beef Tasting Menu (because how could you not want to with that name??), but we were all a bit full from the antipasto, so we ordered a la carte and shared every dish.

• We kicked off the meal with the Carpaccio Of Tenderloin: (Beef carpaccio has always been a favorite of mine.  I didn't really want to share this one...)

• It was then followed by a very addictive Agnolotti Del Plin with brown butter and pargmigiano: (My dad didn't really want to share this one...)

• I really enjoyed the Pappardelle with sausage and radicchio trevisano:  (Sunshine really didn't want to share this one...)

• I ordered the Fried Quail as my entree:  (I'm a huge fan of both fried food and quail, so how could I not??)

• And the boys ordered the Ribeye For Two as their entree:

Yes, I did share my quail...because I really wanted to taste the ribeye.  The ribeye was good but I'm still partial to the Grilled Ribeye For Two at Babbo (my waiter told me that the chef hails from Babbo) because I really appreciate a drizzle of balsamic vinegar over my ribeye.

I will make reservations next time for the Beef Tasting Menu.  This way there won't be a wait and I won't end up filling my tummy with antipasto.

Note: Eataly is located at 200 Fifth Ave (b/w 23rd and 24th St), NY, NY.

Target: Cozy Chic Sweatshirt Cardigans!!

Every time Fall rolls around, I go cashmere nuts and then when Winter hits, my dry cleaning bill skyrockets.  My favorite cashmere items are my cashmere wraps/cardigans.  I live in them.  But I think I found a great dry-cleaning-free alternative today!!  Every so often, I find something in Target that's just perfect.  And Target has hit it out of the ballpark with this Mossimo wrap cardigan in sweatshirt material for only $29.99:

I'm going to get this cardigan in deep purple!  I'd post the deep purple but the shade is all off in my pix, so that's why the heather grey one is being shown.  It runs large so, I'd size down if you're in between sizes.  And since it's made from sweatshirt material, no dry cleaning is needed!  I'm also looking forward to the lack of pilling that inevitably shows up on my beloved cashmere wraps/cardigans.  If this cardigan goes on-sale, I may buy all three colors: black, purple and heather grey!

I also found this Merona shawl-collar cardigan in sweatshirt material for $19.99 that would make a great alternative to your hoodie:

I adore grandpa sweaters/blazers and this totally reminds me of a grandpa blazer.  I know this cardigan doesn't look so fabulous in the pix above but trust me, this cardigan looks way better on the body than on the hanger.  Oh...and I'd pass on this cardigan in the other colors.

My Summer Project: Kitchen Renovation!!

I spent the summer gut-renovating the kitchen and the thing I missed most about not having a functional kitchen?  Ice.  And now (now that winter is here and I have a less pressing need for cold drinks), I will never want for ice again!!  Yes...the kitchen renovation is done!!

The renovation took longer than expected and I went slightly over budget but the resulting kitchen is fabulous!!  I wanted a light, airy, easy-to-maintain kitchen with clean lines and that's what I got!

My 2 favorite things about the new kitchen?  The white marble-like granite countertop and the glass backsplash.  We wanted to use white marble for our countertop but apparently that was a big no-no.  It took many trips to the granite fabricator and then the granite wholesaler, but the perseverance paid off!  We found our white marble-like granite slabs!!  As to the glass backsplash, I always cringe when I think of tiles and grouting and the cleaning involved to keep everything look new.  So I went with full sheets of frosted glass as the kitchen backsplash.  Spray with Windex and wipe...and you're done cleaning!!

Here's the before:  A very old 20+ year old kitchen.

Here's the after:  A new kitchen that's ready to bake cakes, cookies and brownies!!  I will eventually get around to cooking other items...

Food Therapy: Vietnamese Coffee

I like pho and pork chops with broken rice, but what I really like is vietnamese coffee.  It's a thicker, stronger coffee with just the right amount of sweetness (which means it's sweet!).  Vietnamese coffee is what gets me to a pho restauarant, not pho.

You can't replicate v-coffee at home with a regular coffee maker.  In fact, you can't even really replicate v-coffee with a Moka Express (see here for more Moka Espress info: Bialetti's Moka Express).  And I won't even bother trying with a french press.

The correct coffee maker to use for v-coffee is this little handy-dandy gadget that you put over a mug/cup:

Yes...it only makes 1 little cup of coffee at a time.  It's a kind of drip method that thankfully doesn't require paper filters.

You put coarse coffee grind (approximately 2 heapings) into the bottom of the coffee maker and then hot water over the grind.  The coffee then drips into your mug via the bottom/filter.

 
(I'd like to note as this point that this little gadget comes with a lid.  I've lost that lid so I can't show it to you.  Try not to lose the lid.  It's great to use as a "saucer" for the actual coffee maker when you're done with it.  It'll collect any remaining coffee drippings and keep your tabletop clean.)

The special ingredient in v-coffee is sweet condensed milk.  Once you get hooked on sweet condensed milk with your coffee, you can kiss milk and sugar buh-bye.  Thanks to its high viscosity, sweet condensed milk helps the coffee to remain thick rather than watered-down.  I use a small cup when I make v-coffee because...well...you can't really make much with the coffee maker.  I fill about 1/4 of the cup with sweet condensed milk.

V-coffee makes perfect iced-coffee.  Just pour the v-coffee (premixed with sweet condensed milk) over ice and you'll get sweet but strong iced-coffee!!

You can buy the coffee maker at any Asian grocery store.  I recommend using Cafe Du Monde coffee grind.  Enjoy!!

Uniqlo: Cozy In Velvet

Uniqlo is without a doubt a go-to brand for inexpensive chic basics.  Velvet by Graham & Spencer is without a doubt a go-to brand for comfy chic tops and dresses.  Put these two brands together, throw in some cashmere and what do you get? A cozy chic cashmere sweater/cardigan collection that kinda makes me yearn for colder weather.

Given that Vince cashmere sweaters are easily running $300+ these days, this lovely Di Cashmere Off Turtle Sweater in gray seemed like a sweet deal for $129.90:

The sweater is long than it looks...it easily covers the booty. I will be wearing it all winter long with long-sleeved shirts underneath.  Note the generous opening of the neckline.  Not the choking tightness of a turtleneck but not the dramatic looseness of a cowlneck.  It is a a very happy medium indeed.

I was eyeing the Di Cashmere Dolman Sleeve Sweater but I'm a practical girl, so I let that gorgeous sweater stay on the rack.  It looked great when I tried it on but due to the cut of the dolman sleeves, the sweater rode up (way up) when I attempted to put a coat over it. The Di Cashmere Stole Cardigan (cardgian with an open cascading neckline) was only $129.90 and if I didn't have so many similar cardigans already, I'd be snapping one (or two) up.

If you are looking for basic v-neck and crew neck cashmere sweaters, Uniqlo is offering them in various colors for only $79.90.  Basic cashmere cardigans are running $89.90.  If you're build up your cashmere collection or need to replace some articles, Uniqlo is a great place to start!!

The thing about Uniqlo is that if you see a top/dress/swetaer that you like, you have to buy it on the spot because it's a pretty good bet that it won't be there the next time you go.  They're great at stock new items but they don't really re-stock existing items - especially when it comes to pieces from a collaboration.  I made the mistake last year of not buying a sweater that I loved, hoping it would go on sale, and I never saw it again.

Food Therapy: Clinton Street Baking Co. & Restaurant

I take brunching seriously.  It's an excuse to eat whatever you're hankering for (from pancakes to steak) and drink whatever you want (from coffee to bloody mary).  However,  a truly outstanding brunch spot is hard to find.  Mediocre ones are aplenty.

And the brunch at Clinton Street Baking Co. & Restaurant (4 Clinton St, NY, N&) is beyond truly outstanding!  It's one of the few brunch spots where I'm willing to wait 2+ hours for a table.  I know it sounds crazy but if you want truly exceptional blueberry pancakes and huevos rancheros, than that's what you gotta do.

A couple of weekends ago, Sunshine and I sucked it up and waited (and waited and waited) for a table.  It was well worth it!  Here's what we had:

• Huevos Rancheros: We each ordered our own...so as to preserve the relationship.  ;)  The star of this dish is the chorizo - very addictive.

• Blueberry Pancakes: This we shared.  Initially, Sunshine was humoring me with this "side" dish but I'm pretty sure he ended up heating 2/3rds of it.  I'm pretty sure that Clinton St has the BEST blueberry pancakes in the city.  They're kinda crispy around the edge and have an inherent sweetness to them (rather than a flour-y taste).  It goes without saying that they're light and fluffy. The warm maple butter is heavenly.  

Reverse-Reverse: 2 Inhabit Knits For You!

It's rain and cold outside.  All I think about are plushy pajamas and cozy knits.  Thanks to RevolveClothing.com's Reverse-Reverse.com website, I can satisfy my longing for cozy knits!  Here are two super-discounted Inhabit sweaters:

• Cashmere Drape Cardi ($141) in lichen:  I love cardigans like this Drape Cardi because you can throw it with jeans and a tank, and you're out the door in a second.  It's not just an effortless chic look...it really is effortless and chic!

• Chunky Hooded Pullover ($90) in flannel:  Wear a long-sleeve t-shirt underneath this pullover and it becomes an all-winter pullover!

[Images Courtesy of Reverse-Reverse]