I have always enjoyed unearthing hidden gems and particularly in my City of Angels. There are many people who like to explore Los Angeles, but I have been my friends go-to ‘Cultural Czar‘ for some time now, so now you get to be in on the inside beat. I love art, cocktails, delicious delights plus the bizarre and wondrous, equally. All are Welcome.
“It is the personal thoughtfulness, the warm human awareness, the reaching out of the self to one’s fellow man that makes giving worthy of the Christmas spirit.” ~ Isabel Currier.
[dropcap2]I[/dropcap2]t seems fitting for this holiday season to introduce a wonderful program in association with Kiva.org and Dermalogica that helps women around the world by micro-lending. Women are traditionally more likely to be denied a loan by a bank and often face high levels of financial discrimination. In fact, more than 70% of people who live below the poverty line are women.* These micro-loans help women start their own businesses, support their families and build their communities.
You can choose to give a small amount to help a fledgling female entrepreneur or you can simply learn about these women and choose a female who will receive a $1 from your visit to the site. We are all, as women, interconnected, and the strength of women as entrepreneurs and captains of our own destinies lies in our ability to help each other. Every little bit helps.
Thank you to everyone who participated! We loved seeing all your styling suggestions for the Electric Stripe Top by Juicy Couture. If you missed out and would like to see how we styled it, click below:
[dropcap2]I[/dropcap2] have an affinity for mulled wine, not only because my father is a certifiable wino, (by the fact that he turned my mother’s office into a walk-in wine cellar, not that he is homeless and drinks out of a brown paper bag… not that there’s anything wrong with that…), but mostly because when I was 16, I spent two weeks of winter with a family in Grenoble, France along the glorious French Alps.
First of all, it was ski season, so all the chalets served Vin Chaud (translated: Hot Wine). More importantly, I was in France without my parents, where it was culturally acceptable for me to drink alcohol. We young American exchange students felt rather fancy, sipping our Vin Chaud at the base of the mountain, when truly to the French, it is a rather pedestrian drink made with cheap wine and dressed up with fancy spices. No matter. I still think it tastes delicious.
Warm alcohol has always had that sultry distinction of being able warm you twice: once with the heat of the beverage and once more with the warmth of the alcohol. Popular in countries with temperatures that drop below freezing by the appellation mulled wine, Vin Chaud, Glühwein, or Glögg, it is perfect for cold winter months when your honey is not there to keep you warm.
So, I am offering to you on this fine holiday season a few variations on the theme, as mulled wine need not be too fussy. The main recipe is the most involved, but it can be as easy as throwing everything in a pot until it’s warm. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients, it’s the spirit that counts. The wine need not be expensive and personally, I prefer something dry: Cabernet over a Syrah, or a cheap Bordeaux, even though I have also had great success with a Grenache. So throw caution to the wind and pour in that Two-Buck-Chuck.
[col_1_3]
[title]Vin Chaud[/title]
1 750 ml bottle red wine
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, halved
6 allspice berries
4 whole cloves
3 star anise
5 cardamom pods
1/2 tbsp lemon peel
1/2 tsp orange peel
1/4 c brown sugar
1 orange, zested and juiced
[/col_1_3]
[col_2_3]
With a fine grater, zest, then juice the orange.
Pop the cardamom pods by pressing firmly on the green pods with a knife or flat wooden spoon.
In a large pot, (not aluminum), combine zest, juice, cardamom, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, wine, and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves (about 1 to 2 minutes)
Reduce heat to low; simmer for another 20 minutes with the lid on until the flavors have melded, but without letting too much of the alcohol escape.
Pour through a sieve so you don’t have any pieces to get stuck in your teeth; garnish with a cinnamon stick or orange peel, if desired. Serve immediately.
If you want to kick it up a notch, add 1/4 c of brandy or Grand Marnier to the mixture before serving.
If you’re feeling lazy/cheap: skip the lemon and orange peels. Simply cut an orange in half, juice it into the pot and throw the halved orange carcasses in after it.