The Blog

Dana Joy Altman: Real Food Rehab: Homemade Tzatziki

2009-11-14T19:45:11Z

The journal from my trip to the Greek Islands many years ago reads a little like Cheech and Chong's, How I Spent My Summer Vacation. Day after day, it went a little something like this:

"Woke up. Went to the cafe for breakfast. Ate Greek yogurt, fruit and honey. Drank coffee, very black. Went to the beach. Swam in the sea. Went to the cafe for lunch. Ate Greek salad, tzatziki and grilled fish. Played Ouzo-soaked backgammon on the pier until near blind. Went to the cafe for dinner. Ate Greek salad, tzatziki and grilled lamb. Drank a bottle of Retsina. Shook it hard at the disco. Passed out at 3 am."

I never wanted for lack of anything in Greece. The daily repetition of meals suited me just fine. The food was as local, fresh and simple as one could ask for.

It's remarkable how those meals influenced the way I cook today. In fact, one of the classic comfort staples in my home is tzatziki. You know, it's not just for Gyros anymore. I'll put it aside almost any protein - fish, chicken, lamb or beef. I'll do a composed salad of sliced and chopped vegetables such as cucumbers, radishes, celery, beets, green beans, favas, fennel and radicchio - dress it in red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, add little mounds of feta and olives on the side and finish it with an over-sized dollop of tzatziki. I've also been known to dunk pretzels or really good kettle chips in it, crack a bottle of beer and call it a meal. Sometimes it just hits the spot.

This recipe was given to me by my friend and chef, Mark Graham, in Seattle, Washington. It has since been adapted for my very garlicky, lemony and full fat preferences. Feel free to cut back on any of those to suit your tastes.

Tzatziki

One large tub whole milk yogurt - I use Greek yogurt like the Fage brand which is extra thick and requires no straining. If you use a traditional 32oz. yogurt, such as Stonyfield Farm you need to strain it for at least a few hours through cheesecloth or through a fine mesh sieve with a bowl underneath in the fridge.

3 to 4 pickling cucumbers halved, seeded and thinly sliced. You can use a mandoline, a vegetable peeler, a Cuisinart with the slicing blade or hell, just use a knife if you can get super thin half moons, that's fine. You can use the larger, more watery cukes but you have to squeeze the water out of them after you've sliced them: wrap them in a cotton dishtowel and squeeze like mad over the sink. If you omit this step they will give off a lot of water and make your tzatziki thin and tasteless.

salt and pepper to taste
juice and zest of one medium sized lemon
3 to 4 cloves garlic, pressed
heaping piles of finely chopped fresh basil and mint to taste

Mix all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and let sit in fridge to chill until flavors meld.

This is excerpted from the blog Real Food Rehab.

Cheryl Carlesimo: Why Is Thanksgiving the King of Food Holidays?

2009-11-13T21:43:01Z

Why is Thanksgiving the King of all the food holidays? Is it the turkey? I don't think so. We all like a good bird just fine, but seriously, it's not what we think and talk about as our favorite part of the meal for the rest of the year. Is it the stuffing? Now there is the stuff that food dreams are made of. There are many of us who believe that, in fact, the Thanksgiving feast is all about the stuffing.

I know that in my family, I have to make three stuffings. My grandmother's potato and bread stuffing with bacon which looks like dark mashed potatoes, which every one of my nine brothers and sisters eats several plates of, swimming in gravy. Then I make bread stuffing with chestnuts and sausage for my husband, and a wild rice stuffing for my mother because if you have ten children you are the queen, and that's just all there is to it.

Some people think it's all about the sides: their favorite leek and onion casserole, cranberry orange relish, or brussels sprouts with pancetta. And then there are the dessert lovers who live for the pumpkin mousse and the bourbon pecan pie. But honestly, I think that the reason Thanksgiving is the reigning food holiday is because we all get together as a family and devote the day to sitting down and eating together. We think about the meal for weeks ahead of time. We plan for it. We prepare. We cook, and most importantly, we all sit down and eat together.

Our families may not be traditional. Our families may be small and quiet, or large and highly dysfunctional; or a combination of all of the previous attributes. It doesn't matter. Our families may be the people we choose to be our families, but on Thanksgiving Day, it's all about how food has brought us together. And that's what makes it the food holiday above all others.

And just in case I got your mouth watering when I mentioned my grandmother's mashed potato and bread stuffing with bacon, here you go. It graced the Thanksgiving tables of my my Irish grandmother in Pennsylvania and is still being served to her many great grandchildren today You don't have to tell your cardiologist about this if you only make it once a year. Enjoy!

Mama's Turkey Stuffing

Ingredients

5 lbs. of large Idaho potatoes

1 lb. Bacon (good quality)

2 medium sized onions (each about the size of a baseball)

1 loaf of bread stuffing

1 stick of butter

2 Cups of milk

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon of Bell's poultry seasoning

1 Teaspoon Celery salt

1 Teaspoon Sage

Preparation:

Peel the potatoes and cut each potato into thirds. Put the cut up potatoes into a large, wide pot. Cover the potatoes with water and add about one heaping tablespoon of salt. Cover the potatoes and bring to a slow boil, (i.e., turn the heat down somewhat as soon as it starts to boil). It will usually take thirty-five to forty-five minutes to cook the potatoes. You can test the potatoes for doneness by sticking a fork into them. They should not be hard when you stick the fork in but they should also not be breaking apart in the pot. As soon as they are done, turn the heat off and drain the water from the pot.

While the potatoes are on the stove boiling, you should cook the bacon and the onions. Take a large, deep frying pan with a non-stick surface and cook the bacon on low heat until it is lightly browned. Remove and drain on paper towels. While the bacon is cooking, you need to dice up the two onions. Cook the onions in the bacon grease until they are translucent. Put the bacon, onions, bacon grease and 1 cup of milk into a blender and blend them all together.

After the potatoes are cooked and drained, add one stick of butter, 2 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, one tablespoon of Bell's Poultry Seasoning, 1 tsp celery salt, 1 teaspoon sage and about one cup of milk and hand mash the potatoes. (With seasonings, as you know, you can always add more but you can't really reverse it if you added too much.)

Cut the crust off one loaf of stuffing bread. Then, take a bowl of water and dip a handful of bread into it and then squeeze out the excess water. (Be sure not to squeeze the wet bread too hard or it will knot up into balls.) Brush the bread with your hand across the grating screen into the potatoes. Do the entire loaf of bread that way. Then add the blender full of bacon and onions and milk on top of the bread and potatoes, and hand mash the whole mixture together again. Then take an electric hand mixer and beat the whole pot on high speed until the mixture is fairly smooth and not lumpy. You should taste it periodically to see if you have enough flavoring in it. You might need to add a little more poultry seasoning or a little more salt or pepper, depending on the taste. Once it is thoroughly beaten, you then simply transfer it to a large casserole dish or two smaller casserole dishes.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 °F. Add drippings from the bottom of the turkey pan to the casserole dish(s). You need to make holes so that the drippings can go down into the stuffing as opposed to laying on top of the stuffing. Then cook the stuffing for about one hour. Do not cover the stuffing when it is cooking.

This recipe and many other family favorites are available on DishandDine.com. And the Holiday Recipe Challenge is underway! Join the fun and submit your family's favorite recipe for this week's challenge: Stuffing! Your recipe could be featured on DishandDine's Today's Hot Dish next Monday!

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Yomi Abiola: Yves Saint Laurent's Final Sale

2009-11-13T20:30:28Z

Two beautifully sculpted guards stood outside the doors of Christie's auction house yesterday, armed with stanchions and a counter, ready to receive the crowd that would be arriving at part two of the Yves Saint Laurent sale, featuring his furniture and home furnishings from his weekend home in Deauville situated in the Basse-Normandie region of France.

But at 11.30 a.m. on the first day that was open to the public, the guards had only counted a meager 73 people. The preview had been open for two and a half hours. This was a far cry from the first sale in February, where according to the English newspaper, The Independent, a staggering 33,000 visitors cued for entry over the weekend.

Despite the light drizzle of people, Jonathan Rendell, Deputy Chairman of Christie's America, is still optimistic that the sale will draw some sort of crowd. "This sale is different from the first sale - the first one was the great collection, this one is about weekend living. It's about fun. I hope to see at least 5,000 people," said Rendell.

The public preview will go on until the 16th of November. The organizers of the auction are optimistic that most of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé (his partner) belongings will be sold, if not for sentimental reasons, then for the simple reason that the items are "cheap as chips," as Rendell boasts. "These are not great works of art, these are home furnishings. "We have priced these pieces according to what the market can bear, we have not added any celebrity factor," he explained.

But amongst the potential buyers milling around, it may be sentiment that coerces them to buy. Thierry Blanchard, a real estate and antiques dealer living in Paris, was at the first Yves Saint Laurent Sale. "This sale is less glamorous, but more emotional, I will certainly try to buy," he remarks.

Among the general public there are a few connoisseurs that know what to look for. Patrick Hourcade was one such person. He described the collection as "a puzzle of sentimental feelings." To the untrained eye, the collection is most certainly a riddle that ranges from saucepans to kitsch ornamental pieces, to tattered sofas and salt a pepper shakers -- but Hourcade, like many of the potential buyers, makes sense of it all. "The imperfection of some of the pieces is part of the game that Yves and Pierre wanted to create. You feel much more alive with this collection than the first one. You can imagine people lying on the sofa by the fire, waiting for a great dinner." And it is perhaps this image of Yves Saint Laurent that people want to buy and take home to own forever.

Gina Pell: DUMBO: The New Soho

2009-11-13T19:43:18Z

Last weekend, my sister Lily (who writes the fashion news on Splendora) and I had the pleasure of strolling around DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge) Brooklyn, and we arrived at the conclusion that DUMBO is what Soho was in the 80s--the new new thing--filled with chic, artsy trendsetters who seem unaware of our bruised economy. The shops were bustling with these hipsters and we, too, did our part in stimulating the financial system. Here are Lily & Gina's 5 Favorite DUMBO Shops:

1. POWERHOUSE BOOKS - I'm already a bookstore fanatic so the aptly named Powerhouse Books on Main Street took my bibliophilia to another level. They have an ultra cool built-in arena to showcase exhibitions and performances in all areas of art--photography, design, fashion, pop culture, advertising, music, dance, film and television. I felt a rush when I caught a glimpse of Marc Jacobs' set-up materials for the next exhibit. See past events in the Powerhouse Books Arena here.

2. BLUEBERI - The latest Beri from Suewayne Brown, owner of Redberi in Prospect Heights, Blueberi boasts a well-edited collection for the city sophisticate. They carry my Euro faves like Anglomania Vivienne Westwood and Sonia by Sonia Rykiel as well as exceptional local designers like Sweet William. They're on 143A Front Street near Pearl.

3. NOS SHOES - Owner Racquel Nosworthy is a kindred spirit who loves sexy shoes but also likes to mix it up with a little funky edge. She carries the not so obvious brands like Pour la Victoire, Corso Como and Matiko. Nos is located at 68 Jay Street between Front & Water.

4. ZOE - The latest from the runway can be found in this luxurious 3,500 sq. ft boutique stocked with Lanvin, Matthew Williamson, Rag & Bone and other Splendora favorites. We spied pieces here that aren't even available in Manhattan! Zoe is on Washington Street near Front but you can also shop online.

5. POMME- Here's a sweet boutique for the kids with treasures from all over the globe. Pomme carries exquisite toys, clothes and home decor. We poked around here and picked up a few last minute baby shower gifts. Pomme is also on Washington Street (but near York) and you can shop online here too.

You can learn more about our new favorite neighborhood on the DUMBO NYC Website.

Refinery29.com: The 10 Hardest Working Designers In Fashion

2009-11-13T15:18:11Z

Given the current economic climate, we couldn't help but feel this latest Fashion Week was overcast with a chance of showers. Yet, when clouds form and belts tighten, it becomes even easier to see which designers can genuinely innovate no matter how scant their resources, and which clothiers are just smoke and mirrors held up by money. Creating short films to showcase collections, traveling to remote Indian villages for fresh inspiration, opening new boutiques in a time when others are closing flagships—fashion's best entrepreneurs are using extraordinary effort and ingenuity to grow their brands in the face of a shrinking economy. Take a few lessons from our top ten of the hardest working designers in fashion—because, when times get tough, the best get even tougher.

Diane Von Furstenberg

Call her fashion's version of a Wonder Woman (a comparison she openly encourages). This unofficial cultural hostess of the Meatpacking District, CFDA President-Elect, and CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award winner isn't resting on her laurels, but continuing to expand her brand's clothes, accessories, shoes, bags, cosmetics, and swimwear (sold in 56 countries) at a pace that would kill a vigorous go-getter half her age.

Above, from left: Diane Von Furstenberg, image via Clutch; Diane von Furstenberg fall '09, image via Style.com; Diane von Furstenberg spring '10, image via Style.com.

Samantha Pleet

Don't be fooled by her cutie-pie appearance. This hungry Brooklyn-based designer has branched out in just about every way possible. She blogs, creates films for each collection, collaborates with Urban Outfitters on her "Rapscallion" line, designs clothes for bands like Au Revoir Simone, produces a men's line, Patrick Pleet, and tries to do it all in the most environmentally-conscious way possible. Look forward to her upcoming a book of paper dolls for Dossier Journal and a new collection of hats and accessories for next season.

Above, from left: Samantha Pleet, image via Fashion Copious; Samantha Pleet spring '09, image via Samantha Pleet.

Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhai of Vena Cava

These CFDA runners-up have been running the style circuit like champs in recent seasons. Drawing inspiration from near (Woodstock, NY) and far (India), the duo tap obscure history, African tribal prints, and a touch of contemporary tongue-and-cheek wit to create a brand of ineffable and surprising depth. Who else would ever think of cross pollinating Ancient Egyptian themes and punk styles or pairing silk with beaded safety pins? Their recent collaborations with Gap and Via Spiga helped them gain worldwide recognition, and let's not forget that their blog—VivaVenaCava—is a hoot.

Click over to Refinery29 to read the rest of the article.

Una LaMarche: Project Runway Finale Recap Part One

2009-11-13T15:07:12Z

Yes, the season is almost over, but the finale is cruelly a two-parter, so we've got to power through. Don't worry, I have visual aids and Jello shots. Are you ready? Let's finish what we started.

Previously on: The Getty Center was a crappy fashion muse that led Christopher to dress his model up like an algae-covered rock. Then again, he finally got auf'ed so maybe we should be thankful. Irina and Althea shunned one another so of course both made it to the Final Three (the producers hope, I assume, for fistfight on the Bryant Park runway). Gordana's lovely--if rather vaginal--gown sadly got her sent home and the increasingly rundown Carol Hannah rounded out the winners.

Here they are, the final three:

Heidi tells them that they have to create a 12-piece collection to show at Bryant Park and that they get $9,000 for materials.

Tim comes out on the runway. He says that he is more proud of them than he can adequately express. Oh Tim--that's what hand gestures are for! He reminds them that he'll soon be riding Tim Gunn's Rock of Love bus around the country to check in on their work. Heidi wishes them luck, and then she and Tim get a little humpy in silhouette as they exit. Very sadly, the Lifetime website has no photos of this.

Althea interviews that there is still tension between her and Irina, and that she can forgive but she won't forget. She's totally going to beat Irina with an olive branch. Meanwhile, Irina thinks that the other two are intimidated by her. "They're expecting me to take the big guns to Bryant Park," she says. "But I'm bringing the tank! I've got the whole army." Suddenly I see her riding a missile, laughing maniacally, like at the end of Dr. Strangelove. Shudder.

We flash forward a few weeks. Tim is on the road to scenic Huntington, Long Island, where Carol Hannah has recently relocated (from South Carolina) to work on her collection. It's a bleak, snowy landscape, of course, because this season was filmed during the last Ice Age.

They should totally have Tim take over the Publisher's Clearinghouse check delivery. How excited would you be?

Carol Hannah shows Tim her half-finished collection, which includes an interesting violet dress with a poufy, ballet-inspired skirt. Tim likes it, but balks when CH tries to add a sparkly belt.

The inspiration for her collection was a nighttime visit to Duke's campus, so she's constructed her entire collection out of Budweiser labels. I kid, I kid.

In addition to the cupcake dress, she's made a few gowns, some shorts, jackets with an evening flair...

But Tim does not like the capelet she's made. He thinks it ages the long dress.

Tim's "The Thinker" pose is so hard to read.

But in this case, I think his viscera is definitely saying uh-oh. I like the dress, but capes can be a bit matronly.

Carol Hannah also shows Tim a silk tank embellished with the ropey details she used in the Getty challenge. Apparently she's finally made some pants to go with it.

"I swear, Tim, I really did make pants."

After the critique (Tim seemed mostly impressed), Carol Hannah announces that her family is in town and that they are going to treat Tim to a a traditional Southern meal. And in the South, everybody helps to cook said meal. Which means...

Tim in an apron! A floral apron! With a bow! Making biscuits! OMG cuteness overload.

(After Broadway produces my idea for a Western-inspired musical about Tim's life called Annie Get Your Gunn, I think he should do a cooking show called Project Popovers. Watch your back, Paula Deen!)

During dinner, Carol Hannah and her family reminisce, and we get to see l'il CH:

Those glasses! That vest! She's almost as awkward as I was.

Tim is clearly moved, because after dinner, Tim and Carol Hannah reenact the snow scene from Love Story.

Tim: Love means never having to say 'Make it work.'
Carol Hannah: You don't say that anymore.
Tim: Duhvsies, because I love you.

And then Tim bids our heroine adieu to travel to the far away land of Upper East Side and pay a visit to the villain Mean-a Irina.

"Oh, hi, Tim, come on in. I was just in the middle of stitching some voodoo dolls and securing a patent for sweaters!"

I think the editors are telling us something when one of the first things we see in Irina's apartment is her dog's ass.

(At least, I think that's the ass. Not very princess-like.)

Tim contemplates the collection, which is full of knits and furs, unsurprisingly. (If you look behind him you can see more of her sketches.) The inspiration is actually Coney Island, which we only really see in a screen-printed tee shirt depicting the boardwalk.

Irina has hand-knit the sweaters, and I do really like the patterns she's doing. There's a fur vest that Tim takes issue with ("It looks like a sisal rug!") but overall he's encouraging. Afterwards, Irina is upset that her review wasn't all positive.

Then it's off to dinner at Twenty One, the Shabayeva family's favorite restaurant (and a place the New York Times calls "imperturbable and impervious," much like Irina herself.) Ties are no longer required at lunch, but bitches are on the menu for dinner!

Tim's face is stretched into a grotesque mask of forced merriment.

That subtitle, by the way, is spoken by Irina's mother. Her parents are pretty cute. Spolier alert: her dad is Antonio Banderas! And judging from this photo, the Shabayevas emigrated to the US circa 1908:

Maybe they're vampires! Anyway, somehow Tim escapes, and before we know it he's on the road to Dayton, OH to see Althea.

To get to her apartment, Tim has to take a freight elevator and actually exclaims "Egads!" I love Tim.

"Oh my God, it's Ed McMahon!"

Althea says that she's happy he's here because she's been stuck in a bubble and needs an outside opinion. She tells Tim that her collection is inspired by sci-fi movie women. She's made pants, knits, and this long coat, which Tim isn't overly fond of:

We see a shot of this gown. I like the color, though the bodice is obviously unfinished. Tim's overall critique is that Althea shouldn't lose sight of who she is and that she needs to edit, edit edit.

They walk in the snow to Althea's parents' house...

...but it's not nearly as romantic as his snow frolic with Carol Hannah. It's for the best, since we find out Althea has a BF named Stuart.

I don't know what's happening in the above photo, but I love how blank Althea looks and how concerned/annoyed Tim looks. It's like he's thinking, "Just get the fucking words out, blondie!"

In her defense, Althea has been generally confused from a young age:

She's just distracted by bright lights.

The visits are over, but a few days later, we see Tim call Irina. "We have an issue," he says. Apparently the Coney Island images Irina was working with are trademarked and she can't use them. Irina is understandably freaked out. She says she's been busting her ass for a long time and now she has to redo the look. My husband Jeff does the Nelson laugh from The Simpsons, reveling in her misfortune.

Flash forward 10 days. Finally we're back in New York, where this show belongs. Althea is is the first to arrive at the Grand Hyatt. Then Irina arrives, and the meeting is awwwwwkward.

It reminds me of last Halloween when my friend Amy's daughter Erin went as Annie and had a run-in with another Annie in Greenpoint.

We thought there was going to be a rumble, but the promise of candy finally sent them on their separate ways.

Anyway, Althea interviews that she lost a bit of respect for Irina when she accused Althea of copying her droopy sweater. Irina asks "Is Carol here?" Althea says no, and they stare at their nails. Tumbleweeds blow by.

Althea tells us that she doesn't trust Irina any farther than she can throw her (TRY! TRY! How far can you throw her?! Sorry, I'm instigating) and is not letting her guard down. Irina admits that she distanced herself from the other designers but that she still likes them all.

Carol Hannah still hasn't arrived by nightfall and the others worry that something's happened. Right on cue, Tim knocks on the door to tell Althea and Irina that CH is sick and that it's contagious, so she couldn't make it on time. In other news, there's champagne in the room accompanied by a note from Heidi. Tim and the girls toast to fashion week, and Irina says that she feels bad for Carol Hannah while she laughs. Althea interviews that getting sick during the final challenge is the worst thing she can think of happening. Later, drunk, Irina tells Althea that they'll either end up best friends or worst enemies.

The next morning they settle into their new workroom digs:

Althea notes that blue is a calming color. She and Irina awkwardly start working. Seriously, this whole finale could have been one episode if they edited out all of the footage of Althea and Irina being awkward around each other. But finally the tension is broken by the arrival of Carol Hannah!

"Are we allowed to hug you?" Irina asks. "I wouldn't," Carol Hannah croaks. She does kind of look like death, and not even the warmed-over kind. More like freezer-burned death. Carol Hannah interviews that Althea and Irina were probably secretly pissed that she showed up.

Tim comes to check in on them. First up is Althea. Tim says that she's done a lot of work, but thinks a sparkly jacket looks matronly.

Is he calling Liza Minnelli a matron?

Tim thinks parts of Althea's collection are older-looking and parts are youthful, i.e. they don't look like they're for the same client. "This is borderline Hilary Clinton," he says of one jacket. Jeff translates this Tim-speak as "You should just kill yourself."

Next up is Carol H1N1-annah. Tim asks, "How are you feeling? Comme ci comme ca?" and Carol Hannah looks like she's going to vomit. Tim gives CH a critique similar to the one he gave Althea: that her collection is uneven and doesn't seem to be all for the same woman. They discuss a simple gold sheath--Carol Hannah contemplates getting rid of it but Tim thinks that among all of her more embellished pieces that simple is good. Althea interviews that she's not intimidated by Carol Hannah's work.

All of a sudden, Tim spots a giant cockroach!

Oh, nope, that's just Irina's collection. Why the stinkface, Tim?

He doesn't like the lack of color, first of all. Too much black. He doesn't seem impressed by the new silkscreened tee-shirts. He also doesn't like her leather pants, which he says look like chaps. Finally, Irina's big statement gown needs a lot of work.

Althea listens, relishing the smack-down. That dress she's working on looks kind of Malvin-esque--which is to say, egg-sling-y--right now but I think it will be pretty once it's finished.

Then there's a whole segment on model casting which is uneventful. No fighting or hair-pulling. Once it's over, Delia Deetz and Otho stop by for a tour!

Seriously, Nina, what is that jacket? It reminds me of Balenciaga's aboriginal football uniforms from a few seasons ago. Anyway, she and MK are here to sit and drop some knowledge on the final three.

MK tells them to pay attention to the order in which they send their looks down the runway. It should be like taking the audience on a ride, he says--"down, up, down, up." And I know he's referring to the energy of the looks, but suddenly my thoughts turn sexual and I have to go and burn my mind's eye out with lye. Nina says, rather pointedly (ahem, Irina) that they need to think about color, and getting editorial coverage. MK assures them that self-doubt is part of design process, and says that he tweaks and edits down to the last minute. The basic gist of the whole pow-wow is, "Don't suck." Got it, designers? Got it. Moving on.

Irina interviews that she disagrees with Nina about having an all-black collection. "Color doesn't fit in with what Ilm doing," she says. Is this Mean-a Irina's death knell? You can ignore Tim's advice honey, but you do not fuck with Nina Garcia, Fashion Director of ~~Elle~~ Marie Claire magazine. ("I wonder if next year it'll be even more down-market," Jeff says. "Like, Czech Cosmo.")

It's three days to the Bryant Park show, and Carol Hannah says she's tired and is running out of adrenaline. Althea is feeling super stressed about the fittings.

Tim comes in and tells the ladies that he's sending in their models, and wants to underscore that the most important thing they need to do is to decide which look their "muse" model will be wearing, as that look will be going in front of the judges during the final panel.

Irina outfits her model in an Aspen-y look...

While Althea tries a leather jacket on her model, who seems to think she has replaced a certain someone who is very close to my heart.

Do not take Bitchface's face in vain, girl!

Tim and Heidi come back with a surprise. They have to create a final look!

Um, duh. Have they never watched the show? This is about as surprising as Kors wearing a black turtleneck. To their credit, Althea, Irinia, and Carol Hannah don't pretend to be shocked. They just look tired and beaten down. Amen, girls. We are all with you on that. Heidi adds that their muse model will be casting a model to wear the 13th look. Right, because you have to give the Models of the Runway something to do this week. Can that show please die? I need to watch 30 minutes of models casting other models like I need another season of Breaking Bonaduce, okay?

A secondary surprise that is also not really a surprise seeing as it's happened every other season is that the finalists will have help in the form of...

Jordan Knight from NKOTB, Rosanna Arquette, and the eldest Hanson! The velvet bag will determine who gets to pick first.

Althea gets dibs and chooses Logan, and Carol Hannah makes a sad face. (P.S. I love how they've given so much screen time this season to a romance that is not even happening.) Irina is next and chooses Gordana. "Come to mama!" she cries. Carol Hannah gets Christopher, but it's OK because they're buddies.

Heidi peaces out and Tim escorts the designers to the REAL Mood, noting that "we're walking to Mood. We're using out feet. This is New York." Althea envisions some sort of jacket for her final look, while Carol Hannah feels she needs a "wow" gown. Gordana interviews that she wants to give Irina confidence. (Oh, I don't think she's missing that, G.)

Back at the workroom, CH immediately gets to work on her 13th look, which is something flowy and blue...

While Chris gets to work on a bedskirt. Typical.

We see bits and pieces of the other designers working, but not much because the real action is back at the hotel later on, where Carol Hannah retches into the toilet. "I want to crawl into a corner and die!" she says. And that, my friends, is where Finale Part One leaves off. Wanting to crawl into a corner, vomit, and die.

Next week it's all over, for reals. Althea and Irina keep fighting about copying each other! Carol Hannah cries in Christopher's arms! Heidi wears a hot pink suit! Tim says "This is crazy!" CAN YOU STAND IT? Lifetime's website has a countdown clock to the finale (as of this writing, 6 days, 8 hours, 27 minutes and 28 seconds) and I know they're trying to build suspense but at this point I feel like that clock is just mocking us: "It's not over yet, suckers!"

I'm going to go ahead and say Carol Hannah will win it all. She's gotten the best edit throughout the season, plus Tim had the best response to her collection and now she has an 11th hour obstacle to overcome. My official prediction: CH for the win, Irina second runner up, Althea the first one out. Thoughts?

I'll see you next week for the final farewell to Season 6. Thanks, from the bottom of my black little heart, for sticking with me and keeping me going!

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Maria Rodale: The Great Thanksgiving Countdown

2009-11-13T14:32:56Z

If you are not hosting everyone at your house, consider yourself lucky. You don't have to clean up the whole house, manage all the expectations, or think about whether or not everything can fit in your stove at the same time. I feel lucky this year because I am going to my brother and sister-in-laws' house for Thanksgiving. Although luck is a weather-dependent word--they live right outside of Buffalo, NY, and one Thanksgiving they had seven feet of snow! Can you imagine that? I can't.

I have done my fair share of hosting Thanksgiving dinners, so I'll share my tips with you--in order of priority.

1. Make a list and check it twice. Oh wait, that's the wrong holiday. But seriously, write up your menu and begin to think about how it will all work. Is there something for everyone, even the vegans? Are there enough nutritious goodness dishes and not just fatty happiness? Can you delegate certain items? I'm bringing pumpkin pie to my in-laws, not because there won't be enough pies (there will be too many), but because everyone really likes my pie, since I make the whole thing from scratch. Real scratch, none of that half-assed scratch.

2. Figure out where and when you are going to get your key ingredients. Can you find a local organic turkey? Do you need to go to a few different stores to get all your ingredients? If you schedule this stuff in advance (for instance, buying the nonperishables a week ahead of time), you won't find yourself running around like a turkey with its head cut off the day before Thanksgiving, only to find that there are no, absolutely no, breadcrumbs left in any store.

3. Think about your oven and stove and cooking options. This is the one that will get you every time. Do you have enough room in your stove to cook the turkey and the stuffing and the sweet potato casserole at the same time? What can you cook in advance? What can be cooked on the grill? What can be made on top of the stove to save oven space? These are all things worth thinking about in advance. Trust me.

4. Clean up the house. This is the least-fun part, but it must be done. No use doing it too soon or it will just get messed up again. Some husbands argue that a house doesn't need to be clean, but honestly, do you want to eat somewhere that has a dirty bathroom? No. A recent study I just read about found that people in a clean environment are actually more charitable and friendly than those in a dirty environment...and this is Thanksgiving, for land's sake.

5. So be thankful! Don't forget to enjoy the day and feel gratitude for whatever you do have. With so much unemployment and economic hardship in the world right now, things can feel pretty depressing. But whatever you do have, be thankful. With love, we are all rich.

For more from Maria Rodale, go to www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com.

Karen Robinovitz: So Close I can Almost Taste it!

2009-11-12T18:58:22Z

We were finally approaching a ship date! Of course, many a road bump slowed us down, and the stress level was nowhere near low yet. Do you see a recurring theme here?

But we were... so close... I could... ALMOST... taste it...

More purple love soon!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn: Wine for Thanksgiving: Match the Sides, Not the Bird

2009-11-12T17:52:09Z

Turkey, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie. No other meal has such a set menu. So what to serve?

When cooked properly, turkey can be flavorful and moist. When overcooked, as it often is, the dry meat is neutral and unexciting. So we moisten it with gravy and cranberry sauce and surround it with flavorful and sweet dishes to enliven it.

If the task of selecting the beverage to accompany the annual eat-in has fallen to you, remember the sweetness of the sides, the fact that you are buying for everyone, not just yourself, and the fact that the average American does not like wine that is very dry.

What is needed is something quenching to wash down overcooked white meat, something with a hint of sweetness so it will not taste bitter beside the side dishes, something tart enough to cut their sweetness, and something friendly that everybody will love.

Making a list of specific wines that I like will bring more frustration and satisfaction because so many wines are sold only in a handful of stores. So below are my recommendations for different types of wines. Ask your wine merchant for recommendations. They will rarely steer you wrong because they want you back.

German Riesling Kabinett. Riesling is a grape that makes light and fresh wine, and Kabinett is a grade of wine that is slightly sweet, but not too sweet. The Teutonic label can be confusing, so just look for the words Riesling and Kabinett. They can be floral and like a handful of fresh grapes. That's Schloss Vollrads, a first rate winery in Germany at right.

Austrian Riesling, New York Riesling, Washington State Riesling. Occasionally as good as the best German Rieslings, but the Austrians are good values, and the best New Yorkers can be shockingly good.

Alsace Riesling. Similar to German Riesling, but often a bit more complex from aging in wood barrels.

Alsace Pinot Blanc. Refreshing, with just a hint of sweetness.

Alsace Pinot Gris and Oregon Pinot Gris. Light and tart. Steer away from California Pinot Gris.

French Rhone whites, American Viognier, American Rousanne, American Marsanne. These are bigger wines, richer, complex, but rarely too sharp or harsh.

Rosés or other pink wines. These wines are very refreshing and delightful. Alas, most are too sweet. But if you can find a good one, it will go well with your meal.

If your guests are into wine and prefers them bone dry, and if your meal is more savory than sweet:

Sauvignon Blanc or Semillon. I love these wines, especially Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and white wines from Bordeaux.

Pinot Noir and French Burgundy. The best of these are expensive, but they can be lighter than Cabernet and Merlot, and more tart, making them great foils for rich savory foods.

Tell us in the comments below what you plan to drink on Thanksgiving, and where you go for wine buying advice.

Click here for some websites that are good sources of specific wine recommendations.

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Unless otherwise noted, all text and photos are Copyright (c) 2009 By Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn, and all rights are reserved. Links and recommendations are all products, services, and websites I truly admire, and are never paid endorsements. For more of my writing and recipes, please visit AmazingRibs.com. Click here for information on reprint rights.

James Jubak: Jimmy Choo and the New Frugality

2009-11-12T15:16:22Z

Jimmy Choo -- well, his iconic, Sex-in-the-City shoes anyway -- is now on the war-torn economic frontline. So is Stella McCartney. Anna Sui. And, of course, McDonald's.

The battle is over the New Frugality, the current marketing hot button as the United States gradually emerges from the Great Recession.

Is the New Frugality simply marketing fluff, a way to get consumers to feel good about spending themselves into debt again?

Or does it mark a real change in the zeitgeist? Will consumers start counting pennies and calculating value in a way that shifts the power of the brands that rule the global economy?

Companies from Procter & Gamble to Wal-Mart to Louis Vuitton desperately want to know.

The battle comes to an H&M near you on November 14. That's the day the Swedish retailer that has brought its "fashion-at-a-price" strategy to 34 countries launches a line of Jimmy Choo shoes, bags, and clothes. Thanks to the brilliance of H&M's supply chain, shoes from Carrie Bradshaw's favorite label will be a whole lot cheaper at H&M than at an upscale retailer such as Nordstrom. A pair of cheetah print sandalettes at H&M will sell for $129 at H&M versus $795 for the Blythe sandal at Nordstrom. The over-the-knee boots will go for about $300 versus $1500.

Now, H&M has collaborated with celebrity designers before Jimmy Choo. Karl Lagerfeld. Stella McCartney. Roberto Cavalli.

But now the Jimmy Choo collection is part of a trend that's rippled out to include such recent launches as Stella McCartney for Gap Kids and Anna Sui for Target.

The marketing and advertising industries -- and Wall Street -- have dubbed this trend "The New Frugality." Consumers are cutting back on aspirational luxury in favor of unstuffing their lives, according to one advertising study. We're seeing the birth of "reflective consumerism" says another.

The New Frugality even made it onto the cover of Time back on April 27, 2009. In the wake of the recession "we're stripping down and starting over," the magazine reported. Even when prosperity returns, Time found in a survey, 61% of consumers will spend less than they did before the Great Recession.

Makes sense doesn't it, whether you look at the top down numbers produced by economists or simply examine your own spending patterns? To reduce dept so it's close to the levels of the frugal past -- like 1990 -- U.S. households will need to pay down something like $4 trillion in debt. That's roughly one-quarter of the total annual economic activity in the United States. If your family is like most American families, you've been eating out less (sales of heat-at-home pizza are up), taking vacations close to home (or just turning them into "stay-cations") clipping grocery store coupons with a new fervor, and planning to turn your front lawn into a vegetable garden.

The big historical analogy argues in favor of a new frugality too. After all, the Great Depression changed the spending and saving habits of a generation. Shouldn't the Great Recession do the same?

The new frugality story certainly makes sense to companies like Procter & Gamble, which are repackaging and re-positioning products around the world to appeal to our new desire for value. An ad campaign for Dawn Ultra says, "Unlike some larger bottles of dish liquid that have more water, Dawn Ultra contains 30% more cleaning ingredients. So you pay for more power, not water."

Even Wal-Mart, which you'd think didn't need to do anything to hit the new frugality button right on the head, has repositioned its marketing. The company's new slogan "Save money. Live better" is a deliberate attempt to use the new frugality ethic to appeal to a whole segment of consumers who have never been Wal-Mart shoppers.

But I think the New Frugality paradigm misses two key points.

First, it takes a long, long, long time to change consumer attitudes. The Great Recession is, what, two years old? Sure it's been painful. But two years can't compare to the more than 10 years of the Great Depression.

Take a look at Japan to see how much punishment consumers can absorb before they begin to change their ways.

Japan suffered through the lost decade of the 1990s when the economy grew by just 1% a year on average. And Japanese consumers kept buying luxury goods.

Things have been even worse this decade. The Japanese economy has grown by just 0.2% a year.

And finally -- in just the last couple of years -- Japanese consumers have stopped buying luxury goods. Louis Vuitton owner LVMH Moet Hennessy held out until 2008 before scrapping a planned Ginza flagship store until 2008. Gianni Versace didn't announce that it was pulling out of Japan until this October. Hermes International reported in October that its sales for the three months that ended in September were down 0.9% in Japan. Gucci sales in Japan fell 30% in that quarter.

The Japanese experience argues that if the Great Recession yields to even the less-robust-than-normal recovery that economists are now predicting for 2010, the New Frugality will likely give way to the New Spending as Usual.

Second, the New Frugality is deeply, deeply insulting to the people who never spent like there was no tomorrow during the bubble years.

A Los Angeles Times story about the opening for the Stella McCartney line that pulled in Hollywood celebrities such as Liv Tyler and Jessica Capshaw drew scathing comments on the newspaper's blog. It's ridiculous to call a trendy military jacket for $128 "accessibly priced," one person complained. Another poster wrote "This clothing is ridiculously over-priced and I am glad my Midwestern sensibilities keep me from buying it."

For this part of the population, the New Frugality doesn't mean moving down from Jimmy Choo at $800 to Jimmy Choo at $129. It's going into McDonald's and checking to see what's on the dollar menu. McDonald's same store sales were up 3.3% in October, and just a few days before Jimmy Choo shoes and bags were set to go on sale at H&M the company announced that it was adding a dollar menu for breakfast to head off a slowdown in morning sales.

From the perspective of people in this part of the economy, the New Frugality looks a lot like the Old Frugality but tougher.

And one of the unrecognized ironies of the New Frugality model is that if the economy is bad enough for long enough to really change consumer behavior, the big growth is going to be in consumers who don't have the money to shop for Jimmy Choo and Stella McCartney at any price point.

The New Frugality, whether it's a real trend or just a Madison Avenue marketing slogan, is certainly going to leave us short of the kind of stories that my Depression-era parents told me. You know the kind. They begin "When I was your age..." and end with "We didn't have..." So far the New Frugality consists of convincing ourselves that we're saving money, the Republic, and civilization as we know it, by buying our Jimmy Choos at H&M instead of Nordstrom. Or, if you go by recent sales figures from soft drink companies, substituting Gatorade and other sports drinks for Pepsi and Coke.

Put that in your anecdote: "Yep, little Bobby, I remember when we were so poor we had to drink Gatorade."

Jim Jubak is founder and editor of the stock-picking and economic trend blog JubakPicks.com.

Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn: Two Dining Landmarks in Chicago: Last Call

2009-11-12T13:37:08Z

It's last call at two fine dining landmarks in downtown Chicago, the 90-year-old Don Roth's Blackhawk and the 32-year-old Nick's Fishmarket.

According to reports in Chicago newspapers, the Blackhawk, famous for warm hospitality, great service, steaks, seafood and its "spinning salad bowl," will close the downtown location at the end of the year, but will keep the northwest suburban location in Wheeling open. It has been at the same downtown location for 40 years.

Nick's Fishmarket has already shuttered its Loop locale, leaving its suburban Rosemont outpost to carry on the venerable name.

Both restaurants were upscale, old fashioned dining rooms popular with business diners, renowned for quality food, and polished professional servers.

Roth's Widow, Ann, said in a statement quoted in the Chicago Tribune "I come to this meeting ... with mixed emotions and heavy heart. It became crystal clear, that with my pushing 90 and with none of my children choosing to run the business, that 40 great years here were really quite enough for me."

In the Chicago Sun-Times, Nick's owner Lee Suckow said business was down 30% this year. The space, leased from Chase Bank, was too expensive and he could not negotiate a discount. "I don't see fine dining coming back until 2011," Suckow said.

One wonders if the prime locations will be filled by pizza parlors or sandwich shops.

Tell us about your memories of these two fading icons.

Craig "Meathead" Goldwyn publishes AmazingRibs.com.

Carolyn Rubenstein: Five Steps to an Organized (and Joyful) Holiday Season

2009-11-12T04:59:58Z

The holiday season has officially begun -- bringing with it a traditional mix of feelings that range from excitement to misery. When you think about the holidays, do you focus on the positive events that give the season its unique flavor or do you feel paralyzed by the innumerable things you need to do? I counted myself among that latter group until I met and began working with Aby Garvey, a professional organizer and co-owner of Simplify101.

Aby has shared her advice with individuals worldwide through her incredibly popular online organizing workshops - and even on Rachael Ray's popular website! I knew I had to ask her to share her tips with Huffington Post readers before the holiday season became -- well -- not as joyful as it should be.

Before I turn the post over to Aby, I am thrilled to share some exciting news! Aby and her Simplify101 co-owner and husband, Jay, have recently been nominated as finalists for the Best Organizing Website or Blog in the Los Angeles Organizing Awards. This event celebrates and honors the best of the organizing industry.

I'll try not to get too sappy by writing volumes about why I believe Aby deserves this award. Still, I must say that Aby is one of those rare individuals who radiates positivity in all that she does. She works feverishly to help others change their lives, including my own. I would be so grateful if you would vote for Simplify101 online (it takes less than a minute)! For instructions on how to vote, please check out this blog post.

Five Steps to an Organized (and Joyful) Holiday Season 
Aby Garvey  

The holiday season is an interesting time of year. First, there is an expectation that you will feel joyful. Just look at all of those happy people in the T.V. commercials and you'll see what I mean. Certainly there's nothing wrong with being happy during the holiday season. But this idea that, during the holidays, you should be happier than ever happens at the time of year when you're busier than ever. Your already mile-long to-do list gets inundated with a host of extra projects and tasks: send out holiday cards, buy gifts, wrap gifts, redecorate your home, make fancy meals, attend more social events this month than the rest of the year combined, and do it all with a smile on your face. Now, if being super busy makes you blissfully happy, then you're all set. But if you're already feeling stretched thin (and not feeling too joyful about it), then it's time to step back and use a few organizing strategies to make a new plan.   

Step 1: Know your priorities. Before the season arrives, have a little chat with yourself and your loved ones. What's most important to you this time of year? What are your priorities? For my family, spending time together is the number one priority. Everything else, while nice, pales in comparison to just being together. This means that when I'm tempted to overdo it on decorating (or any other holiday to-do), it's time to step back and simplify. Then, I can redirect the time I would have spent going overboard on decorating, gift wrapping, etc., back to just being together with my kids and husband.   

We also decide at the start of the season which activities are most important to do together. Each year the number one pick is cutting down a fresh tree. This means that even though it would be quicker and simpler to go to a local tree lot, the Christmas fresh-cut tree "hunt" is given top priority. I can simplify other tasks--perhaps taking store-bought appetizers to the progressive dinner instead of cooking from scratch--but other tasks and activities will be fit in around cutting down the tree.   

Step 2: Delete any task you can. If your schedule is already jam-packed with obligations and to-dos, now is the time to renegotiate your schedule with yourself and others. Take a look at your ongoing tasks and activities, and see what can be eliminated or deferred until after the holidays. For example, can you slow down on your committee work until January? Next, take a look at your holiday to-do list, and decide if anything can be removed. While talking to your family about what's most important to them, ask them which tasks and activities they aren't interested in doing anymore, or even just this year. Scratch those activities from your to-do list and smile, knowing you just created some breathing room.   

Step 3: Let go of perfection. The holidays bring with them the desire to do everything perfectly. Wouldn't you just love to have a perfectly decorated home, and to give the just-right gift to each person on your list? Of course you would, and I would, too. In and of itself, there's absolutely nothing wrong with this desire. The trouble is that to-do list of yours (and mine!). If your schedule is already full, it can be really tough to attempt a perfect holiday and still feel joyful. So, decide which activities are really important to go all out on (notice I didn't say "do perfectly") and then decide which tasks simply need to get done. Letting go of the desire for perfection will not only save you time, but you'll feel better, too. "Done" is better than "perfect," and easier, too.  

Step 4: Simplify or delegate tasks you don't enjoy. Not every task on your holiday to-do list is enjoyable. Some things you love to do, and others are an energy drain. If you don't enjoy doing a task, look for ways to simplify it, if it's not possible to delete it from your list entirely. For example, I don't enjoy the process of sending holiday cards. I love the idea of sending holiday wishes to friends and loved ones, but the act of taking the holiday card photo, printing the photo, filling out the cards, addressing and stamping the envelopes, and so on, makes me feel quite Grinch-like.

When you encounter a Grinch-inducing must-do task on your holiday to-do list, look for ways to simplify the task, if you simply cannot cross it off your list. One great way to simplify a task is to ask loved ones to pitch in. Get your kids in on the holiday card project by having them stamp the envelopes and lick them shut. Or, if you don't enjoy cooking, recognize that this isn't going to change simply because it's the holiday season! Instead, opt for super-simple dishes or store-bought items, and invest your time and energy in the holiday tasks you love to do.   

Step 5: Keep your eye on the prize. The prize isn't January, by the way. The true prize is simply creating enough space so that you can be able to truly enjoy the time between now and January. Change the rules so that this time of year works for you. And continually monitor how you're feeling. If you're feeling good, you're on the right path. If you're feeling stressed and harried, step back and reevaluate. At the end of the day, the real prize (and my wish for you) is a joyful holiday season.  

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Note from Carolyn: The opinions expressed in this post (and all of my posts) are my own. I will never accept any payment for my personal endorsement.

With that said, remember to cast your vote!

Barbara Ficarra: Superfoods to Help Kick-Start a Declining Libido in Men

2009-11-12T01:31:26Z

In my travels, I've been asked about foods that can help enhance sexual health and improve sexual performance. While I can name foods that are high in antioxidants, loaded with healthy omega-threes and filled with calcium, potassium and vitamin D, I really wasn't sure which foods are good for better sex.

So I asked John La Puma, MD (ChefMD) to suggest some foods that can help set the stage for a happier, healthier love life. In fact, to help stimulate sexual health, Dr. La Puma is a fan of foods commonly associated with the Mediterranean diet...in fact, the whole Mediterranean Diet.

Recognized for its ability to help improve heart health, the Mediterranean Diet also can help kick-start a flagging libido.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

Truthfully, there is no one "Mediterranean" diet; at least 16 countries border the Mediterranean sea. Diets between these countries vary due to differences in culture, ethnic background, religion, economy and agricultural production. But the common Mediterranean dietary pattern consists of these five characteristics: (source: American Heart Association)

A high consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole-grain breads and cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds

Olive oil as a key source of monounsaturated fat (monounsaturated fat doesn't raise blood cholesterol levels the way saturated fat does)

Dairy products, fish and poultry in low to moderate amounts; little red meat is eaten

Eggs consumed zero to four times a week

Wine in low to moderate amounts

While studies show that the Mediterranean Diet can help overcome erectile dysfunction (ED), or impotence in men with metabolic syndrome, the Mediterranean Diet is a healthful diet for men with and without metabolic syndrome, and with or without sexual dysfunction.

According to the CDC, about 34% of U. S. men have metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that put you at risk for heart disease and diabetes. These conditions according to the National Institutes of Health are:

High blood pressure

High blood sugar levels

High levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood

Low levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, in your blood

Too much fat around your waist

What does the Mediterranean diet do for sex?

For men with metabolic syndrome, about one-third of all U.S. men, the diet helps to overcome erectile dysfunction (ED), or impotence.

In fact, studies show that one-third of these men with ED cure their problem after following a Mediterranean-style diet, combined with exercise, for two years. Over 100 million men have ED worldwide.

No one knows with certainty how the Mediterranean Diet works, says Dr. La Puma, but because it reduces whole body inflammation and CRP (C-reactive protein) measurements, and improves endothelial (arterial lining) function, researchers think the Diet improves blood flow.

Belly fat, a big part of the metabolic syndrome, lowers testosterone levels. Losing that fat might improve androgen levels and improve the elasticity of blood vessels. By choosing foods on the Mediterranean Diet, it's possible to have better erections. "Less inflammation, better flow, better hormone levels, better erections," says Dr. La Puma.

What is it about Mediterranean diet foods that make them so powerful?

Beans, legumes and seeds, especially kidney beans, peanuts and sunflower seeds are rich in arginine. This amino acid allows blood vessels to dilate (widen) and increase blood flow to the sexual organs.

Walnuts

You might also consider eating walnuts to help enhance sexual performance (not drive), especially after consuming a fatty meal. Walnuts can protect the arteries from constricting and responding abnormally to exercise and exertion. "Dosage: Take 8 walnuts with your meal, 4 hours before sex, " says Dr. La Puma.

To spice up your love life, ChefMD recommends the following Mediterranean Diet recipe:

Spaghetti Frittata with Toasty Walnuts and Cheese

Karen Robinovitz: Calling in the Troops!

2009-11-11T23:23:29Z

After almost two years of insanity, we finally did it! Huge Lips Skinny Hips by Purple Lab - my babies, thousands of them - were ready to ship! (I actually heard Barry Manilow's "Looks like we made it" buzzing in my head all day!). When you send to stores, there's a ridiculous manifesto to stick to or you'll get a million charge-backs.

It takes a few days for it to go from their distribution center to each and every store (they divide up and send as they deem appropriate, based on how they feel each store will respond to different shades, etc.). But with dotcom, it's easier - one distribution center, one day later online. We're at b-glowing.com, an up-and-coming must-have destination for all things beauty (WWD has covered it and put it on the hot list.)

We were so close we could taste it - but believe me, the stress and ulcers were not even close to healing.

Between shipping, trying to raise money, investor meetings, setting up dates to go to all stores to train the staff, handling our point of sales displays with care (I sat on one and broke it), getting some kind of website up and running... it was time for reinforcement.

See what I did. Ugh. Just throw away $100 why don't I?

This is when Todd came in as the full-time CEO, COO, CMO (Chief Muscle Officer) and we went from husband and wife to full-on working together day-in-and-day-out partners.

Below, a vlog about the journey at this point. Lights, Camera, Pucker!

More purple love coming soon!

Mwah!

Karen

Purple Lab Creatrix

Michelle Madhok: Learn From Braless Starlets' Missteps - These Bras Could Have Saved Them

2009-11-11T21:29:19Z

Seeing a braless celebrity is a little like spotting a shooting star -- it happens more often than you'd think. From Kate Moss to Britney, the minor epidemic spans across celebs of all ages. Luckily, there are lessons in all this.

Below, some of our favorite (unfortunately braless) starlets and the best bras they can opt for to save themselves from ending up on our list again. See the full slide show on SheFinds.

We're not sure why Kate Moss left her camisole at home; those boxes don't hide much. NuBra's Feather Light Adhesive Bra would have provided Kate with nip-slip insurance and a bit of support while still -- against all odds -- remaining invisible.

While we can't help Britney with her crying kid, we can advise her that a one-shouldered top does not preclude the wearing of a bra. What Brit-Brit needs is a seamless, convertible option, like Aerie's Abigail Pushup Bra, which is a convertible, versatile garment (wear it strapless, one-shouldered, racer-backed, etc.).

We're pretty impressed that not only can Katie Holmes run a marathon, she can do it braless. Really, that's amazing. But probably kind of uncomfortable. We'd encourage Katie to give Road Runner Sport's fitness bra a spin. It's made from moisture-wicking fabric, and it's long enough to serve as a tank, too.