I’m addicted to dinosaur kale. I’ve had three full bunches in the last four days and am now unclear on how it’s possible to divide a bunch of kale between more than one person. When I’m cooking for more than one (which, let’s be honest, isn’t going to happen because Elliott’s going to cook for me), I’m going to have to purchase something like ten bunches a week.

I suppose there are far worse things to be addicted to. But there are downsides to it: you lose all ability to think of recipes that don’t involve kale, because it’s just so easy. My favorites include kale chips (obvs), M Cafe de Chaya-inspired spicy peanut kale, toasted kale and coconut salad, and a simple saute with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and salt.

Any others I should know about? May as well just feed the beast.

Spicy Peanut Kale
Adapted from Diana, who was inspired by M Cafe de Chaya

I don’t use measuring spoons when making this recipe, just a regular kitchen spoon. All measurements below are based on that.

One bunch of dinosaur kale, stems removed and chopped into strips

2 spoonfuls of peanut butter
3 spoonfuls of rice vinegar
1 spoonful of toasted sesame oil
1 spoonful of soy sauce
1 spoonful of agave or maple syrup
1 good dose of cayenne pepper (probably the equivalent of a heaping 1/8 teaspoon)

1/4 small red onion, cut thinly into crescents
1 small handful of chopped peanuts

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove water from heat and add the chopped kale. Stir for about 20 seconds, and the drain. Mix the peanut butter, rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, agave, and cayenne pepper until combined. Douse the kale with this sauce and stir so that it’s evenly coated. Add the sliced onion and chopped peanuts. Serve cold or hot. Makes one very large serving or two sides.

I stopped in for the second time tonight and left with this incredibly flattering Gretchen Jones skirt.

If you live in LA, head over now because everything in the store is an additional 20% off to celebrate two months of being open. If you don’t live in LA, start crossing your fingers that an online shop will be in the works in the future.

I’ve had short hair for the better part of the last five years. But I’ve been attempting to grow it out to have the option of doing something with it for the wedding. Not anything elaborate, just something off my neck. The problem with growing out your hair is that it feels like you stay in that awkward just-hitting-the-shoulder phase FOREVER. And this awkward phase makes giving up and chopping it all off very tempting. Seeing Ashlee Simpson’s SAG hair tonight didn’t help either. If I knew it could look exactly like that, I’d abandon long hair ambitions immediately.

To stay the course or succumb to shortness?

This place has been dormant since Thanksgiving. Sometimes I wonder how I used to manage to post every weekday. But I’ve been feeling a dearth of creativity in my life lately, so I’m resolving to bring this thing back to life. After all, dedicating all of one’s non-working, non-sleeping hours to wedding planning isn’t exactly healthy.

Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got right now while I try to ramp back up. The save the dates went out this weekend. And you know what that means, right? The list (ohhhhh, the list) is tentatively, almost, maybe final. If I could create myself a custom, wedding-themed dart board – or punching bag, for that matter – it would simply say, “THE LIST.” But now that that’s over, it’s all smooth sailing from here on out, right?

But yes, the save the dates. They were designed by my good friend, Michelle, and I love how they turned out. She was able to take the vision of the Columbia Gorge (where we’ll be married) straight out of my head and put it on paper. Can’t wait to work with her on our invitations, too.

It’s awards show season!
On the Table Set we have been discussing how to gussy up your next plain ol’ TV party into something to remember. This honey-kissed sparkling punch that I created for Homefries U would make a classy sipper for an Oscar party, or an upscale afternoon with Oscar the Grouch.

Gilded Cava Punch

1 pint Krupnik Honey Liqueur
1 cup Dolin Blanc Vermouth
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup rich simple syrup*
4 bottles Cava Brut
1 liter club soda
Fee Brothers Plum Bitters

In a pitcher, combine honey liqueur, vermouth, lemon juice, rich simple syrup and 10 dashes of bitters, cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. To serve, pour the mixture over a large block of ice in a punch bowl and slowly add chilled Cava and club soda. Garnish with lemon wheels.
Serve in wine goblets.

*Rich Simple Syrup

1 cup demerara sugar
1/2 cup water

Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until a rich syrup develops. Remove from heat, cool, and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

This place has been dormant since Thanksgiving. Sometimes I wonder how I used to manage to post every weekday. But I’ve been feeling a dearth of creativity in my life lately, so I’m resolving to bring this thing back to life. After all, dedicating all of one’s non-working, non-sleeping hours to wedding planning isn’t exactly healthy.

Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got right now while I try to ramp back up. The save the dates went out this weekend. And you know what that means, right? The list (ohhhhh, the list) is tentatively, almost, maybe final. If I could create myself a custom, wedding-themed dart board – or punching bag, for that matter – it would simply say, “THE LIST.” But now that that’s over, it’s all smooth sailing from here on out, right?

But yes, the save the dates. They were designed by my good friend, Michelle, and I love how they turned out. She was able to take the vision of the Columbia Gorge (where we’ll be married) straight out of my head and put it on paper. Can’t wait to work with her on our invitations, too.

This place has been dormant since Thanksgiving. Sometimes I wonder how I used to manage to post every weekday. But I’ve been feeling a dearth of creativity in my life lately, so I’m resolving to bring this thing back to life. After all, dedicating all of one’s non-working, non-sleeping hours to wedding planning isn’t exactly healthy.

Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got right now while I try to ramp back up. The save the dates went out this weekend. And you know what that means, right? The list (ohhhhh, the list) is tentatively, almost, maybe final. If I could create myself a custom, wedding-themed dart board – or punching bag, for that matter – it would simply say, “THE LIST.” But now that that’s over, it’s all smooth sailing from here on out, right?

But yes, the save the dates. They were designed by my good friend, Michelle, and I love how they turned out. She was able to take the vision of the Columbia Gorge (where we’ll be married) straight out of my head and put it on paper. Can’t wait to work with her on our invitations, too.

This place has been dormant since Thanksgiving. Sometimes I wonder how I used to manage to post every weekday. But I’ve been feeling a dearth of creativity in my life lately, so I’m resolving to bring this thing back to life. After all, dedicating all of one’s non-working, non-sleeping hours to wedding planning isn’t exactly healthy.

Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got right now while I try to ramp back up. The save the dates went out this weekend. And you know what that means, right? The list (ohhhhh, the list) is tentatively, almost, maybe final. If I could create myself a custom, wedding-themed dart board – or punching bag, for that matter – it would simply say, “THE LIST.” But now that that’s over, it’s all smooth sailing from here on out, right?

But yes, the save the dates. They were designed by my good friend, Michelle, and I love how they turned out. She was able to take the vision of the Columbia Gorge (where we’ll be married) straight out of my head and put it on paper. Can’t wait to work with her on our invitations, too.

This place has been dormant since Thanksgiving. Sometimes I wonder how I used to manage to post every weekday. But I’ve been feeling a dearth of creativity in my life lately, so I’m resolving to bring this thing back to life. After all, dedicating all of one’s non-working, non-sleeping hours to wedding planning isn’t exactly healthy.

Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got right now while I try to ramp back up. The save the dates went out this weekend. And you know what that means, right? The list (ohhhhh, the list) is tentatively, almost, maybe final. If I could create myself a custom, wedding-themed dart board – or punching bag, for that matter – it would simply say, “THE LIST.” But now that that’s over, it’s all smooth sailing from here on out, right?

But yes, the save the dates. They were designed by my good friend, Michelle, and I love how they turned out. She was able to take the vision of the Columbia Gorge (where we’ll be married) straight out of my head and put it on paper. Can’t wait to work with her on our invitations, too.

This place has been dormant since Thanksgiving. Sometimes I wonder how I used to manage to post every weekday. But I’ve been feeling a dearth of creativity in my life lately, so I’m resolving to bring this thing back to life. After all, dedicating all of one’s non-working, non-sleeping hours to wedding planning isn’t exactly healthy.

Unfortunately, that’s all I’ve got right now while I try to ramp back up. The save the dates went out this weekend. And you know what that means, right? The list (ohhhhh, the list) is tentatively, almost, maybe final. If I could create myself a custom, wedding-themed dart board – or punching bag, for that matter – it would simply say, “THE LIST.” But now that that’s over, it’s all smooth sailing from here on out, right?

But yes, the save the dates. They were designed by my good friend, Michelle, and I love how they turned out. She was able to take the vision of the Columbia Gorge (where we’ll be married) straight out of my head and put it on paper. Can’t wait to work with her on our invitations, too.