Month: March 2015

Categories
Fashion

The Red Carpet Shoe You Can Wear Too

One shoe has been a staple on red carpets for a while now: the stiletto by Stuart Weitzman called the Nudist ($398). The simple look has two tiny straps–one by the toes and one at the ankle–a four-and-a-half-inch heel, and is beloved by a bevy of celebs.

Luca Teuchmann/Getty Images

You may have seen Jennifer Lawrence rocking it…

Luca Teuchmann/Getty Images

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Or Solange…

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Or Taylor Schilling…

Jason Merritt/Getty Images

The good news: The brand released the NudistSong ($398), which is the same basic design as the original but with a three-and-a-quarter-inch heel. The lower heel means that we’re that much more steady on our feet but still get the leg-lengthening effect of sky-high heels. It’s a worthy investment, if you ask us.

Categories
Food

11 Of Your Favorite Kid Foods,

Let’s be honest: No matter your age, you’re never above a gooey grilled-cheese sandwich or piping-hot bowl of mac and cheese. Here are 11 grown-up versions of your favorite childhood classics, so you can eat like a kid without compromising the air of adulthood.

Gnocchi Mac And Cheese

http://www.purewow.com/recipes/Gnocchi-Mac-and-Cheese

The only thing better than boxed mac and cheese? These pillows of pasta coated in cheesy, gooey goodness. Trust us.

Crispy Green Beans

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/9304/Cheesy-oven-baked-green-bean-fries.htm

You’re an adult, so you can’t eat French fries all the time. But you can indulge in these crispy, cheesy baked green bean “fries” for the same satisfying crunch.

Homemade English Muffins

http://www.purewow.com/recipes/English-Muffins

You used to eat English muffins while you waited for the bus to middle school. Now you can bake these buttery, doughy breakfast treats at home.

Roasted Mushroom Melts

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/12143/Cheesy-mushroom-sandwiches.htm

These sandwiches come with all the same delicious, comforting flavors of old fashioned grilled cheese. But at least you’re eating your veggies.

Skillet Pizza

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/11316/Meet-the-skillet-pizza.htm

If frozen pizza was a treat you enjoyed as a child, this homemade pizza, baked to perfection in a cast-iron skillet, might rock your world.

Marscapone Pudding

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/11914/Pudding-grows-up.htm

Remember those pudding cups that jazzed up your lunch box? This homemade mascarpone-cheese pudding is the real deal.

Swanky Blt

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/10834/The-BLT-sandwich-grows-up.htm

We bring you the BLT 2.0: Pancetta, escarole and balsamic-roasted tomatoes layered between sourdough bread.

Frosty Mocha Milkshakes

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/10815/Frosty-mocha-milk-shakes.htm

Even though you’re a lady with table manners, this chocolate mocha shake is OK to slurp.

Tater Tot Nachos

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/9512/Potatoes-are-the-new-tortilla-chips.htm

Substitute Tater Tots for tortilla chips, douse them in cheese and sour cream, and you will never see nachos the same way again.

Breakfast Pastries

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/9434/Breakfast-pastries-that-make-us-go-Awww–.htm

Flaky dough filled with jam and drenched in sweet icing–these adorable breakfast pastries are definitely not your average Pop-Tarts.

Fancy Baked Potatoes

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/9349/Baked-potatoes-get-fancy.htm

Baked potatoes are good. Baked potatoes dressed in creamy mushroom sauce, spicy brussels sprouts or balsamic caramelized onions are better.

Categories
Recipes

Blueberry-Ginger Smoothie

Blueberry-ginger Smoothie
Erin McDowell
1 smoothie
15 min
15 min
15 min
Erin McDowell

Smoothies, we will never tire of you. Currently, we’re all about this dreamy, creamy blueberry-ginger smoothie recipe. It’s sweet, tangy and ever-so-slightly spicy.

Related: Green Smoothie with Avocado and Apple

244 calories

5g fat

46g carbs

6g protein

38g sugars

 

½ cup coconut milk yogurt

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Pinch of cinnamon

⅓ cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon honey or agave

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add additional coconut milk until the desired texture is achieved. 

Note: You can use fresh blueberries, but add ½ cup ice into the blender to keep the texture.

Categories
Travel

How to Travel to England Without Leaving Your Couch

Sigh. If only traveling weren’t so expensive. But have no fear, ye of wanderlust. This list of eight books will take you places even British Airways can’t. Explore the past, present and future of England, all while sitting on your sofa.

“atonement” By Ian Mcewan

http://www.amazon.com/Atonement-Novel-Ian-McEwan/dp/038572179X/

Two words: green dress. Two more: English countryside. Ian McEwan masterfully spins a story of romance and desperate redemption during wartime England.

“rebecca” By Daphne Du Maurier

http://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Daphne-Du-Maurier/dp/0380730405/

Few books are as defined by their setting as this one. Manderley is a dark Gothic estate in 1930’s Cornwall with one too many rooms that are off-limits. Giant blood-red rhododendrons and the perilous shores of Cornwall set the scene in this creepy tale of a young woman battling the memory of her husband’s first wife: Rebecca.

“84 Charing Cross Road” By Helene Hanff

20 years of letters between a Manhattan book collector and the buyer for a rare bookshop in London. Talk of post-WWII food shortages, notes on Elizabeth II’s coronation and recipes for Yorkshire pudding abound.

“high Fidelity” By Nick Hornby

http://www.amazon.com/High-Fidelity-Nick-Hornby/dp/1573225517

The soundtrack of London in the 1990s. Sans Spice Girls.

“the Pillars Of The Earth” By Ken Follett

http://www.amazon.com/Pillars-Earth-Ken-Follett/dp/045123281X

An epic in every sense of the word (this sucker weighs in at just over 800 pages), The Pillars of the Earth takes place across decades of 1100s England. Haven’t you always wondered how those cathedrals got built, anyway?

“haweswater” By Sarah Hall

http://www.amazon.com/Haweswater-A-Novel-Sarah-Hall/dp/0060817259

Haweswater takes place in 1936 in the idyllic Lake District of England. It tells the story of a small, extremely conservative, town faced with a modern Manchester man whose assignment is to build a great reservoir: Haweswater.  His intense affair with a devout local woman ushers in fear, doubt, and the inevitability of change in this tragic novel that will have you blubbering in no time.

“falling Angels” By Tracy Chevalier

http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Angels-Novel-Tracy-Chevalier/dp/0452283205

Following the death of Queen Victoria, two young girls meet and become friends. Experience turn-of -the-century (and all it’s change, loss and regret) through their eyes. 

“to Say Nothing Of The Dog” By Connie Willis

http://www.amazon.com/Say-Nothing-Dog-Connie-Willis/dp/0553575384

The place is Oxford. The year is 2057. A time machine exists, but due to strict time-continuum laws, it was a commercial flop. Now its primary use is for historical research, and a determined woman has roped an Oxford historian into using the machine for her own means.

Categories
Home

10 Gorgeous Celebrity Vacation Homes

Celebrities spare no expense when it comes to their homes. And that goes for their vacation homes, too. Case in point: These ten stunning houses, which offer their famous owners a little R&R.

Aerin Lauder

Vogue

The cosmetics heiress/businesswoman just might have the chicest chalet in Aspen. We know, shocking.

Vogue

Ralph Lauren

Architectural Digest
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2007/ralph-lauren-jamaica-home-slideshow/jcr:content/par/cn_contentwell/par-main/cn_pagination_container/cn_slideshow/item4.rendition.slideshowHorizontal.hosl05_lauren.jpg

The view from the designer’s soothing oasis of a living room in Jamaica will do.

Architectural Digest
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/celebrity-homes/2007/ralph-lauren-jamaica-home-slideshow/jcr:content/par/cn_contentwell/par-main/cn_pagination_container/cn_slideshow/item4.rendition.slideshowHorizontal.hosl05_lauren.jpg

Sarah Jessica Parker

Elle Decor
http://edc.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/05/54c90ec983386_-_sarah-jessica-parker-home-ed1005-03.jpg

We’re decompressing just looking at the actress’s easy-breezy Bridgehampton porch.

Elle Decor
http://edc.h-cdn.co/assets/cm/15/05/54c90ec983386_-_sarah-jessica-parker-home-ed1005-03.jpg

India Hicks

Domaine Home

The former model’s colorful, modern abode on the Bahamas’ Windermere Island makes the ultimate respite.

Domaine Home

Gwenyth Paltrow

House & Garden

Goop’s polished but relaxed Hamptons property is exactly what we’d expect of the budding domestic goddess.

House & Garden

Josie Maran

Lonny
http://www3.pictures.lonny.com/mp/7yjuyzZhE6jx.jpg

The model’s laid-back Pennsylvania farmhouse looks like the perfect place to unwind and get away from it all.

Lonny
http://www3.pictures.lonny.com/mp/7yjuyzZhE6jx.jpg

John Mellencamp

Architectural Digest

Who knew the musician had such flawless taste in decor (as evidenced by his Daufuskie Island retreat)?

Architectural Digest

Cindy Crawford And George Clooney

Architectural Digest

We can’t get over this amazing Baja peninsula compound co-owned by the pair of friends.

Architectural Digest

Martha Stewart

Curbed

“Skylands” is the name of lifestyle guru’s 35,000 square-foot “rustic” stone mansion in Maine.

Curbed

Oprah

O, The Oprah Magazine
http://static.oprah.com/images/presents/oathome/200605/tours/tours_101_600x411.jpg

We’re swooning over O’s quaint-meets-luxe country farmhouse in the hills of Mount Haleakala, Hawaii.

O, The Oprah Magazine
http://static.oprah.com/images/presents/oathome/200605/tours/tours_101_600x411.jpg
Categories
Recipes

English Muffins

English Muffins
Erin McDowell
6 muffins
1 hr 50 min
1 hr 50 min
2 hr 30 min
Erin McDowell

Every once in a while, we get the urge to make something at home that we always buy at the store. Today’s challenge: English muffins. And truthfully, it’s not really a challenge at all. Our recipe calls for just a few ingredients and a little patience (the dough does have to rise a bit). These bread rounds make for a filling breakfast, hearty snack or satisfying replacement for sandwich bread.

Related: No-Bake Gluten-Free Breakfast Cookie for One

288 calories

5g fat

51g carbs

9g protein

1g sugars

3 cups bread flour

1½ teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons instant dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1¼ cups warm water (90°F to 95°F)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Cornmeal, for finishing

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the hook attachment, mix the flour with the salt, yeast and sugar to combine. Add the water and butter, and mix on low speed until the mixture forms a ball around the hook, 3 minutes.

2. Increase the speed to medium and continue to mix for 3 minutes more. Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 hour.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll or pat out to ¾-inch thickness. Cut six 3-inch circles from the dough.

4. Sprinkle the cornmeal on a baking sheet and transfer the English muffins to the tray. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until slightly puffy, 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the muffins in batches and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side.

7. Transfer the muffins to the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Note: The English muffins can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to a week. They are great toasted.

Categories
Food

7 Reasons to Eat Your Peas

Hit play on this little ditty, then scroll through our list to find out which pea-centric dish you’ll be making for dinner tonight.

One-pot Pasta With Vegetables

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/9792/One-pot-pasta-with-vegetables.htm

Said vegetables include fresh peas and marinated artichokes, and the “sauce” is just a combo of grated cheese and lemon juice.

Spring Chopped Salad With Mustard Vinaigrette

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/5891/An-L-A-take-on-a-classic-chopped.htm

This vegetarian-friendly dish let’s snap peas shine.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/12105/Loaded-chicken-tortilla-soup.htm

This soup has the basics–chicken, black beans, jalapeno–plus just the right amount of peas.

Homestyle Rice And Beans

http://www.purewow.com/recipes/Homestyle-Rice-and-Beans

A few veggies mixed into the rice goes a long way.

Vegetable Pot Pies

http://www.purewow.com/entry_detail/recipe/12207/Veggie-filled-potpies.htm

What’s a pot pie without some peas–seriously?

Chinese Fried Rice

http://www.food.com/recipe/chinese-fried-rice-38748?oc=PureWow

This dish tastes like take-out and is ready is just about the same amount of time.

Spring Peas With Mint

This side is the epitome of fast, easy and fresh.

Categories
Recipes

Asparagus Flatbread

Asparagus Flatbread
Erin McDowell
4 servings
30 min
30 min
1 hr
Erin McDowell

Attention: Asparagus is now in season. (The crowd cheers!) To make the most of this spring vegetable, we use it as a topping in our flatbread recipe. It calls for a few simple ingredients baked on top of store-bought pizza dough. It doesn’t get much easier–or tastier–than that.

404 calories

19g fat

47g carbs

12g protein

2g sugars

4 tablespoons olive oil

12 ounces store-bought pizza dough (or to make your own, see Finishing Touches below)

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed

1 lemon, juiced and zested

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Grease a baking sheet with 2 tablespoons olive oil. 

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pizza dough into a ½-inch-thick rectangle. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet.

3. In a large bowl, toss the asparagus with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper. Arrange the asparagus on the dough and top with Parmesan.

4. Bake the flatbread until the crust is golden and crisp and the asparagus is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool briefly before serving, or cool completely and serve at room temperature.

Categories
Entertainment

New to Netflix: April 2015

If April brings showers, then that’s all the more reason to curl up with a good laptop and stream one of these movies or shows. Also of note are a few gems leaving the service this month. Pour one out for Miss Hannigan. (Carol Burnett’s version, obviously.)

“they Came Together”

The always delightful Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler team up in this parody of romantic comedies (available April 16). Bonus points for a supporting cast that includes Max Greenfield, Bill Hader and one Detective Elliot Stabler (er, Christopher Meloni). 

“hot Fuzz”

Another parody, this time a send-up of the archetypal action flick, Hot Fuzz (available April 16) follows a pair of unintentionally hilarious British policemen as they struggle to solve a string of mysterious deaths. Also of note: an uncredited, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Cate Blanchett cameo. 

“national Treasure”

Join Nicolas Cage (available April 27) on his epic journey to–cue Andy Samberg voice–steal the Declaration of Independence?.

“leprechaun 3,” “leprechaun 4” And “leprechaun 6”

Sometimes you’re in the mood for a so-bad-it’s-good horror movie. For those times, may we recommend the third, fourth and sixth installments of the Leprechaun franchise? They’re all available April 1–talk about luck!

“sons Of Anarchy” Season 7

Bid adieu to the badasses of Charming by watching the seventh and final season of the series (available April 25) that made you fall in love with Charlie Hunnam–and debate how bad it would actually be to join a motorcycle gang. 

Last Call: “gentlemen Prefer Blondes”

Marilyn Monroe. Jane Russell. That pink dress. Need we say more? (Ends April 1)

Last Call: “annie”

Watch this classic and forget the Jamie Foxx-Cameron Diaz remake ever happened. (Ends April 1)

Last Call: “madeline”

See Frances McDormand as Miss Clavel, a nun who makes French orphanhood look not totally unbearable. (Ends April 1)

Categories
Recipes

Spicy Couscous with Yogurt

Spicy Couscous With Yogurt
Erin McDowell
4 servings
25 min
25 min
45 min
Erin McDowell

Let’s talk about couscous. These fast-cooking pearls are a worthy side dish on their own. However, it should come as no surprise that we like to dress them up a bit. In this recipe we toss whole-wheat couscous with a simple, spicy vinaigrette, and then add almonds for crunch, mint for freshness and a dollop of yogurt for creamy coolness. Our tip: Pair the couscous with whole roasted carrots and you’ll be singing its praises for days.

572 calories

38g fat

45g carbs

15g protein

5g sugars

Pinch of saffron

1 cup whole-wheat couscous

2 tablespoons harissa

¼ cup red-wine vinegar

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup almonds, chopped

1 cup yogurt

4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Pinch of Aleppo pepper

1. In a medium pot, bring 1¼ cups water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the saffron and the couscous, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the couscous absorbs all the water, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the harissa with the vinegar to combine. Gradually add the oil, whisking constantly to combine. Season with salt.

3. Toss the warm couscous with the harissa vinaigrette to coat. Add the almonds and toss to combine.

4. To serve, divide the couscous among plates, then top each with ¼ cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon mint and a pinch of Aleppo pepper.