Kristin van Ogtrop's Blog, page 380

What's Your Food-Related New Year's Resolution?

Every year, I make at least a couple of New Year's resolutions. I always try to keep them fun, though (one annual resolution is to "take a big trip to somewhere I've never been before!" which actually didn't happen in 2010). And there's always at least one food-related one. Like pretty much every resolution out there, these get broken, too (the "try a new restaurant every week" one didn't last very long). But no matter—it's always nice to start off the year with good intentions, right? Here are my food-related goals for 2011: some general, some specific; some feasible, some not so much.

 

 

1. Do more baking. When I was younger, I used to bake somewhat regularly—banana bread, cookies, cupcakes, and the like. For some reason in the past few years, I've practically stopped baking altogether (I think because I was focusing more on cooking; also, my sweet tooth has diminished as I've gotten older). I was inspired this holiday to bake a couple things (see photo above of my Chewy Spice Cookies and Raspberry-Walnut Crumble Bars, take two), and I discovered that I missed it. I really do love baking—the delicious aromas, the anticipation as you wait for something slowly taking shape in the oven, the moment when you grab the pan out of the oven and see the final product: the transformation of raw, unformed dough into something warm, comforting, and yummy. And I love that I can easily share baked goods with others—mostly because that means I can avoid gaining a lot of extra pounds, and also because it makes people like me. At least temporarily. So, more baking in 2011!

 

2. Do more entertaining at home. This is a pretty constant goal for me; I love to have people over for drinks and snacks, small dinners, and big open house brunches (with endless Bloody Marys, of course). Unfortunately it happens way too infrequently. I have so many ideas for themed gatherings—chili night, casserole night, a mac and cheese potluck—and I need to actually make them happen.

 

3. Eat at The French Laundry. People are always surprised that, as a food editor, I've never been to the Napa/Sonoma area (shame!). So my tentative plan is to figure out a general time when I want to go, then call the restaurant (multiple times, if necessary) and secure a reservation whenever I can. Then I'll just plan a whole eating/drinking/visiting friends in San Francisco trip around it. (I did, however, cross another restaurant off my bucket list in 2010—I finally ate at Le Bernardin. I was not disappointed. And I even had an Eric Ripert sighting.)

 

4. Use my slow cooker. A lot. I finally acquired a slow cooker—back in, let's see, June?—but embarrassingly, it's still sitting in a box in my bedroom. True, my kitchen is tiny and I don't really have room for it, but I'll just have to find the space somewhere. Slow cooking must happen this winter!

 

5. Cook a different Real Simple recipe every week. In theory, this shouldn't be so hard—but when I think about how often I cook at home, and then how often I cook using actual recipes—well, this might be a pretty big challenge. But there are so many quick, easy, and delicious recipes on our site that I've been meaning to make, it's time to start cooking!

 

I think that's it for now. It's a fun list, and I'm excited to start tackling it. What about you? Do you have any food-related New Year's resolutions?

Kick-Start Your New Year: Organize Your Recipes

Another goal that came up a couple of times when we asked what you wanted help with in 2011 was getting your recipes organized. While this is more of an on-going task instead of a 10-minute task, the payoff—not having to hunt for that mouth-watering chicken soup recipe—is worth it.

 

 

Create an index

 

If you have a collection of cookbooks and food magazines, take a cue from the library and index them. The next time you make your favorite recipe, jot down these three things:

 

the name of the recipe
the name of the book it came from
the page number it's on

 

You can also add any notes about what you liked or didn't like about the recipe or whom you served it to (a great way to avoid repeating meals with frequent guests). Then file the card in a recipe box by the type of dish.

 

Recipe Box Set by FierceMally on Etsy, $50

 

The same thing can apply to recipes you've clipped from magazines as well. Slip the cut-out pages into sheet protectors and store them in 3-ring binders by type of dish. Then add your own page numbers using small labels stuck to the sheet protector. And you can index those recipes by which binder they are in.

 

If you prefer to do things digitally, you can also create a searchable index of your recipes by noting the same information in a spreadsheet.

 

You can also get more than 850 recipes from Real Simple at your finger tips by downloading our new No Time to Cook app, available for the iPad, iPhone and Android. You can download either version here: No Time To Cook.

 

Follow @Real_Simple on Twitter for more. And share your tips using the hashtag #simpletip.

Top Consumer Scams and Rip-Offs of 2010

Con artists made the most of a bad economy in 2010, targeting job seekers, people struggling to get out of debt and those looking to earn some extra cash. The Better Business Bureau today released a list of the top 10 scams and rip-offs of 2010.

 

"With the economy still on the mend, scammers had a field day targeting struggling families who were looking for work and trying to make ends meet," Stephen A. Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus said in a statement. "While some of the most popular scams are perennial problems that have always plagued consumers, some new additions to the list are signs of our tough economic times." Among the top rip-offs (in no specific order):

 

-Job Hunter Scams: These scams targeting job hunters vary and include attempts to gain access to personal information such as bank account or social security numbers and requirements to pay a fee in order to even be considered for the job.

 

-Debt Relief and Settlement Services: These companies often require upfront fees and potentially leave the consumer drowning in even more debt. Complaints to BBB about debt relief and settlement services increased by approximately 30 percent in 2010, according to tentative year-end estimates. See this story and this one for tips on how to get out of debt the right way.

 

 

-Work from Home Schemes: Some work from home schemes promise to teach the secrets to making money online, others claim you can make money assembling items at home or get paid to be a mystery shopper. Some victims even found that their opportunity to work from home was a job to fence stolen goods. The end result is that instead of getting paid, you can end up losing hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars.

 

-Timeshare Resellers: Complaints to the BBB about the timeshare industry—including deceptive resellers—increased by over 40 percent according to 2010 estimates. Timeshare owners who are desperate to get rid of their costly vacation property are being targeted by companies that claim they have an eager buyer. The company tells the seller they just have to pay up to several thousand dollars to cover fees. After paying the fees, the seller never hears from the company again.

 

-Not So "Free" Trial Offers: Misleading free trial offers online for diet supplements, penny auctions and money making schemes blanket the internet resulting in thousands of complaints ever year. (Misleading ads for free credit reports are my personal pet peeve.) The free trial offers seem no-risk but complainants state they were repeatedly billed every month and found it extremely difficult to cancel.

 

-Itinerant Home Repair/Roofers: BBBs across the country received complaints from consumers who answered a knock from a door to door salesman or itinerant worker who eventually failed to deliver on promises to fix their roof or conduct other work to the home. Complaints to BBB about roofing companies increased by roughly 40 percent in 2010, according to tentative estimates, due in part to one company that solicited door to door, American Shingle, which received nearly 1,000 complaints nationwide after going bankrupt and not providing new roofs to angry customers.

 

-Lottery and Sweepstakes Scams: The victim—often a senior citizen--receives a letter in the mail or phone call from someone pretending to be with Reader's Digest, Publisher's Clearing House or a phony foreign lottery. The scammer claims that the victim has won millions but must first wire hundreds or even thousands of dollars back to the scammers to cover taxes or some other bogus fee. The victim wires the money, but the prize never arrives.

 

-Identity Theft: There are any number of ways a person can become a victim of identity theft. Through low-tech theft, phishing emails, vishing phone calls, smishing text messages, or even through no fault of your own as the result of a corporate data breach, millions fall victim to identity theft every year.

 

-Advance Fee Loan Scams: A perennial problem, advance fee loan scams prey on consumers and business owners who are struggling financially. Victims are told they qualify for large loans but must pay upfront fees—often more than a thousand dollars. The victim wires money to the scammers, but never receives the loan.

 

-Over-Payment Scams: Over-payment scams typically target small business owners, landlords or individuals with rooms to rent and sellers on classifieds or sites like Craigslist. The scammers overpay the amount for the services or products and then ask the victim to wire the extra amount back to them or to another fraudulent entity. Ultimately though, the check is forged and the victim is out the money wired back to the scammers.

 

Were you a victim of a scam last year? What's your advice for others?

8 Interiors Books On My Wish List For 2011

A new year is here and with that, a slew of new interiors books coming your way for 2011! I love books, there is nothing like cracking open a beautiful interiors book and lingering over text and images for ideas and inspiration in your favorite chair. I don't mind reading text-only novels on a reading device, but if there are illustrations or photos, I want a hard copy - a "real" book, please! So with that, here are 8 must-have interiors books that will sit proudly on my coffee table this year. I can't wait for each of them to release and below each beautiful cover, I'll tell you why!

1. Decorate by Holly Becker and Joanna Copestick. Why yes, of course the first book is my own! I worked on Decorate in 2010 and did quite a lot of work (including 4 months of traveling the US and Europe) to pull it together, so I'm proud of Decorate - 1,000 Design Ideas For Every Room In Your Home. It will first be published in the UK on March 25, 2011 (the same week as my birthday, yay!) by Jacqui Small, then Chronicle Books will publish it in the U.S. on May 18, 2011. I can't wait until a copy arrives in my mailbox because this is my first book and I am dying to see how everything fell together. I wrote it because I wanted to give the readers of my blog, decor8, a gift from me -- a hard copy of my work (since most of what I do is on the web) -- this was a really fun project and I hope to do more books in the near future from decorating to crafting and beyond...

About the book, "In Decorate, the world's top designers and leading decor experts including Kelly Wearstler, Amy Butler, Jonathan Adler, and many others come together to share over 1,000 professional tips, ideas, and solutions for every room and every budget. Written and compiled by Holly Becker, founder of the hugely popular design blog Decor8, and Joanna Copestick, acclaimed lifestyle writer, this intensive home decor program combines beautiful inspiration with nuts-and-bolts how-to for stunning results. More than 500 gorgeous color photographs (taken by Debi Treloar) provide motivation while line illustrations, checklists, shortcuts, and floor plans make it easy to get started. For those looking to make the most of their home and create stylish interiors, Decorate is the start-to-finish resource to keep on the bookshelf for years to come."

2. Pale & Interesting by Atlanta Bartlett. I can't wait to read this book. I adore British stylist and author Atlanta Bartlett, her "way" with things astounds me and I love seeing how she uses everyday and seemingly mundane objects in her arrangements with such stunning results. She has a real knack for display, that's for sure. Her web shop is equally a delight, also under the same name, Pale & Interesting.

"In Pale & Interesting, stylist Atlanta Bartlett and designer Dave Coote reveal their passion for decorating with a muted palette of subtle shades.The look combines their creative approach with the reality of busy family life, resulting in a stylish yet comfortable home that's easy to live in and easy on the eye. Atlanta and Dave start by taking a look at the design philosophy behind the look: Keep it Simple, Keep it Relaxed and Keep it Real. Next,in Putting It All Together, they map out the key elements of the look: Shades of Pale; Texture & Form; Mixing it Up; Waste Not, Want Not and Collecting. Finally The Rooms, takes a tour throughout the home, revealing how easy and enjoyable it is to live with chalky pastels, earthy natural tones, understated neutrals and muted vintage shades. Pale & Interesting shows how to tap into the look and draw on your own individual taste to create a fresh, light and airy home that's a joy to live in, every single day."

3. Modern Vintage Style by Emily Chalmers. I got to know Emily Chalmers a little better in 2010 and all I can say is that I'll eternally support everything she does because as a person, she is a delight. Very sincere, down-to-earth and enormously talented. Her beautiful shop, Caravan, is lovely -- I visited for the first time last year and enjoyed the experience of being there so much. This book was photographed by Debi Treloar, a friend to Emily, and an extremely talented interiors photographer that I had the good luck to work with on my first book. Together, Emily and Debi do magical work -- Debi has shot a few of Emily's books and each one is a roaring success and such excellent eye candy. No doubt, Modern Vintage Style will fly off the shelves as well. I know I'll grab a copy!

About this book, "In Modern Vintage Style, Emily Chalmers - interiors stylist and owner of hip boutique Caravan - shows how using vintage items in a contemporary context can introduce humour, flair and personality to a home. Decorating should be fun and inspiring, so there are no style diktats; no 'this-must-go-with-that'. Modern vintage is all about trusting your instincts and taste and using a bit of imagination in seeking out the right items to create a perfect balance of old and new. In the first section of the book, Inspirations, Emily offers up imaginative and varied examples of furniture, lighting, textiles, decorating and collections & display. In the second section, Style, she shows you exactly how to pull the look together, applying her decorating philosophy so you can cook & eat, live, sleep and bathe in tune with Modern Vintage Style."

4. Design*Sponge at Home by Grace Bonney. I'm looking forward to seeing Grace Bonney in print, it will be nice to read her words and hear her decorating advice but also to see some of the home tours from Design*Sponge on big, glossy pages. Very few female design bloggers have their own books, in fact I'm having a hard time thinking of any at the moment, so it's truly an honor and privilege that she'll be one of the first. This book publishes in September 2011 and should be an interesting read -- I can't wait to see how Design*Sponge will look in print. A big congrats to fellow blogger Grace Bonney on her first book!

About the book, "Grace Bonney created her daily Web site Design*Sponge as an antidote to the fussy (and expensive) shelter magazines of her mother's generation. The New York Times has dubbed the site, with its 60,000 daily readers, "Martha Stewart Living for millennials." Design*Sponge at Home is Bonney's definitive guide to home décor for her fellow design sponges—those house-proud young homeowners and renters who adore soaking up design ideas and using them as inspiration to decorate and personalize their own homes. This design compendium contains peeks of 75 real-life interiors, where the décor was culled from flea markets and the owners' imaginations, as well as more than 100 projects (with detailed instructions) from a table made out of abandoned chair legs to a butterfly dome. Packed with hundreds color photographs and illustrations, this beautiful book includes a decorating basics section with tutorials on everything from stripping and painting furniture to hanging wallpaper and doing your own upholstery. Along the way, Bonney—whose enthusiasm and joy in her subject is infectious—teaches the reader the principles of decorating and collecting, empowering them to create beautiful homes of their own."

5. Undecorate: The No-Rules Approach to Interior Design by Christiane Lemieux and Rumaan Alam. Christiane Lemieux is the founder and creative director of DwellStudio, the successful designer baby boutique and modern home décor shop, that also happens to have a line at Target. I think it's funny that my book is called Decorate and her book is Undecorate, that made me laugh when I saw the title! But her book is still a decorating book, with no doubt tons of eye candy and inspiration. With photographs by Melanie Acevedo, who shot tons of work for Domino magazine, and a foreword written by Domino's former managing editor Deborah Needleman, I'm sure it will be just great.

Sorry, Amazon doesn't have notes about Undecorate at this time.

6. Creative Walls: How to Display and Enjoy Your Treasured Collections by Geraldine James. The cover alone had me at hello. This book definitely calls to me. It looks very artistic, no-rules, fun -- and to see lots of collections displayed in interesting ways, well that's a bit of a dream book for me. For those of you who do not know the name Geraldine James, she works in London as the home buying manager at Selfridges.

About the book, "Creative Walls will inspire you to organize and arrange your collections on any surface in your home to create character, charm and elegance. Any wall is perfect for display, whatever its size, shape or style. In this inspirational guide, Geraldine James, veteran collector of all things beautiful, shows ways to organize and display your treasured collections to celebrate their uniqueness and your creativity. Fans, teapots or clocks can illuminate a little corner, whereas a teenager's bedroom will transform instantly when hoarded football memorabilia makes the leap from the floor to the wall in a bold, clever arrangement. Look for unusual spaces and items: line up a series of themed prints above a picture rail, set heaps of floral china plates in grand style above the fireplace or simply add a mirror into a display to instantly create another in its image. Chapter by chapter, discover how to arrange virtually anything from scratch, rearrange the collections you treasure to best effect and begin a journey into colour, texture and themes to create elegant displays that give a home character and charm. From a memory wall of sepia family photographs to witty collections of kitsch art, this clever guide shows how to create a look that will bring any space to life."

7. A Stylist's Guide to NYC by Sibella Court. There is no cover image for this title yet, but it releases in May and since I'll be in NYC this summer, I'll definitely be scooping up this book so I can do a little insider shopping there, Sibella style. If this book looks and feels like her first one, Etcetera: Creating Beautiful Interiors with the Things You Love, I'm sure it will be a bit hit with her fans.

About the book, "Sibella Court describes New York as 'the most exciting, contained, energy-filled city in the world' - a city she spent ten years exploring while working as an interior stylist for the very best American magazines and brands. "A Stylist's Guide to NYC" brings you Sibella's New York loves, secrets and hidden gems, her tried and tested favourites and trusted friends. This well-edited collection of stores, boutiques, galleries and markets is arranged into loops of interest, such as 'Furniture & Interiors', 'Haberdashery, Handmade & Vintage Textiles', and 'Scents, Flowers & Gardens'. Re-fuelling stops are suggested at neighbourhood cafes, delis and bars, and the guide also includes city survival tips, maps and comprehensive indexes. An idiosyncratic travel guide, celebrating the beautiful, original and unusual and chosen with the impeccable eye of an insider, "A Stylist's Guide to NYC" will be indispensable for anyone travelling, working or living in New York.

8. Romantic Prairie Style by Fifi O'neill. I love a little country decorating, though it needs to be uncluttered, lots of white and natural wood and clean lines. If this book is anything like its cover, I'm sure I'll swoon. Fifi O'neill is a blogger in Florida who writes Chez Fifi, a blog with a focus on Shabby Chic and country styles. Her first book, to be published by Cima Books, releases on April 30th.

About the book, "Romantic Prairie Style embraces simple pleasures, comfort and the long-cherished ideals of natural beauty, simplicity and harmony with the earth. It's a style that says 'home' wherever you may be because, more than anything else, it's a mindset: gentle but strong, welcoming and lasting, durable yet sophisticated and, above all, real. Over the centuries, the humble dwellings built by European immigrants to the US in the 1880s have evolved into sturdier, more comfortable homes, which, depending on their geographic location, took on a variety of designs, be it a ranch, cabin, farmhouse, cottage or adobe. Each of these styles plays a role in prairie style and its enduring aura of romance and nostalgia. Here interiors bear the influence of European settlers and the poetry of the heart-warming authenticity of simple, natural textures, hand-hewn beams, bleached wood, weathered planks, woven blankets, cow-hide and Navajo rugs. It's a style inspired by the honesty of homespun materials of the past wedded to a flair for the present. It's flower-sprigged brocade, tawny leather, crisp eyelet and soft linen, corduroy with crochet trims, woolen plaids, cosy flannel and wispy organza. It's history retold and all about the enduring connection between people and places and the nostalgia we feel for a rural country life, a yearning for a simpler life, as embodied in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie."

What books do you await the release of, decorating or other?

(images: amazon.com)

Kick-Start Your New Year: Think Before You Spend

This year, it's time to go back to basics with your finances. And the easiest way to save is to take a second to consider each purchase before you pull out your wallet.

 

 

Consider these questions adapted from Erin Doland's book, Unclutter Your Life in One Week.

 

 

Do you already own something that serves the same purpose?
If so, will you get rid of the older item and replace it with the newer one?
Will this make your life easier/fulfill a need/save time and money?
Have you researched to find the best product at the best price?

 

 

While this won't work for every item you purchase, it can definitely help you cut down on impulse buys.

 

If you're ready to completely remake your finances, sign up for the two-week Cut Your Costs Bootcamp from Real Simple and Learnvest. For two weeks, you'll receive a daily email with a step to getting your spending (and saving) on track. You can sign up here: Cut Your Costs Bootcamp.

 

How do you keep your spending on track? See how other Real Simple readers save money here.

 

Follow @Real_Simple on Twitter for more. And share your tips using the hashtag #simpletip.

 

(photo by James Baigrie for Real Simple)

 

I'm a Bit Obsessed with Calendars Lately

Maybe it's just a symptom of it being January, but I've been shopping for calendars in the past few days. And I've already collected quite a few. In fact, as I'm sitting at my desk, I can count three 2011 calendars, and one from 2010 that I refuse to get rid of until I replace it.

 

So, I thought I'd do a quick round up of some of my favorite finds for 2011. Starting with the one hanging in my kitchen, which I've ordered the refill for.

 

 

Happy Days Wooden Calendar by Pikku Wares, $48

 

 

Offset Printed Calendar from Eggpress, $16

 

 

2011 Best Year Ever Folk Calendar from Spread the Love on Etsy, $20

 

 

2011 Paris Poster Calendar from Little Brown Pen on Etsy, $22

 

 

2011 Wall Calendar illustrated by Jenny Bowers from Kate Spade, $18

 

And, if you're looking for a quick year-at-a-glance calendar to hang in your office or on your fridge, try these downloads from Red Stamp.

 

 

Click here to see all five options and download the PDFs. I chose the first one (I'm a fan of BRIGHT + BOLD), and I was actually able to print it on 11 x 17-inch paper and it didn't distort at all. So I can now read it easily on my bulletin board.

 

Did you buy a new calendar for 2011? Where did you buy yours from?

 

A Question for the April Issue of Real Simple

Happy New Year, Bookies!

Our friends down the hall on the print side of Real Simple are kicking off 2011 by posing this question to you: What's the last book that made you cry?

As always, post your answer below—including the book's title and author—and your response may appear in the April issue of RS. And as always, we appreciate your time and contributions. Many thanks!

Are you reading this via an e-mail or RSS feed? If you wish to comment, please click here.

Brighten Your Eyes with Colorful Eyeliner

Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. Did you make any resolutions for 2011? This year I've decided to be more adventurous with my makeup. Not to wear more necessarily, but just to try new things. My first step outside my every day routine: colorful eyeliner.

 

 

 

I recently discovered a dark green eyeliner that made my brown eyes brighter-even on my dullest of days. Then I started experimenting with navy blue and a cooper as well. I found that having a palette to choose forced me to experiment with colors I wouldn't have normally been attracted to individually at the makeup counter. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

 

Here are three brands that have my favorite range of playful shades:

 

If your on a budget, try theBalm mini-pencil set. This kit comes in three vibrant colors (blue, green, and purple) and also includes a sharpener. They're even tiny enough to stick in your purse for easy touch-ups.

 

To buy: $19, Sephora.com

 

If you like cream liners, try Smashbox's cream liner palette. Whether your looking for a shimmery gold liner or a bright teal, these shades will compliment eyes from the brightest of blue to the deepest of brown. 

To Buy: $32, Smashbox.com

If you like creamy pencils, these Korres sticks will help you discover your inner make up artist. Natural and good for your lids (Vitamin E infused), you're going to wish this kit was not limited edition.

To Buy: $32, Sephora.com

 

What eye liner colors have you tried that look best with your eye colors? Did you like the creamy liners better than a pencil or liquid liners? Let me know what you look for when shopping or trying new shades!

Why January Brings the Risk of I.D. Theft

You probably know that there are certain times of the year when you can count a sale -- holiday decorations this week, winter coats in March and air conditioners in September. But did you know there are certain times of the year when you're more likely to be a victim of identity theft?

 

January is a particularly dicey month for identity theft, according to Adam Levin, co-founder of the educational and product search site credit.com. Why? Employers and banks send out all of their year-end documents, including our W-2s and brokerage statements. These contain personal and precious information and often sit unguarded in our mailboxes, Levin explains.

 

Here are some quick tips from Levin to avoid being victimized by an identity thief:

 

-Monitor your mail daily. The worst thing you can do is let important documents sit in an unlocked mailbox overnight. If you're planning on going away, have it held by Post Office or have a trusted neighbor retrieve your mail regularly.

 

-Keep Track. Write down every piece of information-rich mail you anticipate receiving in January and mark it off when it arrives. This will help you keep track of what you receive and which documents never reach you.

 

-Choose electronic delivery. Have as many official year-end documents sent directly to your email inbox. This will prevent mailbox theft. (Make sure no one has the password to your account.)

 

-Check your credit reports. By February and March you'll want to get your free credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com so you can see if a thief opened up any new accounts in your name.  This is the official Web site set up to help consumers get their annual free report following the passage of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act passed by Congress in 2003. You can also request the reports by calling (877) 322-8228; or by sending a written request to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

Kick-Start Your New Year: Establish a Daily Cleaning Routine

 

Many of you resolved to keep your homes more orderly when we asked what you wanted help with in 2011. And the easiest way to do this is to clean a little bit everyday.

 

Follow our Daily Cleaning Checklist and hit the major rooms in your home—kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and living room.

 

The entire thing will take you less than 30 minutes, and you can break it up between the morning and evening. Tackle the bathroom and bedroom in the morning, and tidy the kitchen and living room as you're getting ready to head to bed.

 

Do you have new year's resolutions? Share them with us on Twitter using the hashtag #in2011 and get more tips with the hashtag #simpletip.

 

(photo by Scott & Zoë for Real Simple)