Celebrity Pools

Dippin' in style. Check out how these celebs swim at home:

Actors Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor's home in Hollywood Hills

 Cindy Crawford and husband, Rande Gerber's infinity pool at their Malibu home

My little brother is coming home!

I have been religiously watching the clock today (though it is NOT moving fast enough)...waiting for it to hit 4:00pm so that I can head to the airport. I am flying to San Diego today to greet my "little" brother (or should I just say younger brother, since he's about a foot taller than I am) as he returns to Camp Pendelton tomorrow night, after fighting the war in Sangin, Afghanistan for the past 7 months.

Alex is the one on the far right.

I think this picture was recently taken in Afghanistan (I found it on his facebook).

Alex is a 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine (3/5) "Darkhorse." English please you say...the 3/5 is comprised of 5 units, H&S, India, Kilo, Lima (Alex's unit) & Weapons. The 3/5 is a battalion composed of infantry Marines and support personnel. Infantry battalions are the basic tactical units that the regiment uses to accomplish its mission of locating, closing with and destroying the enemy by fire and close combat.

This has been a hard 7 months for my family and also anyone else who has a son, brother, nephew, grandson, etc. in the 3/5 battalion. This battalion has seen the most casualties in the decade that we have been at war. But the good news is that the 3/5 is almost HOME!!!

This video will give you an idea of what life has been like in Afghanistan.

- Jane

Wish I May

How amazing is this lawn chair by designer, Victor M. Aleman.

The name, LOOPITA BONITA, is as amazing as the chair!

Source: Coroflot

-Whitney



Wannabe Jetsetter

I am heading off to Chicago for the night and I am in the search of the perfect overnight duffel, these are all my favorite and I wish I was a real jet setter so I could have all five...

1. Stripes  2. Floral Burlap  3. Blooming Yellow  4. Skulls and Floral  5. Metallic 

-Meg

Ina's Weeknight Bolognese

Let me start by saying, this is a must make! I found this recipe in Ina Garten's cookbook barefoot contessa how easy is that? Bolognese sauce is a meat-based sauce usually made as a tomato sauce (no, we don't eat  dog at our house). We made this Sunday night and it was pretty easy and very flavorful!

Ingredients:

2 tbs good olive oil

1 lb lean ground sirloin

4 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)

1 tbs dried oregano

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano (we used Hunt's)

2 tbs tomato paste

kosher salt & black pepper

3/4 pound dried pasta, such as small shells (we used penne)

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Concerts of the week

It's spring! The weather is warmer, the flowers are blooming and everything is starting to turn green again. I love spring time!! But not just because of the flowers and green trees...I love spring because it's concert season again!

This week/end there are quite a few awesome shows that you do not want to miss out on. I am extremely bummed that I will be missing all of them...if I can't enjoy them, at least someone should!

Arcade Fire with the National: Wednesday, April 20th at Starlight Theater.



Foals with Freelance Whales, The Naked & Famous: Friday, April 22nd at The Beaumont Club.



Pretty Lights: Saturday, April 23 at The Midland Theater.

- Jane



100 Greatest Cooking Tips

A very useful list from Food Network.... 100 GREATEST COOKING TIPS (OF ALL TIMES!) These are some really great tips. A few that were new to me, and I will definitely try:

* For an easy weeknight meal, save and freeze leftover sauces from previous meals in ice cube trays. The cubes can be reheated in a sauté pan when you need a quick sauce. -David Burke

* Don't overcrowd the pan when you're sautéing — it'll make your food steam instead. -Ryan Poli

*Season all of your food from start to finish. Seasoning in stages brings the most out of your ingredients and gives you the most flavor. -Jose Garces

* When making mashed potatoes, after you drain the potatoes, return them to the hot pan, cover tightly and let steam for 5 minutes. This allows the potatoes to dry out so they'll mash to a beautiful texture and soak up the butter and cream more easily. -Wolfgang Puck

-Whitney