2013 Holiday Gift Guide For Him

1 - Copper Embossed Moscow Mule Mugs

2 - A Nice Bottle of Red Wine - 2013 Wines of The Year

3 - Slim Thomas Mason Shirt - J.CREW (30% off)

4 - Manhattan Map - Dot & Bo

5 - Pizza Stone Set - Frontgate

6 - Ludlow Wingtips - J.CREW (30% off)

Happy Saturday everyone! Thanks to everyone who voted in the last gift guide poll. Today's gift guide is for the men in your life, which is super fitting since CT is sitting here watching me create the gift guide now. Good news is, I managed to get his present over Thanksgiving and won't be giving away any hints on his present (although I'm sure he wishes one of these awesome picks would end up under our tree). We are getting our first real snow in New York today and while the rest of the East Village is somehow still managing to celebrate Santicon, these two southerns are calling it a movie day. 

With Christmas and the New Year quickly approaching, I will be taking a blogging break until the New Year for some much needed R&R. I'll still be posting holiday cheer and travels on Instagram, so you can follow along here. 

Until 2014, Happy Holidays and have a great rest of your 2013!

Holiday Gift Guide for Her

Christmas is a mere 15 days away, which means Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song and All I Want For Christmas Is You are officially blasting on repeat for...well, the next 15 days, and shopping for gifts is in full blown effect. This is absolutely my most favorite time of the year and giving someone a gift that they are really going to love is a close second to the top of the list of what I love about Christmas. This week, I'm kicking off a gifting series to help you find a great gift for all the people in your life.

So here's to ladies first!

The Explorer

{Mallalieus in Dark Olive by Hunter - Zappos}

The Art Patron

{Can I Get A Witness Painting - Furbish Studio}

The Jewelry Lover

{Cluster Stud Earrings - Piperlime}

The Entertainer

{Confetti Stemless Glassware - Grandiflora}

The Cook

{Vitamix}

The Fashion Fiend

{M.A.C. Shoulder Bag by Rebecca Minkoff - Nordstrom}

The Music Junky

{Layla Headphones - Nordstrom}

The Vintage Enthusiast

{North Star Cuff Bracelet, West 13th Collection - Doyle & Doyle}

The Decorator

{Harry Allen Golden Pig Bank - Furbish Studio}

Help pick the next gifting guide!

The Next Gift Guide Should Be For...

The Explorer

The Art Patron

The Jewelry Lover

The Entertainer

The Cook

The Fashion Fiend

The Music Junky

The Vintage Enthusiast

The Boys

Poll Maker

Chicken Kale Salad with Peanut Vinaigrette

There's nothing like a few too many helpings of Thanksgiving to jump start an attempt at healthy eating before the oh so debaucherous holiday season. 

Have you heard of Houstons or as they are now calling it, Hillstones? Houstons was a staple in Atlanta that I first got hooked on their homemade spinach dip. Now, it's their kale salad. It's nutty, sweet and tangy, all in the same bite, and evidently super easy to make. I took a stab at mimicking their dish and it turned out to be great! I added chicken for some protein to turn this side dish into a main meal.

Salad Ingredients

2 cups rotisserie chicken, sliced 

4 cups curly kale, chopped

1 cup green cabbage, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 scallion, minced

1/4 cup roasted and salted peanuts, chopped

Dressing Ingredients

3/4 cup peanut oil

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 lemon, squeezed

10 dashes cayenne pepper

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 mins
Inactive: 30 min
Total Time: 45 mins

Directions

1. Chop kale, cabbage, cilantro, scallions, peanuts and sliced chicken. Combine in a bowl.

2. Mix peanut oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy, honey, lemon and cayenne pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.

3. Poor dressing over mixture and stir. Cover and chill for 30 minutes before serving.