List 94

Love: My friend Lisa's idea, from her blog Picnic, for inexpensive, stylish present wrapping:  brown paper bag + binder clip + any wintery Instagram picture. This is especially brilliant for people like myself whose presents tend to look like they were wrapped by a small child, or perhaps even an animal lacking opposable thumbs. 

Like: This always reliable, always delicious Smoked Salmon Dip from Bon Appetit, for any holiday cocktail party.

Smoked Salmon Dip Recipe

Discovery: Some of my favorite gift ideas for the year...

For the geek, any (all?) of these Star Wars prints from etsy's CONCEPCIONSTUDIOS. 

For ladies/readers, these lovely versions of the chick canon, sold at Anthropologie.

For the entertainer, monogrammed cocktail napkins from Mark & Graham, in the typewriter font.

For me (hopefully), some new rain gear: a Pendleton umbrella and L.L. Bean Maine hunting boots, based on their original 1912 model.

Obsession: My new favorite weeknight dinner - Eggs with Chickpeas, Spinach and Tomato - which is as easy as it is comforting during this hectic holiday month. Bonus: it's healthy too.

Recipe here.

Complaint: Stella's, not mine: that we only have "totally, completely not-exciting" strands of white lights decorating the trees in front of our house.  She is deeply disappointed that we haven't gone full Christmas Wonderland like the houses on Alameda's Thompson Ave, who've been putting on a show every December since 1938 (save for during World War II mandatory blackouts), and where we went to walk around and mail her Santa letter last weekend.  For my part, I'm glad that other people go for it, so I don't have to.

List 50

Love: Using brown eggs, rather than white ones, for dyed Easter eggs. The colors turn out mellower and more interesting, with speckles showing through.

Like: These Peeps tributes to iconic movie scenes, sent to me by my friend Gigi, who knows how much I dig any kind of diorama.

Discovery: Risotto for brunch. I never would have considered that before, but this recipe for Bacon and Leek Risotto with a Poached Egg looks like the perfect Easter brunch idea.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/04/bacon_and_leek_risotto_with_poached_egg

Obsession: I like dark, moody paint colors for the house - "Monk's Cloth" brown, "Thunderhead" grey, etc. But I have always wanted a room inspired by certain Easter colors - like Robin's Egg Blue, or sea green. Maybe a slightly darker Peacock blue would be a nice middle ground.

Complaint: Easter is almost upon us and I have yet to enjoy my annual Cadbury caramel egg.