NYC goes to the Dogs!

A quick reminder clever girls: Tonight is the final judging for Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club.  Westminster is the ultimate beauty pageant for those with four legs--the Super Bowl of the canine world--and I've never yet picked the winner.  Have you?  

This year the competition  has gone high tech with tons of information and videos of the preliminary judging, so perhaps it will be easier to spot the winner in advance, or at least view your favorite breed being judged.  {Click here for the site.} 

There are two new breeds this year, the Tree Walking Coon Hound and the Russell Terrier. Quite cute!

Interestingly, the most popular dog in America, the Labrador Retriever, has never won.  How can this be?!?

The Wall Street Journal even wrote it up this week. Read this, I may have to cheer for them just because they are the "Underdogs" (yes, roll your eyes and groan).  

Whatever the outcome, it's certainly fun to watch.  I'm hugely entertained by the handlers and all of the last minute grooming they frantically do until the very last moment.  (Also, some handlers might do well to invest in some better foundation garments, right? I'm just saying...)  

Remember, your dogs are always welcome here at Clever Girl, and there are treats at the counter.  We love seeing all of your BFFs, purebred or not.

Speaking of treats, we'll be sampling our amazing new toffee for you this Thursday, so be sure to stop in and try it...As it happens, that's Valentine's Day, and we have all sorts of things for everybody on your love list.  

XOXO

I'll leave you with this...

A Top Chef at Clever Girl

You didn't forget, did you?  It's Tasty Thursday at Clever Girl.  We can't wait to share a sweet little something we found in New York with you. Carla Hall, that hilarious, talented gal from Bravo's Top Chef,  has launched her very own line of little amazing treats. 

"At Alchemy by Carla Hall our COOKIECOLLECTIONS are petite bites of love made for sharing.  We start with a basic idea and opt for sweet or savory. Next, we hand-shape, roll, or dunk each cookie to completion. Voila! 

Our artisan cookies are baked to perfection and contain only the finest ingredients – European-style butter, organic sugar, flours, couverture chocolate, artisan cheeses, fresh nuts, seasonal fruits… and they wouldn't be made by Carla Hall without lots of love!"

Please stop in today (Tasty Thursday, remember?) and sample her Mexican Chocolate Chip mini cookies...They are perfect as a grown-up treat, hostess gift, or a sweet snack for your Valentine.  It was really fun to meet and hang out a little bit with Carla, and her terrific crew in New York. You're going to like what a little love can do...

Oh, Dear...

Oh, Dear.  It's winter.  But it feels like Spring.  But it's not.  Is anyone else as confused as I am?  

May I suggest that the antidote to this weather confusion is a cozy pair of PJ's, some good reading material and a comforting beverage?  Time to read all of those great books I got for Christmas, and sit in front of the fire.  The Beagle (who is, incidentally, sitting in my lap as I type this) made only a half-hearted plea for a walk; even she has decided a nap is in order.  So let us leave the chores until tomorrow--and read a book instead. 

As it happens, we have just received these darling pajamas here at Clever Girl.  Meant to be worn like a morning uniform, our PJ shirt is flattering and a perfect match to the ankle length pant. With so many people working from home these days, not to mention the new baby boom, it's no wonder that everyone seems to need several pairs of these PJs. 

As to the choice of book and beverage: That, dear readers, I leave entirely up to you...

Ok, YUM!

This little book is my new favorite thing...Tom Skilling says that there is cold weather coming next week, so I advise you to lay in a few supplies, and sample a few of these recipes...No longer just a simple, syrupy sweet drink, today's hot chocolates are brimming with extraordinary flavors like cayenne, vanilla beans, Nutella, buttered rum, pistachios, wasabi, peanut butter, and malted milk balls. 

Featuring white chocolate foam, marshmallow cream, and frozen and fondue versions, the 60 recipes presented in Hot Chocolate are setting trends in haute chocolate consumption. Contributed by the world's preeminent chocolatiers, these luxurious concoctions range from ancient Latin American originals and European café classics to comforting childhood treats, cocktails spiked just for adults, and imaginative modern variations for the hip chocoholic of any age.  With recipes from Vosges Haut-Chocolat, Serendipity 3, Citizen Cake, Fran's Chocolates, Scharffen Berger Chocolate, and many more. 

A perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up, a cozy mug of cocoa is so comforting this time of year.  And, don't forget, chocolate is good for you!  A cup of hot chocolate is twice as rich in antioxidants as a glass of red wine. And, some would say, is just as intoxicating...   Cheers!

Happy New Year 2013!

   “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

 –  C.S. Lewis 

A most Happy New Year to everybody!  I can't believe how swiftly this year has passed.  We had a fantastic season here at Clever Girl, and are REALLY excited about  new things on the horizon in the not-to-distant future. 
Our Christmas Open House was a huge success--there was shopping, laughing, sipping and snacking, and even some dancing with the band. Midwest Living came by to photograph us for next year's December issue. By now I think Santa has delivered a pair of our famous slippers to everybody in the entire Chicago area, and there is a Nest candle burning in every home.  We've already got great, new things restocking the shelves, and are off to market very soon to find even more goodies.  
None of it would be possible without all of you--our amazing customers.   We truly appreciate each and every one of you, and love sharing our discoveries with you.   Thank you for subscribing to our Clever Girl Chronicle, and peeking in on our Pinterest and Facebook pages.  We love keeping you up to date on all things clever... It is with hope and optimism that we enter this new year, 2013.  We look forward to seeing you often...

Happy Thanksgiving!

We will, of course, be closed on Thursday, to celebrate Thanksgiving with our family and friends.  We won't be opening in the cold, dark dawn at 4 AM on Friday for a so-called "black Friday" (our usual, 9:30 opening will be just fine).  There will be no crush and crunch as people push and shove for the latest electronic device, or general rudeness that pervades the parking lots in the malls.  That is not the Clever Girl way.
  What you will find, the day after Thanksgiving, is a lovely store filled with wonderful merchandise, and a sales team that actually wants to help you.  We are happy to box and label your gifts.  We're glad to assist and answer questions.  That's what shopping locally is all about.

While nothing beats my Mom's cranberry sauce, this is one that I tried last year, and really liked.  Julie Russo, co-author of The Silver Pallet Cookbook, was a lovely customer of ours when we had our store in Saugatuck, Michigan.  This is her version...
Ingredients
4 cups (about 1 pound) fresh cranberries, picked over
2 cups sugar
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 slightly under-ripe pears, cored, peeled and cut into 1/3- inch dice 
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and stir well. Place pan over medium heat and boil until berries pop open, about 10 minutes. Skim the foam off the surface with a metal spoon and let the relish cool to room temperature. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 months. Makes 10 servings.

Wishing you and your families a 
happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

On another note:

Now that the Christmas merchandise is out, I have been working on the Sisyphean task of cleaning the stockroom.  This probably means nothing to you all, however, as a result, a few items have joined the sale rack, so you might want to give it the once-over on your next visit.

Tricks & Treats...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

On this spooky day, we set the clever controls on our time machine, and journey back to the pumpkin-patches of the past....What was Halloween like for our Clever Girls?

Dressing as Cleopatra, in a very elaborate costume was the best-ever Halloween for Donna and she always shared her candy haul with her Dad. Milky Way was her favorite candy bar, and Almond Joys were left unopened until everything else was gone, and they were the only thing left.  As an adult,  pumpkin carving with power tools became a big Halloween tradition.  Long before Martha Stewart ever did it, Donna was wearing safety goggles and carving up a storm.

Kathy reports that she was fairly casual about All-Hallow's-Eve.  She preferred her costumes to be sans any kind of mask, and covered lots of territory around Ann Arbor.  Her prized treat was from a Mrs. Boomisiki, who doled out homemade popcorn balls to the local children. Apparently these were quite the treat, and highly sought after.  On Kathy's list of unwelcome items were malted milk balls, and the dreaded root-beer barrel hard candy. She claims to never have pulled any tricks, but we have no real way of verifying this...

Childhood trick-or-treating always included a quest for the very rare full-sized candy bar for Sandy. The startled surprise of being offered one was so exciting, that now she has the fun of delighting all trick-or-treaters at her own door with full sized bars. Chocolate was always her favorite, and nougat /nugget items were avoided at all costs. Her best costume moment came as part of a Mother-Daughter duo when one of her three daughters was Madeline and Sandy dressed as Ms. Clavel, the Nun. We are encouraging her to reprise the look...

Linda dressed exactly the same every Halloween for her Long Island treat gathering.  Year after year, she costumed herself as a Beatnik. Black stirrup pants, a jaunty beret, and a long cigarette holder rounded out her ensemble as she foraged for goodies. Regional favorite "Jelly Apples" with a crunchy, cinnamon coating from the neighbor, Mrs. Anna Bruno, were the treasured treat.  Bit-O-Honey was (and is) considered most unpalatable by Linda.   

Down in Texas, Lynn notes that the weather was always warm and pleasant for Halloween, and one of her favorite costumes was a black kitty cat.  She used a pillow case for her gathering, noting it's large capacity. The family across the street had a haunted house each year; and while attending a party there, she remembers reaching into a bowl of "eyeballs", which were really peeled grapes, but rather startling never-the-less.  In her teen-aged years, Lynn referenced a party serving "Witches Brew" from a cauldron, but she declined to elaborate any further...

Hope everyone has a spooktacular Halloween!

Trending...

As the days become shorter, and the nights begin to have a bit of a "nip" to them, I look for the return of The Creature in the back yard.  He is dressed all in black, with a single, stylish, stripe running down his back, and remains, at all times, illusive.  He caries no formal calling card, preferring to announce himself via olfactory means.  Officially he bears the name Mephitis Mephitidae: or as we call him, Skunk.

For four years running, every fall, he has returned to the back yard and called it home.  Very aware of his presence, the torture of our dogs is exquisite, as they "patrol" 24/7 hoping for a close encounter with this bold interloper.  (Little do they know just how much they would regret an actual meeting...)  So, while the skunk has become an autumnal regular for me, I hardly realized they were becoming fashion statements.  Behold the J.Crew spring pants for 2013...  Who knew? We were just ahead of the trend.

P.S. Totally unrelated, yet important:

Save the Date

 Eyebobs trunk at Clever Girl Thursday October 11th 9:30-5:00

Maine, by the Numbers...

Have just had a wonderful vacation in Maine--here's a little report, by the numbers...

Made it 1100 miles from Western Springs out to Maine, all the way safe and sound, and got 0 speeding tickets (with a sincere thank you to the very understanding officer in Ohio).  Brought 2 dogs and an ambitious 7 books to read along with me.  We washed and put up 28 screens on the windows, only to have 4 solid days of wind and rain totaling 5.5 inches.  Blah!

When the sun did finally reappear, I planted 96 pink Impatiens, and assorted other flowers.  We visited our 3 favorite antique markets, including the massive Nobleboro Antique Exchange found here and unearthed many, many treasures for Clever Girl.  {Treasure list includes: 1 amazing crystal chandler, 1 darling, vintage farmhouse light, 2 superb, vintage oil portraits, and 1 unique, folk-art tiny table with great red paint.}  We were tuned in to 106.9 FM non-stop, as it is the best classical music station, and it runs very entertaining, extremely  local commercials--you can listen to it here.

Several 750 ml bottles of our favorite local mead from Portland were consumed: It's like wine, but somehow better.  Read about it here.  On the foggy days, we hit the vintage book shops.  I found 1 vintage Underwood portable typewriter with it's original case, upon which Maine author E. B. White himself might have written Charlotte's Web while on the Atlantic shore.  

3 vintage James Thurber books were obtained for .50 (!) cents each, and they are full of his dry wit, charming illustrations, wry observations and have that delicious vintage book smell.  Is it possible for books to smell interesting?  I think, indeed, it most definitely is...

As for lobster, while technically 0 is the number of lobsters personally consumed, I can report that the Round Pond Lobster Co-Op was doing quite a brisk business.  They are right on the wharf, and you pick your little buddy weighing between 1 & 4 pounds out of the tank as they are unloaded from the boat.  A quick "steam bath" (for the lobster, not you) and dinner is served.

A bag of "steamers", fresh corn, a cup of butter and the ubiquitous bag of Cap Cod Chips round out the feast.  Personally I have the grilled cheese, which isn't half bad either.  It's BYOB, and it's TONS of fun to go!  Bring your binoculars to get a good, close look at the boats in the harbor.  Everything from a dingy  to $1,000,000 + Hinckley's are on display.

All-in-all, a 100% perfect trip, and I can't wait to go back!

PS--As per usual, my grand total of Moose spotted was a whopping 0!
My quest continues...