Toast the holidays, not guilt, with DiSaronno’s low-cal cocktails

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In this season of holiday celebrations, hosts are spreading the joy — and mixing the cocktails.

Alas, that spirit of generosity also is accompanied by extra calories, a sign of the season that is even less welcome than a regifted fruitcake.

Happily, there are recipes that enable guests to enjoy a cocktail without the guilt, including  a holiday-themed recipe from the folks at DiSaronno, the centuries-old maker of amaretto.

In fact, the legend of DiSaronno dates back to 1525, when Renaissance artist and Leonardo da Vinci protege  Bernardino Luini was commissioned to paint a fresco in Saronno. To portray the Madonna of Miracles, he chose a comely local innkeeper as his muse.

As a thank you gift, she bestowed the artist with a flask of a fragrant and delicate  amaretto flavored with fruit and herbs. With its distinctive stopper and iconic square faceted Murano glass bottle, DiSaronno is still pleasing patrons — and still makes a great gift.

Here’s the recipe:

Holiday Delight – 205 calories per serving

1 ounce rye whiskey

1 ounce DiSaronno

1 heaping bar spoon of pumpkin butter

.5 ounce soy creamer

.75 ounce egg white, foamed separately

1 dash orange bitters, Regan’s if it’s handy

Foam egg whites using hand blender, set aside. Combine remaining ingredients into shaker and dry shake without ice. Add ice and foamed egg whites to shaker and shake again. Fine strain into a cocktail glass. Go for a coupe, if you have them. Top with freshly grated cinnamon.

Recipes for the End of the World

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If you adhere to the Mayan calendar and have a sneaking suspicion the world will end on Dec. 21, you might as well pig out while you can.

You will find lots of intriguing recipes in Flavors of Belize, a cookbook that celebrates the ancient history, diverse culture and exotic cuisine of this beautiful Central American nation. The book is the creation of Tanya McNab, founder of Flavors of Belize magazine, the country’s first culinary periodical, and McNab Publishing Ltd., producer of the cookbook.

In the Kriol language widely spoken in Belize there is a saying: “Yu kyaah n travl pahn stoma.” Translation: You cannot travel on an empty stomach.

No worries about going hungry with this lineup of recipes from the nation’s top chefs, a menu that ranges from fried ripe plantains to cashew-crusted grouper to mango crumble.

The Mayan culture is not the only influence in this Latin melting pot. The cookbook’s recipes also include dishes from the Brits, Mestizo, Creole, Chinese, Lebanese and other cuisines that have left their mark on Belize over the centuries.

In all, there 120 recipes and if you want to get them all in before the lights go out, you had better start cooking.

Cyber Monday clicks with shoppers

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Point, click, buy. On Cyber Monday, consumers take to the Internet to bag bargains.

So what are we buying? The top two most searched-for products today are the Kindle Fire and Ugg boots, according to Experian Marketing Services, a provider of digital marketing and analyzing consumer data for merchants.

The retailer most popular with online shoppers is Walmart. Best Buy is second, followed by     Amazon, Sears and Target,  Experian says.

Expect a spending frenzy from the fuzzy slipper set. IHS Global Insight predicts online holiday sales of $79 billion, compared to $67 billion last year.

Credit cards that work for you

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In the frenzy of holiday shopping, lots of consumers struggle with the temptation to charge way too much on their credit cards.
But we must give credit where credit is due. Not all plastic is evil. Shoppers who make their credit cards work for them can lower their tab by up to $500 by taking advantage of the right offer.  Consumers can save by applying for a new credit card and/or leveraging an existing one.
Card Hub, a credit card search service, selected the best in plastic from more than 1,000 total offers and also insights from Card Hub CEO Odysseas Papadimitriou, a former senior director in Capital One’s credit card division:
  • Earning an Initial Rewards Bonus:  Chase Sapphire Preferred Card – Provides 40,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 during the first three months.  That’s equal to $500 in travel or a $400 statement credit.  No annual fee during the first year ($95 thereafter).

Odysseas Papadimitriou (OP):  “Ever since the Great Recession, credit card issuers have been aggressively offering rewards bonuses in order to garner the business of cardholders who maintained excellent credit throughout the financial downturn.  The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers the best initial bonus on the market, and by using it for holiday spending, you’ll be able to either replenish your bank account soon thereafter or subsidize travel over spring break or summer vacation.”

  • Best for Earning Rewards During the Holidays & Beyond:  Blue Cash Preferred from American Express – Offers 6% cash back at supermarkets (up to a $6,000 annual limit), 3% at gas stations, 3% at department stores, and 1% on everything else.  The $150 initial bonus it provides cardholders who spend at least $1,000 during the first three months would cancel out two years’ worth of the $75 annual fee.

(OP):  “In my opinion, the Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express is the best everyday rewards card for people who aren’t frequent travelers.  It offers extremely attractive rewards in most people’s biggest spending categories, which means you can save on all of your shopping and automobile gas not only during the holidays when these costs might be inflated, but throughout the rest of the year as well.”

  • Best for Avoiding Interest on Holiday Purchases:  Citi Diamond Preferred Card – Offers 0% on new purchases for 18 months and has a regular rate between 11.99% and 21.99%, based on creditworthiness.  No annual fee.

(OP):  “We all want to make sure that our loved ones have the happiest possible holidays, and for a lot of us that means shelling out a few hundred dollars for gifts.  If you don’t foresee being able to foot the entire bill within the month, you might want to apply for a card that won’t start charging you interest for a while because the last thing you want is for your gift-giving tab to be inflated by a high interest rate that prevents you from swiftly getting out of your holiday debt.”

  • Best for Lowering the Cost of Debt:  Slate Card from Chase – Offers 0% on balance transfers for 15 months and doesn’t charge a balance transfer fee or an annual fee.  The savings you can derive from this card could even be enough to cover all of your holiday shopping expenses.

(OP):  “The average household has roughly $6,700 in credit card debt, and that figure is sure to rise during the expensive holiday shopping season.  It’s therefore obvious that a 0% balance transfer offer can save a lot of folk time and money paying down what they owe.  The Slate Card is the best balance transfer credit card on the market in light of its long 0% intro period and lack of fees, which combined may provide savings of more than $1,000.  An interesting strategy that some consumers might want to try this holiday season is to use one of the best rewards cards for holiday spending and then transfer their debt to the Slate Card.  This would enable you to effectively garner the best possible rewards on the market as well as the best possible 0% balance transfer deal.”

Uncorking the holidays

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As we approach the official start of the holiday season, let us give thanks for well-made, well-priced wines.

Here are four wines from California that fit the bill, bottles you will want to keep on hand from Thanksgiving through dinner on New Year’s Day — and beyond.

At our Thanksgiving table, I like to serve a red and a white. Educated Guess 2010 Chardonnay, from Roots Run Deep Winery in the Napa Valley, offers crisp acidity and fresh fruit, without oaky overtones. Expect creamy notes of vanilla and toast that are a good match with apple stuffing and green salad. MSRP: $17.

I often serve Pinot Noir with turkey and Garnet 2010 Monterey County is a fine one, with tones of clove, coffee and juniper berries and fat, juicy notes of blackberry and raspberry. Pass the gravy, please. And the cornbread and strawberry preserves. You can pour this palate pleaser for less than $15.

When you have devoured the last of the leftover turkey, uncork Educated Guess 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon, a big red that pairs well with beef. Expect blackberry and chocolate-covered cherries, vanilla and a whiff of mint, with a price tag of less than $20.

At Layer Cake, the winemaker’s goal is to make reds that taste like a $50 bottle but cost $20 or less. Layer Cake 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon serves up silky blackberry and cherry
flavors, with a dusting of cocoa. With its ruby color and elegant finish, it tastes expensive. But it’s not, so you can readily indulge in treating your guests. MSRP: $15.99.

Spot-on skin care

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Our skin is our first defense against the elements. Sun wrinkles it. Wind dries it. And age and blemishes leave us with dark spots.

Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution is formulated to correct dark spots and clarify the skin, especially on our face, neck and hands. The serum comes with a dropper in a one-ounce bottle and contains a complex made from activated C, a vitamin C derivative, as well as white birch and peony extracts.

In tests, 55% of women reported results within two weeks. After eight weeks, 87% of testers reported improvement. In testimonials, many users say Kiehl’s erased dark spots and scars created by acne.

So, how does it work? The activated vitamin C helps to fade dark spots. Peony extract keeps them from coming back. And white birch is known for its healing qualities. (Had I been this interested in the science of skin care back in high school, I would have fared much better in chemistry class.)

I’ve been using Kiehl’s on my hands. And while they have not been restored to the lily white state of my teens, I can report this middle-aged gal does not have any big dark age spots.

Kiehl’s was founded in 1851 in a pharmacy in New York’s East Village and makes a full line of skin care products. Expect to pay about $49.50 for Kiehl’s at Nordstrom and other high-end beauty counters. It’s currently selling on Amazon for $42.50.

 

Keep your passport near and dear

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Tick off the items on your packing list for your trip abroad:

Sensible shoes, for the walking tour. Check.

Wild-and-crazy shoes for a night out. Gotta ’em.

Sun block, prescription meds, swimsuit…

What about your passport holder? Keeping important documents safe and accessible can make the difference between a magical adventure and an overseas nightmare.

With StoreSMART’s passport holder, you can keep your passport close to your heart. And no one will know it’s there, not even pick pockets. Because you wear it, there’s no worry about losing your passport along with your purse or backpack.

The passport holder is a low-tech security device, a plastic pocket worn on a 36-inch lanyard. The holder is slim, but you can still slip money and a credit card in with your passport.

It’s waterproof, which also makes it a practical choice for anglers and hunters who need to carry their licenses.

Priced at $5.99, the passport holder is an ideal stocking stuffer for your favorite travelers.

At The Torridon, hospitality ’tis grand

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In the craggy mountains of the Scottish Highlands, The Torridon is a jewel that sparkles with history, romance and genuine hospitality.

It’s the ideal place to experience, if only briefly, a slice of leisure and privilege, indulging in such activities as clay pigeon shooting, archery and Scotch sipping.

If you have ever had the good fortune of visiting The Torridon, you will be pleased — but not surprised — to learn that the property was named AA Hotel of the Year for Scotland for 2012-2013 at the recent AA Hospitality Awards.

The awards, judged by AA inspectors and industry professionals, are among the most prestigious in the British hospitality industry. Winners are recognized for excellence, success, a dedication to raising industry standards, and a commitment to the overall guest experience.

Sited on 58 acres of parkland overlooking a sea loch, The Torridon is set in a remote and lovely cranny in the western Highlands.  While the public spaces echo the hotel’s Victorian roots with opulent wood paneling and crackling fires, the 19 guestrooms are large, luxurious and comfy, with a fresh, contemporary feeling.

Niceties include Egyptian cotton sheets, duck-down feather duvets, flat-screen televisions, iPod docking stations, free WiFi, a tea and coffee maker, sparkling and still water, and Tunnock’s teacakes, a round shortbread biscuit covered with Italian meringue and encased in a thin layer of chocolate.

Fancy a sit-down dinner? The Torridon Restaurant has earned three AA Rosettes as a fine-dining establishment. (In the lounge, we enjoyed the option of ordering a large glass of wine or the regular pour. The regular is a generous portion, at least 6 ounces. The large is pretty much filled to the rim, which means your server will be walking very carefully to ensure your libation arrives intact.)

A night cap, laddie? The clubby Malt Whisky Bar features 350 varieties of Scotches. The next morning, enjoy a hearty Scottish breakfast.

Small and intimate, it’s a fine place for a family holiday or a corporate retreat. No worries about getting bored in a remote location. There are lots of activities on property and nearby to keep guests of any age and interest occupied. Outdoor options include hiking, kayaking and mountain biking. Guides and instructors, helpful and handsome, are on site.

Or stroll about the kitchen garden on your own, then swing by the barn to pet a shaggy Highland cow in the hotel herd.

The Torridon is romantic as well as rustic, which makes it a popular wedding and honeymoon destination, including celebrations for same-sex couples and their loved ones.

A friendly hotel manager told me about the wonderful wedding weekend The Torridon hosted for him, his partner and their families. I, in turn, waxed rhapsodic to my daughter, a bride-to-be, and now The Torridon is on her short list for the destination wedding she and her fiance are planning.

Rates start at £220 — that’s $349 USD — for a classic bedroom and breakfast, but vary by room type, season and length of stay.  The Torridon offers a variety of packages throughout the year, focusing on everything from family fun to romantic retreats and from adventure-filled days to relaxed evenings.  Current offers focus on Christmas and Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year. I can’t imagine a better spot to sing Auld Lang Syne.

Like The Torridon, Connoisseurs Scotland is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.  The hospitality group’s 30 members include four of the world’s finest golf resorts (Cameron House, Gleneagles, Turnberry and St. Andrew’s Old Course) and several outstanding city-center properties, including Prestonfield, one of only two 5 Red Star Hotels in Edinburgh; the newly refurbished Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle; and two destinations with Michelin-star restaurants, the sumptuous Inverlochy Castle Hotel near Fort William and the warm and elegant Kinloch Lodge on the Isle of Skye.

Jewelry alert: ADORNIA’s trunk show at Knit Wit

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It’s always a treat to see jewelry up close and personal.

It’s also a pleasure to meet the creative spirits who came up with the ultimate accessories.

ADORNIA Fine Jewelry is holding an exclusive trunk show at Knit Wit on Philadelphia’s Main Line, on Nov. 16 and 17.

The company was founded in 2012 by two stylish friends, who also happen to be industry experts and jewelry enthusiasts. Becca, aka Bex, Aronson is former accessories editor of Lucky Magazine and fashion editor of REDBOOK, as well as a Penn grad; Moran “Mo” Amir is a former retail operator for Catherine Malandrino and Diesel.

Their formula for success blends jewelry pieces in gold, silver and precious stones with strong lines and feminine wiles, staples women can enjoy year in and year out, day and night. Collections range from Mayan-inspired long, hoop silver earrings ($195) to a $6,200 necklace embellished with black pave diamonds from the Deco After Dark line.

Knit Wit, a Philly original for half a century, operates stores on Chestnut Street in the city and Margate, down the Jersey Shore, as well as the Bryn Mawr location at 905 W. Lancaster Ave., where the trunk show will take place. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on both days.

In addition to blingy buys, the ADORNIA gals will be offering a styling consultations, on the house, as well as  a chance to win a $200 gift card to www.ADORNIA.com.

Shop (almost) around the clock on Black Friday at Franklin Mills

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Remember when folks used to fall asleep with blissfully full tummies soon after the pumpkin pie was cleared away on Thanksgiving?

This year, shoppers will again be enticed to trade sleeping for shopping.

Franklin Mills already has announced that the suburban Philly shopping destination will open at midnight on Black Friday, which falls on Nov. 23 this year. The shop-a-rama will last 22 straight hours, with stores staying open until 10 p.m..

“We look forward to another successful holiday shopping season as budget-minded shoppers travel from near and far to cash in on the additional time to shop and save at Franklin Mills,” says Kelly Mikesell, vice president of marketing for The Mills, a Simon Company.  “Holiday shoppers will want to take advantage of Franklin Mills great selection of retailers offering up to 70% off every day on quality fashions, electronics and more.”

Franklin Mills’ retail roster includes more than 200 discount destinations, including Banana Republic Factory Store, Brooks Brothers Factory Store, Forever 21, Guess Factory Store, H&M, Kay Jewelers Outlet, Last Call by Neiman Marcus, LOFT Outlet, Nike Factory Store, Old Navy Outlet, Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, Sears Appliance Outlet and Tommy Hilfiger Company Store.

Most stores will participate in the Holiday Super Sale, offering savings on top of everyday low prices of up to 70% off.  For promotions, check out the shopping center website.