*Sigh. I get so depressed just looking at these magazine covers. Anyone else feel like it's an lot of bad news lately?

The Hogan family is being ripped apart. That one really guts me for poor Brooke, who just seems like she has to be the one mature adult in the family.

Guy Ritchie and Madonna's marriage is over. Although, you have to wonder if UsWeekly is kicking themselves for running that one since there has been nothing but denials from Madge's camp and then just last night the happy couple was seen out to dinner.

And then of course, there's a story on Anne Hathaway and how her heart was broken by a con man.

It's times like these that I do feel for celebrities...can't anything in their worlds just be normal!??

I've been yapping about this premiere for weeks now on INO. I tried to get a press pass and never heard back from the lady. Take it that's a no. Then, like a knight-ess in shining stiletto heels a reader of mine offered me one of her tickets! I'm DYING. I still don't believe it. In fact, I won't believe it until I am sitting in my seats and the credits are rolling. But SHOULD this all NOT be a dream, leave your questions here for the lovely ladies of Sex and the City!!!

The premiere is tonight at Radio City Music Hall. The weather isn't playing nice so I don't feel so guilty about not wearing a dress. I don't have an interview spot on the red carpet. But perhaps there will be a way for me to throw out a question as they float by. I'm bringing my camera and recorder so it's worth a shot.

:) 

For all of you that RSVP'd to tonight's show, I still hope you attend as it should be a really fun night. But I woke up this morning sick as a dawg and am unable to make it. I am SO UPSET because I was really excited about the evening.

Thanks to all of you who were going to go!!! 

My entire family (yes, all four of us) were deathly ill. Guess we caught some nasty bug over the weekend and it was just terrible. It started with Natalie Thursday night and slowly but surely we each caught what she had. Bill and I could barely take care of ourselves - It was almost impossible to take care of all four of us.  Both children christened every room of my house with their yaking. It was UNREAL. Sorry for not updating over the weekend but I haven't been that sick in ages! I'll make up for it right now.

Last night I attempted to upload a new template and it was a bust. I received way too many emails telling me the site wasn't showing up correctly on your end. So, I have reverted back to the original version.  Should you still see the site a bit wonky, I would suggest clearing out your cache. Firefox: Tools --> Options --> Private Data / Choose Cache / Press Clear Now.
IE doesn't seem to have the issue.
You can also click on the home button in my header as that will reload the index page of my site.
Please leave a comment here if you are still having issues.
Thanks for your patience,
Vera

Hey All,
I'm going to make this short and sweet because everyone has their own blessings to be thankful for on this day. But I really wanted to send out my warmest wishes to everyone who is part of this community. So many of you have taken this ride with me from the beginning and I literally feel like I know you!! :) I wish you and your family the best for 2008!
This year was both trying and rewarding for me. Guess that is how it goes. After being hospitalized for 2 months, I did end up with a healthy second child. Thank goodness! THIS BLOG is what got me through that. When I was alone all day worried about what was going to happen, I would whip out my computer and write. I seriously would have gone mad without this outlet and I will never forget that.
These days my world is upside down. Two kids, two dogs, a husband, a website and an obsession with Warcraft that I can't seem to get rid of, I don't know how I manage to sleep. But I wouldn't have it any other way!
I thank you again and here is to another great year of fun, friendship, and health.
Best,
Vera

Here is a look at the brand new 100th Anniversary Times Square New Year's Eve Ball. This photo was taken during a test run on the 77 foot flagpole at One Times Square in New York City. Although I was born in Manhattan and lived in NYC my entire life, I have never ONCE made it down to the ball drop on New Years. And the only person I know that has been is my cousin who is a cop and goes because his job sends him.
We are staying very low key - I'm cooking a rather large meal for the three and a half of us and I undoubtedly will pass out before midnight. Yeah, I party like a rock star. Let me live through you -- tell me what your plans are for the night!! :)
WENN

To all of those that celebrate the holiday, I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas. For those of you who don't, I want to wish you Season's Greetings!! Last night was a semi success at my house. My two kids are deathly ill (ok, I'm exaggerating, but they are bad), so there was a lot of crying and crankiness going on. My youngest is a bit better this morning, but my daughter is REALLY not well. Not sure what to do about today's festivities as we are supposed to go to my in-laws where there will be at least 15 kids who probably don't want her germs.
My appetizers were SO GOOD and SO EASY. In case you were looking for something quick to put on the table that are yummy, click here and here and here. Desserts I totally bombed on. Whoopie Pies, Sprinkles cupcakes and 67 dozen sugar cookies were obviously too much for me to handle. But that was good in a way, because I didn't eat too much! hahahhah
Hope everyone has a wonderful day!!

I just wanted to wish everyone a very HAPPY Thanksgiving!!
I have a few more minutes before I have to start baking my little dairy-free heart away. Actually, I'm getting MUCH better with that whole thing. I bought the cookbook Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld and the majority of her recipes are made with some form of dairy. The more my daughter and I looked through the pictures, the more I realized that I am insane and just too sensitive. I want to make all those recipes for her and enjoy them myself too! So today, hopefully, will be the first day I eat something with dairy in it since reading THAT BOOK.
In other news, if you are responsible for bringing the dessert today, I have an easy and delicious one for you to try out should you be interested. It looks like it is a lot of work, but you do things while other parts are cooking. It goes pretty quickly.
Cherry Mascarpone Cheese Tart
CRUST
Do yourself a favor and just buy a pre-made one. But if you want the directions from the real recipe, click here.
FILLING
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 1/4 cups mascarpone cheese
* 1 large egg
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
* 2 tablespoons heavy cream
CHERRIES
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup black Muscat wine
* Juice of 1 lemon
* 1 pound cherries - ”stemmed, pitted and halved
NOTE: I make this with any fruit that is available. There happens to be cherries in the market these days. But if you can't find them. Use whatever they have (strawberries, peaches or a combo of both). Substitute the Muscat wine (because I couldn't find that anywhere) with any preserve that matches the fruit of your choice.  I typically make it with strawberries and peaches and throw in peach preserve. 
directions
1. BAKE THE CRUST: Preheat the oven to 350°Roll it out to a 9-inch square, a scant 1/4 inch thick. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Set aside. Lower the oven temperature to 300°. Refrigerate until firm, 20 minutes. Again for real recipe on crust, see above.
2. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add half of the mascarpone cheese and beat at low speed until combined. Add the remaining mascarpone cheese, the egg, vanilla, lemon zest and cream and beat just until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the surface.
3. Set the tart pan on a sturdy baking sheet. Position racks in the bottom and center of the oven. On the bottom rack, place a roasting pan filled with 1 inch of water. ( I don't do this water thing and it still comes out fine) Place the tart on the center rack and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the filling is puffed and set. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours. Lift the tart from the pan and remove the foil. Transfer to a platter.
4. PREPARE THE CHERRIES: In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, Muscat (or whatever you are using) and lemon juice to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a bowl and add the cherries. Let stand for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cherries to the tart and serve. NOTE: If you decide to use another fruit, I would add it to the mixture for a few minutes to soften it up a bit.

I am SO HAPPY that I found these photos of Heather Mills promoting her new Vegan lifestyle campaign. After reading through all the comments on this blog each time I discussed weight loss, I finally broke down and bought Skinny Bi&*h. I read it on Saturday and had a nervous breakdown at a Turkish restaurant that evening. Has anyone read the book and made an attempt to do what they suggest? PLEASE leave a comment on this post and let me know how you are handling everything. Click on the continue reading link below to read what happened to me this weekend.

WENN

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