VALENTINE GOODIES

Valentine’s Day, as I’ve said before, is a day of love. Period. Doesn’t matter who you love. It doesn’t need to be romantic. Love for your parents, your kids, and your friends. It’s wonderful to love yourself, celebrate that, and treat yourself. No, I didn’t do a gift guide for him because for whatever reason, I don’t think guys really care about this “holiday” as much as women do. Meaning, I don’t think they care about, want, or even expect a gift. Maybe a nice meal, whether out or home-cooked, if anything at all. So this gift guide is mainly for women. And hey, that’s easier for me because I know what I would want. And maybe if you follow this blog, you’ll want at least one thing, too. Simply click on the descriptions below to shop my favorite picks, some which I already own, so they’re guaranteed to delight. The dress I’m wearing can be found here.

Sparkly Earrings / Pearl Lariat Necklace / Pink Ribbon & Straw Tote / Set of Purple Bud Vases
LOVE & Pink Tourmaline Bracelet / Straw Clutch / Summer Fridays Overtime Mask / Thé Noir Travel Tube
Slip Pillow Case / Plush Pink Robe / Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick & Pencil Set / Aquis Hair Turban
Salad Servers/ Super Simple Cookbook / Wine Chiller / Cocktail Napkins / Dinner Napkins

I own these large sparkly studs, and I always get compliments on them. This pearl lariat reminds me of a vintage piece, and you know from my recent post how much I adore vintage jewels. My favorite every day jewels are my birthstone and letter necklaces from Haverhill Collection, and you can get her this bracelet that actually spells out how much you love her. Use code BEAUTYLOVEANDGRUB at checkout for 15% off any purchase.

Bud vases are wonderful because they don’t require a huge bouquet of flowers to brighten a space, and you can put them almost anywhere.

A woman can never have too many handbags, and this pink ribbon beauty is perfect for spring and summer, while this $12 straw clutch is, as well. Definitely buy yourself one for that price.

Most women love beauty products, so I’m sharing a few of my favorites. First, she can relax in this favorite plush robe that I personally wear, while pampering herself at home. A good hydrating mask is essential this time of year. Her hair’s texture and appearance will improve with this hair turban and pillowcase (this will help facial creases, too). When she goes out, this favorite fragrance that I wear will elevate her mood, and a great nude lipstick makes any woman feel better.

If she likes to entertain at home, she can make a simple and delicious meal out of this cookbook from my latest chef obsession, Half Baked Harvest. Keep wine cool with this chic wine cooler, and guests will feel like they’re dining at a 5- star restaurant with these beautiful embroidered scalloped cocktail napkins, botanical dinner napkins, and these modern salad servers.

You really can’t go wrong. And remember, there is not a thing wrong with treating and loving yourself.

Finally, a huge thanks to all of you for your love and following. I’m grateful for each and every one of you.

xo,
Jennifer

LIMONCELLO & MEMORIES OF THE AMALFI COAST

View of the Santa Caterina Beach Club from the hotel

Have you ever been to the Amalfi Coast? If so, what are your favorite memories? I have a few. Many moons ago, in 2008 to be exact, we flew to Naples from Paris and stayed one night—just long enough to savor authentic pizza di Napoli. We were fortunate enough to have a driver take us from Naples to Positano in a luxurious and comfortable Mercedes sedan. We relaxed while enjoying beautiful views of the coast and listening to Andrea Bocelli. We stopped near Sorrento for a photo. It was the most wonderful car ride of my life.

Positano from the water

After four days in Positano, seeing the Amalfi Coast from the water as we traveled by boat to the town of Amalfi was unforgettable. Once in Amalfi, one of the most spectacular hotel experiences of my life began at Hotel Santa Caterina. Perched atop the cliff along the Mediterranean Sea, this exquisite hotel is like nothing I had ever seen before. At the time of our stay, much of the staff had been there for over 25 years, and they welcomed you like family. The cuisine was exquisite—not at all like your typical hotel offering. But the best part for me was waking up every morning, taking the glass elevator with views of the sea, down to the “beach club”—a deck just above the sea, from which you could plunge right into it. But if you preferred the security of a pool, you could have that and the sea, as the staff pumps fresh sea water into the pool every morning. It was amazing.

Santa Caterina Beach Club. And yes, we were babies.

Opting for a dip in the Mediterranean

At night, we savored the finest Neopolitan cuisine. And after dinner, we enjoyed chilled limoncello. Which brings us to today…

Enjoying limoncello after dinner. And then I stumbled home.

What began as a fun and easy quarantine distraction became a trial and error process that took nearly four weeks from start to finish! I thought I’d just follow an existing recipe and “Voila!”--I’d have a delicious and unique hostess gift for summer soirées, assuming we’re permitted to mingle. But when I tasted the “finished” product when made as directed, my lips and throat burned. Like when one drinks moonshine. (Yes, I’ve had moonshine. My grandfather was raised in West Virginia. No jokes, please.) So the recipe took some tweaking, but I got there eventually. The good news is that I now have an original BLG recipe. Limoncello is a digestif (after-dinner drink). It’s traditionally made and consumed in Southern Italy. We drank it frequently during our trip to the Amalfi Coast. It’s stored in a freezer and served chilled in a shot or cordial glass. And because the alcohol content is so high, I recommend sipping just one glass and not shooting it. To me, it screams “holiday” and “summertime.” One glass per customer, please. Take my word for it. ;-)

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 1.5 LITERS

                                        7                  organic lemons, washed well & lightly scrubbed
750 mL                  95% grain alcohol, such as Everclear

                          4 ¼ cups                  granulated sugar
3 ¾ cups                  filtered water

Peel the lemons with a vegetable peeler, making sure to remove just the peel and not the white pith (as best you can…it won’t be perfect).

In a large lidded jar, combine the lemon peels with grain alcohol. Shake well. Let sit in a cool, dark place, shaking every few days, for 20 days.

In a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. 

Strain the lemon peels from alcohol with a fine mesh colander. Add cooled simple syrup and stir or shake well to combine.

Store in sealed glass bottles in the freezer. You can use 1 Liter bottles or choose smaller 16-ounce bottles so you have more to share with friends.

Serve chilled. I had tags and pretty ribbon from many years ago when I still used my maiden name. You can purchase similar custom tags on Etsy to create extra-special custom hostess gifts. You never want to arrive empty-handed, and while most of us know it’s usually safe to bring a bottle of wine, I think a bottle of homemade limoncello would surprise and delight your hosts. And sharing it after dinner takes the party to a whole new level and may even transport us to the Amalfi Coast at a time when travel there is discouraged.

Walking into the town of Amalfi