Hamptons Style :Be Dazzling for New Year’s Eve
Get the Look: A look that won’t break the bank* Sparkle and Sexiness to bring in the New Year…
Hamptons Eats …What’s up Doc? Bug’s Bunny would have been in Carrot Heaven at Estia’s Carrot Root Tasting… Carrots, an essential in every kitchen.
On Wednesday November 12 I attended a carrot tasting harvest. Estia’s Little Kitchen hosted their first in a series of root tastings.
This started last summer when Colin Ambrose of Estia’s Little Kitchen decided he wanted to explore the carrot with his friends, well-known hamptons chefs and farmers in the Hamptons. Christopher Polidoro with Quail Hill Farm farmer Scott Chasky
Joseph Realmuto with Nick & Toni’s Garden manager Jeff Negron
Jason Wiener with Almond pal, Sagaponack farmer Marilee Foster
Todd Jacobs with Fresh friends and partner farmers Bette & Dale
Kyle Koenig with Topping Rose House garden manager Jeff Negron
Robert Durkin and the garden at Robert’s in Watermill. Each chef & Farmer displayed their control seed (scarlet Nantes) and a choice seed. In addition to tasting raw and steamed carrots, the chefs prepared a dish of their choosing and presented it on the counter at The Little Kitchen.
I brought my daughter Allura with me and we had a great time learning about the different variations of carrots, and tasting each one of them. Growing up in Harlem, I was unaware that carrots were not just orange. 
At the tasting we ate purple carrots, white carrots, red carrots and of course the orange carrot. Some were light and sweet, others had your typical carrot taste we liked many of the carrots but we especially enjoyed the Atomic Red from the Garden of Estia’s Little Garden, we also enjoyed the carrot from Dales Fresh Mix from Todd Jacobs from Fresh and farmers Bette & Dale.
After everyone tasted each carrot Colin conducted a Q&A. Each participant brought all of their 20 foot carrot beds production to compare and discuss. One of the questions asked was about seeding:
Colin: Once your carrot seeds are set how to do you maintain that between the hard set and the harvest?
Quail Hill Farm farmer Scott Chasky: Weeds are not allowed… laughter erupted in the room…take a listen to his response….
Allura and I were in carrot heaven, the prepared dishes were so delicious, the Fritters, the Rabbit pie and Dumplings were among our favorite but my personal favorite were the mini carrot cakes made by Cassandra Shupp, the pastry chef from Topping Rose House. This was really one of the BEST carrot cakes I have ever tasted and I just wanted more.
I am looking forward to the Beet Tasting in this series of Root Tastings…All remaining carrots were donated to the Sag Harbor Food Pantry.
Photo credit: Allura Leggard
Shopping for women can often be tough. Some women can be quite picky, whereas others will appreciate any gift given to them, even if it’s not something they would ever use, so how do you know if you’re buying something that they’ll truly like? Not to mention that buying gifts can often be expensive unless you choose to look here and see if you can find a promo code that could make you a saving. That’s where a gift guide comes in to offer help when buying the perfect gift. This is the Hamptons Holiday Gift Guide …..Gifts women might like.
NKUTÔ Organics Shea Butter: Sustainably made, unrefined organic shea butter and organic olive oil are gently blended together to make a soft body whip. Vitamin E is added for a natural preservative and to prohibit oxidation. Essential oils are used for a light, natural scent. Click on link for more information on purchasing… www.nkuto.com
SweetCo Bliss…Handmade Jewelry, I saw this beautiful necklace from an independent Jewelry designer and I had to add it to my gift guide…This designer recycles jewelry and constructs new pieces, most of her pieces are one-of-a-kind…But this piece can be duplicated and they are made in various colors. contact:347-829-5033
Old School Favorites: Gourmet chocolate sauce and maple candied walnut products are made by hand with love in small batches, to assure highest quality standards.Southampton, NY 
BEST BUYNikon – Coolpix S02 13.2-Megapixel Digital Camera – Blue
BEST BUYApple® – iPad® With Retina Display With Wi-fi + Cellular – 32gb
BEST BUYBose – Soundlink Mini Bluetooth Speaker Soft Cover 
A bluetooth speaker can be a great gift for women. Whether it’s to blast tunes in the shower or at a party, they’re a great way to listen to music. If you’re interested in a bluetooth speaker, you can find the meilleure enceinte Bluetooth 2020 at iTest for some great options.
SAKS FIFTH AVENUEPixie Chrome Espresso Maker
A shiny chrome single-cup machine that blends a super-compact design with superior espresso-making abilities. Easy to use, it’s the ideal size for small kitchens, apartments and offices. Heats in under 30 seconds. Brews one cup at a timeWorks exclusively with Nespresso’s premium coffee capsules. Folding dip tray, Thermobloc technology guarantees precise temperature control, Programmable buttons, Used capsule container, 19-bar pressure pump. If this coffee maker doesn’t sound like something you’d be interested in, visit greatcoffeebrewers.com to learn about some other coffee makers that you could get instead. You’ll certainly be able to find one for that special lady in your life! 
White Topaz Three-Row Bracelet in Sterling Silver
Three rows of 110 shimmering white topaz stones make up this beautiful sterling silver bracelet.
Vena Rica Designs…I love these beautiful rings…designed by Vena Rica Designs….check out her collection of custom made jewelry. www.venaricodesigns.com
Jonathan’s Sprouts: Food for Skin*Nourishment for your body inside and out. Enjoy our line of handmade, all natural skin care products infused with broccoli sprout extract. Great for Acne I am told.
AmyL Design:Handcrafted jewelry designer based in Long Island, New York
www.opensky.com/amyldesign
Golden Pear Holiday Gift Baskets: $34.95-$349.95 www.goldenpearcafe.com
Jimmy Choo Perfume by jimmy choo Eau De Toilette Spray 2 oz for Women
The fragrance combines exotic sensuality with delicate femininity. The fragrance bursts open with modern chyphre pear and green notes. The heart of tiger orchid accentuates the opening boldness and balances it with floral sweetness. The base of sweet toffee caramel and Indonesian patchouli create a longwearing and pleasantly memorable aroma. However, some people may want to go for a classic, sophisticated smell like Chanel No 5 instead, it all depends on what they are drawn to and their personality.
Holiday Gift Guide for the Couch Potato in your life!
Holiday Gift Guide for the Couch Potato in your life! by bamaannie featuring christmas holiday decorations
Uniqlo raglan top / Aerie pj pants / J Crew j crew pajamas / Ugg cozy knit slipper / Beacon country wallpaper / H M white blanket, $78 / Chocolate gift set / Green home decor / Tea gift set, $19 / Porcelain coffee mug, $8.81 / Meri Meri merry christmas card / Artcuts christmas holiday decoration / Christmas holiday decoration, $1.57 / Christmas holiday decoration / Artcuts christmas holiday decoration / Amazon.com Sex and the City The Complete Series (Collector’s Gift Set)
Hamptons Coffee gift cards, Gift basket from Golden Pear.
Of course you can’t be a couch potato with chapped lips….BUTTER LONDON LIPPY
Liquid Lipstick,$18.00,
GIFT CARDS HAMPTONS COFFEE
Hamptons Happening: Cranksgiving comes to the Hamptons
Saunders & Associates is proud to join forces with the nationwide Cranksgiving movement. This ride was the brainchild of NYC cycling enthusiasts who wanted to pair pedaling with giving.
The concept is simple, a route is created that takes you to four different grocery stores. You pay nothing to join the ride, Instead, you are asked to bring your wallet and purchase non-perishables at each grocery store stop along the way – the amount you spend is completely up to you. Spend the morning riding your bike with a group of awesome riders and you help members of your community have food on their tables for the holidays.
What could be better than being able to help someone have food on their table for the holiday. The event will start in East Hampton Village on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014.
All donations for this ride will go to the East Hampton Food Pantry. They plan to feed more than 31,000 people this year in Amagansett, East Hampton, Montauk, Springs and Wainscott.
NBC’s TODAY Show will be at Cranksgiving documenting the event and will be airing the footage on Monday, 11/24!
Ride details:
Ride will start and finish at the East Hampton Middle School, 76 Newtown Lane, East Hampton, NY
Registration will begin at 10am. The ride will begin at 11am.
Please bring:
• Bike with a helmet and a bike lock
• Large, sturdy backpack to carry your non-perishable goods
• At least $20 to purchase the food (bring more if you want to donate more!) There is no registration fee.
Please check in when you arrive to receive a free map with your route — including stops at local grocery stores — a shopping list of food requested by the East Hampton Food Pantry and an envelope to collect all the receipts for your purchased items.
The ride is approximately 6 miles. There will be fun prizes and giveaways along the way!
Remember, this is a charity ride and not a race. Ride safe, be nice and treat others like you would like to be treated.
Cranksgiving is lots of fun, helps a good cause and shines a positive light on the local community. Please come and support the community, either by participating in the ride or cheering on the bicyclist. Come and ride with Team TODAY? RSVP here. If you can’t participate, please help them reach their goal of raising 1 million meals by Christmas with the help of Feeding America.
It is my hope that Cranksgiving in the Hamptons expand next year to other towns… 2014 it will start in East Hampton Town, but next year lets expand this to other areas.
If you need to rent a bike contact Amagansett Beach & Bike