Welcome to the world of Red Hot Mama

What began as a silly thought, has totally evolved.....this story began at jpitts.tumblr.com. This is a place to capture sights, sounds and moments that impacted me....I hope you enjoy!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Current Cravings from Tory Burch...

Trying to keep my mind off the hurricane outside and thought I would share what I am currently craving.....Tory Burch has some fabulous Fall finds....

Tory Burch
Boot $550
Most gorgeous shoe from Tory Burch
$395
Amanda Hobo from Tory Burch
$465

Great outfit from Tory Burch, reminds me of Ireland....



Crazy weather week!

This week will go down as the craziest weather week ever.  It began with an earthquake....5.8 on the richter scale and then a series of aftershocks that I somehow managed to miss.....strangest feeling EVER!

Hard to get a photo of an earthquake...

 Then, the smoke from the Great Dismal Fire nearly choked me yesterday.....

Aerial view of fires 

and then today, Hurricane Irene is hitting Richmond with LOTS of rain and wind. 

Hurricane Irene

This makes for a quiet day of blogging,



catching up on my magazines,



eating,

Homemade 4 cheese pizza


television,


and hanging with the pups......


hopefully there will not be any flooding but happy to have an excuse to stay home.....



Sunday, August 14, 2011

Love some Lilly fabric

Love some Lilly fabric.....so excited to read this!!!! 

Lilly Pulitzer partners with Lee Jofa for a line of upholstery fabrics and trimmings

pulitzer-jofa-article-image.jpg


The preppy prints of Lilly Pulitzer have been racing out of the closet and into the home. First, bedding and bath goods with Garnet Hill last year, then a line of furniture with HFI Brands earlier this year, and now the Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa collection of interior fabrics and trimmings. Expect the brand’s signature prints—and some new patterns, too—in Pulitzer’s classic pink and green combinations, and other bright and clean colors. Available in cotton, linen, silk, chintz, and jacquard, the line carries 15 prints.

Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa, $50 to $175 per yard, to the trade only in Lee Jofa showrooms; leejofa.com
For more Design + Decorating, click here.

Have you missed me?

I have seriously missed blogging and all of you too!  Tonight's post will include some of the things I am loving right now.....

My trip to Ireland was probably one of the most magical vacations ever....after seeing this, I think Scotland is next on my list:





The Anthropologist's Highland Heart, David Eustace, amazing photographer!!!


I love the food in summertime, it's fresh, it's cold and it's always colorful!!!  Here are some great recipes:

Daniel's crab salad
Ingredients
• 1½ lb. fresh crabmeat
• 2 ripe mangoes
• 1 large papaya, either green (tastes similar to a cucumber) or ripe
• 1 cucumber
• 1 daikon radish
• ½ bunch each of mint, cilantro, and Thai basil, all rinsed and picked, reserving stems
• 3 limes, cut into wedges
• 3 oz. shaved coconut, lightly toasted

Special equipment: Mandoline

Directions
Check the crabmeat for shells. Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh into ¼" cubes. Peel the papaya and slice in half lengthwise to remove the seeds, then cut into four sections. Slice the papaya thinly on the mandoline, and then cut it into ¼"-wide batons. Using a channel knife or the tip of a spoon, shave the cucumber lengthwise, leaving a bit of skin between each groove to create a striped effect. Thinly slice the cucumber into wheels on the mandoline. Peel the radish, cut into 2-inch segments, slice thinly on mandoline, then julienne. Very lightly chop the herbs, or if desired, keep the leaves whole. Serve buffet style, placing each ingredient in a separate vessel (including the lime, shaved coconut, gelée, and vinaigrette—see below) or toss it all together and serve on salad plates. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6 to 8.

Thai vinaigrette

Ingredients
• 1 T sriracha chili sauce
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 2 tsp. grated ginger
• 1 T chopped cilantro
• 1 T peanut oil
• ⅓ cup grapeseed oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine the chili sauce, lime zest and juice, ginger, and cilantro in a bowl. Whisk in the peanut oil, then slowly whisk in the grapeseed oil in a steady stream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Coconut gelée

Ingredients

• 1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 whole-stalk piece of lemongrass, smashed and cut into chunks
• Reserved stems of mint, cilantro, and Thai basil
• 2½ tsp. powdered gelatin
• Salt, as needed

Directions
Combine the coconut milk with the lemongrass and herb stems and let rest, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, pour 3 tablespoons of cool water into a bowl; sprinkle the gelatin evenly over top. Rest for 5 minutes to allow the gelatin to absorb the water. Strain the coconut milk through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the lemongrass and herb stems, and bring ⅓ cup of the coconut milk to a simmer in a small pot. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few seconds, then stir in the gelatin. Combine with the remaining coconut milk, season with a pinch of salt if desired, then pour into a pie pan or a small, shallow dish. Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for three hours or until fully set. Using a paring knife, slice coconut gelée in a grid pattern to form ½" cubes. Remove the cubes with a small offset spatula. Keep chilled until ready to serve the salad.

This recipe was originally featured in "Daniel’s Dish: Crab Salad

Lobster Cobb Salad

Lobster Cobb Salad

Ingredients
• 2 1½-lb. live lobsters, rinsed under cold water
• 8 quail eggs (or 2 hen’s eggs)
• Dash of white or cider vinegar
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (1 cup)
• 3 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 T red-wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 hearts of romaine lettuce, leaves separated
• 3 ears of corn, shucked (2 cups fresh corn kernels)
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved (1 cup), or 1 large tomato, in ¼-inch dice
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cut into 12 wedges
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice (¾ cup)

• ½ stalk celery, thinly sliced (¼ cup)
• 2 sprigs tarragon, leaves only (2 T)

Directions
To cook the lobsters, bring a few inches of salted water to a boil in a stockpot. Stack the lobsters in the pot, with the corncobs on top. Cover, and steam for 10–12 minutes. Drain.
When the corn is cool enough to handle, slice the kernels off the cob and set aside. When the lobsters have cooled, crack the claws and remove the meat. Shell the tails, then run a sharp knife along the skin where the vein is. Remove the vein and cut the tails crosswise into 4 slices. Cover and refrigerate.
Put the quail eggs into a pot of cold water with the dash of vinegar. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat. Run cold water over the eggs. Once cool enough to handle, shell and set aside. (If using hen’s eggs, place them in cold water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes before shelling.)
Bring a pot of salted water and the potatoes to a boil. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
In a bowl large enough to hold the salad, whisk together olive oil and red-wine vinegar; season with salt and black pepper. Toss the vinaigrette with the romaine lettuce, corn, tomatoes, avocado, carrots, celery, lobster, and potatoes. Cut the quail eggs in half (or the hen’s eggs in quarters) and garnish the salad with them. Sprinkle with tarragon leaves and drizzle the dressing on top or pass on the side. Makes 4 servings.

Tarragon Dressing

Ingredients
• 2 T mayonnaise
• 1 T crème fraîche
• 2 tsp. water
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. red-wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 2 tsp. chopped chives
• 2 sprigs tarragon, leaves chopped (1 T)
• 1 sprig flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped (1 T)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together. Season with salt and black pepper.

Jules Reid is one of my favorite designers and the fact that she is from Virginia just makes it that much cooler, she has some super fun things in her fall line....

Kate skirt by Jules Reid
The Mae by Jules Reid

The Walter by Jules Reid


Preston Bailey is one of those designers who always finds something to inspire me....love this lookbook inspired by the Tour de France....


While we are on design, here are some rooms that have just blown me away lately.....





I said it was going to be a bit random but I needed to catch up, I promise it will not be several months before my next post, what do you want to hear about next?