S: Is for White Saturday

Traditionally, today is known as 'Black Friday' but for those who are looking for a great value with a gift to others I have the perfect suggestion. So let that Turkey settle as Housing Works is launching a “White Saturday” Shopping Event! For most of us the wild-eyed mob madness of Black Friday shopping leave us trembling and traumatized? To restore exhausted Black Friday survivors,Housing Works will be offering comforting free cookies and hot chocolate in a relaxing holiday-jingle-free atmosphere. Nov. 29th all seven stores—which have been totally restocked for the holiday shopping season—unveil incredible one-of-a-kind, you-can’t-believe-it gift finds. Here's just a handful of what you’ll find at the White Saturday event:

Gorgeous Valentino column dress: $130
Stunning embroidered Roberto Cavalli Dress: $175 (see photo!)
Reversible chinchilla coat: $1,500 (see photo)
Classic Asian-style wooden bird cage: $65
“Rose” old-fashioned metal furnace: $165
Vintage satin-floral upholstered parlor chaise: $275

Not only will you find one of kind gifts, help save the environment by recycling but all Housing Works profits go to lifesaving services for homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS. Housing Works is the largest community-based AIDS service organization in the United States. Since 1990, they have provided lifesaving services, such as housing, medical and mental health care, meals, job training, drug treatment, HIV prevention education, and social support to more than 20,000 homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS. For more information visit www.housingworks.org

Here all seven Housing Works locations!

Yorkville
1730 2nd Ave.
212-722-8306

West Village
245 West 10th St.
212-352-1618

Upper East
202 East 77th St.
212-772-8461

Upper West
306 Columbus Ave.
212-579-7566

Gramercy Thrift
157 East 23rd St.
212-529-5955

Chelsea Thrift Shop
143 West 17th St.
718-838-5050

Brooklyn Thrift Shop
122 Montague St.
718-237-0521

This holiday not only can you find a bargain but give back to others and that is a F.A.C.T.

T: Is for Thankful

As we join in with family and friends to enjoy the tradition of Thanksgiving, I realize we have a lot to be thankful for. We have a President who promises change. This is a President who with his wife and daughters last night passed out food to the needy at a church in Chicago. He wished those who attended a "happy thanksgiving" and told everyone "you can call me Barack." He told reporters that he wanted the girls "to learn the importance of how fortunate they are, and to make sure they're giving back." Did you know President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a federal holiday in 1863, only months after the bloodshed of Gettysburg claimed 51,000 Union and Confederate casualties. Lincoln found solace in our nation's promise even during our darkest hours, so shouldn't we?

In New York we have reason to be grateful for not being hit by fires like California or floods or hurricanes. We have had it pretty easy.

I am appreciative of things like family and friends, yet I'm also grateful for something less thought about: I am thankful for life. When we hear about the bombings and senseless killings in India and other countries, life is where our concerns lies. This holiday reminds us to count our blessings.

We should begin every morning, by remembering at least five things to be thankful for. Come up with things that are such a parts of your everyday life that you sometimes forget are blessings. I give thanks for clean water to drink, for having all 10 fingers in working condition, for the work of poets who remind me to celebrate life. Life is layers of gifts. Even our hardships, trials, adversity and suffering. We grow the most, and find strength the most, when times are tough.

If we keep this in the forefront of our minds, what lies ahead will not be so tough and that is a F.A.C.T.

C: Is for up and coming Couture

Did you know Mataano means twins in Somali.Identical twins Ayaan and Idyl Mohallim fled Somalia at the age of nine to escape the country’s civil war. Coming to America with dreams of fashion they experienced the industry from the ground up. On November 1st they took their first step together, by launching a new brand, to express their vision and bring forth their creations. Featuring a boutique preview of ten dresses, they received notice by industry movers and shakers. They have just assembled their premier collection, Mataano, a brand that draws inspiration from the duo’s cultural roots of Somalia and their transition into mainstream America. Utilizing vibrant hues and intricate prints, both sisters have assembled a collection of well-crafted designs suited for every woman. The fabrics used for this collection were hand picked by the siblings for their comfort and texture, celebrating, “the woman as a global citizen.” The collection showcases the mutability of borders unrestricted by geographical boundaries. “Mataano’s goal is to provide women with simple, stylish and versatile fashion that will complement any accessory and personality.” Mataano’s first collection is merely a glimpse of what the future holds for this brand. Oprah Winfrey, the queen of daytime television, invited both siblings onto a recent show via Skype featuring the Olsen twins and young millionaire moguls. Paralleling their success with the Olsen sisters, Oprah lauded the duo for their inspiring story and much deserved success, and gave them the national credibility. Asking Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen for advice on making business decisions with their sister/business partne ship they reached the blog community.

You can learn more about Mataano and the twins by logging onto http://www.mataano.com

Dreams follow you no matter where you live and that is a F.A.C.T.

A: Is for Artistry in song

Sunday night at Madison Square Gardens heavily shrouded in black, arms outstretched, Diva Sarah Brightman made her entrance. Off came the shroud and clad in a to die for, red bustee dress she began to thrill. By the end of the hour and 50-minute theatrical experience, I was not sure what was more impressive, the costumes, the holographic sets or the facts that the ingenue from Phantom of the Opera at 48 was still soaring. This was a concert to please all current fans and gather a new retinue. The concert included "You Take My Breath Away" from Harem, Three numbers from her previous album Symphony including a duet with the rich voice of Mario Frangoulis who also joined her for "Phantom of the Opera" and from her new Winter Symphony album a duet with silver voiced tenor Fernando Lima. Cover tunes like "Dust in the Wind" and "It's a Beautiful World" got new takes that were refreshing. The sets, were the very latest in stage technology, and to say the least, were impressive. Holographic 3-D worlds were projected as gothic castles with dragons and magicians melted into forests filled with stars, into enchanted glens with butterflies and even gigantic Mary Cassatt like poppies. I loved the Busby Berkeley effect as Sarah and her eight dancers lay floating through space swimming. I especially thought it was hysterical when Ms. Brightman appeared as Little Red Riding Hood pedaling a stationary bicycle like Dorothy through a virtual forest, pursued by holographic rats on bikes as "The Nutcracker Suite" played. Her outfits were divine except for the white shoes and very reminiscent of Vivienne Westwood. This soprano is throughly busy what with a film, a new album and a concert tour. Sarah Brightman makes the saying, "Your not getting older your getting better baby" a F.A.C.T.

http://www.sarah-brightman.com/

F: Is for Food for Thought

Thanksgiving is coming and nerves are starting as unravel and cook books are being searched. If you are looking for a last minute recipe? This came to me from Rioja Wines. Try Riojan Sausage Stuffing. I know I will be.

Ingredients: (Yield: 6 servings)

2 qts bread, cut into cubes and left out to dry or toasted
1 lb. bulk Chorizo, sliced and cooked
1/2 lb. butter
1/4 cup peanut oil
1/2 lb. bacon, diced
2 large onions, diced
6 stalks celery, diced
2 qts. chicken or turkey stock
1T fresh picked thyme
1T fresh chopped sage Bay Leaf
1/2 lb. cooked Serrano ham, diced
1T. poultry seasoning
1/4 cup maple syrup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions:

Prepare the bread cubes. Save old bread for stuffing. The bread should be as dry as possible to better absorb the juices.
Break up the sausage and roast it in the oven until just cooked. Pour off any excess fat. Set aside until ready to use.
To make the stuffing: Heat the butter and the oil in a heavy based pan.
Add the bacon and cook until crisp.
Stir in the onions and celery and cook until soft.
Add the cooked Chorizo, the chicken stock and the herbs and cook until the flavors have melded and the stock has reduced by nearly half.
Taste the stock and if it is filled with the flavors of the herbs and the pork then it's ready.
Stir in the bread cubes and the Serrano ham.
Remove from the heat.
Season with the maple syrup, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Go gently with the salt at first since the bacon, Chorizo and ham are all salty.
The stuffing should be a little moist as it will be baked in the turkey cavity or in a casserole before serving. Just add more stock or more bread as needed. Top with a couple of pads of butter and cover before baking.

If you need more recipes for a complete Thanksgiving dinner. Go to this link (http://www.culinary.net/ifs/featurearchive/articles/06565.html) and you'll find a great slow roasted turkey recipe and how to prepare fabulous candied butternut squash, chipotle corn bread muffins and rice pudding with cranberries and raisins.

If your looking for a great wine to bring Wine Spectator cover story is all about Rioja! (http://www.vibrantrioja.com/pdfs/2008press/2008-12-WineSpectator.pdf)
I was lucky enough to join them in a tasting and was highly impressed and so will you guests, your family and your friends and that is a F.A.C.T.