Eat Out. Seven Grand [Thirsty Thursdays!].

Downtown just keeps getting better and better. A very cool whiskey bar, Seven Grand is located centrally in the downtown Los Angeles area.

Very swanky with deep blue and green Burberry print floors, dark leather couches, classy brass fixtures on the walls, and rich wood furniture, this place is perfect to unwind after work with a stiff drink, or is certainly enough reason to justify coming into the downtown area.

The entrance is inconspicuous, and visitors have to climb a flight of stairs to get to the bar. There's also a nice outdoors patio area, where visitors can enjoy their drink with a cool breeze outside.

With nearly 300 different types of whiskey, there's no shortage of choice, and the beer selection here, while far more limited, is still spot on.

On any night in Los Angeles, this place is a great destination, but be warned: There is a strictly enforced dress code, so don't show up in shorts and flip flops, even if it is LA.

Seven Grand is located at the intersection of Seventh Street and Grand Avenue.

-- Lauren Williams

Etc. Important Internet Activities for your work day.

In the middle of writing an important, time-sensitive e-mail at 8:00AM this morning, I spilled coffee on my keyboard. The day has only gotten more fmylife-like since.

In order to commemorate my e-mail that was missing every 'o' and 'i' at the end (t llked lke ths) and to cheer you up in the case your day is sucking like mine, here are
E-mails from Crazy People and E-mails from an Asshole. Enjoy.

P.S. I found the above image by googling "sad business." You have to cherish the little things.

-- Heather Robertson

Photo credit: illfm.net

Make It. Online banking [A budget].

Lauren Williams: I'm not going to lie. I have some really strong feelings about online banking, leaning toward the I-hate-it attitude. I had one bad experience, but really that's all it takes for me. I had a brief stint as an online banker, but got locked out of my account and forgot my passwords (why do we have to have so many passwords in life, anyway?). I have never used it again.

Heather, I know you are a sworn online banker. Why do you like it so much?

Heather Robertson: I guess I'm just a product of the modern age. Every aspect of my life has some internet integration--socially, professionally, academically, and it just seems natural that it would extend to my finances. I totally don't even think about it. What seems more ridiculous to me is balancing a checkbook. Just like with everything else, if I weren't able to instantly connect to my bank account, I would feel out of the loop with what was happening with my money. No matter how well I keep track of it mentally or on paper, the proof of what is actually in there is a few secure clicks away.

Etc. The best of Conan O'Brien.

Unless you were living under a rock, you might have heard that Conan O'Brien is leaving the Tonight Show with his head (hair?) held high. My absolute adoration for this man and his comedy goes beyond words, so here's a compilation of best of moments from Conan's Late Night days that doesn't do him any justice (I was going to compile a bunch of videos myself, but alas, NBC has strict video-posting rules):



The People of Earth love you, Conan.

What's a favorite Conan moment of yours?

-- Chau Tu

Etc. Godiva candles.

Two of my favorite things in one--chocolate and candles make a beautiful partnership with Godiva Candles. The home fragrance collection launched in Summer '09 from the 80-year-old chocolatier was created with the help of Laura Slatkin of Slatkin & Co. (you may have seen their candles and oils at Bath & Body Works).

The collection of five includes; Milk Chocolate Truffle, Black Almond Truffle, White Chocolate Magnolia, and Raspberry Ganache. The White Chocolate Magnolia is in my kitchen and smells beyond delicious. It would also be a decadent bath-side treat!

They're a steal at $22.50 each--a very reasonable price in the luxury candle market.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.shoppingblog.com

Eat In. Mac and Cheese.

OK, believe it or not, homemade macaroni is one of the easiest things I've ever made. And the pay-off is ridiculous. The recipe below makes 6ish servings (it makes as much in the picture above), but you could probably half the ingredients or play around with it until it feeds as many as you'd like. Also, be aware that there is--in my rough estimation--7000 calories packed in here. But hey, that's comfort food for you.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. elbow macaroni
• 3 tblsp. butter (plus a little extra to grease the baking pan)
• 3 tblsp. flour
• 2 cups cream
• 6 cups of cheese (we used cheddar and monterey jack)
• 6 slices of bacon*
• Salt, pepper, and whatever spices you like (we used a mix of cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of nutmeg)
• breadcrumbs for topping

Directions:

• Prepare the macaroni according to the package (or, you know, boil it in water with a little bit of salt and oil, duh).
• Cook the bacon in a skillet, crumble or slice it, and make sure to reserve the delicious, greasy fat.
• Melt the butter in a sauce pan.
• Once the butter is done foaming, add the flour and whisk until all the lumps are gone.
• Let the roux (aka the butter and flour) darken to a sandy blonde.
• Whisk in salt, pepper, and spices
• Add the cream slowly, whisking the whole time until it's smooth.
• Dump in the cheese and whisk until everything is melted and tasty.
• Mix the cheese sauce, bacon bites, and drained pasta in the pasta pot.
• Pour the yummy mixture into a greased glass baking pan ( 13x9, maybe?).
• Spoon a few tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat into the breadcrumbs and mix until crumbly.
• Top your casserole with extra cheese and breadcrumbs.
• Bake at 375ish for 20ish minutes-- basically until the breadcrumbs are toasty and the cheese is bubbly.

*This is totally optional. I'd imagine you could also use a veggie, like peas. However, if you do opt out of the bacon, have some melted butter on hand to toss the breadcrumbs in.

-- Heather Robertson

Check It. Catchy tunes & literary seduction.

Today marks the release of Vampire Weekend's second album, Contra. It includes the single Cousins, as well as the very catchy Horchata.

Also available today is a peek inside the life of the legendary Warren Beatty (Bonnie and Clyde, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Shampoo, Dick Tracy, Bugsy, Bulworth) -- Peter Biskind's new book, Star: How Warren Beatty Seduced America has caused a stir even before its release with Biskind's calculation that the handsome (now married & father of four) ladies' man slept with 12,775 women before settling down with Annette Bening. I say it's worth a read for some juicy old Hollywood stories involving the likes of Jane Fonda and Joan Collins (and I'm guessing Beatty pal Jack Nicholson.)

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Vampire Weekend

Make It. Clothespin doormat.

It's time to get out the power tools and portable vice again. This project, making a doormat from doll's head clothespins and a small-gauge wire, is probably at the intermediate level of crafting, but definitely worth the trouble.

A nice doormat really sets the tone for your house. It can be welcoming, keep your floors slightly cleaner, and be a nice accessory. This doormat says "whoever lives here cared enough to get out the power drill just to make the floor nicer for you, visitor" -- at least, that's what I imagine it saying to my guests.

Eat In. French toast.

Breakfast? Best meal of the day. Don't even fight me on this. I will eat breakfast foods (there are so many options!) for days on end and will be completely happy. Actually, I almost do that anyway. I lead a simple life.

One of my favorite breakfast items? French toast. Sadly, this is a dish that takes planning from the night before and fancy ingredients like buttermilk (yes, buttermilk is considered fancy, and seriously, why would anyone have a gallon of it around?). Or is it?

Ah ha! There is, in fact, a quick and easy way around to getting a couple slices of French toast on your plate in just a few minutes, and it's actually quite delicious.

Eat Out. Zeyphr Vegetarian Cafe.

It's really hard to find good faux restaurants, even in a vegetarian-friendly area like Greater Los Angeles. Zeyphr Vegetarian Cafe may be one of my favorite faux-friendly, all-veggie places that is cheap and tasty.

The first time I visited Zeyphrs I got their BLT, skeptical that it might come with that funny, no-meat-in-this-meaty-dish taste, but it was excellent. Thicker than MorningStar bacon, this was actually more like bacon -- except flakier and less homogeneous.

Everything is served with a side of fresh salsa and blue corn chips, and the portions are generous.

I have a soft spot for places that have board games (because you actually feel like hanging around and spending some time there), and checkers, backgammon, and maybe Chinese checkers are there, along with plenty of magazines, giving it a stay-as-long-as-you-want feeling.

Zeyphr Vegetarian Cafe is located at 340 E. 4th Street in Long Beach.

-- Lauren Williams

Photo credit: Yelp!