Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Oprah Meets Ralph Lauren at his CO Ranch

Thank-You Oprah for interviewing Ralph Lauren today on his beautiful Colorado ranch. Enjoyed thoroughly!!! Ralph just never gets old! (Well he is getting old but he still looks dang good! And so does Ricky!)



RL Ranch Again!

Occupying some 16,000 acres beneath the snowcapped San Juan Mountains is the Double RL Ranch, the Colorado getaway of fashion designer Ralph Lauren and his wife, Ricky.
Yesterday we were all visiting about the movie "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee" which is a great movie-thanks D'Ann. Anyway I thought I would post one of my favorite issues of Architectural Digest (Nov. 2002) Ralph Lauren The Designer’s Sprawling Double RL Ranch in Colorado. Oh what a wonderful place-to be Ralph!
-D'Ann I hope you get to see the teepee at the bottom!
The ranch includes a main lodge, three guest tepees, beyond, and several outbuildings.



Main Lodge

The living room of the fourbedroom primary structure. Pieces from the Ralph Lauren Home collection, such as the suede sofa and club chair, fill the compound’s interiors. A work by Fritz Scholder is above the fireplace. The cowboy hat on the table in the foreground once belonged to John Wayne.


Master Bedroom

In the master bedroom, concho belts and an Indian chief blanket with an American flag motif, both 1880s, hang on a ledge holding an Apache olla basket, at right. The 19th-century breastplate with mirror, at left, is believed to have come from the Blackfoot Indian tribe.


Saloon/Screening Room

Art Nouveau-style lamps illuminate a living area that lies alongside a bar and dining area. On the mantel is a photogravure, left, by Edward S. Curtis, a chronicler of Native American culture. The canoe hanging above is a Canadian birchbark. Stickley wood chairs.


Saloon/Screening Room

Leather armchairs provide comfortable seating when the couple and their guests watch movies. “Although the ranch is a work in progress, there’s a real feeling of heritage here,” says Ralph Lauren. “Everything is authentic to me—and pleasing to my eye.”



Cookhouse

The couple often use the space to serve breakfast to family, including their three children, and the cowboys working at the ranch.


Cookhouse

The terrace faces the tack house. “After 20 years here, I still notice new things, depending on the time of day,” says Ralph Lauren.


Little Bear Cabin

The interior of the cabin, which is named after two curious bear cubs that frequented the area during construction, is lined with logs from an 1880s Montana barn. An Edward S. Curtis photogravure rests on the rock fireplace’s wood mantel.


Little Bear Cabin

The mudroom serves as a storage area for leather chaps, riatas, stirrups, early snowshoes from Taos and Native American-made fishing accessories.


Little Bear Cabin

Like most of the dwellings on the property, the space is equipped with accommodations for as many as eight visitors. Before the rock wall is a 19th-century painted stepback cupboard that was found in the South. On the table is a Santo Domingo dough bowl.A 14-foot-long Airstream, which was completely refurbished by Ralph Lauren, is one of four unique theme trailers previously auctioned for charity on the polo.com website. Under a pine ceiling stands a pullout peeled-log dining table. The floor is made from salvaged barnwood. (May 2001)



Guesthouse A pair of 1960s-style butterfly chairs flank the entrance to the 1960s silver Airstream trailer the couple offer to their guests. “The interiors are redesigned in an Army-surplus style,” the designer says. A canopy over the wood-plank platform protects visitors from the elements.


Tepee A collection of Indian blankets warms the inside of one of three guest tepees, which measures 28 feet in diameter. Since they have no heating or cooling systems, the structures are used in the milder months.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Tower of Herbs

Don't miss out on fresh herbs (or pay a lot for them at the market) just because you don't have a big yard. Situate this compact herb garden in a sunny spot near the kitchen door for easy snipping.

Chicken-and-Green Chile Enchiladas

Chicken-and-Green Chile Enchiladas
A rotisserie chicken helps make short work of this classic Mexican entrée. Luscious? Absolutely. In fact, we guarantee your family will clamor for seconds.

Ingredients



  • 3 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken

  • 2/3 cup Onion-and-Garlic Mixture

  • 2 (4-oz.) cans chopped green chiles

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

  • 3 (10-oz.) cans enchilada sauce, divided

  • 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend, divided

  • 8 (9-inch) burrito-size flour tortillas

Click Here For Recipe

9 Quick-Fixes with Rotisserie Chicken


Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut for recipes that call for chicken. Pick one up at your grocery deli today and make one of these easy meals tonight.