Meghan's show seems to be inspired by Martha Stewart and Ina Garten. It shows her making frittatas, popping bottles of chilled Champagne, and hosting a rotating guest list of friends in her ultra-luxurious Montecito neighborhood.

It was a new venture for the duchess, but the critics weren't impressed. They seemed to be in competition for who could come up with the harshest headline, calling it "toe-curlingly unlovable TV" and a "Montecito ego trip not worth taking."

Some thought Meghan was unrelatable, while others said she was too amateur. It all seemed pretty harsh for a series about making ladybug crostinis and jam.

I wouldn't know until I put the projects to the test — let the weekend begin.

I jolted awake before 7 a.m., as if my body knew it was about to spend 48 hours cosplaying as a Montecito princess. Unfortunately, that same body stayed up until 1 a.m. to watch Lady Gaga perform on the Coachella livestream the night before and was definitely feeling it.

Thankfully, Meghan believes in starting the day with carbs, so I made some avocado toast, just like I had seen her do on the show.

The recipe was simple enough. I spread avocado on my toasted slice of sourdough bread, sprinkled some salt, then topped it with a very un-Instagram-worthy fried egg.

I briefly considered making another one for a prettier picture, but there's no way I'm wasting eggs in this economy. A shower of flower sprinkles, which are part of Meghan's sold-out As Ever line, would have to suffice.

Meghan mentions visiting the Montecito Farmers Market on her show, so it only made sense that I stop by mine to grab ingredients for some of her dishes.

After picking up fresh veggies and some honey, I spotted a vendor with small blue flowers inside plastic containers.

"Are these edible?" I asked her.

"Of course," she replied.

A lady who was browsing nearby immediately turned around. She had been on the hunt for edible flowers as well.

"What are you using them for?" she asked.

"I'm … making Meghan Markle's flower ice cubes," I sheepishly confessed.

"I wanted them for her shortbread cookies!" she replied.

Maybe Meghan was more influential than the critics realized?

The first episode of Meghan's show revolves around everything she does to prepare when a guest is staying over. One of my best friends was staying the night during a layover in LA, so it was the perfect time to try some of Meghan's hosting tips.

Meghan says one of her "favorite things to do is prep a guest room," which includes preparing small bouquets of fresh flowers.

"What's at the side of the bed for them? That's their morning and good night moment," she adds.

Unfortunately for my friend Andrew, I don't have nightstands in my guest bedroom yet, so I made some "bookshelf blooms" instead. I followed Meghan's tip to remove some leaves from each stem, which she said allows the water to go straight to the bloom.

Meghan makes these floral ice cubes for lunch with her friends, calling them a little moment of "surprise and delight."

I plucked petals from the edible flowers, as well as some yellow florets that came with my purple cauliflower, and sprinkled them in my ice cube tray. According to Meghan, the trick is to then fill the cubes with distilled water so they come out clear instead of cloudy. It felt like an art project that would be fun to do with kids.

Even with the distilled water, I thought my cubes came out kind of cloudy, and I didn't love getting petals in my mouth once they had melted into the water.

For this project, the process was more fun than the result.

Meghan says these towels are "one of those easy surprises and delights that, after a long day, will bring a lot of joy," adding that it's the "least complicated thing on the planet."

Since Andrew was coming to my house after a five-hour flight from JFK, I figured a chilled towel would be a great way to greet him.

I opted for eucalyptus oil, adding six drops to a big bowl of water. Then, I dunked each small white towel into the bowl, ringing the water out before rolling them up and popping them into the fridge.

Once the towels were chilled, I placed them by the bathroom sink and added a few edible blooms for decoration.

The next morning, Andrew told me the entire bathroom had smelled of eucalyptus and was "so relaxing."

First, I needed to prepare Chantilly Lili, the dessert Meghan named after her daughter, Princess Lilibet, and recently shared with The New York Times.

It features homemade vanilla pudding layered with bananas and topped with fresh whipped cream, cookie crumbles, and macerated strawberries.

Since the pudding needs to chill overnight, I made it ahead of time so I could finish the dessert on Sunday. It only took about 10 minutes to whip up and stick in the fridge.

The New York Times calls this dish a "perfectly quick spring or summer dinner," a promise that doesn't apply to people with bad knife skills.

Meghan's spring garden pasta salad requires five different veggies to chop, dice, and slice, which took me around 30 minutes. I'm pretty slow with a knife and was already feeling tired from a day packed with projects, so the process was anything but soothing — even with Meghan's preferred cooking soundtrack of "French dinner party music" playing in the background.

Still, the spring garden pasta was a hit at my friend's barbecue that night. Everyone loved all the fresh flavors from the veggies, which were perfectly captured in each bite of floppy rigatoni.

It's a great side dish, but I'm not sure I'd make it again — at least not without an extra pair of hands!

I kicked things off with a crudité platter, which Meghan says she makes every day for Prince Harry and their children.

"There's nothing so fancy about a crudité platter, except that it's called crudité," she says in one episode, before making a stunning platter complete with edible flowers.

Per Meghan's instructions, I grabbed some rainbow carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, and purple cauliflower. I also displayed some veggies on beds of leftover Swiss chard to elevate the presentation.

The final step was drizzling olive oil into my store-bought hummus, another Meghan tip. The duchess says it's "always nice to decant your condiments," but I didn't have any cute serving dishes, so I used the bowl from a souvenir I got at Super Nintendo World — a sentence I'm sure has never been spoken in Montecito.

It was much quicker to make the Chantilly Lili than the spring garden pasta. After macerating the berries and making the fresh whipped cream, all I had to do was assemble.

Both my boyfriend and Andrew were impressed with the presentation. The dessert was light and fluffy and struck the perfect balance of sweetness. It's definitely something I would make again.

Probably one of the most cited — and derided — of Meghan's hosting tips was her love of transferring snacks from their original packaging into clear plastic bags, marked with a homemade label.

I knew I had to include it in my weekend in the name of journalism, so I diligently transferred peanut butter pretzels and popcorn into bags for Andrew to take on his flight to Sydney.

The bags looked cute, and getting my friend some snacks before a long flight was a lovely idea that I'd do again. Next time, though, I think I'll just leave them in the original packaging!

At the end of the first season of her show, Meghan tells the camera that "reconnecting with myself, it just gives me so much joy." And you know what? I believe her.

Spending the weekend being creative and staying off screens was refreshing and rewarding. Will I ever do eight different projects in less than 48 hours again? Probably not, but getting a dopamine hit from making flower art and cooking was much needed.

I don't think embracing the above makes Meghan a "trad wife," as many critics claim, just as it didn't make Martha Stewart or Ina Garten one when their shows premiered in the '90s and early 2000s. I think it's just about finding things to do that bring you joy once in a while.

Maybe the lesson from my weekend living like Meghan wasn't really about plastic goodie bags or bouquets. It was about taking the time to stop and smell the flowers … and the chilled eucalyptus towels.

Many wondered what Meghan's next move would be as she and Prince Harry continued to navigate their post-royal life.

There have been highs (the hit Netflix series "Harry & Meghan") and lows (that Spotify deal) along the way. However, in March 2024, Meghan revealed she was ready to venture into the lifestyle space with her new brand, American Riviera Orchard.

One year and a trademark dispute later, the brand has been renamed to As Ever and has a key investor in Netflix, which also released Meghan's new lifestyle show "With Love, Meghan," a Martha Stewart-style series that features the duchess in her ultra-luxurious Montecito neighborhood.

The show, which premiered on March 4, was derided by critics but still made Netflix's top 10 list and has already been renewed for a second season.

On April 4, Meghan released six items in her first As Ever collection.

There were mixes for crepes and shortbread cookies, three different teas, a tin of flower sprinkles, the famous jam (now called raspberry spread), and a limited-edition wildflower honey. We were able to buy everything except the honey, which sold out in five minutes.

With the exception of the $28 honey, each product cost between $12 and $15. Meghan recently told Fortune that she wanted her brand to look prestigious but have an "accessible and affordable" price point.

"I think during any time of recession, people still want to find creature comforts, items that can bring them joy," she added.

If you've seen "With Love, Meghan," then you know tea might be the only thing she loves making more than a crudité platter, so it didn't surprise me that it was a big part of her brand. The collection features hibiscus, peppermint, and lemon ginger teas, and each $12 tin comes with 12 sachets.

Each tea comes in a black and gold tin featuring a label with "As Ever" written in the Duchess of Sussex's lovely handwriting. At the top of each label is the gold As Ever logo, a palm tree flanked by two hummingbirds. It's definitely pretty enough to show off on your kitchen counter.

My one design critique? There's no branding on the tea bag labels! It's just a small blank white square. The little label would've been the perfect place to add the logo again or another nice touch to elevate the tea as it dangles from your cup.

Meghan recommends enjoying the hibiscus tea as she does with her children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet — by letting it "brew with the warmth of the sun." I popped a bag of hibiscus tea into my glass, letting it sit on my windowsill for a few hours.

There was something romantic about watching the color bloom into a bright and beautiful fuchsia hue every time I walked by my kitchen.

Per Meghan's instructions, I served the tea over ice, which allowed its flavor to sing. The floral notes were subtle, with a delightful pop of tartness.

According to the packaging, this tea was inspired by a "soothing tincture of lemon and ginger" that Meghan has been making "for years."

I have a Greek mother who believes chamomile tea can cure just about any ailment, whether it be a cold, a tummy ache, or a bout of sadness. When I poured a hot cup of Meghan's lemon ginger tea and breathed in deeply, the smells brought me back to being a kid again.

Along with lemon and ginger, the blend has lemongrass, lemon peel, licorice root, and spearmint (all organic, of course). It makes for a very soothing cup of tea.

I compared Meghan's peppermint tea to a bag from the Traditional Medicinals box I had in my kitchen, and it was hard to discern the difference between the two, although the As Ever bag had a bit of a deeper flavor.

It's not exactly groundbreaking, but it's a nice cup of tea!

"Why does a crepe feel more special than a pancake? I don't know, but it does," Meghan says before making a version of these crepes on her show.

According to her newsletter and the As Ever website, the mix was inspired by the crepes Meghan ate at Parisian cafés when she was backpacking as a student. She promises the $14 mix is "easy to prepare and endlessly adaptable."

My first crepe was a pale and soggy mess that went straight into the trash. This is through no fault of Meghan's instructions — I'm just not a very confident home chef.

But as Meghan repeatedly says in her show, "we're not in the pursuit of perfection, we're in the pursuit of joy," so I tried again. And again.

By the third crepe, I was getting the hang of it, and by the fifth, I felt like a total pro. "Am now domestic goddess," I thought to myself. (Apparently, my internal voice is now Bridget Jones.)

While making homemade crepes seemed extremely daunting, it was validating to know that even I could quickly whip them up at home. And they were delicious!

The crepes came out light and crispy, providing a bit of crunch with each bite. I followed Meghan's recommendation to try them with a chocolate hazelnut spread, a lovely little sweet treat my boyfriend couldn't get enough of.

Meghan calls herself a "preserving nerd" and clearly loves to make homemade batches. The Duchess of Sussex told Fortune that she'd been sending her homemade products to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos every Christmas for years.

The $14 As Ever raspberry spread is based on her recipe and comes in a special keepsake box. According to the website, a $9 version sans box will be available soon.

I've seen complaints that Meghan's raspberry spread is "runny." But as she notes on the website, the spread has been crafted with a "fluid texture so it can be drizzled, spread, poured, and enjoyed for so much more than your morning toast."

I personally liked the texture and that I could see dozens of seeds in every spoonful. It made the spread feel like something a friend had crafted in their kitchen. It's slightly sweet, with a refreshing zing from its lemon juice.

I ran into a few issues while making the shortbread cookie mix, which costs $14.

The box says that your batter should become "light and creamy," which… wasn't the case for me. My batter was powdery and dry, and I struggled to roll the dough onto my counter without it breaking apart.

After some panic Googling, I added a few drops of cold water to help bind the dough. I was able to form the dough into a log and placed it in my fridge for an hour to chill.

After taking the dough out of the oven, I could easily slice the cookies.

I filled two baking sheets with about 20 cookies and still had over a quarter of the dough left over to store in my freezer.

Meghan tells Mindy Kaling on her show that the flower sprinkles are "just an accessory." But she loves putting them on almost everything, including doughnuts, salad, and eggs.

They added more of a pop to the cookies, which came out pretty pale from the oven. I wish the instructions had included some of the tricks Meghan uses while making these on her show, including adding a little egg wash on top, which would've helped turn them golden, and rolling the sides in sugar to add some needed sweetness.

Still, the shortbread was a great base for the raspberry spread, and my boyfriend and I found that the cookies were slowly growing on us.

"These are actually good," he declared the next day.

After finishing Meghan's new Netflix show, I told my friend Sam that it felt like the equivalent of placing cucumbers over your eyes for an at-home spa day.

"It doesn't ultimately do anything for your skin, but boy, is it relaxing!" she replied, calling it the perfect metaphor.

I'm not surprised Meghan is playing it safe, both with the first season of her show and with her first collection of products. She's tentatively staging a comeback and is all too aware that just about everything she does will be picked apart in the process.

Her first As Ever collection is full of solid products I'd happily use again — especially those delicious crepes. But I hope we see Meghan take some risks and infuse her brand with a bit more personality as she gains more confidence in the lifestyle space.

I decided to travel to Japan after a friend's wedding in Sydney and booked an economy ticket on Singapore Airlines. There are four different tiers of economy — lite, value, standard, and flexi — but only standard was available on my flight.

The trip, which included a layover in Singapore, cost $814.

While booking my Singapore Airlines ticket, I was surprised to find that I could select seats on both of my flights for free. I could even choose one of the "Forward Zone" seats, which are closer to the doors and allow you to disembark first from economy. This felt like a great option since my layover at Changi Airport was less than an hour and a half.

Plus, I got to pick the window seat (my favorite) for both flights.

I'm a notorious overpacker. If there were a gold medal for shuffling items from your checked bag to carry-on to meet the 50-pound limit of most US airlines, I would be the Simone Biles of the sport. It's a natural gift — I don't even have to train!

So, I was shocked when the Singapore Airlines attendant told me I needed to put more stuff in my checked bag, not less. She informed me that the weight limit for checked bags in economy is 30 kilograms, or about 66 pounds. If you fly Singapore Airlines on economy lite or value, the limit is 25 kilograms, or about 55 pounds.

Being able to unload my overstuffed carry-on and gallivant around duty-free was an unexpected pre-flight treat.

It was a small detail, but I appreciated that I could immediately sit and start watching a movie without waiting for an attendant to pass out the headphones.

As someone who's only flown economy, I've become all too accustomed to the increasingly shrinking seats.

However, I was flying on an Airbus A380-800, the world's largest commercial aircraft, and it had some very comfortable seats — even in economy. My seat, which was 19 inches wide, felt surprisingly spacious.

They both felt like major upgrades from the paper-thin sheet and flimsy maxi-pad-esque contraption I've received during long-haul flights on various US airlines.

When I first sat down, I was surprised I could still stretch out my legs, even with my backpack under the seat in front of me.

Once the woman in my row and I realized no one would be taking the seat between us, we easily slid both of our backpacks under the middle seat and enjoyed the extra space.

Under the left corner of my screen were buttons to turn on the overhead light and call the attendant, plus an outlet to charge my phone. Under the right corner was a stand-alone drink holder. There was also a shelf under my screen, which I used to store my headphones when I wasn't watching anything.

I also appreciated the four separate pockets in front of my seat. I could easily store my phone, book, magazine, charger, and water bottle in all of them.

According to its website, Singapore Airlines offers over 1,900 on-demand options via its KrisWorld in-flight entertainment system.

There was just about every recent Oscar nominee available, including "Wicked," "Sing Sing," and "The Substance," the latter of which I didn't feel brave enough to watch on a plane.

TV options included food shows, kid programs, and classics like "Law & Order" and "The Golden Girls."

The custom, known in Japanese as "oshibori," has been a longtime signature of the Singapore Airlines brand. Each towel is perfumed with the airline's "Batik Flora" scent, which combines the floral notes of various flowers that are native to Singapore.

Just as soon as I had given my hands a refreshing cleanse, an attendant returned moments later to retrieve the towel.

Who hasn't chugged their little drink on a plane because there wasn't enough space?

But, thanks to the stand-alone cupholder, I could leisurely sip on my complimentary glass of white wine as I snacked on the peas and cracker snack and read my book.

Every tray included an entrée of chicken or fish (the vegetarian meals had already been served), bread, a small noodle salad, Australian cheese and crackers, and a mini water bottle. I was surprised it came with metal cutlery rather than the plastic or wood I'm used to seeing in economy.

I started with the salad, which featured vermicelli noodles and shrimp cooked far more delicately than expected for an in-flight meal. The shrimp were plump and fresh, pairing well with the light, tangy dressing that covered each noodle.

I opted for the chicken entrée, which was solid. The meat was tender and covered in sauce, while the potatoes were well-cooked but under-seasoned.

It wasn't exactly gourmet, but it was a huge upgrade from the undercooked pasta and rubbery meat I've had on many long-haul flights with US airlines. (And I'll never forget the tortilla filled with a cut-up hot dog.)

The delicious vanilla fudge brownie was a highlight of the flight. It featured a chocolate crunch on the bottom that satisfyingly snapped with every bite.

We were offered a choice between a sandwich with sweet potato and cheese or sweet chili chicken. I chose the latter, which was fine. I couldn't taste the sweet chili, but it was a nice, warm snack.

At the end of the day, economy is economy. Still, the experience has become increasingly uncomfortable as US carriers shrink their seats and add more fees.

By comparison, flying on Singapore Airlines felt like a breath of fresh air. From the hot towel and spacious seats to the decent in-flight entertainment and food options, my nine-hour flight seemed to fly by.

It's easy to see why Singapore Airlines consistently ranks among the top in the world. I can't wait to fly on one of its planes again.

The dish appears in Garten's 2016 cookbook, "Cooking for Jeffrey," which features recipes she loves making for her husband.

Garten also demonstrated how to make the dish on a 2017 episode of "Barefoot Contessa," telling viewers: "You can make the whole thing in one big pot, bring it to the table, and everyone loves it."

I'm a huge fan of easy one-pot dinners, and I love mixing sausage with pasta. So, obviously, I had to try it.

To make Garten's pasta for six, you'll need:

• 1 pound of rigatoni pasta
• 1 ¼ pound of sweet Italian sausages (casings removed)
• 3 cups of chopped fennel
• 1 cup of freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
• 1 ½ cups of yellow onion (chopped)
• ½ cup of parsley leaves (chopped)
• 1 cup of dry white wine
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• ⅔ cup of half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (2 cloves)
• ½ teaspoon of whole fennel seeds (crushed)
• ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes

I began by chopping my onions and garlic, then crushed my fennel seeds. Per Garten's advice, I used a mortar and pestle to get them just right.

Last but not least was chopping the fennel, where I ran into trouble. Garten's recipe states that one large fennel bulb should be enough to make three cups of chopped fennel. My fennel bulb was not nearly big enough, only giving me about half that amount.

So when you make this at home, I recommend buying at least two fennel bulbs so you don't run into the same issue — and make sure they're sizable!

I drizzled some olive oil into my pot and placed it over medium heat before throwing in the veggies.

I sautéed the fennel and onions for about six minutes, stirring occasionally until they became tender.

Before adding the sausages to my sauce, I had to remove their casings.

I actually learned a great tip on how to do this when I first made Gordon Ramsay's 15-minute pasta with sausage Bolognese. Ramsay recommends lightly slicing each sausage down the middle to help remove the skin, making the process easy.

I crumbled the sausage with a spatula and let it cook for around seven minutes, until the meat became nicely browned.

I threw in the garlic, crushed fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes, along with two teaspoons of salt and one teaspoon of black pepper — letting everything cook together for another minute.

Since Garten's recipe recommends a dry white wine, I opted for a pinot grigio.

This is also when I added the tomato paste.

Per Garten's instructions, I let my sauce simmer for 20 minutes until it had thickened.

I brought a large pot of water to a boil and added two tablespoons of salt.

After adding the pasta to the pot, I let the rigatoni noodles cook for 14 minutes.

I stirred everything together and let my rigatoni cook over low heat for five minutes, allowing the pasta to absorb the sauce.

"A little fresh green in there always helps," Garten said while cooking this dish on "Barefoot Contessa."

I loved the color of Garten's rigatoni pasta. It had a pinkish tint that reminded me a bit of her delicious five-cheese penne, which I'm a huge fan of.

The bright-green parsley added a nice extra pop of color to the noodles, and everyone looked excited as I brought the big pot over to the dinner table — just like Garten had promised.

The Parmesan cheese adds so much richness to the pasta that my boyfriend compared it to Garten's mac and cheese (another favorite). Rigatoni is the perfect noodle for capturing all that meat and sauce, and I loved how the sweetness of the sausage balanced the saltiness of the Parmesan.

I think the pasta could be just a tad too rich for some, though if I'd had the correct amount of fennel, it probably would've helped cut through the cheesiness. I'd also recommend using a quarter cup of Parmesan first and tasting the sauce before adding more.

But, overall, this pasta has some great flavors. And if you love cheese, it will make a great one-pot dinner.

From pastitsio (the Greek version of lasagna) and lemon potatoes to avgolemono soup and baklava, my dad has a Greek dish for any occasion and season.

His youvetsi is perfect whenever you need an easy dinner that's both comforting and delicious.

Here's how to make it.

To make a pan of youvetsi for four to five people, you'll need:

• 16-ounce box of Barilla orzo pasta
• 1 pound of beef cubes (my dad buys the pre-cut beef for stew)
• 1 cup of parsley
• 1 clove of garlic
• ⅔ cup of jarred marinara sauce
• ½ of a white onion
• ¾ cup of red wine
• ¼ cup of olive oil

Pro tip: The ratio of orzo to water depends on the type of orzo you use, and it can make a huge difference in the taste and texture of your youvetsi. My dad has only tested this recipe with Barilla orzo, so he recommends sticking to that or something very similar.

All you need to do is chop the parsley and onion, plus mince the garlic.

My dad uses his Presto pressure cooker whenever he makes youvetsi, but you can apply this same process to your own quick pot — just make sure to adjust the cooking time.

If you don't have a quick pot or pressure cooker, don't stress! You can cook the beef in a regular pot as well. After you add the wine and water, cover the pot and let the meat cook slowly for about an hour and 30 minutes. Just note that a regular pot will require far more water to cook the meat.

Cook the meat cubes until they're slightly brown.

Cook everything together for one to two minutes, until the onions are translucent.

We used a bottle of merlot for this youvetsi, but pinot noir also works well.

Make sure there's enough water to cover the meat.

After a few minutes, the valve of the pressure cooker will begin rocking. My dad says you should then let the meat cook for an additional 11 minutes.

Be careful with the hot pot!

My dad recommends using a 13-inch by 9-inch pan to serve four to five people.

Add your jarred marinara sauce to the bowl and mix everything together.

If there isn't enough juice for four full cups, just add water.

Bring the pot to a boil and let everything cook for around one minute.

Place your pan on the middle rack of the oven and cook at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 17 minutes.

Then, sample some orzo and make sure it's al dente. If it tastes too dry, add ¼ cup water and cook your pasta for a few more minutes.

This allows the orzo to absorb the remaining juices.

Youvetsi is such a great comfort meal. The meat is soft, tender, and juicy, melting into your mouth with each bite. I also love that this dish uses orzo (or kritharaki, as the Greeks call it). The light pasta serves as a nice contrast to the heavy meat, making this dish perfect for any season.

I know nostalgia plays a huge factor in comfort food, but I'm confident that so many families would love my dad's youvetsi.

Plus, who doesn't want a dish that gets dinner on the table in 30 minutes?

After many cooking trials, my dad believes this youvetsi is perfect for anyone craving an easy dinner — and I agree.

My dad has since also tested this recipe with chicken, which takes even less work than beef.

"Using chicken has the advantage that you don't need the pressure cooker," he told me. "You just sear it on the pan, then you put it together with the orzo in the oven for 20 minutes, and it's done."

Whichever way you decide to make it, I know my dad's youvetsi will deliver an easy and delicious Greek dinner. Enjoy!

To make Garten's pasta at home, you'll need:

• 1 pound of dried orecchiette pasta
• 2 bunches of broccoli rabe (2 to 2.5 pound total)
• ½ pound of sweet Italian pork sausage
• ½ pound of hot Italian pork sausage
• 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
• 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 14.5-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• ⅓ cup of good olive oil
• ½ cup of dry red wine
• ¼ cup of tomato paste

I couldn't find sweet Italian pork sausage at my local supermarket, so I mixed spicy and mild Italian pork sausages instead, and the dish still turned out great.

I placed the sausages on a sheet pan and pricked each one with a fork multiple times, per Garten's instructions.

Once the oven was ready, I placed my sheet pan inside and set a timer for 15 minutes. Garten says you should roast the sausages until they're just cooked through. She also recommends turning them once as they roast, which I did at the seven-minute mark.

Garten recommends heating the olive oil over medium heat.

I sautéed the slices for about five minutes, stirring frequently until the meat had browned.

I cooked everything together for an extra minute.

I crushed each San Marzano tomato with my hand over the pot, throwing in the leftover chunks and juice from each can. Then, I added the red wine and tomato paste, as well as 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper for seasoning.

The sauce had turned a vivid bright red and already looked so delicious.

Garten recommends seasoning the water with 1 tablespoon of salt.

Garten recommends trimming the broccoli rabe to "just below the leaves" and discarding the stems. Then, cut the leafy part of the broccoli rabe crosswise into 2-inch pieces.

Once the pasta was ready, I added the broccoli rabe to my pot. Garten says you should cook them together for an additional two to three minutes until the pasta is al dente and the broccoli is "crisp-tender."

I'm embarrassed to admit that my first instinct was to immediately reach into the water and grab the phone. But only my thumb managed to get in before my friend Kristen, who had been calmly sipping wine behind me just seconds earlier, thankfully interjected.

"ANNETA, NOT WITH YOUR HANDS," she screamed. "SCOOP IT! SCOOP IT!"

I grabbed the nearby slotted pasta spoon and scooped the phone out, throwing it on a towel as my thumb pulsed with heat. Somehow, it was still working.

Per Garten's instructions, I reserved half the pasta water before draining the pot.

My phone, albeit extremely hot to the touch, was somehow still able to take pictures.

I turned off the heat and stirred in the Parmesan cheese, adding a teaspoon of salt for seasoning. Per Garten's advice, I also added a splash of the pasta water.

"You don't want it to be soupy, but you want it to be really moist," she said in an episode of "Barefoot Contessa" while demonstrating the recipe.

This Barefoot Contessa pasta has so many flavors, and they all work beautifully together.

Mixing the two flavors of sausages added depth and savoriness, while the broccoli rabe brought pops of color and freshness. It's a hearty and garlicky dish with a lovely red sauce that instantly warms you up. My friend Kristen was also a fan.

"The orecchiette was perfect for scooping up delightful, balanced bites of spicy and sweet, with a robust finish from the red wine," she told me when I asked for her review.

Garten says this is a great pasta to make on the weekends because it "reheats beautifully for a quick midweek meal." I can attest that the leftovers still tasted absolutely delicious, with the pasta soaking up even more of the sauce's flavors.

This will definitely rank high on my ongoing list of the best Barefoot Contessa pasta recipes, and there will be plenty more to come — hopefully with less drama.

To whip up Fieri's burger at home, you'll need:

• Ground beef (Fieri recommends 80% lean, 20% fat)
• American cheese slices
• Brioche buns
• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Onion
• Pickles

I was surprised when Fieri told me he uses brioche instead of sesame-seed buns for his perfect burger. But I loved using brioche for Gordon Ramsay's breakfast sandwich, so I was excited about the swap.

The Mayor of Flavortown told me it was important to "slice your tomato and cut those white onions so thin that they only have one side."

In just a few minutes, I had chopped the veggies for four burgers.

I kept the seasoning simple with just some salt and pepper.

Per Fieri's recommendation, I buttered the buns and popped them in the oven to get them nice and toasty.

Fieri told me it was important to place my burgers "on the hottest griddle or cast iron pan you can get."

"You smash it down hard; we're talking a half-inch thick," Fieri told me.

Once the sides of my patty got crunchy, I flipped it over to let the other side brown up.

I waited until my patty reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit — which took around two-and-a-half minutes — since I wanted a medium burger.

Fieri told me he loves using American cheese slices on burgers because "they melt really well."

Fieri recommends squirting some water around your burger and then placing "some sort of dome or metal bowl" over it.

"That steam will melt your cheese before you overcook your burger," he told me.

I didn't have a metal bowl on hand, so I used an old Marie Callender's pie tin that was still in my parents' kitchen. MacGyver would be proud!

It was time to build the burger!

First, I added the tomato and onion slices before throwing the pickles on top. I placed my shredded lettuce on the burger's other bun.

I've never made my own burger before (I know, I know, I'm learning!), and I was surprised by how easy it was.

Fieri's recipe barely took me 10 minutes from start to finish, and the towering burger looked straight out of a restaurant.

But I've tried some of the best burgers in New York City. So how would Fieri's recipe stand up to the likes of Peter Luger?

The first thing I noticed was that the burger was perfectly cooked. It was juicy on the inside but nice and crisp on the outside. Fieri's dome trick definitely paid off.

And I loved the brioche bun as a base. It carried the burger and all of its fixings well and added a little more flavor to every bite with that hint of signature sweetness.

"The brioche complements the burger. It adds another texture to it," my dad said.

"The cheese is buttery almost, and I like the colors, too," my mom added.

Fieri's known for his wildly creative recipes, but his simple burger is my favorite yet.

It's everything that a great burger should be — juicy, crispy, and cheesy. And the whole thing takes just 10 minutes to make.

I can't wait to pay Flavortown a visit again and whip up Fieri's burger for a holiday weekend.

To make Garten's blondies at home, you'll need:

• 1 ¼ pounds of semisweet chocolate chunks
• 2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ pound (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups of chopped walnuts
• 1 cup of light-brown sugar, lightly packed
• ½ cup of granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt

Since I was making these blondies for a large group, I opted to skip the walnuts.

I also didn't realize I had bought chocolate chips instead of chocolate chunks until I got home from the supermarket. I don't think it affected the results, so feel free to use either based on your preference or what you already have!

Garten recommends using an 8-by-12-by-2-inch pan for this recipe. She also advises flouring the pan after greasing it, which I forgot to do — whoops!

I was still able to easily remove the baked blondies from the pan with a rubber spatula, so don't fret if you make the same mistake.

I added the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar to a big bowl, then used my handheld electric mixer on high speed to mix everything for three minutes.

Garten says you'll know it's ready when the batter has turned light and fluffy.

Garten advises scraping down the bowl as you add each egg, making sure to mix the batter well.

Per Garten's instructions, I sifted the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

It was almost time to bake!

You would also add the walnuts during this step.

Garten says to bake the blondies for 30 minutes exactly, using a toothpick to check that it's ready.

"Don't overbake!" she writes in the recipe description. "The toothpick may have melted chocolate on it, but it shouldn't have wet batter."

The blondies had turned an enticing shade of golden brown, eliciting a big round of oohs and aahs when I presented them to my book club.

The best word to describe these blondies is luscious. They were baked to perfection, with the chocolate melting into my mouth with each bite. Each moist square felt like eating an extra soft cookie, with just enough crispiness to keep the texture interesting.

"Three words: chunky, decadent, delicious," my friend Kayla said when I asked for a review.

Garten's recipe was also straightforward and quick. Prep and cooking took 45 minutes in total. As the Barefoot Contessa herself would say, how easy is that?

If you're looking for an impressive dessert that doesn't take a lot of time or money from your grocery budget, Garten's blondies are the perfect sweet treat.

Carbone told me this dish reminds him of the southern Italian seafood pastas he grew up eating with his family in Queens.

"What I love about it most is that it's bright, acidic, and clean," he said. "There's no murkiness whatsoever, mainly because the tomato sauce and shrimp don't spend a lot of time together in the pan."

The Carbone Fine Food team developed the recipe to pair with its line of sauces. In addition to the arrabbiata, which is used in Carbone's penne with spicy shrimp, you can try the marinara, tomato basil, roasted garlic, and more.

To make the dish at home, you'll need:

• Shrimp
• Penne pasta
• Carbone's arrabbiata sauce
• Garlic
• Parsley
• Chili flakes

If you don't have the sauce on hand, Carbone said you can always whip up your own. His sauce is made with Italian tomatoes (whole peeled tomatoes, tomato purée, sea salt, basil), along with onions, olive oil, sea salt, garlic, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and oregano.

Since I was whipping up pasta for three people, I chopped up nine sprigs of parsley and minced three cloves of garlic.

I cracked off their tails to make the process easier — and quicker.

I sliced down the back of each shrimp with a knife, making sure not to cut them in half. Then, I used the tip of my blade to remove the dark vein running down the middle.

To make three servings, I used two-thirds of a 16-ounce box of penne pasta.

Carbone notes that it's important not to brown the garlic. Simply wait until the oil is infused and aromatic.

I seasoned the shrimp with a pinch of salt and plenty of chili flakes — I like a kick.

"There's no need to be too delicate with the shrimp," Carbone told me. "You want to cook it somewhat aggressively, almost toasting it."

"This recipe calls for penne, but so many shapes would work well with the sauce — try it with angel hair, for instance," Carbone said. "No matter what, though, make sure it's al dente."

Carbone's pro tip? Cook the pasta for one to two minutes less than the package says to ensure you get it perfect.

I slid the pan to a different burner and then drained my pasta.

The parsley gave a beautiful burst of color to the pan. I couldn't wait to dig in.

I thought just penne and shrimp might be a little too plain, but Carbone's recipe packs plenty of heat and flavor.

The arrabbiata sauce and chili flakes give each bite a nice kick without overwhelming the palate. Even my dad, who doesn't love spicy food, said it was the perfect amount of heat.

And both my mom and I agreed it was a great light pasta dish.

"It reminds me of eating spaghetti and fish by the beach in Greece," she told me.

However, I believe everything is better with cheese, especially feta. I added some on top, along with some freshly ground black pepper, and loved the extra bite it gave to the penne.

While I'll have to wait until my next NYC trip for Carbone's spicy rigatoni, his delicious penne and shrimp pasta is a cheap and easy dish when I need something quick.

To make Garten's tomato soup at home, you'll need:

• 4 cups of chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 3 cups of yellow onions, chopped (about 2 onions)
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
• ½ cup of orzo
• ½ cup of heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons of good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
• A large pinch of saffron threads

As Garten always says, store-bought is fine! But if you have time, I highly recommend making Garten's homemade chicken stock. I love making a big batch in the winter and keeping it stocked in the freezer whenever a soup craving hits.

Plus, you can use the leftover stock to make Garten's delicious chicken pot pie and ravioli en brodo soups. To borrow another Barefoot Contessa quote: How good is that?

Garten's grilled cheese croutons include:

• 4 (½-inch-thick) slices of country white bread
• 4 ounces of Gruyère cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted

All I had to do was chop the onions, grate the cheese, and mince the garlic.

I cooked the onions over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring them occasionally.

I cooked everything together for an extra minute.

I crushed each San Marzano tomato with my hand over the pot, then threw in the leftover juice from each can.

I added the chicken stock and saffron threads, stirring everything together before seasoning the broth with 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper.

Garten says to let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.

I filled a pot with water and seasoned it with two teaspoons of salt. After bringing the water to a boil, I added the orzo and cooked it for seven minutes.

Garten notes in her recipe that the orzo will finish cooking in the soup.

I placed four slices of bread on a cutting board, lightly brushing them with the melted butter.

Per Garten's advice, I made sure to butter the corners of each slice.

I used the remaining slices to make two sandwiches, placing them right on top of the cheese with the buttered sides facing up.

In her recipe, Garten says the grilled cheese croutons are "very easy to make" if you have an electric panini grill, but I also found them extremely easy to make on the stove.

I just threw each sandwich on the pan, making sure to toast each side for about two minutes, until the bread turned nice and crispy.

Once the sandwiches were toasted, I placed both on a cutting board and allowed them to rest.

As the heavy cream swirled into the broth, the color began transforming into a bright and cheerful orange.

Garten says to stir the soup frequently while it simmers.

Garten recommends cutting the croutons into 1-inch cubes.

The broth of Garten's tomato soup has so much flavor that I couldn't believe it had been on the stove for less than an hour. The broth is both light and rich, with a silky texture that danced on my tongue. The grilled cheese croutons are also an inspired touch, infusing each sip with a delicious dash of gooey cheesiness.

I usually skip tomato soup because I've always found its texture and flavor lacking, but Garten has proved it can deliver both with this recipe. Plus, with such little prep and kitchen time required, it's a great dinner for a chilly weeknight.

This is the only way I plan to eat tomato soup from now on.

To make Garten's comforting pasta dish, you'll need:

• 1 pound of ground lamb
• 1 pound of rigatoni (Garten recommends De Cecco)
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes (such as San Marzano)
• 1 pound of fresh mozzarella
• ½ cup of freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese
• 2 ½ cups of dry red wine (Garten recommends Chianti or Côtes du Rhône)
• ⅔ cup of heavy cream
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 1 medium fennel bulb, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon of whole fennel seeds, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

There's a lot to this recipe, so it might help to have a sous chef. I had my friend Zach, who loves making pasta, on hand to help me with this cooking project.

First, per Garten's instructions, I chopped my yellow onion, diced my carrots and fennel bulb, minced the garlic, and roughly chopped the fennel seeds.

First, we added the onion, carrots, and fennel to the pot.

We sautéed the veggies for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until they began to brown.

We let the mixture cook for eight minutes, breaking up the lamb with a wooden spoon and stirring until it was no longer pink.

We added the tomato paste and two cups of red wine (I went with Chianti), along with the oregano, red pepper flakes, and some salt and pepper.

I also threw in the San Marzano tomatoes, which I crushed in the pot with a wooden spoon.

I brought the Dutch oven to a boil, then lowered the heat and let it simmer — partly covered — for 40 minutes.

Per Garten's instructions, I also stirred the sauce occasionally while it was cooking.

I brought a large pot of water to boil, added salt, and then threw in the box of rigatoni. Garten recommends cooking your noodles until they're "barely al dente."

I took the Dutch oven off the heat and stirred in the remaining half cup of Chianti.

Garten's recipe calls for grating half of the fresh mozzarella on a box grater and slicing the other half.

Grating mozzarella is no easy feat. We tried one of Zach's tricks — putting the cheese in the freezer for a bit to harden it — but the task was still a struggle, so we ultimately used a knife to chop up the rest.

First, we whisked the eggs and cream together in a bowl, then added it to the rigatoni.

We threw in some more salt and pepper, per Garten's instructions, and mixed everything together.

We sprinkled everything with Parmesan cheese, then arranged the slices of mozzarella right on top.

The dish already looked delicious, but, alas, we'd have to wait. We set the timer for 40 minutes and popped the dish in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

We took the baking dish out of the oven and sprinkled some parsley on top before serving it to our very excited (and very hungry) friends, who thought it had been worth the wait.

"The melted mozzarella on top of the lamb ragù added the perfect amount of creamy cheesiness, and the lamb was melt-in-your-mouth cooked to perfection," my friend Tyler said. "The sauce was so good."

"The dish reminded me of a cross between Bolognese and a baked ziti!" my friend Sara added. "Definitely a labor of love, but to someone not cooking, highly worth it!"

My sous chef, Zach, also loved the taste, although he didn't agree that it was worth the extra effort.

"As Prue would say on 'The Great British Bake-off,' it was worth the calories — but I wouldn't say it was worth the time," he said. "While it was definitely fun cooking it, I think you could genuinely make a dish that was 90% as good with just focusing on the ragù and broiling the pasta versus fully baking it."

The cooking process for Garten's baked rigatoni was definitely laborious, and I agree with Zach that the lamb ragù would make an incredible sauce even without the extra baking time. But you can also make most of the dish a day in advance. Per Garten's advice, just follow all the steps for the ragù, refrigerate it, and bake it just before serving the next day.

Garten's "outrageous" garlic bread was so good that it almost stole the show from the lamb ragù. Everyone loved the crunchy exterior, and the lemon zest and parsley on top added a nice brightness to all that garlic.

"I could have eaten an entire baguette's worth of the garlic bread," Tyler said.

Overall, the two dishes were perfect comfort food, just as Garten promised. When winter feels never-ending — as this one certainly has — what better way to get through than with some garlic bread and ragù?

Once a farm of lemon and black walnut trees, the property became an established beach hotel by 1910, according to Rosewood Miramar Beach's website.

Originally named Miramar By The Sea, the hotel was beloved by legendary newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, who would stop by on his way to Hearst Castle.

Miramar closed in 2000 and remained empty for nearly two decades. Caruso purchased the estate in 2007, and after years of renovations, the Rosewood Miramar Beach opened in 2019.

Rosewood Miramar Beach is currently one of only 15 properties worldwide to hold a triple Five-Star title from the Forbes Travel Guide, which means its hotel, restaurant, and spa have all received five stars.

But those aren't the only stars attached to the resort. Rosewood Miramar Beach also quickly caught the attention of Hollywood, attracting everyone from Patrick Schwarzenegger and Larry David to Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian, who got engaged at the property in 2021.

One of my favorite places in the 16-acre property was this gorgeous hall in the resort's main building.

The classic red roses popped against the black-and-white checkerboard floor, which was illuminated by a dazzling chandelier and flanked by a spiral staircase. It felt opulent and modern all at once.

Rosewood Miramar Beach has 119 rooms and 34 suites, offering garden bungalows or beach-facing retreats that start at $1,695 a night. Business Insider received a media rate for accommodations and dining during the two-night stay.

My stylish 960-square-foot suite came with a large wooden deck with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean.

The interior leaned into the nautical theme with textured blue-and-white pinstripe wallpaper, blue and gold lamps, and complimentary beach bags.

It was a warm and charming room, unafraid of mixing bold fabrics and chic fixtures that added plenty of personality.

AMA Sushi's interior is a beautiful study of sleek Japanese minimalism. The marble sushi bar seemed to glow against the dark wood walls while a fireplace roared under a moody painting of the moon. The atmosphere was both serene and sexy.

Our $135 omakase menu began with a delicious snow crab, followed by a sashimi course featuring bluefin tuna.

One of my favorite dishes of the night was the delicious red miso soup with clams, which, per Japanese tradition, came at the end of dinner.

With its wood-paneled walls, velvet seats, and stuffed bookshelves, The Manor Bar felt like the kind of library you'd find at a sprawling estate in the English countryside. The lights were dim, but the bar was packed and brimming with energy. I was almost shocked it didn't smell like cigar smoke.

As a former English major, I loved the creative cocktail menu, which featured drinks named after iconic literary villains. The "Lady Macbeth" melded gin with pineapple, roasted banana, and cinnamon, while the "Tom Buchanan" had two types of Johnnie Walker whiskey, plus tawny port and bitters.

Even the rainy morning couldn't damper my mood as I watched the ocean from the comfort of my plush king bed.

The French doors offered a perfect sea view, making the suite feel incredibly romantic.

The Revere Room's Tiffany-blue walls were covered in illustrations of white roses and bluebirds. Frosted Christmas trees twinkled in the corner for the holidays while natural light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling French doors.

We started with the gluten-free lemon ricotta pancakes, which had a lovely fluffy texture and were served with a delicious blueberry sauce. Then came the breakfast sammie, which stuffed a fried egg, bacon, and Havarti cheese between two soft and flaky homemade sourdough slices.

The centerpiece of Rosewood Miramar Beach is the Manor House, which includes the lobby, ocean-view guest rooms, luxury retail stores, The Manor Bar, and The Revere Room.

Tucked behind the Manor House is a massive and perfectly manicured lawn, which made me feel like I was in someone's incredibly nice backyard. Since the resort is kid and pet-friendly, the lawn was frequently filled with children chasing after their adorable pups.

The resort could have easily coasted on its beach access alone, but every inch of the estate is designed to evoke beauty and elegance.

The air is naturally perfumed with scents from the gardenia and lavender bushes, while citrus, olive, and fishtail palm trees dot the property. Everything was pruned to perfection, nary a leaf or petal out of place.

Rick Fidel, the resort's managing director, told me that Rosewood Miramar Beach was designed to make guests feel like they were "being hosted in a private home."

If it weren't for the beautiful weather at the end of November, you could easily forget you were in California. As I walked around the property, I felt like I had been transported to Martha's Vineyard or the set of a Nancy Meyers movie.

I didn't squeeze in a workout during my stay, but I had to check out the resort's indoor/outdoor fitness studio, where guests can enjoy weekly fitness classes and private personal training sessions.

Treadmills, bikes, and elliptical machines dotted the gym's patio, while Pelotons, weights, and StairMasters could be found inside.

The cotton-candy-pink Miramar Jolly cars are inspired by the open-top taxis of Capri. They feature wicker seats and canopies and are free for guests who want to be chauffeured to the beach or around the property.

The oceanfront Miramar Beach Bar is a small restaurant on the deck above Caruso's, the resort's Michelin-starred restaurant. It was just steps away from our beach suite and offered gorgeous views of the sea sparkling under the California sun.

Our tacos — tempura fish and red chili-braised beef — were solid but couldn't compete with our breakfast at The Revere Room or our dinners at AMA Sushi and Caruso's. Next time, I'd skip the food at Miramar Beach Bar and just grab a drink while watching the sunset.

According to Rosewood Miramar's website, the family that first owned the property — which was originally a farm — decided to build a guest house after the train tracks were built in 1887. The Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight Amtrak now cut through the resort en route to the Santa Barbara Amtrak station.

The tracks are gated, and a guard is always on duty for safety purposes. While the trains didn't pass by very frequently, it was fun watching everyone around us stop to admire them whenever one came through.

Before dinner, I had the opportunity to sit down with Massimo Falsini, the chef at Caruso's and director of culinary operations at Rosewood Miramar Beach.

Falsini's menu seamlessly blends his Italian roots with California ingredients. All the seafood at Caruso's is "from the ocean in front of you," Falsini told me, including the spiny Santa Barbara lobster and the signature Channel Islands halibut (which were both fantastic).

"We don't fly in anything; we only buy from local small fishermen in order to support the community," said the chef, who hopes to make Caruso's a zero-carbon footprint restaurant by 2026.

The open-air space allows you to hear the waves and smell the sea as you dine amid the beautiful navy-blue leather booths and pristine white chairs.

The service was impeccable from start to finish, as was my $175 four-course dinner. The amuse-bouches included cones stuffed with caviar and gougères plump with truffle cream. Olive oil was decanted tableside for the bread basket, and the Baja Kanpachi crudo looked like a work of art.

One of my favorite courses of the night was the honeynut squash vellutata soup, which was topped with an intricate tuile of vines and tasted like autumn.

The dinner was so good that I think the restaurant deserves a second Michelin star.

Read my full review of Caruso's here.

The resort has two pools on the property. We spent our time at the cabana pool, which is for adults 21 and up and features 19 cabanas, plus a bar and a large jacuzzi. The cabana pool features a scalloped zero-edge border, a design choice that makes it feel whimsical.

For those with kids in tow, there's also the kid-friendly manor pool. We stopped by to check out the Scoop Shop, which is right next to the pool and offers gourmet burgers and house-made gelato.

While checking in at the resort, we learned there were s'mores kits at the front desk, which we could always pick up and enjoy by one of the fire pits.

I finally got to try the kit on our last day, opening the bag to find the most classic of s'mores ingredients: Honey Maid graham crackers, Hershey's milk chocolate, and Jet-Puffed marshmallows.

My boyfriend and I giggled like kids at camp as we used the provided wooden sticks to roast our marshmallows over the fire before building our s'mores.

After such a rainy weekend, it felt fitting to end our stay with the sun shining down on us at the beach.

If it had been summer weather, I could've easily laid on the sand all day. The resort offers complimentary chairs, umbrellas, and beach toys, as well as equipment for paddleboarding, kayaking, and beach volleyball.

There's a designated beach butler who brings food and drinks, and the resort even has a falconer who helps keep seagulls and pigeons at bay.

In the era of #quietluxury, which I detested, many people equated splendor with mundane. The colors went neutral, patterns disappeared, and everything felt inoffensive and uninspired. It was all very beige, like a plate at Thanksgiving.

But Rosewood Miramar Beach isn't afraid to make the space feel comfortable yet distinct, even with the luxury price tag. There's a fine line between Nantucket and coastal grandma, and the resort knows exactly where to stand. It's effortlessly chic and cozy, as if you're staying on a beautiful yacht.

And with the fantastic dinner at Caruso's and the sexy Manor Bar, Rosewood Miramar Beach is perfect for a special-occasion romantic getaway. I can't wait to go back.

To make Garten's chicken chili for six, you'll need:

• 4 split chicken breasts, bone-in, skin on
• 2 (28-ounce) cans of whole-peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
• 4 cups of chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large diced
• ¼ cup of minced fresh basil leaves
• ⅛ cup of good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
• ⅛ cup of minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, plus more for chicken
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped green onions, for serving
• Corn chips, for serving
• Grated cheddar cheese, for serving

While these are Garten's recommended measurements, I should note that I doubled some of the seasoning and added 2 teaspoons of chili powder, 2 teaspoons of ground cumin, ½ teaspoon of dried red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

I wanted the chicken chili to pack a punch, and doubling these spices turned up the flavor without making things too spicy.

I chopped my onions, diced my bell peppers, and minced my garlic.

I misread Garten's recipe and diced my bell peppers a bit smaller than she recommended, but their shape still held up well in the chili.

I think larger pieces might actually be too chunky for this dish because there's so much chicken in the chili, so I recommend going with a smaller dice for the bell peppers instead.

I added the olive oil to my pan and threw in the onions.

I cooked the garlic for an additional minute, per Garten's instructions.

"You want to cook the garlic for just a minute so it doesn't get really bitter," she explained in a "Barefoot Contessa" episode while demonstrating the recipe.

I threw in the chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt and cooked everything for one minute.

"I always make this with canned tomatoes; life's too short to peel a tomato," Garten said in the episode.

According to the recipe, you can crush the tomatoes by hand or throw them in a food processor. If you opt for the latter, Garten recommends adding them in batches and pulsing the processor six to eight times.

I don't have a food processor, so I crushed the tomatoes by hand. I also threw the leftover juice into the pot.

I left my pot uncovered as my chili began to simmer.

During the "Barefoot Contessa" episode, Garten said she cooks the chicken with the skin on because she found it "really keeps it moist." She noted that she also roasts the chicken instead of boiling it because it makes the meat taste more delicious.

I rubbed my chicken breasts with olive oil and generously sprinkled salt and pepper on each one. I then threw them in the oven and set the timer to 35 minutes, per Garten's instructions.

I love making chili and believe it always tastes better the longer it is left on the stove, so I was happy to wait a little longer.

But Garten's recipe is designed for the chicken and chili to be ready at the same time, so you can always finish this quicker, depending on how soon you need dinner.

Garten said the chicken breasts should be "just cooked" when you take them out of the oven.

"Tear off the bone with your hands; it's the best way to do it," Garten said in the "Barefoot Contessa" episode.

Garten then recommended cutting the chicken into ¾-inch chunks so the meat can be "really delicious and chunky."

Garten's recipe calls for the chili to simmer with the chicken for 20 minutes. I wanted to maximize the flavor, so I let it simmer for 45 minutes.

I also made sure to stir the chili occasionally so the flavor could seep into all that chicken.

Since I bought pre-grated cheese, all I needed to do was chop my green onions.

Garten's chicken chili is so hearty and comforting. The rich tomatoes paired really well with the tender and juicy chicken, which soaked up so much delicious flavor, and the bell peppers added great texture.

The green onions on top also helped brighten each sip and added some nice crunch. And I recommend pairing this with sour cream for that extra hit of acidity and creaminess.

I made this chili for my friend Kayla, who immediately declared that it was the "best shit ever."

"This chili is reminiscent of a chicken tortilla soup, but it's so much heartier!" she added. "It makes you feel so warm and cozy."

As temperatures continue to drop, Garten's recipe will definitely satisfy your chili cravings.