Friday, October 17, 2014

Friday Foodday

Happy Friday lovebugs!

Here are my favorite recipes this week.

Fall Sunset Sangria
c/o Whole Foods
Ingredients
  • 1 (750-ml) bottle chardonnay
  • 2 Bartlett pears, cored and chopped
  • 2 Gala apples, cored and chopped
  • 1 nectarine, cored and chopped
  • 1 (25.4-ounce) bottle Whole Foods Market Lemon or Lime Italian Soda, or sparkling water, chilled
Directions
Pour wine into a large pitcher and stir in pears, apples and nectarines. Chill for 6 to 8 hours, or up to 2 days. When ready to serve, pour into wine glasses (including some of the fruit) and top off with soda. Serve over ice, if you like.

Weekend Apple Pancake
Ingredients
2 large or 3 medium apples, preferably tart ones like Granny Smith
4 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
5 eggs
Powdered or cinnamon sugar, to serve

Directions
Heat the oven to 400°F. Peel, core, and quarter the apples, then cut them into medium slices (1/4-inch thick or less). Then cut the slices in halves or thirds. You should have about 3 cups of chopped apples.
In a small bowl, mix 3 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon and ginger and set aside.
Cut the butter into chunks and place them in a deep cast iron skillet or 8x8-inch baking dish. Put the skillet or baking dish in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the butter is melted. Take the pan out of the oven and sprinkle the 1/3 cup brown sugar over the melted butter. Carefully spread the apples on top of the brown sugar and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apples. Put the pan back in the oven to caramelize the apples and sugar.
Whisk the flour with the remaining tablespoon of sugar, salt, and nutmeg. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly with a large wire whisk to beat out any lumps. When the flour is smoothly incorporated into the milk, beat in the vanilla and the eggs one by one. Beat by hand for 2 minutes, or until foamy. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes. By now the sugar should be bubbling around the apples.
Take the pan out of the oven and pour the batter over the apples. Bake for about 20 more minutes or until center is set and sides are lightly browned. The pancake will puff up dramatically but fall after a few minutes after you take it out of the oven.
If you want, serve with powdered sugar or more cinnamon sugar. I usually find that it is just sweet enough as it is.

Fresh Garlic Chex Mix
Ingredients
4 1/2 cups corn chex
4 1/2 cups rice chex
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup small pretzels
1 cup plain pita chips, broken into small pieces
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
dash Tabasco hot pepper sauce
3 cloves garlic
Directions
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Add the cereal, uts, pretzels, and pita chips to a large bowl.
Add the butter to a small sauce pan and heat until melted over medium heat.
Remove from the heat and stir in the Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, onion powder, and Tabascol. Grate the garlic on a microplane grater into the butter mixture. Stir well.
Pour the butter mixture over the cereal, stirring as you pour. Stir well to coat everything.
Spread the mixture out on the baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring carefully every 15 minutes.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Lounge in Luxury

Let's get comfy. I'm loving the new lounge trend that combines comfort and style. Today we're looking at lounge pants that are big on comfort and low on price.

These are on my Christmas list. I'm not sure I'll be able to wait that long.

Urban Outfitters, Native Youth Quilted Jogger Pant, $80
Are these mens? Yes. Do I still want them? Absolutely.

How freakin' comfy do these terry pants look? Hello Sunday morning.

Victoria's Secret, Super Soft Knit Cropped Pant, $44
How about a crop option? I love this marled cotton look and it comes in so many colors.

We don't often talk lounge on this blog, but with the colder days coming I tend to hibernate a bit. These pants are great options for comfort an style.

Be fabulous today!

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Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Shop for A Cause

It's October which means it is breast cancer awareness month. I love that retailers are making special items to benefit charities for this cause. Today we're going to look at a few that stood out to me. Have you found any items benefit finding a cure? Please share!

Stella and Dot, Strength Bracelet, $39
100% of the proceeds go to the Noreen Fraser Foundation. 100%. 

LandsEnd, Supima Cardigan Sweater, $49
I love this charcoal color, it's so versatile. Did you know LandsEnd has a special Thread Project that donates 75% of the embroidery fee to breastcancer.org if you monogram with special pink thread icons? I love a good monogram and they have dozens of items to choose from.



Everything but water, Woman Bracelet, $44
This bracelet spells 'woman' in braille. I think this accessory has such a quiet strength to it. Beautiful.

Boy Meets Girl USA, Vintage Fleece Coco Hoodie, $55
How sweet is this hoodie? 20% of the proceeds go towards the Young Survival Coalition.

These items are both gorgeous and for a great cause. The pink doesn't hurt either!

Be fabulous today!

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Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Blanket Statement

I'm seeing the blanket scarf trend everywhere. You've got Lacey, Kathy, and Danielle and other fabulous bloggers. I love this scarf trend. It's perfect to layer for fall with your favorite bf jeans, tie onto your purse for extra color, or bundle up in when it gets even colder. Today we're looking some great blanket scarf options that are under $70.   

Shoptiques, Garance Blanket Scarf, $40
I love the color combination here because it will work with a khaki trench, a navy puffer vest, or a black winter coat.

Bloomingdale's, AQUA Oversized Plaid Scarf, $68
These colors are bright for the duller days of fall. I also love the pink option.

Boden, Skye Scarf, $58
Boden suggests using this scarf to 'outwit the weather' and I couldn't agree more.

Ralph Lauren, Desert Blanket Scarf, $42
Not so much for the plaid? How about this great western option?

So there you have it. You don't have to be a fabulous blogger to work a blanket scarf you just have to be your fabulous self! Try any of these options plus even more color combinations!

Be fabulous today!

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