Eco-Friendly Fashion with Aventura and Amazing Game Day Party Appetizers

It is a typical January night in Rhode Island. It’s 28 degrees and the Patriots are taking on the Chiefs tonight in the NFL Playoffs. For those of you who do not know, the Patriots ( or Tom Brady & Co. ) are a BIG DEAL around here. My principal and assistant principal at the school I am currently teaching kindergarten in encouraged us all to wear Patriot logo gear yesterday. 

Today, I need to be extra warm but also have extra sparkle ( cheering for Tom) so I am opting for this ‘Clara’ dress from Aventura which is easily found here: http://instagram.com/aventuraclothing Aventura uses organic and sustainable fibers to make fashionable clothing with with low environmental impact. All the eco-friendly dresses from Aventura are ultra soft and flattering, made with organic materials and easily snazzed up for festive occasions.  This dress could be very casual if left unadorned and worn with casual boots, however that’s not my style, even for watching football. 

I added a sequin vest and boots, both found at thredup.com, a faux pearl statement necklace from http://dalexandercollections.tictail.com/product/pearl-statement-necklace and bracelets from http://www.alexandani.com/. 

My belt was from a cocktail dress in my closet and I picked up the white blouse at Express over 3 years ago. 

I live by this quote and admire others who share a bit about themselves through their clothing and accessories. I don’t wear sports motto apparel but I will cheer on my favorite team with a special ensemble (sequins and ‘Cheers’ bracelet set) and of course, special treats. 

Caribbean Chicken Wings

You will need:

1/2 cup pineapple juice 

1/2 cup ketchup 

1/4 cup packed brown sugar 

1/4 cup teriyaki marinade and sauce (from 10 oz. bottle ) 

1/4 cup honey 

2 cloves garlic 

2 pounds chicken wing drummettes

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In 1 quart saucepan, heat all ingredients except chicken to boiling, stirring occasionally. Place chicken in pan, pour sauce over chicken. 

3. Bake uncovered about 1 hour, turning chicken 2 or 3 times, until chicken is clear when thickest part is cut to bone.

4. Spray inside of  3 1/2 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken in slow cooker. Cover; keep warm on Low heat setting. 

Roast Beef Bruschetta 

You will need: 

1 loaf (1 lb) French baguette bread, cut into thirty 1/4-inch slices 

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil 

1/2 cup chive-and-onion cream cheese spread ( from 8-oz container)

1/2 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef 

1/4 teaspoon coarsley ground pepper 

4 plum (Roma) tomatoes, thinly sliced 

8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Brush both sides of bread slices with oil. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake about 5 minutes or until crisp. Cool 5 minutes. 

2. Spread cream cheese over each each slice. Top with beef; sprinkle with pepper. Top with tomato slice and green onions. 

Italian Nachos 

You will need:

28 slices baguette French bread 

Olive oil cooking spray 

1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage 

2/3 cup Alfredo pasta sauce 

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 

1 large tomato 

1 can (2.25 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained 

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 

Chopped fresh parsley 

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line large cookie sheet with foil. On cookie sheet, arrange bread slices with sides touching. Spray tops of bread slices lightly with cooking spray. Bake 6-8 minutes or until light golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, in 10 inch skillet, cook sausage over medium high heat 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally and breaking into small pieces, until no longer pink; drain. Stir in Alfredo sauce and Italian seasoning.

3. Spoon sausage mixture evenly over bread slices. Sprinkle evenly with tomato, olives and cheese. Bake about 6 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve hot. 

Hot Buttered Rum

You will need need:

Hot Buttered Rum Batter

1 cup butter, softened 

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 

1 cup whipping ( heavy) cream 

2 cups powdered sugar 

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

For each serving:

2 tablespoons rum 

1/2 cup boiling water 

Ground nutmeg 

White chocolate curls, if desired 

1. In medium bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed, about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in whipping cream and powdered sugar alternately on low speed until smooth. Stir in nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon. Use immediately or freeze up to 3 months. 

2. For each serving, place rum and 2 tablespoons Hot Buttered Rum Batter in mug. Stir in boiling water. Sprinkle with nutmeg and white chocolate curls.

Hot Spiced Wine

You will need:

1 cup packed brown sugar 

2 1/2 cups orange juice 

1 cup water 

Peel of 2 oranges 

6 whole cloves 

3 whole allspice 

1 four-inch stick cinnamon 

1 bottle dry red wine or nonalcoholic red wine 

Orange slices, if desired 

Additional whole cloves, if desired 

1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, heat all ingredients except wine, orange juice and additional cloves to boiling, stirring occasionally; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes.

2. Remove orange juice and spices. Stir in wine. Heat just until hot ( do not boil). Serve hot in mugs or heatproof glasses. Garnish each serving with orange slice studded with additional whole cloves.

Cosmo Slush 

You will need:

6 oz frozen ( thawed ) limeade concentrate 

3 tablespoons powdered sugar 

2 cups citrus flavored vodka or orange juice 

1 cup orange flavored liqueur or orange juice 

4 cups 100% cranberry juice blend 

1. In blender, place limeade concentrate and powdered sugar. Cover; blend on high speed until well mixed.

2. In 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish, stir limeade mixture and cranberry juice until well mixed.

3.Cover; freeze at least 8 hours until slushy. Stir before serving. 

Whether the Patriots win or lose, I will always support my favorite local team and I will always do my best to make game day special. I was thinking of purchasing this set I saw https://www.aliexpress.com/popular/patriots-bracelets.html for the Super Bowl.

Thank you so much for visiting the blog today. As always, I appreciate your time and attention and hope you found this post worthwhile. 

I’d love to hear from you. What are your thoughts on Eco-Friendly Fashion ?  Do you have any kind of Game Day traditions? What types of foods do you find work well when entertaining a crowd of people for a casual event? And lastly, do you prefer sequins or team- logo attire for cheering on your favorite team? 

Yours truly, 

Jennifer 

Xoxo

Ps. One last thought …

Be A Rainbow: Fashion, Food and Friendship

I was thrilled to find this ultra-bright tassel necklace at http://www.walmart.com just the other day. I thought it would be perfect to brighten up my http://www.skiesareblue dress I recently found at http://www.thredup.com. I added colorful  accessories found in the necklace to make the whole look more cheerful. 

The hat is from http://www.target.com and bracelets, sunglasses, sandals, and phone case are from http://www.burlingtoncoatfactory.com. 

I found the bag at http://www.very.co.uk. It was a steal at only $31.00.

Here are some other fun summer bags I’ve been loving this season: 

Banana bag – http://www.boutique1.com 

Daisy bag- http://www.zaful.com

Center bag  with tassels and bag in lower right hand corner – http://www.inthepinkonline.com 

I wore this jacket from http://www.savers.com and tee from http://www.target.com in the morning when it was still kind of chilly. 

Later at school I was back to just the dress again. 

My class this year loved everything to do with rainbows , from our circle time poem “7 Rainbow Colors” to the concept of ‘being a rainbow’ when someone in the classroom was sad ( a rainbow in someone’s cloud). 

Children at this age naturally want to please people and are very eager to share a toy, pay a compliment or give each other hugs. Sometimes it’s more difficult, as an adult,to reach out to someone you care about when you know they may be hurting. 

Have you ever tried to lift the spirits of an unhappy friend with no success, or mistakenly made them feel worse ? Not only is your friend still blue, but you’re feeling like a failure for not being a better friend. First of all, you’re not a failure for trying to help a friend , and second of all, we’ve all been there and perhaps it’s because we think about what would help us to feel better, when that may be quite different than what your friend needs. 

Here are a few ideas for “Being A Rainbow” , or cheering up a friend. 

1. Let your friend vent.

Sometimes all people need to feel better is to get their problems off their chest. Allow your friend to talk about what is bothering them without interruption, judgement or offering advice. Unless your friend asks for advice, don’t give it. Also, don’t tell them you know how they feel. People experience things through their own filters. What would be a minor irritation to you could be a major catastrophe for your friend. Just listen and allow whatever histrionics they throw your way. 

2. Make them laugh.

Send a funny picture, video, or silly voicemail message. Laughter is the best medicine as they say.

3. Take them out. 

Sometimes a change in scenery makes all the difference in the world. 

4. Give them new pajamas.

Remember how much fun it was to get new pj’s when you were little? We forget the enjoyment new pajamas can bring as we grow older. Get your friend new pj’s that are fun, soft, or sexy, whichever they will appreciate most. 

5. Tell them you love them.

We sometimes take our friends for granted and don’t tell them how we feel often enough. 

6. Ask what they need.

It’s ok to ask your friend what they need. Not being a psychic doesn’t make you a bad friend. 

7. Give them a plant.

Instead of flowers that may die in a few days, give your friend a nice houseplant so they can enjoy it much longer.

8. Send a note of encouragement.

An actual card that is sent by old fashioned snail mail is preferable, but even an e-card can bring a smile to someone’s face. Taking the time to let them know you care is the important thing. 

9. Watch movies.

Have a movie marathon or watch your friend’s favorite television series. 

10. Feed them. 

When people are down they either eat more or don’t eat enough. Either way providing your friend’s favorite meal or comfort food when they are down will be helpful. If you can’t be there in person, have the food delivered to them from a nearby restaurant. 

Speaking of food… 

My mom has been making these Rainbow Cookies for years. They take a little bit of time and effort but are worth it. 

You will need:

7 ounces almond paste

3/4 cup sugar 

1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

3/4 cup butter

3 eggs

1 cup flour 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

15 drops green food coloring 

15 drops red food coloring 

2/3 cup apricot preserves

3 ounces semisweet chocolate 

1 teaspoon vegetable shortening 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 3 8×8 metal baking pans and line with wax paper. 

Beat almond paste, sugar, almond extract and sugar at medium high speed until blended. Reduce speed to medium and add the eggs.Reduce speed to low and then add the flour and salt slowly to the mixture until combined. 

Take 2 small bowls and add 1 rounded cup of batter into each bowl. There should be one cup left in the bowl.  Add red color to one and green to the other. 

Spoon the un-colored batter into one pan, and the red and green into the other 2 pans. Bake 10-12 minutes. 

Lay a piece of wax paper on a flat surface that will fit into the refrigerator. Later the 3 colors on the wax paper, spreading the apricot preserves between each layer. 

In a 1 quart saucepan, heat chocolate and shortening over low heat. 

Spread chocolate mixture over the red layer evenly . Do not put mixture on sides. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

To serve, trim about 1/4 inch from the edges. Cut the stacked layers into 6 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into 6 pieces. You will get 36 square cookies.

These End-of-the-Rainbow Cookie Parfaits , adapted from the Pillsbury version, are very easy and over the top delicious! 

You will need: 

1 roll of Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookies

2 eggs 

Gel food colors 

1 pint whipping cream 

3 tablespoons sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 10 muffin cups with cooking spray. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. 

In a large bowl, break up the cookie dough and add eggs. Beat with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Divide dough into small bowls and add food coloring. 

Scoop dough into muffin pan, making 2 of each color. Bake 15-17 minutes and allow to cool completely. 

In medium bowl, beat whipping cream, sugar and vanilla on medium high until stiff peaks form. 

Crumble each of the cupcakes, keeping the colors separate. Sprinkle the red into each of 12 glass parfait cups, glasses, or small jars. Pipe whipped cream on top of each. Repeat process with each color of the rainbow. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Refrigerated cookie dough makes it so easy and fun to bring a smile to someone’s face. Try shaping chocolate chip cookie dough into a rainbow shape, add m&m’s and bake ! 

This Sunshine Punch recipe is also very easy and can be refreshing for anyone, whether it’s someone that needs cheering up or not! 

Sunshine Punch 

You need:

2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid 

3 oz can frozen orange juice concentrate 

46 oz can pineapple juice 

1 quart lemon-lime soda, chilled 

Garnish: strawberries, pineapple chunks,banana slices 

Prepare Kool-Aid and orange juice concentrate according to package directions. Combine in a large punch bowl. Add pineapple juice, stir together and chill. Before serving, add lemon- lime soda and mix. Slide fruit onto bottom half of plastic straws and place into individual glasses, add chilled punch. 

Thank you so much for visiting my blog today.

I really appreciate your time and attention. I hope you found it worthwhile and hope it made you smile. 

Yours truly, 

Jennifer 

Xoxoxo 

Authenticity Over Everything-Dedication to Prince (1958-2016)

“Don’t worry about being good…Aspire to be authentic.” Yann Martel 

Prince is a bona fide example of this inspirational quote. 

Yes , he was one of the best – selling artists of all time, with major hits such as Purple Rain, When Doves Cry, and Kiss. Yes , he was a multidisciplinary genius:  writing, singing, playing , and all with visual artistry and charisma. 

What I will remember most about Prince and what will live on infinity is the way he ‘walked the walk’ and stayed true to himself in not just his lyrics , but his actions and lifestyle. 

He touched upon topics such as sex, politics, drug abuse, poverty, and violence in his music and was never afraid to speak openly to the public on any topic. 

We all remember how he stole the show at the Grammys in one unscripted moment. 

 
His infinite wisdom will go on as we remember his thoughts on human development- 

 On loss: 

 On time: 

 He had an extraordinary number of fashionable moments to remember. These are just a few – 

    
   
I find it difficult to come up with one favorite Prince song. It might be ‘I Would Die 4 U’ or ‘I Want To Be Your Lover.’ 

However , for as long as I can remember I’ve been in search of the perfect magenta colored hat , so maybe my favorite is ‘Raspberry Beret.’ 

I did find one, by Christian Louboutin, but somehow I don’t see myself purchasing it at $1,245.00. 

 
I did create an outfit tonight in honor of the ‘Prince of Everything’ – hopefully he would have approved. I think he would like the handbag the best. For sure he would like the fact that it’s just a bunch of things I love that I  put together for fun, for no other reason then to enjoy the moment and not really caring about whether it’s ‘in fashion’ or appropriate.  

   
That’s what I mostly remember about Prince and what will stay with me when I listen to his music. The emotions evoked come from an origin of pureness , creative authenticity. 

Thank you so much for your time and attention. It is truly appreciated. 

Hope you are inspired by the creative artistry of of Prince and that you will remember him fondly. 

Yours truly,

Jennifer

Xoxoxo 

 

We Rock a Lot of Polka Dots

When did America’s love affair with polka dots begin? I know I’m certainly not the first, nor will I be the last to be excited to put together an outfit such as this one involving an exuberant, chic, and whimsical polka dot print.  

    
  Dress is White House Black Market from thredUP.com. Phone case is thekase.com. Lipstick is Smashbox.com/ Be Legendary and lipgloss is Stila Stay All Day.
  

  

Necklace is from d.alexander collections, bracelet is from Holsbrook, and earrings are from Kendra Scott.

  

Miss Selfridge faux leather jacket is from John Lewis.
  

Shoes are Isaac Mizrahi New York and glasses are  Cutler and Gross from thredUP.com.

 I found my magazine cover bag at a thrift shop in Pawtucket, RI ( the old Ann&Hope for locals) but these options can be found at aliexpress.com.

  

   Early Days for the Dots:

• Miss America 1926 was photographed in a polka dot swimsuit 

  

• Walt Disney created Minnie Mouse and her polka dot ensemble in 1928
• Frank Sinatra released his hit Polka Dots and Moonbeams in 1940
• Christian Dior designed his “New Look” collection including many dresses with polka dots in the 50’s. 
• Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and Lucille Ball were all seen again and again looking ravishing in polka dots in the 50’s and 60’s. Julia Roberts later donned dots in one of her first major roles.

  

• Brian Holland released “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”

Polka Dots are certainly not a ‘girl’ thing –

• Marvel created Polka Dot Man, who used the power of polka dots to defeat baddies in 1962.  
• Bob Dylan, Roger Sterling, and Joseph Gordon Levitt are only three examples of fabulous men’s styling of polka dots. 

  

• Marc Jacobs is quoted as saying “There’s never a wrong time for a polka dot.” and invents his “Dotty Collection” Dot perfume.     

This modern yet nostalgic look is made from items on polyvore.com. 

 Dress is Saint Laurent/ matchesfashion   

 Jacket is IRO Ashville/ intermixonline   

 Necklace is Laveliq.com, earrings are Kate Spade, and bracelet is Dolce&Gabbana. 

 Bag is Papa Razzi Marilyn Clutch/ magentacouture.com. Shoes are Christian Louboutin So Kate 120/ netaporter.com.

In closing, I think it’s best to stick with the wise words of Marc Jacobs, because no matter how or why they became popular :  

 So , always remember –

 
Thanks , as always , for your time and attention. It’s always appreciated.

I hope this inspires you to wear, or at least appreciate, one of my favorites- the cheerful pattern known as polka dot. 

  Yours truly, 

Jennifer

Xoxoxoxo