Sunday, December 21, 2014

ESSENTIALS - VIA COLIN COWIE

If great meals are works of art, then the ingredients inside your refrigerator and the contents of your kitchen cabinets serve as your palette. These are the essentials I recommend everybody keep cold and handy:

Salad ingredients (a fresh head of lettuce, one or two ripe tomatoes, a bundle of spring onions, chives, parsley, garlic and shallots) and a squeeze bottle of freshly made salad dressing (check out my fabulous vinaigrette recipe)
Several containers of yogurt (so I can whip up a breakfast smoothie at a moment’s notice, or garnish a delicious homemade or store-bought soup with a generous dollop).
Condiments, including bottled lemon juice; soy or tamari sauce; Tabasco sauce; and assorted chutneys, relishes, jellies, and jams. With a selection of flavors, I can magically doctor whatever meal comes to mind, whether it’s takeout or made from scratch. No matter what I’m preparing, I can sweeten it, sour it, salt it, or make it deliciously piquant.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

I THINK I CAN, I THINK I CAN!

ARTICHOKE CANAPÉS

Your husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend calls from the office at 5:00 p.m. and says dinner guests are arriving at 700 p.m. What do you do? One of my favorite hors d’oeuvres was created for just such an impromptu event. Simply toast white bread until golden and use a cookie cutter to cut rounds the size of a half dollar. Top each with an artichoke heart and cover generously with a blend of mayonnaise, chopped shallots, and Parmesan cheese. When guests arrive, slip the canapés under the broiler and brown until golden and bubbly. I suggest keeping a well-stocked wine rack, so that you always have a bottle of wine on hand in case of an impromptu celebration. Milestone Wines Chardonnay pairs beautifully with this tasty hors d’oeuvres. Just uncork a bottle, pull your caapés out of the broiler and voilà- entertaining made easy.

4 slices of white bread, toasted, crusts removed, and quartered
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, about 7 ¾ ounces
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons minced shallots
3 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 bottle Milestone Wines Chardonnay

Steps:

Preheat the broiler.
With a 1 ½ - inch round cookie cutter, cut 4 to 5 circles out of each piece of toast.
Cut the artichoke hearts into pieces (approximately 16 to 20 equal pieces).
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, shallots, and Parmesan cheese
Place 1 artichoke piece on top of each toast round. Spoon or brush some of the mayonnaise mixture over the artichoke piece, covering it and the toast completely.
Arrange the canapés on a baking sheet and run under the broiler until they are golden and bubbly. Serve hot.

--Colin Cowiecolincowie.com

Monday, November 17, 2014

TRUTH

STAPLE

I've had this exact Mason Pearson brush for years. It's an investment $130.00 or so but you will never regret buying it. #trustme Neiman Marcus

EYES POPPING ;)

This Mascara truly lives up to the hype. Here's the thing, I was a little reluctant to try Mally. For one I didn't really like the packaging, sounds lame but I'm not a pink person and a lot of her products are packaged in pink... Lol . Ok, once I got over the pink packaging I tried a few products and LOVED everything! But the Mascara is truly on another level! #trustme

THE ONE AND ONLY

Full credit goes to My bestie Senna for introducing me to these workout pants. I've worn every version of Lululemon tights and they don't even come close to these from Nike. Nike Capri 2.0 TIGHT FIT! No substitute ;) #trustme

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Monica Rose recently did a post on her blog listing her wardrobe kit must haves. Check out her website monicarose.com for all things stylish.

A sneak peek inside my wardrobe kit!!!

Here are the necessities that are in my wardrobe kit for all my red carpet jobs. You always have to be prepared for those last minute fashion emergencies!