Delicious & Low-Fat Dessert : Strawberries & Cream

I always need to have a little something sweet after dinner (or after most meals for that matter). I'm a big advocate for testing out different recipes and becoming creative with the process. It's fun to play around with flavors and see what you can come up with, while still striving for a healthy, delicious idea. Tonight I created this little treat-- a sweet cheese & strawberry dessert--and I love it! This is a great substitute for ice cream, cheesecake, or parfaits.  There is a lot less fat than all of those other choices & it includes fresh fruit. Try it out! Takes less than 5 minutes to make & you only need a small portion to feel very satisfied!

What you need: 

Part-skim Ricotta (or cottage cheese if you prefer), Honey, Vanilla Extract, Strawberries, Balsamic Vinegar (optional) 

What to do: 

-In a small glass or bowl, whip together a few spoonfuls of ricotta with about teaspoon of vanilla and a long, drizzle of honey. I also put a splash of balsamic vinegar in here since it's one of my fav ingredients with strawberries, but this is optional. Garnish with another drizzle of honey and a strawberry.

-If you prefer the treat to be more like ice-cream, place in the freezer for about 15 mins. Otherwise, you're all done! I enjoy dipping the strawberries in the cream, but you can also cut them up & mix into cream for more of a parfait-feel.

C'est tout! Enjoy :)

Bellissima Kids

I've been presented with an excellent opportunity to work with the very successful & unique blog, Bellissima Kids, curated and run by Jeanne Omlor. This blog is a high-class look at kid-friendly ideas including travel, cultural stories, hot new fashion finds, cool-hunting, design, decor and craft projects, recipes, book reviews, etc. I'll be working with Jeanne on the blog, the social media campaigns, and PR associated with the business. It's a great blog and I'm very excited to begin my relationship with this brand.

Check it out at www.bellissimakids.com 

Visit & like the Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/Bellissima-Kids. 

Also keep an eye out for the Bellissima Kids Instagram -- coming soon ;)

Grace Coddington Memoir

Ever since I first watched The September Issue on a late-night plane to Italy over three years ago, I've formed a large fondness for Grace Coddington. Not only is she the visionary behind Vogue's incredible and dedacant fashion spreads and photo shoots, but she also has that cool, je ne sais quoi appeal to her that just screams lovable chic. She has to put up with all of Anna Wintour's antics and definitely appears to be under-appreciated by the "devil in prada".

 I've been waiting three years for more of Grace and another glimpse into the world of Vogue...  

So, I am so very excited for Grace's highly-anticipated memoir-- a super inside look at the very elusive Vogue, the creative process behind the shoots and photo spreads, the front row and backstage of all of the top fashion shows, and of course, Grace's exciting past (she was a model in London in the '60s). The only bad news is that I won't be able to read her book on the beach this summer... it'll be released this fall by Random House.

Part of Grace's latest work with Kate Moss in the April 2012 issue of Vogue.

  

Carla Bruni, une musicienne encore!

Carla Bruni, the former-model, style icon, singer, and first lady of France, will soon be giving up the latter title due to her husband's loss during the French election. Mrs. Sarkozy is the epitome of a chic independent woman, however due to her premiere dame duties, she hasn't recorded or released any new music in the past 4 years. So, I am very much looking for to the new Socialist president taking over France if only for the reason that Carla Bruni will now be recording a new album. Her single Quelqu'un Qui M'a Dit is one of my absolute favorite songs and always brings out a positive feeling within me, even if it may be a bittersweet memory at that. I cannot wait to hear her new music as I am a major sucker for those french singalong love songs.

Coco Chanel, Philosopher

Many labels have been given to the legendary Ms. Coco Chanel, but the most recent title that has come to my attention is that of a philosopher. The novel The Gospel According to Coco Chanel by Karen Karbo looks into the ideology of Chanel and her unique outlook on life. This is a very new kind of book-- it's not a biography, but rather explores Chanel's philosophies and perspective on various stages and situations in life.
 Elegant and opinionated, Chanel had a lot of positive and rational approaches to succeed in life, and moreover, personal fulfillment. There is a lot to be learned and taken away from her "life lessons" and Karbo does an excellent job in conveying the voice of Chanel, and also happens to be quite humorous. This is a great book to pick up when you want a little inspiration.

"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone."
-C.C on Self-Invention

Karolina Kurkova

High fashion and luxurious glamour come out every year at the Met Gala. There were a lot of stand-outs and a few hideous disappointments, but the lasting image of the night, in my mind, is 100% Karolina Kurkova killllllling it in Rachel Zoe. The most glamorous. The most luxurious. She completely pulls off this hard-to-pull-off look. 

 

futuristic, exotic, lush

Easy & Delicious - Meal of the Week

I'm a huge advocate of spending that little extra time to cook dinner - and a little goes a very long way. There's no need to opt for frozen dinners or boring pasta w tomato sauce when you can make a delicious, healthy and yummy dinner. All you need is 30 to 40 minutes and you have a plethora of options at your fingertips. It's totally worth it, and it's fun to create something tasty. One of my go-to dinners when im in the mood for something hearty, but not super-heavy is Pommes de Terres Provencals. I first had this dish at the weekend market when I visited Iles-sur-la-Sourge.

It was a cold-to-the-bone day & it was one of my first weeks in France. I was in major need of some comfort food, and this completey hit the spot.. maybe that's why I have such a fond association with this dish. It was the best meal I could have had at that moment-- hot, steaming roasted potatoes with satueed onions, tomatoes and herbs de provence. So simple, yet perfect. 

It only takes about 40 mins from start to finish, so it's very do-able (plus, it makes great leftovers!) Sometimes I add other veggies or fresh mozarella to mix it up a bit. Tonight I added carrots, which I think gives it a little more sweetness and heartiness.

Ingredients: small potatoes, onion, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, olive oil, and herbs de provence.  

What to do: Boil potatoes (takes about 15-20 mins). While waiting for you potatoes to boil, you can do all your prep work. Cut up onions, carrots and tomatoes.

Satuee the onions & carrots with some olive oil in a pan and add some thinly-sliced garlic. Satuee for about 10-15 mins. Check on the potatoes - once you can easily stick a fork into them, drain and cut them into quarters (you may want to let them cool for a few mins).

Put the cut-up potatoes in the pan with the other ingredients (see above).  After about 5 mins, add the tomatoes. Satuee everything together until the potatoes have a nice golden crisp (about 10 mins).

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Et Volia! Very easy & very delicious.