Today’s gift selection is a warm and cozy Dreamie Wrap, Mask and Slipper Relaxation Set from BCBG Maxaria. Perfect for your friend, or family member, who enjoys lounging fireside at home or who travels a great deal and could use some R & R.
The set includes one gel eye mask with embroidered detail, one aromatherapy wrap and a pair of slippers. Why not add one to your online cart for yourself at checkout.
Image: BCBG Maxaria
Until tomorrow, happy shopping,
~ L.
The Pretty Domestic
Until Then,
~ L.
The Pretty Domestic
And the “Harvest Season” requires harvest food. Recently, we attended the wedding of one of our favorite couples. The wedding and reception were held at a beautiful location, with red, yellow and orange foliage serving as the perfect fall backdrop. The meal was fabulous, but the piece de resistance was the Butternut Squash Soup ~ the perfect Harvest Season soup! It was so rich and yummy that I committed to making some within the next week.
Here’s the recipe in time for you to prepare and serve with your Thanksgiving meal.
The Perfect Butternut Squash Soup
Image: The Pretty Domestic Kitchen
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Makes 4 to 6 servings Perfect Butternut Squash Soup.
Here’s a tip. Unless you purchase the squash pre-cubed, the prep time is longer than 50 minutes. I suggest purchasing it already cubed. Other than that, the recipe is simple and the soup turns out wonderfully.
We enjoyed the soup with a glass of Prosecco. I know, not a very Harvest Season libation, but we wanted to try these cute Villa Jolanda Presseco splits found at our local winery.
Leave me comment and as Donna Brazille says, let me know “what’s on your menu.” Have a Safe and Blessed Harvest and Thanksgiving Season!
Until Then,
~ L.
The Pretty Domestic
Happy Halloween!
My family and I will be celebrating Halloween this evening, replete with costumes and Trick O’ Treating. However, I am keenly aware that it is still Breast Cancer Awareness Month. NOTE: Pretty Domestic will be advocating and educating all year-long. That said, our favorite Doll, PinkWellChick (Barb) recently shot a video for MayoTV about her journey fighting breast cancer. The video is honest, revealing and “must see reality TV” (the good kind)! Expect to see a series of videos from Barb that will serve as warm and informational resources for women, and their families and friends, as they face breast cancer. Thank you Barb for keeping this on our radar, and for saving lives one post, tweet and video at a time!
Also, check out Susan G. Komen’s Facts for Life ~ Breast Cancer Facts.
Until Then, Happy Haunting,
~ L.
~ The Pretty Domestic
Halloween is right around the corner; and many of us will be attending parties this weekend, including yours truly. But, for those of you hosting Halloween parties, here are several great cocktail recipes to ensure your guests have a ghoulishly good time.
Dracula’s Kiss (Top Left)
Ingredients
Preparation. Combine all ingredients, shake hard, strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an orange.
The Creepy Crawler (Top Right)
Ingredients
Preparation. Shake all ingredients, pour into a low-ball glass, and fill with ice. Top with a hibiscus flower and a teaspoon of hibiscus flower syrup.
Midori’s Spider Kiss (Bottom Left)
Ingredients
Preparation. Draw a chocolate web into a martini glass. Place in freezer and chill for a ghostly effect. Shake all ingredients and strain into glass. For a blood effect, drizzle grenadine down the side of the glass. Garnish with a chocolate dipped orange slice.
The Itsy Bitsy (Bottom Right)
Ingredients
Preparation. Muddle 2-3 blackberries in a shaker. Place remaining ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with black rimming sugar. Garnish with blackberries on a cocktail pick.
Cocktail Recipes and Images: Uptown Magazine
Now that your Halloween party bar will be stocked with chillingly delicious cocktails. Serve your guests a tasty Pie a la Apple dessert.
Image: The Pretty Domestic Kitchen (Smile!)
Pie a la Apple
Ingredients
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Preparation. Cut the top of 4 apples off and discard. Remove the inside of each apple with a spoon or melon baller very carefully. Remove skin from remaining apple(s) and slice very thinly. These apple pieces will give you the additional filling needed to fill the four apples you are baking.
Mix sliced apples with sugars and cinnamon in a bowl. If you prefer more or less cinnamon make adjustments as desired. Same goes for the sugar. Scoop sliced apples into hollow apples.
Roll out pie crust and slice into 1/4 inch strips. I added a strip inside the top of the apple, which can be seen in the photo above.
Cover the top of the apple in a lattice pattern with pie crust strips. Place apples in an 8×8 pan. If your apples are big you may need a bigger pan. Add just enough water to the cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and sliced apples are soft. Serves 4.
We are big on holidays at Maison Pretty Domestic; and never miss an opportuntiy to decorate with the appropriate theme. Check out our carved pumpkins from last year and this weekend.
You can pick up a Pumpkin Masters carving kit from Ace Hardware or your local grocery store. We’ve used the same set each year. Here’s a hint, purchase two kits, the tools are a little flimsy.
I hope that I’ve given you some fun ideas for your Halloween celebration. Leave me a comment and share your favorite Halloween cocktail recipes and decoration ideas.
Until Then, Trick & Treat … It really can be both!
~ L.
The Pretty Domestic
Hi Dolls!
As you are more than aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many of us are raising money and participating in “Race for the Cure” events in support of our mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, friends, and even ourselves. There are numerous ways to help raise awareness and funds in support of finding a cure for this insidious disease.
Image Source: MPress
Many businesses are donating proceeds raised from the sale of their products to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and others. Here are a few of my favorite products that support research and funding for breast cancer eradication, and to show you’re aware and that you care.
What better way to show you care than by penning a note to a family member or friend battling breast cancer or celebrating survival. These fab “Fight Like a Girl” note cards from Effie’s Paper are sure to put a smile on any Doll’s face. 50% of the proceeds from the sale of each set of notecards will go to Girls Love Mail to support their MILE OF MAIL campaign.
Essie Nail Polish has been my “go to” nail polish for years. I became more of a fan when they introduced their “31 Days of Pink” Collection. When you purchase a bottle of polish from the collection, a charitable contribution will be made to Living Beyond Breast Cancer. My favorite ~ “I am Strong.”
I fell in love with the Save Lids to Save Lives campaign several years ago. Beginning in September of each year, for each Yoplait Yogurt lid received and each code redeemed online by June 30, 2013, General Mills will donate 10 cents to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. What an awesome and tasty idea!
You should know however, that today’s post is more than just an arbitrary post recognizing another “theme month” on the calendar. It’s about saving lives. It’s also about honoring one of my favorite Dolls, Barbra (Barb).
“My Name is PinkWellChick … And I AM the CURE!”
Barb was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2011; and to put it simply she has been the picture of strength, grace, honesty and fabulousness through it all. Barb launch her blog, inkwellchicks, after being diagnosed to chronicle the story of her journey, and that of her über supportive best friend, as she confronted this disease. (They coined the names PinkInk and RedInk for themselves.) I’ve read every word of every post and always walk away inspired, and even more importantly educated. Some posts have been harder to read than others, and some had me LMBO! Barb has since launched another blog PinkwellChick, a broader advocacy site.
After I launched Pretty Domestic I knew right away that one of my posts would be about Barb. So here we are ~ Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I reached out to Barb and asked her could I mention her on my blog and reference her PinkWellChick blog. Her response, “Of course!”
Suprisingly, I only had one question for her ~ “What does Breast Cancer Awareness Month mean to you?” Why that question? “Theme months,” as I call them tend to become commercialized, but for the person walking through breast cancer, domestic violence, or child abuse, these are more than days on the calendar that roll around to be recognized once every 12 months.
Barb’s answer:
“Breast Cancer Awareness is no longer just a month for me! It’s a lifestyle! I just celebrated 1 year of Survival! So now October is 31 days of concentrated effort to talking to others about the recipe for breast cancer health: 12 self exams, mammograms (if over 40), and clinical exams! Whatever I can do to continue the dialogue. I’m there!”
I told you she was FABULOUS!
Thank you Barb for allowing me to tell just a small portion of your story and for giving me an opportunity, through you, to educate women about the importance of conducting monthly self exams, not skipping our annual mammograms (WE ARE NOT THAT BUSY!), and encouraging family and friends to do the same. You are a “DOLL!”
For more tips on breast cancer awareness and advocacy, follow Barb on Twitter at @pinkwellchick.
Until Then,
~ L.
The Pretty Domestic
In my quest to adopt a more healthy lifestyle, I continue to try different smoothies. I am quickly learning what tastes and textures appeal to my palette. Last week, I came across another smoothie recipe that sounded really tasty, and had all of the requisite nutrients to jump-start my day.
I purchased the ingredients and tried the recipe with a special young lady in my life, Miss Jordan. The smoothie turned out wonderfully; and with football season just around the corner, and the purple tint of the drink, we named it “Jordan & Miss Lynn’s Ravens Super Smoothie.”
Jordan & Miss Lynn’s Ravens Super Smoothie!
Ingredients
2 handfuls of spinach
1 handful of kale
1/2 – 3/4 cup of orange juice
10 to 12 baby carrots
1/2 cup of plain non-fat greek yogurt
1 cup mixed berries
Prep Time: 5 to 10 minutes. Method: In a reliable blender, puree spinach, kale and orange juice until only flecks of green remain. Add all other ingredients. Blend until smooth, about 2 minutes and serve.
Recipe: A Sweet Simple Life
NOTE: It’s hard to see the purple tint of the drink, but trust us, Ravens purple!
I’ve also added a healthy snack to my daily diet ~ almonds. They taste good and the benefits are endless. For example, almonds reduce the risk of heart disease; regulate blood pressure; are helpful in reducing the risk of cancer; and contain Iron and vitamins which are helpful in treating anemia.
There are also several “beauty benefits” of almonds.
Leave me a comment about your favorite healthy lifestyle tip and/or recipe.
Until Then,
~ The Pretty Domestic & Miss Jordan (BTW, she typed the recipe in this post!)
“I’m so busy! I don’t have time!” These are the excuses I use for my less than stellar eating habits. But we all know what excuses are; and as my Mother would say, “You make time for what’s important to you.” And she’s correct. With this in mind, about a month ago I committed to three healthy lifestyle/diet changes.
Last week, while scanning my favorite daily blogs and websites, I came across a recipe for a Greensicle Smoothie; and there was my answer. I’d try drinking my fruits and vegetables in a once or twice daily smoothie.
In my excitement, I headed out and purchased a new blender ~ yes, I really did need a new one ~ and all of the ingredients for my Greensicle Smoothie.
This morning was my first attempt at making the smoothie. Again, I don’t like bananas, but decided to try the recipe and see if the taste was overwheliming. I even poured my Greensicle in to one of my prettiest crystal goblets, as if it would somehow mask the banana taste.
What I learned ~ nothing beats a failure but a try. While the smoothie tasted pretty good overall and I finished the entire glass, still too much banana taste for me. Again, what to do? I called my “go~to” Doll on all things health and fitness, my cousin Susan, to find out what I can substitute for a banana. She suggested Greek Yogurt.
Once again, I headed to my local Whole Foods store for my substitute ingredients. I even consulted with “Eric” the Whole Foods employee, who according to the young lady passing out avocado and black bean salad tastings, “knows everything about juicing and smoothies.” Eric agreed with Susan, and Greek Yogurt it is.
Tomorrow morning brings day two of my quest for a healthier diet. I will try my Greensicle Smoothie sans bananas, but with Greek Yogurt. Here’s the recipe if you are interested in joining me in adopting a more healthy lifestyle/diet. Feel free to leave a comment with your favorite smoothie recipe. Even if it includes bananas! (This is not all about me.)
Greensicle Smoothie
INGREDIENTS
½ cup chopped kale
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup chopped orange segments (from about 3 oranges)
1 cup chopped frozen banana (about 1½ bananas) OR 1/2 c Greek Yogurt
1 cup coconut water
1 teaspoon coconut nectar (optional)
DIRECTIONS. In a blender, combine the kale, lemon juice, orange, banana, coconut water and coconut nectar (if using). Purée until smooth, pour into a glass and serve immediately. Yields: 2 drinks/Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Recipe adapted from Steve Mekoski, Purée Juice Bar, Bethesda, MD
I’ll check back in tomorrow to let you know how I feel about the new recipe.
Until Then,
~ L.
The Pretty Domestic
It’s hot! Better yet sweltering! Every time I look at the weather report for “my neck of the woods” the temperature is approaching 100+ degrees. When it’s hot, I’m not much for “cocktailing.” My main goal is to keep cool and hydrated, and nothing does the job better than a bottle of agua!
However, I don’t want to put “Champagne Sundays” completely on the back burner during the summer months. Try a Mimosa Sorbet for a cool and refreshing cocktail alternative.
Ingredients
2 1/2 c. water
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. orange marmalade
Zest from 2 large oranges
1 c. fresh squeezed orange juice (about 2 large oranges)
3 tbsp. lemon juice
Your favorite champagne
Directions. Combine the water, sugar, marmalade, and zest in a large saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it bubbles. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Mix in the orange and lemon juice and process in your ice cream maker according to manufacturing directions. Transfer to a container and freeze until set. Scoop sorbet into champagne flutes and pour champagne over the top. Serve immediately. Makes 1 quart.
Recipe: Cooking Light
Here’s to you, and a relaxing and cool “Champagne Sunday!”
Until Then,
~ L.
The Pretty Domestic
I’m not normally a fan of milky or creamy drinks, particularly in the summertime, but I recently tried a Chocolate Strawberry Bliss at a soiree, and was sold. Probably not something you would drink in the middle of the day, but could be a nice cocktail for a girls night in. Let me know what you think.
Chocolate Strawberry Bliss
Ingredients
Directions. Pour ingredients in an ice filled shaker and shake for 30-45 seconds. Pour into a martini glass garnished with a fresh strawberry.
Consider serving it with chocolate covered strawberries from your local chocolatier; or if you are feeling brave, make them yourself.
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Ingredients
Directions. Insert toothpicks into the tops of the strawberries. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and shortening, stirring occasionally until smooth. Holding them by the toothpicks, dip the strawberries into the chocolate mixture. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.
Bon Appetit!
Until Then,
~ L.
The Pretty Domestic
The Pretty Domestic | Life with Elle 