Outstanding In The Field

One of my favorite shows on television is Moveable Feast on PBS, every single time it's on I think I mention to my husband, I want to get to be one of the guests to this show. I love the concept of traveling to different parts of the country and experiencing the cuisine and setting of the featured place. So when I saw a friend post on Instagram about Outstanding In The Field I knew it was something that would be right up my ally. This very cool company travels the world setting up unique dining experience in remarkable environments. I mean just take a look for yourself at their dreamy Instagram featuring all the places they host their dinner parties in. It truly looks like a once in a lifetime kind of experience. All the food is locally sourced, farm to table and served family style at a long table in farms, mountaintops, museums and beaches all across the world. A list of all the places they are this year can be found here. Now we just have to decide which city to attend!

Donut You Want One

I know there has been some major radio silence here on the blog and I don't have a very good excuse to give you all, that is if anyone is reading this. Life just has been a bit crazy and my little creative corner has taken a back seat on the priority list. As of late I have been really trying to take care of myself health wise. Getting in shape with alternating classes at Soul Cycle and Yoga, dieting with Weight Watchers {down 7 lbs!} and generally tending to myself in a way I haven't in a long time. Since we all know dieting is hard and giving up your favorite indulgences just makes you want to quit. I have decided to try healthier versions of all my favorites. I think this donut recipe from Drizzle Me Skinny has to be my favorite thus far. I have made them numerous times and they always come out great & today I made them even a little more sweeter for my chocoholic husband by adding in some chocolate cake mix & topping with chocolate frosting. I even bagged some up & gifted to friends! All you need is a donut pan and some basic baking ingredients. Enjoy!

more healthy snacking recipes can be found here & here 

Sip & Snack - Port Sangria with Caramel & Cheese

While in Scottsdale a week ago my husband and I took in a desert sunset and ordered some port sangria on the patio of our hotel. While the above photo doesn't do the sunset any justice, it was the inspiration for this week's sip & snack that I was supposed to share yesterday. Why didn't I share it yesterday??? Well... let's just say I had a few too many cocktails with the girls celebrating a friends new left hand sparkler and I was a bad bad blogger. So my apologies for being a day late but hopefully you agree it's worth the wait...below is my version of the delicious port sangria that we enjoyed in warmer weather, but this time I paired it with an amazing dry cheese drizzled with vanilla caramel. Trust me, you want to try this...Cheers to the weekend!

ok ok, I know the caramel looks hardly appetizing, but try it & I am confident you will love it!

Port Sangria Ingredients

1 green apple

1 orange

1 lime

1 lemon

1/4 triple sec 

1/2 cup simple syrup

Port Sangria Directions

dice fruit & place into pitcher with simple syrup & port, stir and refrigerate for 2 hours. Once chilled, pour & enjoy!

Caramel & Pecorino Toscano

heat caramel for 10 seconds in microwave & drizzle of chards of the dry cheese

Holiday Gift Guide - For The Foodie

This week I thought I would take a break from the usual sip & snack recipes and instead share some great gifts of the edible variety. I mean the holidays after all are the time to indulge and the winter fashions allow you to disguise an extra pound or two. So below I thought I would put together a selection of delicious treats that will be happily consumed by whomever you gift them to.
The best part is no cooking required!


one - Shopping local is key to keeping our neighbors in business and I personally adore the Boston boutique Olives & Grace for sourcing other local business for their artesian products. The best part is you can create a box of your favorite treats and create a truly personalized gift.

two - Macaron of the month club - yes please! I adore Dana's Bakery for it's unique flavors, neon macaron's and creative gifting & classes!

three - Tis the time of the year for everything peppermint flavored and hands down my addiction to the William Sonoma peppermint bark has me wanting to gift this to myself.

four - With a name like "studmuffin desserts" how can you resist. This West Village bakery provide petite desserts in darling packaging. I personally would go for the cookie variety but I feel confident you wouldn't be let down sampling anything they make.

five - My family and members and I go absolutely insane for these Montana made caramels. They are ridiculously decadent and every single flavor is ridiculously delicious. My man favors the espresso and I go crazy over the celtic sea salt. Get them & thank me later :)

six - Popcorn is always a great snack for watching a holiday movie so why not try this crunchy treat in some tasty new flavors.

seven & eight - Gift your guy an awesome beverage crate filled with some delicious craft beer from Urban Grape. I love the idea of giving something new to try and luckily this shop offers the ability to buy bottles individually so you can try a bunch without a commitment to the typical six pack.

nine - Squirrel Brand Nuts have amped up the game in tasty snacks with flavors like Italian Black Truffle Almonds, Creme Brulee Almonds & Fleur-De-Sel Pistachios to just name a few are perfect for snacking with your craft beer or favorite vino.

ten - You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream. So honestly, tell me who wouldn't want a  tasting of some small batch luxury ice cream???

*All my gift guides from last year & this year {plus some other gift giving ideas} can be found all in one place here***

Holiday Gift Guide - Stocking Stuffers

A little something for every member of the family and all at great prices - Happy Gift Giving!!!



Kids need lots of entertainment and these monster tattoo finger puppets will provide lots of fun for them while washing off easily!

If you are addicted to your electronic toothbrush like moi then this super stylish yet portable toothbrush is for you.

Anyone in the family crazy about photography  have some fun with their hobby with this lens mug and cookie holder. {perfect for santa's milk & cookies too}

Mason jars might be all the rage for using as a drinking vessel but for those who still use it to jar homemade treats, these washable labels are super convenient and helpful for marking your goodies.

Save your screens from fingerprints with a sleek stylus for your Apple devices.

I love the idea of keeping a journal on a nightstand for to do lists, creative ideas or just a simple reminder for the next day. This notebook is not only chic with its sweet saying "she makes the day brighter, she leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes" but it's perfectly paired with this sparkly pen and the two together is under $10!

Save the ugly christmas sweater to disguise your booze with this holiday themed flask {also available with a polar bear}.

Candy canes always have a home in stockings but why not take the theme a bit further with this delicious smelling body wash and lip balm.

Playing cards just got a heck of alot more chic with these gold metallic beauties.

A giant rubber key to help find those always lost keys {more colors available}.

Charge your phone in style with these patterned & portable chargers, Jcrew has some great styles also.

The classic bocce ball made into a perfectly stocking stuffer sized version.

Cases for glasses are usually the more common than ones for contact lenses, that is until now with this pretty floral printed case for those delicate lenses.