THE "3-IN-1" LBD & TOP SHOPPING RULES

I think it’s important for women to look good! When you look in the mirror and like what you see, it boosts your confidence and adds a little pep to your step. I’ve felt this way for as long as I can remember, and I can remember back to when I was about 4 years old! When I had a full-time job and didn’t have any kids, I didn’t care as much about shopping on a budget. But now that I’m all grown up and live in the real world where my kids’ needs often come before my own and financial trade-offs must be made, I’ve had to be more creative and resourceful with my fashion budget.

My shopping strategy has a few ground rules. First, always buy the best shoes and coats you can afford. That doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune—it just means to buy quality and items you LOVE in those categories. And if it requires that you spend a little more than you normally would, do it if it’s something you feel will stand the test of time. Why spend on these products? A great pair of shoes can elevate an otherwise ordinary outfit. We’ll get to examples of that in just a bit. Coats are something you wear frequently, sometimes every day. And they’re the first thing people see. So you need a coat that wows, even if it’s the 25th time someone is seeing it. And it needs to be durable enough to survive all of that wear. In addition to coats and shoes, if you find a basic piece that is timeless and versatile (like black pants, a great pair of jeans, a classic cashmere sweater, a belt), that’s also a great time to splurge if necessary.

Second, buy for fit. That means to buy something that fits your body and flatters your figure. Forget how it looks on someone else because you’re the one wearing it. Accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. The unfortunate truth is that more expensive designers often have the best cuts. But a dress cut like the one I’m wearing is often universally flattering. The sash around the waist makes it an easy piece that will fit many different body types. The flare of the bottom half can hide a lot or give a figure to those who don’t really have one (that would be yours truly). The length is also a plus because it’s not going to sweep the floor or look like a mini-skirt on anyone. I love a good maxi dress, but it’s probably not the best choice for those who are 5’2” and under.

Third, while I love patterns, particularly florals, solids are more versatile. You can easily change the look by choosing different shoes, jewelry, and handbags. Solids are also easier to mix with other pieces, adding one more way to change the look. And solids aren’t as memorable as patterns so you’ll feel comfortable wearing the same piece multiple times.

And finally, if the fabric isn’t the best quality, purchase it in a darker color like black, navy, or gray, as darker colors tend to hide a lower quality better than light or bright colors.

So how does all of this tie into today’s three looks? The dress I’m wearing is a basic. It’s fairly timeless. It’s also under $40, which makes it more accessible. But even at that price point, the fabric isn’t cheap. It’s cotton poplin with a slight sheen. The tighter waist with the belt (the wide sash it comes with or another belt) means the fit will flatter many figures. The length (just below the knee) makes it versatile and appropriate as workwear, daytime casual, and even cocktail attire. It can be worn for all three occasions simply by changing shoes and accessories. The photos and three looks featured in this post are proof.

Cocktail/Dressy

Day Dress/Casual

Work or Casual

There’s one more look I didn’t shoot or include, but I think this dress would also look fabulous with a denim jacket draped over the shoulders. So maybe the title of the post should be “4-in-1 LBD.” To shop the pieces in each look, simply click on the images on the scrolling galleries below the look.

SHOP THE COCKTAIL/DRESSY LOOK

SHOP THE DAY DRESS/CASUAL LOOK

SHOP THE WORK OR CASUAL LOOK

TWO OTHER FAVORITE BLACK DRESSES OF THE MOMENT

SUMMER SALAD: PANZANELLA

Summertime means salads to me. We host lots of cookouts, and we are fortunate enough to be invited to many near our summer home, and I can’t stand showing up empty-handed. While at home, I like to make things ahead of our guests arriving so I can enjoy their company. In addition, I love using seasonal ingredients that are ripe and juicy—tomatoes might be my favorite of summer. Sun Gold tomatoes are ridiculously sweet if you can find them at a local farm stand. Or better yet, pick them yourself.

Salads are terrific in warmer months so you don’t feel so weighed down. Panzanella is perfect because it’s light for the most part, but the bread fills you up just enough. I created this version of panzanella by drawing inspiration from two of my favorite chefs, Ina Garten and newer on the scene, Jessica Merchant of “How Sweet Eats.” It’s fun to incorporate pieces of recipes from those I admire and create something that I believe is even more special and delicious. This is a perfect salad when entertaining because it’s fine at room temperature and isn’t too affected if it gets a little warm while sitting out.

SERVES 6-8

                             6 cups                  rustic bread, such as country round, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups                  ripe cherry or grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1                  hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, halved, seeded and cut ½ inch thicK
1                  yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded, 1-inch diced
 ½                 medium red onion, thinly sliced
20                  large basil leaves, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons                  capers, rinsed and drained           

                      1 teaspoon                  minced garlic
1 teaspoon                  minced shallot                 
2 tablespoons                  white wine vinegar
1/3 cup + 2 tblsp                  good olive oil 
½ teaspoon                  kosher salt
to taste                  kosher salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread cubes on a baking sheet and toss them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, tossing once in the middle, until toasted.

While the bread is in the oven, place the tomatoes in a colander over a large bowl, season with salt, and toss with your hands to mix. Allow juices from the tomatoes to collect in the bowl for 15-20 minutes, tossing occasionally to release juices. (The tomatoes in the colander step is not essential if you’re trying to remove steps.) Cut/prepare all other vegetables and herbs.

 To make the vinaigrette, whisk together tomato juices, garlic, shallots, vinegar, 1/3 cup olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt.

 In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, basil, and capers.

Add bread cubes and vinaigrette and toss to coat. Ideally, allow the salad to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. 

FAVORITE AMAZON HOME FINDS

Anyone who knows me well knows that I pride myself in the high-low purchasing strategy with fashion AND in my home. Take the black dress post earlier this week as an example—a $30 dress paired with $200 sandals—both pieces being extremely versatile, making the shoes an investment that is well worth it and the dress something you won’t fret over if your kid accidentally ruins it. For decor, in my guest room, I have a fairly expensive dresser and pair of nightstands, and atop the nightstands are lamps that I purchased from Target for around $100 each. (They’re also available at Wal-mart!) The bed in the room can be found at Overstock for $500 (this is NOT just a headboard, either!) On my second floor landing is a fairly expensive sideboard, and in front of it lies an $80 rug. It’s all about mixing it up so that you can spend on the important items. I call it my “Splurge and Save” strategy.

Amazon has become a favorite place for fashion and now home finds. Why? Because with Amazon Prime, the risk is relatively low. Shipping is usually not an added and unwanted charge coming or going back if you end up hating it. And you can find almost anything you need. The downside is that shopping on Amazon, unless you really know what you want, can be a bit overwhelming. It’s like the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale on steroids and all year long! So I’ve rounded up a short list of favorite home finds, some with inspiration from my favorite interior designers. I’ll say that if you can afford the real thing, like a Christopher Spitzmiller lamp, for example, do it! But this blog post is based in the reality that many people can’t afford to splurge on everything—some have champagne taste and caviar dreams on a beer budget! And everyone should have the look they want, regardless of their budget. To shop the post, simply click on the product images.

Our guest room nightstand featured above has one little accessory that you might miss if I didn’t point it out. Yet, if it wasn’t there, you’d also feel something was missing. The cute little bowl that serves as a catch-all for our overnight guests is part of a beautiful set of bowls and is a bargain at just $25! I’ve placed these beauties all over the house, and they add the perfect finishing touch to end tables, coffee tables, nightstands and shelves.

Next up is lamps since I mentioned Christopher Spitzmiller. These two inspiration photos are from one of my all-time favorite interior designers, Paloma Contreras. We were lucky enough to have Paloma design a good portion of our Southampton home. The first photo below features a Bunny Williams lamp that is sold in her new Houston-based store, Paloma & Co. I love this lamp in brown or blue. But it’s over $1,000! The second photo is from Paloma’s home and that teal beauty of a lamp, my friends, is a Christopher Spitzmiller. It’s also likely around $1,000. But lucky for you, Amazon sells a few knock-offs of both lamps if you are inspired by Paloma’s designs but on a very tight budget.

Rugs add dimension to any room. One of my favorite rug manufacturers is Safavieh. Many of their designs are sold on Amazon. Below are two rooms from our home, both rugs from Safavieh. The second one is presently available on Amazon in a variety of colors and sizes. It’s a wonderful flat weave rug, and I just purchased one in bright blue for my boys’ room in the city. I’ve listed another favorite Safavieh rug on Amazon…now I just need to find a spot for it. Between the amazing variety of colors with the striped rug and the neutrality of the other, one of them should fill a need for you.

Throw blankets are an essential home accessory. They add warmth to the room when thrown over a sofa, are placed at the end of a bed, or draped over the back of a chair. Here are a few of my favorites found on Amazon.

Baskets are essential for things like blankets, dirty clothes, towels in a bathroom, and the list goes on. Luckily, Amazon has a lot of them. Here are my favorite picks.

Entertaining brings great joy! And I always fret over having cloth napkins. Yes, I’m that cuckoo. But my idol, Ina Garten, taught me a trick. She uses beautiful cotton dish towels as napkins, as do many trendy and hip restaurants. Amazon carries an option almost identical to those featured in the place setting below. And you know the best part? They’re about $1 for each napkin!

And finally, a few favorite things that I just don’t know where to put, so I’m gonna put them together. First, a fantastic smelling candle that also has a great design is sometimes hard to come by. This candle has both. I should know, I sniff it like it’s top quality cocaine. (Just kidding…I’ve NEVER even tried cocaine!) Second, everyone loves a good Moroccan pouf. I have two exactly like this under an acrylic coffee table in my living room. They’re great to pull out for extra seating…or for your kids to play romper room! The best part about this particular pouf is that it’s from Amazon’s “handmade” store, a special section devoted to selling products made by Artisans around the globe. And who doesn’t love supporting small business?

There are so many wonderful Amazon home and fashion finds. If you didn't get enough from this post, don’t worry, there is certainly more to come.

xoxo,
Jennifer

LIFE'S A BEACH

This past weekend was a scorcher! We stayed in our pool Sunday morning, had lunch, and then headed to the beach. And at dinner, my kids whined about dining outside at one of our favorite restaurants due to the excessive heat. So we enjoyed our meal inside. While at the beach, I have to admit that I look quite different than I did 10 years ago when you would have seen me in a bikini with no sunglasses, not hat, squirting Australian Gold SPF 6 on my skin. As if that did anything for sun protection. But nowadays, I’m seen looking like this for much of the day. Yes, I’ll allow myself to get a little sun, but let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger, and Botox on my forehead alone is super expensive. I don’t want to get to the point where I’m injecting my entire face.

But the real point of this post is to share this fabulous beach cover-up that I feel comfortable wearing into Citarella to shop after I leave the beach. It reminds me of Roberta Roller Rabbit dresses, which I adore, but I don’t always adore their price tags. This version is from Zara, one of my favorite places for on-trend fashion at an affordable price point. It’s cotton and so breezy and flowy—that’s actually in the name of it! I wear it almost every day that I’m going to the beach because it makes me feel feminine and beautiful! You can click on any of the images below to shop this specific dress. And in case this isn’t your cup of tea, I’m sharing a few other favorites that you might like to sport on the sand.

SHOP OTHER SWIM COVER-UPS

BLACKBERRY GALETTE

Last summer, when I had far fewer followers than I do now, I posted this recipe. So now that we’re in the thick of berry season, I thought it was worth sharing again because it’s so good and so simple. I love picking berries, especially with my kids. Perhaps it’s because I used to pick berries with my grandfather in his berry patch. And we’d often go across the street from my grandparents’ house and forage for wild strawberries. The satisfaction from hunting for and gathering ingredients and then bringing food to the table in the most delicious way is unparalleled. I love teaching that to my boys. They have been asking to go berry picking this summer, so I think I’ll put that on the agenda for this weekend. And whatever berries we pick will be used to make a galette. Or popsicles. Add berry picking to your list of summer activities. And if you have kids, you’ll enjoy seeing the pride on their faces after a plentiful harvest.

This galette is one of the simplest berry desserts you can make, and its shape is beautiful, even when imperfect! Like the picking, something about its handcrafted look makes it one of my favorites. You can actually use any berry, or better yet, a mixture of berries. This yields enough dough for two galettes, but you could also use the other half for a quiche, or freeze it, if you're only preparing one dessert.

SERVES 4-6

4 cups                              fresh blackberries or a mixture of berries
1/3 cup                             granulated sugar
1 heaping tablespoon      cornstarch
1 teaspoon                        lemon zest
2 tablespoons                  freshly squeezed lemon juice

2- 2/3 cups                       all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon                        granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon                    kosher salt
1-1/8 cups                          (2 sticks + 2 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup                              ice water
to taste                             fresh mint for garnish

In a glass bowl, lightly toss the berries with 1/3 cup sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and lemon juice to coat. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt and pulse briefly. Scatter the butter on top of the flour mixture and pulse until it forms coarse crumbs about the size of peas. Drizzle the water over the mixture and pulse until it comes together. (You may need to stop and adjust the dough periodically.)

With floured hands, remove the dough from the food processor, place on a well-floured surface, and form it into a symmetrical log. Cut the dough in half and use only one portion. 

Form the portion you are using into a ball. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough to form a 13-inch diameter circle.

Wrap the dough around the rolling pin and unroll onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Spoon the berry filling onto the dough, leaving a 2-inch border around the entire edge. Fold the edge up and over the filling, forming loose pleats.

Bake for about 25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Carefully transfer (I use a wooden pizza spatula) the galette to a wooden cutting board or other surface to cool further. Cut into wedges. I like to sprinkle it with confectioners sugar and/or top with vanilla ice cream for serving. Add fresh mint for garnish if desired (I love fresh mint with berries!) 

NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE PICKS

This blazer is part of the sale! Guy not included. ;-)

It’s that time of year, and Early Access for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is here for Nordstrom Card Holders. If you don’t have a Nordstrom account, this may be a good reason to open one. Hot items go fast, so I always try to shop the first day. With Nordstrom’s uber flexible return policy, it’s worth it to order, try, and you can send it back if it doesn’t suit you. I’m going to get right to the point. I’ve tried to group my picks into categories so you can find what you’re looking for easily. There are over 2,700 items for women in the sale, so it can be quite overwhelming. I’ve narrowed it down to make life easier for you. Ready, set, go!

SWEATERS/TOPS

9 TO 5 CHIC



JACKETS, BLAZERS, COATS

FOOTWEAR

PANTS

LOUNGEWEAR/PAJAMAS

JEWELS & ACCESSORIES

ACTIVEWEAR

GRILL TIME: BEER CAN CHICKEN

I really can’t take all of the credit for this recipe. My brother-in-law is the grill master, and he’s been making beer can chicken for years. The base for this recipe is his, but because I can’t remember exactly what he does, I think I’ve changed it a bit. If you’ve been following my blog from the start, you may recognize the rub. You can also make a version of this in the oven, and I do. It’s called Roast Chicken for Harry and is a favorite of a few friends of mine. Now that summertime is here, it’s grill time, so we can take Roast Chicken for Harry up a notch and impress your guests with your grilling skills.

The good news is that it’s still a ridiculously simple main course to prepare. The ingredients pictured above are all you’ll need besides a chicken and a can of beer. You will need one special piece of equipment that may not be found in every household.. A vertical roasting pan or ceramic chicken steamer is required because something needs to hold the beer can, and then the chicken sits vertically on top of it. I have this one from Williams-Sonoma, and it works like a charm. It provides the flexibility to roast one or two chickens at a time, and it’s lightweight, which is great because two chickens and two beer cans are heavy. My brother-in-law has a Big Green Egg Grill and uses this ceramic steamer to hold the beer can and chicken. The toughest part of preparing this bird is trying to keep your grill at 425 degrees consistently, but I managed to work it out fairly quickly on our Weber gas grill.

Since the rub is good for 2 months if stored in the refrigerator, you can prepare it in advance. The quantity in this recipe is enough for two or three chickens, so you can enjoy this again with very little effort if you decide to make only one. My brother-in-law likes to use a dark Mexican beer, but they can be difficult to find in a can, so I use regular Modelo. My sister thinks Budweiser is fine. ;-)

                      1                        3.5- to 4-pound roasting chicken*
               ¼ cup                        smoked paprika                                
              ¼  cup                        brown sugar, moderately packed
               ¼ cup                        kosher salt
    1 tablespoon                       fresh rosemary, minced
    1 tablespoon                        fresh thyme, minced
      ¼ teaspoon                       freshly ground black or white pepper

   12-ounce can                       beer, preferably dark
                        

Preheat the grill to 425 degrees. To make the rub, add the paprika, brown sugar, salt, minced rosemary, minced thyme, and pepper into a bowl and combine well using your hands.

Remove any giblets inside of the chicken. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels. Using your hands, pat the rub onto the skin of the entire chicken, including legs and wings. (Remember, this rub is enough for a few chickens, so you won't need to use all of it.) Pour out about 1/3 of the beer in the can (you can pour it into a glass and drink it versus wasting it). Add 2-3 tablespoons of the rub to the remaining beer in the can. Place the beer can into the canister holder of the roaster or steamer. Carefully hold open the cavity of the chicken and place it over/on top of the beer can. Tuck the wings behind the body of the chicken, sort of like the chicken is kicking back and relaxing. Place the chicken on the grill and roast. *For roasting time, I use Julia Child’s formula of 45 minutes plus 7 minutes for each pound. So a larger or smaller chicken may be used, and roasting time should be calculated using this formula. Half way through, rotate the chicken 180 degrees. The skin will look charred, but it is so crispy and tasty that way.

Once the chicken is finished roasting, tent it with aluminum foil and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes prior to carving. Then lift the chicken off of the beer can/roaster. Pour the beer mixture into a bowl or creamer for serving. Carve the chicken as you typically do. I like to keep the crispy skin aside as a treat. Spoon beer mixture over meat as desired.

GOT WRINKLES? YOU MAY WANT TO READ THIS

NO (seriously, none!) makeup photo taken at the beginning of June

I remember my grandmother often saying, “Beauty is only skin deep.” That essentially means that you can’t judge a book by its cover. What you see on the outside may not reflect what’s on the inside, for better or for worse. She was talking about what’s in someone’s heart and their feelings and actions. And I’ve always remembered that, especially when I, myself, have said or done things I’m not particularly proud of. 

But lately I’ve been more aware that the expression has another meaning. As I age, it’s becoming more important for me to feed my body properly so that the inside is healthy. That’s important for two main reasons. First, I want to live longer and stay healthy for my two young boys. And second, I believe that what we put into our bodies has an effect on what others see and what we see when we look in the mirror. What we feed our body affects our physical appearance. My last blog post featured a Mixed Berry Smoothie Bowl recipe that is loaded with antioxidants, has no refined sugar, and is free of dairy and a lot of animal protein. While I’m not super strict about this, I do strive to go in this direction on a daily basis. 

In addition to choosing and eliminating certain ingredients and foods, I’m also becoming more aware of what my body may need as a supplement as I grow older. A few months ago, I began to notice more fine lines and a face that was sagging a bit more than it used to. WHY is this happening? There are many reasons, but one has to do with collagen depletion. Collagen is the most abundant protein in our bodies, and it is found in our bones, muscles, tendons, and…our skin. It holds our body together by providing strength and structure. In addition to age, collagen production declines with exposure to smoking and UV light, which is why smokers and sun worshipers tend to have more wrinkles.

As luck would have it, a former client of mine from the nutritional supplements industry reached out earlier this year with exciting news about a new collagen peptide product that he was bringing to market. When I met Lorenzo many years ago (before either one of us had so many fine lines and wrinkles), he was the Head of R&D for a major sports nutrition company and went on to serve in this role at other companies whose brands are household names. He’s a brilliant man, and he has a kind heart and warm personality to boot!

Lorenzo and his wife, Sallie, together bring over 60 years of education, research, and experience in the food and pharma industries. So when they came knocking, I had to answer. They introduced me to Lova Naturals Beauty Repair, which is specific collagen peptides at a dose that has been optimized for efficacy. It’s 100% natural and clinically proven to enhance your natural beauty in a few important ways:

• Diminishes Fine Lines and Wrinkles

• Reduces Cellulite

• Promotes Healthy Hair & Nails

I will admit that I was skeptical at first. But I’m showing you my results because you have to see it to believe it. I started taking Lova Naturals Beauty Repair in February 2019. In each of the photos below, I smiled so you could see my crow’s feet. I didn’t see a huge difference until a few weeks ago, but I am tickled pink that I stuck with it. It was definitely worth the wait. In addition to a significant reduction in the wrinkles around my eyes, my nails are extremely strong and won’t stop growing. I don’t like having long fingernails, so I cut them, but if long, strong, and hard nails are your goal, this product will help you! Finally, while I don’t have before and after photos, I have noticed that my legs seem less dimply, and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t love a reduction in cellulite.

Feb

May

July

Below are close-ups taken in July. I squinted a bit extra in the middle photo, but the lines are still so much less visible than in February!

The images below are not of my fingernail. It’s the fingernail of a woman whose artificial nail broke off and took part of her own nail with it. The photo on the right shows the growth of her nail after 4 weeks while taking Lova Naturals Beauty Repair.

4-Week Fingernail Growth

The product couldn’t be easier to consume. It’s tasteless and it comes in convenient stick packs. I throw several stick packs into all of my bags so I always have it with me. My typical morning routine is to mix it into my matcha latte from Starbucks, but you could even pour it into a bottle of water. Like most powders, it does dissolve better in hot or warm beverages. If cold/iced, it just requires a little more mixing. It is sold as a 30-day supply—one stick pack a day is all you need. It’s sugar free and only 10 calories. Believe me when I tell you that this is much more convenient that carrying around a big tub, which is how many collagen peptides are sold. Another brand also sells a stick pack, but it’s a much larger stick pack because the dose contains MUCH more product, and I can’t imagine dumping all of that into my drink.

If you’d like to try Lova Naturals Beauty Repair, today is the day! On Monday, July 8, 2019, you can receive a 50% discount off of your first purchase by using code JSL50LOVA, making it less than $1 per day for this supplement that has made a huge difference in my world. You can purchase easily by clicking here. Shipping within the United States is free!

As with anything, individual results will vary. Some people saw results a lot sooner than I did, and you can see more before and after photos on the Lova Naturals site. Consumption of specific and effective doses of collagen peptides will support a body’s own natural replenishment of collagen. Several clinical trials investigated the specific collagen peptides and dose contained in Lova Naturals. Consuming this product daily has shown in clinical trials to reduce wrinkles, improve skin elasticity, promote healthy fingernails and decrease cellulite.

**A few added notes based on questions from readers. The source of protein is bovine (cow), so it is not suitable for vegetarians. It is BSE-free, which is where some have concerns regarding collagen peptides.

I’m really excited to see more results as this product gains popularity. If you miss today’s 50% off special, you can still receive a 25% discount through the end of July 2019 by using code JSL25LOVA at checkout when you purchase. Please feel free to message me with any questions. Besides the benefits that I’ve outlined here, there are so many more reasons to take a collagen supplement. If you google collagen, you’ll learn it does so much more for us than enhance our external beauty.

MIXED BERRY SMOOTHIE BOWL

Having lots of antioxidants in my diet is important because I believe in their benefits, mainly the protection of our cells from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are thought to cause inflammation, and inflammation is thought to be a root cause of many diseases such as cancer. Açai berries have become extremely popular because they’re high in antioxidants and they taste great! I became addicted to açaí bowls from Juice Generation. That addiction was short-lived once I reviewed my Amex bill after a month of daily consumption, so I started purchasing frozen açaí and making them at home…

Until one day I was out and still had that craving. Fortunately, I had bags of frozen mixed berries—blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Unlike açai, they’re available almost anywhere AND they’re also high in antioxidants, especially blueberries. So I decided to start making mixed berry smoothie bowls for breakfast, even when I have a supply of frozen açaí. Mixed berry smoothie bowls are simple, quick, and extremely tasty—so delicious that you’ll forget you’re eating something healthy.

You can use regular milk, but I’ve been trying to minimize my dairy intake. I recently discovered NuMilk “Make Your Own” Fresh Almond Milk available at Whole Foods. It has a clean almond taste, is dairy-free, and is free of the ingredients I can’t pronounce that are required to keep shelf-stable almond milk shelf-stable. Nature’s Path makes a wonderful hemp granola that my younger son and I love as a topping. And the best part of a smoothie bowl is that you can top it with anything you desire. Just try to keep it healthy. My younger son asks me to make smoothie bowls for him at all times of day. Have one for breakfast, or take a clue from him and consume it as a healthy snack or lunch.

1 SERVING

                      1 ½ cups                  frozen mixed berries
½                  banana, preferably ripe
  1 heaping tbsp                  almond or cashew butter
  1 tbsp                  honey or agave nectar
2 tbsp                  almond or coconut milk

   ¼ cup                  hemp plus granola
  1-2 tbsp                  unsweetened fresh coconut
 as desired                  sliced fresh banana
as desired                  fresh blueberries
as desired                  sliced fresh strawberries

Use organic ingredients where possible. Combine frozen berries, ½ banana, nut butter, sweetener, and milk in a high-speed blender and blend/purée until smooth but NOT liquid. This may require stopping and stirring a few times and/or shaking the blender to break up chunks of frozen fruit. Scoop into a bowl and top with granola, coconut, fresh fruit, and any other healthy topping desired.

FAVORITE SUMMER HATS

Summertime is here. Well, not technically on the calendar, but the warmer temperatures and the sunshine are what I go by. The older I get, the more I feel the need to protect my skin, especially my face where my age shows first. I always make my kids sport a hat, and recently they began asking me why I’m not wearing one when that’s the case. I don't really have a great excuse, so I’ve been reminding myself to do so more and more.

Luckily, there are many great hats for summer, and they can actually enhance our appearance. And sometimes they hide a lot, like dirty and undone hair as in the photo above. I have two hats that I wear most frequently, so I thought it was time to shop for a few additional options. And today I’m sharing those with you. You’re going to be shocked when you see how reasonably priced a few of them are. And then you’re going to thank me when you see how fabulous you look in one (or a few) of them! Happy shopping! Simply click on the images below to see more and purchase.