Food For Life

So there is a good chance we are officially obsessed with the Green Kitchen Stories Blog. We are back at it again, sharing a couple of their fantastic recipes with you! A Beetroot burger and a delicious Moroccan Quinoa Salad on the side are a great pair for the springtime months, but why wait?! 

Beetroot & Millet Burgers:

What you will need:

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of millet (rinsed in hot water)

a pinch of fennel seeds

salt

4 small beetroots

1/2 zucchini

1 large carrot

1 onion

4 eggs

1 handful of lemon balm (chopped)

Sea salt & Pepper

Boil the water in a small pot. Add millet, salt and fennel and cook on low temperature for 10 minutes. Set the cooked millet aside and grate the beetroot, zucchini, carrot and onion. Mix millet, the grated vegetables, eggs and spices in a bowl. If the mixture feels too juicy you can add flour, oats or more millet. Heat oil in a pan and fry the burgers for a couple of minutes on each side over medium heat.

Moroccan Quinoa Salad:

1 zucchini, cut into think slices 

1 eggplant, cut into thin slices

olive oil

1 clove of garlic, minced

salt 

11/2 cup of quinoa

1 tbs cinnamon

1 lemon 

2 bunches of mint leaves

1 bunch of cilantro/coriander

3 tbs of raisins

2 avocados, cut into 1 inch squares 

4 small spring onions, chopped

1 cup of almonds, dived in half, roasted and salted

Start by making the marinated vegetables. Spread out the zucchini and eggplant slices on a bbq, in a grill pan or in the oven, a couple of minutes on each side. Put them in a bowl, drizzle olive oil, garlic and salt over them and set aside.

Cook the quinoa according to the package but add one tbs cinnamon in the water. When it's done cooking, rinse and set aside to cool off. Squeeze the juice from half a lemon and add five tbs of olive oil into the quinoa. Chop half of the mint leaves, half of the cilantro and all of the raisins, add them to the quinoa and toss until everything is mixed. Serve in bowls together with the marinated veggies, avocado, spring onions and the rest of the mint, cilantro and roasted almonds. 

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Red Carpet Beauty: SAG Awards

The red carpet at last night's 18th annual SAG awards totally blew us away. Of course, Angelina in House of Lavande jewelry was by far our favorite look of the evening, but we were also loving Emma Stone in Alexander McQueen, the stunning Viloa in Marchesa and Rose Byrne's bold move in an Elie Saab jumpsuit. Let's just hope that last night is a clear indication of the fabulous looks we will be seeing at the Oscar's next month!

Brad Pitt and Angelia Jolie: Brad in Balenciaga and Angelina in a Jenny Packman gown with House of Lavande jewelry

Michelle Williams in Valentino

Viola Davis in Marchesa

Emma Stone in Alexander Mqueen

Jessica Chastain in Calvin Klein Collection

Natalie Portman in Giambattista Valli Haute Couture

Emily Blunt and John Krasinsky: Emily in Oscar de la Renta and John in Prada

Rose Byrne in Elie Saab Haute Couture

Lea Michelle in Atelier Versace

Amber Heard in Zac Posen

Kelly Osbourne in Badgley Mischka 

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Fashion Fund

The fashion fund series started yesterday on Hulu and Hulu Plus! Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America started the Fashion Fund back in 2003 to support, discover and develop the talents of American fashion designers. Some familiar names behind the fund from past years are Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, and Rodarte. In 2011 more than 200 designers applied and only 10 finalists were chosen. Each designer gave unprecedented access into their lives and work, for all of us to enjoy in a six-part series produced by Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern. Check out the first episode of 2012 below, and meet this year's finalists.



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Paris Couture 2012

The 2012 Paris Couture shows came to a close yesterday, and for the lucky few that were able to attend the shows, they surely were not disappointed. The overflow of creativity, hand crafted designs and fashion's elite all together at one time make this hands down one of the most exciting times in the world of fashion.

Some of our favorite looks from the runways, and behind the scenes shots from Vogue.com:

Giambattista Valli 

Chanel

Armani Privé

Givenchy

Christian Dior

Valentino

Versace

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Sundance: 2012

The Sundance Film Festival is going on as we speak, and since we aren't there to enjoy the Park City beauty and take in all of the wonderful films, we have been perusing the internet to find movies we know we will love, and to keep up with what the industry is buzzing about! Here are three films that we can't wait to see- all for very different reasons, but all sure to be fantastic. 

About Face: The Supermodels, Then and Now

Produced by portrait Photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, About Face explores the women that have defined the world's sense of beauty over the last fifty years. A candid look into the philosophies, ideas, and stories of the modeling elite, Greenfield- Sander's provides a glamourous yet personal look into a world many of us will never know. Featuring interviews and footage from industry insiders such as Calvin Klein and Eileen Ford, this is a must watch for the fashion and beauty obsessed. 

Bachelorette:  

Part Hangover, part Bridesmaids, Bachelorette takes on the female pre-wedding storyline with three very different friends who are learning to embrace their singledom, while "pig-face" from high school is engaged to one of the most eligible men in Manhattan, and they are the bridesmaids. The cast is what is drawing us in here, Kristen Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan and the wonderful Rebel Wilson are sure not to disappoint.

Goats:

When 15 year old Ellis Whittman leaves Arizona he is also leaving behind his self-absorbed mother, and his goat trekking, marijuana growing guardian, Goat Man. Headed for an East Coast prep school, he is forced to learn lessons about life, relationships from his past and his future, and family that he never knew. Directed by Christopher Neil and starring David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Justin Kirk, Ty Burrell, Graham Phillips, and Keri Russell this is a film full of emotion and important truths about life and love that we can't wait to check out.

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Babe Paley

Inspiring woman of the week is the iconic Babe Paley. Socialite, Vogue editor, mother of four, wife and one of the best dressed woman of all time; Babe's unconventional style has inspired women for decades, and continues to do so today. Truman Capote may have summed it up best when he described his friend "Babe only had one fault, she was perfect. Otherwise, she was perfect."

Photographed for Vogue, 1946

The most iconic picture of Babe by Slim Aarons, 1959

 Babe and William Paley in Capri

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Food For Life

Baking. We know it's not always the easiest thing to master, but we've found a couple of recipes on Vital Juice that are fairly simple, and they are vegan as well! We apologize to your diets in advance, but these just sound too delicious not to share!

French Toast Apple Cobbler:

Topping

What you will need:

1/2 cup of whole unroasted cashews, soaked in water for two to eight hours, or until very soft.

2 cups of plain soy milk

1/4 cup of brown sugar 

2 tbsp of earth balance vegan margarine

4 tsp of cornstarch

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp of maple extract

1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

6 slices of slightly dry, soft sandwich bread, cut into 1/2'' cubes

Filling

What you will need:

2 1/2 lbs of Granny Smith or other tart baking apples

2 tbsp of lemon juice

2/3 cup of sugar

2 tbsp of all purpose flour

2 tbsp of brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

Garnish

1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon

2 tbsp turbinado sugar

vegan whipped topping

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Drain cashews and combine them in a blender with soy milk, brown sugar, margarine, cornstarch, vanilla extract, maple extract, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Blend until smooth. 

Peel and core the apples and slice into 1/4'' slices. In a 9x13'' ungreased baking dish combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until apples are soft and juicy. Remove from oven, discard foil and reduce heat to 350 degrees. 

Add bread pieces into a large mixing bowl. Pulse topping mixture one more time, and pour over cubes. Let stand for 15 minutes, occasionally stirring the cubes to absorb more liquid. SPread over baked apples and pour remaining soy milk mixture evenly over cobbler. 

Stir together remaining 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon and the sugar and sprinkle over the top of the cobbler. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until the top os golden and apple juices are bubbling. Remove the cobbler from the oven and let it cool for 20 minutes before serving warm. Top with whipped topping. 

Chocolate Galaxy Banana Cheesecake:

Graham Cracker Crust

What you will need:

1 3/4  cups of finely ground graham cracker crumbs

3 tbs of sugar

2 tbsp of melted earth balance margarine, coconut oil or canola oil

1 tbsp of plain soy or almond milk

Heat over to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 9'' springform pan with cooking spray. Ina mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Drizzle in melted margarine or oil. Use a spoon to blend the mixture throughly. Add in milk and stir again to creat a crumby dough. 

Pour crumbs into plate, press firmly into pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until firm. Move to a cooling rack. 

Filling

What you will need:

1/2 cup whole unsalted cashews, soaked in water for two to eight hours, or until very soft

1/2 cup of mashed banana (about 2 medium sized bananas)

1 (12-14oz.) package of silken tofu, drained

2/3 of a cup of sugar

2 tbsp coconut oil at room temp

4 tsp of cornstarch

1 tbsp of lemon juice

2 tsp of pure vanilla extract 

1/4 tsp of almond extract

1/4 tsp of sea salt

2/3 of a cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

Drain cashews and blend with the banana, tofu, sugar, canola oil, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla and almond extracts and sea salt. Blend until completely smooth. 

Set aside 1/3 cup of batter and pour the rest into the crust. Melt chocolate chips over a double boiler or in a glass bowl in the microwave. Stir melted chips with a spatula until smooth. Add reserved batter and stir until smooth. 

Randomly spoon dollops of chocolate batter into cheesecake. Poke the end of a chopstick into chocolate batter dollops and swirl. 

Bake cheesecake for 50 to 55 minutes until top is slightly puffed and the edges are golden. 

Remove cake from oven and cool for 20 minutes. Move to the fridge to cool for 3 hours or overnight. 

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YSL: Menswear in Spring

Keep an eye out this coming March for the new YSL menswear campaign! Adding to the continued growth of the brand's menswear collection, creative director Stefano Pilati has called on, once again,  David Sims who also shot the 2012 Women's Spring line. Featuring model Baptiste Radufe, this this is the first menswear campaign since Fall of 2007, when Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin shot designer Marc Newson. 

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Fashion Inspirations

Pastels and Florals: Springtime Style

This spring it's all about pastels and florals ladies! Pretty shades, and feminine details will be everywhere, and what better way to accent your fashions than with bright, shiny fun jewels from HOL?! Everyone from Louis Vuitton, to Prada, to Nina Ricci and many other designers were loving pastel on the Spring 2012 runways. Also, be sure to check out the spread in this month's Elle featuring a couple of House of Lavande favorites! Tweet

LoveArtDeco

On march 9th one of the most exciting fashion exhibitions to date will be opening at Les Art Decoratifs in Paris. Louis Vuitton-Marc Jacobs. Not much else needs to be said after that, but celebrating the original founder, and creative director of 15 years, is definitely something worth talking about. Fashion author  Pamela Golbin is curating the event, and she has also written the accompanying exhibition book, which will no doubt be a must have. The show runs until September 16th, so you have plenty of time to plan that trip to Paris to check it out! In the meantime, be sure and visit the Tumblr site that Louis Vuitton has started called Love Art Deco. Below the down to the second countdown they are posting pictures and videos every few days to give us all a sneak peak of what we can expect at the show! 

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Food For Life

Keeping the immune system in good health is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. Especially around this time of year when everyone seems to be catching a cold! We're back to the Green Kitchen Stories blog for some extra healthy juicing ideas to keep our systems healthy and happy! 

Superfruit Smoothie:

What you will need:

1 cup of frozen blueberries

1 cup of frozen raspberries

2 peeled kiwi

2 peeled oranges

oat milk

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 tsp of cardamom

1 tbs of linseed oil

Put the fruit in a blender and cover with oat milk. Add the spices and oil and blend. Garnish with cinnamon.

Immune Boosting Grapefruit Juice:

What you will need: 

6-8 mint leaves

1 red grapefruit

2 handfulls of strawberries

1 small fresh piece of ginger

1/2 tbs of vanilla powder

ice cubes

Blend everything together in a juicer or blender. If you use a blender, muddle the mint leaves first.

Kale, Apple and Lemon Juice:

What you will need:
5 small organic apples
1/2 of a lemon peeled
1 inch of fresh Ginger
2 cups of fresh Kale, thick stems removed
ice cubes

Add all of the ingredients in a juice machine and blend on the highest speed. Taste it, and if it is too tart, add more apples, if it is too sweet add more ginger and lemon. Serve cold.

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Globe's Fashion

The red carpet at the Golden Globes last night, was, as usual, a feast for the eyes. Angelia was perfection, Zooye's custom made beaded Prada gown, and Heather's vintage Dolce are among our favorites of the night by far. Having to choose a few that we liked best wasn't an easy ask at all, but we managed it. So here you have it, a hand full of looks that we loved from last night!

Angelina in Atelier Versace and Brad in Ferragamo 

Zooey Deschanel in Prada

Shailene Woodley in Marchesa

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Monique Lhuillier 

Sarah Hyland in vintage Dolce & Gabanna

Jessica Alba in Gucci

Emma Stone in Lanvin

Jessica Biel in Elie Saab Haute Couture 

 Claire Danes in J. Mandel

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June Carter Cash

Inspiring woman of the week is Mrs. June Carter Cash. A talented singer, songwriter, guitar player, actress and author who has had several number one hits, toured with Elvis, been married three times, and has had three children. A full life with much of it spent by the side of Johnny Cash, isn't a dull life at all.  

                   

June and Johnny recording around their home and making music in 2002

June and Johnny performing in 1969

June

June and Johnny in 1969

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Tommy Ton and The Fellas

Our favorite street style fashion photog is at it again, friends. This time around he has made his way to Florence to the kick off of the annual Pitti Uomo men's shows. A collection of stylish and well put together gentleman is something we all love to see. We're lucky that these days, style and attention to fashion detail aren't reserved for ladies only. If you don't believe us, just ask the New York Times. A great focus on five of the male fashion bloggers who get it, and are bringing to us with swag. Yeah we said it. 

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