Yoplait Greek 100 yogurt is will have you licking the spoons

OH….the end of summer is just upon us and New York Fashion week is in full swing.  I don’t know about you, but I’m not going to let all my hard exercise and eating the right things go to waste.  That’s why I’m so thrilled to have found a new thick and creamy Greek yogurt that makes me smile.  Yolpalt has introduced an 100-calorie strained Greek yogurt that delivers 100 percent of the rich, creamy taste of Greek yogurt in six delightful flavors.

“Greek yogurt has everything people are looking for in a snack, but sometimes, the calories can add up for those watching their intake,” says Liza Dopp, Yoplait Greek 100 marketing manager. “We’ve heard from calorie conscious consumers that there is a need for Greek yogurt with less than 150 calories, and we’re thrilled that Yoplait Greek 100 can answer that call.”

If you’re like me and watching your waistline and if you are planning your wedding and are using a program like Weight Watchers, you’ll be thrilled to know that Yoplait Greek 100 is the only Greek yogurt endorsed by Weight Watchers^® with a PointsPlus^® value of 2 per serving.*

Available in six delicious flavors including Strawberry, Black Cherry, Mixed Berry, Vanilla, Peach and Key Lime it has zero fat, two times the protein of regular yogurt and is a great source of calcium and vitamin D.

Yoplait Greek 100 will be available nationwide now for a suggested retail price of $1.29 per single serve cup. For more information on Yoplait^® Greek 100 visit www.YoplaitGreek.com.

*WEIGHT WATCHERS for services and PointsPlus are the registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc., and are used with permission by General Mills.

**Yoplait Greek 100 contains 10g of protein per 5.3 oz. versus regular non-Greek yogurt contains 5g of protein per 5.3 oz.

 

Wine Wednesday: Celebrating Valentine’s Day with Salon Tea’s The Lover Chocolate Truffles and

There are a few days in February that I love (of course when there is a Leap Year – my birthday, it’s my ultimate favorite) and Valentine’s Day is one of them.  This year I wanted to give you something sweet to make and share with your lover.  If you make it together, I’m sure you’ll double the fun.  This delicious recipe for your seductive Valentine’s Day comes from Tracy Stern SALONTEA‘s aphrodisiactic and Chocolate Chai Tea, aptly named…THE LOVER!  So after your romantic dinner, snuggle together with these truffles and tea and remember why you feel in love in the first place.

THE LOVER Chocolate Truffles  (Makes approx. 24)

THE LOVER Chocolate Truffles

Seduce your loved one this Valentine’s Day with the sensuous pairing of warm tea served with seductively sweet tea-infused chocolate truffles, made with Tracy Stern SALONTEA™ THE LOVER Chocolate Chai tea (shop online at salontea.com). This tea blend is a natural aphrodisiac, not to mention that the art of pouring tea is incredibly sensual! Tea has been a drink of seduction throughout history: many love affairs began over meeting for tea and ended as the greatest love stories of all time. We’re pretty confident that you will love this delicious V Day treat!

Ingredients:           

·       2/3 heavy cream

·       2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (cut into pieces and softened)

·       2 tablespoons of THE LOVER tea-chocolate Chai tea leaves

·       6 oz finest bittersweet chocolate, chopped

·       1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Recipe:

Combine the cream and butter in a small saucepan and bring to boil. Stir in the tealeaves. Remove from heat and let steep for 3-5 minutes.

Put chocolate in a bowl and strain the cream mixture through a sieve over the chocolate: discard the tealeaves. Whisk the chocolate and cream mixture together until smooth, chill for approx. 2 hours until mixture is firm.

Dust your hands with a bit of cocoa (or cinnamon) then use your hands to roll the chilled chocolate mixture into balls (Tracy likes to use a melon scooper).

Use 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of chocolate mixture for each truffle. Drop the truffles into the cocoa, turn them until they’re lightly coated, and then place them in an airtight container. Store them in layers separated by wax paper.

Serve in edible rose petals…enjoy!

 

Wine Wednesday: Lobster and Champagne reign supreme

I was invited to spend a long weekend in New England and  I tell you, after all the shows I tweeted live for NY Fashion Week, I really needed a break.  Don’t get me wrong I love what I do, but everyone can use some down time.  So in honor of my three-days ‘off’, all the lobster (and other) seafood I consumed, here are a few wonderful fall recipes that I hope you’ll enjoy.  Pair with a full-bodied Chardonnay or Champagne always works.  Here’s a toast to another successful NY Fashion Week and looking forward to Bridal Market in 9 days.

Lobster Chowder with Corn and Potatoes

Ingredients

2 (or more) lobsters

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

4 tablespoons butter

6 cups lobster or chicken stock

2 medium potatoes, chopped

1-cup cream

1-cup corn kernels

1-cup milk

Chopped chives Cayenne

Preparation

Cook a chopped onion, carrot and celery rib with garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add lobsters and a pinch of cayenne; cook for 10 minutes. Add lobster (best) or chicken stock; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Pull out the lobsters; remove the meat and chop. Add potatoes after you remove the lobsters from the pot and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add corn kernels and reserved lobster meat for last 5 minutes of cooking. Add milk along with the cream. Garnish: Chopped chives.

Lobster Bisque

Ingredients

2 (or more) lobsters

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

4 tablespoons butter

6 cups lobster or chicken stock

1 cup white wine

1 tomato, chopped

1-cup cream

Chopped celery leaves

Cayenne

Preparation

Cook a chopped onion, carrot and celery rib with garlic in butter for 5 minutes. Add lobsters and a pinch of cayenne; cook for 10 minutes. Add lobster (best) or chicken stock, white wine and tomatoes; cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Pull out the lobsters; remove the meat and chop. Purée the soup and reheat with cream and lobster meat. Garnish: Chopped celery leaves.

Lobster Sandwich With Tarragon Mayonnaise

Ingredients

1 pound shelled cooked lobster meat

1/4-cup mayonnaise

1 lemon

3 tablespoons shallot, minced

1-tablespoon tarragon, minced

Hot dog buns

Preparation

Combine good mayonnaise, the juice and zest of a lemon, shallot and tarragon. Toss with lobster meat. Serve with toasted hot dog buns. Garnish: More tarragon.

NYFW: CND Colors rock New York Fashion Week Spring Collections

At Wes Gordon, Kristina Estabrooks crafted soft almond, nearly neon, coral “Power Nails” with two coats of CND Colour in Poppyfield to complement wispy teased ponytails and fresh faces to embody the height of ’60s SoHo sophistication. Toes were clean and neutral with CND Colour in Desert Suede. The namesake designer loved the edgy length of the nails and remarked that his vision’s muse was “sleek and civilized, but she might scratch your eyes out.”

For Kevork Kiledjian, Candice Manacchio created “Iced Sand” manicures using one coat of Desert Suede topped with CND Jade Sparkle Effect and softened with a finish of CND Colour in Washed Down White. Nails were a modern spin on nude, with added texture for a hi-tech finish to complement military green and cream shades on the runway. Toes were natural and neat with CND Colour in Buff.

For Malandrino’s Ready to Buy runway show, Roxanne Valinoti did bold oxblood red manicures with CND Colour in Bloodline and toes were warm nude, Desert Suede, to match poppy red lips and soft wavy hair.

Coffee-Mate naturals are the cream in my coffee

Last month, I attended a conference in San Diego and if you’ve ever been to one, you know that mid-day, you need a pick-me-up.  Well, I’m not a big coffee drinker (love me some Chai-tea), but when I walked past the Coffee-Mate station, I just couldn’t resist.  It smelled just that good.

They have a new all-natural dairy coffee creamers that have just a hint of flavor that launched during the conference. “Natural Bliss” is simply delicious!  They use just four ingredients: milk, cream, sugar and natural flavors in their Caramel, Sweet Cream and Vanilla flavors.  The impact is ‘WOW’ and a new way to add flavor, naturally to your drink.  If you’re like me, I’m tired of all the ‘added flavors’…give me the real thing.  Well, they do just that and if the line all three days was any indication if people liked it, then you should run and get some now.   Oh, they are also Kosher and gluten-free.  So if you’re looking to actually enhance the taste of your coffee this is a must try.

You know I can’t have you just drink coffee….here are some yummy and easy recipes to try.  Today is my first day for New York Fashion Week an you can be, this is how I’m starting my day…especially the next 9 days.  Because I love to share great finds, I have coupons for FREE bottles, to give away. How do you like your coffee? “Like” Coffee-Mate on twitter and tweet me @bridalease (insert the new flavor you want to try). I’ll send it out to the first 10 people who reply.

Cheers!!

Iced Caramel Bliss Coffee

Ingredients:

1 cup ground dark roast coffee
2 cups purified water, divided
Caramel Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE NATURAL BLISS All-Natural Coffee Creamer
Ice cubes

Instructions:

PLACE coffee in nonreactive container like a glass pitcher or stainless steel bowl. Add ¼ cup water; stir gently to moisten. Add remaining 1 ¾ cups water; stir gently. Cover; let steep at room temperature for 12 hours.

STRAIN coffee concentrate through a medium sieve, then again through a fine-mesh sieve.

TO MAKE ICED COFFEE, fill glass with ice. Top with 1/2 cup coffee concentrate and 3 tablespoons Coffee-mate.

Fresh Strawberries with Sweet Cream Bliss Topping  – Yield: 25

Ingredients:

1 container (8 ounces) light or fat free frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup Sweet Cream Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE NATURAL BLISS All-Natural Coffee Creamer
25 to 50 large fresh strawberries
Raw or brown sugar (optional)

Instructions:

COMBINE whipped topping and Coffee-mate in large bowl; stir gently to combine. Spoon about 2 tablespoons mixture into small individual bowls; top with 1 to 2 strawberries. Sprinkle with sugar.

Simple Tiramisu  – Yield: 9

Big on flavor, this easy-to-make dessert is drizzled with a unique coffee mixture that will tantalize taste buds with every bite.

Ingredients:

1 container (8 ounces) mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup Fat Free Cinnamon Vanilla Crème or Italian Sweet Crème Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE Liquid Coffee Creamer
1 container (8 ounces) frozen light whipped topping, thawed
3/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon NESCAFÉ TASTER’S CHOICE House Blend 100% Pure Instant Coffee Granules
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur or brandy
2 packages (3 to 3.5 ounces each) soft ladyfingers*, divided
2 tablespoons NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Baking Cocoa, divided

Instructions:

COMBINE mascarpone cheese and Coffee-mate in large bowl; stir until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

PLACE water and coffee granules in small glass measuring cup; stir until dissolved. Stir in liqueur.

PLACE half of ladyfingers over bottom of 9-inch-square baking dish. Drizzle half of coffee mixture evenly over ladyfingers. Top with half of whipped topping mixture. Dust with 1 tablespoon cocoa. Top with remaining ladyfingers. Drizzle with remaining coffee mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping mixture. Dust with remaining 1 tablespoon cocoa. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Can be stored, covered, in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

*NOTE: 32 dry ladyfingers may be used in place of soft. More liquid will be needed, so combine a total of 1 2/3 cups hot water and 3 tablespoons coffee granules in medium bowl. Stir in ¼ cup liqueur. Quickly dip ladyfingers one at a time into mixture (be sure you don’t dip longer than 1 second), then place over bottom of dish.

Honey Vanilla Crème Stuffed French Toast  – Yield: 6

Ingredients:

2/3 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1/3 cup orange marmalade or apricot preserves
12 slices (about 3/4-inch-thick) firm, day-old French bread
2 large eggs
1/3 cup 1% low fat milk
1/3 cup Honey Vanilla Crème Flavor NESTLÉ COFFEE-MATE Liquid Coffee Creamer
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Maple syrup, heated (optional)

Instructions:

COMBINE ricotta cheese and preserves in small bowl; mix well. Spread mixture evenly over 6 bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices to form sandwiches.

BEAT eggs in shallow pan or pie plate; whisk in milk, Coffee-mate and vanilla extract. Whisk in flour and salt.

HEAT large skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Swirl butter into hot skillet. Dip sandwiches in egg mixture, coating both sides. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup.

Cook’s Tip: Parisian Almond Crème fans, you can substitute Coffee-mate for the milk in this recipe! Just use ½ cup total of the Coffee-mate.

 

NYFW: TEEN VOGUE Brings Fall Beauty & Fashion to Life

Throughout Spring 2012 New York Fashion Week, TEEN VOGUE will host TEEN VOGUE Haute Spot, an interactive fashion destination and lounge at Lincoln Center, providing young women with their own inviting, interactive environment where they can take part in fashion and beauty events created exclusively for them.  The space is open to the public, Sept 8-15, with daily events. So head over with your teen and find out what’s Haute!

New York Public Library for the Performing Arts  – Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery   40 Lincoln Center Plaza –  New York, NY 10023

Thursday, September 8, 3PM

• Pia Toscano from American Idol performs
• TEEN VOGUE Book Signing, 4PM

Meet TEEN VOGUE Editor-in-Chief Amy Astley while she signs copies of The TEEN VOGUE Handbook: An Insider’s Guide to Careers in Fashion.

Friday, September 9, 4PM

• Declare Your Denim Seminar

Join DIY guru, Erica Domesek of P.S.-I made this… and DIY your denim.

• Shay Mitchell Meet & Greet , 4:30PM

Meet fashionable star Shay Mitchell of “Pretty Little Liars”

• A Fine Frenzy, alternative singer, songwriter and pianist, performs, 5:30PM

Saturday, September 10, 11AM-1PM

• Soyon An, American Idol stylist, stops by for a styling session.
• Jill Stuart Runway Show Screening, 2-4PM

TEEN VOGUE Fashion Director, Gloria Baume and designer, Jill Stuart will host a screening of Stuart’s runway show.  Afterward, singer Sabi will guest DJ (5-6PM).

• Wynter Gordon, pop singer, performs, 6PM

Sunday, September 11, 3:15PM

• Declare Your Denim Fashion Show

Join us on the Plaza for a fashion presentation of fall’s hottest denim trends.

• Later, TEEN VOGUE’s Eva Chen discusses the hottest beauty trends with

YouTube sensations, The Fowler Sisters, Elle and Blair Fowler

Monday, September 12, 3PM

• Model Monday: Runway Coaching and Casting Call

Learn the tricks of the trade with runway coach Mac Folkes, and then strut your stuff for casting scouts from IMG Models.

Tuesday, September 13, 5PM

• Erin Fetherston Runway Show Screening

Check out Erin Fetherston’s latest runway show with an exclusive screening, hosted by TEEN VOGUE Fashion Market Editor, Mary Kate Steinmiller.

Wednesday, September 14, 3-6PM

• Tory Burch Runway Show Screening

Watch a special screening of Tory Burch’s latest runway show.

• Nikki Lane, Country music singer, performs, 6PM

Thursday, September 15, 4PM

• Phillip Lim Runway Show Screening

On the closing day of the TEEN VOGUE Haute Spot, designer Phillip Lim will treat guests to a screening of Lim’s latest runway show, hosted by TEEN VOGUE Fashion Director, Gloria Baume.

PLUS….Daily Makeovers with Maybelline New York.  Sound like fun to me!!

FNO: Patricia Field is having a party

There are so many parties, events and just insane fun happening worldwide for fashion week I’m posting a few of my favorites.  I love  Miss Pat – she is an absolute scream!!  If you’re in NYC this is one of those parties you must attend.  Hey, it runs until Midnight…so lots of fun for ya.

This year Fashion Visionary Patricia Field is building on her infamous annual Fashion’s Night Out Party!

Fashion’s and Art’s Night Out: Thursday, September 8, 2011 from 6pm to Midnight.

Two locations for twice the fun, fashion and art!

Patricia Field Boutique at 302 Bowery will celebrate FNO with designers V.O.N., Seville Michelle Anastos, M.Y.O.B, and many more.

Shop and enjoy refreshments by Vita Coco, snacks by PopChips and hors d’oeurves compliments of Veselka. DJ Cunty Crawford LaDosha. Raffle prizes by TannerHalltheFilm.com.

Veselka, the legendary East Village eatery, has opened a new, expanded outpost at 9 East First Street (across the street from 302 Bowery), and will feature a multimedia art exhibit curated by Patricia Field herself, with artists Fares Rizk, Hushidar Mortezaie, Jojo America, Keith Haring Foundation, Kevin McHugh, Maripol, Martine NYC, Paul Chelstad, Richard Alvarez, Scooter LaForge, David Dalrymple for House of Field, and Suzanne Mallouk.

Beats by DJ Kimiko and refreshments provided by Liquid Masons.

This dual event is sponsored by International Fashion Stylist Association, Aloe Cadabra, Apivita, Maybelline New York, U by Kotex, Meoko Vodka, and Liquid Masons.

Co-Host: Byrdie Bell

RSVP to: rsvp@PatriciaField.com