Comfy Fall Sweater

When I was shopping in Bloomingdale's with friends a few weeks ago, I saw an amazing fall outfit that I haven't been able to get out of my head. When fall and winter approaches I am all about sweaters and knits. I'm perpetually cold and nothing is as warm and cozy as an oversized sweater. I love pairing a large oversized sweater with a pair of skinny jeans or leggings for a nice contrast in shapes. I specifically fell in love with a Marc by Marc Jacobs oversized sweater that would go nicely with any pair of tight fitting pants. 

Marc by Marc Jacobs Geraldine Cable-Knit Sweater
Helmut Lang Gloss Wash 5 Pocket Skinny Jeans
Madison Harding Miller Booties



 



Marc by Marc Jacobs Geraldine Long Sleeve Sweater
Helmut Lang Black Leather Black Skinny Stretch Pants

Giuseppe Zanotti Leather Platform Bootie





Marc by Marc Jacobs Geraldine Cable-Knit Sweater
7 for All Mankind Roxanne Classic Skinny Jean
Tory Burch Calista Riding Boots
Michael Kors Large Gold Runway Watch

(All outfits my creation via Polyvore)

Watermelon Jello Shots

Since summer is wrapping up and to me summer and watermelon go hand in hand, I wanted to come up with a fun twist to the college frat party staple: jello shots. I've seen some gourmet versions where the jello is poured into orange rinds rather than dixie cups, but I decided to "summer-ize" it by making the jello shots look like mini slices of watermelon.

Watermelon Jello Shots:

(makes 40)

You'll need: 

1 box of watermlon jello (or any other red flavor)

10 limes

1 cup boiling water

1 cup vodka
chocolate sprinkles as "seeds" (optional)

How to:

First cut all the limes in half and hollow out the peel. You can use a melon scooper or take a knice and cut the insides carefully to loosen the lime from the peel. Spoon out the lime.

Next add the boiled water to the jello mix and stir until the mixture dissolves. Slowly mix in the one cup of vodka. Pour the mixture into the lime shells and refrigerate overnight (add a few chocolate sprinkles on top if you want!)

Carefully cut each lime shell in half and cheers!

Low-cal Ready to Eat Cookie Dough

The only thing better than chocolate chip cookies is chocolate chip cookie dough! But knowing that the cookie dough will end up surrounding my tummy instead of in it, has deterred me from scarfing a whole bowl of the gooey stuff everytime I whip up a batch. I've come across a single serve recipe for ready to eat cookie dough that will save you from any food poisoning (bye-bye salmonella) and tweaked it into a low-cal version that is the perfect guilt free dessert!

You'll need:
1.5 tablespoons of butter (I used Smart Balance)
3 tablespoons of flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour)
1 tablespoon milk (skim)
2 tablespoons of sugar (I used Splenda because it has a fine texture that blends well into the dough)
splash of vanilla extract
chocolate chips or carob chips (or andy topping of your choice!)

How to:

Mash the butter. Then add all other ingredients excpet for the milk and additional toppings to end up with a dry, crummy mixture. Then add the milk and toppings and enjoy!

The dough makes about 4 balls and totals to 100 calories before adding toppings

(with 2 tablespoons of carob chips or 1 tablespoon of regular semisweet chocolate chips the total is 170 calories)

Party Popsicles

As a kid I was a big fan of ice creams and popsicles in the summer. The icy treat was always so refreshing after a long day in the sun. I decided to try to give my old favorite an updated twist by making alcoholic popsicles for a more grown up version of the pool party treat. These popsicles are so easy to make and are a fun unexpected treat for your guests!




For me watermelon is the quintessential summer time treat so what better than to combine 2 summertime favorites into a watermelon margarita ice pop?

Watermelon Margarita Ice Pops

You'll need:
5 cups of chopped cubed seedless watermelon
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons of sugar (I like to use Nustavia for a low-cal version)
1/4 cup of tequila
Ice pop molds

How to:
Purée all the ingredients in a blender until  liquified, the strain the mixture into a large measuring cup. Pour the mixture into the molds and freeze it for 30 minutes. If your ice pop molds do not come with a stick, add a wooden popsicle stick to the center of each mold. Continue freezing until firm (about 24 hours).




Over spring break last year in Punta Cana, a tequila sunrise was me and my friends drink of choice. Its a sweet tropical tasting drink that always brings me back to my times on the beach. This popsicle version is just as good as the real thing!

Tequila Sunrise Ice Pops
serves 8

You'll need:
1/2 cup of cranberry juice cocktail
2 tablespoons of lime juice
2 teapoons of honey
1.5 cups of orange juice
1/4 cup of tequila
popsicle molds

How to:

In a measuring cup combine cranberry juice cocktail, lime juice, and honey. Pour 4 tsp of the cranberry mixture into the bottom of each mold. Freeze for an hour or until firm. In a separate measuring cup combine the orange juice and tequila. After the cranberry mixture has firmed pour the orange juice mix into the rest of the mold.  Cover molds with foil and insert popsicle sticks into the mold. Freeze overnight and remove foil before serving.

Mojitos have to be one of my favorite drinks of all time. I find them so refreshing and I love the extra sweetness that the simple syrup adds. These popsicles pack a delicious punch.

Havana Mojito Popsicles

You'll need:
1/4 cup of Bacardi Light Rum      
1/4 tablespoons of fresh Lime Juice                  
1/4 tablespoons of Simple Syrup*
2½ cups Lemon lime soda (sprite or sierra mist-I used diet for the lighter version)              
12  Fresh mint leaves                         
3 cups Ice Cubes                         

Combine all ingredients into blender with ice.  Puree all ingredients until mixture is smooth and slushy.  Pour slushy mixture into Popsicle molds.  Add Popsicle sticks and freeze for 8 hours

**Simple SyrupYields: ½ cup
Prep: 10 minutes
½ cup        Sugar of choice                  
½ cup        Water                          
Bring water to a boil and remove from heat.  Add sugar and whisk mixture until all sugar has dissolved.  Mixture should be clear in color.  Bring to room temperature.
**use an all natural zero calorie sweetner for a healthier option