Green clothing gets such a bad rap at this time of year – fashionably speaking, that is.

If you absolutely MUST don green frocks for a St. Patty’s celebration, don’t cop out with a cheesy green t-shirt featuring a clover or a leprechaun – get creative and find something green and gorgeous! Better yet, show off your sustainable style and wear something eco-friendly and fabulous.

Gone are the days of trading eco-friendly frump for clean couture karma. Designers at every level are greening up to offer some amazingly chic alternatives. You may literally be wearing a paper bag, but that doesn’t mean it has to fit like one!

Look at designers like Stella McCartney and John Patrick for high-end inspiration. Check out Jonano’s ecoKashmere collection – abfab and afforable! Shop at American Apparel for basics to save some of of your own green. Stock up on Levi’s for jeans that are eco-chic and cheap. Scout out unique vintage pieces for the ultimate recycling experience. Or try out some some vampy vegan shoes.

Keep an eye out all year for great green pieces or accessories like scarves, hats, handbags and jewelry that you can pull out at a moment’s notice for a quick touch of green.

Most importantly, let your style reflect who you are – inside and out.

“I have so much more serenity now, knowing I am trying to make a difference.”
- Linda Loudermilk, speaking on her move to sustainable and eco-friendly fashions

As much as I love to cook, lately I just haven’t had time.

BUT with a few tips from Culinary Curator extraordinaire, Catherine DeOrio, I’ll be whipping up some deliciously decadent desserts for my next swanky soiree.

All you need in your kitchen for elegant desserts-on-demand are 5 simple ingredients:

Although I’m not a fan of any food-in-a-box, it’s a great cheat and totally acceptable when the finished product comes out looking as fabulous – and tasting as DELISH – as these yummy little suckers.

Sweet breadsticks
12 breadsticks

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/2 cup salted cashews, toasted and finely chopped
• 1/3 cup raw sugar
• 4 ounces milk or dark chocolate, melted
• Butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl mix the sugar and nuts together.
2. Unfold pastry puff dough on a lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, thin dough to ¼-inch thick. Cut in half. Lightly brush one side with melted butter.
3. Sprinkle entire surface with sugar-nut mixture, pressing it into dough.
4. Lightly brush other half of dough with melted butter and place over other side, butter side down. Using rolling pin, seal pieces together.
5. Brush the top of pastry with melted butter and lightly sprinkle with sugar if desired. Cut into 12 strips
6. Take a strip and twist. Transfer to a silpat mat or parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Press ends into baking sheet to prevent breadsticks from untwisting during baking. Chill for 15 minutes before baking.
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Let cool.
8. Drizzle melted chocolate across breadsticks.

Flaky chocolate nut turnovers
12-14 mini turnovers

INGREDIENTS

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted, and a little extra for garnish
• 1/2 (2 ounces) cup dark chocolate, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place almonds in food processor and run until it turns into a smooth paste, approximately 3-5 minutes.
3. Transfer almond paste to a small bowl. Add chocolate and work ingredients together with your fingers until well combined.
4. On a lightly floured surface, unfold puff pastry dough.
5. Using biscuit cutter, cut out 12-14 circles. Using a rolling pin, roll into an oval shape.
6. Place 1 teaspoon of mixture on one side of each dough oval. Fold the dough over it and seal the edges using the tines of a fork. An egg wash can be used here to seal if desired.
7. Pierce top with fork. Brush with egg wash if a glossy finish is desired.
8. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown, transfer to wire rack to cool.
9. Melt chocolate and drizzle over top of each turnover. Sprinkle with chopped, toasted almonds.

Creamy chocolate-praline filled vol-au-vents
2 dozen

INGREDIENTS
Vol-au-vents

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
• 6 ounces dark chocolate (53-65% cacao), finely chopped
• 2 cups whipped cream

Hazelnut praline

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts, skinned and toasted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

DIRECTIONS
For hazelnut praline:

1. Place all ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
2. Boil until amber in color. Do not stir once it comes to a boil.
3. Pour out onto a silpat mat-lined baking sheet.
4. Let cool completely before handling.

To assemble:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Unfold puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface and lightly smooth puff pastry dough with a rolling pin.
3. Cut out 24 circles with biscuit cutter and place on a baking sheet lined with a silpat baking mat or parchment paper.
4. Using a paring knife, score a smaller circle within it to create a border (be careful not to cut through the dough). Prick center of circle with fork.
5. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
6. Make praline. While the praline cools, bake shells until golden brown, approximately 12-15 minutes. Let cool.
7. Press down centers if they puffed during baking.
8. Melt chocolate, reserve 2 tablespoons for drizzling.
9. Add chopped praline to melted chocolate and stir to combine.
10. Spoon a small amount of chocolate praline in pastry shell, top with whipped cream, drizzle with chocolate and sprinkle with crushed praline.

Chocolate almond bark
3/4 pounds

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a double boiler set-up, melt one-third of the chocolate. Add in 1/3 increments until chocolate is smooth and evenly melted.
2. Stir in almonds, being sure that all are thoroughly covered in chocolate.
3. Pour onto a silpat mat or wax paper-lined baking sheet.
4. Spread and smooth until about ¼-inch thick.
5. Chill until set, approximately 20-30 minutes.
6. Break into pieces.

Nutty napoleons
12 servings

INGREDIENTS
Nutty napoleons

• 1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/4 cup hazelnuts, skinned, toasted and chopped
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

Sweetened cream filling

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 4 Tablespoons sugar

Hazelnut chocolate spread

• 3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped.
• 2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

DIRECTIONS

For sweetened cream filling:

1. Chill metal bowl, whisk attachment in freezer.
2. Mix sugar into cream and let sit in refrigerator to allow it to dissolve. Stir again before transferring to mixing bowl.
3. Whisk cream until soft peaks form. Transfer to pastry bag.

For hazelnut chocolate spread:

1. Place hazelnuts in the bowl of food processor and run until a creamy paste forms.
2. In a double boiler, melt the chocolates and mix until smooth.
3. Remove from heat and stir in hazelnut paste until combined.
4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator until thickened but spreadable, approximately 25 minutes.

To assemble pastry:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Make chocolate hazelnut spread.
3. While chocolate hazelnut spread cools, unfold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 12 equal rectangles and transfer to a parchment paper or silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes until puffed and golden brown. Let cool. Cut each in half crosswise, creating a top and bottom.
4. Take bottom of pastry and spread with chocolate hazelnut mixture.
5. Create the next layer by piping on a generous amount of cream filling.
6. Top with pastry. Melt chocolate and drizzle both milk and dark chocolate over the top.
7. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over top.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year- olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Mayber you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody’s else’s.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Dont’ be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths. Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

- Reprinted from Mary Schmich’s essay, “Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young.” Published in the Chicago Tribune, 1997.

Remixed into Baz Luhrmann’s song,  ”Everybody’s Free (to wear sunscreen). Enjoy.

FINALLY!!!! I’ve been looking everywhere for non-toxic, eco-friendly laundry products that actually work – believe me, there’s NOTHING sexy about wearing stinky, unclean clothes.

Had to go all the way to Italy to find people who actually USE these crazy thingies, but they are true believers. And with a 2-year old toddler, they are a great test case.

The terrible name notwithstanding (I mean really, Eco-Balls??? sheesh), these little guys will save you money, save water, save your clothes (and your skin) from harsh chemicals, and of course, won’t pollute the environment. Oh, and if you walk to the store, don’t have a houseboy to help unload your groceries, and/or don’t have cavernous storage space for those monster detergent bottles from Costco, these are far more user-friendly. Win-win-win-win-win.

According to my perfect-parent friends, they are reuseable for about 150 washes – although apparently you can get the super-size kit for up to 1000. In addition to the obvious (no harsh chemicals = less pollution), they also shorten your rinse cycle, thus saving water and electricity. And these days, who doesn’t need to save anywhere we can?? The Eco-Balls also soften clothes in hard water so you can ditch the cost, chemicals and unnecessary plastic of fabric softener too. And fashionistas take note: it’s those nasty chemicals that fade bright colours, damage clothing fibres and turn your wicked black to a lame shade of gray. They are also hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial so they are suitable for sensitive skins so all our expensive skin treatments are not for naught.

The eco dryer balls are also pretty cool. Basically they’re done when the little nubby things wear off, and most are guaranteed for 2 years (though allegedly some last up to 5). Like their eco laundry companions, they have no chemicals – which is obviously good – but they also hold heat so they cut drying time by 25%, which of course saves electricity and, more importantly, time. The only thing that’s a little annoying is that they do bounce around and make some noise but whatever – turn the radio up, dance around in your undies and have your own little laundry party!

If anyone has seen them in your local stores, feel free to comment below and share your secrets. I’m sure there are tons of places to get them, but being the lazy (ahem, I mean environmentally-conscious) girl that I am, I’m ordering mine from the sofa

FINALLY! Gone are the days of having to choose between style and substance.

We all know it’s cool to go green, but with sexy lingerie made from organic, recycled, sustainable materials, you can make it totally HOT!

I don’t know about you, but I was never a big fan of cotton Jockeys. And as much as I love the concept, the ads for American Apparel showing polaroids of teens in cotton undies are just a little too creepy for me.

You shouldn’t have to look like a 12-year old boy or a 98-year old granny just to be environmentally friendly. Fortunately, there are some wicked cool options for stylish, sexy, eco-friendly lingerie that comes in way more colors than green.

Check out the sensual lingerie collections with materials derived from recycled fibers from French designers g=9.8, eco-collections of beautiful clothing, lingerie and accessories from organic, sustainable and vintage fabrics from UK-based Enamore, and handmade, eco-friendly bras and undies from midwestern-based Urban Fox. Or do your own search and let me know what you come up with!

Of course, the “greenest” option is to wear nothing at all

Lemme know how that goes for ya…

There are times when I feel totally out of place, oddly nostalgic for a time when things were simpler. And as much as I love my “modern” conveniences, living abroad has proven that one can still manage to have a damn good time without them. Even me.

In an alternate universe, I am a Na’vi.
Thank God I look good in blue…

After seeing the movie (twice – and I highly recommend 3D!), I remember thinking to myself how cool it would be to live in such an amazingly beautiful and magical place, and to be part of a society that honored and respected the earth, the energy and the lifeforce it shares, who would fight against all odds to defend it. Later, while I was looking through my holiday photos, I realized that I already do.

Our planet is a breathtakingly beautiful place. From the mountains, the forests and the oceans to small urban gardens, I’ve been blessed with many opportunities to see some incredible places.  And of course, being a typical greedy American, the more I travel, the list of places I want to see gets longer instead of shorter. We live in a magnificent world. One that is absolutely worth fighting for.

And I am proud to be a member of a tribe who gets it: people who care about the world around us and the creatures we share it with. Some are more active in its defense, like the stars of the movie. They are our heroes, trying to save us from ourselves. The rest of us simply go about our daily lives. Perhaps not necessarily doing anything to make it better – but at least trying to make sure that our small, everyday actions don’t make it any worse.

But make no mistake: the power of being one of the many is enormous. You don’t have to be an environmental hero to make a difference. There were only a handful of leaders in the movie, but it would not have had a happy ending without the cooperation of thousands of “background players” – each being responsible only for themselves, but each making the choice to live in harmony with the energy that sustains all life. Living like the Na’vi isn’t about running around naked and flying through trees. But we make choices every day that determine whose side we’re on.

In a Filmcast Interview, James Cameron sums it up nicely:

”There’s a sense of entitlement – ‘We’re here, we’re big, we’ve got the guns, we’ve got the technology, we’ve got the brains, we therefore are entitled to every damn thing on this planet.’ That’s not how it works and we’re going to find out the hard way if we don’t wise up and start seeking a life that’s in balance with the natural cycles of life on earth.“

If you haven’t seen the movie yet, do. Even if you agree with the Vatican that it’s just a simplistic, sappy film that promotes neo-pagan nature-worship, it’s totally entertaining, visually stunning, and something that everyone is going to have an opinion on. And while you’re watching, think about which role YOU want to play…

Official Avatar Movie

Yes, leave it to me to have my first post in months revolve around alcohol!

I have a whole week more before I have to seriously consider any New Year’s resolutions…

Besides, it’s such a yummy festive holiday drink – and, forgive me, but this is soooooooo much easier than emailing the recipe to everyone who’s asked for it!

No need to spend a fortune on expensive tins of “mulling spices” or mess around with those annoying cheesecloths – just grab a pot, fill it with the stuff listed below and let it simmer on the stove. Or just throw everything in a crock pot and leave it on low all day (after putting it on high to heat up initially). The longer it sits, the better it tastes.  And it’s also a great way to keep your house smelling delish!!!

So folks, here ya go:

1 bottle of red wine – preferably something fruity and cheap (hey, I heard that!)

1 cup sugar

2-3 cinnamon sticks (NOT peppermint sticks  – and yes, apparently it was necessary to clarify that!)

10 whole cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns

1/2 tsp whole allspice

1/2 tsp vanilla bean

1 star anise

1 sliced orange

1 sliced lemon

1 cup brandy or cognac

Be sure NOT to let it boil. That will burn off all the alcohol and well, what fun would THAT be??

Serve with in coffee mugs with cinnamon sticks.

Super yummy for holiday parties or just curling up in front of the fire with a good book.

Remember, this isn’t a chemistry project. All measurements are “-ish”. All (well, most) ingredients are substitutable. Be creative. Make it your own. But don’t forget, the most important ingredient is L-O-V-E =)

Happy Holidays Everyone!

A new breed of eco-designers is emerging, bucking the trends and shucking the labels of “eco” and “green” in favor of simply being great designers whose clothing is, first and foremost, beautiful and creative.

For them, environmental responsibility isn’t a selling point, a mark of distinction, or a marketing spin. It’s simply a foregone conclusion…and one that requires no discussion.

John Patrick is one such designer who envisions a world in the near future where people won’t ask “Is it organic?” but say instead, “Of course it’s organic!”

Although his unconventional choice of a moody, smoky NY steakhouse was hardly the quintessential venue to showcase a 2010 spring collection, it was a brilliant exercise in irony. By choosing this trendy location that was borderline anti-organic, surprising and even offending some long-time fans, John Patrick transcended the “eco-designer” stereotype. With his new line of luxurious clothes coming to life in this unusual showcase where the audience could interact with the models and feel the sumptuous fabrics they were wearing, John Patrick proved himself to be a fabulous designer…whose clothing just happens to be organic.

Going far beyond boycotting leather and fur, Stella brings both her fashion design and production into the 21st century by incorporating environmental responsibility into her business on all levels.

“Hopefully the next generation aren’t even gonna know about the words environmental or green, it’s just gonna be the way they think…really, we should all just be thinking about being responsible citizens of the planet Earth on a daily basis. We shouldn’t even have a word for it.”

~Stella McCartney

If you have the time and the means, I highly recommend going away to a lovely spa and turning this into a treat rather than torture. But if you’re up for a do-it-yourself detox at home, here are some survival tips to help get you through:

If you’ve never fasted before, you might want to get a thumbs-up from your doctor. The whole point is to get healthier.

Find a buddy to do it with and hold each other accountable. We used to charge each other a drink for every infraction…but that only encouraged cheating. Now we exchange 10 things we love and every cheat means something goes on EBAY. Cruel but effective.

Stock up on all the products you need before you start and set them up on your kitchen counter.  You can get everything at Whole Foods, health food stores or online. Check out some of the links on this page for resources.

Clear out all the temptation from your kitchen – it’s much easier to suck down veggie juice when you don’t have to reach past the champagne to get to it.

If your office has a kitchen, bring your stuff there too.  It doesn’t take any longer to make a cup of tea or a detox drink than to grab a cup of coffee. Caution: although this is great water-cooler conversation, I recommend sharing general information only – no one needs (or wants) to know about your personal cleansing results.

Put post-it reminders on your fridge, cabinets, mirrors, etc. Mine say “Go ahead – guys love a toxic fast ass!” You might choose to be kinder to yourself. Whatever works.

Schedule the program in your BlackBerry and set up reminder alarms. If you stick to the program and the schedule, you won’t even be hungry.

Block out the time on your calendar in advance and take a break from the social scene. It won’t kill you to drop out for a week or two. Be a little mysterious and let everyone speculate about all the fabulous things you must be doing. And while you’re at it,  go ahead and DO some of those fabulous things that you never have time for so you’ll have all kinds of interesting things to talk about when  you re-emerge.

Schedule appointments for massages, colonics, yoga classes and all the other lovely things that you’d do at a spa.

Be creative and make it FUN.

Good Luck – and let me know how it goes!