What to Wear to Thanksgiving Dinner

Whether you're hosting Thanksgiving this year, or have been invited to dinner with friends and loved ones, it's important to come to the 'table' in style (after all, it's the Cool Pink way;))Here are some outfit must-haves for your Thanksgiving celebration.

Blazer. A blazer is a classy way to cover up any unsightly bulges that you're likely to acquire after that third helping of garlic mashed potatoes (it happens to the best of us). Blazers give shape to your torso, and a blazer that is slightly loose makes it easy for you to keep the jacket buttoned while--and after--eating. It's also a great idea to choose a blazer with tails or a sequined collar so that the focus is on your impeccable style--and not your midriff.

Flat shoes. A pair of flats or flat boots makes your Thanksgiving outfit chic and relaxed without looking too casual--it may be a holiday, but you still have heads to turn;). If you're wearing skinny jeans (make sure they have some give) a tall, flat blot in a neutral color like gray or tan will free you up to wear a brightly colored top without being too flashy. If you've opted for boot-cut jeans or pants with a looser fit, flat shoes with a metal or flower embellishment on the front adds a festive touch to your look.

Accessories. Gold and bronze accessories are perfect for the fall season, and will keep you looking your best in holiday pictures. If you're donning a large wrap-around sweater for Thanksgiving dinner (another rather forgiving piece of clothing), large gold earrings will keep the outfit from looking too frumpy. Or, a fitted blazer with rolled up sleeves will show off your bronze bangels nicely.

When you look good, you feel good--and you think twice about gorging yourself with sweet potato pie. Maybe. Have a Cool Pink Thanksgiving! :)

The Bazaar Collection: The Etiquette Post

The Bazaar Collection: The Etiquette Post: "I was going through my favorite videos on YouTube and I came across a classic scene from the early days of 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'. It..."

Sweet Potato Pie Accents

OK, so chances are you you know how to make your sweet potato pie filling with your eyes closed by now. But even if you're making the pie for the first time this Thanksgiving, you can impress all your guests with these scrumptious toppings that are sure to get lots of oohs and aahs:)

Candied Nuts

Mix butter, vanilla and hazelnut extracts, brown sugar, powdered sugar, a bit of heavy whipping cream (or the soy alternative), butterscotch, and cinnamon together in a small saucepan. Fold in pieces of your favorite nuts; pecans taste great with sweet potato pie, put almonds or macadamia nuts are a tasty addition as well.

Caramel Topping

Molasses (or dark Karo syrup), along with brown sugar and heavy whipping cream are the main ingredients of a caramel topping; melt these items in a small pot on the stove until the consistency is thick and gooey. Add a few morsels of unsweetened chocolate and butter for a savory taste. You can pour this topping over your sweet potato pie, or swirl it into the filling when the pie is halfway done baking.

Coconut Topping

A slightly sweet but flavorful addition to your sweet potato pie is coconut. To thicken the topping, add a little rice flower to shredded, sweetened coconut, along with a pinch of sea salt, fresh cinnamon, and melted butter. The topping is crumbly, and makes for a great contrast of texture against the smooth pie filling.

*You can also sprinkle some coconut flakes or teaspoons of fresh nutmeg into the pie crust for an extra burst of flavor--Enjoy! ;)

Autumn Sandwich Recipe Variations

Since Thanksgiving is coming up soon, you probably don't want to make a lot of large meals until the big day--and you'll need some creative things to do with leftovers, too;) So here are a few sandwich ideas that you can enjoy before--or after--Turkey Day:)

First, you'll need some sandwich 'binders'--you know, something to spread on the bread besides those processed condiments like mustard and mayonnaise (yuck). i recommend a cranberry relish or almond hummus. For the relish, you'll need:

whole or jellied cranberries
plum pieces
oranges
sugar
* you can also add a little olive oil and fresh herbs like thyme or marjoram to give the relish a more savory taste ;)

for the almond hummus, you'll need:

raw almonds (organic is best)
tahini
garlic
oregano
olive oil
sea salt
lime
cilantro

--the ingredients for both recipes should be combined in a food processor to get the right consistency, but a blender works well in most cases, too.

Chances are you already have roasted or deep-fried turkey on hand, so just carve that up to put on the sandwich. Sautee the turkey pieces in a mixture of butter, fresh oregano, cayenne pepper, and lime juice before placing it on the sandwich. You can also use thin chicken breast prepared in the same way. Or, dredge the chicken in a light flour like potato or rice flower and sautee for a few minutes before adding the butter mixture.


Ciabatta or French bread is best for these sandwiches; toast the bread lightly before placing the meat and relish or hummus in between--but don't toast it for too long or you'll end up with croutons.:)Sprinkle the bread with a Parmesan and Romano cheese mixture onto the bread and add your turkey or chicken (or both lol) with the relish or hummus (or, you know, both) and enjoy! More side dish ideas coming up ;)

Candy Cane Cupcakes

A number of holiday-themed desserts feature peppermint flavor, but few sweet treats yield the taste of an actual candy cane. So, here's my take on a candy cane cupcake that is great for Christmas bake sales and holiday parties that will remind you of those freakishly sugary candy canes in your grandma's holiday candy dish--in a good way:)this recipe is really easy, and doesn't include any of the 'filler' flavors that take away from the candy cane taste:)

For this recipe, you'll need:

white cake mix (or a homemade batter of cake flour, sugar, 2 or 3 eggs, buttermilk or cultured soy milk, a little pure vanilla extract, salt, butter and baking powder). sorry, i don't measure, so just mix all that around until the consistency is right :)

pure almond extract
red food coloring
peppermint extract
powdered sugar
mini candy canes

-Once you've mixed the cake batter together, take half of it out and put it in a separate bowl. Dye the batter in one of the bowls red--add as much food coloring as you want to achieve the hue of the deep red stripes in candy canes. Get out your cupcake pans and grease each section of the pan, or add cupcake liners. Now, you may find this part tedious, but it's a good idea to fill one cupcake section with red batter, and a drop or two of the 'white' cake batter. Then, use a toothpick or small fork to swirl the two colors around. For the next cupcake, add the white cake batter first, and then a spoonful of the red batter and mix it around. The patterns are really pretty and look impressive when people bite into the cupcake;)

-Place the cupcakes in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. While the cakes are baking, it's time to make the icing. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk or soy milk, and peppermint and almond extract. Use a whisk to combine the ingredients. If you want you can add a splash of lemon juice--it makes the peppermint flavor stand out more. you can also add green food coloring if you want to create a contrast between the red and white of the cupcake.

-After taking the cupcakes out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes before icing them. After you've iced each cupcake, you can crush some mini candy canes and sprinkle them on top of the desserts. :)

The Right Nude Shoes for Fall

OK, so I've been posting lots of recipes lately (and there's so much more to come ;)) but the ladies need to know how to wear these nude shoes this fall, since clearly the trend is here to stay. Which is great--if you know which nude looks good on you. So, here's a quick tip list that will keep you looking your best in a classy nude pump this fall (or winter).

Fair-skinned women: You'll likely look best in a shoe that is a true tan, and has light blue undertones. You can tell the undertones of the shoe by trying it on and seeing if the veins in your feet are more noticeable or subdued. If the veins don't stand out, the color is probably right. Wear nude shoes with a sheer stocking (NOT BLACK)to make your legs look longer ;)

Olive-toned women: Women with olive skin can really pull of a nude shoe that has red accents, i.e. red siding or bottoms--think light or medium brown, or a red-brown in a leather or suede material. Again, it's best to wear tights or stockings that are close to your normal skin color.

'True' brown women: If your skin is the color of honey, cinnamon, or toast right when it should be taken from the toaster, choose a nude shoe that is as close to your skin color as possible. You can also pull off a nude-hued heel with some texture to it, i.e. suede or lace. You know the deal with the tights:) But, textured tights work well for you as well--think argyle or stripes.

Dark skinned women: OK girls, you can do a few things with the nude shoe. A creamy-colored shoe, in the same color scheme as what fair-skinned women would wear looks great on you, or you can wear an olive-toned shoe if you have red undertones. A thick tight (or some skinnies) will help to pull the look off;)

Send me your nude shoe pics, and I'll be happy to feature them--especially if you did it right! lol ;)

5 Spice Candied Apples

Candied apples are a treat that you can enjoy any time of year, but somehow, they taste just a little better in the fall. If you enjoyed candied apples as a kid, these recipe variations will offer you some sophisticated flavors that will make this sugar-cased fruit stand out :) For this recipe, you'll need:

-white chocolate morsels (you can substitute caramel or peanut butter morsels, or mix all three together--they all taste great with the rest of the ingredients ;))
-finely chopped almonds or macadamia nuts
-rum flavoring
-lemon flavoring
-vanilla flavoring
-licorice flavoring
-fresh cinnamon
-fresh nutmeg
-fresh ginger
-fresh anise
-allspice
-splash of milk (or soy or almond milk)
-golden delicious, Granny Smith, or red delicious apples (depending on how sweet or sour you like your apples)

melt the white chocolate morsels (and/or other flavors) over the stove or in the microwave--be careful not to let the morsels get too sticky or dry. Add a dash of milk to the mixture to make it extra creamy. add all the flavorings to taste--you'll have to keep tasting the mixture to make sure it's right. ;) Grind the cinnamon and nutmeg (you can use a zester or cheese grater) as well as a few pieces of finely grated ginger. Add these to the mixture, along with a dash of allspice.

soak the finely chopped nuts in a mixture of all the flavorings you've used (you can use Frangelico or Kahlua as well). Let them 'marinate while you cover the apples with the white chocolate mixture. Then roll the apples in the nuts and place the apples in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to let them set. You can also cut the apples into slices and dip them halfway in the white chocolate or nuts for a great party dish that looks pretty impressive :). Enjoy!