News Feed Friday

 Nicole Jarock Photography

I realized the other day that I haven't done one of these posts in quite some time. I would love some feedback on whether or not I should start back with them again. Or if you have any other blog post suggestions that you would like to see, I would love to hear them!

I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that it's Friday. This has been one long week! I will be doing a little shopping this weekend for gifts and our company Christmas party is on Saturday,  so lot's to look forward. Today I'm sharing a few links to take you into the weekend.

I love this Fa La La La free printable in this photo. 

Christmas sangria and cranberry moscow mules — the perfect holiday cocktails!

Speaking of the holidays, did you catch the gift guide for the entertainer that I shared this week?

These new gold hoops I purchased have been on repeat lately.

5 Winter Beauty Food to Eat Right Now 

I'm a tropical vacation type of person, but this post really has me contemplating Iceland. 

8 Trick for Looking Like a Model in Photos...tell me more!

Anybody remember this Christmas movie? It was one of the many my brother and I use to watch as kids. 

And the 2017 Pantone color of the year is..........

I hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Chef Event with William Dissen of The Marketplace

Anytime I have the chance to attend an event where an awesome chef will be preparing a meal for me outside of their restaurant, I'm there! Last week Chef William Dissen of The Marketplace, in Asheville, NC was visiting Charleston, SC for a special cooking demonstration hosted by Le Creuset. Chef Dissen comes from a family of attorneys and politicians, but he decided to take a different route. Growing up in the mountains of Charleston, West Virginia, Dissen lived the farm to table life, lending an influential hand to his style of cooking. 

After the informative cooking demonstration and Q & A, I left with a greater appreciation of ingredients from West Virginia and a full stomach. All of the dishes he prepared came directly off of his restaurant menu, with the exception of one. Something that stood out to me was the fact that all of his ingredients are sourced within 100 miles of his restaurant.  I thought that was a pretty cool fun fact. Here's a peak at the deliciousness that crossed our table. 

A mushroom gratin served with a side of crostinis was our first course, and also my favorite. Made from foraged mushrooms, this dish was served hot out the oven and topped with bread crumbs. The mushrooms had a hearty meat like texture and left me craving more. But then again, I'm a huge mushroom fan. While I noticed that this dish isn't listed on his restaurant menu, I'm still hoping that I can get my hands on this recipe. I don't know that I would do it justice, but I sure would like to give it a try. 

Next up, a warm bowl of heirloom pumpkin soup.  This candy roaster pumpkin soup was made with cave aged blue cheese and topped with pepitas and chili oil. The combination of warming spices created a wonderful flavor with a creamy and smooth consistency. On another note, how cute are these mini cocottes that the soup was served in? I should note that each dish was paired with a different beverage. For the starter and the soup, we sipped on a glass of Romana Sancerre Blanc, which really paired nicely with both dishes.

For our third course, braised beef brisket on top of a carolina gold rice cake, topped with smoked chili crema, pickled ramps, and a radish & herb salad. Every component of this dish
was delicious. The perfectly pan fried crunchy rice cake paired nicely with the melt in your mouth brisket. This dish was paired with a glass of Sobon Old Vines Zinfandel. Wine pairing is something I would like to learn more about. It makes a huge difference when you are sipping on a wine that enhances the flavors of your meal. 

Carolina gold rice cake

And last but not least was the dessert course, which consisted of an apple crisp with cinnamon crumble, imladris farm raspberry preserves, topped with buttermilk ice cream. You can't go wrong with a warm crumble topped with ice cream. Interestingly enough, we were served an Appalachian mule cocktail with our dessert. Although I'm not a bourbon fan, this cocktail wasn't too bad. For all of you brown liquor drinkers out there, you would have loved this! 

Every single thing that we had was spot on. I can only imagine what the other dishes on his menu taste like. Hopefully one day I will make it there to find out for myself!

Have you ever eaten at The Market Place restaurant? If so, what was your favorite dish?

Holiday Gift Guide | For the Entertainer

Tis’ the season for gifting and I’ve got a few gift guides lined up to help you find that perfect present. Today’s gift guide is for the entertainer. Most of these items are also on my personal wish list as well. I love receiving these types of gifts. You know, the ones you most likely wouldn’t break down and buy for yourself but welcome others to send your way. 

Click the individual images to shop.

Our Trip to the Islands | Part 2: British Virgin Islands

Remember the turquoise waters, fruity drinks and sunny days I shared with you a few weeks ago in my recap of our trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands? I didn't think our trip could get any better, but it did!  For those of you that missed it, Whit and I took a trip to the Virgin Islands to celebrate our three year wedding anniversary in October. Check out part one of my recap here. 

On day three of our vacation we said goodbye to St. Thomas and headed for The British Virgin Islands. A few ferries and cab rides later, we finally arrived at Scrub Island Resort, where an amazing room with a breathtaking views awaited us. 

After a day mostly spent traveling, all we wanted to do was jump right in that crystal clear Caribbean water. The colorful kayaks sitting in the sand on the resort's private pavilion beach immediately caught our eyes. We were told that we must go check out the coral reef a few yards away from shore. So, Whit and I popped in the resort's marina store, rented some snorkel gear and were on our way. Thank goodness I didn't bring my phone or camera with me, because the first thing we did was flip the boat. Aside from that, we saw some pretty colorful fish darting in and out of the coral.

After our snorkel adventure, we had just enough time to enjoy a few pain killers by the pool before heading to the room to get ready for dinner. We had a delicious meal at Caravela, one of the three restaurants the resort has to offer. 

Whit had arranged a boat excursion for us the next day, so we called it an early night after dinner. 
Of course, the first thing on my mind when I woke up the next morning was what we were going to eat for breakfast. A filling meal seemed suitable given we were about to spend the whole day on the water. We also had breakfast at Caravela, which was just a good as dinner. Eggs benedict for the win!

The boat excursion was scheduled to depart from the marina at 9:30 am and take us island -hopping for the day. Our first stop was at Sandy Cay, a beautiful beach known for its role in the Corona commercials. 

I was most excited for our next stop Jost Van Dyke to visit the famous Soggy Dollar Bar, home of the original pain killer.

We had a great lunch next door at Hendo's Hideout. A glass of island rosé with a side of fish and chips hit the spot.

We thoroughly enjoyed our day trip, making it difficult to leave. Knowing that we were going to back to our beautiful resort made it a little easier. 

We decided to join some new friends we made on the boat excursion and venture away from the resort for dinner that evening. We headed to Tortola for dinner, but in order to get there we had to take a ferry to Trellis Bay. I was most excited for the pit stop we had to make on the way. We arrived at Pusser's Marina Cay just in time for cocktails at sunset. Pusser's is a restaurant and bar located on this eight-acre island, surrounded by white sand and blue water.

Pusser's is also known for their popular red phone booth, with a camera located outside of it, snapping photos every fifteen seconds. You can log onto their website and search for yourself later — if you can remember the date and time you took the photo, that is. 

Once in Tortola, we made our way to dinner at a spot recommended by the locals called The Pub. This harbor-front restaurant has an easygoing atmosphere with a full bar and menu to match. I'll spare you another photo of pizza and just inform you that it's what I ordered. It was nice to have dinner away from the resort with new friends. Pizza and beer was the perfect way to end a long day of being on the water. 

Check back later for the final recap of our trip, which also happens to be my favorite part. It may or may not include more island-hopping! :)

Popsugar Must Have Box | November

*POPSUGAR sent me this Must Have Box to try

The Popsugar Must Have Box strikes again! I loved the assortment of fun things that came in the November box. Here's a closer look at what I received below.

Kendra Scott Elaina Rose Gold Bracelet in White Pearl 
I love this dainty little Kendra Scott bracelet. I have really small wrists so the sliding closure helps create the perfect fit. 

Meri Meri Star Party Picks

I'm a sucker for cute party supplies like these star picks from Meri Meri. These would add the perfect flare to a Christmas or New Years Eve party. 

Stowaway Cosmetics Dawn to Dusk Palette 

This palette from Stowaway cosmetics not only has a great selection of colors, but the best part is how small it is. The mini size is perfect for traveling. 

Oogie's Gourmet Toffee Butter Popcorn 

Toffee Butter Popcorn, need I say more? All I need is a bag of cheddar popcorn to go with this for a sweet and savory snack. These also make great stocking stuffers!

Pehr Chambray Runner Wine 

This runner is great for holiday entertaining. It's the perfect way to add a little something to the dining room table. I personally also love textiles like these to use when I'm taking photos of recipes for the blog. 

AJ Goods Nest Wire Bowl

To be honest, I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do with this wire bowl just yet, but it would make a great fruit basket. I also think that there may be a way to potentially incorporate this into some holiday decorating. Either way, it makes a great functional and decorative piece. 

If you're interested in signing up for these fun monthly boxes, use this special coupon code SHOP5 to receive $5 off your FIRST Must Have Box!

Thanksgiving Appetizers

Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week?! I feel like it came out of nowhere. I'm looking forward to spending time with family and friends and of course eating all of the yummy dishes that are associated with the holiday. Whit and I try to keep things fair with our families and spend Thanksgiving with his and Christmas with mine. Thanksgiving with the Smith/Jones family means no shortage of food, cocktails or laughter, and an emphasis on Clemson football. 

As for the food part, I normally contribute an appetizer as well as make my traditional frozen dessert. The frozen dessert recipe came from my mom and it's so delicious. For some reason we only make it during the holidays. You can find the recipe for it here. 

If you're looking for some mouthwatering inspiration to bring to the table this year, I've got you covered. Here are a few of my favorite appetizers and also a few I haven't made yet but they sound amazing! What's your go-to appetizer for Thanksgiving?

Pineapple, Bacon and Cheese Bites 

A recipe inspired by my grandmother and also a favorite of mine. 

Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs 

I made these last year and they were quite the hit! I was really just looking for an excuse to use this deviled egg tray. 

Asparagus Roll-Ups 

A simple and delicious recipe from my mom. 

Greek 7-Layer Dip 

Whit's aunt made this last year and I immediately knew I had to save this one in the archives. Who doesn't love a good dip?

Here are a few others I've rounded up from Pinterest that sound amazing! 

Cranberry Brie Puff Pastry Swirls  

Bacon Straws  

White Cheddar and Cranberry Dip  

French Onion Tartlets 

Cranberry, Butternut and Brussels Sprout Brie Skillet Nachos   

Rosemary Pecan Goat Cheese Truffles 

Stuffed Mushrooms 

Cranberry Chipotle Cocktail Meatballs 

Arctic Zero Fit Frozen Desserts | A Review

As I've mentioned before, I'm not one to really crave sugar. Now don't get me wrong, I do appreciate a good dessert, but I would much prefer to snack on a bag of salt covered, crunchy potato chips. But when I am in the mood for something sweet, ice cream is on the top of the list. I was so thrilled when Arctic Zero wanted to share some of their sweet treats with me! I've never had their ice cream before so I was excited to give a few of their flavors a try. 

I consider myself to be pretty health conscious in my food choices and wouldn't normally reach for a pint of ice cream on a weekday. I mean, after working hard in the gym, the last thing I want to do is blow it all by consuming an excessive amount of calories and sugar. At the same time, I also don't want to completely deprive myself, which is why I was thrilled when I read the label on these different flavored ice creams. Not only are they low in calories, fat and sugar, they are also free from artificial flavors, sweeteners and coloring. The perfect guiltless treat to occasionally reward myself with .

Here are just a few of the flavors they have to choose from. 

Brownie Blast: Only 75 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 8 grams of sugar in 1/2 cup. 

 Cake Batter: This one has only 35 calories, no fat and 5 grams of sugar in 1/2 cup!

 Poppin' Pomegranate: Again, 35 calories, no fat and 5 grams of sugar in 1/2 cup.

 Banana Pudding:75 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 8 grams of sugar in 1/2 cup. 

 Snickerdoodle Dandy: 75 calories, 1.5 grams of fat and 8 grams of sugar in 1/2 cup.

I really did enjoy them all, but I think the cake batter was my favorite. It's recommended that they sit out for a few minutes before serving so that they have more of a creamy consistency. I'll be honest, I've had fat free ice creams, sugar free ice creams, low-calorie ice creams, you name it, and most of them seem like they are missing something, but not these. Don't get me wrong, it's not like diving into a pint of Ben and Jerry's cookie dough, but I didn't expect it to be. For an ice cream that prides itself as being a fit frozen dessert, without sacrificing flavor,  Arctic Zero delivers.  

These are great to keep on hand when I want just a quick bite of something sweet and not feel guilty about it. 

Have you tried Arctic Zero before? If so, what are some of your favorite flavors? I would love to give some of the others a try.