Outdoor Movie Night

This past Sunday marked the chilliest South Beach has felt in a while. I was headed to an outdoor movie with my girlfriend, Colleen, so I happily pulled out some extra layers and, finally, put on some booties that are not open toe. My Toms booties have a super soft foot pad on the interior, which makes them great for walking.

One of my absolute favorite trends for 2017 is "The Brooch". It's not just about pins like the ones you see at Urban or other fast fashion stores, it's all about beautiful, ornate, bejeweled, and intricate pieces of art that accent your clothing. This jacket from Topshop (few seasons old) was screaming for a little pop on the lapel. I was giddy to pull out my vintage toucan brooch. Though, I am more bundled than usual in Miami, I still love adding tropical touches to my look. It feels appropriate with all the palm trees and lush green surroundings. I found this piece at a small antique store in Old Quebec City. I am partial to vintage animal brooches- my fav! 

My ripped denim is also a Topshop find. The Leigh fit is my go to jean. Before walking out the door, I grabbed my J. Crew Edie bag to contrast all my neutrals. Sadly, this bag is no longer available at J.Crew, but you can still find a few colors on Poshmark, or shop The Cambridge Satchel Company for a look alike. 

Oh, and we saw "Amy", the documentary about Amy Winehouse. It was rather sad, but very well done and insightful. If you are a fan, or even not, I recommend! xo RCN

Quinoa Corn Chowder

I decided to start the year off right with making some hearty home cooked meals. Food Network Magazine is by far one of my favorite sources for recipes. After all, its a compilation of recipes and ideas from all my favorite Food Network stars. The first issue this year features Trisha Yearwood's Quinoa Corn Chowder. It turned out to be relatively easy to make and not so bad to clean up after, either. The flavors are delicious, filling, and blend for a perfect mix of sweet and savory. Link to recipe direct at Food Network HERE or see below (with slight alterations from me).

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used a medium-large size onion)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup Quinoa

2 cups frozen whole-kennel corn, thawed

5 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 bag baby Yukon potatoes, about 2 pounds, cut into 4-6 pieces each

2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

8 slices of bacon, cooked and broken up into bits + more for garnish

3/4-1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined (I used frozen, cooked shrimp and thawed before adding to chowder)

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped, additional sprigs for garnish

3 scallions chopped finely

Prep by baking bacon on cookie sheet at 375 degrees F until crispy. Remove from oven and let cool on plate layered with paper towels. Set aside until grease has dried off, then crumple into bacon bit pieces. Set aside a few additional bacon slices for garnish. Thaw frozen corn and shrimp (if frozen). Chop onions and garlic. Rinse potatoes and quarter or chop into 4-6 pieces each.

Heat large stockpot on medium heat, about 2 minutes. Add chopped onion and garlic. Saute until tender about 7 minutes. Add quinoa and corn, saute for another 3 minutes. Add stock, heavy cream, potatoes and Old Bay. Increase heat to high and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, incovered, until the quinoa and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Add shrimp to chowder and cook until they are pink and opaque, 2-3 minutes. Add parsley, scallions, and bacon bits just before serving. Be sure to include a 1/2 bacon slice and sprig of parsley for garnish. Enjoy!

New Jacket, New Shoes, No problem

Santa treated me very well on Christmas. Two of my favorite additions to the closet pair perfectly together. That is a double win. Zach surprised me with an insane pair of Gucci boots, which look fabulous with my new BLANK NYC red suede moto jacket, from my In-laws. I fell in love with the jacket last year when I received a navy blue one for my birthday. I loved it so much, I just had to have it in another color. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention another favorite Christmas gift. Zach gave me a gold "Z" Chloe ring that I have had my eye on. It doubles as an "N", which works out quite well considering our last name is Nord.

Still no snow in Jersey, so the jacket and fancy/wild boots worked out well for a lunch date with my friends and an afternoon shopping with my SIL, Courtney. I still have hopes for snow before next week. Seems like chances are slim, but fingers are still crossed. xo RCN