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RAAD Trend Remix: It's a Plaid World

Written By: Chantale Raad

Prepare yourself guys...you're going to be getting a lot of plaid from me this season thanks to the new Zara store that just opened (FINALLY) at Scottsdale's Fashion Square Mall. Good news is that Zara's current collection is chock-full of this season's must haves: rubber-soled platforms, whimsical dresses and leather and plaid/check everything. Sad news, I'll probably be broke by New Years (damn you inexpensive-yet-high-fashion retailers!). As for this week's trend of the week, I opted for a simple H&M button up dress I picked up the other day. It can easily be belted or left loose, but I paired this dress with my new linen Moto jacket I picked up in Santa Monica this past summer. The weather hasn't gotten completely leather-ready yet, but I had to bust out my favorite Chelsea boots I got in London a while back. Whatever, it's fall...at least I don't wear Uggs in July (or ever, for that matter).

A Great Day with Gatsby

Written By: Pascale Kanaan

Tucked away in the Mercado del Lago plaza off of Via de Ventura, lives a lovely little gem called Altitude Coffee Lab, my newest discovery/obsession. Not only do they serve the most heavenly coffee, roasted and brewed in-house, but this hospitality haven has, well, just the most magical of vibes. Maybe it’s their perfect little dog-friendly patio that overlooks the lake…where when the breeze hits just right, you catch a whiff of the fresh-grown rosemary and basil that is used to spruce up their seasonal small plates. Or maybe it’s the warm welcome that you get from their humble yet talented staff every time you visit. Or perhaps, it’s their homemade menu, made entirely up of local fresh ingredients. I don’t know what it is about this place, but I never want to leave! 

Neither did Gatsby. It was my five-month-old yorkie pup’s first day out, and I have to say.. this was the most well-behaved he has been since I got him. At 10am on this gorgeous first day of Fall, we claimed a cozy couch on the patio and made it ours for the next five hours (literally). I watched my fair share of dogs come and go with their owners and noticed that, humans and canines alike, everyone seemed to be in a blissful stupor. It was kind of like spending the day in heaven.

Only 19 days old, and you can tell Altitude has already garnered the respect of it’s locals (that was my third visit already). It is obvious that entrepreneur, Paul Musikanth, former professional golfer, Craig Matthew, and Executive Chef, Collin Craig clearly know the perfect recipe for repeat business. Altitude is not your average soon-forgotten coffee house. Like it‘s name suggests, it is truly on another level. Guests are served an “elevated experience“ every time they visit. A true coffee "laboratory", the expert staff of brewers and roasters experiment with rare coffee beans in search of the perfect cup-of-joe formulas. And as if their stellar coffee isn’t reason enough to become a loyal customer, their plan to expand their menu and acquire a liquor license is yet another reason to frequent this fab spot. Chef Collin was telling me what he loves best about this place is his ability to be creative in the kitchen. He has free reign to prepare whatever inspires him in the moment.

Auntie Chantie (that's what Gatsby calls her) started her morning off with a lovely loose leaf tea and a spinach, roasted red pepper and feta quiche before she had to leave for work. I went for an iced soy latte and a delicious tomato, egg and cheddar breakfast sandwich. Several hours later, there Gatsby and I still were– he was sprawled out on the couch, hair blowing in the wind, enjoying a little doggie nap, while I enjoyed a little treat of my own when Chef brought me out a scrumptious M&M brownie. As if breakfast and dessert wasn’t enough, I stayed for lunch too! Sandy met up with me and we indulged in the Fancy Nancy aka “The queen of all ham & cheese” (proscuitto, roasted red peppers, smoked fontina and olive oil poached shallots with a side of homemade pickles) and a delicous Caprese Salad with Basil Aioli.

It was definitely a day to remember. Fabulous F&B, top-notch hospitality, a beautiful breeze… and quality time with my Gatsby. What more can a girl ask for?! Thank you Altitude for helping me kick off my favorite season the right way :) 

Trend of the Week: Plaid

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!!

So if you haven't been keeping up with my insta-shananigans, then you probably don't know about my DIE-SUMMER/LONG-LIVE-FALL obsession. Pumpkins, bright orange, cinnamon on every thing, BOOTS (!)...lets just say it's a magical time of year for me. Ironically, I broke/sprained (not sure yet) my toe when I tackled Pascale's new puppy (more on that soon), so sandals it is!

Fall's trend lineup is out of control though. There are so many wild prints, unique color combos and, most importantly, LAYERING that is making me lose it over here. One of my fall fav's would have to be the lovely plaid print, (probably because of all the back-to-back Sons of Anarchy seasons I've been watching...Jax Teller really knows how to werk some plaid and leather). As you can see in the collage above, you can do plaid with any garment, even overalls. And colorways are not limited, so go for whatever tone you like. Let this be your main print in your outfit and balance it out with different solids like denim or leather, and accessorize with outerwear pieces, scarves, and fun jewelry. Whether it be 90's grunge, lumber-chic, or biker babe...you really can't go wrong with this look.

1. Asos: $151.88
2. No. 21: $2,555
3. Harvey Faircloth: $395
4. Asos: $64.13
5. Faith Connexion: $322
6. Asos: $37.97
7. Asos: $47.25
8. Suno: $795
9. Asos: $59.07
10. DSQUARED2: $545

Orange Ya Glad

Written By: Chantale Raad

When it comes to breakfast, my sweet tooth, without fail, always kicks savory's ass. I'm constantly choosing anything that involves a flood of syrup and choco-banana infusions instead of bacon and eggs (Sorry, guys...I don't understand our nation's bacon obsession). Our friend, Lauren, kept raving about this hidden breakfast spot in Old Town Scottsdale that has not only won awards for their pancakes and french toasts, but is also known for their expensive, top-grade bacon... The best of both worlds. So last Sunday, we made a bee-lined straight to the source on that cozy rainy day only to find this local-infested hidden gem, Orange Table. Painted in, you guessed it, orange, the interior of this restaurant was super vibrant and cozy, with paintings scattered along their walls and plush couches for guests to relax and enjoy their meal. We plopped down on the couches which were situated right next to their impressive display of award plaques, a confirmation that we had selected the perfect brunch spot. 

 

Mr. Craig Pierson, owner of this fabulous eatery, was kind enough to send us some samples of their signature dishes, starting with their award-winning Banana Foster French Toast which is topped with bananas, pecans and a "spicebox whiskey sauce". I was sold at the first bite. Pascale's savory and spicy tooth was completely satisfied when they brought out their Eggs Benedict with a Chorizo twist. I must admit, I'm kind of a baby when it comes to spicy anything, but it was pretty addicting. And of course, being that bacon is their signature, we got a plate full of it, which may have persuaded me to join the bacon fan club (I think I'm starting to understand the hype). Mr. Pierson is so dedicated to serving high-quality bacon that he said he would be "driving a Cadillac" today if it wasn't for his pricey pork investment. Hats off to you, Sir.

After feasting on the samples this lovely restaurant provided us, our main dishes arrived. I ordered the Menage which gave me a bite of everything such as eggs over-easy, bacon and their banana nut pancake, which was by far the best pancake I've tasted in a long time. Lauren ordered their Veggie Hash, a mosh of veggies, egg whites and potatoes. 

This is definitely a breakfast MUST for those in town. Not only is their menu diverse and unique, their service was incredible. We're already planning my next trip to try their award winning burgers!

Road Trip Munchies

Written By: Chantale Raad

Since my transition to the west side about a year now, I've yet to make it out to Cali...until now! I'm putting those "you totally belong in LA" comments to rest and finally checking out the City of Angels. This weekend, Pascale and I will be cruising the streets of LA and documenting our trip for you guys. But before we hit the road, we loaded up our trusty cooler with some goodies. We skipped out on the empty calories and ditched the usual potato chips and sunflower seeds for some healthier, protein-rich alternatives. Check out what tasty munchies we are hitting the road with.

1. Our 6am departure would not be the same without our favorite beet-and-orange based breakfast juice, Sporty Spice.
2. I stalked up on my coconut water, aka my coffee-replacement, and Pascale rallied up her Smart Waters to stay hydrated and energized. Some fresh mint, cucumber and lemon make for a great infusion and add a touch of flavor.
3. Our center console made for a fabulous mobile dipping bar! Organic mini apples with fresh almond butter from Whole Foods gives us the "good fats" and quality protein we need to keep us going. Baby carrots are perfect for our hummus dip. Don't worry.. Pasky fed me so that I was hands-free.
4. Powerberry Trek Mix, our sweet fix for the road, includes: concentrated acai, pomegranate, cranberry, lemon, blueberry and elderberry juices covered in dark chocolate. Gotta love Trader Joes!
5. Mini heirlooms are rich in flavor and lycopene, a cancer preventative. These in-season lovelies are the tastiest. 
6. Fresh baked hoagies with low-sodium turkey slices and provolone are wrapped in parchment paper to make it easy for us to munch at lunchtime. 

Wardrobe Wishlist

 

Dreaming of Fall already... starting with this particular getup. I'm replacing my button-ups with sweatshirts and pullovers, introducing leather to the workplace, deep rouge'n my pout, and letting my feet breath with some pointed-toe cut-outs. Only 6 more weeks till Fall...but whose counting?

1. Cheetah Sweatshirt
2. Leather Pencil Skirt
   
3. Burgundy Lipstick
4. Cut-out Booties

10 Reasons Why You MUST Juice

Written by: Chantale Raad


 
This past week, my sister and I ditched our carnivorous diet and ventured into the vegan world with a 5-Day Reboot Juice Cleanse. What made us attempt this liquid-only diet, you ask? Well, it wasn't until we watched Joe Cross' documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead on Netflix (among others, including Food Matters and Vegucated) that we decided it was time to completely reboot our bodies with a major health makeover. Now, this is something I never thought I would ever attempt in my life. I've always been against any sort of "fasting" or "starve yourself" diet. But after learning how vital and beneficial it is to pump pure vitamins and nutrients into your body, I decided it was a must. So, after we had our Mediterranean Last Supper on Sunday, we boldly embarked on our fruit-and-veggie based 5-day juice cleanse. 

What is the Reboot?

The Reboot is a fast where only liquids in the form of natural vegetable/fruit juice, water and herbal teas are ingested over a period of time. The juices power up your system and promote weight loss, clear skin, clearer thoughts, and an overall boost in energy.

10 reasons why you have to juice:

1. It is a complete detox for your body. Juicing rids you of all the wastes and toxins by flushing you out completely with a liquid diet, thus easing your digestion. 
2. While flushing your system, it also injects your body with high doses of vitamins & nutrients. Juicing is a faster more efficient way to absorb immune-boosting nutrients by increasing your fruit and vegetable consumption. In one 16 oz serving of juice, you receive an abundance of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients from these plant-based liquids, which helps build a strong, disease-fighting body and helps decrease aches and pains in joints and muscles. 
3. It promotes weight loss. You slim down and lose pounds and inches in a matter of days, but in a healthy way. 
4. It gives you clear and radiant skin. Pascale has always struggled with acne and has sought almost every medication and treatment for this issue, none of which made a huge difference. Her skin is the clearest and smoothest it has ever been. My skin is glowing brighter than ever before. And to think, this is solely a result of what we consumed for five days!
5. It evolves your palate and helps you acquire a taste for vegetables and fruits. So much so, that you begin to crave them instead of junk food. Over the course of five days, we both noticed that our cravings for pizza and burgers (and cheese pretzels and Chipotle… and, and, and) slowly began to fade, and we actually started jonesing for juice and things like salad and lentils, etc.
6. It gives you energy! The first couple days when your body is undergoing the shock of adapting to an all-liquid diet, we felt a bit lightheaded and tired. But on the fourth and fifth day, we had so much energy that we were practically beaming with it.
7. It shrinks your stomach. We were surprisingly full on just juice because our bodies were being properly nourished. After we completed the cleanse, we noticed that our solid food portions shrank drastically as we would get full faster.
8. It’s a great jump start to a healthier lifestyle. When you complete the juice cleanse, you feel so great and see such wonderful results that you want to continue eating raw and clean. Plus, you will have acquired a taste for all these plant-based foods that you never would have imagined consuming before.
9. It teaches you self-control. To be able to fast on a liquid diet for five days is not the easiest thing in the world, especially when you are faced with temptation from every corner (watching others eat, TV commercials for food, driving down the road and seeing a sea of fast food joints, etc). By going through with this cleanse, you learn to fight the temptations and distinguish between an emotional craving and an actual hunger pang. It also heightens your self-awareness as you learn to listen to your body and supply it with what it truly needs to be nourished. You will think twice before you binge on a bag of chips because you will know that your body is still going to lack the nutrients it craves (hence the dissatisfaction you feel after eating the entire bag). So you make wiser decisions more easily. 
10. Which brings us to our last reason…juicing allows you to inspire others. We have had the privilege to inspire so many people in just this past week to take this step towards health and wellbeing. In addition to feeling so great physically, the emotional gratification of positively influencing others has truly been the cherry on top. It has helped us to live out our mantra: Be the change you wish to see in the world. We hope we’ve inspired you today to start juicing! 

Try our favorite juice recipe, Sporty Spice: 

• 2 beets
• 1 carrot
• 3 stalks celery
• 1/2 lemon (peeled)
• 1 orange (peeled)
• 1 handful basil leaves

For more information on the different juicing plans, 

go to: www.rebootwithjoe.com/rebooting/plans

The Last Supper

Written By: Pascale Kanaan

In preparation for our 5 Day Juice Reboot—yes, that’s right, we are fasting on just juice for 5 whole days—we broke bread and enjoyed our last “solid” meal on Sunday night. According to the Reboot with Joe (more on this to follow), you are supposed to prepare your body for the cleanse by eating light and healthy the week prior. So instead of binging on junk food, we opted for a traditional Lebanese mezza and mixed grill meal. Come to think of it, this Middle Eastern spread was probably not that different from what Jesus and his disciples enjoyed 2,000 some years ago. Here are the recipes for this fabulous feast.

Fattoush Salad

(Recipe adapted from Fresh & Easy: What to Cook and How to Cook it)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of pita chips (instead of deep-frying pita bread, I used Stacy’s Pita Chips. They work just as well and are delicious.)
• 2-3 uncooked beets, shredded or coarsely grated (or you can use carrots)
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 7oz (200 g) cherry tomatoes
• 2 small cucumbers, sliced
• 1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, mashed
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 generous tsp dried mint
• 1 generous tsp sumac
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

1. Trim, then either shred or coarsely grate the beets. It’s best to wear rubber gloves while you do this, as the juice stains everything it touches. Put into a large bowl.
2. Finely shred the lettuce, chop the scallions and slice the cucumbers. Add the tomatoes and roughly chop the parsley leaves. Pile on top of the beets, then cover or seal the bowl and keep in the fridge until needed.
3. Make the dressing. Crush the garlic. Squeeze the lemon juice and mix it with the garlic, oil, honey, dried mint, sumac, and salt and pepper. Dip a little of the bread or lettuce into it and taste. Adjust the seasoning or sweetness if you need to. Pour the dressing over the salad–it will sink into the beets so the greens won’t get soggy.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. When you’re ready to serve, sprinkle the pita chips over the salad then toss well.

Tabbouli  

Printable Recipe 

 Ingredients:

• 1 large bushel curly-leaf parsley
• 2 tomatoes (I used 3 smaller brown tomatoes from Trader Joes, they are in season right now and so delicious)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup bulgur wheat
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle (optional)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Directions:

1. Mix everything together in a large bowl and serve. You may want more or less of certain ingredients, depending on your taste. You will learn what you like each time you make it.

Baba Ghanoush

(Recipe adapted from Fresh & Easy: What to Cook and How to Cook it)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1 eggplant
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 2/3 cup thick Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp tahini
• 1 organic lemon
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• 1 tsp paprika
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Flatbreads or pita bread to serve

Directions: 

1. Preheat the broiler (grill) and lightly oil a large baking sheet or pan. Cut the eggplant in half, then score deep cuts into the flesh. Put onto the sheet.
2. Broil (grill) the eggplant for 10 minutes on each side until the flesh is very soft and mushy. Meanwhile, crush the garlic.
3. Use a spoon to scoop the eggplant flesh into the bowl of a food processor.
4. Now add the yogurt, tahini, garlic, the zest of the lemon, and half of its juice. Process until smooth, then take out the blade and snip in the dill leaves. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Kabobs

Printable Recipe

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pack all-natural chicken breast, cut into large cubes
• plain yogurt
• 1 large garlic clove, mashed
• 1 red onion, quartered
• 1 green bell pepper, quartered
• mini heirloom tomatoes

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into large cubes. Coat with yogurt and mix in garlic, salt and pepper to create a marinade. Slide onto skewers alternating red onions, green bell peppers and heirloom tomatoes between each chicken cube. Throw them on the grill for a tender and healthy entrée.

Kofte

(Recipe adapted from Fresh & Easy: What to Cook and How to Cook it)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1¾ lb good-quality ground (minced) lamb (We used 1 lb of 85% lean ground beef instead.)
• 1 onion
• 1 large clove of garlic
• 1 bunch fresh mint
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 egg
• pita bread, to serve
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 Directions:

1. Finely chop the onions and crush the garlic, the finely chop half of the mint.
2. Put the ground (minced) beef into a large bowl with the onions, garlic, chopped mint, cumin, chili powder, thyme and egg. Season generously with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
3. Mix everything together with your hands until evenly combined. If you want to check the seasoning of the kofte, you can pan fry a little piece of the mixture and add more seasoning to your taste. With slightly damp hands, shape the kofte mixture into sausage-shaped molds. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or for up to 2 days.
4. Before you begin cooking, check that your charcoal is glowing white hot, or your gas grill (barbecue) is preheated to 400°F. Cook the kofte for about 10 minutes, turning often, until dark golden all over and hot through to the middle. When ready, serve the kofte with the pita breads.

Patriotic Picnic

Written By: Pascale Kanaan 

A year ago last Thursday, we waited anxiously for Chantie to return to her beloved U.S. of A. I had an All-American home-cooked meal waiting for her on the table as we welcomed her to Scottsdale. After leaving our hometown of Orlando (and everything familiar) behind and moving our lives to Lebanon for over two years...it was time for us to come home.  Maurice and I were the first to make the journey back, then our aunt Sandy, then our Chantie. It wasn't exactly easy for her to uproot herself yet again, leave the nest and start over in a new American city. And as if that wasn't tough enough, she literally made the decision within 16 hours, threw what she could fit into a couple suitcases and didn't look back. It would be an understatement to say that she has seen her share of ups and downs this past year, with the stresses of helping us prepare for the wedding and her struggle to find her footing. But now, I can honestly say that I have watched her grow so much over the past year. She was my rock during times of struggle and continues to inspire me everyday with her passion and persistence. So in honor of her "Coming (back) to America" anniversary, I decided to throw her a patriotic picnic in the park across the street from our place.   

We started out this perfect summer afternoon with some spiked Sour Cherry Lemonade and sangria as Mo fired up our handy dandy little red grill. Our spread included Mini Turkey Burgers, Chicago-style Hotdogs with all the proper toppings, Southern Mac & Cheese in ramekins and Lemony Potato Salad. 

  

We ended with some homemade organic Red, White & Blueberry Pops, an iconic apple pie and a little sparkler action to satisfy our fireworks fix.