Pearls and curls

Blouse- Zara, trousers- Massimo Dutti, earrings- Henri Bendel

Curled hair and pearl earrings generally is way too conservative for me, but when it's Thanksgiving it's only appropriate to dress like you're in a Ralph Lauren catalog. Hope everyone got some great scores on Black Friday deals today and a beautiful holiday filled with family, food, and laughs.

Thanksgiving means pumpkin pie

When I started this I had no idea how many people would read Avis, but I'm so grateful for every single one of you who laugh at my sarcasm, are inspired, and judge me. I hope you all remember your blessings today and always. Thank you for all your support and keep it up, and now go tell everyone/thing that you're grateful for them!!!

Ruined the top.. whoops

Vegan pumpkin pie:

Crust
1 stick of margarine
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup of cold water
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1. Start by pulsing the dry components in a food processor, then add in cubes of the margarine and pulse till it looks crumbly.
2. Slowly add in the water, then transfer the liquidy dough to plastic wrap in a ball and put in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

Filling
1 15 oz. canned pumpkin
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

3. Add all ingredients into a food processor (or if you mix it well in a bowl that'll do).
4. Take the dough out it may need to thaw. I find that pushing it into the pie dish is easier than trying to roll it out and placing it. Once you have it in the mold feel free to pinch the top for the crust.
5. Add the filling into the dough.
6. Put in the oven at 350 F. I would say 45 minutes to a hour but you want the top to be hardish and a knife to come out clean when you stick it in the middle.
7. Allow to cool and place in the fridge to firm up. Unless serving immediately keep in the fridge till ready to serve.

Sweater Change

 Sweater- H&M, skirt- H&M, tights- Missoni for Target, booties- Dolce Vita, necklace- Bauble Bar

Refinery29 helped host a party for the reopening of the Armani Exchange store in Soho, and so after a long day of work it was time for play. The larger space is much more inviting and the layout fantastic. However, as far as the new collection goes there were very few pieces I would pick up. Plus, the store had way too many basics on very clear display and was hiding the good stuff. Store aesthetic no-no.

The lighting in there and the way any image was going to turn out was bad enough to give the most confident woman in the world severe insecurities, but I'm just going with it. The sweater is a super cheap find that I bought accidentally last week at H&M. Accidentally meaning I intended to make a stop at Dean and Deluca and somehow along the way decided that I needed to buy a new article of clothing, with not much room for a hole in my pocket I settled on this chunky piece to get my shopping fix. It fits quite nicely with my two favorite pieces: the pleated pleather skirt and studded booties. Who would have guessed that they have gotten more time in the spotlight than the majority of my closet?

Thanksgiving plans in motion

"Friendsgiving" has given Thanksgiving a celebration pregame meaning many of you have already attempted your favorite Thanksgiving foods (possibly failed) and are counting down the minutes till Thursday. Whether you're helping out this round or just want to suggest a recipe to a stressed host I've gathered a few of my favorite sides to include, and some good news is they meet almost everyone's dietary restrictions and still taste terrific. These recipes are mostly for one so multiple accordingly. Since I don't eat turkey (or most meat) that means I'm all about the sides and pumpkin pie! Recipe for my famous pumpkin pie will be up on Thursday. Don't forget to check back then, hope you're all thinking of all the things you're grateful for this week!

Roasted Brussel Sprouts in Maple Dijon

Mashed Kale Cauliflower

Roasted parsnip and rainbow carrots with miso tahini sauce
Serves 1
1 parsnip cut lengthwise into fourths
Assortment of 3 rainbow carrots cut lengthwise into fourths
1/2 tablespoon miso paste
1/2 tablespoon tahini paste
1-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Drizzle of olive oil
Drop or two of sesame oil
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

1. Cut your veggies and place them on aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Salt and pepper and spray with olive oil/coconut oil spray. Put in the oven at 400 degrees F for about 30-45 minutes or until they are crispy and roasted.
2. Mix together all other ingredients to make your paste. Might need to add a little more or less depending on how much sauce you like. I'm a big fan of rice vinegar, but if you're not add more olive oil and less rice vinegar.
3. Top with red pepper flakes and serve!

All black everything

Leotard- American Apparel, shorts- LF, belt,-mom's, bag- BE & D

Some days I feel like dressing like I'm in the 60's (my favorite decade) and others it's all about the 80's. I forgot how much I love wearing all black, how chic, sleek, put together you can look. My mom always prides the time in her life when she was young and enjoying her 20s in New York, it's also when she wore tons of black cause according to her fashion laws it was the New York thing to do. And so all black ensemble are even more special to me. The gloomy weather was especially inviting black that day, but the high humidity meant that a leather jacket was sufficient.

P.S. Thanks for the title inspiration Lupe Fiasco.

Vegetarian French onion soup

The infamous Paris bowl

The last time I had soupe à l'oignon I was 19, spending the best summer of my life in Paris running wild and free during the day strolling through the Marais and every gallery I could jump into, and nights dancing up a storm at Bagatelle and BC. It was the life. That life that now seems like a dream but at the time I thought would never end. Enough with the nostalgia back to the soup. It was a particularly dreary day that was spent at Versailles, and the only thing I wanted was a gooey steaming bowl of onion soup. So the second we were back in The Sixth I inhaled one of the best bowls of french onion soup (and my last) I had ever had.

Fast forward a few years that was the last time in my life that I consumed meat, and since French onion soup generally has a beef broth that meant no Bouchon or really any ordering of my favorite soup at a bistro. Recently seeing many different meat-less recipes I decided to fulfill my many year craving and give it a go.

This is one of my most proud culinary moments. This recipe takes time, love, and patience, but the end result will have you practically scrapping your bowl, making a mess, and not caring for a second how many cheesy calories you are consuming. Whether or not you eat meat, this is THE recipe je te promets.

Serves two
2 medium sized yellow onions sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 quart mushroom broth
1/2 cup red wine (I used a French Syrah)
3-4 oz. Gruyere cheese
1/4 French baguette (picked up a demi from Dean and Deluca that was an ideal size)
Salt and pepper
Pinch of granulated sugar
2 small oven-safe bowls 

1. Melt the butter and olive oil on medium heat in a medium sized saucepan.
2. Once melted add the onions and coat completely with the oil and butter mixture. Lower the heat to low and cover the saucepan for 15 minutes.
3. Add a pinch of sugar (helps with browning the onions) and 1/2 tablespoon of salt, mix thoroughly and allow to cook for 30-40 minutes. Leave the top off and be sure to check on the onions every five minutes or so and give them a mix. Give them plenty of love and attention till they are brown and golden. It's tedious but keep your eye on them and keep stirring constantly because based on my recipe reviews this is the key to a perfect recipe.
4. Add the wine and slowly add the broth, not all at once though. Salt and pepper to your taste. Increase the heat a bit and cover until it comes up to a simmer. Once you've got a simmer going lower the heat to a low-medium for about 30 minutes.
5. At this point shred your cheese and cut up the baguette into 1 inch pieces about 3 per bowl. Toast the baguette pieces so they'll be nice and hard so they can soak up the broth.
6. Once you're ready to serve turn on your broiler in your oven for the cheese melting.
7. Ladel the soup into the bowls and add a little cheese on top. Then add the baguette pieces and tops with more cheese.
8. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and underneath the broiler in the oven for about 2 minutes, but be sure to watch the bowls so the cheese doesn't get too melted.
9. Once the bubbling of the cheese begins remove your bowls, and pour yourself a glass of wine to enjoy with your cheesy bowl of goodness.

These boots were made for walkin'

Sweater- The Gap (boys), coat- Massimo Dutti, jeans- Seven for all Mankind, boots- Kelsi Dagger

When I realized I was going to a day party straight from a morning at the Union Square Greenmarket, I knew I was going to be forced to wear my thigh high boots all day. I didn't have enough time to think about it and zipped them up and hoped that my feet could handle it. I guess I survived the challenge and then some cause I ended up wearing them again that night.

The sweater is one of my favorites a random find at The Gap... in the little boys section. My little secret is that I always check that department for jumper options, then go to the men's section for XS ones, and finally settle on women's. To be honest boys sweaters just fit a lot better: they're a bit baggy but have shorter sleeves than buying a larger sized sweater. Plus I love anything with skulls on it so it fit the bill perfectly.

Raw apple crumble stack

I've been trying to do a raw cleanse for a few days (I already hate myself for saying that I know my hometown is coming out in me), and while I love how light and energetic I feel I'm getting a little bored especially with breakfast. There's only so much chia pudding I can take, so I started looking into raw recipes when I came across tons of really delicious looking desserts. Since it's the time of year for apples I decided to make an apple crumble incorporating a few different recipes that I found together to make this one. You can eat this whenever, but I really like the idea of eating dessert for breakfast.

P.S. If any of you are interested in trying out raw meals or thinking about trying a cleanse, let me know I have plenty of good advice.

Apple crumble stack
Serves one
1 fuji apple
1 tablespoon of water
1/3 tablespoon of flaxseed
1/3 tablespoon of agave
Cinnamon, pumpkin spice
1 date pitted
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
4 walnuts

1. Thinly slice your apple and set aside.
2. Make the syrup by adding the water, flaxseed, agave, and spices together. Add the apples into the syrup and mix fully. I added an extra drizzle of agave on top and more cinnamon, and let the mixture with the apples sit in a bowl to soak up the syrup.
3. While it's soaking make the crumble for the top of the crumble by putting the date, coconut, and walnuts into a food processor. Grind until the mix is grainy.
4. I'm a sucker for aesthetics so I used the same technique that I used for my vegetable stack to assemble the apples.
5. Pack down the apples while they're still in the cup mold and add the crumble on top.
6. Slowly remove the cup mold, and enjoy a sweet start to your morning.

Kill for fashion

T-shirt- See by Chloe, cardigan- Burberry, jacket- American Apparel, skirt- Club Monaco, boots- Ralph Lauren, earrings- Bauble Bar, scarf- Gap

The art of layering is one that I feel that I've mastered pretty well. The art of a getting a photo without getting your photographer run over, might need to work on that one. Trying out the fancy skirt and T-shirt trend, which I highly recommend for the fall season cause it allows you to layer well without over-bulking. I topped my T-shirt with a wool cardigan, bolero, and coat.

To be honest over the past week I've been drained. Exhausted yes, but even worse uninspired. This is just about the worst thing that can happen to someone who is an artist and has a creative spirit. A couple hours on Spring and Mercer was enough to get that Avis spunk back into my system as I soaked up the street style like a sponge.

Chia pudding, not pet

I have fond memories of practically inhaling vanilla tapioca from the pudding bar in Whole Foods in high school. It wasn't until I tried the chia pudding at Le Pain Quotidien that I realized that I could find a healthier version. Now it's time to get to really know chia. I know what you're thinking those awful plants that give animals their fur and give Homer Simpson a head of hair, and yes these are the same seeds that are used to grow those plant. However, chia seeds are actually an awesome add-on to your diet. I throw them in my Greek yogurt or smoothies. They're the highest plant source of Omega-3s meaning reduced inflammation and heart disease. They also lower blood pressure and can help prevent diabetes. Really there's no reason not to love them.

The seeds are dry and a bit hard at first but soaked in liquid or yogurt they become soft and almost tapioca like, which is why they make a great pudding alternative. This is the most basic version, but to make a chocolate flavor just add cocoa or if you're not already sick of pumpkin flavored everything a little canned pumpkin is great too. This makes a great breakfast or can satisfy a sweet tooth.

Chia seed pudding
Serves one
1 tbsp. chia seeds (that little purple bag from Trader Joes and I are best friends)
1/4 cup milk (I like almond milk, a vanilla coconut milk could also be great for a super sweet version)
Agave (just a drizzle)
Silvered almonds/berries/mint to garnish

1. Mix everything except your garnish together in a small individual bowl or a cognac glass for dramatic effect.
2. Cover and stick in the fridge for a couple of hours.
3. Remove and mix everything up. The seeds have likely shifted to the bottom so you want to make sure all firms up evenly.
4. Put back in the fridge and leave in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
5. Garnish prior to serving.

The bigger and uglier, the better

Sweater- Principessa, beanie- Madewell, men's tank- Urban Outfitters, gold bracelets- Diamenti (District Flea), evil eye- vendor in Turkey, watch- Burberry

I was at Principessa, my old favorite on Abbot Kinney, when my friend and I spotted these two over-sized ugly sweaters-- one in black and one in white. We had to have them cause there's really nothing better than a big, get completely lost in, hide that you just had a huge meal, look like someone barfed on it sweater. Slash it keeps me closer to the owner of the black sweater who lives far away.