NEGRONI WEEK AT JASPER'S, KANSAS CITY

 Negroni Week at Jasper's was one memorable evening! Three amazing Negroni cocktails paired with everything, from fresh mozzarella to decadent yet light desserts kickstarted the celebrations. Negroni Week is celebrated widely, with restaurants donating a portion of their sales to a charity of their choice. Jasper's in Kansas City hosted the creme de la creme of KC's media fraternity for an exclusive preview of their Negroni week. Slow Food International was the charity of choice for this Kansas City restaurant. Jasper's is an award-winning, family-owned Italian restaurant in Kansas City, currently headed by Chef Jasper Mirabile Jr. Negroni Week ran June 4-10th.

For those of you who are unaware, Negroni is a famous Italian cocktail which is made with Campari, Gin, and sweet Vermouth. Jasper's created their own spin on it, by serving not only the classic Negroni but also two others, including a Limon Cello, Champagne and a Granita version of it. I had to settle for just sips of them all, as I was driving that night. Next time, its Negroni Week, remind me to hail an Uber! Personally, I am not a fan of sweet cocktails, and negroni was clearly up my alley with its mature and bitter notes, as you sipped your drink. 

As the Negroni flowed through the evening, I turned my attention to the food. Jasper's had created their own little competitor for the iconic Avocado Toast, with their Caprese Toast! As the fresh trays laden with Caprese toast made their way out of the kitchen, you almost felt like you were on a small Italian holiday right in the heart of KC. There could be Caprese toasts elsewhere, but none of them came with their own Mozzarella Theatre! 

Chef Jasper regaled us with his foodie stories from Italy and how he was inspired to seasonally change his menu. And that is not all, we were treated to the famous Mirabile Mozarella Theater. If you have not dined at japer's in KC yet, then you should plan your next date night there. Besides the amazing menu, don't miss the live Mozzarella Theater, hosted by the Mirabile family, wherein fresh mozzarella is made every evening in front of the guest. Having front row seats to this culinary theater has its own perks, I tell you. Fresh mozzarella, juicy and vine ripe heirloom tomatoes, garden fresh basil, found their way to the toast. Call me a die-hard romantic, but I was majorly missing my foodie partner in crime, my husband, throughout the evening. He is a great home chef and an awesome foodie, and he surely missed out an a great evening. But then again, had he not been on baby duty, I would not have been able to come. Cheers to all teh husbands who support their wives. 

Munching over Caprese Toast, the mingling continued, over Negroni. Chef Jasper then whipped up some fresh Summer Pasta for us all. I had bid portion control goodbye when I had walked in through the front doors of Jasper's that evening. As the name suggested, it was the perfect Summer main course anyone could have asked for. It was light yet very filling. A big dollop of fresh Ricotta and I was a happy soul. 

If you felt that you would be full by now, then you were mistaken. Two KC area Chefs were challenged by Chef Jasper to create Negroni inspired desserts. Donutology, KC, created Campari Donuts to appeal to your sweet tooth. 

KC Chef J C Gregg who is well known for his stint at the Great American Baking Show, created Campari Macarons and Negroni Opera Cakes, to say the least. The complexities and notes in the desserts by Gregg were truly a feast in themselves.

Cheers to good times, with some amazing foodies, to celebrate Negroni Week! 

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CHERISHING THE CHERISH VOXBOX

This year's Mother's Day was extra special for me, as it was the first year, I could celebrate as a mother of two. To make the day even more special, our toddler daughter and her rescue Puppy brother had a little help from Influenster. Handpicked products, for the whole family, came in our mail, and as a family of four, we were so so happy and excited to put the products to test.

"Cherish Voxbox," was a special box of goodies, which were meant for families with both a human child and a furry child, and to me, that gesture sealed the deal. Do you want to know more about the goodies, then let's get started.

As I pen down this long due post on Summer Solstice, I could not stress more about the importance of hydration. As a Mom, I am always trying to encourage my children to keep up their fluid intake, when the weather is so hot and so dry. Mott's Sensibles Juice was an instant hit with our toddler. In fact, I had a tough time, saving it, until we finally got the necessary pictures done for this post. This might be an addition to the school lunch box, come August. That's a special request from the soon-to-be kindergartener.

Being pet parents, we have been hearing of Bark Box for some time, but had not tried the service ourselves. Barkbox is a monthly subscriptions service for your canine child, which comprises of toys and treats. I had been tempted to try it out, I must add, as I had loved the previews which the website showed, for possible monthly products. The next goodie in the box was an adorable  RollerBladeToy from BarkBox. An active pup is an understatement for my furry son and toys do not usually last long in our house. They mysteriously vanish. Does it happen in your family too? I loved the quality of the toy and how sturdy it was.

Dad had planned a beautiful Mother's Day weekend, and there was something special for him to try out too. My husband is more of an Eau de toilette kind of a person, but in Summer, he swears by layering it on with a good deodorant. But its always tricky to find a deodorant which does not stain the shirts. Dove Men's Care Stain Defense Dry Spray claims to be invisible on most known colors, and might soon become a Summer favorite in His side of the vanity.

Last but not the least, were two products meant for Mommy. Vera Wang's Embrace Perfume and Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Foam Conditioner. You can never go wrong with Vera Wang, can you? Embrace treads on the middle ground of floral and fruity notes, with tuberose and mandarin as some of its prominent notes.

I have dry and frizzy hair which is also colored. So I love a good hair care product which can deliver on its promise. In Summer, humidity play havoc and my hair become frizz central. Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Foam Conditioner though sounded gimmicky, actually worked quite well on my textured hair. I feel its a good addition in one's travel toiletries bag. I am in India, on a vacation, as I type away this post, and I can tell you that Pantene has been a savior in taming my hair, in this crazy heat and humidity.

So what are your favorite self-care products, in Summer?


Disclaimer: These products were sent to me complimetary, for testing purposes, but the opinions are those of my own. 

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LAVENDER LOVE : PANTONE COLOR OF THE YEAR

Pantone's color of the year is UltraViolet. But a more practical and wearable option of the color is surely Lavender. Whenever I hear the word Lavender, my mind wanders off to the lush Lavender fields of Provence. That is something which is on my bucket list, to visit Provence when the Lavender fields are in full bloom.

Coming back to things back home and everyday outfit planning, I wanted to incorporate Lavender in an outfit. Lavender has been big on the Spring Summer runways and we have seen celebs sporting this trend quite a lot. Pastels do have their own charm at this time of the year. With Trends, I believe in starting small. For instance, while you could invest a lot, and it could go out of fashion, in the next season. As I was planning an outfit around the Lavender trends, I realized that I have accessories with pops of Lavender and purple.

My outfit is a fresh take on your weekend outfit, in keeping it effortless. Being a mom, I often do not have the time, to go into elaborate outfit plans. Stylish, functional and simple is what I had in mind. I styled a basic round neck tee, in the shade Lavender. Paired it with my Ralph Lauren Sunglasses which are Purple and brown. My trust Denim Mini, black and brown leather slides and my Coach handbag which had pops of Lavender. Brown is a tricky color to pair with cooler tones, but I have paired brown in this outfit, along with Lavender. If you see the sunglasses, they have a touch of brown. So do the sandals and the bag has a cappuccino trim almost.

SHOP MY LOOK : 

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