Trendy Tuesday #11

This week should be a nice, relatively relaxed week. Boston Fashion Week is over, midterms are still a week or two away, and the birds are chirping.

Oh, and tomorrow is my big sister's 21st (!!) birthday. Goodness sakes, we're getting so grown up! We're like proper adults now!

Except both of us cracked up over this:

So our humor? Still a bit sophomoric.

Anyway, here are some outfits that are definitely NOT "tore up." It's Trendy Tuesday time!

Tori's Red Rose

I just love those red tights. The whole outfit is adorable!

Gabrielle's Fashion's Day Out

I love the blazer and the shoes!

Kristania's Studded Plum

I just love the rich red!

Olivia's Fall Transition

Aren't the gray booties adorable? And I love how she really knows her fit - every item of clothing fits her perfectly and makes her look amazing!

Badley's Ode to Billie Joe

There is so much going on here that is just so right. Though I like all of the outfits (I chose them for this post, after all) this is by far my favorite. Everything goes so well together!

I'm also having a super-good Tuesday, because I know what I'm going to give my tricky-to-shop for aunt for Christmas! And it's awesome!

She has diabetes and so she has to live to a fairly chocolate-free existence.

Sure, there are sugar-free chocolate bars out there. But honestly? A lot of them taste like a whole lot of ick and that’s about it. She’s tried the Russel Stovers sugar-free chocolates, but let’s just say that the box from 2006 is still in her pantry.

This is in a family where a box/bag of chocolates doesn’t usually last more than 2 or 3 days, tops.

Needless to say, she wasn’t a fan.

But life without chocolate? How sucky is that?

It’s a good thing that she doesn’t read my blog, because I’ve discovered my Christmas present for her and she’s going to LOVE IT!!!

Ross Chocolates are a low-carb, sugar-free alternative to regular chocolate candy bars and their bars are full-sized candy bars (like the kind at checkout in the grocery store) in several different milk and dark chocolate varieties.

The nutritional stats for one serving (one nice-sized bar) of Dark Orange

She likes mildly dark chocolate, but it has to be creamy and sweet and almost milk chocolate - no 70% for her. So I tried all of three of their dark chocolate flavors - original dark, dark orange, and dark chocolate almond. 

I tend to go for the real-sugar version of things in my day-to-day life, whether it's yogurt or ice cream, but these bars? Oh my gosh, I had to keep checking to make sure that they weren't kidding about the sugar-free thing!

The flavor is spot-on, there's no chemical aftertaste, and they're smooth and creamy beyond belief. Even though all three dark chocolate flavors are dairy-free!

I tend to like nut chocolates the best, but the dark orange was actually my favorite of these! The orange paired really well with the chocolate and it was just an absolute tastegasm in my mouth!

I'm not diabetic and I don't go for the sugar-free stuff, but these are so yummy that I want to order more just for me! So my aunt, who's been deprived of quality chocolate for a number of years? 

It's going to be a very happy Christmas morning! YAY!!!

Especially considering that this is how the women in my family (myself included) feel about good chocolate:

                

I love finding the perfect present for people :)

Speaking of the holidays, if you're a baker (and a brownie lover!) Dancing Deer has a contest you might be interested in! They're also offering a 20% discount on any of their all-natural goodies at their online store with the coupon code 'GOODIE.'

Here's some info from them about the contest and prizes:

Show Us Your Stuff, Brownie Lovers! It’s Dancing Deer Baking Company’s “Crazy for Brownies!” Dessert Recipe Contest

Go Crazy Creating the Ultimate Dessert Recipe With Dancing Deer Brownies for a Chance to Win!

If you're crazy for brownies then you are in luck! Starting today, brownie lovers from coast to coast can put their dessert dreams to the test in Dancing Deer Baking Company’s “Crazy for Brownies!” Dessert Recipe Contest! Just envision your own scrumptious creation starting with Dancing Deer's all-natural Brownies and Squares - from "America's Best" Chocolate Chunk Brownies to Caramel Sea Salt Squares and more - and then go crazy creating your masterpiece for a chance to win $250 and a year's supply of Dancing Deer's yummy brownies. Everything goes with brownies so let your imagination go crazy!

Entering is easy, just click on this link by November 6th - http://www.facebook.com/DancingDeer/app_197602066931325 - to submit an original recipe. Once all the entries are in, Dancing Deer's Master Baker Jennifer Shelley and celebrity judges Nicole Coady, Executive Pastry Chef with the award-winning Finale Desserterie & Bakery in Boston, and Sara Ross, Founder, Owner and Executive Chef of Kickass Cupcakes, will assign “brownie points” to each recipe for creativity, originality and taste, and narrow the field to the top four (4) contenders. And then it gets even crazier! The American public is invited to visit Dancing Deer’s Facebook page from November 15th-26th to cast their vote to determine the ultimate brownie dessert recipe Grand Prize winner.

About Dancing Deer Baking Company:

Dancing Deer is a company of people who are passionate about food, nature, aesthetics and community.  Since 1994, the company has been known for its delicious tasting all-natural brownies, cookies, cakes and baking mixes, which are sold online (www.DancingDeer.com) as gourmet gift arrangements for consumers and corporations, and in specialty, natural food and grocery stores nationwide.  Dancing Deer has won many national awards and accolades for its distinctive products and innovative business practices, and was one of the first Massachusetts companies to be certified as a Sustainable Business Leader. The company was also awarded Elite status by STELLAService in recognition of its high quality customer service. Dancing Deer places an enormous emphasis on giving back to the community, most notably by helping homeless and at-risk families through their Sweet Home Project initiative. For more information, visit www.DancingDeer.com. 

What did you do on your 21st birthday?

Do you like a favorite holiday or your birthday better? I like my birthday a lot, of course, but I just LOOOVE Christmas. So Christmas trumps my birthday by a lot!

Have you tried Ross Chocolates? Which is your favorite?