Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival 2016

It was another incredible year at the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival 2016! This was the 11th year running and they definitely have it down. It has to be one of the best festivals in the country. The lawn at Marble House overflowed with incredible foods and wines from around the world. Once again this year, Nobilo Wine from New Zealand was the tent to be at. DJ Face Show based out of Rhode Island had the place jamming! The lawn was getting cut up by beautiful ladies as the men in pastels watched, and the wine was flowing like waterfalls all around. The backdrop of the ocean view one way and Marble House view the other way, never disappoints.The day flew by and we look forward to attending this wonderful event again. If you are into food and wine, this is an event you need to get to at least once. Thank you to the Preservation Society of Newport County for having us. http://www.newportmansions.org/events/wine-and-food-festival

Here are some pics from the beautiful day:

Welcoming Crew!

We started with this from Two Ten Oyster Bar & Grill out of South Kingston, RI:
http://www.twotenobg.com

Lamb Chops

Amish Style beetroot pickled egg w orange, habanero, & crispy garlic drizzle

This was from BRIX out of Newport, RI : http://www.newportvineyards.com/brix-restaurant/menu

Beautiful cheeses from Arethusa Farm out of Litchfield, CT : http://arethusafarm.com/

Great wine to try out of Sonoma County: http://www.ferrari-carano.com/

New Kitchen Aid Pro Line Series Blender $629.99
Kitchen Aid: http://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/countertop-appliances-1/countertop-appliances-2/blenders-3/-[KSB7068FP]-5745096/KSB7068FP/

Greenwich Wine + Food Festival 2016

By Lisa VanWilliams

The sixth annual Greenwich Wine + Food Festival held at Roger Sherman Baldwin Park was bustling with activity this weekend and we had the pleasure to check it out on Saturday. There were soooo many participants we did not get a chance to try them all. We tried our best to check out as many as we could and here were a few of our favorites from the afternoon. Thanks Serendipity for presenting such a great event.

Executive Chef Bill Rosenburg, Executive Chef at NoMa Social in New Rochelle created one of the best tapas we tasted at the event. It was a fried seafood tapa with a cold corn chowder.
http://www.nomasocial.com/

Fjord Fish Market with locations in Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport, & Darien had incredible Raw Salmon with Spicy Mayo Sauce.
http://www.fjordfishmarket.com/home

Meatball & Co. out of Darien, CT has a little meatball and a tiny piece of garlic bread heaven. I might have to stop by this place when I'm in town. http://www.meatballandco.com/

Citarella out of Greenwich, CT was handing out these tasty numbers. It tasted like a lasagna moussaka. https://www.citarella.com/

Fruend's Farm from East Canaan, Ct works with Cabot to help make great cheeses from CT !!
http://www.freundsfarmmarket.com/

Le Pain Quotidien of Greenwich, CT had Mini Belgian Brownies that were on point. Rich and decadent, great way to finish off the tastings. http://www.lepainquotidien.com/

Other pics from the day:

Ziggy Marley at book signing

Greenwich Food + Wine Festival

It's a double header this weekend in New England with two MAJOR wine and food festivals going on as we enter into the Autumn season, and we are hitting them both up! The sixth annual GREENWICH FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL, presented by Serendipity Magazine is going on this weekend Sept 23-24th and there's still time to get your tickets.

Food, wine and Ziggy Marley on a Saturday night? Sign me up please! We have never been to the Greenwich Festival and we are really looking forward to checking it all and tasting some delectable creations from some of Connecticut & New York most innovative chefs.

To find out more and purchase tickets, please go to:
http://serendipitysocial.com/greenwich-wine-food/tickets/

Photos courtesy of SERENDIPITY Magazine.

Here are some of the press releases a few details:

The sixth annual GREENWICH WINE+FOOD FESTIVAL, presented by Serendipity magazine (www.serendipitysocial.com) and benefitting Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp,Wholesome Wave and The Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation, is now just 4 days away, and with ticket sales open, event organizers have announced some exciting additions to this year’s event:

·      Friday’s Master Chef Dinner, hosted by Adam Richman, will feature the 2016 class of Most Innovative Chefs serving their signature dishes.  In addition to the previously announced 10 chefs, Gregori Pena and Eric Haugen of The National in Greenwich, have been announced.  Confirmed Ambassador Chefs who will also be serving up their favorite dishes include Jes Bengston (Brick and Wood), Rui Correia (Douro, Gaia), Samantha Mittler (The Dessertist), Stephen Lewandowski (Harlan Social), Christian Petroni (Fortina), Nadia Ramsey (Meli-Melo) and David Snyder (Char).

·      Celebrity chefs Alex Guarnaschelli (“Chopped,” “Iron Chef,” Food Network’s “All-Star Academy”) and Marc Murphy (Executive Chef of Landmarc restaurant at the Time Warner Center, “Iron Chef,” “Guy’s Grocery Games,” “Beat Bobby Flay”) have been added to this year’s line-up of celebrity chef participants, and both will be special guests at the Saturday Michel Nischan VIP Sustainable Dinner.  Rui Correia (Douro, Gaia) will be the Master of Ceremonies.

·      FREE parking will be available on Saturday at Greenwich Plaza and at the Horseneck Lane Commuter Parking Lot, with guest shuttles sponsored by The Ashforth Company.

Tickets are now on sale via www.greenwichwineandfood.com or by calling 203-588-1363.  Options are as follows:

·      Friday’s Master Chef Dinner, hosted by Adam Richman with live music by The Bacon Brothers:  $325.00 per ticket.

·      Saturday All-Day Pass, including admission to the Grand Tasting Tent, cooking demonstrations, celebrity bookstore, Top Bartender Showdown, Burger Battle, Grill Master Tent, Taco Party! and lawn seating to co-headliners Ziggy Marley and Old Crow Medicine Show:  $150.00 per ticket.

·      All-In VIP Weekend Pass includes admission to Friday’s Master Chef Dinner and a VIP Pass for Saturday, which includes access to the Sustainable Dinner:   $600.00 per ticket.

·      Saturday VIP Pass with Intimate Dinner featuring Marcus Samuelsson and Red Rooster Harlem includes access to all events and areas of Saturday’s festival, VIP parking and restrooms, all-day access to the full bar in the VIP tent, Samuelsson’s private dinner and private seating for the evening’s main stage musical entertainment:  $450.00 per ticket for lawn table seating; $4,000 for a lawn table of ten; $525.00 per ticket for on-stage table seating; $5,000 for an on-stage table of ten.

·      VIP Festival All-Day Pass with Sustainable Dinner includes access to all events and areas of Saturday’s festival, VIP parking and restrooms, all-day access to the full bar in the VIP tent, Nischan and friends’ dinner and VIP viewing for the evening’s main stage musical entertainment:  $375.00 per ticket.

The event’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/GreenwichwinefoodFestival, and website will also continue to post event news, restaurant participants and schedule updates over the coming weeks.

The event will be held rain or shine, and anyone under 21, including infants and those with strollers, will not be admitted. Animals are also not permitted.

Ziggy Marley and Old Crow Medicine Show to Co-Headline

at the Saturday Festival

The Bacon Brothers to Perform at Master Chef Dinner with Adam Richman

Celebrity Chefs Featured Throughout the Festival Include Michel Nischan and Marcus Samuelsson

Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival

Now's the time to get your tickets for the Newport Mansions Wine and Food Festival being held September 22-25, 2016 at The Elms, Rosecliff, and Marble House. Enjoy the day, or the whole weekend filled with hundreds of fabulous wines from around the world, exquisite food from local, regional and national chefs & artisanal food purveyors, and much more! This is the 11th year the event has been taking place. 

To find out more about the event, and to purchase tickets, please go to: www.NewportMansionsWineAndFood.org

Details from the press release are here:

The festivities kick off on Thursday, September 22 with The Bordeaux Dinner at The Elms hosted by Bordeaux expert and wine educator Robin Kelley O’Connor. Mr O’Connor has been inducted into the wine world’s most prestigious institutions, including the Commanderie du Bontemps de Médoc- des Graves et de Sauternes-Barsac, the Jurade de Saint-Emilion and Les Hospitaliers de Pomerol. Exquisite wines from four different appellations of Bordeaux will be presented at this dinner to complement the menu created by Executive Chef Frank McClelland of L’Espalier in Boston. Tickets are limited.

The elegant Friday night Wine & Rosecliff Gala will feature exquisite wines, award-winning chefs, live music and dancing in the Rosecliff ballroom. Chefs for the evening include: Chef Matthew MacCartney of Jamestown Fish (Jamestown, RI), Chef Brian Alberg of Red Lion Inn (Stockbridge, MA), Chef David Blessing of Newport Beach House: A Longwood Venue (Newport, RI), Chef Thomas Duffy of The Spiced Pear at The Chanler (Newport, RI), Chef Terence Feury of Forty 1˚ North (Newport, RI), Chef Josue Louis of Bistro du Midi (Boston, MA), Chef Lou Rossi of Castle Hill Inn (Newport, RI), Chef Shaun Velez of Deuxave (Boston, MA), Chef Will Gilson of Puritan & Co. (Cambridge, MA), Chef Robert Sisca of ProvidenceG (Providence, RI), Chef Kevin O’Donnell of SRV (Boston, MA), Chef Peter Quinion of Parsnip (Cambridge, MA), and Chef Jason Santos of Abby Lane (Boston, MA).

Wine & Rosecliff featured wines include Azienda Agricola C.O.S.; Belcanto; Bodega Catena Zapata; Cain Vineyard & Winery; Castello Banfi Vintners; Champagne Gosset; Champagne Taittinger; Chateau de Beaucastel; Chateau d'Esclans; Chateau Talbot; Coudoulet de Beaucastel; Domaine Faiveley; Elk Cove Vineyards; Finca El Refugio; Graham's Port; HALL Wines; Joseph Phelps Vineyards; Larkin Wines; Marchesi di Barolo; Overture by Opus One; Robert Mondavi Winery; Verum; WALT Wines; Weingut S.A. Prum.

Once again, the Marble House lawn will be the setting for the two-day Grand Tastings, which offer guests an afternoon of entertainment, as well as the opportunity to sample hundreds of wines from around the world and cuisine from local, regional and national restaurants and purveyors. This lively event includes the Nobilo Oyster Seaside Bar, Pop Up Tastings in the Chinese Tea House, and non-stop chef entertainment in the Lynx & Rosé Grill Garden presented by Château D’Esclans and Lynx Grills.


The Presenting Sponsor of the 2016 Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival is FOOD & WINE Magazine. Additional sponsors include National Trust Insurance Services, Kitchen Aid, Champagne Taittinger, Lynx Grills, Vantage Deluxe World Travel, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Robert Mondavi Winery, Nobilo Wines, Alta Vista Estate Vineyards, Sequoia Grove, Atria Senior Living, José Cuervo, Hennessy Cognac, Coca Cola Bottling Company of Southeastern New England, United Airlines, Forty 1˚ North, Dole & Bailey, Nestle Waters North America, Estrella Damm, William Grant & Sons and Calvisius Caviar.


Proceeds from the Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival benefit The Preservation Society of Newport County, a non-profit organization accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and dedicated to preserving and interpreting the area’s historic architecture, landscapes and decorative arts. Its 11 historic properties—seven of them National Historic Landmarks—span more than 250 years of American architectural and social development.

Nu Evolution Cosmetics

Review by Lisa VanWilliams

Sandra and Nadine started Nu Evolution because they believe people should be able to look stylishly fabulous without putting your health at risk. The two New York fashion mavens launched their green line of natural and organic cosmetics in 2014. The duo has combined backgrounds of business, marketing, fashion, culinary, & interior design and together they were inspired to create these high quality beauty products. They offer lipsticks, lip gloss, bronzer, camo cream, pressed & loose powder foundations, complete coverage foundation, mascara, and pressed blush.

They also state the following on their webpage, "The most shocking truth that we have learned on our journey is that your skin absorbs more than 60% of what is applied topically; whether it's your makeup, lotion, shampoo, soap, deodorant, etc. This means your pores are drinking up a toxic cocktail that goes directly into your bloodstream."

Check your beauty products and look for toxic ingredients. Nu Evolution goes over some of the toxins to watch out for in other products on their website. Nasty things like parabens, artificial dyes, and formaldehyde to name a few. Nu Evolution offers a sophisticated seasonal color palettes, great packaging, and they allow you to continue a healthy lifestyle from the outside in. Plus, they are cruelty-free, with gluten free, & vegan-friendly options.

Sandra and Nadine were kind enough to send me a few of their awesome products to check out for myself. I looked at the Lip Glosses in colors Fig & Riviera. The glosses go for $28 each. Fig is one of their best sellers. It's a plum lip gloss with a hint of gold shimmer and it's a great anytime of day color to wear. The gloss lasted a little longer than I expected and it even made it through the morning coffee. Most glosses don't last the first cup. Riviera is a sunrise melon lip gloss with a splash of peach and lot of shine, easy to see why it's another best seller. It's very natural and light and adds a subtle sexy appeal to your lips. They have 18 colors in total to pick from. They also offer 13 different colored lipsticks that go for $30 a piece. The glosses are moisturizing and they go on smoothly without feeling tacky.

My pick of the bunch is the eyeshadow color St. Tropez, which is an exotic sand eyeshadow with an exquisite shimmer. Its looks lovely in the sunlight and it looks especially good with nice tan skin. The eyeshadows go for $25 each. I even did some yard work with the eyeshadow on and it did not crease or move at all in mid 80 temps....almost waterproof....impressive! Really loving the longevity and color :) They have 16 colors in total to pick from in matte or shimmering metallic options.

I also tried the defining and volumizing mascara in black. It goes for $28. It has a nice thick brush to achieve a luxurious glam look. It's not flaky and it took me a few coats to get the fuller look I like. It lasted all day.

Great organic cosmetics I would recommend if you want to be beautiful without the junk.

All products are made in the U.S.A.

To find out more about Nu Evolution or order some items, please go to:
http://www.nuevolutioncosmetics.com/

Cotton Candy Grapes

If you have been seeing your Facebook feed blow up with pictures and people talking about cotton candy grapes you might be curious. I was. I found some last night at Whole Foods in Connecticut and they are fabulous as everyone says they are. They really taste like cotton candy and it's mind-blowing. I have been passing them out to strangers to try and they are floored. Now's the time to try them as they are only in season mid-August through September! They are grown in Kern and Tulare counties out in California.

Are they genetically modified you ask? No! They are not, they are completely natural. They are a result of cross-pollinating different grape species by hand. They try thousands of combinations but only a few hit the excellent mark and are brought to market. They are not injecting each grape with some cotton candy flavoring or putting it in the soil.

They cotton candy grapes (20%)do contain a little more natural sugar than regular table grapes (17%), but they are still packed with nutrients. They have other flavors as well like gums drops, moon drops, tear drops, and more.

They sell for around $4.49 a pound. You can find out more about the cotton candy grapes and other flavors they have here: http://grapery.biz/index.php/grapes/cotton-candy

These are currently being sold in Connecticut at various locations in these stores (you can always call before you go to check if they have them in stock): Big Y, Sam's Club, Whole Foods, Stop and Shop, The Fresh Market, and Fresh Direct.

To find a location near you that sells them, you can check here:
http://grapery.biz/index.php/stores

Good Earth Beauty - Lip Scrub

Review by Lisa VanWilliams

These all natural lip scrubs from Good Earth Beauty are scrumptious and a great way to exfoliate and moisturize your lips. These come in cute little 1 oz jars and you can get the whole set for $22. That includes the chocolate, cherry vanilla, and strawberry. Individually they sell for $8.25 and the flavors to choose from are: bubble gum, cherry vanilla, chocolate, lavender vanilla, pink lemonade, strawberry, or vanilla.

These smell GREAT and they will leave your lips tingling but then they are soft and supple. The jars tend to leak a little bit during shipping but oils are hard to contain. Just wipe them off when you take them out of the packaging. This is a great gift or treat for a friend. My pick of the bunch was Strawberry, but they all smell/taste equally delicious..just depends on your mood.
You can find out more about the company and order here:
https://www.goodearthbeauty.com/lip-scrub-all-natural-set-3-ice-cream-flavors

They also sell lip balms for $4.99 in the same great flavors to apply after your scrub.

Good Earth Beauty is a small family owned business and they created to business so consumers could shop with a clear conscience. They carry all natural and/or organic products that are all cruelty free.

Save 10% off with code - GEB10