the cupcake collection

Boston Jack proudly announces THE CUPCAKE COLLECTION as a part of the Fall product launching. I love making cupcakes in the fall. It starts with my obsession of cupcake picks for Halloween and other fall holidays! The Cupcake Collection includes Buttercream Body Frosting and Warm Vanilla Sugar Scrub. They will come in a bakery box tied with bakery string- fun!

sneak peek at our fall collection

The beginning of fall is near and it's our favorite season. The air is crisp, the waves crash hard, the colors of the leaves and the spicy and warm scents become extremely appealing. Our fall collection menu was created with these elements in mind. Below is a list of our fall menu, with more to come!

Cranberry Orange Sea Salt Scrub
Lavender Sage Sea Salt Scrub
Brown Sugar Fig Scrub
Apples & Oak Sugar Scrub
Buttercream Body Frosting
Warm Vanilla Sugar Scrub
Solid Perfumes

The Collection will be launched in mid-September!

in case you missed it...

Check out the B o s t o n J a c k write-up in DailyCandy

things are coming along!

Things are coming along nicely for Boston Jack. We finally created the perfect Etsy banner (shown above) and we got our first write-up in DailyCandy. Also, on August 18th our products will be showcased on the news in Virginia Beach! Our family vacation to the Cape will be well deserved and filled with more nautical inspirations!

new product annoucement!

BOSTON JACK INTRODUCES KISSING BALM! Kissing balm comes in 2, lip-licking flavors: vanilla bean and chocolate truffle. For a silky smooth finish, our balms are made with organic ingredients: coconut oil, organic shea butter, organic cocoa butter, vitamin e, bees wax, stevia and flavoring oil. Stevia is an all-natural sweetener, to add that extra lip-licking temptation :) They come in .25 ounce tins and are only $5! You can purchase them at
our Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/bostonjack
HAPPY KISSING!!

the seaside move

Boston Jack Handmade is moving from the city to the ocean! With ocean and city views, I foresee a lot of inspiration and new projects. Change is good, so stay tuned for what's to come!

summer cooking

Summer cooking: Some of us cook, most of us don't. It's the season for al fresco dining and light eats on the run. When you are, in fact, behind the stove ready to cook, you want it to be fast and easy. Friends, I introduce to you the easiest, lightest, most scrumptious recipe of mine. Finished in about 10-15 minutes is this heirloom tomato sauce over penne.

I just walked down to Haymarket and got a package of baby heirloom tomatoes ($1.00... yes, a buck). Assuming that you already have sea salt, fresh pepper and olive oil in your kitchen, pick up some onions, garlic, basil and penne too.

Add enough olive oil to the pan to coat it
Throw in about 8 cloves of garlic, halved
Half the gorgeous, baby heirlooms, and throw them in the pan too
Cut up 1 onion and toss it on in.
Add a little more olive oil
Crack some pepper
Throw in some sea salt
Keep the sauce on medium heat until cooked down (about 10-15 minutes)

Boil your penne
Drain your penne

Put your sauce over your penne in a big bowl, finish with fresh basil and voila, there's your summer dinner

sailor tote bag

With our summer Cape week near in site, I just might have to get myself one of these sailor tote bags. Only problem is, I can't decide which color...navy, red or yellow. You'll just have to take a look at bayanhippo's collection on Etsy, and while you're picking out which color I should get, you should get one for yourself too :) Check out her Etsy shop!

the flower series

CALLING ALL BRIDES: The Flower Series has launched! BOSTON JACK is offering an inexpensive way to thank your bridesmaids with these perfect little gifts. Whether it's pink roses, white hydrangeas or classic calla lilies, Boston Jack will incorporate the chosen flowers of your wedding into a body scrub. The scrub will be scented and decorated with the flowers! To top it off, we will personalize the label. Think: "Jenn and Mike, August 12th, 2011" with a very special quote or personalized thank you to your girls. Send us an email to bostonjackhandmade@gmail.com for inquiries!

dead sea mud

I have officially become obsessed with dead sea mud. I use it 3x a week. On my face and on my hair. About 10 minutes before my shower I gently massage it into my face and scalp. For the hair it cleanses hair and scalp, strengthens hair and roots, helps to remove dandruff and, of course, leaves hair soft, with a healthy shine. For the skin, it naturally cleanses and disinfects skin while removing toxins, exfoliates, and gently removes dead skin cells. Also, tones and softens the skin while unclogging pores, stimulates circulation and replenishes essential minerals such as Magnesium, Potassium and Calcium. I can automatically feel the improvement of my overall complexion. I'm about to take a trip to the Dead Sea!

boston jack is back

Boston Jack is back... it's simply convenient and fun. I passionately work with Jack at my feet. His senses are ripened by the smells of essential oils and the feeling of sea salt at his fingertips. He plays with the bamboo scoops and bangs them against the mixing bowls, making music. I've sourced out Dead Sea Salt and Dead Sea mud to create luxurious body products. Infusing them with almond oil and essential oils creates a delicate yet invigorating shower experience. My favorite is the Coffee Bean Kitchen Scrub, which is made with fair trade coffee, dead sea salt and vanilla essential oil. The coffee grinds take the smell of fish and garlic off your hands after cooking- I keep one next to my kitchen sink...you should too! Starting tomorrow, they will be available at Mercato Del Mare (The Fish Store) on Salem St. So if you're a North End local, check it out! Each scrub comes with a bamboo scoop...not only are they useful, but they're pretty damn cute! Every few months I will rotate the products out to reflect the season. Think: Brown sugar scrubs and Gingerbread body butters; I may even linger on the gourmet side of things too! Lots of ideas, lots of fun. Check out the new website and stay tuned for updates through our Facebook page. See you all there!

bring it home boys!

lentil soup in june

It might be June, but New England weather always brings us a November chill at random. This lentil soup recipe is a favorite of my mothers. That's right, I dug into the family recipe box to share it with you. (For you Julianne) Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 carrots (chopped)

2 sticks of Celery (chopped)

1 onion (chopped)

2 cloves of garlic (minced)

1 lb of green lentils

11 cups of liquid: half chicken broth, half water

(I usually do 6 cups broth, 5 cups water)

15oz. can of diced tomatoes

fresh thyme

salt, pepper to taste

olive oil

grated parmesean cheese

Directions:

saute mirapoix (carrots, celery & onion) in olive oil

throw garlic in

add tomato, cook down for 5-6 min

add lentils

add liquid

throw thyme in during last 30min

salt and pepper to taste

cover and let cook for 1 hour.

When served, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle parmesean cheese

DELISH :) enjoy!

handmade gnocchi

After much hesitation, I have decided to FINALLY woman up, tap into my strong Italian roots and make gnocchi from scratch. Being a mom and all, I'm supposed to make things from scratch right? This will be a Sunday night affair so please stay tuned for my recipe and photos!

boats: my new transportation

This summer I am striving to take as many boat rides as possible. Boston is doing a really good job at making this all possible. The new dock jumper I have fallen in love with, hops from Tavern on the Water in the Navy Yard, to The Fairmont Battery Wharf, Atlantic Wharf, The Barking Crab, Fan Pier and Liberty Wharf. Amen. It runs Thursday through Sunday and costs 5 bucks a ride. When it's Monday through Wednesday, I opt for the Water Taxi. Off to the Seaport for a margarita I go :)

sea salt obsession

I am having a serious love affair with sea salt. I use it on my food, my face and my body. I've been making insanely invigorating body scrubs and I'm starting to think that it's time to bottle them up to share with my friends! On my quest to import the very best sea salt from the Dead Sea, I have found a wonderful source that is dedicated to leaving them untouched; completely not tampered with. Many of the Dead Sea Salts on the market today have actually been processed, mineral depleted, or blended with another salt to produce a salt that is far inferior to the real natural Dead Sea Salts. Not the stuff in my kitchen :) So, in playing around with my salts I have found complete tranquility and peace! From the moment I start mixing until the time I step out of the shower, I am in complete awe of my new infatuation.

truffle fries

Truffle fries: Making truffle fries in my own kitchen was a bit more satisfying than ordering them at a restaurant! They're almost as popular as "sliders", in fact they're usually found in restaurants paired together. This fad is almost on its way out of restaurants for sake of creativity demands, but nonetheless, delicious. I picked up this black truffle butter a few months ago at Williams-Sonoma for a steep $30... I justified its worth. I've melted it over grilled steaks, added it to my eggs, worked it into a cheese plate and just last night, melted it down and drizzled it over homemade french fries. It's easy! Cut a few potatoes (I left the skin on) into thin sticks, place them into a pan of fresh, hot oil for about 5 minutes or until browned. While they're browning place a spoonful of truffle butter with regular salted butter and melt (stove top or microwave), when fries are browned remove them from pan and pat them with paper towels and place into a mixing bowl, sprinkle sea salt and fresh cracked pepper and liberally drizzle your melted butter over the fries and voila you have yourself a high-quality, mouth-watering snack.

puree pops for the kids

First you'll need these fill and freeze puree pops from giggle.com. Then you'll need a really cute kid who is ready to get his face messy. Lastly & most importantly you'll need my friend Jayne's easy recipe to put an instant smile on your tots face. Here it is:

Fill 1 cup with:

-plain yogurt

-1 mashed banana

-chopped up strawberries

-a drop of vanilla extract

-1/4 tsp of real maple syrup

Then place in freeze pop molds, place in the freezer and voila, a very happy kid. These are perfect for a teething baby or just a hungry one!