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.