Just Jodi Style

Hump Day Treat – Colored Cake

Happy first day of March everyone! I can not believe that it is March 1st today. This year has truly gone by so fast. When I was in middle school I decided to do a science fair project to see if color really affected how food tasted to someone. Fun fact for all of you… IT DOES! I did this by adding food coloring to vanilla cake mix and having my friends taste two different cupcakes. One with food coloring in it and one without. I had them taste each of the same cupcakes blindfolded then not. Pretty crazy right? Anyways I always thought before this project that if a cake had color in it that it meant it was flavored with whatever color was added. All it takes is a little food coloring to add something special to your dessert. For example this cake pictured in today’s post was simply colored with red food coloring. Now most people assume that if you add red food coloring it will be red, but if you only add a few drops to a white cake mix it will turn your cake pink and not red. If you have seen all those amazing ombre colored cakes on Pintrest this is what they all do. Make one cake with one drop of food coloring of you choice then the second one with 3 – 4 and then depending on how many layers you want continue up. This way each layer gradually is a darker shade of whatever color that you use. I hope you all are having a great week so far and for those of us in NYC enjoying this crazy weather we are having. Anyone else ready for some snow? I am most definitely not! Enjoy today’s hump day treat of fun facts<3


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Fitness Tuesday – Jump Rope

It’s Fitness Tuesday! I am constantly trying to find things to share with you all especially when it comes to fitness. I was watching an recorded episode of Ellen DeGeneres with Khloe Kardashian as a guest and of course she talked about her fitness journey. She is honestly one of my fitness idols currently for obvious reasons, but mostly because she is realistic with her goals. Khloe believes that you need to take things at your own pace and don’t push yourself too hard, but just hard enough. She was promoting her new show on E! called Revenge Body and Ellen as always asked her to play a game. The difference with this game was Khloe had to do different exercises while answering questions. One of the things that stood out to me was how great she was at jumping rope and how great of a work out it was. I remember my Dad telling me that it was something a lot of boxers do before they have a fight. So I wanted to see what all the fuss was about and honestly I am still unsure. I thought I was coordinated having done gymnastics as a child through my teens and playing basketball, but I learned that I am not as coordinated as I thought. My suggestion to anyone that is just starting to do this themselves is don’t try the fancy tricks you see in the videos. I tried to do the criss cross trick while jumping rope and I tripped and fell in the gym. Not a pretty sight, but now I know that I can’t do that :-). No need to get a fancy jump rope if you are unsure if this will be something you will do frequently. Check out Amazon and find a simple jump rope or if you are like me and are super short then the kids jump ropes in the toy section work perfectly! Hope everyone enjoys the last day of February! Crazy!


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Oscar 2017 Round Up

Happy Monday! Last night was The Academy Awards hosted by Jimmy Kimmel. I knew that there were going to plenty of jokes between him and Matt Damon. If any of you have been living under a rock they have had a “feud” going on for some time now, but on top of that there were some major highlights from the show. From the opening with Justin Timberlake and I don’t know if you all saw him dancing with his wife in the aisles it was the most adorable thing to the final award of the night. I personally turned the TV off after it was announced that LaLa Land won best picture. Then I woke up this morning to find out that we had another Steve Harvey incident where the wrong winner was announced #awkward! No fear though everyone was still all smiles and happy for one another. Here are some of my favorite fashion moments from the night.

 

Leslie Mann looked every bit the movie star even being compared to Belle from Beauty And The Beast in this Zac Posen number. I love her and her husband who are celebrating almost 20 years together! They show us that true love does exist in Hollywood.

 

Now Janelle Monae….What can I say but WOW! Little did I know until this morning that her Eli Saab gown’s train was detachable! Yes you heard me right! However, I think the train makes the outfit that much more special. She looked absolutely stunning.

Another stunner was Jessica Biel. In her form fitting Kaufman Franco gown with a stunning Tiffany & Co. necklace on top of it. At first glance when I saw her I said to my friend Lindsay who I was watching the show with if the necklace was part of the dress. We both thought it was until someone asked her who she was wearing and then she added that her jewels were Tiffany & Co. As I previously said her and her husband Justin Timberlake were one of my favorite couples of the night #couplegoals.

 

 

Now my girl Emma Stone. Excuse me Oscar winner Emma Stone looked absolutely perfect! There is not one thing I did not love about her look last night by Givenchy. I can imagine that her gown did weight a great deal with all of that beading and detail, but you wouldn’t know based on how she carried herself with such grace. Emma looked every bit the part of an Oscar winner which she now is.

 

What did you all think of last night’s Oscars? I think Jimmy Kimmel did a great job despite everything that happened. Can we now ask Ellen to come host again? Happy Bachelor Monday everyone who watches and hope you all have a great day <3

 

images were taken from google and instagram <3


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Comfy Casual Night In

In college Thursday nights were always a big going out night, but since I have gotten older I enjoy at least one night in on the weekends. Especially nights in cuddling with my sweet puppy Stella. However, just because you are staying in doesn’t mean you don’t have to be wearing sweats around the house. There is always a way to look cute even when you are just staying home. There are so many different ways you can take comfy casual and there is no right or wrong way. Most people would say if you are just spending the night in on your couch watching movies that jeans are not ideal for this, but I disagree. There are so many different pairs of jeans that almost feel like leggings and aren’t rigid like most jeans. These type of jeans are perfect for a night in because they aren’t as constricting as a normal pair of jeans. On top of a pair of jeans pair it with a comfy shirt not super tight, but not too loose that you look like you are just wearing an oversized sleep t-shirt. I know you all know what I am talking about those t-shirts from college that were great to wear to sporting games, but now are faded and way too big. If you have one of those that isn’t too big you can cut it up like the shirt I am wearing above. It will spice up your t-shirt and if you cut it wrong you can just continue to wear it as a sleep shirt. Pair your comfy look with a great pair of slides if you are going over to a friends house or just want to break in a new pair of shoes and you are good to go! Stella seems to be very comfy for our night in with her custom Donni Charm plaid bandana. Maybe if I am lucky she will let me take it off before she goes to bed. 🙂 <3


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Hump Day Treat – Chicken in The Pot

Happy Wednesday! Sorry I have been so MIA here on Just Jodi Style. I flew last weekend to Scottsdale to see one of my best friends get married. I also had the honor of signing her Ketubah which when she asked me to do it I cried in the middle of SoulCycle. Thanks Sara <3. Anyways I am finally back in New York and ready for the week. When I was younger my Mom always cooked us dinner during the week on top of working every single day. We all had our favorite meals that she would cook us and this one was one my favorites. She always made up names for the dishes she made since we were young and didn’t fully understand everything. This dish she called chicken in the pot. It is a whole chicken that you put into a dish as shown in the image above called a deep dish corning-ware or you can also make this in a crock pot! I have done that as well before and it is delicious. Here is what you need:

 

Ingredients:

1 package of baby carrots

1 package of celery

1 whole chicken

Paprika

Garlic salt

Morton’s Seasoning

1 small spoon of crushed garlic

1 deep dish corning-ware (size depends on the size of the chicken you wish to cook)

 

Instructions

1.Heat the oven to 350 Degrees.

2.Clean out the chicken and pat it dry. Then place it in the deep dish corning-ware or crock pot.

3.Take the celery and cut it up  into small pieces. Once the chicken is in the deep dish corning-ware or crock pot scatter around the celery and carrots. You can also place some inside the chicken. Once this is done then take one small spoon of crushed garlic and put it on the inside of the chicken.

4.Once you have added all the veggies and the crushed garlic cover the whole top of the chicken with paprika seasoning. Then add a dash of the garlic salt and a dash of the morton’s seasoning.

5.If your chicken doesn’t have one of those poppers to tell you when it’s done please be sure to add it now. This is important in order to know when your chicken is fully cooked.

6.Take a measuring cup and fill the dish with water just to the point that it’s not covering the chicken. I’d say about close to half way up the chicken.

7.Place chicken in the oven. Make sure if you are using a dish like the one in my image that you cover it as well as your crock pot for it to cook.

8.Depending on how large the Chicken is it will take  at least 3 – 4 hours to cook.

9.While the chicken is cooking I would cook your sides. I personally love white rice and peas with this dish.

10.Once the popper has popped on your chicken you are ready to go! It should be moist and if you cooked it in a crock pot the chicken usually just falls right off the bone.
Hope you all enjoy!!!

 


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Transform Your Bedroom With The Perfect Bedding

Happy Thursday! Sorry that there was no hump day treat recipe yesterday. I have been working on some great new content for Just Jodi Style. I am also leaving this weekend to watch my best friend marry the love of her life in Arizona so been trying to get everything ready for that. Recently I wanted to redo my bedroom here in New York and give it a whole new vibe. There are many things that you can do to change your bedroom on a budget, but the first thing you can do is to change your bedding. The bedding I was using was the one that I had senior year of college and don’t get me wrong it’s amazing bedding and I still have it for when guests stay over, but I wanted something different. I searched for months and months and found this amazing Vera Wang bedding that was sold in Bloomingdales, Bed Bath & Beyond and even Macys. It was interesting to me that different stores had different throw pillow options with the bedding. Some had more and some had less. I love a good throw pillow, but I didn’t want to overflow my bed with pillows especially since I have a furry companion in my bed named Stella who just loves to bury her bones in my bed anywhere she can. When looking for a new duvet the one thing I wanted was to make sure it was mostly cotton. I wanted it to be able to breathe especially during the summer months in New York City. The great thing about my last duvet was it was machine washable, however that is very rare with duvets. I personally like duvets that are either solid or with very minimum pattern on them. Don’t just buy a duvet right when you see it check the other stores like I did that carry the same bedding to check what other items they carry and also for pricing difference. We all know with President’s Day weekend coming up a lot of retailers will be putting bedding on sale. Check out the Vera Wang bedding collection at Bloomingdales now and see some of their amazing home collection before it’s all gone.

 

Click here to see the Vera Wang bedding collection


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Valentine’s Day Date Night Look

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! I know normally it is Fitness Tuesday here on Just Jodi Style, but today I will be making an exception. With tonight being Valentine’s Day I know some of you will probably wait until the weekend to celebrate with work and everything, but for those of you who are going out tonight I wanted to share with you my perfect Valentine’s date night look. I know that everyone feels like they need to wear something red or pink or colorful because it’s a holiday. I am here to tell you that you don’t need to do that. I always wear something that I feel the most comfortable in and what makes me feel sexy. This look is a simple grey top i purchased from Vince back in college and is flowy which is great especially if you are going somewhere that is a pre fix menu with multiple courses so your stomach can breathe :-). I spiced up the outfit with a sparkly shoe and earring just to give it a little something. For those of us living in the cold weather just throw on a great coat that has a little faux or real fur to keep you warm through the night. This jacket from Annabelle New  York is quickly becoming one of my favorites this season. You don’t need much when you are going out with someone or people that you love. The most important thing is to make sure that you feel good about yourself and what you are wearing. I hope everyone has a great holiday today and for those of you who don’t have a special someone it is okay! I personally treated myself and saw 50 Shades Darker at Ipic and had a few glasses of wine and there is nothing wrong with that <3.


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Best Dressed From The Grammy’s

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend and for those of you in New York City stayed warm and dry especially yesterday with all the gross rain / slush / snow we had yesterday. Last night was the Grammy’s and let’s just say that the entire show was unreal! From Adele opening the show to James Corden having Blue Ivy crash the carpool karaoke of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” there wasn’t a moment of the show that I didn’t enjoy. Last night there of course were some fashion hits and misses. Here are some of my favorite fashion looks from last night. I hope you all had a great Monday and for those of you like myself who watch The Bachelor on ABC let’s see what Corrine has in store for us this evening <3



images taken from instagram <3


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Steals & Deals – Valentine’s Day Special

Happy Friday! Yesterday in New York City we had a blizzard and I decided to take the day to stay inside and snuggle up on the couch with my sweet puppy Stella. Thankfully today some of the snow has melted, but there are still parts of the city that have too much snow. This being the last Friday before Valentine’s Day which is on Tuesday I thought I would post a Steals & Deals guide to buying the perfect gift for your special someone. For me in the past when it came to Valentine’s Day I always purchased something that I knew my significant other wanted, but didn’t necessarily want to buy for themselves. For any man I think a great work watch is something great to give them this Valentine’s Day. Whenever they look down at the time they will always think of you. At Bloomingdales right now this Tissot watch with the code Jewelry upon checkout you receive an additional % off. It’s a classic black leather watch and I love that it also has a black face to give your man a little something different to wear everyday. Now men I know that Valentine’s Day is the holiday you always feel the need to purchase jewelry for your girl, but there is no need to stress yourself out over it. One of my all time favorite necklaces that I own is a small heart with a little diamond in it from Jennifer Zeuner. It is called the mia baby necklace and it is so simple and easy to wear with everything that you own. I personally wear it almost daily and it’s especially perfect because it is a heart. Hope everyone has a great Friday and are all prepared for Valentine’s Day. <3

Click Here for the watch via Bloomingdales

Click here for the necklace via Jennifer Zeuner


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Hump Day Treat – Vegan Sloppy Joe’s

Happy Wednesday! For today’s hump day treat I wanted to share a recipe that everyone has been asking me about since I posted it in my instagram story on Monday night. For those of you who were asking they are vegan sloppy joe’s. You read that right vegan sloppy joe’s! I personally have only had sloppy joe’s maybe twice in my life and that was during summers at sleep away camp, but I had never had vegan sloppy joe’s until recently. A group of my friends we all get together every Monday night to watch The Bachelor and all the other shows including The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise. My friend Ashley is a vegetarian and one of our other friends Riki is also vegetarian, but on top of that is gluten and dairy free. We all take turns making different dishes, but it has been a challenge finding something that everyone will and can eat. This dish that Ashley made is probably one of my favorites and is so filling that I personally didn’t even eat dessert! That is something that is very abnormal for me if you know me well. Here is what you need to make these delicious vegan sloppy joe’s:

Ingredients: (serves about 6)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 red or yellow sweet pepper, diced

2 sticks of celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 cup (200g) French lentils

1- 28oz (796ml) can tomato sauce

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

6 whole-wheat or sprouted grain buns, sliced in half or you can also use lettuce cups instead!

*If you want add additional toppings such as avocado, cheese, pickles, or sliced onions. Whatever you want!

Directions

1.Heat the olive oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.

2.Add the diced onion, pepper and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes and stir it all around until they are soft.

3.Then sprinkle in the cumin and chilli powder. After this let it cook for about a minute.

4.Add the lentils. Mix everything around.

5.Then add 3 cups of water, tomato sauce, tomato paste and sriracha. Mix it all around

6.Increase the heat to high and bring everything to a simmer. Cook this way for about 30 minutes uncovered stirring occasionally. If you notice that the level falls below the lentils then you can add more water.

7.Now do a taste test and if they lentils are tender then add salt and balsamic. Stir it all together and let it cook for one more minute after stirring.

8.Then serve and enjoy!
Hope you guys enjoyed today’s recipe! If you are in New York City like I am hope everyone is ready for the snow storm we are about to have tomorrow 🙂 <3

Here is the link to the full recipe as well Vegan Sloppy Joe’s


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