Halloween "Mean-eolas"
All outfit photos by Dan Tran
Top: Bar III (similar here, here, and here) | Leggings: Vince Camuto | Shoes: Frye (similar here and here) | Necklace: ShopLately | Ring: Forever 21 (similar here) | Bracelet: Stella & Dot | Watch: Marc by Marc Jacobs | Purse: Dooney & Bourke (similar here)
Happy Halloween!! I hope you all have fun plans tomorrow and this weekend! I made these jack-o-lantern citrus kale salads to get into the Halloween spirit a little early this year. If you’re headed to a Halloween party and need to bring treats, this one would be perfect (and healthy)! You may also be wondering what "Mean-eolas" are. Well, it's my spooky Halloween play on "Minneolas." See what I did there? You're probably still wondering what it is. You’ll see, just keep reading!
This salad consists of kale, carrots, orange slices (which you can add in once you get to the carving), and black sesame. I love making my own dressing. It’s cheap, delicious, and healthy. This dressing is a creamy citrus dressing:
¼ cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Put it all in a jar and shake shake shake! If you don’t have a clean jar handy, just put it in a bowl and whisk it up. Toss the dressing in with your salad and let it rest in the refrigerator while you make the jack-o-lanterns. When I make kale salad, I always like to let it absorb the dressing for at least 5 or 10 minutes so that it softens up a bit and becomes less bitter.
Now it’s time for the good stuff, carving cute little orange jack-o-lanterns. I actually used Minneolas instead of oranges, which are a hybrid between a grapefruit and a tangerine. The color was a deeper orange, which matched better with my crystal juniper necklace. The Minneola has a lot of juice which is great for this recipe. They have the slight bitterness of its grapefruit mom, but there’s also a lot of sweetness from its tangerine dad. So back to the carving- cut off the top of the Minneola so that you can start scooping. Use your knife and cut around the inside edge where the pulp meets the pith (the white part). Then you can fairly easily scoop out the center. Try to get as many whole pieces as you can to use it in the salad. Once the inside is cleaned out, carve it as you would a pumpkin with whatever kind of eyes and mouth your heart desires. Once your jack-o-lanterns are ready, fill them up with your patiently waiting salad, top with some extra Minneola slices, carrot slices, and sprinkle with black sesame.
As for the Style to this Stir, I have on a forest green Bar III hi-low hem top to match the rich dark color of kale. I did notice that the fit of the shirt is neither form fitting nor baggy. It was kind of in the awkward in-between, which I don’t find as flattering. But I really like the color and design of the low sheer hem in the back. I paired it with the crystal juniper necklace which is advertised as bronze but actually is more of a reddish orange than a true bronze. It’s elegant and the color pops against any outfit.
My black Frye heels are great for any occasion. They are leather caged heels with a wooden platform and heel. Frye makes high quality footwear that lasts. They’re a bit clunky in that your footsteps will sound heavy, so it may not be the best shoe to wear to a show or somewhere quiet if you want to avoid drawing attention to the clickity clack of your shoes hitting the floor with every step.
The vintage Dooney & Bourke purse is actually my favorite part of the entire outfit. It belonged to my grandmother who had so many beautiful purses. Every time I wear it, I’m reminded of so many wonderful memories we had together. I feel as if she’s still with me which is a feeling that I love. The purse’s tan and orange leather is perfect for this special Halloween post. When I was in my early teens, I went through a stage where I loved bright orange. Not anymore, which was unfortunate for my Halloween theme today. Now I really like the deep orange tone that’s almost reddish, which is why I love how this purse complements my Stir.
I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween! I’d love to see pictures of your awesome costumes this year or any creative Halloween treats you came across. So as always, feel free to comment below or contact me! And of course, in honor of BLACK and ORANGE…GO GIANTS! So proud of my home team!