This Aveeno Ladies Night post is courtesy of our contributor Carolyn…Well, it’s January and after an eventful, exciting, and exhausting holiday season I decided to throw a ladies night focused on reconnecting with old friends, connecting with new friends, and sharing some Aveeno secrets for relaxing after the holiday excitement. The ladies in my life were more than willing to get away for the night and try out a few calming Aveeno products. I also thought I would create some inspired “healthier” recipes to help my friends stick to their goals (but the wine consumed may have counteracted that). Needless to say I had so much fun and I think my guests would agree!
I made four appetizers, well I attempted five but my veggies chips were a failure! I tweaked a Spinach and Artichoke recipe from the Robert Rose 150 Best Dips and Salsa’s cookbook. I paired it with regular nacho chips because my veggie chips didn’t work out, but a couple of my adventurous friends tried dipping the Cauliflower Hot “wings” in it and said they were meant to be together!
Cauliflower Hot “Wings”
Inspired by these Cauliflower Buffalo Bites by Good Dinner Mom
- 1 head of cauliflower
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- ¼ cup Franks Red Hot
- 1 dash of salt & pepper
Instructions: Cut up cauliflower into bite sized pieces, wash and let dry. Toss in the olive oil, hot sauce, and salt & pepper. Bake in preheated 450 oven for 15 minutes or until desired tenderness.
I may or may not be known to have bacon wrapped appetizers at my gatherings. Usually it’s jalapenos or other peppers smothered in cream cheese, but as I said before I was trying to keep things healthy(ier), not sure where bacon fits on this spectrum. I debated a few ways to go about this and after a bit of research I went with bacon wrapped pineapple. Oh my, it was delicious! It reminded me of pizza, so next time I think I’ll make a tomato sauce to dip them in. Yummy!
Bacon Wrapped Pineapple (makes 2 dozen)
- 2 can of pineapple rings (or chunks if you prefer)
- 1 pack of bacon
Instructions: Cut bacon in half and cook until just before crispy, let cool. Cut the pineapple rings in half and wrap the bacon around the pineapple halves. Put on cookie sheet covered in parchment paper and cook at 450 for 20 minutes or until crispy.
A party wouldn’t be complete without dessert so I went with a classic apple crisp.
Apple Crisp
- 4-6 bitter apples
- Lemon juice to prevent browning
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup oats
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
Instructions: Peel, core, and cut apples in to thin slices. Put apples evenly in a greased 8×8 pan and sprinkle with lemon juice. Soften butter but do not completely melt it. Add the remaining ingredients, mix and put evenly ontop the apples. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.
Aveeno Ladies Night Pampering:
After all the eating, I presented my guests with all the Aveeno goodies that would help them relax and keep their skin smooth during these cold months. My guests were sent home with:
- Aveeno Stress Relief Moisturizing Lotion – relieve stress with scents of lavender, essential chamomile and ylang-ylang oils
- Aveeno Positively Nourishing Soothe Shampoo – infused with lavender and peppermint (perfect for the dry, itchy scalp that goes along with winter weather)
- Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser – fragrance free, soap free and hypoallergenic plus it helps calm skin and reduce the appearance of redness
- Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer – helps to reduce irritation and redness, proven gentle for sensitive skin
The basket was empty in minutes! I am so thankful to have the ladies I do in my life, to share food and drinks, stories and advice with. I think I’ll check out a few of the other Moms & Munchkins ladies night ideas for inspiration and the next excuse to get together with my ladies.
*Thank you to Aveeno for providing all the Aveeno products for our guests!