How do you like to spend "girls day?"
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Girls Day
Yesterday my sister and my best friend from high school came to visit, so we had a girls day. It was fabulous! I can't remember the last time I had a girls day. We went down to the Short North and spent the afternoon exploring the different shops. We ate lunch at Surly Girl Saloon. It was this super fun saloon with 24 great beers on tap. My sister and I bought home made treats for our furbabies at Three Dog Bakery. I will be going back to get Coco's birthday treat there. They have the cutest treats shaped like cupcakes, truffles, and other pastries. We did a wine tasting at Camelot Cellar which was so fun. I love trying new wines and I even picked up a couple bottles. We finished out our day at Jeni's. I had "the milkiest chocolate in the world" ice cream...and it was! Couldn't have asked for a better day!
How do you like to spend "girls day?"
How do you like to spend "girls day?"
Friday, January 27, 2012
Gelish at Home
I just wanted to share one of my favorite things in the world. The gel manicure! I got into these awhile back and just loved the fact that I could go 2 weeks without having to worry about what my nails looked like because they never chipped. I was shelling out about $35 every 2 weeks to get this done which isn't horrible, but I love to save a buck SOO....I discovered the AT HOME Gelish kit!
You can buy the kit at Sally's Beauty Supply for $50 plus a mini battery powered light for $20. The kit contains the top coat, base coat, nail remover, nail cleaner, pH bond, and cuticle treatment. There is no color polish in the kit. There are mini bottles sold at Sally's for $15.
***I do not buy the color polish from Sally's. I buy it online at amazon.com or I just recently found some UV gel colors at Walmart. You get a big bottle for only $12!
This Pro-FX gel polish was purchased from WalMart. It is in Plum and I LOVE IT! I have been using this kit since the middle of summer and still have plenty of base and top coat left. This kit has paid for itself many times over already. I recommend this to anyone and everyone I can!
You can buy the kit at Sally's Beauty Supply for $50 plus a mini battery powered light for $20. The kit contains the top coat, base coat, nail remover, nail cleaner, pH bond, and cuticle treatment. There is no color polish in the kit. There are mini bottles sold at Sally's for $15.
***I do not buy the color polish from Sally's. I buy it online at amazon.com or I just recently found some UV gel colors at Walmart. You get a big bottle for only $12!
This Pro-FX gel polish was purchased from WalMart. It is in Plum and I LOVE IT! I have been using this kit since the middle of summer and still have plenty of base and top coat left. This kit has paid for itself many times over already. I recommend this to anyone and everyone I can!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wednesday Night's Feast
I decided to cook something I have never cooked before...a whole chicken! Jas and I have been on a quest to eat healthier, so I bought this new cookbook, The Best of Clean Eating. I LOVE this cookbook! I glanced through all the recipes and they are not only healthy, but delicious and easy to make. I'm going page by page through the book making each recipe and last night was Balsamic Roast Chicken with potatoes and green beans.
Ingredients
-whole chicken (5-6lb) - I couldn't find one that big, mine was 4ish
-1 1/2 t sea salt
-1 1/2 t dried thyme
-1 1/2 t dried rosemary
-black pepper, to taste
-4 t olive oil
-3 T balsamic vinegar
-1 1/2 lb baby red potatoes, halved
-1 lb green beans (called for french-style, but I couldn't find those)
1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a roasting pan with foil (I used a cheapo foil roasting pan I bought at the store). Set chicken in pan breast side up. In a small bowl mix 1 teaspoon salt, thyme, and rosemary plus pepper to taste. Rub half the oil over the chicken. Loosen the skin covering the breasts and rub about half the herb mixture directly on the meat. Rub remaining mixture over outside of skin and inside cavity. Drizzle vinegar all over chicken evenly.
2. In a large bowl mix potatoes with remaining 2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme and rosemary.
Spread potatoes around chicken in pan. Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes. Then place foil loosely over the top and cook 45 more minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before carving.
3. Add 1 inch water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Place a steaming basket in bottom and add green beans. Cover and steam about 6 minutes.
This is definitely a dinner to impress but it is SO easy! Jas absolutely loved it and he thought I slaved away all day. This would make quite a nice Valentine's Day dinner :) <3
Ingredients
-whole chicken (5-6lb) - I couldn't find one that big, mine was 4ish
-1 1/2 t sea salt
-1 1/2 t dried thyme
-1 1/2 t dried rosemary
-black pepper, to taste
-4 t olive oil
-3 T balsamic vinegar
-1 1/2 lb baby red potatoes, halved
-1 lb green beans (called for french-style, but I couldn't find those)
1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a roasting pan with foil (I used a cheapo foil roasting pan I bought at the store). Set chicken in pan breast side up. In a small bowl mix 1 teaspoon salt, thyme, and rosemary plus pepper to taste. Rub half the oil over the chicken. Loosen the skin covering the breasts and rub about half the herb mixture directly on the meat. Rub remaining mixture over outside of skin and inside cavity. Drizzle vinegar all over chicken evenly.
2. In a large bowl mix potatoes with remaining 2 teaspoons oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme and rosemary.
Spread potatoes around chicken in pan. Place in oven and cook for 45 minutes. Then place foil loosely over the top and cook 45 more minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes before carving.
3. Add 1 inch water to a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Place a steaming basket in bottom and add green beans. Cover and steam about 6 minutes.
This is definitely a dinner to impress but it is SO easy! Jas absolutely loved it and he thought I slaved away all day. This would make quite a nice Valentine's Day dinner :) <3
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
A Home for Coco
So we have one of those ugly metal crates for Coco to sleep in at night and I got really tired of staring at it the other day, so I decided I would tackle the project of making a cover for it. I have not sewed anything in a LONG TIME. I felt like such a novice going into JoAnn Fabrics to get supplies, but I found the cutest fabrics!
Who wouldn't want to sew something out of this stuff??
Here is a picture of what I was trying to cover...
Hideous, right?
Now, I had no idea how to go about making a cover for this thing. The lady cutting my fabric at the store even asked me if I had a pattern and I cringed and said no. *sigh*
I measured every side of the cage to figure out how much fabric I would need. Then when I got home I cut the fabric to the sizes I thought would work. The width of the fabric was EXACTLY long enough to fit the top and back sides of the cage so all I had to do was cut it to fit all the way across the sides and top. Once I cut it to that length I draped the fabric over the cage.
I got 2 different fabrics. One for the lining and one for the outside. I draped each one individually, pinned the corners to fit then sewed along where I pinned and cut off the excess fabric. Then I sewed the 2 fabrics together and added a flap for the front of the cage.
Tada! I think Coco really likes it and we are no longer staring at an ugly metal cage :)
Who wouldn't want to sew something out of this stuff??
Here is a picture of what I was trying to cover...
Hideous, right?
Now, I had no idea how to go about making a cover for this thing. The lady cutting my fabric at the store even asked me if I had a pattern and I cringed and said no. *sigh*
I measured every side of the cage to figure out how much fabric I would need. Then when I got home I cut the fabric to the sizes I thought would work. The width of the fabric was EXACTLY long enough to fit the top and back sides of the cage so all I had to do was cut it to fit all the way across the sides and top. Once I cut it to that length I draped the fabric over the cage.
I got 2 different fabrics. One for the lining and one for the outside. I draped each one individually, pinned the corners to fit then sewed along where I pinned and cut off the excess fabric. Then I sewed the 2 fabrics together and added a flap for the front of the cage.
Tada! I think Coco really likes it and we are no longer staring at an ugly metal cage :)
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Enchilada Love
Jas and I love enchiladas. In fact, it is one of his favorite meals that I make. I love the fact that he loves them so much because the way I make them is SO EASY!
Ingredients
-Flour tortillas
-Chicken breasts
-Can of green chiles, diced
-Mexican blend cheese, shredded
-Can of red enchilada sauce
I cook the chicken and chop it up. Then I just put the chicken, cheese, and chiles inside tortillas and wrap them up. Put them in a baking dish, pour the sauce over top and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. I did mention these were easy, didn't I?
I, of course, love some inspiration. I found this recipe on Pinterest for white chicken enchiladas. Pinners were claiming that these enchiladas were "life changing." But, would my hubby like them?
White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
-8 flour tortillas (I use high fiber, whole wheat)
-2 large chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
-2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
-3 T butter
-3 T flour
-2 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium)
-1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
-1 (4oz) can green chiles, diced
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking dish
Mix the chicken with half of the cheese.
Divide mixture among the tortillas, roll up and put in dish
In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth.
Once mixture is thick, stir in sour cream and chiles
Pour over enchiladas and add remaining cheese on top
Bake for 22 mins then put under broiler until cheese is brown
We really enjoyed these enchiladas. They're more work than my original ones, but easy enough for a different twist.
Ingredients
-Flour tortillas
-Chicken breasts
-Can of green chiles, diced
-Mexican blend cheese, shredded
-Can of red enchilada sauce
I cook the chicken and chop it up. Then I just put the chicken, cheese, and chiles inside tortillas and wrap them up. Put them in a baking dish, pour the sauce over top and top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. I did mention these were easy, didn't I?
I, of course, love some inspiration. I found this recipe on Pinterest for white chicken enchiladas. Pinners were claiming that these enchiladas were "life changing." But, would my hubby like them?
White Chicken Enchiladas
Ingredients
-8 flour tortillas (I use high fiber, whole wheat)
-2 large chicken breasts, cooked, shredded
-2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
-3 T butter
-3 T flour
-2 cups chicken broth (I used low sodium)
-1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
-1 (4oz) can green chiles, diced
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 baking dish
Mix the chicken with half of the cheese.
Divide mixture among the tortillas, roll up and put in dish
In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth.
Once mixture is thick, stir in sour cream and chiles
Pour over enchiladas and add remaining cheese on top
Bake for 22 mins then put under broiler until cheese is brown
We really enjoyed these enchiladas. They're more work than my original ones, but easy enough for a different twist.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
A Roll of Bags
I am always looking for ways to be more organized and make life easier. I came across this saving grace on Pinterest (which I'm addicted to). This blog describes how to roll plastic bags so they come out like wipes. Genius! Do you know how many bags I have stuffed in the cupboard under my sink?!?
Just a few.
So, you start by flattening all the bags out and trying to get all the air out of them
Voila!
Then fold each bag in half the long way (or the hot dog way!), again, making sure to get all the air out
Line all the bags up end to end overlapping the handles.
I ended up using 30 bags. My house is not even close to big enough to line them all up so I turned some corners in the kitchen lining them up in various places.
Then you just start rolling starting from the first bag you laid down. Roll as tightly as you can. I came across an air pocket issue. As I was rolling air pockets started forming which made it hard to roll tightly. I just took a pin and popped small holes in the air pocket when saw it. Easy fix!
Now, the blogger I got this inspiration from put her roll in an empty Lysol wipes container. I did not have an empty one at the time, so I just used a rubberband. Jas LOVES me for this one! He uses a bag a day to empty the litter box and he said that this makes it so much easier! I hope you all love this as much as we do :)
PS. Find me on Pinterest :)
Just a few.
So, you start by flattening all the bags out and trying to get all the air out of them
Voila!
Then fold each bag in half the long way (or the hot dog way!), again, making sure to get all the air out
Line all the bags up end to end overlapping the handles.
I ended up using 30 bags. My house is not even close to big enough to line them all up so I turned some corners in the kitchen lining them up in various places.
Then you just start rolling starting from the first bag you laid down. Roll as tightly as you can. I came across an air pocket issue. As I was rolling air pockets started forming which made it hard to roll tightly. I just took a pin and popped small holes in the air pocket when saw it. Easy fix!
Now, the blogger I got this inspiration from put her roll in an empty Lysol wipes container. I did not have an empty one at the time, so I just used a rubberband. Jas LOVES me for this one! He uses a bag a day to empty the litter box and he said that this makes it so much easier! I hope you all love this as much as we do :)
PS. Find me on Pinterest :)
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Lazy Day
Happy weekend! So yesterday we got the first real snow of the winter (crazy to say that in mid January!). Being that I am not used to the snow yet or the temperature in the low 20's I decided to stay indoors. Hooray for lazy Saturday! Jas and I decided to clear out the DVR which took us only until 3pm. We looked at eachother and decided we needed a snack. What's the perfect snack for a lazy day? Homemade cookies! I have a major sweet tooth, so I have a TON of cookie recipes. I finally decided on peanut butter mmmmmmm.... Anyway, I like my cookies soft and it took me forever to find a recipe for soft peanut butter cookies. These are originally intended to be molded around a candy bar (Snicker's) but I like them plain jane. Bon appetit!
Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. margarine, softened
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla
***I show chocolate chips in the picture, I toyed with the idea of adding them in, but decided against it
1) Preheat oven to 375
2) In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside
3) In large bowl or mixer cream together sugar, brown sugar, margarine, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla
4) Stir in flour mixture just until mixed
Soft Peanut Butter Cookies
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. margarine, softened
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 large egg
1 t. vanilla
***I show chocolate chips in the picture, I toyed with the idea of adding them in, but decided against it
1) Preheat oven to 375
2) In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside
3) In large bowl or mixer cream together sugar, brown sugar, margarine, peanut butter, egg, and vanilla
4) Stir in flour mixture just until mixed
5) Spoon dough onto baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar
6) Bake for 13-16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes then transfer to wire racks.
Enjoy!
Friday, January 13, 2012
First Post...Scary!
Welcome! I wanted to create a blog to showcase all the do-it-yourself projects I take on as well as share some fun moments in my life. I am a somewhat newlywed (1 & 1/2 years and counting) and we share 2 crazy furbabies together. Mac, our first born, is a beautiful handsome orange cat and Coco is our energetic Yorkie puppy. For my first post I thought I'd share a picture I took with Instagram on my iPhone 4S yesterday. This, my friends, is Coco :)
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