12/3/12

{Dash of Love} Pecan Tassies

Can you believe it is December already?
It's the most wonderful time of the year! You can almost taste the Holiday cheer in the air. It's so warm and glowing everywhere you go. Every tree is trimmed, every stocking hung, and every light twinkles all day long. I just love it! It is kind of amazing how perfect red and green go together. And how cute a jolly fat guy in a furry red suit can be.

Last year I was busy making all kinds of handmade holiday decorations and spending all my money on crafting and/or baking. Ahhh...that was so fun! You can relive it  here, here, and here. (And a few more around that same time period.) This year, I have been super duper busy and super duper broke. So, I have had to embrace what little decorations I do have (I thought I made more last year) and actually just enjoy the season! I have been doing that by listening to hours of festive music, watching my favorite Christmas movies, and relaxing near those pretty lights on my tree.

And now, finally, I am getting a little time to enjoy it all in the kitchen! My favorite part! I will have a few recipes coming up for you this month so stay tuned for those yummy concoctions! ;)

Tonight I made these amazing Pecan Tassies and had to get on and share immediately! They are snackable, easy to make, and so freakin delicious! They are like mini pecan pies, but better...yes.



Ingredients
Crust:
-1/2 cup softened butter
-3 oz. softened cream cheese
-1 cup flour
Filling:
-1/4 cup pecans, chopped (can add more, depending on your preference)
-1 cup brown sugar
-1 tbs melted butter
-1/4 tsp cinnamon
-1 large egg

Directions
Preheat oven to 325
Mix together butter and cream cheese
Add in flour until well combined
Pat out dough onto floured surface
Take approx. teaspoon sized balls of the dough and press them into a mini muffin tin
Mix pecans, sugar, butter, cinnamon, and egg until well blended
Scoop a dollop into the dough cups
Bake for approx 25-28 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling has set
Yummmooo!!!

1

2

...and 3!

Aren't they adorable! 





10/21/12

Entry 6: I Am Woman

Hello all, welcome back to the diary! It's been a pretty rad ride so far right? We've talked about makeup tips, how to smell nice, how to shave those privates, and touched a little on how to have healthy hair. Today I would like to get on my soap box a little. Don't worry there is a red "X" in your top right if you think this becomes too much for you....because I will get brutally honest here today.

See the photo above? Take a long look at it. She looks pathetic, stinky, icky, ugly, and just pitiful. If you're a woman, you know this look very well. If you're a man, you probably only know this look if you have a serious relationship with a woman. We, meaning girls, all feel and look this way from time to time....especially when we get that nice visit from that annoying aunt of ours. You follow now? Yes, I am talking about our periods.......GASP! I just lost every male who might have been brave enough to read this that very second. Today I want to talk about the awful things we have to go through as females and some ways I think that the world could make our crazy lives just a little bit easier! I have been wanting to type this entry for a while, its the main reason I even started this diary segment. I wanted to wait until I was deep in the heart of it though, feeling the horribleness of it all. So I am writing this from the depths of my soul. Sorry if it gets a little scary for ya, but this is coming straight from a moody, icky, crampy, bloated, PMSing woman! You've been warned.

I want to first repeat, I am currently on my period. It is that time of the month for me. I AM ON MY PERIOD!!! Was that so bad? How come we can't proclaim this out loud to the world? It seems if you even speak of being on your period to most men, and some women, that they just freak out! What's up with that?! Yes it is gross. Yes it is. But it's a natural thing that has to happen to every woman before any of us can be born. So, I think we should be able to discuss it openly. Us women won't even talk about it with men, even when those men might be the closest people in our lives, the ones we confide in. I won't even let anyone else see that I have a tampon in my hand, if I had to grab one from a fellow lady because it came unexpectedly and I wasn't prepared, on my way to the bathroom. I get embarrassed. But how is this fair? Periods are absolutely terrible, I have never met anyone who likes their period. (If you for some reason enjoy that hell, you may have some deeeeeep issues.)  Since it is so terrible, the least we could do is try to make it a little less awful. I think first of all the whole stigma around periods should be changed. We should be allowed to talk about it whenever we want. We shouldn't be embarrassed to buy tampons. We should not have to hide the fact that we are going through absolute hell. I am writing this post to mostly warn everyone around me that I plan to be more open about it. I am tired of being embarrassed of it. I have to go through it! I have to deal with it! And I hate it enough already.

Whew, it's good to get that out. So if there are any men left, you are probably wondering what makes it so terrible. Oh I will tell you good sir! I am not going to get all technical, because frankly I don't want to do the research and that's why we have Wikipedia. I will tell you first hand experiences from a cranky pmsing girl though! It happens at least 3 days before you even start your period, and lasts at least 3 days after you stop bleeding. Yes, that's right it's much longer than you think. First, you start to get a few pimples. (Well, this is how mine starts, not meaning to generalize) Yea, as if I wasn't going to feel gross enough...let's add a few pimples. Then your tits get tender, no tender makes it sound daintier than it is, your tits hurt. They feel like you are carrying medicine balls around on your chest, and like someone spent the night before punching them for 13 hours. Sexy. Those first few days for me also include random cramps at random times, with this hard to describe grossness that pours over you. By the time you actually do start, you feel like you are walking around with garbage all over you, like someone is just following you around continually emptying a trashcan over your head. That's a fun feeling. Then it happens. Oh yes. You'd think after 9 years of having my period that I could tell when it was about to happen. Nope. I get surprised every single time. Every single time I am busy doing something else, usually in public, and it happens. 100's of pairs of panties ruined. Oh too far? No. This is what I mean. This IS gross, but we have to go through this every single month of every single year. You're just grocery shopping, or vacuuming, or whatever and all of a sudden it is like someone removed the dam in your vagina. That garbage feeling gets much worse in that moment. After you've sprinted, been humiliated, cleaned yourself, hated yourself, and slipped in a tampon, (or placed on a pad, *shudder*, I am sorry I just cannot do pads) the real hell begins. My cramps start immediately. And I really cannot even begin to describe how badly they hurt. I have spent many periods thinking of how to even describe the pain. The pain, for me, is below my belly button. It's like a very small, very strong man is inside you. And he is squeeeeezing every bit of your insides until they feel like they are about to burst out of your stomach. While he's squeezing, another small strong man is taking turns between punching you over and over from the inside, and slicing your insides with a dull knife. And I still don't even think this adequately describes how badly it hurts. I have this ongoing pain for at least the first few days of my period. Paired along with this pain, a pulsing, random pain that happens approx. every 15 minutes. So that's fun. It gets so bad sometimes I can't even stand up properly. And let me say nothing, and I mean nothing, relieves this pain fully. There are a few things, which I will talk about in a few, that will ease it a tad bit, but no relief. (Again, for me. Every girl is different) On top of all this wonderful grossness, you're bloated. I mean, you-look-like-your-3-months-pregnant-bloated. So, you can't fit any of your clothes properly, besides your sweat pants, having anything too tight hurts your belly more, and yet you can't be completely naked because of, well the blood. Again, sexy. You also get terrible back aches, well whole body aches during this too. And the mood swings. Which is the only part men seem to be willing to talk about. Yes we get whiny, and emotional, and testy. But, come on! Look at what we're going through. Of course we're moody. Let's not forget that during all of this we're still bleeding! BLEEDING! Like some stuck pig. And we have to jam cotton up our mini-me just to keep from destroy every thing around us. Or wear a pad, shudder again. Then, for the rest of your period it is all about trying to figure out when it is fully done and you can stop sporting the cotton around. Finally once it is over, you feel free, but also defeated, because in just 4 short weeks, it is all going to happen again.

Is anyone still here? Those of you brave souls left, dry your tears, and take a minute to process. I know, I know. That was intense, but we got through alright! And now you all know, and now it has been said. Finally. Ahhhh... Can't we just be more open about it. I won't give these graphic details every month, but I do think I shouldn't have to hate myself for something I cannot control. I do believe society should make it easier to go through, even if it is just acknowledging the horror of it. My dream is that one day we will have a female president, HA!, and she will pass a bill to help us all. If it was me, I would allow every single period-having woman to have their period week off. Off from work, school, public, from life. Because I will tell you the only thing worse than the above paragraph, is dealing with all of that along with all of the other normal stresses of everyday life. Dealing with that during a hard exam, during a long day of work, during a flat tire. If we all could choose to take some time off during our monthly visitor, I know we would all be happier people of society. If when I have a really bad day full of the crap above, I could just take one day off from everything without any repercussions and lay in bed, naked, I would feel a thousand times better. I know we all would.

So for those period-having women, I do have some tips on helping that week be a little less terrible. First of all if you can bypass the pads, do it. They feel like diapers! And you end up just sitting around in your own grossness. Tampons take some getting used to, but are worth it! I would recommend starting with the really tiny ones and working your way up. Super is plenty big enough for me, and will last for about 4-6 hours. You shouldn't ever leave them in longer than is directed on the box because you could get some serious problems like TSS. My favorite tampons are Playtex Sport, I like the fresh scent ones:
Absolutely no medication helps me while I am on my period. I have tried them all, Midol, Pamprin, etc. If they work for you, fantastic, but they give me no relief. The only relief I get is from heat. Invest in a heating pad! This will help ease your back aches and your belly pains. My absolute favorite things ever are Thermacare Heat Wraps. They are a little pricey, but so worth it. Because we do have to continue our lives on our periods, (just until I am president) these are so amazing. It is like carrying around your heating pad. They are the only way I can go to school or work when my cramps are at their worst. Buy some and see for yourself! 
They say exercising helps with the cramps. But who feels like exercising during that time? If you do, more power to you. Food is my friend on my period. Keep some ice cream in the house. Buy some chamomile tea. Have some go-to sad movies. And drink lots of water. I like to find a cozy spot, plug in my heating pad, and watch sad movies while I sip on chamomile tea. The tea seems to soothe my belly and the movies are just for how emotional I get.

Thank you so much to whoever actually reads this! I have been really wanting to write something like this for a while. And I hope this helps empower some women to not take crap about their periods anymore. I also hope that some of my remedies help ease your hell just a little bit. Finally I hope this post gets to some men. I hope it makes you go bear hug the women in your life. The fact that we go through this every month and still are the beautiful, loving creatures that you love so much is an absolute miracle. Thanks again for sticking around until the end. Please by all means give me some feedback, but please do not just tell me how gross I am. That would be the opposite of what I am trying to achieve here. If you like posts like these, stick around, because there will be more to come! I am feeling a farting revolution coming on... :)




10/14/12

{A Dash of Love} Sipping On Fall

Yes! More fall recipes! I have really indulged myself in everything fall this year. My last grocery trip consisted of an overflow of apple, pumpkin, and cinnamon flavored everything! There is just so much! You can get pumpkin spice anything: poptarts, beer, cookies, candy, coffee, creamer, muffins, cereal, and just as much in apple cinnamon flavors. It's quite amazing! I love cinnamon. Oh do I love cinnamon. It's so perfect. It adds just the right flavor and spice to just about anything. If you don't like cinnamon, you might as well die now because you just aren't living! Okay...a little extreme....please don't commit suicide if you dislike cinnamon. But seriously. It's cinnamon.

Moving on... I have a couple of  falltacular (yes, that is my new favorite word!) drink recipes! They are perfect for the season and absolutely delicious. I hope you give them a try and let me know what you think!

Simple Chai Tea
yields approx. 4 servings

Ingredients:
4 regular sized black tea bags (I just used Lipton)
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp all spice
2 tsp cinnamon (yess!!!)
4 cups water
4 tbs, at least, of creamer
2 cups milk
1/2 cup brown sugar

Directions:
-Fill coffee maker with water
-Cut open tea bag and mix tea with spices
-Add spice mixture to filter in coffee maker

-Brew as you would coffee
-Mix milk, creamer, and sugar in a pot over medium high heat until heated through and sugar dissolves
-Pour tea in a mug, then top with the creamer mixture, stir
-Finally, you can top with whipped cream if you like and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg!



Now this is definitely a customizeable recipe. Some people like their chai tea creamier or sweeter than others do. I added much more creamer than 4tbs, just because I like mine creamy and sweet! I also used french vanilla creamer, but any creamer would be amazing with this and could really make it special. You could end up with Pumpkin Chai Tea, Caramel Chai Tea, or Peppermint Chai Tea...this recipe is your blank canvas for many possibilities! 







Apple Cider Mimosa


Directions:
Fill wine glass with ice
Fill 1/3 of the glass with white wine (I had some Chardonnay in the cabinet)
Add 1/3 more of apple cider (I used cinnamon flavored, of course)
Top with a splash or two of Sprite (or 7up, ginger ale, etc.)
You can then garnish or drop in some yummy granny smith apple slices
Enjoy! 

This was simply a pantry drink and the ingredients are most definitely just eye-balled....you may need more or less wine depending on your day ;). I had these ingredients and figured they must be good together. I am not a fan of Chardonnay but in this it is quite perfect! I added the soda for some fizziness, so it would be more like a Mimosa (which uses bubbly champagne). It is quite refreshing!

9/30/12

{A Dash of Love} Fall Comfort Food

Hello Fall! Hello all!

You all know how much I love summer. I love it more than an otter loves swimming backwards! And Fall, such a nice change, is my 3rd favorite season!! I know, I know, but Spring wins second place only because it contains my Birthday. I love love love all that comes with Fall though. I love the colors...those gorgeous ruby tinted leaves and cozy orange pumpkins. I love the smells...fresh ripe apples, crisp fall air, and spicy cinnamon. The food...full of seasonal goodies, savory and sweet. So, once the Pumpkin Spice Latte returns to Starbuck's, I consider it Fall! I was one of the first in line for one, and had this place decked out in fall foliage that very same day!

With the crazy fall wreaths and pumpkin flavored candles also came the fall munchies. I have been baking and cooking galore! And loving every minute of it.

This weekend I got to share the kitchen with one of my favorites, my future mother-in-law! I adore her. She is an amazing cook and we always have the best time playing in the kitchen! We whipped up some yummy goodies that I had to share. Mostly because I was threatened if I didn't by some very hungry friends... lol

First up.....
Apple Cheese Danish



Ingredients:
-Cooked apples (recipe found here! )
-2 cans cresent rolls (I used seamless kind)
-8oz cream cheese, softened
-3 tablespoons lemon juice
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 cup powdered sugar
-1/4 cup milk, or until get desired consistency
-1 tsp vanilla

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350
-Mix together cream cheese, lemon juice, and regular sugar until smooth
-Roll out cresent dough, close seams if you got the regular kind
-Here you can slather on 1/4 of the cheese mixture, which is my preferred way for taste 
 (but it doesnt look pretty)
-Or you can just skip to the next step..
-Roll the dough up like a burrito and pinch off ends, cut into approx. 2 inch slices 
 (should look like cinnamon rolls)
-If you didn't add the cheese mixture before, do it now by just spooning a dollop on top
-Also place a dollop of the apple mixture, or your favorite jam, on top
 (repeat for the other can of cresent rolls)
-Bake for 13-15 minutes or until bubbly and golden
-While they bake, mix together the icing (powdered sugar,milk,and vanilla) until desired consistency
-Once the danishes are done, drizzle with icing!

So yummy! So easy! So great with coffee! So good reheated for breakfast in the morning!


Simple Veggie-Beef Soup



Ingredients:
-Beef roast (I didn't even look at the weight of ours, but base it on how much meat YOU want)
-1 onion, chopped
-3 stalks of celery, chopped
-1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables (we got carrots, corn, peas, and green beans)
-1 can of beans (we used crowder peas)
-1 can of diced tomatoes
-2 or 3 handfuls of pasta (we used these cute saucer shaped ones, but elbow macaroni would work)
 (can easily omit pasta, I just like a few in there)
-4 small/medium potatoes, chopped
-2 cloves minced garlic
-approx 1 tbs of seasoned salt
-1 46oz can of tomato juice (in the actual juice isle)
-1 32oz can of beef broth
-1 cup of water, or to desired consistency

Directions:
-Get a big pot, a HUGE pot! Or cut the ingredients in half for a normal size pot...this makes A LOT of soup!
-Saute the onions, celery, and garlic over medium high heat, with a drizzle of oil 
-Add in the beef and saute until it is brown
-Add in the beef broth and potatoes, bring to a boil
-Add in the vegetables, beans, tomatoes, pasta, and tomato juice...bring to a boil
-This soup boils down a lot, so add in water to desired consistency! 
-Let it simmer for at least 45 minutes, but it can go as long as you like
-Salt, season salt, and pepper to your desired taste!
-Enjoy with a ham and gouda grilled cheese...it is amazing! 


I hope you try these out! They are perfect for that chilly fall weather. And perfectly cozy. And perfect for those stay-in-your-pjs-watching-tv-all-day kind of days... Please let me know if you give them a go! :)

8/26/12

{A Dash of Love} Homemade Biscuits


Another quick post tonight, getting them in before school gets too hectic! I wanted some biscuits the other morning, but sadly we were out of my absolute favorite canned kind. Sad day. But I was sad only for a few minutes, because I played around in the kitchen and ended up with some of the yummiest biscuits I have ever had! I again did some research on what is usually in biscuit recipes and derived my own. Luckily they came out perfect the first time and I can put this in my big book of recipes! Because I will definitely make these again! I hope you can add them to your book as well. Please let me know if you try them!



Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cup flour
4 tsp baking powder
3/4-1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup cold butter
1 cup cold milk
1/4 cup melted butter (for brushing the tops)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Mix those together, until you think they're well combined.
Dice the butter and add to the dry ingredients.
Combine using your hands, rubbing the butter and flour between your fingers until the butter pieces are the size of chocolate chips.
Stir in the milk just until a soft dough forms.
Dump onto a well floured (clean) counter.
Knead, roll into ball, then pat out into about a 11/2-2 inch thick circle/rectangle.
Find something to cut them out with, I used a small glass.
Flour the cutter well and cut the dough into biscuits, kneading and patting back out until you run out.
Pop them into the fridge for about 5 minutes.
Brush tops with melted butter and pop in the oven for about 8-13 minutes, or until golden brown.
Yields about 12 biscuits!

Enjoy!


The "Hair Bow" Tutorial

I am so excited to bring you this super duper easy tutorial! I have been trying to sport the "Hair Bow" for like ever now. I finally have long enough hair and freshly dyed roots! Yay! Not to toot my own horn, but kind of, I can make a pretty mean pony tail. I always like to play around with updos and even my simplest pony tail takes some time and looks super cute! And, now I have yet another fun and easy hairstyle. This is definitely easier if you have longer hair. But it can be done with a tiny bun, and really cute if you do it as a half-up style. You must try it, you'll get lots of compliments and it is so much fun!

The Hair Bow


Tutorial
Start with a messy bun high on top of your head. 
Don't pull all the hair through, leaving some out on top of your head.
Stretch the bun part out as much as you can to have a fuller bow!

Side view of the first step. 
Remember: Stretched messy bun with extra stuff on top!

Take that extra stuff and pin it behind your now "bow" bun. 
This is the key to it looking like a bow!
Try to center it and make sure it is really secure.
Voila!

And the back view! 
I could do this a little smoother probably, but I like the messy look.
Once you've got your bow the way you like, and all pieces are secure....SPRAY SPRAY SPRAY!
Hairspray will be your buddy for this style!!

I hope you all try this out soon! Please comment below and let me know how it went! 



7/24/12

Entry 5: Hairy Business Part 1

Hey Kiddos!

It's time for another diary entry! I know, I have been such a slacker. I am a lazzzzyyy summer bum! :D We've been soaking up this summer relaxation time before school starts back. We started a ton of new shows, as if we don't already watch enough, and it has been so fun! We like to start from the beginning of shows and do the crazy back to back episode marathon that goes on for hours. Let's just say we watched both seasons of Game of Thrones in just 2 days, that is 20 hours solid of amazing television! I love TV!

So, today I want to start out by giving you some hair tips. This will be part one of my Hair Saga, followed by tutorials and such in the proceeding the posts. Again I must point out that I am no expert on anything, especially hair. But, I have been through years of hair trauma and fantastic hair days. And after it all I have picked up some helpful tips along the way. I mean look at that gorgeous head of hair in the pic below...I am very proud of it! And I should be, I have been through so much hair trauma. Let's just say it took me 2 and a half years to grow it to the length it is at now. Because it was previously fried up to my ears... yep! I have been fried, silver, brassy, yellow, white, brown, red, chopped, and everything in between. But I made it through thanks to a great new hairstylist, and my awesome hair tips!




Tips to a Good Hair Day

1. Wash your hair the least amount possible. You've probably heard this, and you should listen! Every time you wash your hair it takes away some of the essential oils that are needed to give hair that soft feel and shiny look. The more you wash your hair, the drier your hair will become. I know we all feel dirty with dirty hair, and especially when it gets that oily look. But it will help your hair tremendously if you hold off. I wash my hair probably every other day, but I do try to go 2 days sometimes without washing! Try it, and you'll see a difference!

2. Buy some dry shampoo! This is a miracle worker for the very reason stated above. Oily hair looks gross and therefore makes you feel gross. Dry shampoo is the only thing that gets me through those non-washing days. It is amazing! I have used baby powder for years now as a "dry shampoo." It works wonders to pull that extra oil out and is great on a pinch. But you must use it carefully because it can easily turn your hair grey-ish! Nowadays though they make wonderful dry shampoos at affordable prices. My favorite is Suave Dry Shampoo which costs about $3.50 a bottle. It makes oily hair look dry again and adds volume to clean hair, I love it! I buy it regularly, use everyday, and the bottle usually lasts me about 3 weeks. 

3. Rinse in cold water. Suck it up, and do it! I shampoo and condition my hair at the end of my shower for this very reason. Why you ask? Well just like those hot styling tools, hot water is not good for your hair. Cool water on the other hand closes your hair cuticles and leaves the hair sleeker with less frizz. So, just do it for the sake of your hair! 

4. Shampoo and condition correctly. Massage shampoo into your head being sure to really clean it. Scrub, scrub, scrub until you're sure you've cleaned every inch of your scalp. Rinse well! Add conditioner, generously, and coat every strand. I like to use a Shower Comb while the conditioner is in my hair to detangle the mess the shampoo caused. Let the conditioner sit for at least 3 minutes before rinsing, in cold! Now you've adequately washed those tresses! 

5. Use quality hair products. Throw away that Pert Plus, Suave, and especially Pantene...now!!! I don't even have time to list all the horrible drugstore shampoo and conditioners. I will tell you right now Pantene is by far the worst for your hair. In my experience, that is, it seems to give you the illusion of nice, soft hair for about the first 2 washes, then it just builds up and causes your hair to be worse than before. I hate it. Now I will tell you there are some drugstore products I will use if I am on a small budget. My favorite is Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. It is supposed to be a treatment used once a week, but I use it as an everyday conditioner because my hair is so dry. It works really well! I would also recommend Dove, Tresseme, and Head & Shoulders (for those dandruff days!) My favorite products though, pictured below, are The Redken Extreme Collections, Redken Guts, Kenra Hairspray, and Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum. The Extreme collection is great for overly processed, hint hint...fellow fake blondes, and leaves my hair soft and shiny. Guts is an awesome spray mousse that is the greatest root volumizer on the planet! Kenra makes amazing flexible hairspray. And Super Skinny is great for polishing those frizzies! 

6. Blow dry properly. You should blow dry your hair differently according to how you plan to style it. Oh, you've been blow drying the same way for years? Why? I don't know either. Get a good and hot blow dryer with a diffuser first of all. And get a big round brush. Then pick through your wet hair with a comb or pick and get all of those tangles out! Go ahead and determine your part, again based on your style. For straight hair: Hold the blow dryer on its side, blowing the hot air downwards towards the floor. Blow dry your hair this way until every last strand is dry, detangling along the way using your fingers. You can go upside down at the very end to give a volumizing blast to your roots. For scrunched or naturally curly hair: Use a diffuser, why haven't you before? On a low setting, face the dryer where the air is blowing upwards toward ceiling. Diffuse hair until it is nearly dry, finish with any finishing products. For curling iron or super big hair: blow dry normally, or with a round brush, while blow drying upside down every so often. 

7. Buy a good straightener. Curling irons and blow dryers can be bought at your local Wal-Mart, in my opinion, and they work just fine. You should invest in a good straightener though. I love love love my Chi Ultra!! I highly recommend it. It's worth the price! It heats up in 30 seconds, is super duper hot, and straightens in one swipe. My hair is always shiny and sleek when I wear it straight and this is why! 

8. Curl your hair like we're in the 21st century. There should be no reason for you to curl your hair by holding your iron horizontally, taking it down to the end, and then rolling up to your scalp. This should only be done with rollers, and only for volume. I will do a tutorial on how to properly curl, but just know its not like that. Be on the look out for my tutorial!

9. Tease like we're in the 21st century.  No need for 80's style rat nests, tease for height but still keep your sleekness! Stick around for this tutorial as well. Teasing is a great way to volumize at the crown of your head, which gives hair a nice full look. 

10. No ugly ponies. I will also have tutorials on pony tails. I hate those slicked back, tiny pony tails. Those are only allowed in the gym. Stay tuned! 

**Bonus tip: Find a good colorist, and keep up with your color and cuts. Roots are not pretty, neither are split ends. The stylists at any Ulta Salon are definitely the BEST!!!

So there you have it 10+ hair tips to having good hair days!! I hope these help and you enjoy more good hair days than bad ones! Check back soon for Part 2! 













6/30/12

{Dash of Love} Easy Cheesy Quesadillies

Hey guys! I swear you'd think I would have time to blog over my summer break...but no! I think I blogged more when school was going on than now. Could very well be because I was trying not to do school work most of the time! Well, I finally am getting some time to blog....yay! But, only because I woke up at 6:00 this morning. I just cannot sleep in, even though I really want to. I have like 10 blog posts that are partially finished and as soon I can get around to finishing them they will be up!

First up, I wanted to share my super easy quesadilla recipe. I have talked about this recipe before in a post here, but have tweaked it just a bit since then, and added these photos below! This has always been a favorite of Eth's and it is perfect for those lazy days when you don't feel like cooking. Kids will love it, and you will too! Please comment below if you gave it a try, I always love to get some feedback!


Ingredients:

1 box purdue cooked southwest chicken (near the lunch meat section)
1 bag shredded cheese, we use mexican blend
1 pkg of soft tortillas, fajita size, we use whole wheat
Any desired toppings: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, hot sauce, etc.

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350
-Cook chicken pieces for about 30 sec in microwave
-Sprinkle cheese on top of one tortilla
-Top the cheese with chicken
-Top the chicken with MORE CHEESE! (we want this extra cheesy)
-Top with another tortilla
-Bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese is gooey and melted

*All of the above ingredients yields about two whole quesadillas
*If we're really hungry we can each eat one of these, but you can definitely get full from just a half of one...which gives 4 servings instead of 2!
*The southwest chicken gives it a nice flavor, but you could definitely use the plain kind
*You could make this in a more healthy way using fresh cooked chicken (leftovers?) cut into strips seasoned with a  homemade taco seasoning, fresh grated cheese, and organic tortillas! This would take more work, but worth it if you are trying to eat clean!





Enjoy! :)


6/21/12

I'm Still Alive!


Artwork by: ME

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know I am still alive and well. I haven't been on my actual laptop in forever and I just cannot seem to blog properly on my iPhone.

So, I apologize for the hiatus. I know you have all missed my witty posts about mesmerizing subject material! ;) But, I have been working on a few posts, and they will be up very soon!

I am working to continue my Diary posts and also some DIY projects! I am sure I will try a new recipe sometime soon as well, hehe. So stay tuned!! 


Until then...please enjoy my new rap single found here! It is just a little fun song, please don't take it seriously. Music by Ryan Holladay, Lyrics & vocals by Ethan Hudson, Ryan Holladay, and Me! They have always made fun parody songs and such, so we decided to debut my first rap single. HA! Enjoy! ;)
(above picture is the album art, and the lyrics are found under the comment section when you click the link!)


Thanks for sticking by my chaotic little blog! <3

6/3/12

{Dash of Love} Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is for everyone, unless you somehow hate chocolate chip cookies...And then I can only guess that you are some kind of demon from another world. Ahh, there is nothing like a good chocolate chip cookie. You can get them in all different types too. There are cake-like ones, chewy ones, nutty ones, hot ones, etc. My favorites are warm and gooey, and sometimes I like a nice crispy one!

You can easily go buy some cookie dough or already made cookies from the store and they taste just fine. But, I have always wanted to master a good cookie recipe. Just because homemade cookies do have that extra little something! And cookies are so easy to make, you probably all have the ingredients right in your cabinets! Well, if you bake frequently like me, then you definitely will. And luckily after throwing in some ingredients, I ended up with one yummy cookie! It reminded me of the ones I used to get from Mrs. Field's at the mall, which I always loved. They are sweet and gooey, and everything you love about a chocolate chip cookie. So, if you have some time and the ingredients...you must give them a try!

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, room temp, cubed
1/2-3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup regular sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla 
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 bag of chocolate chips (I used milk chocolate)

Directions:

-Cream together the butter and sugars
-Add in egg, vanilla, and salt just until combined
-Add in flour, baking soda, and baking powder until all combined together
-Fold in chocolate chips
-Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour
-Preheat oven to 350
-Drop balls of dough onto a greased pan and bake for approx 8-11 minutes, based on your desired texture and color 







I hope you enjoy these yummy treats as much as we did!