Homemade Donuts!

I found this recipe on my friends' blog,  Ashley's Busy. These homemade donuts are TO DIE FOR! So good, worth every calorie! I made them on Saturday morning and needless to say, Mike was a very happy guy! I also felt good about eating it because I felt that since I made the sugar coating and fried them myself, that I knew they were 100% good even though they were not 'good' for my bootie!

Here is the recipe and be warned, you will love them and want them again and again!

Ingredients:

• A  can of Pilsbury Homestyle Grands! Biscuits (NOT the flaky ones)
• canola oil
• sugar
• ground cinnamon
• cocoa powder

Directions:

• POP open the can of biscuits and lay them on a plate
• take a butter knife and cut a circle in the middle of the biscuit
• heat oil in a skillet to about 350 degrees (I poured the oil about halfway up the height of the donut)

while the oil is heating, prepare sugar coatings:

• in one plate mix sugar and cocoa powder. I would estimate 1 part cocoa to 4 parts sugar.(depending on how chocolate-y you like things)
• in another plate mix sugar and ground cinnamon. (Just mix it until you think it looks yummy, you really can't go wrong)

Now back to the donuts:

• Don't forget to put the donut holes in the frying pan
  
• Once the oil is hot enough, fry one side of the donut for 2 minutes (or until golden brown) 
• Fry the other side of the donut for another 2 minutes (or until golden brown)
• Once fully golden brown, CAREFULLY, take the donuts out and sprinkle with your sugar coating of choice.

*Tip: Even though it is tempting to, don't sprinkle too much sugar coating, a little sprinkle goes a long way!

Now, visit Ashley's Busy, Make Donuts and ENJOY!

And as Homer Simpson says:

Jack Lalanne Power Juicer

... is the coolest kitchen gadget around.

I love kitchen gadgets -blog entries to come- and for my birthday I asked my boyfriend, Mike, to get me one. He listened and in returned, happiest girlfriend ever!

I've only made a few different types of juices together, I am a die-hard carrot and apple girl, but Mike, not so much, he's more of a apple only guy.

Just like the commercial states, you can put the whole fruit/vegetable in. Although I take out the apple stem and cut the carrot into two, you don't have to cut it into bits of pieces like you used to with older juice machines.

If you have a juicer, here is a recipe for you and if you don't, you need one!

Happy Juicing!

x

Carrot and Apple Juice
2 carrots
1 apple

Carrot, Apple, Celery Juice
2 carrots
1 apple
1 celery

Apple Juice
2 apples

Summer Time Jello Shots

So I went to a 'Girl Party' tonight for my friends birthday! It was a gathering during the day of all and only girls.  Eek! The hostess actually called it a f*@#^%ware party.   I was trying to bring something yummy and summer-y to eat/drink and remembered stumbling upon this 'Petite Watermelon' blog entry that Chocolate on my Cranium posted. I have been dying to make them but couldn't find a reason. Well an summer-time Anne Summers party seemed reason enough!

I spiced up the recipe a tad, making them Jello Shot Petite Watermelons and mmmm... they were good!

Here is what I did:
Ingredients:

• 1 Large box of Red Jello 
• 10 oz of Vodka
• 6 oz of Cold water
• 16 oz of Boiling water
• 9 limes (they were small and made 18 total 'watermelons')

Instructions:

• Cut limes in half longways and take a grapefruit spoon and hollow out the inside of the lime
 * Ok, I'm not going to pretend here, that part was not so much fun! Oh, and I saved all the inside bits to make a yummy limeade later!

• Wash out all the stickiness and throw them upside down in a Colander to drip dry.

Make the Jello recipe:

• In a separate bowl: mix the jello powder and the boiling water until all the lumps are gone
• add the cold water and the vodka, mixing super well.

Now for where the magic happens:

• pour the jello mix into the lime halves, filling them as high as you can make them. (I put my lime halves in a clear baking tray because the rim was high enough to stabalize them for they are quite shaky!)
• pour any excess jello mixture you have in small cups for shooting out of. ( I used dixie bathroom cups because I had them-why I don't know, but I did)
• put in the refrigerator and chill.
• Refrigerate for approximately 3-4 hours or whenever ready
• take out and cut the the lime pieces in half again! This will make it look more like a watermelon and it will be easier to 'shoot' from
• ENJOY!!

Suggestions:

• You can also sprinkle some sugar over the lime rind before pouring jello solution in, it will make it a little bit sweeter
• If you want to make it look even more like watermelons, you can take mini chocolate chips and push them in with a skewer after about 30 min of chilling. I didn't do that since we were taking 'shots'.

Brigadeiros, a Braziliians Treat

A couple of years ago I went to Brazil with the family that I sit for.  I was really excited about going because I had a very good Brazilian friend who told me great things about it, but I was also nervous to go, because I am a very picky eater.

My sister has coined a term for people like me and to date, it is the best word for me. I am... a "Pick-a-tarian". There I said it, I know I have a problem but don't want help for it. No thank you!  Oh, tangent. So, in Brazil, I ate a lot of cheese and bread and these AMAZING balls of heaven called Brigadeiros.

Now, if memory serves me correct, on TV all Brazilian girls are skinny with great booties, I don't know how that is true, because all I want in life are more and more of these yummy treats.

Here is how you make them (and its super easy which is the other best part about it).

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (You have to use La Lechera and keep it real)
• A jar of sprinkles/jimmies
  

Directions:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, butter and condensed milk. 
• Cook, stirring, enough to show the pan bottom during stirring 
• Pour the mixture in a lightly greased dish and let it cool to room temperature.
• Grease your hands with margarine or oil and roll them into little balls
• Roll it over sprinkles
• Place the balls in small size candy cups, they look like teeny cupcake papers.
• EAT and ENJOY! yummmo!!

Now, some Brazilians say you should use a Nesquik powder instead of cocoa to make it sweeter, but thats up to your tastebuds!

As for me, I make these for holiday's and everyone loved them! In the meanwhile, I will continue to be a pick-a-tarian and order cheeseburgers with no meat from McDonalds and eat yummy Brigadeiros.

xx

madmenyourself.com

Ok, so I'm guilty. I do not watch the show Mad Men.

Although, it looks like a good show to watch, there is no time for new shows in between my CSI, Criminal Minds, Bones and Reality TV marathons. I'm sorry, when I finish one series, I will swap it out for another.

I can't tell you much about the show, but I can tell you that their website: madmenyourself.com    is so much fun! You go and make your character. My blog "photo" is of my Mad Men character. You can choose your swanky outfit and drink and viola, you are transformed!

Funny story, I made mine and my sister wrote me today saying that she had made one a few weeks prior, without the knowledge of me making one, and the similiarities are uncanny!

I guess even in the animation world we can't get away from the 'twinster' look!!!

x

..and I just noticed that one of the major differences is that she has earrings on and I don't and that is very much the case!!

...and its cute!

Owlie, My Newest Plush.

Meet Owlie, he's the newest member of our homemade plush toy family and he's so cute! Now, I say he, but I think he is in fact a she, because A. she is pink and B. she has pretty eyelashes!

I've been really lazy in taking step by step photos of my projects as I do them, so I'll just give you the gist of it.

First, I cut the pattern of the owl, kinda roundy with ears thing.

I wanted her big so the sewing would be easier, and it was good that way because my eye-balling it method wasn't under much scrutiny.

Then, I cut out felt eyes, eyelashes, beak, and wings.

I hand sewed the felt to the fabric of Owlie's body.

Then i turned it all inside out, pinned it, and took out my sewing machine and did the outline of Owlies body.

I then left a little bit of space underneath, turned her inside out, and stuffed her.  She's a chubby little girl, she took up almost the whole bag of stuffing whereas my Octopus didn't!

I hand sewed the bottom opening and then sewed a line of buttons over it, so she had a button base.

Isn't she the cutest? And she fits right at home with my owl collection (pics to come!)



**Note, I have also been lazy in using my camera, these are cell phone pics, so the colors aren't as good as they could be!

Till next time my friends!

x

Summer Time Flowers

I must say I love summer time.

Here in Vail we are surrounded by the most beautiful colors and as a scrapbooker, I must admit, I love the vibrancy in them all!

For my birthday, I received some lovely flowers from my friend and they looked so beautiful on my table but kind of full.

I noticed that our coffee table was bare and that there was a spare coca-cola bottle laying around our house (that was because our roommate doesn't seem to know we throw away trash when were done with it).

So, I remembered my Vineyard days and made this.

My mom sent me a tea kettle for my birthday and of course, there is a red sox decal on our window (because they are the best baseball team).

Anyhoo, I see this picture and I think Vineyard and I love it!!!

x

The Best Body Polish Ever!

alba sugar cane polish scrub is so amazing! Every not so skinny girl -and even the skinny ones :D - should use this!

It is a spa treatment that you can use at home and it is cheaper than a spa!

alba is organic company so you feel good while giving your skin an amazing exfoliation. The sugar cane is my personal favorite, because as you rub it on you, you can feel how yummy and smooth your body feels immediately, and when you get out of the shower, the first thing you want to do is show your boyfriend so he too can feel the sweet smoothness of the body scrub (great way to justify the $11 sale to him also).

Technically, what is happening is the sugar cane-loaded in enzymes- is GENTLY dissolving dull surface cells as the exfoliating granules then polish your skin.

Try it once and you'll be hooked!!!

I never even knew Body Polish existed outside of the spa, but now that I do, I think every girl out there should use it!!!


<3

Swedish Cosmos, A Girl's Best Friend!

The Cosmo, A Girl's Best Friend.

I remember that this is the first drink I learned how to make, it was the first one I bought when I was 21 and this was the first drink I drank at home when I still under 21!

I found a variation of the cosmo that is TO DIE FOR! It is called the 'Swedish Cosmo' and HELLO.. IKEA, Swedish girls and now this! Sweden is the place!

It uses Ligenberry, which is a yummy berry found in Sweden, You can buy the concentrate at IKEA or I'm sure if you google it, you can find it online.

INGREDIENTS

• 
  Juice of 1/4 Lime
  
• 
  2 Parts Cranberry Juice
  
• 
  1 Part Lingenberry Concentrate
  
• 
  1/2 oz. Cointreau
  
• 
  3 Parts Absolute Vodka
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix ingredients in cocktail shaker with ice and shake. Rim glasses with used lime wedge, pour and enjoy

There is just something so classy, elegant, girly and fun all at the same time about a cosmo!

Now, go mix it and pour one for me and enjoy!!

Till next time <3

About Me:

I like to sew, crochet, cook, bake, clean, decorate, make, d.i.y., scrapbook, and have fun!!!

I recently was accepted into nursing school, so this blog will now become a mix of my DIY projects, recipes, and also of my journey of school. Which, I'm sure will include a ton of venting out my frustrations!


<3 Love!!!