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Showing posts from August, 2013

How to Do Dip Powder Nails

 Staying at home means avoiding the nail salon, and as someone who always  smudges regular nail polish (seriously, how is it possible that they can still  be ready to smear by the time I go to bed?), I have a newfound appreciation for the variety of modern manicure solutions available. I previously reviewed Ohora's at-home gel strips , which are a great option for hassle-free designs. Another option that I really like, even though I am far  from a pro, is dip powder. Dip powder is essentially an acrylic powder that contains pigments or glitters. You purchase a set of liquids that can be used with the powders of your choice for a quick and clean manicure that requires very little dry time. Dip powder is easily accessible, and if you're new to dip nails in general, I'd suggest a reasonably priced option for practice. I started with the Lavender Violets brand on Amazon, which comes with a set of powders + all the liquids you need for a beginner. I did find that the longevit

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a fancy-sounding recipe that involves stuffing chicken breasts with ham and cheese. That sounds pretty labor-intensive to me, so this Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole is a perfect way to get all of the flavor, with minimal fuss! It's low carb, gluten free (assuming you have gluten-free panko for topping), and most importantly, it's really, really good . You will need: Approximately 6 cups of cooked chicken. You can use less, but more makes for a bigger casserole. It needs to at least cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. 1/2 pound of honey ham 1/4 to 1/2 pounds of swiss cheese, depending on how thinly it is sliced. 4 tbsp of flour (I use Bob's Red Mill, for gluten free!) 6 tsp of butter 3 and 1/2 cups of milk 1 and 1/2 tsp of salt 1 tsp paprika 1 heaping tablespoon of spicy mustard Lime or lemon juice Panko bread crumbs Parsley for topping Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken in a layer in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Chop up th

Ravens Purpletini

Are you looking for a purple drink for the Baltimore Ravens football, or for a wedding or event? Then look no further than the Ravens Purpletini! My husband and I are huge  Baltimore Raven's fans, and since I'm a big fan of the color purple in general, it only makes sense that we had to perfect a purple drink recipe! Please note that this drink recipe is for two drinks per batch. While I'm sure that you could use your math and create a big pitcher of it, if you are looking for a party-size serving, I highly suggest you try this purple punch . You will need: A shaker (if not, you will have to guess your measurements) Three ounces of vodka 2-3 ounces of cranberry juice 1 ounce of sour mix 1 ounce of lemon-lime soda 1 ounce of Blue Curacao Shake. Pour. Enjoy! You may also enjoy: Purple Yucca Buffalo Chicken Tacos

Crockpot Chicken Chili

I have to admit that cooking with a slow cooker/crockpot made me slightly anxious. I was, perhaps unreasonably, worried that leaving the appliance plugged in and cooking all day would leave me to come home to a flaming pile of rubble where my kitchen used to be. Luckily, this did not  happen, and using a crockpot has become one of my favorite ways to cook. I <3 Crockpot   One of my go to meals is this simple chicken chili, which uses only a few ingredients, but is so simple and tastes great! Feel free to modify to use whatever you have on hand. You will need: Approximately 6 chicken breasts (depending on the size). You can also substitute ground chicken, but the shredded chicken breast is definitely better, in my opinion. One 28 ounce can of diced (not crushed!) tomatoes One jar of salsa 1 can of corn 2 cans of the beans of your preference. I usually use cannellini, but I've also used black beans and kidney beans, or a mix! Cheese, for topping *If you're feeling spicy, try m

Popular posts from this blog

How to Do Dip Powder Nails

 Staying at home means avoiding the nail salon, and as someone who always  smudges regular nail polish (seriously, how is it possible that they can still  be ready to smear by the time I go to bed?), I have a newfound appreciation for the variety of modern manicure solutions available. I previously reviewed Ohora's at-home gel strips , which are a great option for hassle-free designs. Another option that I really like, even though I am far  from a pro, is dip powder. Dip powder is essentially an acrylic powder that contains pigments or glitters. You purchase a set of liquids that can be used with the powders of your choice for a quick and clean manicure that requires very little dry time. Dip powder is easily accessible, and if you're new to dip nails in general, I'd suggest a reasonably priced option for practice. I started with the Lavender Violets brand on Amazon, which comes with a set of powders + all the liquids you need for a beginner. I did find that the longevit

Apple Cinnamon Sheet Pancakes and Bacon

If you've seen my post about  Peachy Cinnamon Sheet Pancakes , you already know how I feel about sheet pan recipes. These sheet pancakes pull together all the goodness of regular pancakes, plus the ease of a casserole-- no more standing at the stove flipping batter! UPDATE: These make a great breakfast sandwich -- perfect for a crowd! If you have not checked out that recipe, I recommend you check it out , as this is a significant improvement over an adaptation of the first. Since it's fall, and we have been doing all the fall things-- like a family pumpkin painting day, and trying to brave the fall festivals even though it's unexpectedly hot-- these pancakes bring a taste of fall with apples, cinnamon, maple syrup and bacon. Yum! Read on for the recipe. Apple Cinnamon Sheet Pancakes Ingredients: 1 cup gluten free bisquick 2 tbsp cooking oil of choice, plus a little for greasing the pan 1 egg 1 cup milk 1/2 tsp cinnamon, plus extra for

Curly Girl Routine for Wavies: My Secretly Wavy Hair

My hair has been straight for my entire life. Puffy-straight. "Needs time to calm down" after blow drying it, straight. Works great with extra heavy conditioner, straight.  Sure, occasionally I'd wake up with a few curls here and there, but after brushing my hair-- because brushing is a must!-- they would disappear into a puff of frizz, so I'd add some serum and calm it down. It literally never dawned on me that my straight hair struggles were happening because my hair wasn't straight. Sure, it had some  wave, sometimes, but I just assumed straight hair was the default. Mine was puffy and needed help all the time, but it was straight. It turns out, I'm not alone. In fact, this blogger  had the same realization, and the descriptions of her hair rang true for me as well. I've always had "damaged ends" or "a texture issue", even right after a major haircut. So what gives? About two years ago I decided it was time to do a big chop, and cut