Cupcakes & Coffee Breaks

Today's post is a classic example of a DIY gone wrong, that actually ended up even better than anticipated. When we moved into our home a few weeks ago, I knew that I wanted to paint the fireplace. Some people love old brick, but it just wasn't working for me, and it made the room in the basement look a lot darker. Plus, there was a section of mismatched brick and ugly mortar in the middle of the wall, where a hole was clearly patched. I was at first inspired by this gorgeous painted fireplace , so I started by following those instructions. The two paint colors that I chose were "Creamy White" by Behr Ultra, and Behr "Blanket Brown", both satin enamel. I used a roller to paint the brick with the white shade, and a paint brush to paint between the bricks and completely cover the mortar. I used roughly two coats, to completely cover the brick. Now, the blogger at the previous link stated that her brick had a rough texture, and was uneven, which helped to get t...

We've recently moved into a new home, and after ripping out some hideous wallpaper (post to follow), and painting our bedroom our beautiful shade of teal, I had some paint left over. In a rush to get some seating ready for our housewarming party, I used it to transform some old dining chairs into cute, comfy seating. Using some upholstery tacks , grey and white chevron printed fabric, and leftover paint (and some primer!), I was able to turn these chairs (which I got for free from a friend) into something eye catching and new. To prime them, I used Kilz  Original primer, and painted one coat (kind of haphazardly) over all four chairs. I wasn't really worried about getting paint on the seats, since I planned to cover them anyway. After letting the primer dry, I painted each one with a coat of teal paint. The paint brush definitely leaves some lines in the paint, but that was the look that I was going for. If you want a smooth finish, you might want to try a roller. To cover the ...

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...

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

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 ...

I'm sort of at the point where I've cut so many things out of my diet, that things I once hated are now delicious. Example: sweet potatoes. So how did I manage the cheesy mess that is pictured directly to the left? Enter cheesy sweet potato fries. They aren't actual fries, though I suppose you could cut them into fry shapes. However, if you're like me, you won't care, and will choose to simply have your husband cut sweet potatoes into slices. The following recipe will let you treat yourself with a healthier version of cheese fries that tastes suspiciously similar to it's fattening alter ego. You will need: 2 sweet potatoes 5 tbsp of olive oil 1 tsp of salt 4 tsp garlic Cheese (cheddar, mexican blend, etc) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and cut your sweet potatoes into slices that are roughly 1/4 inch thick. Place the slices into a bowl, pour in the olive oil, salt, and garlic, and toss until the slices of sweet potato are covered. Spread the sweet potato slice...

Finding a low carb or grain free alternative to pizza is not the easiest task, but if you like (or don't mind) mushrooms, this may be the answer to your pizza cravings. There are no measurements, as this is a fairly straightforward recipe using a few simple ingredients: Portobella mushroom caps Pizza sauce of your choice Mozzarella cheese Pizza toppings, if desired You need to cook the mushrooms before adding the toppings. You could probably cook them for a few minutes in the oven, but I chose to grill them using a counter-top grill/sandwich maker. First, wash the mushrooms, removing the stems and gills, which should come out easily with a spoon. Coat with olive oil, and grill for 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. Add some sauce, your cheese, and toppings, and cook for about 5 minutes in 350 degree oven, or until cheese is melted, Then, enjoy! These little pizzas are filling, low carb meal or snack, or could even be served as an appetizer. You may also be interested in: M...

This moussaka-style casserole is made with lean meat, eggplant, and feta cheese for a tasty casserole that is even better the next day. This recipe was inspired by the one found here , though the one that I actually made, detailed below, is slightly different. In my effort to eat more veggies, the husband and I picked up two eggplant about a week ago at the grocery store. Not wanting to waste it, after I found it still sitting in the refrigerator, I scrambled to find an eggplant recipe that looked intriguing, but wouldn't take up the greater part of the day. You will need: 2 pounds of ground turkey, or other lean meat 2 tsp olive oil 2 large eggplant 2 pounds of cauliflower (I thawed and salted a bag of frozen) 2 tablespoons of garlic 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 cup of tomato sauce 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar Shredded mozzarella & feta cheese Jar of Alfredo sauce First, I recommend salting the eggplant to draw out excess ...

Peanut Butter Dip If you are looking to add a little something extra to your fresh fruit, but you don't want to pack on the calories, you should definitely try this simple and amazing peanut butter fruit dip! Why should you try it? It's delicious. It's easy to make. It's low carb. It's gluten free. You will need: 3/4 cup of plain, non fat greek yogurt 1-2 tbsp of peanut butter (room temperature works well) cinnamon, to taste 1 teaspoon of sugar or sweetener (I used Truvia ) To make the peanut butter dip, simply mix everything together. The peanut butter was a little hard to mix at first, but blended after a few stirs. Serve with sliced fruit, such as apples or bananas! You may also enjoy: Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes Breakfast Muffins

This weekend, I completed my first 5k in the Color Run! Most people will tell you that, after a good run or athletic event, you will feel "awesome". In my case, this was true until I got home, when I was suddenly sick. Since cold medicine seems to do nothing, I have been experimenting with various natural remedies found on the internet, using ingredients found on my trusty spice rack. That's a nice rack. A surprising solution for a sore throat is cayenne pepper, which also helps ease congestion. Sure, the spiciness of the pepper burns a little, but it helps. If you're miserable, it's worth it. To make the hot pepper tea, you will need honey, lemon or lemon juice, ginger and cayenne pepper. I used two tablespoons of honey, a squeeze of lemon juice, and several shakes of ginger and cayenne. I didn't use exact measurements for the spices, so vary it depending on your preferences, and how much "spiciness" you can handle. Add boiling water and stir-- I si...

Jalapeno popper + anything sounds delicious to me, so when I saw a recipe for jalapeno popper stuffed chicken, I had to give it a try. While my first run was not a great success (due to a failed gluten free chicken coating), several weeks later an improvised second attempt at the recipe proved to be every bit as delicious as it sounds. Coincidentally, the panko bread crumbs that I used for the coating were gluten free, but just be sure to double check the label of yours if you are avoiding gluten. This recipe, as written, serves two. You will need: 4 chicken breast fillets, thawed or  use two thicker chicken breasts, which will be cut and stuffed 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar, or cheese of your choice 1 jalapeno pepper, minced 1 egg 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs The chicken breasts that we had were rather thin, so instead of butterflying and stuffing them, I simply stacked two on top of each other with the filling in the middle. This is completel...

In spite of the name of this blog, nothing about my LASIK procedure was performed in a kitchen, thankfully, but I have been wanting to share my experience with laser vision correction since I had it on September 14, 2012, at LASIK Plus in Towson, Maryland (I am in no way affiliated with or compensated by LASIK Plus for writing this review of my experience). UPDATE: Since writing this piece, which you should totally still read because it's informative and hilarious, I actually had LASIK a second time. You can read about that here . I was lucky enough to get glasses before I was even two years old, when thankfully my mother decided to take me to the doctor, which saved me from a life of being cross-eyed. Though I'm grateful for my eyesight, most of my life consisted of several "glasses kid" related things: "Cool" accessories that were really straps to keep my glasses stuck to my toddler head. The annoyance of having my glasses slide down my nose wheneve...

Buffalo Chicken Chili If you love the flavor of buffalo chicken, you'll have to try this easy buffalo chicken chili! I started with a recipe I found on Pinterest, but the version below is the one I that made. You will need: 1 pound of ground chicken 1 tbsp olive oil 1 half of a diced onion 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1/2 cup chopped celery 15 oz diced tomatoes 15 oz canned white beans (drained) 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp oregano 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 cup chicken broth 1/2 to 3/4 cups of hot sauce cheese for topping (bleu cheese, feta, cheddar)(optional) sour cream (optional) To make this chili, cook the ground chicken. Add the oil to a pot, along with the onion, carrots, and celery, cooking them for about 10 minutes. Add the chicken, garlic, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, tomatoes, and beans. Stir in the chicken broth and hot sauce, and let simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, until hot. Top with your choice of cheese or toppings, and enjoy! This a great twist on ch...

To make this recipe non-gluten free, simply substitute an equivalent amount of flour for the gluten free flour called for in this recipe, and omit the xanthan gum. You will need: 6 maraschino cherries 10 ounces of crushed pineapple in juice 1/3 cup of brown sugar 1/4 cup of butter 1 & 1/3 cup of gluten free baking flour 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum 1/3 cup of shortening 1 cup of sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder 3/4 cup milk 1 egg Note that, instead of butter and brown sugar, you can also use caramel topping (usually an ice cream topping). If you choose that option, you may want to lightly grease your muffin pan.  For this recipe, there is really no way to use paper muffin cups, because the cupcakes are made upside down (hence the name "pineapple upside-down cake"), but you will  need to have both a muffin tin, and a regular baking pan that is roughly the same size available. Set the oven to 350 degrees. Split the butter among the muffin tins, and pop into the pr...

Sometimes, the strangest food combinations actually go together, and combine to make something amazing, like chips on sandwiches, or cupcakes with bacon. Enter one of the most deliciously strange food combinations of all, chocolate and cheese, and you have the black bottom cupcake. There are plenty of black bottom cupcake recipes to be found on the internet, but I decided to take a traditional recipe, and attempt to make it gluten free. It has been three months since I gave up gluten, and with Easter occurring in two days, it was important to me to have a recipe that would be safe to eat, without tasting "off" to the friends and family I would be sharing it with. You will need: For the cream cheese topping: 8 ounces of cream cheese 1 egg 1/3 cup of sugar Pinch of salt 1/2 to 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips For the cake bottom: 1 & 1/2 cups of gluten free all purpose baking flour (I use Bob's Red Mill ) 1/4 tsp of xanthan gum 1/3 cup olive oil 1 tsp baking soda 1 c...

When it comes to eating healthy, potatoes, in their many delicious forms, are my weakness. Sure, they technically count as vegetables (depending on who you ask), but they are, unfortunately, purveyors of copious amounts of sweet, sweet carbs. I had heard of using cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes, and I was intrigued, but not totally convinced that mashed cauliflower didn't just look  like mashed potatoes, without tasting like them. Here is the recipe that I used: Note: I'm short on space in this apartment, and  I'm not always sure that I will be able to use fresh veggies in time, so I chose to use frozen cauliflower. You can substitute a head of fresh cauliflower as you wish. You will need: 1 lb of cauliflower (fresh or frozen) 3 tsbp of butter 2 cloves of garlic (add more to taste) 1/3 of an 8 oz block of cream cheese 1/3 cup of ground or grated parmesan cheese Chives, basil, or other seasonings for garnish A food processor To make, boil or steam the caulifl...

This chicken bacon ranch pasta recipe is a very filling dinner dish that is great served hot, or cold leftover the next day. Note: this recipe is not gluten free as written, so be sure to substitute the flour and pasta for a gluten free variety if you are avoiding gluten! You will need: 13 ounces of pasta 12 ounces of chicken Bacon (approximately 10 strips) 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 cup ranch dressing 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons flour Parmesan cheese (optional) 2 tablespoons butter Cook your chicken thoroughly, and cut into bite sized pieces (or you can use precooked chicken if you wish). Cut up your bacon into smaller pieces and cook with the butter until crispy. Cook the noodles as instructed on the package. Add the chicken, flour, ranch, milk, and cheddar cheese to the pan with the bacon, and cook over medium-high heat until all ingredients are blended and the cheese has melted. Pour the sauce over the noodles and mix everything together. Serve topped with parmesan cheese if des...

These buffalo chicken tacos are extremely easy to make! Prep time is 10-15 minutes. You will need: 6 crunchy taco shells 12 ounces shredded chicken 1/4 cup hot sauce 1/4 cup ranch dressing (can use bleu cheese if desired) Shredded cheddar or other cheese of your choice Cole slaw (you can find this with the pre-packaged salad in your grocery store) Mix the chicken together with the hot sauce and ranch dressing in a small bowl. Arrange your taco shells on a baking sheet, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Fill the taco shells with shredded chicken, and top with cheddar cheese. The stand up taco shells will be much easier for this, because at least one of the regular taco shells will  fall over. However, if you have the regular taco shells, just be sure to stuff the cheese back in if they tip over. Bake the shells for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Add the cole slaw to the tacos, and enjoy! The cole slaw adds a nice crunch to the taco, and offsets the spiciness of...

This recipe was so easy. I am always looking for ways to use chicken breasts in recipes, and this was a great way to use some leftover hummus! You will need: 4 chicken breasts (frozen is fine) Approx. 4 tbsp hummus Paprika Lime or lemon juice Grated parmesan Parsley For this recipe, I used a spicy hummus. If you have a regular hummus on hand, try mixing in some cayenne pepper to taste. While it definitely had a kick, this recipe is not too  spicy, but it has a great flavor! To start, arrange the chicken breasts in a baking dish or pan. While I used a baking pan (as you will see in pictures), I recommend using a smaller dish, where the chicken pieces will be closer together. This is because the hummus may melt while in the oven, and a smaller dish will help prevent it from sliding off of the chicken. Cover your chicken breasts with the hummus. Be very careful not to dip the spoon used to press the hummus on the raw chicken back into the tub of hummus. If your spoon touches the raw c...

Tortillas were definitely off the table (literally and figuratively) when I decided to try a gluten free diet. Crunchy tacos seemed to be the only option, especially when my first and only attempt at soft tacos using corn tortillas was definitely not up to standard. When I made my most recent grocery list, I casually browsed for another substitute item, prepared to risk another "sort of palatable" dinner. I found tortillas made of brown rice, which had mostly positive reviews. The only negative feedback was that they, like many other gluten free tortilla options, tended to get "crispy" or crumbly if the temperature was too cool. My reasoning for purchasing them was that I could use the brown rice tortillas for quesadillas, since the tortillas could remain flat (and not folded, which poses a problem with crumbly tortillas) and , since quesadillas are cooked on the stove, who cares if the quesadilla is a little "crispy" ?! You can use whichever tortillas you...

These breakfast muffins are super simple to make, and they really have something for everyone! They are perfect for breakfast-lovers, and those who are eating a low carb or gluten free diet. You will need: 4 eggs 1/2-3/4 cup of shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar) 6 strips of bacon 6 sausage patties Dash of cayenne pepper (optional) I will admit, I used pre-cooked bacon and sausage for this recipe, but raw will work as well. Just be sure to check that everything is fully cooked before eating! This recipe makes approximately 6 muffins. I ended up with a little bit of egg mixture left over, so I added a seventh muffin to the tin.  To make, lightly spray your muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix your eggs and cheese together in a large bowl, along with the dash of pepper, or other seasonings as desired. Press the sausage patties into the bottom of each muffin tin, and wrap the bacon strip around the edges (it's okay if the bac...