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Showing posts from July, 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 l...

Sweet Potato Cheese Fries

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...

Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms

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...

Moussaka Casserole

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 Fruit Dip (Made with Greek Yogurt)

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

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 l...

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...

5 Ideas for a "Stay at Home" Date Night

Goodbye to 2020, and a cautious "hello" to 2021! If you're like me, you had a pretty uneventful New Year's Eve.  That's not to say that my NYE has been particularly  exciting every year until now, but the pandemic has certainly ensured that there is zero possibility of that changing for the foreseeable future. We settled in for a night of Schitt's Creek and oddly depressing NYE broadcasts, and yours truly is the only one who made it to midnight! With the monotony of stay-at-home life, I think it's important to try and plan different things to look forward to. Valentine's Day hasn't always been a "big deal" in our household, but what I've noticed over the years is that if you treat everything as "not a big deal", you start to look back and realize... you haven't made anything a "big deal" in a while. Paired with significant USPS delays, I'm planning for next months' activities now  so that our Valentine...