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Showing posts from September, 2017

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...

Ricotta Mac and Cheese

Do you ever find a great recipe, and then realize you don't actually have all of the ingredients? That's how this spinach and mushroom pasta bake came to be-- I started with this mushroom and spinach lasagna recipe , and while I knew that I didn't have gluten free lasagna noodles, I ended up adding a few things here, not having enough parmesan there, and well.... I ended up with this entirely different meaty and cheesy concoction that is heavy on the ricotta. I'm not sure if it's technically classic mac and cheese, but it's definitely comfort food at it's finest. Ricotta Mac and Cheese with Seasoned Beef and Veggies   Ingredients: one box of gluten free (or not) noodles 1 lb ground beef 1 tbsp olive oil salt and pepper 1/2 cup of milk 1 cup broth (any will do, I used chicken) 1 tsp oregano 8 oz sliced mushrooms 8 oz spinach 1 cup parmesan + some for sprinkling on top 1 and a half to 2 cups ricotta 1 cup mozzarella 4 oz cream ch...

Sriracha Nugget Noodle Bowl

Do you like Sriracha? Do you like ramen? Sure, you can add hot sauce directly to your broth, but then the soup can be a little like drinking hot sauce if you're not careful... without any relief between bites. If you want to separate the flavors a bit-- or maybe you have a picky eater that can't handle the heat-- then this Sriracha nugget noodle bowl is for you! As a bonus, it's GREAT for clearing things up if you're a little stuffy, without being too overwhelming. Definitely save this one for cold and flu season! All quantities can be adjusted for your needs and preferences. Sriracha Nugget Noodle Bowl Ingredients:  For the chicken nuggets: 2-3 chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces 1 egg splash of milk flour for coating 1/4-1/2 cup Sriracha 2 TBSP butter For the ramen: 8 oz pad thai noodles 6 cups chicken broth (you can also use water and boullion) 2-3 TBSP soy sauce vegetables (your choice, I used a frozen s...

Cooking With Toddlers

I regularly post food pictures on instagram , and figured that I may as well try blogging a little bit, too. I'll probably style this a little better in the future, but right now that sounds like work, and I'm doing this for fun, so... we'll see. So, let's start out with a little bit about what food means to me. Food is something that brings people together. It's a solid way to reconnect with and share your culture-- my knowledge of the Polish language is limited, but let me fry some peirogi or cook some golabki! It's the standout detail of almost any event, and cooking a meal at the end of the day makes me feel like I'm finally "home" after a long day at work. That doesn't mean that I have not come home dreading the thought of cooking a somewhat elaborate recipe. Being a working parent means several things when it comes to dinnertime: You're tired, because work, and your other job is just starting once you return home, Your kids ...

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...

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 ...