It's true. This is just ONE of the many plants that have died at my hands this year. I fail.
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Most amazing product I've bought in a while!
It's not often that I splurge on items for myself, especially tiny tubes that cost over $10, but I have heard some really great things about this product, so I thought, why not?
This little bottle cost a whopping $12.97, but in retrospect, it was fully worth every penny.
Now, I'm getting on in years and have started developing dark circles, bag-like sagginess and *gulp* wrinkles.
This little beaut completely handles my under-eye old-ladyness. Within one full day of this being on my face, my dark purple-blue circles were almost non-existent, the skin was tighter AND I didn't get any tiny wrinkles in my under-eye area throughout the day (as often I did with other concealers).
I will continue to purchase this until I get too wrinkly for it.
Now, I also purchased this item:
Now, I'm getting on in years and have started developing dark circles, bag-like sagginess and *gulp* wrinkles.
This little beaut completely handles my under-eye old-ladyness. Within one full day of this being on my face, my dark purple-blue circles were almost non-existent, the skin was tighter AND I didn't get any tiny wrinkles in my under-eye area throughout the day (as often I did with other concealers).
I will continue to purchase this until I get too wrinkly for it.
Now, I also purchased this item:
Jury is still out on this one. I have a particularly definite wrinkle in my forehead that has popped up over the last year or so and I put this serum on twice a day...wishfully hoping it does something. This tiny bottle also cost around $13, and it does help, it just doesn't seem to perform a miracle like the concealer.
Will I buy another bottle of it? Probably not, but the search continues. There's got to be something out there that reverses wrinkles or at least tightens the skin so that it appears that there are no wrinkles...wishful thinking?
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Best Cake I've ever made
I recently ate at a restaurant and fell in LOVE with one of their desserts. A Tennessee Whiskey Cake. It was a dense, moist cake topped with pralines, a butter whiskey caramel and ice cream. Best cake I've ever had.
Since I had that cake, I was wracking my brain trying to think of a copycat. I googled, but found nothing even close to what they serve.
I decided to just go with what I knew and while my cousin was visiting, we put together what I believe to be the best, moistest, dense, flavorful cake I've ever made.
First, pralines were made. My mother makes them best, so I had her whip them up. It's just pecans, sugar and a smidgen of liquid (we used water). Stir on medium heat until they smell like roasted nuts and are encased in a gooey syrup. Pour them out on wax paper to "dry" and crisp.
Now onto the cake. I took a basic chocolate cake recipe (one that I've known and used for years, but again, it is a meshed recipe that I've made up over the years) and completely flipped it on it's head. Here goes:
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup choco chips, or good chocolate
1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey
2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10 x 15 glass pan. In a small saucepan, melt 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup bourbon. Once melted, remove from heat.
In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Slowly drizzle in slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Mix for 1 minute on medium speed, until large bubbles form. Your batter will be runny, thick, and sticky.
Pout into buttered dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. The top of the cake will crack and will still slightly wiggle if shook. Take out and cool completely.
We threw together a caramel sauce to top the cake with (in addition to the pralines). Here's a basic bourbon or whiskey caramel sauce recipe:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey
Two saucepans
In the first saucepan, combine sugar and water. Stir with a wooden spoon (wooden spoons are the only spoon I can make proper caramel with) until clear liquid. Then let boil until golden amber in color.
In the second saucepan, while the sugar mixture is boiling, combine the whipping cream, butter, and salt. Just warm until butter has melted and the cream is steaming.
Once the sugar liquid is amber, remove from heat. SLOWLY (really, slowly), pour the cream mixture down the side of the sugar saucepan. It will bubble, toil, spittle, etc. Once it's all in there, stir with your wooden spoon again. Then add your 1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey (more if you want a really saucy sauce) and stir until combined.
Poor this golden deliciousness on your cake deliciousness and top with praline deliciousness.
Be ready to die from deliciousness.
Best. Cake. I've. Ever. Made.
Since I had that cake, I was wracking my brain trying to think of a copycat. I googled, but found nothing even close to what they serve.
I decided to just go with what I knew and while my cousin was visiting, we put together what I believe to be the best, moistest, dense, flavorful cake I've ever made.
First, pralines were made. My mother makes them best, so I had her whip them up. It's just pecans, sugar and a smidgen of liquid (we used water). Stir on medium heat until they smell like roasted nuts and are encased in a gooey syrup. Pour them out on wax paper to "dry" and crisp.
Now onto the cake. I took a basic chocolate cake recipe (one that I've known and used for years, but again, it is a meshed recipe that I've made up over the years) and completely flipped it on it's head. Here goes:
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup choco chips, or good chocolate
1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey
2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 10 x 15 glass pan. In a small saucepan, melt 1 cup butter, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup bourbon. Once melted, remove from heat.
In a stand mixer or large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk. Slowly drizzle in slightly cooled chocolate mixture. Mix for 1 minute on medium speed, until large bubbles form. Your batter will be runny, thick, and sticky.
Pout into buttered dish and bake for 25-30 minutes. The top of the cake will crack and will still slightly wiggle if shook. Take out and cool completely.
We threw together a caramel sauce to top the cake with (in addition to the pralines). Here's a basic bourbon or whiskey caramel sauce recipe:
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey
Two saucepans
In the first saucepan, combine sugar and water. Stir with a wooden spoon (wooden spoons are the only spoon I can make proper caramel with) until clear liquid. Then let boil until golden amber in color.
In the second saucepan, while the sugar mixture is boiling, combine the whipping cream, butter, and salt. Just warm until butter has melted and the cream is steaming.
Once the sugar liquid is amber, remove from heat. SLOWLY (really, slowly), pour the cream mixture down the side of the sugar saucepan. It will bubble, toil, spittle, etc. Once it's all in there, stir with your wooden spoon again. Then add your 1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey (more if you want a really saucy sauce) and stir until combined.
Poor this golden deliciousness on your cake deliciousness and top with praline deliciousness.
Be ready to die from deliciousness.
Best. Cake. I've. Ever. Made.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Through a foggy window
Cooking did not happen. Life happened.
It's like I'm looking through a foggy window and you know how sometimes there's a tiny little spot that seems clear enough for you to look through so you strain your eyes trying to see through that little spot then you realize you couldn't actually see through it to begin with?
That's what I'm constantly feeling like. I keep getting these little clean specks of window that I try to look through, and it turns out, it's just as foggy as the rest.
I'm trying. I try to rub the smudge away, look through it, pretend it's not there. It's there and I can't see through it. Other's can see through it, they've found perfectly clear panes and try to tell me what it looks like through it, but I can't get to that point of understanding.
The only feeling I can really convey is sadness. I'm sad all the time. Even when I have a moment of happiness, it's not real. It's just a burst of irrational emotion to counter the sadness I'm constantly fighting.
I'm at a crossroad in my life. I feel like if I don't choose the right path, I'm going to be stuck in a lifetime of sadness and foggy windows.
I want a clear window...or at least one with only a few smudges.
It's like I'm looking through a foggy window and you know how sometimes there's a tiny little spot that seems clear enough for you to look through so you strain your eyes trying to see through that little spot then you realize you couldn't actually see through it to begin with?
That's what I'm constantly feeling like. I keep getting these little clean specks of window that I try to look through, and it turns out, it's just as foggy as the rest.
I'm trying. I try to rub the smudge away, look through it, pretend it's not there. It's there and I can't see through it. Other's can see through it, they've found perfectly clear panes and try to tell me what it looks like through it, but I can't get to that point of understanding.
The only feeling I can really convey is sadness. I'm sad all the time. Even when I have a moment of happiness, it's not real. It's just a burst of irrational emotion to counter the sadness I'm constantly fighting.
I'm at a crossroad in my life. I feel like if I don't choose the right path, I'm going to be stuck in a lifetime of sadness and foggy windows.
I want a clear window...or at least one with only a few smudges.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
So that happened.
I know no one reads my blog, so I don't know why I apologize. I guess I'm apologizing to myself for not keeping up on something I told myself I'd do.
Anywho, I have disliked life lately and it's reflecting here, as well as in other places in my life. I'm trying. I'm really trying.
Oh, and I'm making my own version of veal scallopini for dinner tonight. I browsed recipes for a veal scallopini, and they all look exactly like veal piccata, which is NOT the same thing. So, I'm going to wing it and do what I want.
Anywho, I have disliked life lately and it's reflecting here, as well as in other places in my life. I'm trying. I'm really trying.
Oh, and I'm making my own version of veal scallopini for dinner tonight. I browsed recipes for a veal scallopini, and they all look exactly like veal piccata, which is NOT the same thing. So, I'm going to wing it and do what I want.
Friday, May 10, 2013
You know what makes people smile?
 |
| BLIMPS |
It was awesome.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Just some awesome music
I'm just going to list a bunch of artists that I happen to love. Really, really love.
Oh, they're in no particular order. But a * means that I would marry them.
Ke$ha *
Azealia Banks
Robbie Williams *
50 cent
Iggy Azalea
Imagine Dragons *
Ellie Goulding
Fever Ray
Lana Del Rey *
Paloma Faith *
The Script *
Florence + the Machine
Ginny Blackmore
David Guetta
Solo Justin Timberlake
I'm all over the place. I love music. These are just ones I really love off the top of my head. I'm sure I'm missing a few, and this list isn't exclusive.
L.O.V.E.
Oh, they're in no particular order. But a * means that I would marry them.
Ke$ha *
Azealia Banks
Robbie Williams *
50 cent
Iggy Azalea
Imagine Dragons *
Ellie Goulding
Fever Ray
Lana Del Rey *
Paloma Faith *
The Script *
Florence + the Machine
Ginny Blackmore
David Guetta
Solo Justin Timberlake
I'm all over the place. I love music. These are just ones I really love off the top of my head. I'm sure I'm missing a few, and this list isn't exclusive.
L.O.V.E.
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