Sugar free Hot Cocoa/Mocha

I just made the most delicious hot drink sure to satisfy any sweet tooth and it's sugar free + 0 calories. How can you argue. I don't have any photos but trust me its tasty

Recipe:

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (I used Ghirardelli)
1 tbsp sugar free sweetner (I used truvia)
1 pinch of salt

If making mocha then use brewed coffee. If making hot cocoa just use hot water

Mix dry ingredients together then add hot water or coffee and mix.

Enjoy! :)

Banana Oat Muffins

I didn't even realize I was baking. It dawned on me as I was spooning the batter into the muffin tins. I was like, O hey I guess I'm baking now. I wonder if I bake in my sleep. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this Banana Oat Muffin recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 cup Heavy Whipping cream 
• 1 cup pumpkin pure
• 2 smashed ripe bananas 
• 2 eggs
• 1 tblsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg 
• 1/4 tsp all spice
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 F. Prepare muffin tins by spraying with nonstick spray 

Mix oats with heavy cream and let soak about 1/2 hour 

Mix smashed bananas, pumpkin pure, eggs, sugar, and melted butter tell well combined 

Add in the Oat and cream and mix tell well combined

In a separate bowl mix together all the dry ingredients. 

Fold in dry ingredients into the wet tell just incorporated. Be careful to not over mix or you will have rubber muffins. 

Fill muffin tins to the top. 

Put in oven for 6 min. then turn down the heat to 375 F. 

Bake an additional 15 min. Muffins are done when they spring back from a gentle touch and a fork or toothpick come out clean. 

Let sit in pan for 5 min. then move to cooling rack

If you want to you can add a glaze to the top or just enjoy them as is. 

For the glaze I used this recipe. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vanilla-glaze/ 

Enjoy!

Sugar Crackle Peanut Butter Cookie

 

These cookies turned out beautifully with a pungent smell of peanut butter. The sugar coating on the outside gives a nice sweet crust while the inside is left nice and chewy. As an added plus they make your house smell like an amazing peanut butter fairytale. Enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter (cold and cut into cubes)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet mini chocolate chips
• Confectioners sugar (Powdered sugar)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mix butter and Peanut Butter tell smooth and fluffy. 

Add in sugar and brown sugar and mix well. Add the egg and mix until cloud like fluffy texture. 

In a separate bowl mix flour, baking powder, soda and salt together. 

Mix dry ingredients into wet. Once all ingredients are mixed fold in chocolate chips. 

Put in fridge and allow to cool for around 20 min. 

Once cooled form dough into ping pong size balls and roll in confectioners sugar. Place on pan with parchment paper. 

Bake for 10 min. or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 5 min. Then transfer to cooling rack and allow to cool. 

Enjoy your tasty sugar crackle peanut butter cookies! 

Banana Nutella Cookie Bars

I was going to make some Peanut butter and Jelly bars but then I realized that people really just love Nutella. So instead I opted to create my Banana Nutella Cookie Bars. They came out like a mix between a cookie and a sweet cracker with, of course, the Nutella and Banana goodness. Next time I think I will add more banana and maybe add a Peanut butter layer.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

 Crust 

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold butter (cut into small cubes)

1 egg 

Filling

1 13oz. Jar of Nutella 

6 Bananas 

1/2 cup sugar 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

Crumb Topping

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

2/3 cup old fashioned oats

6 Tbsp cold butter (cut into cubes)

Semi Sweet Mini Chocolate chips 

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°

2. Prepare a 13"-9' pan by coating in butter. Then put a small amount of flour in the pan and sift it around tell it covers the pans surface. Dump out excess flour and set pan aside. 

Crust

3. In a mixing bowl, whip the butter tell it becomes soft and fluffy. Then add in the sugar and mix well. Add in the egg and mix together. Then add in the flour and salt slowly as you mix. Keep mixing tell the dough begins to form. At this point I mixed the dough with my hands a bit. 

4. Transfer dough to prepared pan and press the dough into the bottom of the pan. You might be thinking at this point, "There is no way in hell that this dough is going to cover the whole bottom of the pan." It will I promise. Just keep pressing tell it's evenly spread along the bottom of the pan.

5. Put in oven and let bake for about 20 min. or until the crust just starts to turn a light brown. Remove and let cool on rack. 

6.Turn oven temp down to 325°

Crumb Topping

1. Mix all dry ingredients except the oats. Once mixed add in the oats and continue mixing.

2. Add cubes of butter and mix tell lose crumbs form. Set aside. 

Filling

1. Spread the whole jar of Nutella evenly along the crust that has been cooling. 

2. Peal and slice bananas and put into a mixing bowl. Slowly fold in sugar. If you mix to much the bananas will turn into more of a mush. I ended up not using the full 1/2 cup sugar but more like 1/3 of a cup. Fold in vanilla extract. 

3. Spread bananas over Nutella. 

4. Sprinkle crumb topping over the bananas evenly. It should cover the whole pan. Sprinkle on some semi sweet mini chocolate chips. 

5. Put in oven and bake 25-30min or until crumb top is brown. 

6. Let cool on wire rack for 30 min. Transfer to fridge and let cool another hour before cutting. 

7. Enjoy!

 

All that glitters is not gold

All that glitters is not gold. Damn, but gold does look pretty sexy. Fashion for the Gold lovers.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/110418732/brown-leather-bracelet-leather-and-gold?

http://www.etsy.com/listing/99413275/s-a-l-e-90s-gold-latex-mini-skirt-xss?

http://pinterest.com/pin/3940718394602972/

Cupcake time

Cupcakes are such a happy dessert. If you don't believe me try frowning with a cupcake in your hand.
Here is my tribute to the happy little cakes.

http://dashedandshattered.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=216#/d1ubhl8

http://admiralangela.deviantart.com/gallery/?offset=48#/d282vzs

http://www.bakersroyale.com/cupcakes/dark-chocolate-cupcakes-with-peanut-butter-mousse-frosting/

http://eggsonsunday.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/hello-cupcake/

http://www.recipegirl.com/2009/10/25/trick-or-eat-and-some-pumpkin-treats/

http://youlikemealready.tumblr.com/post/13297028752/ffoodd-mashimaro-amai-pumpkin-cupcake-via

http://twoboysandabeagle.blogspot.com/2010/04/birthday-cupcakes.html

http://ibakecupcakes-sarahlyn.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html

http://passthesushi.com/chocolate-mint-cupcakes/

Minimalist Fashion

I enjoy minimalism. It's clean precise and to the point. I have found that the majority of minimalist designs are full of gray tones, which can feel so dead. Minimalism doesn't have to be all gray though. It can be colorful and full of life. The main rules to follow is balance. Wear a bold pieces but insure that its the one bold piece to stand out on its own. No need to clutter it with a million other patterns and colors. Minimalism allows the eye to fully take in the color tones, shapes and textures without being over whelmed. It's beauty in the simplicity of lines and color.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/106090551/minimalist-long-gold-bars-earrings?ref=sr_gallery_44&ga_search_query=minimalist&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68694549/two-layers-long-blouse-in-white-ethnic?ref=usr_faveitems

Ann taylor

Ann Taylor

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/72640635/balancing-act-ring-modern-rough-cut?ref=sr_gallery_23&ga_search_query=modern&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=handmade

Minimalist fashion can vary so widely but to me it's one that fallows the lines and use of bold colors and structured shape. Its the use of positive and negative space.  It's simple clean and precise. Really a breath of fresh air. Just try not to get caught up in the gray hew trap and understand that Minimalism can be colorful.
Amanda Brooks says it well in her book I love your Style saying, "Minimalism is not about abandoning pattern or print...It's an indulgence in superbly executed cute, quiet plays of color and tones and clean strong shapes."(Brooks, 113)