DIY Halloween Chocolate Covered Pretzels

I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of Halloween treats.  You know, the kind with fake blood and fingers and spiders. I don't like blood or spiders or dismembered fingers anyway, so I certainly don't want to put fake ones near or into my mouth.  But treats that are orange and black?  I can handle that.

What you need to make your own chocolate covered pretzels:

pretzels

Wilton candy melts (I got mine at Michaels)

sprinkles

parchment paper

Place candy melts in bowls and follow the melting instructions on the back of the packages.  Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.  Use two forks to dip each pretzel into the melted chocolate, tapping the forks against the edge of the bowl to drip off excess chocolate.  Place pretzels on parchment paper and add sprinkles immediately.  To add stripes to your pretzels, fill a Ziploc bag with the melted candies, cut a tiny corner off of the bag, and add the stripes immediately after placing the dipped pretzel onto the parchment paper.  Once your baking sheet is full of finished pretzels, place in fridge to allow chocolate to harden all the way. 

P.S.  If you're like me and only eat pretzels with chocolate, try making these M&M Pretzel treats!

Map of Manhattan

. . . on a Kate Spade scarf.

Isn't it lovely?

Daily Skin Care Routine

Over the weekend I had several people comment on my face.  I think the word was "glowing" and they were convinced I was pregnant (I'm not).  I thought it was so funny because in the past month or so I've really noticed that I'm finally happy with my skin!  I'm not acne prone, but I had never liked my skin texture or the occasional red splotch I would get.  After getting questions about what I'm using on my face, I thought I'd share with you the daily skin care routine that I've found to be the best for my skin.

I use St. Ives Apricot Scrub every morning when I first get in the shower.

Every morning I cleanse my face with Origins A Perfect World cleanser.

I make sure to cleanse my face after I shampoo and condition my hair

to prevent hairline breakouts.  Also I leave my

cleanser on my face for 30-45 seconds.

After moisturizing I lightly brush on Mary Kay Mineral Powder. 

Then I use a little bit of Mary Kay Mineral Bronzing Powder in Sandstone.

Before bed I remove my makeup with these and cleanse my face 

with Aveeno Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser.

Even when I'm really tired I never let myself go to bed

without taking off all my makeup and washing my face.

Again, this is what I've found to be the best for my skin.  It takes a while of trying different products and routines to figure out what works best for you.  For other skin care products that I like and use, see this post.  Also check out Lindsay's blog!  She gives amazing skin care tips that I have found really helpful!

What is your daily skin care routine?

Favorite Pancakes

It may seem silly for me to post a recipe for pancakes, but I'm going to anyway.  When I was little the only pancakes I liked were Bisquick pancakes.  But then we moved to China and Bisquick was not exactly on the shelves of Chinese grocery stores.  So we went to making pancakes from scratch, just like we had to make flour tortillas and salsa and spaghetti sauce and everything else from scratch.  Now these are the only pancakes I will eat.  It's worth the little bit of extra effort for delicious pancakes!  Happy Monday!

Favorite Pancakes

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

optional:  blueberries, chocolate chips, or other add-ins

Beat egg; add remaining ingredients in order listed and whisk until smooth.  Grease heated griddle if necessary.  Pour batter onto hot griddle.  (If adding fruit or chocolate chips, sprinkle onto the batter before turning pancakes.) Turn pancakes when they are puffed and full of bubbles but before bubbles break.  Bake other side until golden brown. Makes ten 4-inch pancakes.  

source:  Betty Crocker's Cookbook

Guest Post: Quinoa with Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Leeks

Today I have Tamar from Random-osity posting for me!  Tamar's blog is full of gorgeous pictures that she takes, and she always has funny stories about something a kid from camp or from her class has said.  Tamar is sharing a delicious quinoa recipe today.  Be sure to stop by her blog and say hi!

Quinoa...kinwa...quinwa.  No matter how you say it, this ancient Aztec grain is all the rage.  I was super skeptical a few years ago, but right around that time I happened to go gluten-free and quinoa fit the GF bill.  At first I was just fixing plain quinoa here and there, and then I began to experiment and search for recipes on the interwebs. Essentially, quinoa can replace rice or couscous in pretty much every recipe, it takes on flavors, it can have a bite, it can be soft, it can be savory, it can be sweet.  Basically put, it's versatile and fun! 

So, when I saw a version of this recipe for Quinoa with Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Leeks on The Gluten-Free Goddess' website I knew I had to try it, with a few of my own tweaks for the types of flavors I liked.  It is a super recipe, and was super easy to assemble.  While I had the leeks, almonds, and brussel sprouts roasting in the oven I had the quinoa cooking away on the stove.

For the quinoa:

-- 1 cup quinoa

-- 2 cups water

-- salt, pepper, garlic powder, and dried herbs of your choice to flavor the water (it makes such a difference!)


Boil according to your package directions - don't over cook, you want a slight bite in the quinoa!

For the veggies:

- 1 leek, washed and sliced

- 1lb brussel sprouts, quarted

- 1/4 cup sliced almonds

- olive oil to coat

- salt, pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasonings to taste


Toss in a roasting pan and bake in a 450º oven until tender and beginning to caramelize.  It took mine about 30-40 minutes, but I like mine really caramelized and tender!

When veggies are finished, remove from the oven and let cool slightly.  Fluff quinoa with a fork and add to pan of quinoa.  And here's the special Tamar addition, drizzle maple syrup over the veggies and quinoa and then add salt and pepper to taste.  This can easily serve 4-6 people, depending on how much quinoa you like to eat!

This may be my new favorite fall quinoa recipe!  My recommendation for cooking with quinoa is to experiment and have fun, the possibilities are endless and nutritious!

On a Rainy Day

via

Is anyone else tired of the dreary, rainy weather?  Rain every once in a while is great, but since weather plays a significant role in determining both my motivation level and mood for any given day, I'd love some sunshine.  Rainy days call for little pick-me-ups.  Here are some of my favorite ways to brighten up a rainy day:

1. Do your nails

2. Put pretty flowers where you can see them

3. Go shoe shopping

4. Pick up some Starbucks

5. Wear rain boots and jump in puddles

6. Write a letter to a friend

7. Watch your favorite Friends episode

8. Bake cookies

9. Curl up on the couch with a good book

10. Make some soup for dinner

What do you like to do on a rainy day?

DIY Doily Crafts

I used to think doilies were so lame and old fashioned, but they're totally not!  There are so many creative uses for doilies, and I love how they look!  Since we've moved I haven't scouted out any thrift stores.  Today I'm planning on going to several, and doilies are definitely on my list.  I want to make that table runner! 

candle holder

table runner

notecard

mason jar luminary

cupcake wrappers

luminarias

pumpkin decorating

envelope

bowl