In Easter Recipes

Easter Treats!

I couldn't help but notice all of the cute Easter recipes on Pinterest lately! I am always skeptical of Pinterest cutesy stuff- but these two seemed easy enough, so I gave them a try this weekend. They both turned out great and were quick and inexpensive. 

He Has Risen Rolls

As Easter is quickly approaching, these yummy breakfast treats are a great way to reiterate the true meaning of the holiday one morning this week with your kids. All you need is one bag of large marshmallows, one package of crescent rolls, melted butter, and equal parts cinnamon/sugar. 


Make sure the melted butter has cooled and dunk it in! Then roll the marshmallow in the cinnamon sugar mixture. The marshmallow represents Jesus and the butter/cinnamon/sugar represent the oil and spices they prepared Jesus' body with after his death. 


Wrap the crescent rolls around the marshmallow completely. The crescent roll represents the cloth they wrapped Jesus in for burial. 


Place the rolls in the oven for 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes - the oven represents the tomb Jesus was placed in. Once they are finished baking, cut the roll open and you will see the marshmallow has completely disappeared - just as Jesus did after 3 days. 

The tomb is empty! He is risen. He is Risen Indeed. Matthew 28:1-8 


Make sure you seal the crescent roll all the way around or you'll have marshmallow fluff everywhere! I don't quite think exploding Jesus is the message you want to send!


I hope to make these with my sweet nieces this weekend! They are easy to make, give an opportunity for a Bible lesson and are legitimately really tasty!! 


Easter Rice Krispy Treats 

These yummy snacks are your average rice krispy treats, kicked up a notch with food coloring for the Easter season! All you need is a box of rice krispies (or "crispy rice" if you're cheap like me and get the store brand), one bag of large marshmallows, 1/2 stick of butter, and the basic food coloring pack. 


Divide your 1/2 stick of butter into thirds for each of the colors. Begin melting the butter and put in a third of your marshmallows. Add in a few drops of red food coloring to achieve the pastel pink. 


Stir in a third of your rice krispies and press into the bottom of your glass casserole dish. Make sure to spray with Pam beforehand! 


Continue these steps with each color - using a different pot for each color. To make the lime green I used mostly green with a few drops of yellow. 


Lastly, I did a purple layer made by mixing equal parts red and blue. I did not let the layers sit for long so they would mold together and not pull apart. 


Let the treats cool for awhile and they are ready to eat! I tried to measure out equal parts for each color, but with this kind of recipe you don't have to be perfect! 


Thankful for my sous chef / dish washer :) 


Currently, trying to pawn these off on co-workers so I can fit into my Easter dress.. 



xoxo, 



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In Menu Monday Money Saving Recipes Weekends

Weekend Review - Menu Monday

Friday afternoon I was so excited to come home and see that our new patio chair came in! Molly's boyfriend Charlie was hanging out with us for the weekend, so we spent the afternoon enjoying the new furniture and the HOT Los Angeles day. 


Friday night we attended the engagement party of my co-worker Tracey and her new fiance Andrew. The party was hosted by her Aunt Nancy in their gorgeous Beverly Hills home. We thoroughly enjoyed these yummy apps, wine, and celebrating the newly engaged couple! Excited to be helping Tracey plan the wedding of her dreams :) 

Like every other girl photo, we took at least five to get one we liked. I went to upload it and Google put them all together! How funny is this??  


Saturday we did a lot of couch sitting! These cute beagles hung out with me while I watched a ton of basketball. Saturday evening we went over to Culver City to have dinner with AJ's cousin, Stephanie, and check out her art. We purchased our first piece of original artwork form her! I'm thinking it will be added to the couch collage. 


Sunday morning I jumped back on the exercise wagon. Last year, I was working out 5 days a week at 5:00am and I just reached a point of exhaustion. With all the traveling we did during the holidays, I REALLY slacked off and quit working out completely. I have been feeling a little "soft" as I like to put it, so I started back running yesterday. (So sore today!) As I was walking back inside, the dew caught my eye - I thought it was a great for Palm Sunday!



We tried out Brentwood Presbyterian this week and really liked it! Neither one of us had ever been to a Presbyterian church before, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. It was a great mixture of the structure like Episcopal with some contemporary music thrown it. We will definitely be giving this one a second try! Sunday afternoon I did some Easter baking, which I will share with you tomorrow! Post Lemonade lunch selfie..


After dinner, Age did a little guitar playing for his favorite girls. I have not been as happy as I was in this moment in a really long time. The move to California has been rough, particularly on me. Things are getting easier, this place is growing on me, and I am incredibly blessed to have such a supportive husband making this journey worth the ride. 




Dinner Menu 3/30/15

Sunday: Fish Tacos
Any kind of tacos are quick and easy, but I love doing ours with fish to make them healthier. AJ made a quick spice rub and blackened the tilapia in the cast iron skillet. We paired the fish with sour cream, lettuce and his infamous mango salsa.



Monday: Black Bean Cakes
We always try to do a meatless Monday (or some day of the week) for cost and calorie savings. One of my favorites that we recycle pretty often, are black bean cakes. They are served best with a dollop of sour cream and mango salsa (leftover from last night - save and re-use for cost savings!)


AJ's Mango Salsa Recipe

1 mango diced
Juice of 3 limes
1/2 of red onion diced
1 tblsp of sugar
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro


Tuesday: Caprese Chicken
I have been reading up on growing basil in an effort to keep these plants alive! Apparently, I need to prune them often. So a recipe involving basil (AKA pesto, my FAVORITE!) had to be on the menu this week. We take boneless/skinless chicken breasts and sear them, then throw them in a casserole dish with cherry tomatoes, AJ's homemade pesto, Parmesan cheese and bake until the chicken is cooked through. 


Wednesday: Nut Crusted Cod and Asparagus
I usually plan the menu with recycled recipes and Pryor staples, but leave a day or two for AJ to try something new. He has been wanting to try his hand at nut crusted fish for quite awhile, so I grabbed some cod fillets that were on sale and we plan to pair them with asparagus.


Thursday: Skinny Sour Cream Enchiladas
When we have tacos on the menu, I always find an additional recipe that uses tortillas to not let the leftovers go to waste. This is one of my favorite Pinterest recipes I have found - how they are skinny is beyond me! You can find the recipe HERE. It makes a ton, so I put this on Thursday so AJ can have quick leftovers when I go to Georgia this weekend!



Our groceries for the week are usually around $70.. this includes breakfast and lunch for the week for AJ, dinner for the both of us for five nights, and any household items we are running low on. As you can see, a little meal planning, and thinking ahead can save money and not let food go to waste! I am planning another post to dive deeper on money saving tips we use to be able to afford the crazy cost of living in Los Angeles. 


xoxo, 




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In Friday Favorites Hair Product OOTD

Friday Favorites




1. Funny T-Shirts

I saw this shirt on Facebook this week - LOVE it! Someone tell me where I can buy it!


Which led me to looking at more funny t-shirts that seriously need to be in my closet. How perfect would this be for Saturday morning running errands? 


AJ is always making fun of me and how I constantly am running out the door. I am hardly ever late to an actual event or work, but boy do I push it. No matter if I have 30 minutes or 2 hours to get ready, I will use every single bit of that time. (And usually end up doing my make up in the car.)



2. THIS Hair Product 

My sweet sister in law, Alix, gave me a Birchbox subscription for Christmas and it is seriously one of the best gifts I have ever received. I LOVE getting mail, and who doesn't want a personalized box of goodies each month?? My very first box had this amazing leave in conditioner/detangler in it, and I was instantly hooked. I immediately had to go order the large bottle. It leaves my hair feeling SO smooth and smelling SO good.



2. Southern California Sunsets


I took this one Tuesday night while we were having dinner on the balcony. LOVE that this is our backyard. We might move to the burbs one day, but I sure do love city living and watching the sunset over the West LA skyline.



The next two are from the beach in Santa Monica back in December. #nofilter 


"You own the skies, and still you want my heart."



4. Army Jackets!! 

I'm currently obsessed with army jackets. AJ got me one off my Pinterest Christmas Wish List and I wear it at least once a week. I love how versatile it is and the light weight material. And well.. apparently so does every one else.. 

Nick Hilton, Ali Larter, and Rachel Bilson rocking it.

My favorite way to style mine is with a stripe shirt. Actually I love styling anything with a stripe shirt, it's an out of control obsession. I wore mine today with my FAVORITE Seven Jeans and wedges. 


You can get mine HERE 
Another affordable one HERE from Forever 21
Splurge on one HERE at Express


5. No More Cords!!

It only took 4 different orders from Amazon and 3 months, but our cords are finally hidden! My sweet husband is checking every project off on his list! 



First week of blogging in the books! I hope y'all have a great weekend!! 


xoxo, 



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In OOTD

I'm A Hot Mess!

I am SO busy today, running around trying to get a million things done. Somehow I turned off my alarm last night? Thankfully I have a 17 pound fur ball that loves to kick me in the back every morning, so I was only 30 minutes late. I didn't have a blog planned for today (something that I have been fretting over for the past 12 hours), so this is just going to be a hodge podge. To ensure this doesn't happen again, I planned out every topic until June! I have some good stuff planned! 

THANK THE LORD tomorrow is Friday! 



This sweet family is taking their baby boy home today!! So so happy for them!! So ready to get my hands on that bundle of joy! 
This is what I'm wearing today.. Ready for jeans Friday tomorrow! 
Shirt was a gift and skirt is from Target. Clearly I have a Target shopping problem.. 




Speaking of Target.. The Lilly Pulitzer for Target look book came out today!! Some people had such an issue with Lilly doing a line for Target, but I think it's awesome! Not everyone can afford $400 summer dresses, and I think it's great the Average Joe  Jill can now have some Lilly in their closet! Look at this cute stuff!! All in the $30 range!




And speaking of affordable.. Ann Taylor Loft is having a 40% off sale!! I went there last night in the continuous hunt for my Easter dress. I was torn between two dresses, so I just left to consult my friends' opinions. I finally decided between the two this morning, logged on to order it, and found out everything was now on sale!! I would have been so ill if I had purchased it last night! I was torn between these two:




I found this selfie and note on my cell today. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my nieces. I am so incredibly blessed that my brother and sister have not given me just one niece to love, but three!! Can't wait for my breakfast date with this diva next Friday!  




Yesterday, I got over 500 views!! Thank you to whoever you are!! Please keep coming back and sharing it with others. I hope to provide not only funny e-cards and ramblings of my life, but truly some good advice/recipes/design ideas you can use too! 



xoxo, 


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In Books Decorating OOTD What's Up Wednesday

What's Up Wednesday

Grabbed this idea from Mel @ The Larson Lingo



What I'm reading
I have been on a Liane Moriarty kick lately. Her most popular book is What Alice Forgot which I loved, loved, loved - great, easy, fast read. So I continued to read, Big Little LiesThe Husband's Secret, and Three Wishes. Now I'm on to The Hypnotist's Love Story - I'm just a few chapters in, but it seems to be like her others. Written very well, witty, easy read, but thought provoking. I would absolutely recommend checking Liane Moriarty out! 

What I'm reminiscing about
Timehop often forces me to reminisce... especially about Athens! Missing these girls, impromptu visits, Brumby Hall, and the care free life of being 19 in the best college town in the world. (Not to mention it makes me feel SO OLD that this was 6 years ago..)





What I'm looking forward to
Meeting this bundle of joy!!! One of my best friends in the whole world (seen above, ha) Katie Daniels, gave birth to this handsome man. Kate was told she might not be able to have kids, and she brought this sweet blessing to full term. Cannot wait to see this little guy and his Mama next Friday! 



Michael Thomas Daniels
March 23. 2015
7.9 lbs, 21" long



What I'm working on
Getting this blog up and running! Excited for my friends and family to be able to see what's going on out on the left coast. I'm researching more ideas and topics to keep you guys interested. Always open for suggestions :) 




What we've been up to 
Creating an oasis out of our balcony! We spend SO much time out there. Either eating dinner, having an afternoon beer, or reading... it's just so nice to be able to enjoy Southern California weather. After going to FOUR stores looking for potting soil, I ended up just ordering some from Amazon. It arrived yesterday, and we got these flowers and herbs planted.



We also have this amazing chair/table set from Crate & Barrel, retailing close to $1000!! I would NEVER pay that much for outside furniture, but I definitely don't mind getting them for a fifth of the price off Craigslist. Just because something is inexpensive, doesn't mean it's cheap :) The bistro lights add such an amazing ambiance - you can get them here. We have also ordered a lounge chair to put at the other end of the balcony. Perhaps we need a small table to go by that? Maybe an outdoor rug? I will show you guys when it's complete! 




What I'm dreading

That it's only Wednesday!! This girl LIVES for the weekends. I just wanna be lazy and wear my Lululemons and do absolutely nothing. Bla. Who came up with the week having 5 days, and the weekend only having 2? We need some balance around here! 




What I'm watching
The season premier of Teen Mom OG was Monday night! This TV show has been my guilty pleasure since its inception in 2009. Love love love that I get to watch Maci and cutie patootie Benny again! The first episode didn't have nasty Farrah on it and I wish they would keep it that way. And OMG Catelynn and Tyler.. true love right there. 



What I'm listing to
Girl in a Country Song - Maddie & Tae.. I'm not one to listen to much country, but BritJ introduced me to this song months ago and if I'm ever in a stink mood, this will ALWAYS turn it around. Something about their twangy voices and the oh so relate-able lyrics for any small town love life. 



Currently trying to convince my smokin-hot-mom of a sister in law that she needs to sing this for me. 




What I'm annoyed by
This super cute dog will not stop peeing on the bathroom rug. She won't have an "accident" anywhere else in the house, except the rug specifically in AJ's bathroom. I suppose I am thankful that it's on something I can throw in the wash, but so annoyed that I am constantly having to do so. 




What we're eating
As you'll recall from my first post, last night was steak night! AJ tried out a new cooking method where you quick sear the steak, then cut and bake to finish it through. It was super yummy.. but what isn't yummy drenched in garlic butter and served with red wine?? 





What I'm wearing
Yesterday's Outfit
Checkered Shirt - I stole from AJ's closet
Grey Sweater - JCrew factory store ~4 years ago
Cropped Dress Pants - Vince Camuto from Marshall's (Only $15!! My absolute favorite!)
Shoes - BCBG from DSW


Today's Outfit
Dress: Target, obsessed with this dress, SO comfy! I have it in three colors.
Booties: Target - I wear them all.the.time. Unfortunately they have been discontinued.
Necklaces: From my awesome mom in law - no telling where she found them! 





xoxo,

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