Friday Favorites - Halloween Edition 10/30/2015

This week's Friday Favorites include my favorite DIY Halloween costume, a fun and festive treat, and a punny Halloween graphic. 

Although Halloween isn't my favorite holiday, I love seeing all the different costumes that people come up with, especially the at-home DIY costumes! These were some of my personal favorites this year. 

If you and your girls plan on dressing up together, why not go as Taylor Swift and her "Bad Blood" crew? Taylor Swift happens to be in concert tomorrow in Tampa, so I'm sure tons of screaming fans will be dressed up just like this too. 

And of course, I had to include a fun and simple costume for your furry friend. This year my pups are being a "rufferee" and skeleton. Is it bad that I have costumes for them, but not for myself?

Need to make a spooky treat for a Halloween party? Make your own Dracula's Dentures by using chocolate chip cookies, mini marshmallows, red vanilla frosting and almond slivers. Click here to see the full recipe. 

Simple, yet punny :)

And not Halloween related, but it's quickly become my favorite new song...Ariana Grande released her brand new single, "Focus," last night.

Are you dressing up for Halloween tomorrow? What are your favorite DIY costumes from this year?What do you think of Ariana Grande's new single?

Friday Favorites - Thanksgiving Edition 11/21/2014

Friday Favorites this week include a trick to keep you from crying for Thanksgiving prep, my favorite Thanksgiving dish with a recipe, and perfect drink pairings for each Thanksgiving dish.

Thanksgiving Prep Tip: Use Olive Oil to Keep from Crying
This tip is good for any day, not just Thanksgiving. If you're like me, I have the role in the family on Thanksgiving day of helping with a lot of the food prep as opposed to the actual cooking. I'm looking forward to trying this new trick to see if it keeps my eyes from watering while I'm slicing the onions. I've also heard that chewing gum while cutting helps as well, which seems to be somewhat true from my experience.

Favorite Thanksgiving Dish: Green Bean Casserole 
I love almost all Thanksgiving sides and dishes, but my favorite definitely has to be the green bean casserole. My mom makes it every year, and it gets devoured by all of our family (and I'll admit that I'm the main culprit). I love green beans to begin with, but green bean casserole is on another level. And it's pretty easy to make too. Here's a recipe for the amazing dish.

Wine, Beer & Booze Pairing for Thanksgiving Dishes

Loving this infographic for the perfect drinks to go with all the goods on Thanksgiving. Even though I'll probably be sticking with my Chardonnay all evening, it's still interesting to see the different options. If you plan on making that yummy green bean casserole above, try pairing it with Viognier.

"All About That Baste" Thanksgiving Parody
 I'm loving this funny parody spin on Meghan Trainor's overplayed, yet highly likable song, "All About That Bass."

Triple Pocket Napkin Fold
I'll be trying out this unique, yet easy fold for the Thanksgiving table setting this year. It's amazing how much a simple napkin fold can add to the sophistication of the table - the small details do count! Click here for the full tutorial. 

Are you celebrating a big Thanksgiving this year? What's your favorite dish on Thanksgiving?

Friday Favorites - Halloween Edition 10/31/2014

Happy Halloween! Even though I won't be doing anything exciting this year for the holiday, I figured I'd share some of my spooky, or not so spooky, favorites, including my favorite Halloween candy, a hilarious video of a mutant, giant spider....dog, a DIY mermaid costume and more.

Favorite Halloween Video - Mutant Giant Spider Dog

I just can't help but laugh every time I watch this video. I do have to say that my reaction would be the same as the poor running and screaming people that were traumatized in the making of this video though.

Favorite Graphic - Most Googled Halloween Costumes for Each State

I thought this was pretty cool, especially since I don't know what half of the costumes are. Note the spider dog costume search in Washington.

Favorite DIY Costume - Lauren Conrad as a Mermaid

Not that I could ever accomplish this perfect of a DIY project, but I love the all the shells and sequins. It's girly and fun, yet still cute and body con. Not to mention, you won't have anyone asking what you're dressed up as. 

Favorite Halloween Candy: Reese's

This is a tough one. I basically like any sweets, but there's something about Reese's on Halloween that you just can't beat. Chocolate & peanut butter, what's better than that?

Favorite Halloween Recipe - Mummy Dogs

These are so effortless, enjoyable and festive, it's a no-brainer if you're having a Halloween get together. Great for kids or adults.

Ingredients:

- Hot dogs/Turkey dogs

- Crescent rolls

- Yellow Mustard

Directions:

- Unroll crescent rolls and cut each perforated piece in half

- Wrap crescent roll around hot dog or turkey dog

- Bake in 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes

- Add two dots of mustard for the eyes!

What's your favorite Halloween candy? Are you dressing up this year? What's your favorite Halloween costume of all time?

Oven Baked Chicken & Veggies

This is one of my favorite dishes to prepare at night and store to bring to lunch at work. It's a simple dish with chicken, peppers and onions and only takes about 30 minutes total time to prep and cook, plus, it's a clean meal with no additives or extra ingredients you can't name. 

The directions below serve three packed lunches for me, but double or triple the ingredients for a larger family or to prep additional meals.

Ingredients 

1 lb boneless chicken strips
3 bell peppers - I chose 2 green and 1 red
1 medium sized onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano

Directions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Lightly coat a 13x9 clear baking dish with cooking spray
- Lay chicken in dish and drizzle with olive oil
- Sprinkle spices on top of chicken and toss around with hands to work into chicken
- Slice peppers and onions and add to dish with chicken
- Bake in oven uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked throughout and veggies are tender

I put my chicken and veggies over a bit of brown rice, but you can make them for dinner and wrap them in tortillas like fajitas or just eat the chicken and veggies by themselves. 

What's your favorite dish to bring to lunch?

Spiralizing Veggies - Zoodles!

I recently bought my own sprializer. Spiralizers are used to cut fruits and vegetables in a thin, spiral-like shape - almost like spaghetti. I had seen a lot of recipes on Pinterest and heard from friends that it was a great substitute for pasta, so I figured I'd give it a try, and boy was I happy.

I'm a carb lover, so pasta is one of my favorites, but this zucchini noodle - or zoodle - substitute was just as great. First of all, I love the fun shape and never ending spirals that I can create. Second, it's super easy and takes just a few minutes to cook! And third, it's calorie count is extremely low, so I don't feel guilty about eating a full plate of "zoodles." Keep reading to see my recipe.

Since I was just making dinner for myself, I used one medium-large sized zucchini, but you can adjust the recipe to reflect however many people you are cooking for.

Ingredients

1-2 medium zucchinis
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Cut the ends off of the zucchini and place into spiralizer.
Use the spiralizer until all zucchini has been put through.
In a medium saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add zoodles to pan and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Plate and add your favorite toppings!

I topped my zoodles dish with organic vodka sauce and grilled chicken, but I'm looking forward to trying different toppings and combinations. This is a great dish for those who are eating clean too! If you're interested in what eating clean means, check out my last post or click here. 

Do you have a spiralizer? Have you ever made zoodles before? What are your favorite spiralizer recipes?

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cups

Valentine's Day is known for it's sugary reputation, so I couldn't help but make these light yet delicious dark chocolate strawberry cups suggested on the Tone It Up website. I recently posted my version of their protein pancakes a few weeks ago. Check it out here. 

These desserts are perfect for a party or just a dinner for two, like I did for my boyfriend and I for a Valentine's Day treat last week. They're low maintenance and not to heavy after dinner. 

Ingredients

2 cups dark chocolate chips
6-10 cupcake liners
1-2 cups fresh strawberries
Non-stick cooking spray

Directions

- Place chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 1 minute until melted

- Put cupcake liners in cupcake tin and spray the liners with non-stick cooking spray

- Spoon melted chocolate into liners and be sure to coat the full cup, including sides

- Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes

- Check to make sure that the entire liner is coated in chocolate; touch-up missed spots and refrigerate again if necessary

- When ready to serve, take cups out of refrigerators and remove liners

- Slice fresh strawberries and place inside of chocolate cups

- Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or crushed nuts as an extra garnish!

3 Ingredient Maple Salmon

I grew up in Clearwater, FL surrounded by the ocean and I've always loved seafood. One of my favorite types of fish is salmon. Not only is it delicious, but also really healthy for you! It contains omega-3 fatty acids which are great for your heart and your brain by lowering your cholesterol and improving memory, among tons of other benefits.

The great thing about this maple salmon recipe is that it's super easy and great for beginner cooks - it's very low maintenance and only has three ingredients! It's also a meal that can be cooked for one person or a whole family. The ingredients below reflect a single serving size, but just multiply the ingredients to reflect how many people you'll be cooking for.

This meal is also clean, which means that I used all fresh and natural ingredients - no preservatives or additives - so you can eat well and still enjoy your meal!

I had my salmon over a bed of brown rice and quinoa with a side of asparagus and avocado. I would love to hear your experience if you decide to try this maple salmon. Also let me know if you try adding anything else into the ingredients. Have fun and enjoy!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon soy sauce

5 - 7 ounces of salmon

Directions

 - Put salmon in a bowl or dish and pour the maple syrup and soy sauce over top the piece of salmon.

 - Work salmon into marinade and place covered in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.

 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

 - Place salmon into a baking dish (I like to put aluminum foil on the bottom to avoid a mess), and pour the remaining marinade over top of the fish.

 - Bake uncovered in oven for about 20 minutes or until the fish is flaky. 

Friday Favorites: 02/22/13

Selena Gomez has really been killing it at her red carpet events for the upcoming movie Spring Breakers. She looked like perfection in a detailed gold and black Dolce & Gabbana dress at the premiere in Venice, and also looked great in London in a jewel tone, blue embellished Gucci mini. The detailing at the top of the dress made it a little risky, but I think she pulls it off. Taylor Swift (middle) also took a risk for once when she wore a black Elie Saab gown with sheer panels towards the bottom. I'm in love with this dress (and of course it's an Elie Saab, so how could I not), and I think she looks great and exudes confidence. 

Mirror nails! I recently saw this trend on Pinterest and found out that Essie has a nail polish that can make your nails look like mirrors! I haven't tried the polish out for myself yet, but it's definitely something a little different that would make your nails stand out.

I actually got this quote from a fortune cookie that I had last week, but I'm in love with it's meaning. I think sometimes we get down on ourselves when we fail, but we have to remember that if we keep on going, in the long run, it will only benefit us. 

Last, I wanted to show you all my festive Valentine's Day gifts, treats, and nails. I love baking for my boyfriend because I know that they won't be sitting around my apartment for me to eat a whole batch of brownies, so for Valentine's Day, I made him heart-shaped rice crispie treats and red velvet brownies. Then I made him bacon roses (what guy doesn't love bacon!). And finally, I showed my Valentine's Day spirit by painting my nails red and having a contrasting nail with sparkly gold and a red heart. See all of my pictures on my instagram by clicking here!

What were your favorites from this week? Have you tried mirror nails before?

And...

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