sunshine smoothie

over the weekend i found a leftover banana that was getting pretty ripe on the counter and a cara cara orange that had been sitting in the fridge for a few days.  in an effort to use them up, i decided to make a smoothie.

i juiced the orange and put the juice in a blender with the ripe banana.  i added some frozen strawberries and some almond milk.  the result was a delicious and refreshing smoothie.

it was so dreary outside (i am sick of winter!!!) and this smoothie was so tropical and cheery . . . so i decided to call it a sunshine smoothie.  the weather may have been gross outside, but this smoothie sure brightened up my day!

sunshine smoothie
total time: 5 minutes
yields: 1 large serving

ingredients:
1 cup frozen whole strawberries
1 ripe banana
1 medium orange, juiced
3/4 cup almond milk

directions:
blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.

enjoy!

love, laurie

white chocolate caramel popcorn

there is a crazy market for specialty popcorn.  it's amazing how expensive it is!  i have to admit that in the past i was never a huge fan of flavored popcorn, especially caramel corn.  i remember it being so popular when i was younger.  everyone would always give it as gifts around the holidays in large tin cans.  (it always was sickeningly sweet and just on the verge of being stale.)

since the homemade version of just about anything is better than the store-bought version (in my opinion), i decided to give caramel corn another try.  so, instead of making a huge dessert for the super bowl this weekend, we decided to make caramel corn.

both ryan and i were pleasantly surprised by the outcome!  it was really good!  i'm warning you, it is completely addicting.  it's dangerous, especially considering how easy it is to make.

we decided to drizzle some melted white chocolate over the top of the caramel corn for some extra pizzazz.

if you don't eat all of it by yourself, this would make a great gift for someone!  put it in an airtight container with a ribbon and a label, and it would be so cute.  you can store it for up to one week.

white chocolate caramel popcorn
prep time: 5 minutes
cooking time: 5-10 minutes
baking time: 1 hour
yields: 10-12 cups

ingredients:
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

directions:
preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.  using an air popper, pop the popcorn into a very large bowl.  be sure to remove any unpopped kernels from the bowl.

in a medium-size sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat.  stir in the brown sugar and the corn syrup.  bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to boil for 4-5 minutes without stirring.  remove the mixture from the head and add the baking soda and vanilla.  stir until the mixture is thick and glossy.  pour a third of the caramel sauce over the popcorn and toss the popcorn.  gradually add the remaining caramel sauce and toss to evenly coat the popcorn.  line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and butter the foil.  evenly spread out the popcorn on the baking sheet.  bake for 1 hour, stirring the popcorn after evey 15 minutes.  once baked, allow the popcorn to cool completely.

melt the white chocolate in a double boiler.  once melted, drizzle the white chocolate over the popcorn.  allow the white chocolate to dry and to set up.  store the popcorn in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week.

enjoy!

love, laurie

super bowl sunday

i've mentioned before that we are really not into sports.  however, we do like to watch the super bowl each year (mainly for the half-time show and the commercials).

we have gone to super bowl parties at friends' houses in the past, but we much prefer staying home and cuddling up on our own couch.  so, we had a little super bowl party last night just for the three of us.

before the super bowl started, we watched the kitten bowl with leko.  it was so cute!  leko stayed on the couch to to watch the super bowl with us too.  he loved it.

arguably one of the best things about the super bowl is the food.  we made garlic boneless wings for dinner.  they were the best boneless wings we have ever made.  the garlic gave them such a great flavor and they were just the right amount of spicy.

of course we made some guacamole and salsa too.  for dessert we made white chocolate caramel popcorn.  (i'll share the recipe soon!)

overall, i thought that the commercials were somewhat lame this year.  my two favorite commercials were budweiser's "puppy love" commercial and dannon oikos greek yogurt's "the spill" commercial.  the animal commercials get me every time, and you just can't help but love those guys from full house!

love, laurie

product review: cardstore.com

it's always so nice to send greeting cards for different occasions, but let's get real . . . it can be such a hassle.  you have to go to the store, pick out a card, fill it out, address it, stamp it, and mail it.  well, sending greeting cards just got a whole lot easier thanks to cardstore.com.

cardstore.com lets you choose and personalize greeting cards, then they address and stamp the cards, and mail them out for you!  talk about simple.  you can do it all right from your computer, without ever having to leave the house.  you don't even have to get out of your pajamas!

recently, i was contacted by the team at cardstore.com to see if i was interested in doing a product review of their cards.  i was excited to see what they had to offer, so i jumped at the chance.  since valentine's day is right around the corner, i decided to make a valentine's day card for ryan.

there were over 500 options of valentine's day cards to choose from!

after looking through all of them, i decided to pick this cute card with a tandem bike on the front.  it was the perfect card since ryan and i just bought a tandem bike last summer and we absolutely love riding it together.

it was so easy to customize the card that i made for ryan.  i was able to choose how i wanted the layout of the inside of the card and the back of the card to look.  i also uploaded pictures to include in the card too.  it only took me a few minutes from start to finish.

after i customized my card, i got to see how it looked in the preview mode before i approved it.  i placed my order, and it was easy as could be!

i was surprised how fast ryan received my card.  he got it in the mail just a few days after i ordered it.  the card turned out really great, and ryan really loved it!  

i would definitely recommend cardstore.com to anyone.  it is super easy to use.  cardstore.com even has a free mobile app too, so you can upload pictures from your phone, and then create and mail cards while you're on the go!

right now, cardstore.com is offering valentine's day cards for $2.49 with the code CCA4312 through 2/7/14 which is perfect since valentine's day is right around the corner!

love, laurie

. . . 

*please note: cardstore.com sent me a free greeting card in exchange for a product review post.  however, the content of this post is based solely on my own personal opinion and experience.

kitten love.

leko is such a little love bug.  he always loves to be exactly where we are, and he loves sitting on our laps.  since it has been extra cold outside, he has been cuddling extra close lately.  on sunday, i was sitting at the dining room table and leko jumped up on my lap.  he must have been cold and tired, because he curled up into a tiny little ball and stayed there for almost an hour!  what a cutie!

love, laurie

kitchen basics: cutting a recipe in half

i share a lot of recipes here on the blog, and i thought it might be helpful to also share a few tips/tricks in the kitchen.  so, i decided to start a new series called kitchen basics.  to kick things off, let's take a look at cutting a recipe in half . . .

sometimes a recipe yields entirely too much.  i often find myself cutting recipes in half so that i don't have so many leftovers.  sure, it's easy to cut a recipe in half when there are measurements like 1 cup or 1/2 teaspoon, but it's a bit more confusing when there are measurements like 1/3 cup.  if you're cutting a recipe in half, how do you measure 1/6 of a cup?  well, i came up with this little chart that breaks it down for you.  hope you find it helpful!

are there any kitchen tips/tricks that you would like to learn?  leave a comment or send me an email to let me know what you would like to see next in the kitchen basics series.

happy cooking!
love, laurie

brown sugar bacon waffles

you could say we are slightly addicted to waffles and pancakes on the weekends.  we are so well behaved during the week with our cereal for breakfast, so it's nice to have some fun on saturdays and sundays.

over the weekend we made waffles for breakfast with brown sugar bacon in them.  this wasn't our first rodeo with brown sugar bacon, but it was the first time we ever put it inside waffle batter.

if you are a fan of bacon, you absolutely need to try brown sugar bacon.  it is the easiest thing in the world to make and it is so incredibly good.  all you do is arrange uncooked bacon on a baking sheet and sprinkle brown sugar over the top of it.  the bacon gets really crispy in the oven and the brown sugar caramelizes on top of it.  oh my goodness!

as if brown sugar bacon wasn't good enough by itself, it is even better inside waffles . . . with maple syrup.  yum!

this recipe made plenty of waffles, so we had leftovers.  store your leftover waffles in the refrigerator in ziploc bags and then reheat them in the toaster.  (of course you could freeze them too.)

now, if you are a fan of chicken and waffles, might i suggest trying these waffles with some poultry.  we didn't have chicken prepared, but we did have turkey.  (i roasted a 13 pound turkey over the weekend.)  so, on sunday night, ryan warmed up one of the leftover waffles and covered it with some turkey and gravy.  oh my goodness, it was so good.

last week we ate a ton of vegan and vegetarian recipes . . . this week, not so much.  you know, balance :-)

brown sugar bacon waffles
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 15-20 minutes
cooking time: 4-5 minutes per waffle (depending on your waffle iron
yields: about 5 servings
adapted from joy the baker

ingredients:
uncooked low-sodium bacon
dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and preheat your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.

to make the bacon: cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  arrange the bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer.  generously sprinkle the brown sugar over the bacon.  bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and the sugar has caramelized.  remove from the oven.  place the bacon on a cutting board (not a paper towel, they will stick) and allow the bacon to cool.  once cooled, chop the bacon into small pieces.

to make the waffles:  in a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until incorporated.  fold in the chopped brown sugar bacon.  pour enough batter into the waffle iron to just barely cover the waffle grid (usually about 1/2 cup of batter per waffle).  cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the waffles are golden brown.  once cooked, transfer the waffles to a baking sheet and keep them in a warm oven while you prepare the remaining waffles.  serve hot with maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie

a few snapshots from the weekend . . .

^basking in the sunshine and watching morning shadows^

^brown sugar bacon waffles (i'll share the recipe tomorrow)^

^thanksgiving in january - making a wish on the wishbone (ryan won)^

^recipe testing - a failed attempt at vegan pumpkin pie^

^passed out between the blankets during the grammy awards^

love, laurie

how to: make your own ipad sleeve

ever since we bought our ipad air in november, i have been searching for a way to keep it safe.  you know how it is . . . you get a new toy, and you want to keep it pristine for as long as possible.  as soon as we got it, we put a screen protector and a case on it right away.  i love the case that we bought, but it leaves the top and the bottom edges of the ipad exposed.  i really didn't want the edges to get scratched, so i started hunting for a sleeve to put it in.  i searched everywhere for a sleeve that was inexpensive and large enough to fit our ipad with its case on.  since i couldn't find what i was looking for, i decided to make my own!

i had an idea in mind of what i wanted, so i searched the internet for d.i.y. ipad sleeve patterns.  i didn't find what i had in mind, so i just decided to wing it.  the end result turned out to be pretty close to what i imagined, and it was inexpensive and fun to make.  now we have a sleeve that fits our ipad with it's case on!

i actually made three of these ipad cases.  the first one i made was a bit snug for our ipad when the case is on it.  so, i decided to make a second one since i had extra supplies.  the second one (pictured above) is a great size and even has room to spare.  both of the first two have velcro to keep the flap closed.

the third one (pictured in the tutorial below) turned out the best.  i ran out of velcro, so i just made the flap on the third one a bit bigger so that it would stay closed.  the third one actually ended up being my favorite.  you know what they say, "third time's the charm!"

now, i have to tell you that i am, by no means, a sewer.  i have enough sewing skills to make minor repairs to a hem or a button, but that's about it.  so, if i can do this, so can you!

here's how i made my own ipad sleeve(s) . . .

step one: gather your supplies.  i bought my fabric and batting at joanne fabric.  (everything was on sale, and i used a coupon too!)  i didn't know how much fabric i would need, so i bought 3/4 yard of both fabrics and 3/4 yard of the cotton batting.  in the end, i had enough to make 3 ipad sleeves and there was a little bit of fabric leftover.  if you want to make just one sleeve, 1/4 yard of each should be plenty.

supplies:
- 1/4 yard fabric for the outside of the sleeve
- 1/4 yard fabric for the inside lining
- 1/4 yard cotton batting
- 8 inches sew-on velcro (not sticky-back velcro)
- thread
- fabric scissors
- ruler
- sewing machine

step two: get your ipad and measure it.  you want to cut your outer fabric, your inner lining fabric, and your batting so that you have three rectangles that are the same size.  you want them to be about 3x the length of your ipad and 1.5x the width of your ipad.

step three: arrange your outer and inner fabrics so that the fronts of the two fabrics are facing each other.  then place the batting on top.  make sure all of the edges line up.

step four: using your sewing machine, sew three of the four edges.  leave one of the short ends open.  use a pair of fabric scissors to trim the excess fabric along the edges.

step five: turn the material right side out, by pulling it through the open end.  tuck the edges of the open end in, and sew the open end closed.  this will be the top flap of the sleeve.

step six: lay out the rectangle so that the inner lining fabric is facing down.  starting from the bottom, fold the bottom up and over the outer fabric part way to make a "pocket."  (your "pocket" will be inside out.)  place your ipad in this "pocket" in order to determine how high you need to fold the fabric.  you want the entire ipad to be covered.

step seven: remove the ipad from the "pocket" and sew the two sides of the "pocket."

step eight: turn the "pocket" right side out.

step nine: flip the flap down over the pocket and enjoy!

optional: you can add velcro to your ipad sleeve to keep the flap closed if you want.  after step five, sew the rough side of the velcro to the bottom edge of the outer fabric.  then, after step seven, sew the soft side of the velcro to the inner lining on the flap.  be sure to line up the soft side of the velcro with the rough side of the velcro to insure that the velcro will line up when the flap is closed.

i had some leftover fabric, so i decided to make a little draw-string case for our ipad charger too.  it's a cute and convenient way to store the charger when we are not using it!

. . . 

there you have it!
love, laurie