Gone Girl

Wow. Maybe it's because I didn't read the book or pay any attention to the news but my mind was blown. Rosamund was freaking amazing in this movie. I give a total bow down to her performance.

Tattoo I love you

AHHHH !!! I did it!! I did it!! I got my tattoo!!! My 24th birthday and this was my present to myself !! Actually I got it Sept. 16 but same difference.

"You were wild once, don't let them tame you."

A little scandalous of a photo but I'm so excited I can't find myself to care. Plus - have you tried taking a selfie of your ribcage?? NOT EASY. 

Thanks to Devine Street Tattoo this process was as painless and easy as possible. It helped that my best friend Elsie was there to laugh and talk me through it! Only took 20 minutes total to permanently mark my body. 

I'm not going to lie. It felt like a needle (shock) was being dragged across my skin. But I like to think it was worth it! 

Dana's Bakery

Being gluten free and having the biggest sweet tooth in the world hasn't been easy. Thank god Starburst are gluten free! But lately I've been going through a stressful time. School is starting up again and I'm really trying ridiculously hard to get healthy. Exercising as much as I can (not easy with the intense joint pains) and I joined Weight Watchers !! Yeah... I am trying! But I am a total stress eater. I know it's an absolutely bad habit to have. I'm trying to break it. But slowly. I've gone cold turkey before and it just ends with me gorging on sweets. And now that I've discovered the gluten allergy, I really can't afford to binge eat on pastries and such. 

But back to the point. Macarons are a gluten free sweet treat that I can cheat with! And they are so so so so delicious! And did I mention GLUTEN FREE?

Now living in Clemson, SC doesn't provide one with many Macaron-friendly bakeries. Luckily  Dana's Bakery ships nationwide! Yay!! And boy oh boy are they delicious! and creative! 

Now what's great about Dana's Bakery is all of their fun flavors! They have a standard 12 flavors, a changing flavor of the month, and then special holiday flavors! Talk about modernizing a french classic! 

You can order a Build-a-Box for only $30 and pack it with twelve of you favorite Macaron Flavors! Below is a photo of my favorite Build-a-Box combination! So yummy! And filling! These little treats are actually packed with protein thanks to the almond flour used to make them. Usually 2 or 3 at a time is enough! 

But if you don't know exactly what flavors you like yet, and are curious about some of the more adventurous flavors there's always the Variety Pack. A Variety Pack of twelve gives you a nice sample of every flavor! It's decent price of $30.00. 

Now with both the Build-a-Box and Variety Pack you have to add on about $12.00 for shipping fees, depending on where you are. So worth it people! And if you join their mailing list you receive a %10 off promo code! 

Plus look how gorgeous their packaging is! So pretty and colorful! Below is photo of my own Dana's Bakery order! This time I kept it simple and went with Red Velvet, Orange Creamsicle, Birthday Cake, and Chocolate Molten Mac! I was lucky enough to get a bonus 4 pack of Banana Fudge Sundae, their August 2013 Flavor of the Month! Which was delicious! Needless to say I had a very decadent breakfast! 

You should seriously consider following them on Instagram or Twitter and following them on Facebook !  They post some ridiculously great deals! Hence the free 4 pack! 

** This is completely my opinion, I'm in no way being paid to write this! I just love those yummy macarons! **

Shrimp Ceviche & Salsa Habanera

Okay I love love love spicy food! Especially spicy seafood! YUM!! I was just surfing the internet and found this show "The Couch" and and was browsing around and stumbled upon this recipe. LOOKS DELICIOUS!! IS DELICIOUS!!! YUM! 

Chef Victor Flores, of Midtown’s Joe Allen restaurant, visited us with his take on the classic dish. Find his recipe below:

INGREDIENTS FOR SALSA HABANERA:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 habanero pepper
1 red bell pepper
1/2 medium size red onion, julienned
1 thinly sliced garlic clove
4 ripe plum tomatoes
2 cups water
1 tbs. sea salt

Preparation of Salsa Habanera: Heat pan over medium heat for approximately one minute.  Add olive oil to coat the pan. Add garlic, onion, habanero pepper and bell pepper, stirring periodically for about 4 minutes, or until vegetables are lightly browned. Add plum tomatoes and water.  Mix, then turn up the heat to high medium, bringing to a boil. Once the mixture it is boiling, lower heat and allow to cook an additional 10 minutes. Remove the pan from heat.  Place the contents of the pan into a blender (or robot coupe), adding 1 tablespoon of sea salt, then pulse until liquified.   Strain though a very fine strainer, and allow to cool on an ice bath until ready to serve.

INGREDIENTS FOR COOKED SHRIMP:
1 pound medium size black tiger shrimp, in the shell, rinsed
10 cups of water
1 medium carrot, quartered
2 celery stalks quartered
1 large onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 lemon, halved
4 springs of fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
1/2 cup white vinegar

Preparation of the shrimp:  Place water, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, lemon, bay leaves, thyme & vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower heat and allow liquid to simmer for about 20 minutes.  Drop the shrimp into the liquid and turn off the heat. Cook the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until they curl and turn pink, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and cool in refrigerator. When cold, peel and devein the shrimp, then slice in half, lengthwise.

INGREDIENTS TO FINISH:
1-1/2 cup salsa habanera
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 medium size red onion thinly sliced
1/2 cup diced celery hearts
1 cup micro-greens

Preparation of finished ceviche: In a large glass bowl, place 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice, 1/ 2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice and 1 and 1/2 cups salsa habanera.  Whisk together, adding chopped celery, thinly sliced onion and cooked shrimp to the mix. Season with salt, if necessary, and serve on martini glasses. Garnish with micro greens, and serve.

Father's Day 2013

Shout out to Big Henry today! Probably the hardest working man on this planet. Seriously. 7 days a week, at least 12 hours a day - he's working. Whether it's his job, working on the farm, doing handy man things around the house, or helping my brother build his house - he's always working. It's ridiculous how crazy his work ethic is. He's one of those "The sun is up? Time to work. Sun just went down? Now I'll go home." Which is really impressive during the summertime since the sun doesn't go down until 9pm! 

But he really is the best dad in the world. He gives his children everything he can and I don't think I'll ever meet a more generous man. 

One of the cutest things about my dad is that he loves to cook breakfast! Once a week - usually Saturday mornings, he makes the southern breakfast! Bacon, eggs, sausage, grits - the whole shebang! But most importantly... PANCAKES! And since they've adopted my little nephews my dad is becoming more and more creative with his pancakes! Those little boys are in love with his pancakes and the zoo soooo I decided to give him a pancake griddle with little animal faces on it! 

DAKOTA BEAR

Someone just got a new baby sister! 

Yay!!! Harvey is super excited to have this little rugrat as his new little sister! He's at the age right now that he needs another four legged friend around, ya know? So problem solved! We got him a little Kota Bear!

She just got her first check up at the vet, weighing in at a whopping 31.7 lbs! We know that she is half Rottweiler but the other half is a mystery! The vet had his guesses as to what the rest of her is, maybe lab or border collie? But she is a cutie! And such a happy girl too! 

That's the best thing about shelter pups - they are just so happy to have somebody to love. We got this adorable girl from Anderson County Paws and they were fantastic! We first tried to adopt her on May 28, 2013 but sadly our little Dakota had an Upper Respiratory Infection and wasn't allowed to come home with us. But A.C. Paws was really great about it, they quarantined her for 10 days and gave her the treatment she needed - completely free. How great is that? Now she's home and happy and healthy :) 

Friends

     Today was a day of reflection... I didn't have much to do and my mind just wandered. I thought about how I got to be where I am. The choices I've made, the mistakes I regret. And I think the only thing I really regret is a choice I made in Spring 2012. It cost me my two best friends in college.
     Now I have my high school group of friends that I wouldn't trade for the world and other friends that I've picked up along the way that I treasure. But when I think of college - these two ladies are the best friends I think of.
     I took advantage of them and it cost me their friendships. My other friends always tell me that "Oh well if they were really your friends they would've forgiven you as soon as you apologized" but who knows. I do know that they really were my best friends and I was theirs. Which makes the loss so much worse. There are few things I wouldn't do to have them back. To this day I still can't prevent the stinging-eye syndrom when thinking about that time.
     The only silver lining to that situation was that it brought me so much closer to The Boyfriend and my high school friends. It taught me the importance of forgiveness. Before I could hold a grudge with the best of them. Now I understand that holding a grudge against someone who has apologized and made amends is not worth it. For months I was waiting and praying for forgiveness that never came, probably some of the most miserable months of my life seeing as those two best friends were also my roommates at the time. It made for an awkward living situation.
     I guess my point in blogging this is to remind everyone to forgive. And to never take for granted your friends. I didn't appreciate what I had and once I lost it I tried everything to get it back. Sometimes you don't realize what you have until it's gone. Yes, very original thought that one. BUT I think we all know that it has merit. 

Stitch Fix #3

So for those of you who don't know.... StitchFix is an online personal shopping experience! You get your own stylist who handpicks 5 items just for you! There's a $20 styling fee but it's a credit towards your fix! And if you decided to keep everything in your box there's a 25% discount! But if you only like one or two things, it's free return shipping!

Well... lets just say third time isn't quite the charm. I liked this box but I was kinda of disappointed. I got three really cute tops but one was embarrassingly too small. Then there was this awful dress. Seriously it's what Anne Hathaway would wear in Devil Wears Prada before the makeover. And to top it off there was this dinky little leather wrap. So basically I have very mixed feelings about Fix #3. This time I had Miranda for a stylist!

Here's what I got:

Stitch Fix #3

1. CUTOUT DESIGN GOLD DETAIL BRACELET $28
2. BIRDIE TIE NECK SLEEVELESS BLOUSE $48
3. BEVIN FRONT TIE FEATHER PRINT BLOUSE $68
4. MADDY PONTE DRESS $58
5. MONI STUD DETAIL PRINTED TOP $58

Cutout Design Gold Detail Bracelet $28

Cutout Design Gold Detail Bracelet $28

This little leather cuff was cute. I liked the teal with the gold - one of my favorite color combinations. But the gold detail looked much too similar to the Tory Burch logo and I didn't like the idea of having a wannabe cuff. Plus I've tried on other leather cuffs in stores and this one just felt cheap. The quality of this wasn't worth the $28... maybe $10 or $15? I decided to send this one back. 

Birdie Tie Neck Sleeveless Bouse $48

I loved this blouse. It was light and breezy and the colors were great! That shade of green always looks great on me (time to deflate head immediately). It looked amazing with my orange skirt! I also liked it with my navy shorts and my navy skirt. And it looked polished with my dark wash jeans and tan riding boots. Needless to say, this one was a keeper!

Bevin Front Tie Feather Print Blouse $68

Oh this shirt was so pretty! It looked great with my black shorts and my black jeans! I liked that it was something I could wear throughout the year! It also looked great with my white skinny jeans and cowboy boots! But I loved it with my white shorts and silver jacks! Very versatile shirt! The fabric was a bit scratchy feeling, so if you have sensitive skin I wouldn't bother with it. And I know, I know, $68 for a blouse? A little expensive but then I thought about it and come on! Men's oxford shirts are way more expensive! And I can wear this year round! I kept this little gem!

Maddy Ponte Dress $58

Oh this was awful - so very awful. In the styling card they tried to call this the staple "Little Black Dress" ... uh no. I actually have two of those and this my friends, was not it. It was loose everywhere except my stomach. I mean come on - how is that even possible? It came down past my knees and gave me no shape at all. And the neckline was very conservative and for someone with no boobs that isn't exactly flattering. I came to realize that it was the typical funeral dress. I did not see any need to keep this one. 

Moni Stud Detail Printed Top $58

Sleeve of Moni Stud Detail Printed Top $58

I so so so wanted to keep this one! In my mind I kept saying "Come onnnnn keep it! You'll lose weight and it'll fit! It's not that awkward" but it was that awkward. No amount of weight loss would've made it fit right. I have an A-cup and it was skin tight around my chest with a sports bra. Maybe it was sized wrong? And the sleeves hit exactly at my elbow. Making any arm movements awkward. Which sucks because I loved the cuff detail! Sadly I did not keep this one. 

So that's it! That's my third Stitch Fix. I decided to wait a little bit to schedule my next fix. Give them a chance to get some new inventory. I also wrote a note asking them to please include some skirts. They keep supplying me with tops and dresses (which I'm grateful for) but I need something to wear all those tops with!

If this is something you're interested in doing (which I highly recommend) then click here to get started! 

Stitch Fix #1

Stitch Fix #2

GF Spicy Sausage Balls with Chipotle Sauce

Okay I know I need to work on the name of these but hey... it's kind of funny: Sausage Balls! But seriously these things are delicious and addictive. The Boyfriend almost hurt himself eating so many of these. This recipe makes a lot of them but it's easily halved. I just like to make a bunch at one time and have the rest for leftovers, they reheat great! 

Spicy Sausage Balls with Chipotle Sauce Ingredients

Yeah... you really have to get in there with your hands to mix it up!

Right before they hit the oven!

This is what happens when you have way too much free time on your hands!

Om nom nom!

These are kind of spicy! So if you want to tone it down then leave out the jalapenos and reduce the amount of chipotle peppers! But I like it spicy! This recipe makes 60 balls! 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound hot Italian sausage
• 8 oz of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups of Bisquick Gluten Free baking mix
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
• 2-4 diced jalapenos 
• 2-5 shakes of Tabasco Chipotle
• 3/4 cup light mayonaise 
• 4 whole chipotle peppers (from a can)
• 1-2 tsp Adobo sauce (from the can)
• 2 tsp lime zest
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degree. 
2. Place the sausage, cheese, Bisquick, eggs, green onions, cilantro, jalapenos, Tabasco Chipotle sauce, and cayenne pepper into a large bowl. 
3. Mix throughly with hands until fully combined. It will get messy!
4. Using your hands, roll the mixture into 1 inch balls. Arrange them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Keep in mind that they do get a little bigger as they bake.
5. Put into the oven and bake for 20-24 minutes. 
6. Let cool for two minutes before taking off the sheet. 
7. For the dipping sauce: In a food processor combine the mayonnaise, 3 chipotle peppers, the adobo sauce, the lime zest, and the lime juice. Blend until fully combines and smooth. 
8. Serve sausage balls with the dipping sauce and enjoy!