Week Three: Photo-A-Day

Another week gone by... that means we are almost done with January... which means we are on the verge of tax season (ahhhh!). I'll probably be posting less often coming up due to the impending work schedule (well, less than I am already - what a slacker!). So don't forget about me! I still have to update you on my latest furniture project (here's a hint), our snow days, the BBoy, and some other fun projects coming up. For now, here's week three...

January 15

January 16

January 17

January 18

January 19

January 20

January 21

Peanut Butter Kisses

I think we all know that my favorite food combo is peanut butter and chocolate. It's been a love affair that dates back to my early childhood and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. They were (and still are) my mostest favorite candy. Well, this little cookie has the best of both. My favorite flavors all in one. So yummy and delicious. 

I used the regular peanut butter cookie recipe (from here), minus the chocolate chips, plus the Hershey's Kisses). Bake the peanut butter balls according to the recipe (but without chocolate chips or kisses) and then right after you take them out of the oven, put a kiss in the middle. There you go! 

They are so tasty. The best time to eat them is after they are slightly cooled, when the kiss in the middle is still warm and a little gooey. I seriously had to stop myself from eating a dozen all at once. That good.

Have you made any chocolate and peanut butter treats lately? Know of any other chocolate/PB recipes I would like to try?

New Art (Sort Of)

Let's first start with the new part of it. I just got this frame for $7 at Goodwill a couple weeks ago and I'm kicking myself a little bit because she had an identical twin sister I didn't buy. I guess I was being a little frugal with my allowance, so I didn't go for both (I mean $7, that's a lot out of my $100 monthly allowance). Oh well. I like my aqua frame as a single. And come on, check out that flower print. All the way from 1996. Mmmmhmmm.

So that's the new-ish part. Now for the sort-of part. I've had this print for about a year and a half and haven't had a frame to put it in because it's kind of a weird size. It's from Katie Daisy and it might be one of my favorite hanging pictures in my house now. You might recognize the quote from here (I really like it).

The print goes really well with the teal frame. Love it. I did have to get a little crafty with it since there was no matting and the frame was still a little too big. I turned the painting it came with over and used an off white acrylic paint to cover the part that would be showing. I think it turned out pretty decent and is a good temporary solution until I get some custom matting.

I love how well the color of the frame and the print go together. A perfect combo in my book! Have you used (or re-used) any thrifted frames lately? Have you found any unique colored frames? 

Live in the sunshine Swim in the sea Drink in the wild air. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Week 2: Photo-A-Day

January 8

January 9

January 10

January 11

January 12

January 13

January 14

Nutella Cheesecake Brownies

Time for a little Pinterest baking! These bad boys had me at nutella. They were pretty different than anything I've made before - kind of half cake/half brownie/half cheesecake/half delicious goodness. I realize now that there are way more halves, but that's just how good it is. Here's the recipe (found here).

// 350 degrees // 40-50 minutes // makes a pan full //

Ingredients

Cake:

1 package devil's food cake mix

1 egg

1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup nutella

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix devil's food cake mix, egg, and butter together until combined. Pat into the bottom of a 9x13 pan (lightly greased).

3. Beat the cream cheese and nutella until creamy.

4. Add eggs, vanilla, and butter. Slowly mix in powdered sugar until blended.

5. Spread nutella mixture on top of cake mixture. 

6. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Don't overcook! It should be gooey at first and then will congeal if you let it sit overnight (it's much better once congealed!).

Enjoy! It's sinfully good!

Live. Swim. Drink.

From here.

Week 1: Photo-A-Day

Maybe you might have seen (here) that one of my "resolutions," if you will, was to take a Photo-A-Day for all of 2012. Well, I am happy to report that we are right on track! Week one: Check! For now, I'm having fun doing this little experiment so hopefully I can keep it up. Here's all my photos from the first week.

January 1

January 2

January 3

January 4

January 5

January 6

January 7