I hope everyone has a safe and blessed New Year!

Let us celebrate some things coming our way this 2014!

1. The return of high waisted pants! FINALLY

2. Paper straws! Now available in stores, not just on etsy

3. Black and white

4. Tight lining 

5.  Tinted lip balms and stains 

Cheers! -Kellie

Meatless Monday Pasta Edition

One of the easiest ways to reduce the fat content in your diet is to have one meatless day a week. The problem with most vegetarian options is they are not filling and you may end up eating more. This dish is both filling and satisfying. 

Eggplant And Mushroom Pasta 

What you need: 

1/2 pound whole wheat angel hair pasta

1tbsp chopped garlic

1 can diced tomatoes 

1 small can organic tomato sauce 

1 sweet onion chopped 

2 cups mushrooms chopped (I used baby Bella's) 

1 egg plant peeled and chopped 

1 tsp crushed red pepper 

1 tsp organic sugar cane 

1 cup torn basil leaves 

Salt & pepper 

Optional * 1/2 cup freshly grated parm 

How to: 

Heat a little olive oil and sautée onions and garlic. Add eggplant and mushrooms. Mix in seasonings and sugar. Add tomatoes and sauce and turn up the heat. When sauce begins to boil turn down to low and let simmer for at least 30 minutes. Before serving add basil leaves, salt and pepper. 

Pour over prepared pasta and finish with parm. Enjoy !

Cranberry Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Looking for a holiday spin on traditional chocolate chip cookies? This is my favorite chocolate chip recipe. The fillings are easily interchangeable. 

What you need: 

1 bag of milk chocolate chips 

1/2 cup craisins I used sugar free 

1 cup chopped pecans 

2 eggs 

2 1/2 sticks butter

1 2/3 cup white sugar 

1 2/3 cup brown sugar 

2 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp sea salt 

1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

1 2/3 tsp baking soda 

1 2/3 cup bread flour 

2 cups minus 2 tbsp cake flour 

I know it's a lot of ingredients but I prooooomise you it is worth it! 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 

Cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients. Do not over stir! Adding too much air will make your cookies cakey. Use your hands if you need to. Add chocolate, craisins and nuts. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. I use a small icecream scoop with lever to make it easy to get portions right.   Bake for 10 minutes. You want to take them out as soon as the edges start browning. It's ok if the center looks undone. If you wait until the top is brown or even starts to brown then you will have hard cookies. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes to finish cooking then transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

*tip if you freeze your chocolate before baking the chips will hold shape and not turn the batter brown. 

Pinsperation

This year my Pinterest is overloaded with fun Christmas foods. 

These are a few of my favorites that I definitely want to try! 

Eggnog cinnamon rolls, peppermint crunch, gingerbread donuts :) yum! 

I also may have purchased this sweater....

Only $30 on boohoo.com! 

Stay tuned for Christmas tutorials all month long! 

Easy vegetarian thanksgiving dish

Wild Rice with Sautéed Kale, Onions and Mushrooms 

What you need-

1 cup wild rice 

3 cups chopped kale

2 cups various mushrooms

1 small onion chopped 

2 cloves chopped garlic 

1/2 cup shredded smoked Gouda 

1/2 tsp brown sugar 

1 cup vegetable stock

Salt pepper and olive oil 

Directions- 

Cook wild rice according to directions. Remember these whole grains take at least 45 minutes. In a sautée pan heat oil over medium heat add mushrooms and onions cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and brown sugar. Add in kale 1 cup at a time. Pour a little stock in to wilt leaves with each cup. Add in fluffed rice. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with Gouda. Enjoy!

Stuffed Green Pepper... Soup

Hey guys! 

 I don't know about y'all, but it has been crazy chilly here. I crave soup almost every day now. And peppermint mochas yum! 

One of my favorite low fat dishes is stuffed green peppers, but I wanted the same taste in soup form. To the crockpot!

What you need : 

2 green peppers

1 cup brown rice 

3 cups beef stock

1 can crushed tomato 

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 pound lean ground beef 

1 onion 

1/4 cup fresh garlic 

1/2 Parmesan cheese

2 tsp fennel seeds

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Salt 

Pepper

Directions:

Brown the beef and chop onion. Add onion and garlic to browned beef. Cook until onions are translucent. I used a crockpot at this point. You can definitely use a soup pot and cook on low for 1 hour. Add all ingredients to crockpot minus cheese. Cook on high for 2 hours then on low for 1 hour. Add cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Happy Veterans Day Muesli Bread

First off happy Veterans Day ! I hope you had the opportunity to thank your local veterans :) 

I am officially back to operation clean up my diet before the holidays. My favorite type of lunches are grab and go filled with protein. Starbucks has a really great protein pack with a hard boiled egg, cheese, organic peanut butter and muesli  roll. I just really do not want to spend $5 a day. I considered buying a bag of muesli rolls from trader joes, but by the time I buy all the ingredients I am back to that $5 a day price point. 

My goal was to make 10 servings of muesli bread for $5. That will give me a breakfast and lunch portion for 5 work days. 

What you need:

3 1/4 cups Unbleached bread flour 

1 pack yeast 

1/2 tsp salt 

1 1/2 cup warm water

Olive oil

Pinch of Organic sugar (optional)

Your choice of seeds, dried fruits and nuts. 

I used: 

Reduced sugar craisins 

Pecans 

Almonds 

Sunflower seeds

Flax seed

Directions:

In a large bowl mix water, yeast and salt. Add in flour. Mix with a large spoon until a large ball forms. Dough should be sticky. If it looks too dry add water. Coat dough with olive oil. Cover with towel and let rise for 1 hour. Knead dough on floured surface and allow to rise another 30 minutes. 

Chop nuts and fruit mix together with seeds. 

Lightly flatten dough and pour seeds,nuts and fruits in the middle. Fold dough until mixture is hidden under the dough. Form into a ball and slice across the top twice. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Pecan Pancakes

Today I wanted to try a new pancake recipe. Something light yet filling. I also have tons to pecans lying around from all my baking frenzies. 

What you need 

Pecans

Buttermilk

Flour 

Flax seed 

Organic sugar 

Eggs 

Baking powder

Baking soda 

Pinch salt

Directions 

Pulse 1/4 cup pecans, 1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp flax seed in a food processor until well blended. Mix 1 egg and 1/2 cup buttermilk add in dry ingredients. Do not over mix. Heat griddle to low medium. Make medium to small pancakes. The pancakes will be very delicate due to the low flour content. Enjoy !

🎃👻happy halloween!!!!

Happy Halloween !!!! I wanted to bake a few goodies for my employees and here is what I came up with -

Halloween Oreo Bark

What you need:

Oreos

Candy corn 

Candy eyeballs 

Sprinkles 

1 pound of white chocolate or bark

Directions:

Melt the white chocolate. I microwaved for 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds. Break apart Oreos and layer on a baking sheet. Pour white chocolate over Oreos. Immediately pour candy corn and candy eye balls over the chocolate. Sprinkle liberally. Freeze for at least one hour. Break apart and enjoy!

I might have made these too.... Get creative! Nothing says halloween like eyeballs and cotton candy. If you don't have eyeballs try gummie worms YUM. 

Old Fashion Maple Bourbon Pecan Pie

Let's talk pie. Pecan pie. Pecan pie with maple bourbon. When I was younger pecan pie was my least favorite. Too many nuts and not enough sugary stuff. This pie is definitely the adult version. 

What you will need: 

2 cups pecans ; I prefer halved 

1 cup organic sugar 

3/4 cup karo syrup light or dark

1/4 cup maple bourbon OR 

1/4 cup of regular bourbon and dark maple syrup mixed 

3 eggs

1 tsp organic vanilla 

1 pie crust 

( I highly recommend the pillsbury dough roll that you put in the dish over the aluminum pan with dough)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350.

Using a whisk mix the eggs sugar and vanilla. Add in the syrup and bourbon. Make sure the egg is thoroughly incorporated so it doesn't leave cooked egg pieces in your pie. Spread  pecans evenly over the pie crust. Pour filling on top. The pecans will magically rise. Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 minutes. Pie WILL be jiggly with a cooked pecan top. Allow pie to cool for about 2 hours. This will allow the sugar to set and create that sweet custard texture. 

I add homemade bourbon whipped cream on mine! Enjoy 🎃

Reese Cheesecake

Hello! A weekend of good food has come and gone. I was testing a few recipes before the busy holidays and this one is a winner! 

Reese's Cheesecake 

What you will need:

2 tbsp melted butter

1 package of shortbread cookies 

4 sticks of cream cheese 

1 tsp vanilla 

1/3 cup of peanut butter 

1 pack of Reese's peanut butter cups

1 cup of sugar 

1/3 cup of milk chocolate chips 

2 tbsp heavy whipping cream 

2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. 

Crush the cookies in a food processor or with a rolling pin. I used pecan sandies. Mix the cookies and melted butter. Pour into your cheesecake pan pressing into the bottom until surface is level. Bake for 5 minutes then allow to cool. 

Mix cream cheese, vanilla and sugar until smooth, add eggs. Melt peanut butter and the milk chocolate then stir in cream.  The cream will cool the mixture. It should be pourable add extra cream if nessecary. Mix chocolate mixture with cream cheese mixture. 

I crushed 4 peanut butter cups and added to the mixture. 

Pour mix into cooled pan and bake at 400 for 10 minutes. 

Lower heat to 275 and bake for another 45 minutes. Let cool in oven for 1 hour then refrigerate for at least 2 hours. 

Ganache * optional

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup milk chocolate

Cream

Melt peanut butter and chocolate. Add cream until mixture is pourable. Spread over cheesecake. Add additional Reese's  to preference. Refrigerate until set about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Happy Saturday Whipped Cream and Waffles

I need to tell you about the best whipped cream I have ever had. I will also tell you about our Saturday waffles so you have something to top with cream! 

Buttermilk Waffles 

(curtesy of Williams Sonoma)

What you will need :

1 cup of buttermilk

2 eggs 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 cup flour 

1 pinch of salt 

3/4 tsp baking soda 

1 tsp baking powder 

2 tsp sugar 

5 tsp melted butter

Directions: 

Separate egg yolks and whites. Mix yolks with buttermilk, butter and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients. Set to side. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into yolk mixture. Cook according to your waffle makers instructions. 

Honey whipped cream 

What you will need:

Honey 

Confectioners sugar 

1 cup heavy whipping cream 

Beat cream and 2 tbsp of honey adding sugar to your preferred sweetness. I used 1 tsp. Serve immediately or store in the fridge. 

I highly recommend using dark amber syrup with these! Enjoy!

Italian Barley Soup

Tomato based soups have always been my favorite especially as the weather cools down. This is a twist on a classic.

What you will need: 

1 container of beef stock 

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion chopped 

3 cloves of garlic chopped 

1/2 cup shredded carrots 

1 can light kidney beans 

1 can white beans ( your choice)

1 cup uncooked pearled barley 

1 large can organic crushed tomatoes

3 tbsp tomato paste or 1 can

Fresh grated parmasean 

Bread of your choice 

Directions: 

In a soup pot brown the beef then lower heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion starts turning traslucent. Add the beans, carrots tomatoes and paste. Mix together. Add stock and 2 cups of water. Add barley. Turn up heat until boiling then reduce to simmer. You can add salt and pepper to your taste. We added crushed red pepper as well. 

Simmer for 30 minutes or until barley is cooked through. Add cheese and bread. Enjoy!!!!

My Current Hair Obsession

Lily Aldridge has gorgeous soft ombré hair with bouncy layers that I have coveted for yeeeeeaaaarrrrsss. It is a timeless look that is perfect for fall. I am thinking it is time to turn my blonde ombré into a caramel ombré 😁.  Wish me luck!

What I have been pinning

Here are a few of my fall favorites. Pinterest is a great tool to find trends that are right for YOU. 

1. Lily Collins sleek half pinned up hair with middle part. Very polished and easy to maintain

2. A pop of color. Nothing I love more than dark navys, browns, blacks and greens with a pop of mustard yellow or red.

3. Dark lips. Fall is the best time to try out those berry and wine colors you have stashed away. Try with a classic smokey eye or just mascara.

4. Colored jeans with riding boots. Enough said. 

What are you loving this year? 

Bacon and Caramelized Onion Calzons

Hello Everyone! Lately I have been craving Caramelized onions and then I found a unique recipe using just that. This is my adapted version from halfbakedharvest.com. (Definitely check that blog out for some awesome recipes!)

Bacon and Caramelized Onion Calzones

What you need

1 pizza dough 

1 medium sweet onion

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/2 pound of cooked bacon

1/4 cup of BBQ sauce

1 tsp brown sugar 

1 tsp of butter

1 cup of cheese I recommend fontina or cheddar 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

To start roughly chop the onion and add to a hot sautée pan. You can use a little olive oil here but I used cooking spray to lower the calories. Sautée until onions are translucent then lower the heat and add garlic, brown sugar and 1 tsp of butter. Cook for about 3 minutes as the onions are caramelizing then add the BBQ sauce. Set to the side. 

Divide pizza dough into 4 sections. Roll sections out. Put a heaping spoonful of the onion mixture on each of the dough sections. Add the cheese and crumble the bacon. Fold one side of the dough over and press into the other size making a seam. Take the two ends and tuck them under to keep the filling in place. 

I sprayed mine with cooking spray and dusted with garlic powder. You can use olive oil and fresh garlic also. 

Cook for 25 minutes or until tops are browned and serve!

Bacon tip* I cook mine on a baking dish in the oven at 375 for about 10 minutes. 

Easy ballerina bun tutorial !

Hey guys! New tutorial is up! Easy everyday ballerina bun ! 

Fresh Blueberry Muffins - Oil and Butter Free!

Hey everyone! 

It is time I introduce you to my guilty pleasure BUT I'm going to cut a lot of the fat out so you will forgive me :)

Fresh Blueberry Muffins 

What you need :

1 egg

1 cup low fat or skim milk 

1 tbsp vanilla

1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce

1 cup of sugar 

1 tsp cinnamon 

2 cups of flour 

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt 

Tsp flax seed 

Brown sugar for sprinkling 

2 cups of organic blueberries 

Pre heat the oven to 350. 

Mix all ingredients besides the blueberries and brown sugar. Slowly fold in the blueberries. Fill baking cups 3/4ths of the way and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake for 30 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean. Cool and serve!!

I hope you enjoy! They do seem to be slightly flatter than normal muffins, but the flavor is amazing and these are about 100 calories lighter! 

Statement Necklaces

Hello! My favorite accessory to liven up an outfit is a statement necklace. The problem is usually they are super expensive! I found the perfect website that offers great necklaces all  under $25! 

Urban Peach Boutique

Use discount code THANKS for 20% off your purchase! 

August Favorites !!!

Hello Everyone! I just uploaded my August favorites! 

My AUGUST FAVORITES LINK CLICK ME!!!

Products mentioned:

Anastasia Catwalk Palette
Milani Flora Passion Blush
Rimmel Bronzer
China Glaze Seduction and Rose Among Thorns
Loreal Sublime Tanning Wipes
Got 2 Be Hairspray
Bath and Body Works Blueberry Pumpkin Patch
Maybelline Vivid Pink
Rimmel Lipstick 60

Enjoy !

Thirsty Thursday !

It's that time of the year y'all! Pumpkin lattes are in the air! I thought I was addicted to Starbucks lattes but now Dunkin donuts has a light pumpkin latte. Wooohoooo! What are you drinking today?

Dating Costars: Risking Entertainment For All

Why is it that all single costars seem to decide to date just before the first movie is released. What if it doesn't work out??? Should we be subjected to a lack luster performance after the inevitable break up?

Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower they started dating after being cast in the hopeful series of Mortal Instrument Movies. They split two weeks before the movie came out in theaters. 

Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder started dating in late 2011. Their breakup was announced this summer right after filming the latest season of Vampire Diaries. (Ya know the one where their characters finally fall in love)

Everyone knows the on and off couple Robert and Kristin. 

Emily VanCamp and Joshua Bowman star together in Revenge. They have been together since the show premiered in 2012. Currently they are still going strong.

Then there is the most addictive teen flick Pitch Perfect. They just announced the sequel is being written! Skylar Astin and Anna Camp have also been dating since filming Pitch Perfect.

They just cast the costars for the 50 shades of grey movie trilogy. I can only hope these two wait until the third movie if they decide to date. I mean come on people! I need that passion to make it through all three movies! ;)

2013 Fall Makeup Trends and Chocolate Orange Cake

Smokey Eyes are in the air. Summer is coming to an end fast and my favorite season will be here before we know it! As the weather cools down it is a lot easier to where a smokey eye since we do not have to worry about everything smearing around in the humidity. 


Thick lashes and smokey lower lash lines have been appearing everywhere. I can see why! One of my favorite trends so far. I have been buying two sets of Ardell demi wispies and gluing them together for a full natural look. Super cheap and easy way to try out one of the hottest looks of the season! 

Now lets talk cake. My two favorite flavor combos have always been oranges and chocolate. I made a simple chocolate cake and added a little fresh orange juice, but the real star is the icing. Orange. Butter. Cream. Recipe follows, 5 lbs may also. Sorry! 

Orange Buttercream

1 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Shortening
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
2 Tbsp Fresh Orange Juice
1 Tsp Orange Extract
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Orange Food Coloring  if desired.

Cream together butter and shortening. Add juice and extracts. Slowing add in the powdered sugar. If it is too thick you can add a little milk, cream or water. Tada! You have an amazing creamy orange frosting!

Channeling Clarissa Fray

Hello! With all the excitement around the new movie Mortal Instruments I decided to replicate Clary's sultry shadow hunter look. 

What I used:

Loreal Semi Permanent Gloss In Light Auburn

Loreal True Match Lumi W3

Rimmel Bronzer Sun Dance

Rimmel Black Eye Liner

The Balm Nude Tude Palette 

Loreal Volumize Mascara Blackest Black

Rimmel Lipstick 104

EOS Lip Balm

Mac Blush Style

Forever 21 Faux Leather Jacket 

Forever 21 Gold Necklace

China Glaze Seduce Me

First off, my hair is already brown and blonde ombre. I used  the red gloss over my blonde to create a red ombre effect similar to the color Lily Collins has in the movie.

After applying my foundation I used sultry in the nude tude palette and a fluffy blending brush for a natural smokey eye. I also smoked out my lower lash line. I tight lined and lined my water line with the Rimmel eyeliner. Lily has very thick eye lashes so I used two coats of mascara. With all the fighting and love scenes her cheeks are often blushed so I bronzed liberally over my hair light and cheeks. Using my blush I touched the apples of my cheeks and the top of my nose. I finished up the look by applying the lipstick and balm with my fingers for a very natural wine stained lip.

Definitely try this look! I am loving it for fall not to mention for my inner badass ;)

20 pounds down and counting

As some of you may know, I have been working the past few months on getting into shape. I thought I'd share a few pictures of my progress. 

This is me at my biggest. 160 lbs. I was definitely avoiding the fact that I had gained weight and I still cannot believe I was ever that big. 

So now I am currently working with a friend to get down to my goal weight. I have been setting 10 pound goals for myself to make it more achievable. 

This is me 20 lbs lighter. I still have a long way to go, but I am happy with my progress so far :)

New glitter eyeliner tutorial

Hey guys! 

I thought I would try my hand at a glitter eyeliner tutorial let me know what you think! 

http://youtu.be/iYf681OnesU

A little weekend fun

Hello! This past weekend was a big birthday celebration! One of our best friends finally turned the big 2-1! We spent the night catching up and dancing👯

Enjoy the rest of your day  !!! 

Do It Yourself Ombre (Disclaimer! This is not a tutorial. Just how I personally do this)

Hello everybody! A lot of people lately have been asking me how I do my own ombre. I do not want to do a how to on this because everyone has different hair. I do not want anyone to mess up and get upset with me! I have been using these products for a long time and I have definitely made a lot of mistakes on the way. I think I have a pretty good handle on how my hair reacts to the bleach and dye now. 

First I buy Revlon Frost and Glow and a Revlon boxed dye for my roots. My hair is naturally a medium golden brown so I have to actually darken my roots every now and again for the look I want. 

I take the box dye and put it onto my roots and comb down about half way through my hair. While my roots process I mix the bleach together and I put it on the first inch of my ends. I let this sit for about 5 minutes then add a little more bleach to the ends and go up another inch. I wait about 3 minutes before rinsing everything out. Sometimes my ends come out a little more golden then I want so I just shampoo with clairol shimmer lights. That shampoo can fix almost any of my hair dye mess ups! 

That is all I do for a super simple ombre! I usually use a deep conditioning masque after to make sure my ends are not damaged. The whole process takes me about 30 minutes and it is under $20! I hope this helps a little for those of you that asked :)

5 Ways To Ease Into Clean Eating (Recipes too!)

This year I decided to start making better choices regarding my body. Better foods and more exercise. Luckily I have an amazing friend and personal trainer to help motivate my workouts, but I have to rely on myself to keep my diet in check. I have been eating clean for about 6 months now and I love it. 

Originally the thought of giving up fast food and diet coke make me want to curl up in a depressing ball and cry...

But I soon realized eating clean is a lifestyle and I truly believe it has helped my body. My hair grows faster and my skin rarely ever breaks out. Not to mention the energy I have gained. I do not eat 100% clean. I still drink the occasional diet coke and eat hot wings twice a month. If I can do it anyone can. 

What is clean eating?

When you commit to eating clean you leave behind - added sugar, hydrogenated oil, chemicals and preservatives 

5 Ways To Ease Into Clean Eating

1. Think of soda as a dessert. Try and keep down to 3 a week. This goes for diet too!

2. Drink as much water and unsweet (or green) tea as you can get your hands on

3. Eat at least 1 salad a day

4. Bring easy snacks to work

5. Make a list of your favorite dishes and look up a clean alternative!

My go to clean snacks-

carrots, broccoli and hummus

almonds

Ezekiel english muffin with natural PB

tomatoes and cucumbers with red wine vinegar

whole wheat pita with grilled chicken and mustard

My Favorite Clean Recipes-

Thai Turkey Veggie Stir Fry - (instagram recipe by busygirlseatclean)

Southwestern Cheddar Steak Fries

Sirloin Steak with Horseradish Cream 

Southwest Quinoa Salad

Spanish Scramble

Grilled Fish Tacos and Slaw