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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday! three.

google


link up with michelle!

here is what i'm loving this week!


love these shoes! wow!


love this outfit!

Source: etsy.com via Manda on Pinterest


again with pretty shoes! dorothy with style!

Source: tumblr.com via Manda on Pinterest


the best way to drink milk!


LOL!! what if you change your phone number?!


so true.

i'm on the way to the beach in the morning! :D i can't wait to be in the lowcountry again!

happy wednesday!

xoxo
manda

Thursday, July 21, 2011

watermelon cupcakes

these are so fun and cute! perfect for a summer cookout!


watermelon cupcakes
source: stephanie cooks


what you need:

1 batch of your favorite vanilla cupcake mix (this one is good)

1 batch of your favorite vanilla frosting (i love this one)

Mini chocolate chips

Red food coloring

Green food coloring

what you do:

Once your cupcake batter is made, add some red food dye and stir until it is the desired color.

Stir in some mini chocolate chips (I used probably about 1/2 cup) and fill cupcake tins 3/4 full.

Bake according to directions, allow to cool completely.

Stir some green food coloring into the frosting. Pipe it onto the cupcakes or frost with a knife.

enjoy! so cute and perfect for summer! :)

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

oh, how pinteresting... week two

and this was my facebook status the other night..."from what i've heard about crack i'm pretty sure pinterest is equivalent." can i get an amen?

google


i'm linking up michelle at the vintage apple again. her blog is GREAT. check her out and link up!

here are a few of my favorite pins this week!

and we're pinning...and repinning...


brad is making this for me! i can't wait!





i love this table!! it does remind me of a beer pong table i saw once in college though! ha




Source: etsy.com via Manda on Pinterest


this shall be my next birthday hat!




Source: bhldn.com via Manda on Pinterest


LOVE this dress!



and my very favorite of the week...




story of my life.



happy wednesday!

xoxo. manda

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

a note to showtime.

Dear Showtime,

I can’t handle the suspense. Please just tell us when Dexter comes back.

First I see this…


And then this...


And NOW this...


Seriously, I need to know. Like the other 9 million people that love Dexter (on FB at least) these teasers are JUST NOT ENOUGH!

I understand that my love for Dexter is ooc. I mean I really, really like many television shows. But I LOVE Dexter.

speaking of being ooc- i saw this on pinterest the other night. creepy or awesome? i'm not sure!

Monday, July 18, 2011

miscellany monday

Miscellany Monday @ lowercase letters

today i'm linking up with carissa. because she is family and i adore her. and because i like random things.

One.
I think I may be slightly obsessed with jimmy john’s at the moment. All I want to eat is the beach club. In fact, I do believe I will have one for supper tonight.

via


Two.
When I googled to get my image for the beach club my picture from the avocado spread came up! OMG! I just got REALLY excited. It’s not even that good of a picture. Okay, I’m still REALLY excited! ha


Three.
Bradley is in Charleston right now. I’m really jealous. I want to go home. South Carolina is just the better of the Carolinas. I'm going home soon for a good friend's baby shower and I just CAN'T wait.

via


Four.
I think smartwater is just better. We had this convo during our staff meeting today. My coworkers don't believe me. But, it is better. Afterall, it is made from the clouds :D I found it on sale for $1 per bottle at Harris Teeter and my insides did a little happy dance.

via


Five.
Friday night I’m going to a Toby Keith concert. I’m not a huge fan but I’m always up for a country concert. As long as he plays his oldies I’ll be one happy girl! COME ON FRIDAY…I need a girls night! :)



that's all my miscellany for the day :) go visit carissa and link up!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

happy birthday jacob!


jacob is the son of my dear friend, shannon (who you have seen on funny friday's! :) jacob loves call of duty so shannon wanted his birthday cake to be an army scene. we made the cake out of cupcakes and were SO happy with the finished result!! we just kept looking at it! happy bithday to jacob!

and shannon, i am so thankful for our friendship! becoming such good friends with you has made the move to nc so much easier! :)




there will be lots more cupcakes cakes in our future!!!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

coconut macaroons

i had my first macaroon the other night. i had no idea bradley LOVED them...apparently, he does! i figured coconut macaroons couldn't be that hard to make so i googled it (of course) and found it takes only a few ingredients (that i just so happened to have in my cabinet)!

FYI. this recipe only makes 4 macaroons. i figured i should point this out because i got a big ole "THAT RECIPE ONLY MADE 4?!?! NO!" from my husband. :)

and, for the record, all 4 were GREAT and i will def make again!

so here we goooo....

coconut macaroons
source: epicurious


what you need:

Butter and flour for preparing baking sheet and foil
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

what you do:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 300°F. Butter a baking sheet, then line with foil and lightly butter and flour foil, knocking off excess flour.

Stir together egg white, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and a pinch of salt until combined, then stir in coconut. Divide coconut mixture into fourths, then drop in 4 mounds (about 2 inches apart) onto baking sheet.

Bake until tops are pale golden in spots, 15 to 20 minutes, then carefully lift foil with cookies from baking sheet and transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes. Peel macaroons from foil.

side note- i told my coworkers about these and one girl in my office, jen, got SO excited. i brought her one after lunch and she was really excited! exhibit A:


i was happy she was so happy :)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

my first pinteresting wednesday!

google


i'm linking up with michelle at the Vintage apple for pinteresting wednesday! i just signed up for pinterest last night and i spend forever on it! it's so fun!

pinterest is where you can catalog all things fabulous! have you joined?? if not, i'll be happy to send you an invite :)

and these are my favorite pins right now! (all random)


i need my hair to look like this! a girl at work is a master at braids so we are going to give it a try! yay!! i'll keep you posted, of course!

Source: tumblr.com via Manda on Pinterest


gold nail polish?? YES PLEASE!


how CUTE is this "cheesecake"?!?! ahhhh, love it.

Source: etsy.com via Manda on Pinterest


i told brad i needed this necklace. not wanted, NEEDED. how cute would a m <3 b necklace be?!

happy wednesday!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

cuteness.

how cute are my husband and child???


adorable.

AND....i've been loving iMovie lately. here is my latest creation. please keep in mind i am completely lame while watching :)



the end.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Crepes!

crepe: a very thin small pancake, often stuffed and rolled up.


so, i had never had a very thin, small pancake stuffed and rolled up. why you ask? good question- i had NO idea what i was missing out on! easy, quick, delish breakfast!

with all my blog surfing i saw this recipe for a basic crepes. i was excited to see that it doesn't take many ingredients to make and the combinations are endless!

what you need:

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

what you do:

in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.

heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.

cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. cook until other side is light brown. serve hot.

what to put on/in your crepes:

the one that brad and i made was what we like to call "a southwest crepe" we filled the inside with scrambled eggs, salsa, tomatoes, hot sauce, cilantro, and cheese. it was SO good!

you could go simple and just do cinnamon and sugar. sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on the inside. roll the crepe up and sprinkle with more cinnamon and sugar.

you could top with whipped cream and strawberries OR you could get really crazy and fill with whipped cream, roll it up, and top with more whipped cream and fresh strawberries...or any other fruit! peaches, bananas, apples, blueberries…whatever tickles your fancy!

the combinations are endless!

YAY for crepes! they take no time to make and they are yummmmmmy!

Sunday, July 10, 2011

honey mustard vinaigrette

this is a perfect summer salad dressing! it was a big hit the other night...a little spicy and a little sweet. very tasty! :)


honey mustard vinaigrette
source: the dainty vegetarian

what you need-

2 tbsp chopped shallots
2 tbsp stone ground mustard (any kind works!)
2 tsp white wine vinegar
3 tsp honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil

what you do-
whisk all ingredients together except evoo. as you whisk, drizzle in the olive oil.


the salad was mixed greens, chopped english cucumber, grape tomatoes, chopped peaches, small amount of red onion and parm cheese.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Thursday, July 7, 2011

homemade breadsticks

hmmm, CARBS! just want you need during bathing suit season :) i ran across these breadsticks last night while blog surfing. i knew i needed to make them asap.

i woke up at 6 this morning while brad was getting ready and couldn't fall back asleep. since i couldn't sleep i thought it would be the perfect day to start the morning yoga (on demand!) routine that i have been saying i would start. so, i had every intention of doing yoga... BUT for some reason my on-demand yoga wasn't working. boo, time warner. sometime you SUCK.

since i couldn't work on my gut and butt i instead turned on a crime show called captured (i loooove crime shows) and started baking these breadsticks that will certainly go straight to my butt and gut:)

these were supposed to taste like olive garden breadsticks. however, i strongly believe they are much more like little caesars crazy bread. in other words, they are TASTY!


breadsticks.
source: full bellies. happy kids.


what you need:

1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 - 120 degrees F)
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt

in a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered. mixture should be frothy.

in separate bowl, combine flour and salt.

add the flour and salt to yeast mixture. add melted butter. mix with paddle attachment of stand mixer or wooden spoon until fully combined.

knead dough for a few minutes just until dough is smooth. do not overknead!

grease a cookie sheet. pull off pieces of dough and roll out into strips.

cover the dough and let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour. (i let my bread sit in the oven with only the oven light on. this was a tip from my grandmama- thanks gma!)

preheat your oven to 400 degrees (not with the breadsticks in there!) once the oven is preheated, start baking those breadsticks!!

in a microwave (or on the stove), combine the following:

1/2 stick unsalted butter (or 1/2 cup margarine)
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt

*also need another 1/2 stick of melted butter for brushing after fully baked*

after 6 or 7 minutes, brush the bread sticks with half the butter mixture.

then continue to bake for about 6 (give or take) minutes. bake a little longer if you want the outside more crispy. personally, i like the outside soft :)

as soon as you remove the breadsticks from the oven brush the other half of butter on the sticks.

let the breadsticks cool for a minute or so (i know it's hard to do!) and then enjoy!!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

homemade ricotta cheese!

last week i watched this video on how to make ricotta cheese on the dainty vegetarian's blog. as soon as i watched it i couldn't wait to give it a try! we had brad's brother, his wife, and their daughter coming into town on saturday so i decided to make lasagna for dinner so i would have the perfect reason to make ricotta cheese!

i started working on the cheese mid morning and by the time steven, sonia, and lainey got into the town (around lunchtime) the cheese was just about finished! i was very excited and the fam seemed impressed so it was a win/win :)

i'm never buying ricotta again. it does take some time to make the cheese but it is SO worth it!
homemade from now on for me!

ricotta cheese

what you need-

heavy pot
gallon of WHOLE milk
pinch of salt
1/3 cup plus a splash of white distilled vinegar
cheese cloth (can be found at any grocery store. i got my at harris teeter.)
candy thermometer


what you do-

pour the gallon of milk into the heavy pot. warm on medium to medium high until the milk reaches 180*. watch this closely because if the milk gets above 180* it will scold and the cheese will be gross. :)


once the milk has reached 180* turn the heat off. add a big pinch of salt to the milk. then add the vinegar...you will start to see it curdling. mix slightly with a whisk.


put the lid on the pot and let sit for 2 hours.

after 2 hours, put a strainer over a bowl. open the cheese cloth and lay over the strainer.


ladle the cheese mixture into the cheese cloth. let sit 20-30 minutes.


[please ignore how gross i look...friday night was a late one :D]

pick up the cheese cloth with cheese in it and dump into a bowl.


it's that easy to make homemade, beautiful, tasty ricotta cheese!


i made this lasagna but plan on making this spread- (also from the dainty vegetarian)

With the ricotta cheese add a pinch of salt. drizzle olive oil over the cheese. add a handful of shreaded parmasean cheese, some chopped flat leaf parsley and a few grinds of black pepper. stir together and serve with crackers! :)

ps- we had a great time with steven, sonia, and lainey. love!

Monday, July 4, 2011

jimmy johns avocado spread

so, at first i didn't love jimmy john's. actually, i was quite confused as to why they didn't ask me what i wanted on my sub. i was annoyed. i told bradley i would never go back to eat at jimmy johns. EVER. BUT THEN i found the beach club. it has turkey. it has sprouts. it has cucumber. but the best thing it has is an avocado spread. okay, the avocado spread may just tie with the sprouts but you get my point....i love the avocados! i wanted needed this for my subs at home. lucky for me- everything is available on the internet. yayyy.

ps. this spread is also delish with lime chips! :)

jimmy johns avocado spread
source: copykat


1 sm chili pepper
1 med onion
1 sm garlic clove
1 sm tomato, peeled
2 med ripe, calavo avocados
1 tbl fresh lemon or lime juice
3/4 tsp salt
1 dsh seasoned salt
1 dsh dry mustard

chop chili pepper, onion, garlic, tomato & blend. cut avocado into halves, remove seed and skin. mash with chili mixture. blend in lemon or lime juice, salt, pepper, seasoned salt & dry mustard.

* i put everything in my blender. it worked out perfect! :)

makes 1 1/2 cups dip.

enjoy!!