The BEST salad dressing

I am not a fan of store bought salad dressings. Some can be yummy, but usually bottled dressings are packed with weird ingredients and lots of fat. Homemade dressing is tastier, and I feel healthier knowing exactly what I'm putting into it! Below is the recipe for a perfect dressing every time! It's great on salad as well as a marinade for shrimp or chicken. One of my favorite things about this basic dressing is the ability to swap out the ingredients to change the flavor. (My two favorite variations are Italian and Asian)

The Basics:

Vinegar (balsamic and red wine for Italian taste; rice wine for Asian taste)

Extra virgin olive oil

Citrus juice (lemon for Italian taste; lime and orange for Asian)

Seasonings (parsley, rosemary, etc. for Italian taste; ginger for Asian)

Garlic

Sweeteners- honey/sugar to taste if dressing is too acidic 

Salt and Pepper

Ratios:

I do a ratio of 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar

Everything else is added to taste! Add as much or as little as desired 

Pizza Hut Personal Pans

Okay, it's been too long since I've updated, but it's been a busy summer so far! We made these amazing pizzas a few weeks back, and they couldn't have been better (see below)! Find the original recipe here!

Closet Organization!

We girls know what it's like to have clothes exploding everywhere. I've found that it's much easier to avoid the "I have nothing to wear" ordeal if my clothes and jewelry are organized and laid out nicely. (Check out my previous blog posts for my jewelry organization ideas!) For my closet, I've found a few tricks to keep everything looking neat. 

For scarves (as seen above), I use towel racks! I was able to hang them from the above shelving using the hooks (because they are originally meant for hanging on bathroom doors).

For my skirts, I use a multi-tierd (is that the right word?) hanger to keep them wrinkle-free. Hanging them vertically like this also reduces the use of closet space! 

For tank tops, I copied a brilliant idea that I saw on Pinterest. Use any type of hanger that allows for keeping them all in one place. It saves so much space when they aren't all folded up in a drawer or each on an individual hanger. Because of this, I have room in my dresser to fold all my T-shirts and now I can actually close the drawer without stuffing things down! 

I'm not entirely sure where all of these closet storage hangers came from because my mom got them for me, but I'm guessing that things like this can be found in the home section of any store! Happy organizing!

Days of the week dry erase memo board

This is a super simple DIY that is both functional and cute! Take an old picture frame set and turn it into a days of the week dry erase board! Use cute scrapbook paper or colored paper and make a different design for each day of the week. Cut to size, and place in each picture slot. Wipe the glass clean with some glass cleaner and a paper towel, and it's ready to go! Dry erase markers will work on the glass!

Perfect Nails!

I've gotta say... I'm so over spending $50 for a mani/pedi at a nail salon. It's so easy to do your own nails with the right tools and tips, and you'll save yourself some serious cash!

I suggest investing in:
-A bottle of good-quality nail polish remover
-Cotton balls/pads/swabs
-A pair of cuticle cutters and cuticle oil (coconut oil works well too!)
-A thick, rich hand creme
-A nail file and foot file (pumice stone)
-Nail clippers
-A multi-purpose base/top coat
-Quality nail polish (my new favorite is Essie brand...worth the extra few bucks!)

For the perfect mani/pedi:
1. Trim nails down using clippers so that they are all the same length. (I know it's painful to cut that extra-long nail that looks so pretty, but your nails will look better in the long run if they are the same length!)
2. File nails smooth, making them all the same shape. (for a square look, make straight across motions with the file, going up and down each side of the nail and straight across the top --- for a round look, move the file evenly around the whole nail, making sure to file away any pointy edges)
3. Remove any old nail polish with nail polish remover, and wash hands.
4. Trim any loose skin or cuticle around the nail with a pair of cuticle clippers and rub each nail with some cuticle oil (coconut oil works great!)
5. Lather up hands with some thick hand creme, and you're ready to paint!

Ta-Da! The perfect manicure that didn't cost you a fortune!

Get your feet summer-ready!

I have to admit I was skeptical about this one.... mix 1/4 cup listerine, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 1 cup warm water and soak feet for 10 minutes to remove dead skin. Although it didn't work wonders, there was definitely a noticeable difference in the texture of my feet. I used one of those foot file things to scrape my heels afterwards, and that helped too. Finish with lotion and your feet will be softer and begging to wear sandals!

Fleece Tie-Blanket

So this probably looks like a gift for a child, but it's actually something I made for my dorky comic-loving boyfriend who always complains of not having a blanket long enough to cover his feet! I found the directions for this super simple (I'm talking like, 2 hours tops!) tie-blanket craft on the Mommas Like Me blog.  It's very customizable as far as the fleece prints and size. I picked this superhero print for the front, and a simple green for the back, and used 2.5 yards of each fabric. It turned out pretty cute! And it's nice and big: about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long!

( See link for directions )

Simply Italian.

This pasta dish is delicious served either warm or cold. I preferred it cold drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with parmesan cheese. I'm not much of a tomato person; I almost didn't toss them in but they look so pretty!

Pretty simple;

Just one pound of penne pasta cooked a little past al dente, tossed together with homemade pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, bite size fresh mozzarella balls, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. 

Homemade pesto sauce:

1 bunch fresh basil

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup pine nuts

2-3 cloves garlic

Zest from one lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine in food processor until smooth

Jar Makeover

So this is the original idea I was going for....

From Polka pics- Turning old spaghetti jars into pretty containers by adding a knob to the lid and spray painting.

This is how mine turned out.... I think it's pretty cute! It adds a little bit of flair to my dresser. The pink is a little ridiculous but not bad for a craft that didn't even take 30 minutes!

I wasn't sure where to find a knob, so I just used a large bead and hot glued it to the lid of a parmesan jar that I rinsed out. 

I also didn't have the right kind of spray paint. I don't think my dad would have appreciated me using his car paint from the garage. Instead, I just applied two coats of white craft paint to cover up the colors on the lid, and then applied a final coat of pink. 

Olive Garden should be jealous.

I made this shrimp scampi for dinner tonight and it was a pretty big hit! I was going to make a pasta dish with alfredo sauce from a jar but then I decided to search for a pasta and shrimp dish on Pinterest. This is what I ended up with! It was super tasty, just the perfect amount of sauce made it a light spring dish. The recipe called for white wine in the sauce, but I used chicken broth instead. If it was delicious without the wine, I can't imagine how yummy it would be with it! I'll have to follow the recipe exactly next time. I have cut the original recipe down to serve 3-4 people.

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Scampi

Recipe via The Daring Gourmet

Ingredients:
1/2 pound linguine or fettuchine pasta cooked according to directions
1/2 pound shrimp, tails removed
1/2 cup white wine (I used chicken stock + 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar)
3 tablespoons butter (I used the leftover garlic and herb butter that I previously made for a different recipe)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2-3 cloves garlic
A few shakes of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for topping and garnishing
Parsley for garnishing

Directions:
1. On medium heat in a skillet, heat butter and olive oil until melted and hot. Toss is shrimp, cook for 1 minute. Flip the shrimp and toss in garlic and red pepper. Cook an additional minute or two (but that's it! don't overcook) and remove shrimp from pan, set aside.
2. To the remaining butter and oil, add white wine, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Boil sauce for 3 minutes and then reduce to medium heat. Toss the shrimp back into the sauce along with the pre-cooked pasta. Toss around until fully coated, and sprinkle in parmesan and parsley just before serving.

Bon appétit!

Holy yum.

These muffins are TOTALLY my new favorite. Who wouldn't want to eat one of these for breakfast? (or maybe two!) I wish I could take credit for this recipe, but I'm not that innovative! I found this via Pinterest on My Baking Addiction. See the link for the recipe, it is pretty long to write out! The picture below is my batch, which couldn't have turned out better! I don't think I've ever seen a batter that rises so perfectly, and the glaze just completes them.

Old Fashioned Donut Muffins

                                   

Candy in a Cookie

My boyfriend had the idea to make a Reese's cookie, and this is what we came up with. Reese's peanut butter cookies!

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup Reese's peanut butter chips
1 stick softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
A splash of vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 bag chocolate chips (we used semi-sweet, but milk chocolate would be best for a true Reese's flavor)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder
3. In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugar until smooth. Mix in egg and vanilla until combined. Fold in Reese's peanut butter chips.
4. Gradually combine flour mixture into the wet ingredients.
5. Roll the dough into small balls and place on prepared cookie sheet. Use a fork to gently press down each cookie and create a criss-cross pattern.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden.
7. In the meantime, combine chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of butter or shortening (to improve consistency) and melt in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each until melted
8. When the cookies are finished, let cool slightly, and then dip each cookie into chocolate and place back onto cookie sheet to set.

Super Duper Stain Remover!

I have a crazy amount of white T-shirts that I wasn't wearing anymore because of the embarrassing underarm stains that we all hate with a passion. I saw this recipe for a stain remover that's supposed to remove those tricky stains. It totally worked! I didn't post the after pictures because it was hard to tell the difference in a picture, but trust me, they looked much better!

Just make up a little concoction of one part dish soap, two parts hydrogen peroxide, and a dash of baking soda. Scrub the stains with a dollop of the mixture and a toothbrush. Then throw it in the wash with plenty of bleach! 

DIY Headwrap

I have seen this style of hair wrap ALL over Pinterest, but every link doesn't have the tutorial on how to make it. I remember seeing the instructions on one post, but I didn't pin it and never saw it again. SO, I recreated the wrap to the best of my memory and it turned out pretty well! (Although there was a lot of fiddling with the sewing machine after years of not using it). I figured I'd post my instructions so that it would be easier for other pinners to find.

DIY HAIR WRAP 

Instructions:

1. Find two long pieces (and about 4-5 inches wide) of a fabric that you like.

2. Fold each piece in half horizontally with the ugly side on the inside. 

3. Sew each piece along the open side.

4. You will now have two "tubes" of fabric. Turn each tube inside out so that the pretty side faces out. (Sorry for my lack of better terms)

5. Make an X with both tubes.

6. Fold each tube over and join all four ends on one side.

7. Wrap it around your head and mark about where you want it to come together. Then, lay each of the four ends on top of one another and sew along the line that you marked.

8. Lastly, cut off the excess and turn it inside out so that the seam is hidden. TA-DA! Your hair wrap is ready to wear! 

Nutella. Enough said.

These brownies are the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Best served with a huge glass of milk!

Nutella Pretzel Brownies

From Ruthie Hart's Blog

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups pretzels

1/3 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup nutella

1/2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

Extra nutella for frosting

Extra pretzels for garnish

1. For the crust, pulse pretzels, brown sugar, and 3 tsp melted butter in a food processor. Press mixture into a greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for 8 minutes.

2. For the brownies, whisk together 1/2 cup melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients until smooth.

3. Pour batter over baked crust and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

4. Let cool and frost with nutella, garnish with crushed pretzels.

Jewelry, Jewelry, Jewelry!

Before I made this handy jewelry wall, I wore the same things everyday and didn't even bother with my other jewelry because most of it was tangled up into a mess and hidden away in various drawers around the house. Not only did this craft make it easier to get ready in the morning, but it added something to my boring room! I especially like it above my table with the ridiculous amounts of lotion, perfume, and lip gloss that I have. 

I've seen lots of different ideas on Pinterest for jewelry storage, so I drew inspiration from each.

For the earring holders:
I used cheap wooden frames from walmart and cut chicken wire down to size using wire cutters (not easy for a wimp like me). Then I pressed the pieces of chicken wire into the frame and secured the corners with flat metal tacks.

For the necklace/bracelet holders:
I got a long wooden dowel from ACE hardware and had my power-tool savvy sister cut it into three separate pieces (I might have lost an appendage if I did it myself). I did two longer sections for necklaces and a shorter section for bracelets. Then, I secured wall hooks into the wall on both sides of each section and inserted the dowels. Yup..it was that easy!

A Twist on Shortbread

My boyfriend looooves shortbread. And butterscotch. One of my favorite features of Pinterest is the little search bar that brings up TONS of results for just one word. I usually start with just one ingredient that is on my mind and try to find something to make from there. In this case, I searched butterscotch and found this amazing recipe for butterscotch shortbread cookies. They are amazingly simple and fun to make. On top of that, they are probably the best cookies we've had in a while. (2 dozen were eaten up in just a few days!)

Butterscotch Shortbread Cookies

(Original recipe from 

kokocooks)

Recipe:

1 c butter, softened

½ c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 ¾ c all-purpose flour

½ c cornstarch

¼ tsp salt

½ c butterscotch chips, finely chopped

½ c toffee bits (I used finely chopped cinnamon candied almonds instead)

Kosher salt for sprinkling
1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix well. Fold in butterscotch chips and toffee bits. Cover and chill for 1 hour.
2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼” thickness. Cut into desired shapes, and place on  baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle a few salt crystals onto each cookie. Bake at 350 until lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Little Sister's Prom

This past weekend I eagerly volunteered to be the prom hair stylist for my sister and her friend. I get frustrated with my own hair and find it easier to practice on other people. These Pinterest-inspired hairstyles looked very pretty! Curly updo (left) and curly waterfall braid (right).

Snow Day

Today we Coloradoans experienced yet another day of unexpected snow in April. A perfect excuse to skip classes and make a pot of soup! I found this recipe for loaded baked potato soup on Pinterest (duh!) and modified it a bit. It literally took 5 minutes to put together in the crock-pot and it turned out to be super tasty!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Recipe:

1 bag frozen hash browns (I used the kind with peppers)

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 cups chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 clove/tsp. minced garlic

A few shakes each of black pepper and seasoning salt

Cook on low in crock-pot for 6 hours; one hour before serving add 3 slices crumbled bacon and 1 pkg. cream cheese. Serve with sour cream, cheese, green onion, or other garnishes. Enjoy!