Fourth of July Round Up

Hey there! As I’m sure many of you are, I am SUPER excited for this upcoming Wednesday…FOURTH OF JULY!!!!! GO ‘Merica!

Here are some recipes I’ve shared to help you get the party going and keep a full tummy. :-)

BL(S)T Pasta Salad

Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Fiesta Quinoa Salad

What’s in the Fridge Pasta Salad

Grilled Potato Wedges

Homemade Salsa in a Jiffy
Mini Cherry Pie

Mini Apple Pie

Fresh Blueberry Pie

M&M Cookie Bars

Bites from other blogs that would be AWE-SOME!

Healthier Monster Cookie Dip from Spinach and Sprinkles

BBQ Flavored Onion Rings from Rhubarb and Honey

Buffalo Chicken and Guacamole Wraps from Amy’s Cooking Adventures

Choc-o-licious Cookie Bars from Kudos Kitchen by Renee

Cake Truffles from Natural Noshing

Random Fact of the Day: If you have a dog accompanying you when meeting a random woman, you’re three times more likely to get her phone number.

Week In Review (4/16-4/20)

Monday I shared with you the delicious cake I made to celebrate my mom’s birthday!! It was awesome getting to celebrate my mom’s day with this cake.

Tuesday I went with my prom date to go pick out his tux and all the little accessories that go with it. I never knew what cuff links were until this day… always just thought they were little decorative clips that some kids gave to their dad’s for Christmas. And um can I just say this looks like the most awesome thing in the history of ever! Coffee Faucet

Wednesday was the day the White Chocolate Wonderful ice cream came out. Holy Schmoly. Make THIS! Buy an ice cream maker. Buy White Chocolate Wonderful. DO IT DO IT DO IT.


Friday I showed you guys the yummy coconut cake I made for Easter. I’m convinced this baby could turn coconut haters into coconut freaks! I also got my fake baby for my child development class. It’s just like in the movies for when kids have to take care of fake babies for class…that baby is the reason why my week in review post is later than usual…crying baby=no sleep.

Random Fact of the Day: In the 1920′s popcorn was banned from movie theaters because it was too noisy.

White Chocolate Wonderful Ice Cream

Ever heard of Peanut Butter & Co.?

They’re a pretty popular company that is from New York. They have a TON of amazing flavors of peanut butter that will totally rock your socks off. I had heard about them quite a bit through different food blogs, but it never occurred to me that my local grocery store would actually sell them. Turns out as I was strolling through the nut butter aisle the other day I stumbled across Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butter. I was super psyched and KNEW I had to try it!! I picked up Dark Chocolate Dreams and White Chocolate Wonderful. Of course when I got home I had to take a spoon and try a little giant spoonful of each. Let’s just say it took all the power in my body to restrain myself from double-dipping.

Now I happen to really, REALLY like the combination of peanut butter and white chocolate in cookies, so I figured this combination would be absolutely killer in ice cream. You all have GOT to try this recipe. If you don’t have an ice cream machine, get the heck on that! You will not be sorry. This ice cream alone would make it all worth it. It’s fully loaded with tons of goodies to make every bite as delicious as ever. Do. It.

White Chocolate Wonderful Ice Cream

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups milk (any type is good, I always use skim)

1 cup  plus 3 Tablespoons White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter

3/4 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup white chocolate chocolate chips

1/2 cup mini peanut butter cups (I used the minis from Trader Joe’s)

  1. In bowl, mix White Chocolate Wonderful peanut butter and sugar until thoroughly combined using a whisk. Mix in milk slowly until incorporated. Stir in vanilla and 2 cups of heavy cream. Pour into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
  2. Once there is just about 5 minutes left for the ice cream to be in the ice cream maker, mix in mini peanut butter cups and white chocolate chips. When ice cream is done in ice cream maker, pour ice cream in airtight container and finish freezing process in freezer. Enjoy!
Random Fact of the Day: Boeing planes fly 17 million miles daily- approximately the distance of 35 round trips to the moon.

Flattered!

Quite recently I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award, by Giovanna from Blue Jelly Beans and I’m super pumped!

I love this fun little games that go around the blogging world. Anyways I’m sorry if I’m lacking in interesting stuff about myself, I have been on this world for less than 18 years and all..

So here is how the Versatile Blogger Award works, you just have to share 7 little-known things about yourself and nominate 15 other bloggers. Hold up. 15?!? Who do they think I am?? Oh boy well, that will certainly be a challenge. Anyways, I’m honored to be nominated by such an amazing blogger.

Giovanna is actually a really interesting blogger, you should check out her about page!

Alright here we go…7 things:

  1. I am extremely scared of needles: I actually have to lay down when I get shots or blood tests. Thinking about it even makes me woozy. I’ve thought at times a tattoo could be cool, but the needles would just kill me. I would totally wimp out. There is one specific time I remember when I was little where I was getting shots for school (I believe this was around the time of kindergarten/1st grade) and I was screaming and jerking my arms everywhere like a little tornado. I have been told I was audible from outside and down the hall. Shots are over-rated in my opinion, I mean what did they do in Jesus times???
  2. I love to sew: Despite my monstrous fear of needles, I have loved to sew since my 7th grade home economics class. My mom let me get my own sewing machine after that class and I have made several items. I don’t think I’ll be making anything extravagant like my wedding dress or anything, but I find it relaxing and rewarding. It’s kinda similar to cooking where there is a little work but then when you finish the final project, you just feel so proud and excited!
  3. I’m addicted to Cran-Grape Juice: This is not a joke. I seriously may have a problem…I drank 6 bottles all by myself in the past week. I’m drunk on antioxidants!!!
  4. That vast majority of my heritage is [supposedly] Native American: According to my Grandpa Bill (my dad’s dad) his grandma (so my great-great grandma) was 100% Native American. Also, according to my gram (my mom’s mom) her grandma was 100% Native American as well. Hmm…I do wear moccasins a lot! Haven’t quite committed to the whole tee-pee thing though.
  5. I check my room every night before I go to bed for scary stalkers/bugs: This is embarrassing. But it’s something unique, right? Hopefully you don’t think I’m some kind of paranoid psycho. I really do act like a “normal” person, in real life. But I do happen to check under my dresser, bed, and in my  closet for the scary stalker people. (I have yet to come across one, phew!) I also check under my sheets and under my pillow for bugs. Now I promise you this, I have a LEGIT reason. I was scarred a few times in my younger years. I have two three specific memories engraved in my head of bug experiences.   ONE: I remember once waking up with a lady bug right in front of my nose. (good morning?) TWO:  Right before bed one night as I was getting all comfy I found a little spidery friend at the foot of my bed, under the sheets. THREE: My bedroom is beneath one of the attics in our house. For a while there was a dark spot developing on the ceiling right above my bed. I didn’t tell my parents about it for a while because I figured it would somehow magically disappear. Well, it continued to grow…Finally I told my parents. We later discovered that there was a ginormous bee’s nest rapidly growing in our attic and we had to hire an exterminator to get rid of those guys. Keep in mind, my mom is deathly allergic to bees. Fortunately, I’ve never been stung, but I have no idea if I’m allergic. I’d prefer not to find out!!!
  6. I once wanted to be a show choir girl: Back in middle school, before the “Glee” days, show choir was the thing to be in. Like if you made it in, your cool meter just went WAY up. I, wanting to get a jump start, decided to try out in 6th grade. Being the natural athlete I was, I had never really gotten cut from any team, I had always been on the top team as a pretty good player. My winning streak stopped in 6th grade at that show choir audition. I did ah-mazing on the dance routine. I freaking owned it!!! I’m pretty sure I still remember most of the dance to this day. I still remember the song, “Life is a Highway“. Anyways, the singing audition was the next day. I chose good ‘ol “Amazing Grace”. I busted that out and I felt like I was just on top of the world! Turns out I’m a pretty crappy singer. Trust me though, it sounds amazing in my head. Like I could make millions off that voice in my head. Anyhow, I didn’t make show choir. That’s it.
  7. My favorite animal is a puffin: has been since I found out what one is. who couldn’t love this little guy?!?
  1. Julie from Spinach and Sprinkles (I’m pretty sure she already did something similar to this, but she’s awesome so I would just like to let you all know that. Also, she doesn’t have to do this if shes already done it! no pressure :) )
  2. Kristy from Eat, Play, Love
  3. Lauren from Keep it Sweet
  4. Deborah from The Monster in Your Closet
  5. Lynn from The Actor’s Diet
  6. Mrs. Veggie Pants
  7. alright, i give up this is too freaking hard. YOU WIN CHALLENGE!
  8. yo mama
  9. muffin
  10. meep
  11. car
  12. woot woot
  13. BOO!
  14. trick or treat smell my feet give me something good to eat
  15. ZZzzzz

Wow, think I’m in a weird mood?

Random Fact of the Day: In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs