Recipe: Vanilla Butter Cake

I made this cake a few weeks ago for Easter.(The night before, actually.)  It was the first time I had ever made this recipe, and I wasn't so sure about how it was going to turn out, but my family loved it.  The confectioners sugar kept absorbing into the cake, but that just means it's really moist!  Haha.  My family loved it.  We paired it with icecream and whipped cream.  You know, the staples!  

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 Sticks) of Butter

1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar

4 Eggs

2 tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract

2 cups Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 cup Milk

Confectioners Sugar

Directions:

Beat butter and brown sugar on high for three minutes with an electric mixer. Then beat in one egg at a time.  Then add in the vanilla extract.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

On low, beat half of the dry mixture into the wet mixture.  Then slowly add the milk.  Then mix in the rest of the dry mixture. 

 After everything is blended, put the mix into a lightly greased or floured fluted tube pan.  

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

When ready to serve, sprinkle confectioners sugar on top.

Enjoy!

xx 

Herbal Essences Illuminating Shampoo and Conditioner First Impressions:

Recently I decided to change a few things up, and one of the things that changed for me was my shampoo and conditioner.  I stayed with Herbal Essence, but I went from a minty scent to a floral.  

When I smelled the bottle in the store, it smelled really nice.  When I used it, it was a little strong for my taste.  And usually, it's just too strong in the bathroom, and it fades as soon as it dries, but not with this shampoo/conditioner.  I could smell my hair all day long, and even now, the next day, I can lightly smell it.   I like it a lot more now that it has faded a bit. 

It says that it's an illuminating shampoo, but  I already have pretty shinny hair, so I haven't seen a difference in that area. After my first use, my hair is soft and it's smooth.   It also protects against damage, but I currently can't comment on that area, because my hair has a little damage already. (I've been behind on hair trims recently.)

So, if you're looking for a floral shampoo/conditioner for the spring/summer time, I suggest looking at this one.  

xx   

Recipe: 3 minute Microwave Fudge

A few weeks ago, I made confetti brownies, and that recipe called for half a can of sweetened condensed milk, leaving me with  1/2 a can of something I don't know what to do with, so I googled.  I found a very simple 3 minute recipe from this site, and it’s really good.  I don’t normally like fudge, I think it’s too much, but this one was amazingly good. 

1 1/2 cups Chocolate Morsels

1/2 cup Sweetened, Condensed Milk

1/4 cup Peanut Butter

1 tbsp. of Water

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl.  Then, on full power, microwave for 30 seconds.  Then pull out, mix, and go again for another 30 seconds.  Repeat four more times. 

Place the mixture in a baking dish and pop it into the fridge.  It should be ready in about an hour and then slice it up and enjoy!

xx 

Loreal Paris Boost it Blow Out Heat Spray Review:

Recently I ran out of the heat protector that I've been using for at least two years now and  I googled around and found out that Loreal Paris has one that is  also supposed to lift your hair. As you know, I will try anything that says it will add volume to hair.  

This stuff works pretty well. I've used it twice now and each time I have noticed volume to my hair. I have one volume adder that if I use too much the my hair feels weird. This one has no issue like that.  

It smells like a lighter version of the teasing spray, but that smell doesn't stay in my hair.  I haven't paired them together yet, but I'm sure they would create a lot of volume with out the damaged of backcombing. (Even though it is suggested to backcomb with the spray.) 

It says on the back that it is a "workable, holding matrix that locks style strand by strand."  I haven't tried to curl my hair with it, because I don't usually curl my hair, but if I decided to curl my hair, I'll do a little update post.  

xx

Recipe: Sausage Tortellini

Today is another recipe that I found on Pinterest.  I did make a few changes to the recipe to suit my personal tastes, but the changes weren't so drastic to alter any point in the recipe.   This dish is perfect.  I wasn't so sure about it at the beginning while I was making it, but in the end it worked out.  (It looked like way too many tomatoes!)  You can taste all of the ingredients and they go perfectly together.  This is definitely going into the books!  

ALSO, it is one dish!!  If you’ve been here before, then you know that one dish meals are my favorite to make, and I think everything should be one dish, it would make life so much easier.   It’s also really quick!

Ingredients

1 lb package of Turkey Kielbasa

20 oz. package of refrigerated Tortellini

28 oz can of whole tomatoes, cut in the can with kitchen scissors

1 cup chicken broth

Pinch of salt & pepper

2 Tbsp cream cheese

2 cups shredded jack and cheddar cheeses

Directions:

Cook the sliced turkey sausage until browned.

 Add chicken broth, tortellini, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is cooked to al dente.

Remove from heat and add cheeses, reserving a handful for topping.

Cover and let stand for five to ten minutes.  Serve hot.

Enjoy! 

xx 

Rimmel London Wonderlash Mascara First Impressions:

I decided to get a new mascara and what drew me to this one was the argan oil.  I'm totally part of the argan oil trend.  I really like it. Argan oil contains vitamin E and antioxidants.  Using pure argan oil on your lashes, you could see longer lashes, thicker lashes, darker lashes, and lashes that don't clump together.  I don't know exactly how much argan oil is in this mascara, but on the side it says that your lashes will be full, perfectly smooth, and clump free.  

While I'm wearing this mascara, it doesn't feel as if I'm wearing any at all.  I can't see it, and it feels really light.  I don't really notice a lot of volume or fullness.  

Do I like this mascara? Yes. 

Does it give me the effects I want? Not really.  It says that it has volume and definition, and it's doesn't really deliver.  

Is it clump free?  Yes. 

This mascara is perfect for a lighter make up day, but it's not exactly what I was looking for.  

My other  (small) problem I have is that it's a rubber applicator, but I can work with it.  

Have you see this around?  Let me know!! 

xx 

Recipe: Longhorn Steakhouse Mac & Cheese Dupe

Like  I said in last week's recipe post, I am totally in love with Longhorn Steakhouse Chicken Parmesan dish, and at Longhorn you get a choice of sides and I always get the Mac & Cheese.  I found this recipe at the same time I found the chicken Parmesan dupe, and this one is really close also.  It makes a lot of pasta! So the next time I make it, I'll half the recipe.  

Ingredients:

1 pound Cavatappi Pasta

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp  Flour

2 cups Half and Half

2 ounces Gruyere Cheese, shredded

8 ounces White Cheddar, shredded

2 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese , shredded

4 ounces Fontina Cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

4 pieces Bacon Cooked Crispy and Crumbled

1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Instructions:

Make the pasta how you usually make pasta.  

Then in a large sauce pan, combine 2 tbsps. of butter and 2 tbsp of flour over medium heat.  Cook until fragrant.  Add in 1/2 c of half and half and stir until the sauce thickens. 

 Add an additional 1/2 cup of half and half after, let it thicken up some more, and then add the final 1 cup of half and half and stir until the sauce is thick. 

Add the cheeses slowly.  

Sprinkle in the smoked paprika.  

Add the sauce and pasta together and pour into a 13 x 9 inch pan that has been sprayed with no-stick spray. 

Top the mac and cheese with panko bread crumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins or until the panko bread crumbs begin to brown.

Enjoy!

xx

Other Longhorn Dishes:
Bourbon Salmon 
Parmesan Chicken 

Homemade Bath Bombs!

A little while ago, I tried to make bath bombs and I failed miserably.  I think it was a combination of the humidity and because I didn’t slowly add in the liquid to the dry mix.  So, here I am again with a whole different recipe and different essential oils. 

This time they turned out GREAT!  I was so happy when I went to get them out of the molds and they were perfect, well, kind of.  I had a hard time with the flower mold, but just because they’re not exactly pretty, doesn’t mean that they’re failures.  I can’t wait to make more with the essential oils I have from before.  It’s so exciting! 

Ingredients:

2 cups Baking Soda

1 cup Citric Acid

1 cup Cornstarch

3 tsp Almond Oil 

1 tsp of Essential Oils

Food coloring.

Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle.

Directions:

Add all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.  (For this to show up well, I had to make the picture darker.) 

Combine the almond oil and the essential oils in a separate dish. (This picture would just look like water in a bowl, that is why there isn't one.) 

Slowly add the oils to the dry ingredients, mixing as you go. 

Add in the food coloring while mixing. (For the first batch, I tried adding the food coloring to the oil, which didn't work out well.  It didn't mix.  So, don't try that.)

Spray the mix with the rubbing alcohol a few times, until the mix looks like damp sand. 

Press the mixture into the mold of your choosing

Lightly mix the top of the bomb with alcohol, then let dry.

I had little bit of trouble with the blue flowers, but eventually they did dry out and I have a total of 12 bath bombs.  

The flowers are mint and the hearts are lavender.  The smell amazingly and work perfectly!  

I love them. 

xx 

Recipe: Longhorn Steakhouse Chicken Parmesan Dupe

If you've read any of my Friday posts then you would know how much I love Longhorn Steakhouse.  My favorite dish there is the Chicken Parmesan, and while exploring Pinterest, I found a dupe recipe for the dish.  I was so excited!  Going out to eat gets really expensive, especially at Longhorn, but now I can make the dish at home.  And it's pretty spot on!
 (Two versions of the directions first have picture by picture references.  Second is at the bottom, and it's easier to just read.) 

Ingredients: 

Chicken Marinade:

4 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breast

1/2 c Olive Oil

1/2 c Ranch Dressing

3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp Vinegar

1 tsp Lemon Juice

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

 The Sauce Layer:

1/4 cup Ranch Dressing

1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

The Parmesan Crumb Topping:

1/2 c Panko Bread Crumbs

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/3 c Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 tbsp Melted Butter

Provolone Cheese Slices

Directions:

Mix together the marinade ingredients, put the 4 chicken breasts into a larger Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade.  Put the bag into the refrigerator for an hour.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake for around 16 minutes, then turn the chicken over and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. 

While the chicken is baking, mix together the sauce layer, and mix together the Parmesan crumb topping ingredients (I don't have a picture of this step) except for the provolone.

When the chicken is done baking, spread the sauce mix over the chicken, place a piece of provolone on each chicken breast, then top with the crumb mix. 

 Broil for a few minutes, watching closely so that it doesn't burn. 

Directions without scrolling through pictures:

1. Mix together the marinade ingredients, put the 4 chicken breasts into a larger Ziploc bag and pour in the marinade.  Put the bag into the refrigerator for an hour.
2. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake for around 16 minutes, then turn the chicken over and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes. 
3. While the chicken is baking, mix together the sauce layer, and mix together the Parmesan crumb topping ingredients (I don't have a picture of this step) except for the provolone.
4. When the chicken is done baking, spread the sauce mix over the chicken, place a piece of provolone on each chicken breast, then top with the crumb mix. 
5.  Broil for a few minutes, watching closely so that it doesn't burn. 

Enjoy!

xx

Two other Longhorn Dupe Recipes: 

Mac & Cheese

Bourbon Salmon