Today's "Wordless Wednesday" is in honor of Dr. Seuss Day coming up this weekend :-)
Be Inspired today!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Low Carb Cherry Almond Scones!
Iiiiiiiiiiit's Made it Monday! again...Are you excited??? Tonight I am going to share one of my recent FAVORITE new recipes...I mean, it's one of those...."hearing the angels singing and the heavens above opening when you take a bite" kind of recipes.
They are Low Carb Cherry Almond Scones. Is your mouth watering yet? :-)
After eating low carb for a year, I have recently discovered "Swerve". It was very frustrating being a "baker" and not being able to bake anything traditionally on a low carb diet (nix flour and sugar and good luck finding a delectable cake/brownie/cookie recipe worth the cost and effort). Swerve has been a life saver! After a lot of research and a "trial" order, I do have to say that I love the way Swerve "measures" up<-----See what I did there? hehehe.
Swerve IS "pricey" and I only use it here and there, but I have found a plethora of "carb friendly" recipes that use Swerve. I HAVE found that (as the research indicates) sometimes stomach discomfort can occur with swerve. I have a very sensitive stomach (Splenda sends me running to the bathroom in 10 minutes). I look for recipes that use 3/4 c of swerve or less. One recipe that used a full cup DID cause me some stomach upset. I have kept to my "3/4 or less" rule since then and have had NO TROUBLE. I haven't been able to try the "confectioners" version of Swerve yet- they have been out of stock for months now, but I am excited to try it for frostings/icings in the future :-) You can read more about Swerve here: http://www.swervesweetener.com/about-swerve/
For those of you that have asked, the only other sweetener that I cook with is Stevia! (And I add natural Monk Fruit to my coffee in the mornings!)
Now, on to the scones!!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 c. Almond Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
-2 Tbsp. Coconut Flour (Also, Bob's)
- 1/4 c. Swerve
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- "pinch" of salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Ext.
- 1 tsp. Almond Ext.
- 1/4 c. (jar) of cherries, chopped
- 1/4 c. chopped almonds
DIRECTIONS:
1.) Preheat your oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with Parchment Paper. (I used my Pampered Chef bar stone so I skipped the parchment).
2.) Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3.) Whisk the eggs and extracts together. Add to Dry ingredients.
4.) Fold in the cherries and almonds.
5.) Drop in 6 "mounds" onto the baking sheet.
6.) Bake for 15-18 minutes.
7.) Cool on a baking rack- do yourself a favor and wait until they are cooled down to enjoy the texture they gain!
It's that easy!!! These scones come out nicely golden and crisp on the outside and crumbly and soft in the center. I doubled the recipe with the intentions of freezing most of them for a quick and easy breakfast- they are PERFECT with coffee! Well, Charles and I LOVED them so much that they didn't stay frozen for long, lol. I am planning on making a few other versions of these using the base recipe- I LOVE THEM! I will update this recipe once I try my newest version, which I just bought the ingredients for- Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut!!
After eating low carb for a year, I have recently discovered "Swerve". It was very frustrating being a "baker" and not being able to bake anything traditionally on a low carb diet (nix flour and sugar and good luck finding a delectable cake/brownie/cookie recipe worth the cost and effort). Swerve has been a life saver! After a lot of research and a "trial" order, I do have to say that I love the way Swerve "measures" up<-----See what I did there? hehehe.
Swerve IS "pricey" and I only use it here and there, but I have found a plethora of "carb friendly" recipes that use Swerve. I HAVE found that (as the research indicates) sometimes stomach discomfort can occur with swerve. I have a very sensitive stomach (Splenda sends me running to the bathroom in 10 minutes). I look for recipes that use 3/4 c of swerve or less. One recipe that used a full cup DID cause me some stomach upset. I have kept to my "3/4 or less" rule since then and have had NO TROUBLE. I haven't been able to try the "confectioners" version of Swerve yet- they have been out of stock for months now, but I am excited to try it for frostings/icings in the future :-) You can read more about Swerve here: http://www.swervesweetener.com/about-swerve/
For those of you that have asked, the only other sweetener that I cook with is Stevia! (And I add natural Monk Fruit to my coffee in the mornings!)
Now, on to the scones!!
- 1 c. Almond Flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
-2 Tbsp. Coconut Flour (Also, Bob's)
- 1/4 c. Swerve
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- "pinch" of salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Ext.
- 1 tsp. Almond Ext.
- 1/4 c. (jar) of cherries, chopped
- 1/4 c. chopped almonds
DIRECTIONS:
1.) Preheat your oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with Parchment Paper. (I used my Pampered Chef bar stone so I skipped the parchment).
2.) Sift the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3.) Whisk the eggs and extracts together. Add to Dry ingredients.
4.) Fold in the cherries and almonds.
5.) Drop in 6 "mounds" onto the baking sheet.
6.) Bake for 15-18 minutes.
7.) Cool on a baking rack- do yourself a favor and wait until they are cooled down to enjoy the texture they gain!
It's that easy!!! These scones come out nicely golden and crisp on the outside and crumbly and soft in the center. I doubled the recipe with the intentions of freezing most of them for a quick and easy breakfast- they are PERFECT with coffee! Well, Charles and I LOVED them so much that they didn't stay frozen for long, lol. I am planning on making a few other versions of these using the base recipe- I LOVE THEM! I will update this recipe once I try my newest version, which I just bought the ingredients for- Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut!!
Friday, February 21, 2014
Favorites Fridays!!
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings, These are a few of my favorite things....I could keep going, but you get the point (and my cats are not happy that I interrupted their Friday nap with my singing, apparently!) :-) Welcome to FAVORITES FRIDAYS!
Each Friday I will be sharing something that has made it onto my "Favorites" or "Must Have" or even just "Love this" list. Some weeks it might be a product or product review, a new website or blog I've found...or even...like today- a collection! Today I am sharing my newest Etsy Treasury!
Pantone's "Color of the Year" for 2014 is a gorgeous shade of purple called RADIANT ORCHID. I am IN LOVE with it! It's so vibrant and rich!
Here is my etsy treasury featuring this gorgeous color! OH, and check out the FIRST item in the treasury---I want one SOOOO badly! It's functional and features a quote from my FAVORITE movie! Can you guess what movie it is BEFORE you peek at it???? :-)Radiant Orchid Etsy Treasury
P.S.- Stay tuned for a GIVEAWAY next week featuring this color!!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Wordless Wednesdays!
Welcome to Wordless Wednesdays! Every Wednesday I will share something (sometimes fun, sometimes inspirational, etc.) that requires no lengthy blog post explanation. For this first installment, I decided to go with my favorite quote! Happy Wednesday! :-D
Monday, February 17, 2014
Made It Mondays! Cocoa Mug Cakes
Welcome to MADE IT MONDAYS! This is the first installment and I am excited to share a low-carb(ish) craving killer that I L-O-V-E.
About a year ago, my husband and I switched (very drastically) to a low-carb diet. We went from bread-eating, sugar-stuffing, pasta-loving, Dublin Dr. Pepper-addicted Texans to a carb-o-phobic couple. Yes, it is true that it was due to very pressing health issues that we initially began this journey...But after dropping 30 pounds (although I have admittedly gained some of that back) and feeling better AND having a lot less stomach trouble- we have stuck with it!
It is true that when you have been (an above detailed) carb lover all your life you feel like you are denying yourself every single time you hit a craving....Now, it's different for every person, but if someone tells you that you "won't crave carbs (pastries, breadsticks, macaroni and cheese, and CAKE) if you just cut them out altogether"...They are LYING to you. LOL.
Enter this lovely recipe below. It is PERFECT for when those chocolate cravings hit and all you want to do it cuddle up to a hot fudge sundae topped with chocolate chip cookies. It is a (healthier) low-carb-ish recipe that is ready in...wait for it....ONE MINUTE in the microwave. I'm serious- O.N.E.!
I have made lots of different versions of this cake, but here I have given you the "stripped down", original version.
Here is the super-easy recipe.
*1 Egg
*2 Tbsp. cocoa (I used Hershey's special dark this time around)
*1 Tbsp. Raw Honey
*1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
*1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
*1 or 2 "shakes" of cinnamon
DIRECTIONS: Are you ready for this??
1.) Mix all of the ingredients altogether. (I find it easiest with a large whisk)
2.) Spray (or coat with coconut oil) a coffee mug, small glass bowl or 3 larger glass ramekins (as pictured above). The recipe makes one "personal sized" cake or 3 small cupcakes.
3.) Cook in a microwave for 1 minute. Watch it bake...seriously...it's fun. Watch it.
*I often double this recipe for myself and my hubby. If you bake both at the same time in the microwave, also double the cook time to 2 minutes.
For the CHEESECAKE DIP: Blend together 1 8oz. package of softened cream cheese, 1 tsp. vanilla ext., 1 tsp. almond ext., 3/4 c. whipping cream, 1/2 c. swerve or stevia. It will make quite a bit. You can (1) Cut the recipe in half OR if you are like me (2) Save the extra and use it to stuff/dip fresh strawberries! YUM!
Keep in mind that the alterations will make the carb count differ. (The "regular" un-doubled recipe has about 20 carbs. If you are diabetic, yes, that sounds like a lot- keep in mind that a 1/2in thick slice of regular cake has about double that- but honey has shown to have properties that LEVEL the bloodsugar, whereas regular sugar does...not... lol.
ENJOY your treat and let me know if you tried it and what you thought about it!
Monday, January 13, 2014
Do you forgive me?
Ok, let me begin this post by saying.... I am a terrible blogger- horrible, I know. I have to apologize now for the fact that I haven't posted anything since October!!! (cue mournful violin music)
Now, let me attempt to explain just WHY I have been so lax in posting. The past few months have been C-R-A-Z-Y! Practically right after I wrote my last post in October my husband and I decided to move. The house we were moving into needed a LOT of work to make it "livable" before "move time"...which was 6 six weeks. Yeah, SIX. We put aside pretty much everything in our lives to patch and repair walls, rip up carpet, lay new flooring, replace doors, paint 7 rooms (different colors) as well as the outside of the house... It made for many late nights and exhausting weekends. I then faced the enormous task of organizing and packing our home (you would be AMAZED how much stuff just 2 people plus 2 cats can accumulate in 8 years...seriously). We faced some crazy obstacles in moving because of the condition of the home and the city in which we were moving.....CRAZY is just a general terms and I won't go into all of the details because this blog entry would then turn into a short story....a short (horror) story.
(violin music swells)
Thanksgiving Day we started moving and of course then we faced unpacking, organizing, etc. etc.! It was one wild ride! Of course by this point I was in the midst of holiday boutique/craft show/filling orders mayhem. At this point a H-U-G-E ice storm hit North Texas where I live. Craft shows were cancelled, mail pretty much stopped running...it was a MESS. To compensate for missing out on shows, I had a great big sale on my facebook page then spent every available second pumping out orders until I closed for the holidays.
Then of course, there's Christmas and all the amazing, fun, insane family gatherings, gift wrapping and celebrating that goes along with it!
(end violins)
So, there is the story. Forgive me? I hope so!! Here's a belated Christmas greeting to sooth your pain.
Enter 2014.
We are already almost 2 weeks into January- Did you set any resolutions this year? Charles and I don't do "resolutions", we choose to set goals (big ones, then small ones to help us reach those big ones) and this year we have chosen to each keep a "journal" regarding our goals! (Last year we were never able to sit and do our goals- I am attributing our horribly, rotten, no good, very bad year partially to this)- Just kidding...but seriously...
I chose to make personal goals, business goals and then we set marriage goals as well. I won't list them all in detail here (the short story would then turn into a novella), but I will say that I focused on my own personal health, weight and stress level, spiritual growth, and made a goal to read more! One thing that was amazing to us was that we do our goals separately then talked about them together afterwards and our "marriage" goals were EXTREMELY similar. We really feel like we are on the same wavelength about things we need to change and work toward for 2014- Praise the Lord! I have also made some business goals that I hope God will help me reach before the end of the year.
As for now, I just uploaded my brand new designs and custom sets for...VALENTINE'S DAY! <3
Check them out- I am really excited about how they turned out! There are ready to ship block sets as well as 2 brand new customizable designs that are the PERFECT special, one of a kind gift for the one you love this year :-) I did something a little different this year and chose to do each set in neutral colors and give you the option to add your own colors. Let me know what you think and message me with your questions and orders!
Now, let me attempt to explain just WHY I have been so lax in posting. The past few months have been C-R-A-Z-Y! Practically right after I wrote my last post in October my husband and I decided to move. The house we were moving into needed a LOT of work to make it "livable" before "move time"...which was 6 six weeks. Yeah, SIX. We put aside pretty much everything in our lives to patch and repair walls, rip up carpet, lay new flooring, replace doors, paint 7 rooms (different colors) as well as the outside of the house... It made for many late nights and exhausting weekends. I then faced the enormous task of organizing and packing our home (you would be AMAZED how much stuff just 2 people plus 2 cats can accumulate in 8 years...seriously). We faced some crazy obstacles in moving because of the condition of the home and the city in which we were moving.....CRAZY is just a general terms and I won't go into all of the details because this blog entry would then turn into a short story....a short (horror) story.
(violin music swells)
Thanksgiving Day we started moving and of course then we faced unpacking, organizing, etc. etc.! It was one wild ride! Of course by this point I was in the midst of holiday boutique/craft show/filling orders mayhem. At this point a H-U-G-E ice storm hit North Texas where I live. Craft shows were cancelled, mail pretty much stopped running...it was a MESS. To compensate for missing out on shows, I had a great big sale on my facebook page then spent every available second pumping out orders until I closed for the holidays.
Then of course, there's Christmas and all the amazing, fun, insane family gatherings, gift wrapping and celebrating that goes along with it!
(end violins)
So, there is the story. Forgive me? I hope so!! Here's a belated Christmas greeting to sooth your pain.
Enter 2014.
We are already almost 2 weeks into January- Did you set any resolutions this year? Charles and I don't do "resolutions", we choose to set goals (big ones, then small ones to help us reach those big ones) and this year we have chosen to each keep a "journal" regarding our goals! (Last year we were never able to sit and do our goals- I am attributing our horribly, rotten, no good, very bad year partially to this)- Just kidding...but seriously...
I chose to make personal goals, business goals and then we set marriage goals as well. I won't list them all in detail here (the short story would then turn into a novella), but I will say that I focused on my own personal health, weight and stress level, spiritual growth, and made a goal to read more! One thing that was amazing to us was that we do our goals separately then talked about them together afterwards and our "marriage" goals were EXTREMELY similar. We really feel like we are on the same wavelength about things we need to change and work toward for 2014- Praise the Lord! I have also made some business goals that I hope God will help me reach before the end of the year.
As for now, I just uploaded my brand new designs and custom sets for...VALENTINE'S DAY! <3
Check them out- I am really excited about how they turned out! There are ready to ship block sets as well as 2 brand new customizable designs that are the PERFECT special, one of a kind gift for the one you love this year :-) I did something a little different this year and chose to do each set in neutral colors and give you the option to add your own colors. Let me know what you think and message me with your questions and orders!
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
From one vendor to shoppers everywhere...
It's that time of year---Craft show time! (Vendor fairs, craft fairs, "festivals", bazaars, etc...That glorious season of holiday shopping is upon us!) With another show looming ahead of me this weekend, I have decided that I should help out other vendors everywhere and let you in on some "secrets" from one vendor (little 'ole mwah) to shoppers everywhere...
Shoppers, we love you!! Please come visit us, walk around, talk, buy... However, after 3 years of craft show participation (large and small, indoor and outdoor, schools/churches/parks/parking LOTS/gyms/convention centers- I've done 'em all).
I have compiled a list of "DOs and DON'Ts" for fairs/shows. (And all the other business owners simultaneously cued their own personal hallelujah choruses) Keep in mind, fans that these are ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD HAPPEN TO ME at a show...in person.
First, the easy stuff...
DO
1.) Come on IN the booth and look around!
2.) Compliment the items you see that you like or are interested in (this could also include mentioning if you enjoy the way things are displayed and the booth set up, etc.)
3.) Ask questions pertaining to what items are made out of and ALWAYS feel free to ask if they are handmade (mine ALL are and it makes us feel good to know that you recognize the time and effort it takes to make the products!)
4.) Of course...find something you can't live without and buy it! Spread the word on where you got it and make me smile! :-)
5.) Ask about custom items- if you have something in mind I will try to make it for you! If I don't think I can pull it off, I will do my best to find one of my fellow "boutique bellas (or beau)" who does!
DON'T (please...pretty, pretty please...)
1.) Ask me to "let you in" on my process of making my products. These items take time, energy, love and creativity to put together! I have had many sessions of trial and error to get my items to the "final" stage, ready for you to purchase! This includes the veiled "clever" attempts of: "Can I ask you...?" as well as "Do you just use ______ from ______?" and the ever popular "I don't want to buy one, but can you tell me how you ________". No, No- I cannot tell you. It's a secret. MY secret and it's a LOT harder than it looks ;-)
2.) Just to take it up a notch...PLEASE DON'T mention to the person you are with that "...you could make that yourself...it would be easy...we can find it on 'pinterest'...it wouldn't be that hard... etc." (YES, this has happened to me at just about EVERY show I have done. It's called TACT, people.
3.) Going along with the first 2 "don'ts", please don't come into my booth and start snapping photos of my products to try and re-create yourself at home. My items are my intellectual and creative PROPERTY and you are in essence stealing them when you do this! This includes the "sly" cell phone snap. Yes, I know what you are doing.
3.) Criticize my art. Please don't take it upon yourself to suggest "another" way to do something...or say "You should have....". This also includes commenting on prices being set they way they are (Maybe shoppers don't realize this, but boutique owners like myself are NOT getting rich off of their business- I love what I do and I price my items according to supplies + time and effort). YES, it has really happened...in front of me. Didn't your mama ever say "...if you can't say something nice..."?
4.) Have group "reunions" with friends and family, therefore blocking my entire booth from other visitors OR come in and "loiter" while doing the aforementioned sly "cell phone snapping" and "criticizing".
5.) Were you raised in a barn??? CAUTION: I am not jumping on a soap box, here. ALL of the following jaw-droppers have actually happened to me (some more than once).
-Please don't bring yucky, messy food and drinks into my booth and set them down to pick up my items (or leave them behind on my tables or under them- My booth is not a trash can).
-Please don't come in, move my items around or spend 10 minutes picking items up from across the booth then set them all down somewhere and leave...
-Please don't let your pet have their leave to run under my tables, come in my booth and especially WATCH YOUR PET. (Yes, I am talking to the rude teenager who let their dog urinate on one of my products then picked up said dog and ran away)
-The above sub-category also includes unruly children handling my items and/or ruining them as well as the unruly adults in charge of them who put broken or damaged items down and clearing out as quickly as possible...
**And the other business owners are finishing up with a HAAAA-LLLLEEEELLUUUU-JAAAAAAHHHHHH- jazz hands. Big finish.**
Yes, I've attempted to take a humorous approach with this post. But seriously... As someone whose dream it is to one day have her own storefront, I consider my current "booth" to be a storefront too- a traveling one! I put a lot of myself into my booth set-ups and displays and of course the products that go into it! I have stressed over the weather, advertised, invited, priced items, organized and transported all of these hand-made treasures all just to *hope* that you will find something you love and take it home!
On that note, one more DO...DO SHOP HANDMADE!! Handmade items are made from the heart! Happy Wednesday- go forth and shop this weekend! :-)
Shoppers, we love you!! Please come visit us, walk around, talk, buy... However, after 3 years of craft show participation (large and small, indoor and outdoor, schools/churches/parks/parking LOTS/gyms/convention centers- I've done 'em all).
I have compiled a list of "DOs and DON'Ts" for fairs/shows. (And all the other business owners simultaneously cued their own personal hallelujah choruses) Keep in mind, fans that these are ALL THINGS THAT I HAVE ACTUALLY HAD HAPPEN TO ME at a show...in person.
First, the easy stuff...
DO
1.) Come on IN the booth and look around!
2.) Compliment the items you see that you like or are interested in (this could also include mentioning if you enjoy the way things are displayed and the booth set up, etc.)
3.) Ask questions pertaining to what items are made out of and ALWAYS feel free to ask if they are handmade (mine ALL are and it makes us feel good to know that you recognize the time and effort it takes to make the products!)
4.) Of course...find something you can't live without and buy it! Spread the word on where you got it and make me smile! :-)
5.) Ask about custom items- if you have something in mind I will try to make it for you! If I don't think I can pull it off, I will do my best to find one of my fellow "boutique bellas (or beau)" who does!
DON'T (please...pretty, pretty please...)
1.) Ask me to "let you in" on my process of making my products. These items take time, energy, love and creativity to put together! I have had many sessions of trial and error to get my items to the "final" stage, ready for you to purchase! This includes the veiled "clever" attempts of: "Can I ask you...?" as well as "Do you just use ______ from ______?" and the ever popular "I don't want to buy one, but can you tell me how you ________". No, No- I cannot tell you. It's a secret. MY secret and it's a LOT harder than it looks ;-)
2.) Just to take it up a notch...PLEASE DON'T mention to the person you are with that "...you could make that yourself...it would be easy...we can find it on 'pinterest'...it wouldn't be that hard... etc." (YES, this has happened to me at just about EVERY show I have done. It's called TACT, people.
3.) Going along with the first 2 "don'ts", please don't come into my booth and start snapping photos of my products to try and re-create yourself at home. My items are my intellectual and creative PROPERTY and you are in essence stealing them when you do this! This includes the "sly" cell phone snap. Yes, I know what you are doing.
3.) Criticize my art. Please don't take it upon yourself to suggest "another" way to do something...or say "You should have....". This also includes commenting on prices being set they way they are (Maybe shoppers don't realize this, but boutique owners like myself are NOT getting rich off of their business- I love what I do and I price my items according to supplies + time and effort). YES, it has really happened...in front of me. Didn't your mama ever say "...if you can't say something nice..."?
4.) Have group "reunions" with friends and family, therefore blocking my entire booth from other visitors OR come in and "loiter" while doing the aforementioned sly "cell phone snapping" and "criticizing".
5.) Were you raised in a barn??? CAUTION: I am not jumping on a soap box, here. ALL of the following jaw-droppers have actually happened to me (some more than once).
-Please don't bring yucky, messy food and drinks into my booth and set them down to pick up my items (or leave them behind on my tables or under them- My booth is not a trash can).
-Please don't come in, move my items around or spend 10 minutes picking items up from across the booth then set them all down somewhere and leave...
-Please don't let your pet have their leave to run under my tables, come in my booth and especially WATCH YOUR PET. (Yes, I am talking to the rude teenager who let their dog urinate on one of my products then picked up said dog and ran away)
-The above sub-category also includes unruly children handling my items and/or ruining them as well as the unruly adults in charge of them who put broken or damaged items down and clearing out as quickly as possible...
**And the other business owners are finishing up with a HAAAA-LLLLEEEELLUUUU-JAAAAAAHHHHHH- jazz hands. Big finish.**
Yes, I've attempted to take a humorous approach with this post. But seriously... As someone whose dream it is to one day have her own storefront, I consider my current "booth" to be a storefront too- a traveling one! I put a lot of myself into my booth set-ups and displays and of course the products that go into it! I have stressed over the weather, advertised, invited, priced items, organized and transported all of these hand-made treasures all just to *hope* that you will find something you love and take it home!
On that note, one more DO...DO SHOP HANDMADE!! Handmade items are made from the heart! Happy Wednesday- go forth and shop this weekend! :-)
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