Wellness

Baking is Therapy

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For me one of the best ways to get me out of my head is to bake. Last week i was in a weird head place nothing seemed to work so i decided to do one of my favorite things… BAKE… right now its Christmas baking which is always the best kind of baking. I will make a bunch of cookies freeze them and then when it gets closer to Christmas i will make platters or tins to give out to people.

I made one of my favorite cookies right here, as my family likes to call them Thumb Prints. They are a Jelly filled cookie and i think they taste amazing. If you would like to try to make this cookie the recipe below, please let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

  • 1 3/4 Cups All- Purpose Flour
  • 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter ( let it sit out get to room temp before using)
  • 2/3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Then i will use a couple different types of preserves such as Raspberry, Grape, Apricot or Orange. The different colors tend to make everything look so pretty. I normally buy a 13oz jar or each of the types i decide to use and then add as much as i feel is needed.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a non stick baking pan which i have and it is amazing.

Add the Butter and sugar into your kitchen aid, start at a low speed as it starts to mix together you can increase the speed, i will switch off my mixer at times to scrap down the bowl as sometimes the butter and sugar mix will stick to the sides of the bowl. As that is mixing in a separate bowl start to mix your flour, baking powder and salt together.

Then add in the vanilla and egg to the wet ingredients, I tend to speed up the mixer to make sure everything combines nicely before I start to add in my dry ingredients. You can either slowly mix your dry ingredients in or as i tend to do turn off the mixer then add all of the dry ingredients in. Turn the mixer onto the slow speed let everything mix together, i will switch off my mixer at times to scrap down the bowl to make sure everything is combining together nicely.

Once everything is mixed together bring your bowl over to your baking sheets. I will then roll the dough into small balls and set them on the sheet. I will let the dough set while i work on the second baking sheet this allows the dough not to be as sticky, so once i make the “thumb print” it will not stick. I do not actually use my thumb i found using the back of a clean teaspoon tends to work so much better to make the circle you really want. After you complete this step, you then add in the preserve.

Bake the cookies until the edges are golden, which is normally at least 15 minutes.

Let the cookies cool and then you can add additional powder sugar to the tops of the cookies.

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Lifestyle

Girls Night Idea

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Everyone loves nights with their friends, with life being so busy at times it can be hard to be able to get creative to plan something fun especially on a work night. I invited a couple friends over to hang out on a Friday night, right after work. Knowing what a busy Friday i had a head i decided to make turkey chili in a slow cooker, something healthy, yummy and simple to make when you are working. Whether you are working from home or if you have to go into the office. That is the great thing about having a slow cooker you put everything in the pot set the timer and then how every many hours to set it to cook to till will be done.

Below is my Turkey Chili recipe, but I will admit sometimes i will add extra spices in depending on who i am making the chili for depending on their spice tolerance level of course. I wanted to make everything look really pretty when my friends make over so i also did some decorating for Christmas to add to the fun night ahead. Who does not love some great Christmas decorations this year more so then ever i think everyone wants to feel the Christmas cheer a little early.

Meat 1 lb 90% lean ground Turkey, lean
Produce
1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 Can Kidney beans, red
1 Can Black beans
½ a can of Salsa
1 Yellow onion, medium
Condiments
1 (8 oz.) can Tomato sauce
1 TO 2 Cans of V8
Baking & Spices
1/2 tsp Black pepper, ground
2 tbsp Chili powder
1 ½ tsp Garlic Powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
Oils & Vinegars
1 tbsp Olive oil
Nuts & Seeds
2 tbsp Cumin, ground

Add the olive oil in a pan let it heat up a little then and in the chopped yellow onion and ground turkey and break it apart with a fork and then cook until the turkey has brown enough to put into the slow cooker. Once you have completed this step and in all of your other ingredients.

Since more then likely everyone likes their chili a little different what i decided to do was add some possible toppings to the side in little containers so each person could make it however they wanted. Everyone got a kick out of this little added touch and everyone loved the chance to make the chili their own way. This is also helpful if you have anyone who may have an allergy no possibility of cross contamination.

Of course you cant end a good girls night without a little treat, and in the winter what goes better then a nice cup of hot chocolate with some whip cream to top it off with. Perfect simple and fun girls night event that will allow for a lot of laughs and memories with your friends. As long as you do not mind doing a little prep work ahead of time this will be a stress free after work type of night.

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Travel

From the Beach to Wineries!

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Just like basically everyone else I’ve been itching to take a vacation and just get away. Sometimes you must get a little creative and do a little research. Recently I went down to Long Beach Island and have a nice little weekend trip, the shore in the fall is probably one of the prettiest places to be ever. Also a fun like secret many probably do not know there are a ton of wineries close to LBI so you can get the best of both worlds, the fun shore vibes with the fall activities everyone loves to do.  

Friday night I went to Hotel LBI for dinner, the food is truly amazing, and they change the menu depending on the season so there is always something new to try whether its drinks or entrees. If you sit outside you will also have a pretty view of the sunset as well, I always love a good sunset.

Saturday was a day whole of wineries which was so much fun, the wineries are about an hour away from Long Beach Island. The first stop was to Tomasello Winery & Banquet Hall in Hammonton, NJ truthfully this may have been one of my favorite out of all the locations. We did a wine tasting where you had your choice of picking 5 different wines from a very long list for about $12, with coconut shrimp and a cheese board on the side.

Cheese board from Tomasello Winery

The second location was Plagido’s Winery also in Hammonton, NJ this place would be such a pretty spot for a bridal shower or event spot. You are actually allowed to bring your own food with you which is always a plus and sit at a picnic table. I had a frozen sangria which was good tasted like a grape ice pop.

Our third destination was Dimatteo Vineyards which also was in Hammonton, NJ. I loved the backdrop of this location, and they had this cut little food truck. We shared a briskets sandwich and a smore’s cupcake all of which was very good. They had a seasonal Pumpkin wine which was cute to see, though i did not personally try it.

One of the views from sharrott winery

The last location was my all time favorite the views, the food, the wine everything about this place. I truly want to go back to this place again with a bigger group at night when you can make smores around their fire pits. The name of this place is Sharrott Winery also in the same town as the others. You can pick three types of wine for your wine tasting and a really great treat is you get three basically whole glasses of wine. In regards to food we had a hummus plate and a sweet treat a pumpkin Donnoli which is a Donut and Cannoli mixed together with was worth every calorie i ended up eating.

Since all of the wineries are very close to each others it becomes very easy to make a full day of traveling to all different locations and trying as many places as you can. I truly has the best little vacation and i felt like i was in upstate New York when i was so close to the shore.

After a full day of wine tasting and traveling around Hammonton, i could not end my trip without watching the sunset by the Lighthouse in LBI probably one of my favorite stops when visiting Long Beach island and depending which side of the lighthouse you decide to stand on will depend on the type of sunset view you end up having.

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Travel

The Great Pumpkin

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Everyone is looking for those fun fall activities to do right now, or at least i know i am anyway. I work all day in my house i am forever itching to get out and do things. A friend of mine invited me to The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, which is in Croton-on-Hudson, New York basically very close to Tarrytown and Sleepy hallow New York. I am not a huge Halloween person at all but i am so glad i did not pass on this event. The artwork in the pumpkins are so breathtaking i was so impressed with everything i saw.

It took me close to an hour to get to the location, the drive away not horrible at all and being able to see all of the leaves turning really helped to put me in the mood for fall. An adult ticket price is $48 and if you have a child with you under the age of 12 their ticket price would be $40, which truthfully is not bad once you see everything there is and how much work went into everything.

Each section had its own theme some even had movement which was so impressive to me, trying to figure out how each pumpkin carving was built or how they put multiple pumpkins together to make one piece. My group picked the 6:30 pm time slot which you would assume would not be the greatest with daylight, but by the time you park, check in and start going on the path it will start to get dark and then it becomes the perfect time frame. It becomes dark but not to chilly so its a good combination and you do not become miserable with the cold weather.

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Lifestyle

Living My Best Dyslexic Life

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So maybe from reading my posts up until now you may have figured out my grammar is not the greatest or sometimes my wording just seems off. It’s not from being lazy that’s for sure, but I actually have dyslexia.  Something I’ve had all of my life but not diagnosed with until the 5th grade. I was really  lucky my mom did her research and figured out I was dyslexic way before any of my teachers would believe her. I had a reading teacher in elementary school who just kept telling my mom that i was just lazy when it came to reading and my homework. Great thing for a teacher to say about a kid right? 

Once my mom finally was able to have someone test me and paperwork provided I was dyslexic i was sent off to a private school from sixth to eight grade where i was able to learn how to read and write in a way that would work for my brain. People hear you have dyslexic and the first thing they do is ask you to read this word or that word, It doesn’t work like that at least not for me, once my brain knows a word it’s easy for me to recognize it. When i come across a new word or one i may not see on a regular that’s when figuring out what it is comes into play. The way i was taught to figure out a word is to break it down into sections and sound it out sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it’s extremely hard. If i am stressed out or do not feel well it can become so much harder for my brain to unscramble a word. 

Being an adult with dyslexia can be extremely frustrating and you can feel embarrassed at times as well from the time I entered college one common phrase everyone seems to love to tell me is, “well just write everything out and then put it aside and look at it again then you will find all of your mistakes”. Everyone let me say this once and maybe it will stick with some of you, do you realize how demining it sounds to someone who actually tries extremely hard on an everyday basis to just read and write like a regular person. My brain doesn’t work that way, it’s like telling someone who is color blind just close your eyes for a minute and then open them. I’m sure you will see the color red then. My brain does not work the same way an average person’s brain works; it doesn’t matter how much time passes. Sometimes I am not going to see whatever word or sentence I may have mixed up. It’s reading correctly in my brain so on paper it looks correct. 

Unfortunately sometimes when people hear you have a learning disability  sometimes  their first thought is you are dumb or cant possible amount to very much. When i first went back to my town’s high school my mom was asked if they wanted her to put me in a trade school program, or cosmetology, or just all special education classes. Now there is nothing wrong with going into cosmetology or getting into a trade school program however neither of those was something I wanted to do. My goal was to go to college, so getting placed into easier classes was not going to help me reach my goal. I pushed myself every step throughout my education because I wanted to prove something to every person who did and still doubts me.  

Present day I now work for a corporate company, I have my MBA in project management and I went straight to a four year college. I have the student loans to prove it unfortunately. Dyslexia isn’t something that ever goes away or that there is a fix to. You just learn how to deal with it and do not let it be a crutch or at least that’s how I handle it.

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Wellness

Stepping outside my comfort zone one small step at a time.

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The great outdoors-

  This may sound strange to some, but I’ve never been an outdoors kind of girl.  I do not enjoy the smell of wet grass, cut grass any type of grass to say the least.  Growing up I was a girl scout and the worst thing in the world was when we had to go “camping” mind you it was in a cabin, but I still slept in a sleeping bag on the floor.  My friends for years have tried to get me to go tubing down the Delaware Watergate, nope never has happened.

Now do not get me wrong I love flowers and the beach and clear blue water, give me any of those things and I will forever be a happy girl. When it comes to dirt and bugs, whatever else tends to deal with the outdoors. I am pretty much just a baby at the end of the day.

So, you may wonder what’s stepping outside of my comfort zone in regard to the outdoors. Well I will tell you and I am sure many will laugh. I have taken up walking, to me that is a big thing, just going on a walk that lasts a couple miles outside is something very new and different for me. I would have preferred a treadmill or elliptical of you would have asked me that question about a year ago. However, being outside walking up the hills, down the hills in my town, it’s something I’ve grown very fond of and it has become so freeing in a sense. It has become my time to clear my head to just listen to my music and challenge myself to walk a little further each time.  

The idea of possibly doing a hike does not sound so scary anymore. Maybe I can finally do one without feeling like I’m going to not be able to do it or fall. Whether I figure out how to get over my fear of snakes, well that’s another story completely. what small step out of your comfort zone are you taking?. 

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Lifestyle

Dream Kitchen on a Budget

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I’ve been dreaming of a new and modern looking kitchen for years but it’s just never been in the budget. My kitchen is so outdated, something that looked like it was from the 70’s which may have been the last time someone may have actually done any type of improvement on it.

We all know countertops and backsplash can be very pricey. Then you have to factor in hiring someone if you are like me who isn’t able to install it myself it would probably cost me a lot of money. In times like this sometimes you just need to think outside of the box which is when google and amazon comes in handy.  Instead of completely replacing countertops a quick and cost effective solution is a product that you can just place over the existing countertop. 

There are two ways you can do this there is an actual counter top peel and stick product. The one I originally purchased was a roll and you can just cut it to the length and stick it on the counter. However thankful i figured out before i cut the product how messy and tricky this could be, it also is not the best quality product either. If you did not lay it on just correctly there would be bubbles and it could be easy to make a nick by mistake. Now after figuring out how bad this could be and the headache this could actually cause i decided to go a different way. Lucky a friend had suggested a second option which I probably should have gone with right away. 

Peel and Stick Vinyl Tile was the perfect solution, depending on the pattern and color you go with it can look like a countertop. I only needed one box of the vinyl tile to cover my entire counter which was really lucky.  It looks absolutely beautiful and gives my counter such a clean fresh look to it now. 

The backsplash was a little easier to figure out and deal with, there are so many amazing different styles of peel and stick backsplash. Some are very thin and easy to cut which would make it simple to model with corners or tricky areas within a kitchen. There are also others that  are thicker a little heavier which can also be good. I went with the thinner 3D wall style, the light color of the backsplash with the gray tile of the counter actually makes my kitchen look bigger. When the light reflects off of the backsplash it brightens the entire room. 

Products:
Backsplash: I went with the packages of 10 sheets in each which comes to $37.99 a pack.
Peel and Stick Vinyl Tile: One case has 30 pieces in it and the case is $26.10.
Countertop Peel and Stick: One roll cost $18.99, but this is the product i would not recommend buying.
The total cost for this project comes out to be about $217 give or tax a little with tax.

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Wellness

Keep Calm and Bake!

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One of the best ways for me to get out energy or when I’m really upset is to bake. I can throw my focus my mind into creating something delicious.  Also, if you are doing any part of it by hand it becomes a workout. For me this is a perfect way of having alone time, not talking to anyone if I am not in the mood to but still do something that’s in a positive way.  Whenever I am upset, I decide to try a new recipe something completely different then I have tried before.

This allows me to not think solely about whatever issue I maybe dealing with at the time. I can work on processing everything out but not overthinking because I have to make sure I’m adding in the correct amount of sugar or flour at the same time.  Hand mixing cookie dough has become my favorite way to release aggression. Below is one of my most recent recipes, which turned out amazing Oreo cupcakes with an Oreo frosting.

 The one trick I have learned is to never bake for myself. When I bake i will always give the desserts to others which in the very end gives me such joy.  Do not get me wrong sometimes I wish I was just eating everything I was baking and maybe i will cheat here and there and eat a little bit. When i start the process it maybe creating something from a place of hurt or just so overly stressed but in the end, it becomes something that turns into great good. Seeing people enjoy the item I baked, fills my heart each time. It has become the perfect recipe of a healthy way to release whatever i am going through at the very least it has for me.

Cupcake Recipe below:
Cupcake Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups milk (I tend to use 2%)
Crushed 15 Double stuffed Oreo’s

For the frosting:
3 sticks (1 ½ cups) Unsalted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
13 double stuff Oreo’s, crushed
1–2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream.

Instructions:
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the eggs and oil are well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Next mix in the sour cream and beat until well combined.
Add baking powder and salt and beat on low speed, once you have everything mixed together add half the flour and the while pouring in half of the milk and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate.
Finally add the remaining flour, mixing on low speed while pouring in the remaining milk and beating until all the ingredients are well combined.


Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed


In a large Ziploc bag, crush the Oreos into small pieces using a spoon, your hands, a rolling pin or anything you really want. Fold the crushed Oreos into the cupcake batter.
I took a Pyrex Measuring Cup filling it with the cupcake batter and started to pour it into the cupcake tray. This allowed me to control how much I was putting into each section and caused such less mess for me it was amazing.


Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes depending on the type of stove you have so for mine I set my timer to 20 minutes and then judged from there. Test the cupcakes by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake. Once the toothpick comes out clean, that’s your proof that the cupcakes are done.
For the frosting: Cut the butter into small pieces, I normally leave the butter out as I am making the cupcake batter to allow it to soften. If you have a kitchen Aid just use the paddle attachment, whip the butter for 3-4 minutes, check the paddle every once in a while, to see if you need to scrape down the butter that maybe on the paddle or on the sides of the bowl. You are going to want to beat the butter until it looks lighter in color or fluffier.


Then I will add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing on low speed until it’s incorporated into the butter. Slowly increase the speed to high and beat for 30-60 seconds. Repeat until all your powdered sugar has been added. I then let the mixer keep going after i added in all of the sugar while I started to crush the Oreo’s.
Put the Oreo’s in a large freeze zip lock bag and crush them. Add the crushed Oreo’s to the frosting along with the heavy whipping cream. Slowly beat the crumbs into the frosting then beat at a high speed for 60 seconds. I added the heavy whipping cream slowly and did not measure it out, I just added as much as I felt it needed a little at a time.


In a large piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip, pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes or you can take a spatula and spread the icing directly onto the cupcake in a circles motion if you do not have anything to pipe the frosting with.


NOTES:
You can you one family style double stuffed Oreo pack.
I basically just used a spoon and my hands to crumble the cookies until I was happy with the size of everything.

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Travel

Forever a Disney Girl

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I may be in my thirties but i will always be a disney kid at heart. Disney World has such a special place in my heart, I went there for the first time when I was three and then again as a teenager. However it was not until i was in my thirties when it truly became a special place for me. I went to Disney World in 2017, 2018, & 2019 each year was a little different and each time was special. Going to Disney World has become a tradition for my sister and I, each time we went with different people but we always went together. Disney World has brought us closer together as sisters in a way, the best part was the months leading up to our trip where we sat and planned things out. 

I know Disney can be a very expensive vacation but there are so many different tricks to saving and spending when you are there. That will be another blog post though down the line on how to save prior to and at Disney. 

I think one of the things I love the most about Disney World, is the feel of the old magic with the new magic.  Walt Disney had a dream he turned into reality and even though it’s been many years since that dream started. While changes and improvements have been made since Walt’s vision was put into effect. Even today so many years later there are still glimpses of that old magic when you walk down main street.  Disney gives you a chance to remember your youth while making brand new memories all at the same time. Where else do you have a chance to have both of those things at the same time. 

Whether you go to Disney with friends or family, whether it’s your first trip or a yearly trip it becomes so special. You live in that moment and everything bad in the world seems to just fade away for however long you happen to be there. It’s on my bucket list to go to Disney Land, hopefully something i can do within the next couple of years. 

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Beauty & Fashion

Words Have Power

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I’ve always been a big believer that positive words can have so much power to them. Motivational or positive quotes have always been something I like to have around me whether it’s a piece of art or jewelry. Just a little something I can look at when I’m having a rough day and just need a boost. 

 Of course in the day we live in with social media words can be just as powerful in a negative way as in a positive way.  It’s a lesson I am still currently learning, written words whether you mean for them to be used in a positive way for yourself can still cause pain to others. Knowing and understanding how your words can be taken by others in a different light is an acceptance each person needs to realize, hopefully sooner rather than later.

My hope is down the road the positive words will start to outweigh the negative when it comes to what people say and write more so then it currently is in the present day. One company that i completely stand behind has already started the work towards spreading more and more positive words.

There is a local New Jersey business that encourages others to not only be kind to others but also themselves.. Little Words Project is a company I have loved and have been a loyal customer of for years now. Their bracelets are the perfect little gift for a friend who might be going through something and you just want to show you care.  They are also a great little reminder to be able to look down at and remember to have strength within yourself or that you are so fierce. 

This company has an amazing message and does great things for women, they want to bring people together through kindness and positivity. If someone was interested in supporting a  small business this would be one i would say to completely get behind. Words have power, the more positive words there are out in the world the better possibility there is to have more positive outlooks on life. 

In the beginning of May l ordered myself a custom bracelet with words I needed to see on the regular bases to help me get through things and remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The custom section on their site is amazing because you can make any type of bracelet that will symbolize anything you want. I have some friends who have gotten their kids names which is so sweet and they wear them everyday to work. You may be wondering what I put on my bracelet or you may have been able to guess from the main photo on this post. I put “have faith” on my bracelet, it has so many different types of meanings to me right now, and on my worst day I look at my bracelet and I feel a little better.    

Littlewordsproject

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