This soup is not for you if you are trying to loose weight. This soup is for you if you love to eat really good food. Broccoli cheddar soup is a classic, staple comfort food that everyone loves. I added some Tabasco to me mine that gives it a standout kick that you won’t want to miss it! Enjoy friends.
I embrace holidays completely. I LOVE to decorate, it just makes life that much more exciting when you feel like you are celebrating. However, after Halloween feels like a waiting period, because Im just dying to get to Christmas! I do love Thanksgiving and this cozy time of year. I like to make the house feel cozier and festive for this chilly season in small ways that do not really require holiday specific decorations.
I think that every single home needs to have flowers at all times. I view flowers as the life in a room. Have you ever seen a living space with no life? When you think about this concept, it totally makes sense. A big room filled with furniture and no life just looks like it’s missing something. A simple bouquet is all you need to give your space more depth and personality. I love the idea of holiday-appropriate flowers without being completely cheesy. Here are some fall appropriate arrangements that will bring the perfect amount of drama that fall requires.
I love the drama that fall brings in all ways, like burgundy lips and dark colors and contrasts. I love love love dahlias for fall floral arrangements; they come in a gorgeous dark burgundy hue that just makes me quiver with excitement! Sloppy wide arrangements with dark dahlias add drama and endearment. I am currently loving adding vegetables because it adds a sort of heartiness that I think matches what fall represents. How gorgeous are these deep purple artichokes!?
How beautiful and dramatic are these!?
Fall is about feeling cozy. I am the biggest believer that lighting is everything. To be honest, lighting completely changes my moods in a way you could not understand. If I am in a overly, brightly lit room I feel uncomfortable and I just cannot relax. However, when a room is properly lit I feel relaxed and comfortable. Candles add extra sparkle and ambiance to a room that makes a chilly night feel special.
Textured throws and cozy blankets make your space more welcoming. On cold fall lights, cozy blankets are the perfect touch to make things feel more intimate.
This one may seem silly but fall is all about intimacy. And like I said before, living spaces need life. Having some sort of greenery in your home makes for a cozier setting and filling that empty corner with life makes such a change you would not believe.
This comes with a rule though: you need to find an indoor plant that matches the flow and style of your home. I am obsessed with the indoor olive trees, they are just gorgeous.
Finally, always keep a fresh baked treat around during the holidays. Their is nothing better than the smell of fresh baked goods out of the oven. Not only is this hospitable for guests, it makes things feel more special and festive!
What do you do in your home to make things feel cozier around the colder holidays?
Every little girl needs a tutu. This is non-negotiable. Tutus, however, can be enormously expensive. Search no further; making a tutu is super easy and now a new hobby of mine! My mind is going crazy thinking about all the fun tutus I can make in the future! Follow these steps to get this adorable tutu! 
Absolutely crazy about my gorgeous model miss Molly Jane!
Nathan and I spent the day at the pumpkin patch in Solvang yesterday, and this is where I got the pumpkin for my soup [found here]. I ended up carving a skull and Nathan carved an octopus. Nathan’s turned out pretty special, so I left out the picture….I love the pumpkin patch, enjoy the pictures!
Today I visited the pumpkin patch! Visiting the pumpkin patch is one of my favorite traditions that I get stupidly excited about each year. I love the vibrant colors, interesting variations, and the creepy corn mazes. However, I have never had the desire to eat pumpkin in any other way than desserts. I like toasting the seeds, but I could not say I love them. This year, my pumpkin patch had a bin labeled, “cooking pumpkins.” I love this sort of thing….obviously. I decided I wanted my dinner to involve a pumpkin or two, so I bought them. Nathan quickly suggested pumpkin soup, which kind of freaked me out but, I agreed. I am forever thankful I agreed because what I came up with happens to be one of my new favorite soups! How could it not be with all my favorite ingredients, including garlic, onions and basil? I will be making this soup for years to come, and I am sure it will quickly become a classic in my family!
Nathan’s kitty Daisy wanted to help. She got into some chalk – that is why she has lovely pink highlights.
Today is the first gloomy day we have had in California in what seems like years (but it has probably been more like months). This of course means dressing like I live in Antarctica, and fully embodying gloomy weather activities. Part of these activities meant making a warm hearty dinner and looking through the horror section on Netflix in anticipation for tonight’s movie selection.
I cannot stand, I repeat, I cannot stand when people try to imitate classically delicious things and make them healthy. I am all about being healthy. Believe it or not, I have a very healthy diet. However, I think if you are eating healthy, eat healthy. Don’t eat tons of fake imitation things that resemble non-healthy things you crave. I think its just annoying. Like come on that does not taste good, quit trying to fake yourself into believing you enjoy all those cardboard tasting mimickers. I regret calling this fake lasagna, “lasagna,” however that’s pretty much what it is. I love a hearty tomato sauce with vegetables. It is so yummy, and dare I say, the taste always kind of reminds me of pizza, gasp! I just totally contradicted myself, but that is is the point I’m trying to make. This faux lasagna is the exception of that faker rule I stand by because it is genuinely tasty. I am not kidding myself into believing this is healthy, It has loads of cheese, however it is packed with vegetables. Make it, it’s a perfect weekday meal and way to get your kids to eat the loads of veggies packed inside!
Thank goodness it is finally the season of big sweaters and dark colors, because this is about the most unhealthy thing you could possibly make. But, for your tastebuds, it is the best. These are sort of like cinnamon rolls recipe, except these rolls are soaked in caramel and butter and sprinkled with cinnamon and apples – they’re caramel apple cinnamon rolls! This is perfect comfort food, a sweet treat to surprise a friend with, or just a way to make your family really, really happy. I promise, you will love these even if you are not a fan of caramel. Enjoy!
Here is a list of common mistakes we all are guilty of!
1.OVERMIXING
Have you ever heard of the term gluten? Well, gluten applies to this common mistake. When you are mixing together all the ingredients in a cake batter, for example, you are activating gluten. Gluten is a protein created that gives your cake the ability to cook into a structured shape. Over-mixing creates more gluten than needed and can make your cake very tough and firm!
To avoid an overly firm and tough cake, mix batters on the lowest speed with your electric mixer. Mix just enough and a few chunks are actually fine.
2. ADDING GARLIC TO EARLY
When you are making almost anything in a pan it takes time and a specific heat. Garlic burns very easily and quickly looses its coveted flavor. For example, if you are cooking meat, which can take some time, adding the garlic too early would do nothing but add a burnt charred flavor, not the garlic taste you’re looking to satisfy your flavor craving.
Add garlic near the end of your cooking process. Minced garlic is the most likely to burn so using crushed or sliced garlic lessens the chances of a charred flavor.
3. ADDING OLIVE OIL TOO NOODLES AFTER TOO AVOID STICKING
Adding olive oil is not terrible if you just want olive oil on your pasta, but if you plan on adding sauce, don’t use oil because the sauce will never sick.
Instead of adding olive oil to your pasta, rinse the noodles under cold water to removes the starch.
4.COOKING WITH COLD EGGS AND DAIRY PRODUCTS
Let’s admit it. We are all guilty of not waiting for our ingredients to be room temperature. At room temperature eggs and dairy products create a bond and form an emulsion that traps air. An emulsion according to the dictionary is, “a fine dispersion of minute droplets of one liquid in another in which it is not soluble or miscible.”This, however, is a very important step because it can result in a much less moist result!
If you know you are planning to bake set these products out about an hour in advance. If you do not have the time you can microwave your butter in short spurts checking on it until it is room temp. For eggs, which you obviously cannot microwave, just place them in warm water until they are room temperature!
5. SLICING MEAT RIGHT AFTER COOKING
If you cut meat too soon the juices and flavor will end up all over your counter instead of inside your meat where they belong! When meat is hot the muscle fibers contract and disperse juices. If you cut too soon these juices that make it moist will be lost!
Let your meat rest for a few minutes so the muscles can relax and you will get all the juices you want!
6. MEASURING WITH A LIQUID MEASURING CUP
When using a liquid measuring cup you usually have to shake the cup around to level it out. This can make the flour compacted which causes you to add more than necessary! This is bad because more flour results in a dry outcome!
Use baking cups designated for baking to ensure the right amount!
Pumpkin pie is my absolute favorite dessert. Pumpkin pie forever holds a place in my heart, because Nathan and I bonded over our undying love for this dessert early on in our relationship. It simply is an unbeatable dessert in my book. NO matter how many fancy and amazing recipes I find, nothing will beat this good old pie – just how my Mom makes it. Enjoy!
Farewell pie week! I am done posting only pie, I will post more in the future just not everyday.
I wear “cat eye” eyeliner every single day. It is a classic look that really extends the eyes, making them appear larger, brighter, and sexier. It really is such an easy look to achieve with a little practice! Follow my easy steps.
Start by simply tracing your eyelash line. It does not need to be perfect this is just the base.
Use the end of your eyebrow as a reference, extending the lash line you drew, tracing it up toward the bottom of your brow.
Now that you have this line as a reference to the shape, trace it back adding a little thickness to the the inner eye
Close your eyes to make sure the line is fluid and smooth all the way.
WAAA LA!! Beautiful.
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