Creamy Guacamole

I have a sweet spot for guacamole. The day my husband asked me to marry him I almost missed out on him asking because I ate so much guacamole on the beach earlier in the day.  I was not hungry for dinner and he really had to talk me into eating steak. If you know me I love some steak so that is unheard of. This recipe I made this weekend when I saw giant avocados on sale for .69 a piece. I bought way to many and have been eating guacamole for days.

What you need-
6 Avocados
half a bunch of Cilantro
2 tablespoons of Worcester sauce 
1 lime
2 cloves of garlic
1 white onion
1 Jalapeno 
cumin, salt and cayenne to taste

I had to do my avocados in two batches to make sure that they were creamy and well blended. I added the seasonings (lime, Worcester, salt cumin and cayenne) slowly as it blended.

This is the bottom of the food processor after I had pulsed the onion/garlic/cilantro mix finely. I added the onion first, garlic and the cilantro on top. It came out fine enough to add to the avocados.

This is the final product and it was a big hit. I have been putting it in chili and eating it with chips. Fantastic!
I hope you make it soon it is out of this world good and not at all bad for you if you do not eat the whole bowl like I want to.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

New Year's Eve What's old is NEW!

It is almost 2016. As we look back on this past 2015 I want to reflect on the good thrifting finds I had this year. I also want to give you some fun thrifting tips.

I guess first I should further explain thrifting. What is it exactly? It is buying things second hand really. I know there is a big sigma against buying other peoples things but honestly I think that is dumb. I have found so many name brand discounted things at Goodwill or my local high brand resale places to count. Here are my top 5 things you can buy second hand and how to spot a good deal.

#5. Platters-
This is food platters folks. They are expensive a good Italian platter can set you back $100 plus. My mom and I found a Italian porcelain platter at Goodwill for $20ish. I saw the same type platter from the same brand at Macy's for $120. What you want to look for is the brand stamp on the back it will usually tell you who created it and where it comes from. If not you want to look and make sure it is a good  quality item by checking for discoloring or cracks. If it is a good sound platter snatch it up.

#4. Records-
There is nothing like the sound of a good vinyl record from the 60-80's. The really only place to find a record that is original is second hand now-a-days. I am always scouting to add to my collection. My best deal--- Fleetwood Mac's Rumors for $3. Worth upwards of $30 at some places and by far my favorite lately. What you want to look for is a record that is clean and has minimum scratches on it. Some are okay but if it looks like a cat attacked it skip the buy.

#3. Tea sets-
I maybe the only person that prefers to drink my tea out of an actual tea cup. Whatever I feel like I am at Downtown Abbey and it makes me happy. When I got married I needed tea cups and a lot of them to make candles. Second hand is the way to go if you want to find some tea cups. What you want to look for is lack of chips and matching sets. I was blessed and inherited my family set which is gorgeous. Another thing to look for is to try to find a tea cup that has a saucer. That way you can put your stir spoon down on something.

#2. Accessories-
I cannot add up the amount of name brand hand bags, scarfs, necklaces etc. etc. I have found for almost a steal. If you really look you will find name brand items. Look for items that are not worn out and that would be great accent pieces. I have a love of old broaches and have found plenty second hand. My best deal was a $4 Liz Claiborne hand bag last year. It is brown/black mix and perfect size for going out. 

#1. Clothes-
This is my favorite. I like the hunt and when the payoff is huge it is the best feeling in the entire world. I like quality items and they are not cheap. I cannot justify paying $1,000 for a fur coat or $100 for good jeans. I can justify buying them second hand. HELLO fur coat from Goodwill!! I get so excited because I have been on the hunt for a fur for about 10 years. I am not joking yesterday I found it. It is big for me which was a concern but I belted it and now it is good to go. I may think about bringing it to a tailor to take it in.

Thrifted designer sweater (wearing today)

What you want to look for a thrifting clothing item. The obvious things are rips, discoloration and fit. I think for most items I want to look at the basic construction. The above sweater is Calvin Klein and I checked to make sure it was of good construction. How is the sewing? Are the buttons attached properly? If it is a jacket (IE: Fur) how is the inside liner of the jacket, the stitching is it solid? Does the item smell?  If you find the item you are looking at is well constructed you have a win!

I love thrifting and I love a good deal. I hope that when you get out there and shop my tips will help you along the way.

Until next time AND Happy New Year~
XoXo Emily

Blizzard Weather Drinks

We got at least 10 inches of snow last night during blizzard "Ashley". She was an intense snow storm and I am so thankful for my husband and snow-blower today. Winter came in like a beast and I wanted to share some of my favorite warm recipes with you I enjoy making this time of year. Here are some of my pictures from the storm as well.

Luna concerned with the snow on the porch.

Duke parked safely in the garage.

Low calorie Chai Tea
What you need-                                             
1 chai tea bag                                  
4 ounces soy/almond milk                 
12 ounces of water
sprinkle of cinnamon

Warm milk in the microwave for at least 1 minute. While this is going on heat water in a tea kettle or prepare your keurig to dispense water. Place tea bag in a cup/container. Pour hot milk over the tea bag and then the hot water. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the tea. Depending on the type of milk you have this can be a 45-75 calorie tea. It is perfection.

Rich hot chocolate 
What you need-
1 packet of swiss miss hot chocolate
4 ounces soy/almond milk
4 ounces hot water

Warm milk in microwave for at least 1 minute. While this is warming up you want to also heat some water in tea kettle, keurig or microwave as well. I always like to slowly add the hot water/milk to the chocolate packet that is in the cup. You can top it with marshmallows or some coolwhip.

Hot cider
What you need-
Cider
cinnamon stick

Put cider in a cup with the cinnamon stick. Warm hot cider in the microwave until desired warmth is reached.

I hope you have safe travels if you live in a snow covered place like myself. I also hope you can make some of these tasty drinks to keep yourself warm in the chilly weather.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Holiday Chex Mix

 

Happy Holidays!

I hope you are able to take some time this week to spend time with your family and friends. Showing people love and compassion this time of year is such a magical thing that my spouse and I love to do. Donate $50 to someone in need? Why not!!? 

This holiday chex mix I made for my family Christmas this weekend. It was the perfect way to show some love and have some yummy snacks for the cabin get-a-way. 

What you need-

1 box of chex mix

.5 bag of holiday shaped pretzels

1 container of chocolate covered holiday tree pretzels

1 cup of mini M&M's 

1.5-2 cups of peanuts (honey roasted) 

I like to layer my mix as I go so that it is evenly mixed and looks pretty. 

 

This is what it looks like after we ate almost all of it. I forgot to take some pictures while I was making it. It is tasty and the perfect holiday snack!

Once again as I mentioned before, Happy Holidays this weekend!

Until next time~

XoXo Emily

Christmas Memories

It is finally here Christmas week. My Christmas celebrating started this past weekend with my family. We went to the Wisconsin Dells as a family and rented a cabin. If you follow me on Facebook I am sure you have seen the numerous pictures my mom took. The reason I wanted to make a post is about the topic of gifts.

Gifts are great right and everyone loves to be able to give the perfect gift. The older I get though the more I realize that the holidays should be about making quality memories with people. I would rather go to lunch with someone and talk to them than get a candle or something. That is why going to the Wisconsin Dells and spending good quality time with my family really warmed my soul. It was so fun to go to the water park with everyone and chill around the bar. We even played this funny game called exploding kittens and got an old time picture taken. These memories are important because we do not know how much time we have on this earth.

That is why I will be trying this year to give the gift of time to people. When I see someone on Christmas I want to really listen to them and hear what they have been up to. With my group of friends I want to go out to dinner and hang out. I want to make some lasting memories because those are the things that stick with you. Not a material gift.

I wish you the happiest of holidays this season and here are some fun pictures from our vacation-

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Harvest Salad

It is becoming more and more winter like outside. We got almost 4.5 inches of rain so far this month and zero snow. Last time I checked I live in the north US where it snows. With the lack of snow it still feels like harvest season to me. This is my favorite salad to make and there are a ton of different things you can put in it. My sister in law Katie and my mother in law Yvonne both make an excellent take on this salad too.

What you will need- 
Spring mix salad greens
Walnuts
Dried cherries or pomegranates ( I used both)
1 green apple
Feta cheese
Mrs. Dash

I do not have exact measurements for this recipe as you add as you go and your dish maybe a different size than my bowl. The thought I have is to throw it all together and add more as needed.

 This is after the lettuce and apples are put in the bowl. Already looks tasty.

 Cheese makes everything more tasty does it not?

This is it all done and ready to be dug into. I like to top it with a walnut raspberry vinaigrette that Yvonne introduced me too. Others have done ranch or even french though.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Chicken Salad Sandwiches

 

I usually make this in the summer for Ryan as he loves this salad on a sandwich. I made it this past weekend for my cookie decorating lunch I had for my gal pals this Sunday.  I am still fighting my lingering cold and this crazy rainy weather is not helping. I hope to use the rest of my rotisserie chicken for something tasty to warm me up.

Things you will need-
Half of a rotisserie chicken or about 3 cups of chicken
1 cup of mandarin oranges
1 cup of purple grapes
.5 cup almonds (sliced)
3 stalks of celery (chopped)
3/4 a cup of cucumber ranch
Mrs. Dash seasoning to taste
 

Time to cut up that chicken. Beware if you try to cut it up when it is too hot you will burn yourself. I bought my chicken on Saturday and it cooled off in the fridge till Sunday morning. Easier to clean a cold chicken. Chop up your chicken and throw it in a big bowl.  

 

 Now you want to cut up your oranges. You can use fresh oranges but that is way to much work for me so I used canned in a light syrup.

This is what they look like before you chop them up. Chop them up and throw in the bowl with the chopped chicken.

Now you want to cut up your grapes and add your almonds to the bowl. I love a dish that has a variety of colors.











Here is the final product after you add your seasonings and cucumber ranch dressing. Put this on some bread or smear on some crackers for a delicious treat.

Everyone seemed to like the sandwiches and Ryan even got two sandwiches for lunch the next day. The salad is a great mix of textures. I always love the crunch of the almonds with the creamy dressing. I hope you enjoy!

Until next time~
XoXo Emily