TOMATOES!

How many feet are in a mile?

FIVE TWO-(M)EIGHT-OHS!





Although summer is almost ready to give way for fall, tomatoes are still plentiful (at least in my house)!
With extra tomatoes comes new creations, and recently I made one I particularly enjoy.

                                                                                         Here's what you need:

5-6 medium to large tomatoes
1 tablespoon of garlic
2 tablespoons of onion
1 tablespoon of basil (you can also use Italian seasoning)
3 sausages
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of flour
3 tablespoons of water


Start by chopping! Dice your onion and mince that garlic. Also cut your basil. A trick I learned from a cooking show is that to cut basil, simply roll all the leaves into a big pile and then cut up the roll vertically. As for the tomatoes, cut them up in about eighths. The pieces do break down, so don't worry about size too much.

 

Set a skillet on medium low, and add your oil, onions, garlic, and salt. After these start sizzling, add your sausage and let it cook. You can also add your Italian seasoning. Once it is almost done, add the tomatoes, and let the entire mixture bubble. Now is the perfect time to start your pasta! 

After about 7 minutes, combine water and flour in a separate bowl. Add this to the sauce to thicken. Depending on your preference, add more or less. When the tomatoes have broken down significantly, add the fresh basil.

Stir as needed, and let everything meld for another 5 minutes or so. When your pasta is done, this is ready to serve! Enjoy! And an actual baking post is sure to come soon.

Cookies of Fortune

Alright.

Recently we made fortune cookies! I used an electric machine specific for making fortune cookies, but you can just as easily create these with a pan!

Here's the recipe I used (adapted from Sunbeam)

5 tablespoons of melted butter (cooled)
3/4 of a cup of granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1 cup of flour
5 table spoons of milk
Cooking Spray

Tools:

Pan
Spatula for flipping
Heat resistant fingers!
Edible/FDA approved paper and pens (for fortunes)
Medium bowl
Sifter
Whisk
Tablespoons
Measuring Cups


For these cookies, it takes a few tries, but this recipe makes roughly 40 cookies, so you'll have plenty of wiggle room.

Start by blending egg whites and sugar in a clean bowl. Beat these with the whisk (preferably by hand) until they resemble glue and are frothy.

Next, sift in the flour and salt. Finally, stir in the melted butter, vanilla, and finally the milk. This batter should be like crepe mix: loose and completely smooth. Feel free to add a little more milk, but do it by the tablespoon! A little goes a long way.

Now you can start cooking! Spray your pan and set it on medium heat. Drop in a tablespoon of the mix. After about a minute and a half, flip the cookie and let it cook for about 30 seconds.

To fold them, place the fortune in the center of the circle, and pinch 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock with your index and thumb. Bend these two sides down, and have them meet below your initial starting point.

This is the hardest part, but the trick is to line up the edges really nicely! Hold your cookies as long as you can while your next one is cooking, and then place it on a cold plate to set. If the cookies don't set after 3-5 minutes, let them cook a little longer. They should be coming out golden brown.



TIPS:
*For darker cookies, add more sugar, and for lighter, add less! Vary the sugar amounts by about a 1/4 cup*

*Mix cocoa into the mix when you sift in the flour for chocolate cookies! Use again about a 1/4 cup*

*Decorate these with sprinkles, icing and chocolate! But if you are saving them over night, wait until the next day for the moisture of chocolate/icing will make for chewy cookies the next day*

*Store plain, cooled cookies in an air tight container. They last about 1 day*

-Alli Bakes and Nicole Creates

Somewhere over my Rainbows!

Rainbows are a brand of sandals that are generally pretty popular year round. However, in preparation for summer, everyone has been getting their own rainbows. So Alli and I couldn't resist! A few weekends ago we went to Nordstrom's to get our Rainbows. There are tons of great styles to suit everybody's' taste. Among the many styles at the store, I fell in love with a pair that had gems on the strap, but they were to much money for me. So I resorted to a style that had a braided strap, but to me it just wasn't enough, so... CRAFT TIME!!! 


These are the sandals I ended up purchasing at the store, as well as Alli. On this post were going to show twp different fun craft ideas to personalize these!


Materials:

Ribbon (we used 1/4 inch thick)

Rhinestones

Matching Rhinestone setting (get the one with double holes!!)

Sew (brown, to match shoes)

Tools:

Needle

Pliers

For the ribbon shoes...

Start by cutting a 15 inch piece. This is more than you need, but its all good!

This design is easiest, allowing you to switch it up if you get that crafty feeling again. All you have to do it weave it in the braid, and it is best to just open up the loop and use your fingers to pull the ribbon through. You should also create a loop to start by inserting both ends of the ribbon. This way you don't have to tie a knot in the beginning! You'll get the hang of it pretty quickly! But we also made a video and will try to post it sooon (:

Done! We tied it off with a teensy bow, but you can always just tuck it in and knot it.

The Rhinestone version is more time consuming, but it is really just eye catching! We did 5 gems on each side, but depending on you preferences it could vary. Begin by setting all of your gems in their setting! This is a little tricky, but it is definitely the hardest step so no fear!

Now string that needle so that there is 2 layers. Loop the (hopefully) matching thread around the braid so you have a secure knot. 

Now separate your 2 strings and take one out of the needle hole. Carefully guide this through one side of the setting hole and tug it into position on your braid.

Do this with the other side. After repeating this, tuck each hole setting under the braid to keep them in place. At the end of the line, tie a thick knot underneath the braided strand. You can also loop it around like how you did for the starting. 

We have a video of this look too, and will also get that up! Hope you all have classically unique shoes in no time!

Clutter to Clean

Every two weeks or so, my room becomes a total disaster. The explosion is always detonated in my closet, and I thought as I cleaned I would share my journey!

My method is clutter to clean. I make my mess worse to ultimately make it better.

STEP 1: 

Start your happy journey by taking everything out of your drawers and shelves that is remotely fractious.

I like to do this in waves, so as to ensure there is enough floor space.

After you complete this, cadet, start buckling down and folding. You want to put in the most effort here, so the rest of the steps you can slack off. 

Personally, my closet gets gross when I am quickly looking for something before school. So, as I fold, I organize based on how much I wear them.

STEP 2: Pack it in there!

Now you have to shove everything back in! Be a little careful here, because if you hurry this step you may not be able to keep everything all neat and tidy.

AHHhhhh, that's better!

STEP 3: Almost done!

Now is the easiest part. Reload the rest of your clothes! I also use this as an opportunity to shift from seasons, and pack away my unnecessary clothes in a tupperware. I jam it under my drawers, adding more space, and it also lessening clutter I will have to fix again in two weeks!

tipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstipstips:

1. Plan ahead!

My closet suffers the most when I am in a rush, trying to find something and end up flipping over all my once tidy clothes! By planning ahead the night before, I can just throw my outfit on in the morning like a magician. However, this is actually a lot of work, so I also prepare outfits for a few days in advanced. This minimizes the time I spend doing something I don't wannnnuh.

2. Not using it? GIVE ITTA WAYY.

I will admit I am quite the hoarder, always tellling myself "ahh, you'll use it later" and "there is definitely something you can do with thA-isss!" But I never do. If you haven't used it since at least 2 seasons ago, GIVE ITTA WAY (or of course donate it:)

3. Maintain a small NO mountain.

Normally it takes me a while to get around to cleaning, but before that actual revamping occurs, a small pile of clothes has already taken shape. By simply using step 1, there will be no mountain. But, being easier said than done, I practice the art of shoveling. When my pile gets too ridiculous, I do a quick clean in 5 minutes or less, and simply fold up what is there, or for the faster, shove it wherever it will fit. Then I come in when I have time, and properly fix it up.

                           BEFORE                                15 MINUTES LATER

aaMUUUUUch bETTTurh!!

All For Crafts and Crafts for Allllllllllllllll(i)

Compared to me, Nicole is definitely more talented in the craft department. However, every now and then I have that itch to create. Something Nicole introduced me to recently to sooth my need were these wooden structures.

These "wooden puzzles" are from Michael's. They are very basic to make, so no instructions are really necessary. They also make great centerpieces! All you do is punch out each part from the board they come attached to, and then match all the letters to their pair. Once you get the hang of it, like most crafts it is just a matter of patience and time.

Eventually, you will have a lot of completed ships and pagodas to do nothing with! Most of the fun is in making it, but they are perfect for completing with friends or while watching T.V.



Happy building!
-Alllllllllllli

GONE CRAZY OVER SOME BABY'S LIPS!!!!

 

Nicole and I have been in love with Maybelline's hot shot product "Baby Lips"! It is as hydrating as they say it is, and it certain flavors even have SPF.

 



http://vanityrouge.com/maybelline-baby-lips-new-limited-edition-review-photos-swatches/

 

 The thing we love most though, is their adorifying packaging and the array of hues. The packaging of this chap stick is reminiscent of glue sticks, and the colors are all unique.

 

 

Recently, they have come out with their newest editions which are super fun to search for, and they are really great for summah! They irresistible little suckers I cannot express my fond feelings enough.

We highly recommend all the flavors!!!!!

http://www.inhermakeupbag.com/2011/11/maybelline-baby-lips-and-great-lash-lol.html

http://katlynemakeup.blogspot.com/2013/01/maybelline-baby-lips.html

Pink punch, Peppermint, Cherry me, Grape Vine, Peach Kiss, Quenched, Pink wink, Orange Crush, Twinkle, Melon Mania, and Yummy Plummy.

Here is all of the current flaves!!! However, I believe we still need more!!!!!!

_Allu

Cowboys and Cats

Hey Guys!!! So here's our first animal photo!!! This is a picture of my cat Flame!!! He is a simple white male cat. He is a Balinese breed and is one of two of the cutest cats on Earth!!! 

-Nickelodeon