Weekend at the Farm

A few weekends ago at the farm...

Just making some homemade Broccoli Cheese Soup...so yummy!

One of my goals for this year and for the new year is to learn how to cook more new things...so I've already started :)

The next day we took a drive to the hot pots nearby...despite all of my protesting about it being stinky and cold outside, they really weren't that bad. They were way cleaner than other ones that I've been too and not that stinky. But it was freezing outside, so I had to change super fast and RUN to the heater in the car. :)

All weekend, the sky was sooo pretty.

Hanging out at the farm.

Don't mind my half dried hair...but this little farm kitty is the cutest thing ever. He is the biggest puff ball and he comes right up to you and wants to play. Most of them are kind of shy and run away.

This night, we made scallops, filet mignon, rolls, and lemon meringue pie :) So yummy again. I LOVE scallops.

Finished product.

Vegas - Saturday Shopping

And my Vegas vacation continues...with shopping on Saturday :)

I carried my sparkle theme to Saturday even in the daytime as you can see. What can I say...I'm Taylor Swift at heart. A bunch of us met for lunch at Max Brenner's. So Yummy. I highly recommend it as well. Try the Fries dusted with Chili and Cocoa powder and dip them in a shake!

(Kristin, Emily, Lindy, April, Me, Jenn)

The holiday decorations at the Bellagio...those bears are completely made of flowers.

Then we went over to the new hotel, Cosmopolitan. I loved it! There are chandeliers everywhere! It's gorgeous. And I just had to hop into this giant sized shoe.

We walked around and shopped all over the place...Notice that I do not have a single bag in my hand...I know right? So unlike me...I don't know why I didn't end up with anything...but never fear I am heading to California next week so South Coast hear I come! Haha!

10 Simple Ways To Cut 100+ Calories

1. Swap 2 regular beers for 2 light ones.

Saves 100 calories.

2. Order thin-crust pizza, not regular.

Saves 151 calories.

3. Take the top off a tuna sandwich on sourdough; add a slice of lowfat swiss cheese; nuke.

Saves 137 calories.

4. Dress salad with 2 tablespoons lowfat balsamic, not Caesar, and add 1 tbsp Parmesan.

Saves 115 calories.

5. Munch on 1 cup air-popped popcorn, not chips.

Saves 123 calories.

6. Exchange a whole egg in your omelet for 1 egg white, and trade full-fat cheddar for lowfat.

Saves 142 calories.

7. Grease pans with cooking spray, not oil.

Saves 100 calories.

8. Enjoy pasta with 1 cup tomato sauce and 1 tbsp parmesan, instead of alfredo.

Saves 101 calories.

9. Have half a bagel instead of a whole one. That leaves room for 1 tbsp PB and 1 cup O.J.

Saves 127 calories.

10. Top fro yo with fresh berries, and skip the chocolate chips and crumbled graham crackers.

Saves 114 calories.

*found in Self Magazine

Reindeer Cookies

These are so cute. Kind of a different way to decorate sugar cookies.

Me from A to Z

I saw this on another blog and wanted to do it on mine because it seemed fun!

Jake and I

{A} Age – 25, except I don't really feel like it...

{B} Bed - Currently Queen size; I am in the process of searching for a cute bed frame and a comforter. The one I was going to buy sold out, and if you know me, I have been trying to decide on one for about two years. I just need to get one.

{C} Chores you hate – ummm taking out the trash. I make Jake do it when he comes over now. Other than that I kind of like to clean because I have OCD moments where I just like to do it sometimes.
{D} Dogs – Wish I had one. I have mine at home in California, but I want one here so bad! One day. Or a miniature pig...I LOVE THOSE!

{E} Essential start to your day – hot water. It wakes me up. Actually I listen to the Morning Zoo on the way to work too and it makes me laugh.
{F} Favorite color – Green.
{G} Gold or silver – Gold. Hands down.
{H} Height – 5'3 and a half. But I have been in the habit of wearing heels lately, so a lot of people have thought I'm taller :) I LOVE heels.

{I} Instruments you play – Used to play the piano and the flute, but now that I don't have them here I probably am not very good anymore.
{J} Job Title - Loan Processor at Flagship Financial, but I've been applying to nursing schools and finishing all my pre-reqs.
{K} Kids – None...but Kale (Jake's little boy) is around so he plays with me a lot until I have some :)

{L} Live – in Provo, Utah
{M} Mother’s name – Rosemary
{N} Nickname – KD...I used to have a lot more, but now people mostly just call me that.
{O} Overnight hospital stays – I've never had to stay overnight. I would have had to when I was living in Hawaii, but my mom wouldn't let me stay there, because it was too ghetto so she took me to the hotel and took care of me instead for a week.
{P} Pet Peeves – People who look like they should be on Jersey Shore, or think it would be cool to be on Jersey Shore, Moms who drop pacifiers on the floor then lick them off and stick them back in the babys mouth (like its clean now?), when moms put their kids on leashes, nail biting (which I do and I'm trying to stop!), spitting...I have more.
{Q} Quote from a film – That's hard, I could say anything from Mean Girls, Wedding Crashers, or any movie with Vince Vaughan in it, But I love this quote from Breakfast at Tiffanys -

"You mustn't give your heart to a wild thing. The more you do, the stronger they get, until they're strong enough to run into the woods, or fly into a tree. And then to a higher tree, and then to the sky" - Holly Golightly

{R} Right or left handed – Right
{S} Siblings – I'm the oldest of three and the only girl. Adam (22) Taylor(16)

{T} Time you wake up – Around 7:30 or 8, which no matter how many days in a row I wake up at that time, I still can't get used to it. I still think it's early. I'm a night person.
{U} Underwear- Hmmm personal are we? Depends...During the day or with jeans or something I probably wear a lacey thong from V Sec or Gap Body, but I sleep in boy shorts and wear those when I'm being comfy.
{V} Vegetable you hate- I actually like veggies. I even like brussels sprouts. Im sure there is something I don't like, but I can't really think of anything at the moment.
{W} What makes you run late - Usually trying to finish my hair because Jake is getting mad at me because I want to curl it, but mostly trying to decide what to wear. I always have good ideas of what I want, but them I try it on and I hate it. Then I just want to go shopping.

{X} X-rays you’ve had- my wrist, I broke it when I feel off a bunk bed two days before third grade started.
{Y} Yummy food you make- Ah I've been trying to learn to cook more, but I think my artichoke dip is pretty freaking good...and my cheesecake.
{Z} Zoo animal – Tigers, Giraffes, and Pengiuns...I always wanted a pet penguin because I figured if they lived at the zoo in a hot place they could live at my house. Plus the babies are so cute!

Favorites Lately - Early November

1. Hot Chai Tea from Nordstrom Cafe...so tasty. I might have to get it everyday.

2. I love the number of mirrors on this wall. I would love to do something like this in a room.

3. I want to learn how to make this. You're supposed to make it out of pages from an old book. But I think it would be cute to make a couple and then spray paint them different colors depending on what month/holiday you want to hang it up for. Gold would be cute.

4. Fun party shoes!

5. I like this little polka-dot ipad case from J.Crew...now just to get my ipad...

6. Also from j.crew...now to just get my iphone...yeah I still don't have one. Geez, I have sprint and they just barely got them ok!

7. I really want to get some of these charms from Anthropologie. I want the K and a 3.

8. I want this outfit.

Creepy Cupcakes

Potato Skin Ghosts

These Potato Skin Ghosts, served for dinner or as part of a larger Halloween party, are the perfect energy food before an evening of collecting candy.

Ingredients

• Washed, unpeeled potatoes (depending on the size of your potatoes, expect about 3 ghosts per spud)
• Olive oil
• Seasoned salt
• Onion powder

• Garlic salt
• Sour cream
• Scallions

Instructions

1. Cut each potato lengthwise into 1/2-inch slabs. Cut the rounded tip off one end of each slab to create a ghost shape.
2. Grease a baking sheet and lay the potato slabs on it (pieces with skin go skin-side down). Brush the top of each slab with olive oil and season with seasoned salt, onion powder, and garlic salt. (Suggestion: combine 1 teaspoon of each spice in a bowl, then sprinkle about 1/8 teaspoon of the mixture over each slab.)
3. Bake at 400º for 30 minutes or until a fork pierces the potatoes easily.
4. Remove the potatoes from the oven and cool for 10 minutes, then "ice" them with sour cream to create a tasty white ghost. Add slices of scallion for eyes and a mouth.

Forked Eyeballs

These scary-good Halloween treats, prepared and eaten on the same fork, begin with a doughnut hole dunked in white chocolate.

Ingredients

• 2 (11-ounce) bags white chocolate chips
• 12 doughnut holes
• Semisweet chocolate chips

• Tube of red decorator frosting
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions

1. To coat a dozen doughnut holes, melt the white chocolate chips with the oil over low heat (and keep the chocolate warm while you work). With a fork, spear each doughnut hole and submerge it in the melted chocolate to coat it, then gently tap off any excess.

2. Stick a semisweet chocolate chip with its point cut off onto each doughnut hole, cut end first. Place the forks (handle side down) in a mug and allow the chocolate coating to harden.

3. Use a tube of red decorator frosting to add squiggly veins radiating out from the pupils.
   

Pumpkin Apple Cupcakes with Maple Cinnamon Frosting

Pumpkin Apple Cupcakes with Maple Cinnamon Frosting

Cupcakes:
1 medium apple (peeled, cored and diced)
1 boxed yellow, or white, or spice cake mix
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 1/3 cups water

Frosting:
1 16-ounce container cream cheese icing
2 tablespoons light maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and line two cupcake pans with paper liners.

2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, microwave the apple pieces on high about 1 minute or until tender. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, pumpkin and water, then beat with an electric mixer on high speed 2 minutes. Fold in the cooked apple pieces.

4. Spoon the batter into prepared cupcake pan. Bake the cupcakes about 18 to 20 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

5. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, stir the cream cheese icing, maple syrup, and cinnamon until well blended. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting. Devour greedily.

via ddp

things i'm loving

I'm kind of excited for this movie to come out...I'm not going to lie. Yes, I may be a little bit of a nerd. I do like Jennifer Lawrence a lot though so I'm interested to see how she is at Katness.

I need to learn how to do this with my make-up.

via pinterest

I want to make one of these for my room.

via pinterest

I like this quote.

via pinterest

I love this ring, but I don't know where to find it! I saw it on pinterest, but it didn't have a link to where I can get it. I bet it's on etsy or something.

via pinterest

I need to learn how to make this, because I need to eat this. It looks so good.

via ddp

I love j.crew. I want this outfit.

via lala