Been too long, blog friends.

I just realized that I haven't posted in about 2 months! Truth is life hasn't been that exciting. I've been working at two different restaurant jobs and hanging out with my best friend Sarah in my spare time. 

But I will try to start posting more often again. 

Loves!

Make the Best Birthday Cake

Here are two of my cake secrets I'm going to share with you, because I believe that cake this good should be shared with others. That's what Jesus would do. 

SECRET # 1

Yesterday was my little sister's 5th birthday, and I wanted to make her a special cake.

She asked for the "white kind" so I went to the store and bought some cake mix in a box.

I think we can all agree that even Betty Crocker struggles to keep up with the good tasting cake in this world (wedding cake, for example, is amazing!). Cake mixes from a box are just not as good. (How do those wedding cake makers bake such delightful delectables??) So I decided to fancy up my cake to make it taste thick & yummy. It's quite simple actually. I researched some good substitutes for the ingredients they wanted me to put in (oil, water). This is what I came up with.

For the 2 white cake mixes, I put in 7 eggs (one extra than it called for) and then I substituted 1 cup of oil for 1 cup applesauce. That's it. (If I'm telling the truth, I meant to substitute the water as well, for something like sour cream, by I just forgot. By hey, it turned out fabulous anyway.) I'm really happy I tried the applesauce trick because it gave the cake a nice, subtle fruit kick to it.

After I mixed it all up, I baked 4 separate 8" pans for layers. After cooking for about 35 mins (follow the directions on the box), I let them cool, then put them into separate large Ziplocs and put them all in the freezer over night.

The next day, my mom whipped up some frosting from scratch and I stacked & dirty iced the cake. It's 1,000 times easier and more pleasant to frost the cake after you freeze it. The layers were firm, not floppy, so icing the cake did not turn into a frustrating experience where I ended up crying profusely. I also thought up a clever cake top idea and it turned out super adorable, if I do say so myself. The end result was an alternating pink and white, 4-layer, vanilla cake. The cake topper banner was fashioned out of string, scotch tape, paper, and some decorative Japanese chopsticks. I also took a pic of my sister Geneva and printed it out, then glued & cut it out on an empty cereal box. Ta-da!

********************************************************************

SECRET # 2

I wanted to share another cake secret that is the laziest (and yummiest) thing you've ever heard.

All you need is a boxed cake mix & 1 can of soda. Mix 'em all together, bake at normal heat, and voila! Cake.

And not just any cake. This cake is thicker, zingy, and you can claim it as vegan (no eggs)! 

Combos that I've tried:

• Chocolate + Dr. Pepper (The DP gives the cake a tiny cherry flavor. I love it.)
• Vanilla + Sprite
• Vanilla + Sprite Cranberry

I would not recommend using diet soda. You gotta use the sugary stuff. I researched it a little bit, and don't call me on this, but the fake sugars in diet soda could be dangerous when heated up to extreme temperatures, and I also read that diet soda just doesn't work as well as the regular stuff. So why worry? Use regular :)

I hope you'll try either of these two secrets I suggested with making cake taste amazing, even when it comes in a box. Comment or send me an email if you did! Take pics!

Kirk out.

Try this! Chock-Full-of-Veggies Chili

So one night I made this chili for dinner. The recipe was from South Beach Diet. I made some changes to it as I went along, but the end result was so tasty I wanted to write down my version of this delicious chili. And I'm sharing it with you!

Ingredients:

• 2 TB extra virgin olive oil
• 4 bell peppers (any color), chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced (or a few spoonfuls of that garlic stuff in a jar)
• 2 TB chili powder
• 2 TB dried oregano
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add bell peppers, celery, and garlic.Cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to soften, about 7 mins. Add chili powder, oregano, cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes longer.

2. Add beans & tomatoes (with juice). Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until chili is fragrant and slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve warm and garnish with fresh herbs, if desired. (I garnished mine with some sour cream so don't feel bad about it if you want to do the same.)

Servings: 7 

I wish I'd taken my own picture, but it really doesn't look as awesome as it tastes.

Recipe for Healthy 3-Ingredient Cookies

I am so pooped after today. I tried out a new cookie recipe, made pork chops & cowboy beans, and some lunches for tomorrow. Whew!

So I tried this new cookie recipe because I've seen it around on Pinterest and it looked easy. I suppose the end result will look like this:

Except those chocolate chips look suspiciously like rasins......



Here's the catch about these AMAZING COOKIES--it only needs 3 ingredients!!

Oh my heck!!

Yeah.

So I'll give you the recipe and you can try it out.

You'll need:

• 2 large bananas (I had small bananas so i used 4)
• 1 cup oats
• 1 handful chocolate chips

Oh, and I took lovely pictures of my adventures with these cookies so lucky you! I actually have my own pics for step by step instructions :)

Mash up the bananas in a bowl.

Add the oats & chocolate chips. Mix well.

Spoon out onto cookie sheet. (I recommend greasing the cookie sheet, otherwise they'll stick to that pan like a needy girlfriend.)

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Yay! 15 minutes is plenty of time to clean up your mess you've made so far. Look at all them dishes you dirtied.

Just be careful to not rub off the Sharpie finger mustache you made!!

Darn it...

AACK! Don't forget about the cookies!!!

Remove from oven and let cool.

And voila! Scrumptious cookies. They're definitely banana-y, but you can eat a boat-load without feeling like, way guilty.

Makes like 15 cookies! Om nom.

Cirque du Sunfest

My wonderful university hosted a carnival tonight! Free for students! (Free is AWESOME!) I took some of my nanny children along with me and we had a great time! I just had to post about it right when I got home!!

We bounced and played on the bouncy slide & race course, got our faces painted, ate cotton candy and nachos, and went in the photo booth. 

Girl group shot. How cute are these chicas??

All the kids with some Star Wars characters. Love it.

Here's a shot of my beautiful face with my Potter scar on it. Yeah. I'm awesome.

Here are our photo booth shots after we got our faces painted :) The mimes decided to jump in on the last one. I didn't mind! 

My feet were freezing by the end but it was worth it for the kiddies to have fun! Hope everyone's Friday night was just as awesome as mine :)

Cool Thing of the Day: SMASH JOURNAL

Heya! I'm here today to tell you all about these awesome SMASH journals I discovered! 

It's kind of like a scrapbook but smaller, and really cute. They have quite a few styles out now:

 This is me with my "Pretty Style"journal!

 


The cool thing about these books? First of all, it comes with a pen that also has a glue stick! 

Crazy right??

They also have gorgeous pages that inspire you to write whatever you want! Here's a pic of a random selection of photos I plastered on the first couple of pages to express who I am. 

These examples of mine probably look unfinished to you. Well you're right. One of the things I love most about these things is that I feel like I can add more to any of the pages at a later date. I don't have to finish right away.

You can also buy some awesome accessories for these bad boys. As far as I know, they sell mini writing pads, ribbons, elastic bands to keep your folio together, date stamps, "Secret Pockets," sticky tabs, switch tape, and tons more!

I definitely recommend these journals. I bought my first one at Deseret Book, but of course they are available on Amazon and at other craft & book stores. Check it out and email me your creations! :)

Au revoir!

How To: Curl Your Hair with a Flat-Iron

I only have two hair tools: my hair dryer and my straightener. & I love to curl my hair all the time. 

I don't even own an expensive straightener. I don't need to. My hair is resilient and will work with anything. Yay me!

Since I am lazy and I don't really want to make my own DIY, I decided to show you some DIY's that I approve of for you to look at. :)

Here's one from The Fixation Files, and wikiHow is always a great place to look! The best advice I can give is just experiment. I mean, practice makes perfect, right? I don't even own a curling iron because I'm pretty much a pro with my flat-iron. 

Have fun!

Find of the Day: The Period Store

Let's be honest, for every lady - once a month - we go through the worst headaches, cramps, and hormonal freakouts.

Sometimes it sucks being a lady. Am I right!

So I'm here to save the day with this site I stumbled upon on Pinterest. Bring on the Hallelujah Chorus because this is the best idea in the history of Womanhood.

Before you judge, go to the website: The Period Store. You can order a package for "That Time of the Month" filled with chocolate, comforting stuff, and even pads, tampons, and herbal remedies. Just shipped to you. How awesome is that?? 

Even though I'm a poor college kid and I just have to suffer through the Mother Nature uterus punch, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Byeee!

Random Awesome Things: Ombre Hairstyle

Lots of chicks are into the whole ombre hairstyle, and others are way against it. Personally, I think it's a way cute look, a unique style to our generation and a great way to be hipster. Jk.

But really. There are a few awesome perks to getting an ombre, besides looking sexy fine. For one, it works with any hair color. Unless your hair is like really white. Plus, your roots don't show! This dye job lasts for months.

But I must warn you. There is a way to go wrong here. I will show you.

First off, here is my beautiful hair when I first got it done, about 5 or 6 months ago. Isn't it lovely? It was my first dye job ever, and I figured it was a pretty safe route because I've had threats on my life if I ever dye my ginger hair another color. This was a good medium. Not too extreme, and natural-looking.

My hair has grown out about 4 or 5 inches since I got it done and it still looks good!

Here are some celeb examples of a good ombre:

All of the above are ombre DO's.

Here is an ombre DON'T.

Don't do it. Make sure you balance your color and don't make it too extreme. otherwise it's just awkward.

Hope this helps all you people who are going to hitch onto the ombre fad.

Brooklyn's Tips: How to Listen to Conference

Today, at the Saturday morning Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a new temple was announced to be built in Cedar City, UT! That's where I live! What a great time we live in.
LDS Conference is a wonderful time where we can listen to talks from our prophets to help improve ourselves and change our lives with living scripture.
But let's be honest. Sometimes it's not super easy to listen to it, especially if we love to sleep in a lot or we feel like we have better things to do. Here are some things to keep you preoccupied while still able to listen to inspired words!


Color.
Need I say more? This is my favorite way to kill time. Print out some black & white pages of Disney princesses or superheroes, get out your crayons and chillax.

No Cable?
Some (wise) people don't have cable in their homes. That doesn't mean you can't listen to Conference! Listen on the radio or watch on lds.org! Wouldn't it be great to take a portable radio & a blanket to the park and listen by yourself while laying out in the sun?

Get together with family or friends.
College kids can encourage each other by making it a gathering with snacks and a couch pajama party.

Take notes.
Writing down your favorite parts can help you remember what inspired you and make it a more enjoyable experience.

Write in your journal.
I know I have trouble writing in that thing often enough. Why not take a peaceful moment to catch up on your personal history?


Although listening to Conference can seem like a chore, I think it's always important to remember that Conference is a special treat for all of us. It can be easy to forget it, but God's prophets are here to give us His message. It would be foolish to forgo this incredible opportunity for the Holy Ghost to speak to us personally through these words.

Have a great Conference weekend!

Eat this! Chicken Coron Bleu - Lazy Style!

I made this the other day for the kiddies & it was my first big hit! Usually the stuff I make doesn't turn out so good. But hey, I know I'm not the best cook in the world. & They knew this when they first hired me. So don't judge.

This is super simple, super yummy, so out of the goodness of my heart I wanted to share it with you!

You need 1 of each for however many you're feeding (or more, for those people who eat more than their fair share):

• Breaded chicken sandwich patties, frozen
• Sliced ham
• Swiss cheese (or any mild white cheese, really. I used Monterey Jack cause we ran out of Swiss)
• Hamburger buns 

On a sheet pan, lay out chicken patties and lay ham & cheese on top. Cook for however long it says on the chicken package (mine cooked for 15 minutes at 450*).


Mix up a sauce with mustard + mayonaise to your taste to put on the sandwiches.



Might be a bit burnt on the edges when you take the patties out, like mine were, but don't worry 'cause they're still tasty! Put the patties on the buns with the sauce.

I paired it with sweet peas, but you can add whatever side to this that your heart desires.

Bon appetit!

Eat this! Twice Baked Potato

When I decided to make these a few days ago, I'd only eaten them once before. They are so unhealthy. If you make these, be sure to throw in some green beans or something healthy to balance it out. But these are easy, cheap, and that can't get much better for those broke college students out there!

I started Googling some recipes for Twice Baked Potatoes and some of them were really complicated, so I just simplified it a bit and pretty much you can throw anything you want into these bad boys. There's some wiggle room for how you like your taters. Whatever floats your boat.

Recipe for Twice Baked Potatoes, when you're cooking for yourself.

Scrub clean and dry 4 large potatoes.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Insert potatoes and cook for 30 minutes.

Take out potatoes, poke holes with fork, then put them back in for another 20-30 minutes.

Take out potatoes again. Slice potatoes in half (or whatever. I cut off the tops, just enough to do the next part--) and scoop out potato insides into large bowl. Make sure you leave enough in there to keep the skins' shape.

Mash up with the potato to give it nice, smooth texture:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Scoop up the mashed potato mix back into the empty skins, bake for another 20 minutes.

You can sprinkle on shredded cheese, bacon bits, green onions--whatever you love on your potato. Since this makes 4, eat one and then put the others into Ziploc baggies and refrigerate. You can reheat for other meals in the microwave for 1 or 2 minutes. 

So delish! Enjoy!

Obsession Confession: Michael Henry & Justin Robinett

I'm gonna be lazy today and just post some music videos of some pretty swell artists. If you don't like it, then you can go back to surfing Facebook or checking your Farmville. I will not be offended. Promise. 

I love artists who cover popular songs and make them different and unique to their own sound. Michael Henry & Justin Robinett are one of my favorites! 

This video is a cover that they sing with Alex Goot (another one of my faves!) of T-Swift's We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.

Another band I love is Walk Off the Earth. Here are my favorite two videos they did: 

Magic.

And Party Rock Anthem.

If you enjoyed these vids, go to Youtube and surf these artists some more! They are awesome!

Au revoir!

Review: Make Up the Eyes

I think all girls can relate to the constant struggle of purchasing a good makeup product and liking it enough to stick with it. I'm only 18, and I've probably purchased a good several hundred dollars on makeup. And most of the time, there is always some issue.

This eyeshadow doesn't stay on.

This foundation makes me break out.

This eyeliner makes me look like a raccoon by the end of the day.

It sucks to be a lady sometimes! It costs a fortune to look the way we look! 
Today, I'm going to share my insights of my mascara & eyeliner, and maybe I can help save you buttloads of money trying to look fabulous.

Lately I've been impressed with Organic Wear Mascara in Ultra Black. I found it at Walmart for about $9, but it had a 'bonus mascara' so I thought that was a pretty great deal. I've been using the first tube for a couple months and usually mascaras start to clump around this time but not this one! I've felt like my lashes are healthier and they don't fall out as much. It stays on all day but washes off easily. And the box claims it doesn't have any synthetic materials that a lot of other mascaras have. It's 100% natural and 44% organic. In this case, I think it's okay to be hippie, because this mascara is really awesome.

Another eye product I've struggled with is my eyeliner. It seemed like I'd have to reapply 2 or 3 times a day and I love to do wings with my eyeliner, but it would smudge off. One day I bought Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner and it saved my life! Not really, but it made me look a lot better! Before, I used the easy to apply eyeliner crayon kind, so when I tried this with the brush it was a bit weird to get used to. But this eyeliner is flipping amazing! It stays on all day, even if I accidentally touch it or something, it stays on. And I can do my wings on my eyes! Yay!



Hope this review helps you girls out there searching for some good makeup. Au revoir!

Spring Break!

Hey all! This post, I'm going to give you a few ideas & tips for activities to do for your Spring Break! I've already had mine, but this is for you!

Go outside. Duh. Just yesterday, Meadow & I drew on the sidewalk with chalk. You can also go hiking, swimming, play at the park, lay in the sun. Many ways to soak up that Vitamin D!

Experiment in the kitchen. Yesterday, with Meadow, we tried out Snickers salad (I posted the recipe yesterday). The kids loved it! Try out a new recipe that looks devine from Pinterest or one of your cookbooks.

Write a missionary letter. I mean, come on. Everyone has at least one missionary friend/family member/neighbor. Missionaries love nothing more than letters, so get to writing!

Catch up on your fave TV shows. Hey, nothing better than chillaxing and watching some How I Met Your Mother or Glee. You can also snack on your kitchen experiments! 

Game night! Invite anyone & everyone for a game night inside. My favorite game is Werewolves, which is less that 10 bucks on Amazon. The Couch Game is also way fun.

Girls night. Paint nails, watch chick flicks, catch up on everyone's gossip.

Fantasize. I don't know about you, but this year I've been nostalgic for Disneyland. It's been about a year since I've last been & it's killing me! Yet all I can do is save my money & watch  my favorite Disney films.

I wish you all the best Spring Break! Have tons of fun!

How To Make Green Apple Snickers Salad

I'm here to give you a recipe so easy, it'll blow your mind! It's deliciously amazing yet so simple.

Ingredients:
3 green apples
Snickers candy
1 large tub of whipped topping 
1 package of vanilla pudding mix

And that's all! Chop up the apples & the Snickers candy bars, and mix it in a bowl with the whipped topping & the vanilla pudding mix.

This recipe makes an unhealthy salad so delicious, you'll forget all about the calories. Try & enjoy!

Obsession Confession: Potterhead

7 books, 8 movies, and many musical parodies of possibly the greatest story of the century.

Harry Potter. 

Yes, I am a Potterhead. Everything about his story is captivating, amazing, and truly magical. It's more than an interest--I am obsessed. 

So I am going to share some of my favorite parts of Harry on this post today. 'Cause I love Harry, I'm going to share my love. I'll try not to ramble on too much so that y'all don't die of boredom. But I'm about to get my nerd on, here. & If you're just as nerdy as me, you'll get to experience some awesome Harry stuff.

The Books

It truly upsets me when people haven't read the books & claim to love Harry. The movies do. Not. Count. No matter how great they are, the books are a thousand times better. The films took out a lot of the important fundamentals. If I didn't read the books, I don't think I'd know everything I need to understand the movie plots. 

I believe I started reading Harry when I was in first grade. It was love at first sight. The reason Harry is so popular with this generation is because it is a captivating & amazing story. I don't know how I can further explain its true glorious majesty.

A recent new Harry thing I've been into is the UK version of the books. My mother has recently been looking for HP UK-version books in every secondhand bookstore and thrift store she shops in. She's found the 4th and 6th books so far. I've borrowed the Goblet of Fire & started reading it. British grammar is a bit different but it's invigorating to experience the story in a new way. To further my knowledge, I used good ole Google to look up differences between the Bloomsbury & Scholastic versions of the series, and what came up was quite interesting. This website: hp-lexicon.org listed several differences between the books. Also, this link: uta.fi lists specific word changes in books 1 through 4. 

If you haven't already experienced the literary world of Harry, I encourage you to do so. Nothing compares to Hogwarts on the page.

The Movies--some fun facts about the HP films:

• Moaning Myrtle was played by a 37-year-old actress in the Chamber of Secrets. She was the oldest actor to ever play a Hogwarts student.
• Rupert Grint dressed up like his female drama teacher and rapped about Ron Weasley for his audition tape. His rap began, “Hello, my name is Rupert Grint, I hope you don’t think I stink.”
• An outbreak of lice occurred among the children cast members during the filming of “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.”
• Robbie Coltrane, the actor who played Hagrid in the films, has gotten a mini-fan and a fruit bat stuck in his famous, shaggy beard.
• During the filming of the kissing scene between the horcrux versions of Harry and Hermione in the final film, Rupert Grint was removed from the set for laughing too much.
• While filming “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” Tom Felton’s Hogwarts robes had their pockets sewn shut because he kept trying to sneak food onto the set.
• One of the flying cars used in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” was stolen off the set. It was discovered seven months later when an anonymous caller informed police of its whereabouts.
• Forty versions of Salazar Slytherin’s infamous locket had to be created to accommodate Harry and Ron’s failed attempts to destroy it during filming.
• In order to become acquainted with the films’ three main stars, director Alfonso Cuaron had each of them write an essay about their characters. True to their characters, Emma Watson wrote a 16-page essay, Daniel Radcliffe wrote a simple, one-page paper, and Rupert Grint never even turned his in.
• The least successful Harry Potter film, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” made $90 million more than the most successful Twilight movie.
• Daniel Radcliffe wore out  60-70 wands during the making of the Harry Potter films & he's been through 160 pairs of glasses during the shooting of all the Harry Potter films.
• 250 paintings have been created for the Marble Staircase.
• 210,000 coins were made for the Gringotts bank scene for the final two films alone.
• The steam engine's real name is the Olton Hall and it was built in April, 1937.

Facts from list25.com and hollywoodreporter.com, click to read more!

A Very Potter Musical

Some friends actually told me about this musical posted on Youtube, and oh. My. Heck. If you love Harry, this Youtubed musical will have you rolling on the floor laughing your butt off.
Click here for the first video, Act 1 Scene 1. Darren Chris from Glee stars as Harry Potter (an AMAZING choice).
After you watch A Very Potter Musical, check out A Very Potter Sequel.

Pottermore

Pottermore is a great resource for those Harry bookworms out there. The website lets you explore the world of Harry with your very own Sorting (I'm a Gryffindor) and read snippets about places & characters written by Rowling herself. You can also make potions and duel with other Potterheads.
I think they have the first 3 novels open. Go check it out!

Harry's World of Youtube 

So many videos have been made inspired by Harry. I will post my favorites which are purely AWESOME.

Potter Puppet Pals: The Mysterious Ticking Noise

Potter Puppet Pals: Draco Puppet

What if the spells in HP had actually worked or gone wrong?

Harry Potter/Friday parody

Harry Potter in 5 seconds

Harry Potter in 99 Seconds

Youtube Harry yourself! There are tons of Harry videos so go surf the web!

Beyond the 7

There are a few extra books out there from JK Rowling and other authors for HP nerds like me to enjoy & more fully understand the world of Harry. 

The Tales of Beedle the Bard
A collection of 5 short stories referenced in The Deathly Hallows in which Harry, Ron, and Hermione read the Tale of Three Brothers.

Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them
A reference for animal characters found in the wizarding world.

Quidditch Through the Ages
Covers rules & history of Quidditch, as well as professional teams in Great Britain.

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook

The Unofficial Harry Potter Party Book

The Unofficial Harry Potter Insults Handbook: 101 Insults For the Slytherin In Your Life

All of these books are available on Amazon.com

How-To: Harry Potter Party! 

Click here for ideas for your HP party!

DIY Harry Potter Wands

Here's a pretty picture of me, my sisters, cousins, mom & aunt making our own wands. Below is a DIY pic so you can customize your magical powers onto your own wand! Feel free to get creative. There are no rules to crafting.

That's it for today! Thanks for letting me blab & post about the splendor of Harry Potter. I could go on longer, but I shall spare you darlings until a later day. 

Cheerio, loves!