Bring Vegas Home Challenge

A little while ago, I was asked by Vegas.com to join their "Bring Vegas Home" Challenge. I was asked to use the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas Hotel for inspiration.

When I think of Las Vegas and the Cosmopolitan Hotel, I think of luxury and opulence. These things are easy to add to your own home with little touches. Looking through the pictures of the Cosmopolitan Hotel on the Vegas.com website I found lots of ways you can bring Vegas without breaking the bank.

#BringLVHome. Check out my Olioboard board.

Here are some ways you can accomplish your own luxurious look:

1. Have a Neutral Background - Paint is such a cheap and can easily be done in a weekend. Most of the guest rooms at the Cosmopolitan are either white or light grey which allows the artwork and one or two accent colours to really pop. The Cosmopolitan uses navy as one of it's main "pop" colours.

2. Lots of Layered Lighting - Lighting creates mood and atmosphere which very important to a glamorous look.
    Three Types of Lighting are:
          a) Ambient lighting is the main source of lighting in a room such as a beautiful chandelier or                         ceiling fixture.
          b) Task lighting is like a floor or table lamp for such tasks as reading.
          c) Accent lighting is used to add drama to a room or highlight a feature. For example, artwork                       lighting highlights art pieces and candles add drama.
The key to keeping the room united is to keep the finishes of the lighting fixtures the same. The Cosmopolitan does this with Chrome.
Another thing this hotel does along with the lighting is that it uses lots of mirrors to reflect the light around the room, which makes small rooms look bigger, and adds sparkle.

3. Patterns - Layered patterns create drama. The key to working with pattern is layering and playing with scale. The patterns need to be different sizes. For instance in my inspiration board, the pattern on the rug is largest size, the artwork is the next size, and then the drum lighting fixture and pillows are the smallest pattern size.  It keeps your eyes moving and things interesting when you layer patterns in a room.

4. Textures - Instantly add luxury to a room. Examples of great textures: velvets, leathers, natural stones, silks and woods. It could be as simple as adding a velvet accent chair to your living room, silk pillows to your bed or a leather bench in your front entrance. These textures make things look more extravagant and luxurious because of their richness. But they don't have to cost a fortune especially with so many great faux textures out there in the marketplace. Faux leather and faux silk can be so good they can trick even experts. You really do not need to win the casino jackpot to duplicate these looks at home.

5. Artwork -  This one you can make yourself with some canvas and paint from an art supply store or find at locally at all price points. There are a few keys to having great artwork: it must speak to you and be the right scale to your room. My belief is that it is better to have one large piece than many tiny pieces (unless you group them so they look like a big piece). One thing I love about making your own artwork, is that you can blow up your own photographs that have meaning to you. For example, in my living room I have a series of four photographed landscapes and each one we have taken on a trip so they all have special meaning to us. Another thing about your own artwork, you get to select the colours that work best for your room.
Don't worry if you don't have the time or a creative touch, you can buy some really great pieces in stores and on Etsy.

I was so inspired by the rooms at the Cosmopolitan Hotel that I can't wait to recreate my own glamorous guest room.

How would you bring Vegas home?

Fall 2014 Home Decor Picks

Well, it's almost officially Fall and the weather is certainly influencing my thoughts warm and cozy . Each season I like to add a few things to my existing decor to spruce up my home and get me excited for the colder weather. These additions can be easy and definitely economical. You can turn old sweaters into pillow covers, recycle other items from different parts of your house, or even craft up something new.  For Fall, my accents are usually in warm colours like deep red, rusty orange, olive, plum and navy. I also like to add more textures to my home decor in the Fall like velvets, knits and faux furs.

Terracotta bath towel / Pottery barn bedding / Lands Downunder tartan bedding / Zara Home blanket / Threshold textured bath towel / Kassatex blue hand towel / Chevron toss pillow / OKA door wreath/ Nest scented candle / Moe s Home Collection wool throw pillow/ Frette throw pillow / Yankee Candle glass jar / Scented candle / Body cleanser / Nest body cleanser / Lucia body cleanser


Here are my picks for 2014:

1. Plaid or Faux Fur Throw for my living room. I haven't decided which one yet and since it's almost baby arrival time whichever I see and love first. The added warmth and texture will be nice and cozy on those chilly late night feedings.

2. Pillows - A couple of new textured pillows to add to my sofa in warm colours.

3. Wreaths - I think it would be a great addition to my front door to add some welcoming Fall colours.

4. Candles - Candles add great ambiance to any room and the scents can be relaxing. I like scents like pumpkin spice or apple pie because they make me think about the wonderful family gatherings and food that happen in the Fall. Maybe some candles in my bathroom, living room and bedroom.

5. Accessories - Hand Towels & Hand Soap - in lovely scents like cinnamon pumpkin spice or cranberry.



What do you like to do to get your home ready for the Fall season?

Fall 2014 Fashion Picks

I can't believe it's September already and I am so ready for Fall. Lately, we seem to being having some last minute summer hot weather. I think Mother Nature has mixed up July with September.

Today it's breezy, so I thought I would share Fall 2014 Fashion Picks. These are easy items you can pick up at any price point to add to your wardrobe. You can add just one item from a category or something from all four.

360 Sweater turtleneck sweater / Tory Burch square toe boots / Express gold flat / MICHAEL Michael Kors satchel style purse / Hervé Van Der Straeten herve van der straeten jewellery / Michael Kors stainless steel jewelry/ Aurélie Bidermann gold jewelry

Categories (counterclockwise)

1. Oversize Turtleneck Sweater always says cozy to me especially when were are transitioning into Fall. The trick this season is for the turtleneck to be oversized and for the sweater to be done in a chunky knit. I can't wait to find mine.

2. Gold Accessories. For a couple of seasons, there has been a resurgence of gold jewellery and accessories. Frankly, I am excited as I love how gold jewellery looks with the jewel tones of Fall. Pick your favourite whether it be costume jewellery or the real deal.

3. Shoes or Boots. These Oxfords are a nice ode to back-to-school feeling we get in Fall and what what makes them special is that they are metallic. They would look great with your new chunky turtleneck and favourite jeans. Little ankle boots can do wonders to dress up those casual items of Fall. I love the gold heel on these boots from Tory Burch.

4. Great Structured Handbag. This structured bag is a good contrast between the less structured pieces of the season. I'm also in love with the navy colour. Maybe because it's a favourite staple colour here in Canada or maybe it's because it looks so great with gold accessories.


What would you choose for your Fashion 2014 updates?

Nursery Option #2

So I am having a really hard time narrowing down what I would like the nursery to look like. I know the last time I posted  I was leaning towards a robot theme but I want to explore some other options.

Here's what I came up for option #2.  You can check out my Nursery Option #2 board and where to find the items.

Nursery Option #2 

Which option do you like better? How long did it take to narrow down your nursery options?

Baby #2 Nursery Inspiration Search

I am almost in my third trimester so the great nursery inspiration search is on. I now know we are having another boy which means I don't really have to do much to the nursery decor. But since I love decorating and changing things up I thought this baby deserves a new design. I will be reusing the brown wooden crib and change table and the rest will be a blank slate.

I have been gathering inspiration from some of my favourite websites such as Project Nursery and Pinterest. The theme that I seem to gravitate to for this baby has been robots and below is my inspiration board.

HARLEQUIN blue area rug, 275 CAD / Ferm LIVING wall art, 61 CAD / Modern Moose red wall art, 16 CAD / Orange home decor, 2.16 CAD / Mini Dora Convertible Crib Espresso, 165 CAD / South Shore Savannah Collection Changing Table, Espresso / Robot Baby Costume - Baby Clothes, 52 CAD / Hanna Andersson Organic Cotton Two-Piece Fitted Pajamas (Toddler Boys,..., 26 CAD / Lolli Living Baby Bot Character Pillow Robot, 27 CAD / That's Not My Robot (Usborne Touchy Feely Books): Amazon.co.uk: Fiona..., 8.26 CAD


Where did you find inspiration for your nursery?

Family Travel Essentials

It's officially Summer which means family travels. I have complied my list of all the essentials you need for your next family trip.

Converse rubber sole shoes, 105 CAD / Asics footwear, 165 CAD / Gap woven tote, 38 CAD / Yves Saint Laurent acetate glasses, 330 CAD / Travel Journal Recycled Map Notebook - I Read More Maps Than Books -..., 11 CAD / Map home decor, 5.46 CAD / Metal home decor, 11 CAD / Boy's Shoes: Dress Shoes, Sandals, Boy's Toddler Shoes | Payless Shoes, 16 CAD / Canon EOS Rebel T3i 18.0MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm..., 575 CAD / Toy Car Garage with Road, 17 CAD / HOUGHTON MIFFLIN HARCOURT 'A Treasury of Curious George' Book, 12 CAD / Review, 7.91 CAD / Disney Monsters University Sulley Cuddle Pillow - Blue(12x10"), 20 CAD

My Family Travel Essentials

-Great, Comfortable yet fashionable Shoes for the entire family.
-Fabulous Sunglasses.
-Stunning Tote to carry all your new finds as well as snacks and water.
-SNACKS! A must when travelling with kids.
-Fun Reads for at the beach or on the plane.
-New Toys, Movies and Books for long car rides, plane rides or rainy days.
-Camera for catching all the travel memories and a travel journal & pen so you don't forget anything.
-Paper Road Maps for just in case you get lost or the GPS gets you lost :)
-Sunscreen (oops I missed that one in my picture)

What's your favorite family travel essentials?

The Try, Try, Try Again Dessert : Jell-O Cheesecake Dessert

Some of you may remember my post about the cherished dessert that my grandmother used to make that I tried to recreate several times but something always went wrong. So I put it on the back burner and decided to try the recipe again in a bit, also so we wouldn't get tired of the dessert.

A couple of weeks ago, while at the grocery store I spotted Cool Whip Whipped Dessert Topping with a picture of what looked to be my grandmother's dessert, or a close version, so I bought it. On the back of the picture was the recipe. Now armed with the recipes and directions I knew I was going to master this dessert.

As promised, I tried it again but this time with the "found" recipe. There were a couple of things that were different: instead of the recipe using Dream Whip like my grandmother's recipe it used Cool Whip, and this new recipe adds sliced strawberries to the Jell-o. Though I could have added the strawberries I wanted it to be as close as I could get to my grandmother's recipe as I could without her here. This time I had success and the recipe turned out exactly the same except for the bumpy Jell-O. The reason for the bumpy jell-o was that I let the Jell-O set for too long in the fridge.

What Not to Do - Lessons Learned

1. Do not cook the crust because it changes the texture of the crust. My first two tries I baked the crust.

2. Not let the crust and the cream cheese layer chill long enough. This caused the cream cheese mixture to melt slightly.

3.Not letting the Jell-O set up long enough (which happened in the first two tries) but not too long as I learned this 3rd try. Getting the time right prevents the more dense cream cheese layer from floating to the top like in this picture.

Though it doesn't turn out as perfectly as I wanted,  I definitely learned that practice gets you closer and keep trying, again and again until you succeed.

Here's the Recipe from Kraft Canada that was on the Cool Whip Lid.

Strawberry Delight Dessert

Ingredients

1 1/2 c. Honey Maid Graham Crumbs

1/4 c. non-hydrogenated margarine, melted

1 1/2 pkg. Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese Spread Light, softened

2 tbsp. skim milk

1 c. thawed Cool Whip Light Whipped Topping 

2 c. boiling water

2 pkg. (85 g. each) Jell-O Strawberry Jelly Powder Light 

1 1/2 c. cold water

1 qt. (4 c.) strawberries, sliced 

Directions

Mix graham crackers and margarine, press firmly onto the bottom of 13x9 inch pan. Beat cream cheese spread and milk until well blended. Stir in whipped topping. Spread over crust . Refrigerate until ready to use. Stir boiling water into dry jelly powder in a large bowl at least 2 mins. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water. Refrigerate 1-1/2 hours or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression). Stir in strawberries. Spoon over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Store any leftover dessert in refrigerator. 

Have you had any recipes you had to try several times before getting them just right?

Exciting News

I have some exciting news to share: I am pregnant with my second child and just over halfway through. We are so thrilled to be blessed with this baby and soon have a playmate for our son.

Both my pregnancies have been pretty good with only a little bit of nausea during the first trimester. But with my nausea comes some food aversions and that is why you have noticed not very many food posts for a while. Along with the food aversions, I didn't realize how truly tired I was going to be pregnant and trying to keep up with my almost three year old. I knew I was going to be tired but not this tired. DIY projects have fallen a little off the radar but hopefully for not too much longer.

Right now, I am trying to figure out how to balance everything. I still want to keep blogging so I am working out the details on how I want to make that happen. How to keep blogging, find time to do creative projects, and create new recipes.

I guess I am on a search to find a life/creative balance so stay tuned.

How do you find your balance?

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Today I was out shopping with my son and it got me thinking about what I was going to get my husband for Father's Day.

Here are some ideas I came up with:
    - Assorted Beer Glasses which is always a big hit with a beer drinker.
    - Cologne. Love a guys who smells good.
    - Pjs. I choose pj shorts because my husband hates being hot but these are nice when we travel.
    - Great Sunglasses
    - Cool Sneakers. Converse are a classic that have been around for a long time.

Converse sneaker / Fossil eyewear, 76 CAD / Dior Homme Eau for Men (EDT, 50ml – 100ml), 88 CAD / Sant And Abel Clive's Eye Men's Sleep Shorts, 48 CAD / Luigi Bormioli drinkware, 27 CAD



 What do you like to give for Father's Day?

Easy 4 Ingredient Cookies

This week I thought I would share this recipe for one of my favourite cookies. The cookie only has four ingredients and requires no baking.

Ingredients
1 pkg. Milk Chocolate Chips
1/2 10 oz. Bag Mini Marshmallows
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Shreddies (optional; see note)

Steps:
Line an 8x8 baking dish with aluminum foil.

Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl for about 1 minute or until melted. Once melted pour the chocolate-peanut butter mixture, marshmallows and Shreddies into the 8x8 dish. Stir until incorporated and everything is covered in chocolate. Cover the dish and refrigerate for an hour. Use the aluminum foil to pull the cookies out of the dish, remove the foil, and cut into squares.

Enjoy! I bet you can't stop at just one.

Note: You can make these cookies with or without the Shreddies. They add a nice crunch to the cookie but are equally as tasty without. 

What's your favourite cookie?

Summer Lovin'

Summer is one of my favourite seasons maybe because:
                       - Summer is warm.
                       - Fresh, local fruits and vegetables are available at outdoor markets.
                       - You don't have to wear bulky clothing layers.
                       - You can go to swimming at the beach.

I know it's still spring but I thought I would share some of my picks for summer inspiration.

Emilio Pucci bath towel / Outdoor patio furniture / Rattan arm chair/ Cantilever patio umbrella, / Outdoor side table,/ Pier 1 Imports colored paper lantern,  / HomArt beach wall art,  / Aqua home decor,  / Lisa Marie Fernandez one piece swimsuit,  / Havaianas flip flop sandals,


What do you do love about summer?

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is just around the corner so I thought I would share with you some gift ideas.

Shoes - Always a great idea, especially when they are Sam Edelman.
Face Cream - This face cream is a bit of a splurge for me which makes it a special gift.
Make-up - Another splurge item that would make any mother feel amazing.
Purse - A lady can never have too many beautiful bags.
Candle - A little treat to make Mom feel like she is at the spa.
Jewellery - Need I saw more...every Mom deserves a reward for all her hard work.

Fresh face moisturizer, 46 CAD / Vegan leather handbag, 38 CAD / Hourglass cosmetic, 52 CAD / Sam Edelman leather pointy toe flat, 120 CAD / Jo Malone coconut candle, 72 CAD

The Try, Try Again Dessert

Sorry for the delayed post. Last week I got inspired remembering my grandmother who would have been 94 years old last Friday. She was famous for making this Jell-o Cheesecake dessert and up until I was in my teens it was the only thing I knew as cheesecake. I know what you are thinking, I was so deprived but back then I didn't know any different and remember her fondly making this dessert. She was a lady who didn't believe in following recipes but solely in the "feel and look" of the ingredients. Her kitchen always smelled fantastic and the food tasted great.

In memory of my grandmother, I decided I would give it a try even without her "recipe" and directions. The one person who I knew may have an idea of how to make this dessert was my mom so I called her up. My mom knew the basic ingredients but not all the steps and tricks. I say "tricks" because as I found out and you see as you keep reading. I also did some research on the internet. I found a couple of similar recipes so I gathered my ingredients and off I began. I said to myself that it can't be that hard.

The dessert itself is a layered dessert: the bottom is graham cracker crumb crust, the middle is a cream cheese and Dream Whip dessert topping mixture, and the top is flavored Jell-o. Easy right? Well not exactly.

I made my crust just like the other recipes I found on the internet. As it was cooling, I made my Jell-0 and put it in the fridge to cool. I knew that I had to watch the Jell-o because I didn't want it to set up because I needed to pour it onto the top of the dessert. The second last step is to make my cream cheese and Dream Whip layer. I started to assemble my cheesecake dessert and that is where everything went wrong....

I even tried to make the dessert a second time and the same thing happened. I am determined to get it on the third try.

Stayed tuned for the continuation of cheesecake story and for the final recipe.

Our Landscape Plans

When we moved into our house, our yard was completely landscaped and that was part of the reason we fell in love with this house. That being said having a fully landscaped yard, no green thumb, and a 2 year old makes for a challenging up-keeping task. Five years of living with this yard and we still don't know what certain plants are or how they should be taken care of. This month we have decided to eliminate certain parts and replace other parts with low maintenance plants. Also, the garden is quite time consuming with hours almost every weekend spent weeding. But to be honest, part of our problem is that we don't spend hours weeding every weekend so we need to reduce weed production. We want to enjoy our yard not dread going outside because it reminds us of how much work we have to do.

Since the snow has just melted, we are in the planning stage. So I thought I would share some of our
inspiration. Disclaimer: Some these pictures are purely inspirational because we have a small budget for this transformation. Lots of wood and natural stone = $$$.

Source

Source

Source

Source

Stay tuned to see how we transform our yard.

Does your yard overwhelm you? 

Ready for April Showers!

The weather inspired me this week. We finally are getting normal temperatures for this area and all the snow is melting. Yeah! {Insert happy dance here} But with all the melting snow the ground is becoming mucky which got me thinking about what I would have on my essentials list for a rainy spring.

Here's my list:

ASOS funnel neck trench coat, 93 CAD / Chooka polka dot boots, 72 CAD / Steve Madden canvas pouch, 60 CAD / Topshop dog umbrella, 35 CAD / Rifle Paper Co quote wall art / Metal home decor, 15 CAD


What's on your essentials list for a rainy spring?

March 2014 Beauty Box 5

I received my Beauty Box 5 for March this week.

March 2014 Beauty Box 5

 Here's what was in this month's box:

1. Jane's Pick All Natural Soap - Scent was too strong for me.

2. Tree Hut Shea Body Butter - Loved this product!

3. Bellepierre Cosmetics Make-up Base - Haven't tried this yet but it should make a good eyeshadow base.

4. H20 Plus Hand & Nail Cream - Received this sample last month and didn't like the scent.

5. Swissco Loofah & Terry Facial Pad - Haven't tried this yet but an excited to try this.

I have given this beauty box subscription a three month trial and though I have liked some products most of them haven't been for me. I decided that I will cancel my subscription. It was a great way to get introduced to some new products and try them out before making the big purchase.

Have you ever tried something and hadn't had it turn out?

Spring 2014 Fashion Picks

Last week I did my Spring picks for outdoors so this week I am doing my fashion picks.

Scotch Soda slim fit shirt, 130 CAD / Mango leather bomber jacket, 150 CAD / McQ by Alexander McQueen elastic waist pants, 340 CAD / Sam Edelman wide flat shoes, 160 CAD / Ted Baker mint green purse, 330 CAD / Links of London black and gold jewelry, 260 CAD / Green necklace, 19 CAD / Dorothy Perkins black earrings, 12 CAD / Butter London metallic nail polish, 17 CAD / Butter London pearl nail polish, 17 CAD

I selected mint green as my colour for spring. Mint is so good with so many other colours I already have in my closet likes grays, navy, fuchsia and black. The colour reminds me of spring which I really want right now as I am writing this post during a blizzard.

Gold is still my favorite metal right now so I had to pick some gold accessories. They look great with mint, black and denim.  

I have wanted a chambray shirt and black leather & fabric bomber for a while now so they had to be on my list.

A new nail polish is always on my list to buy at the start of a new season. I get so excited over new colour. It's also an affordable and easy update your wardrobe.

Another look I have wanted to try for a while now is patterned pants. I have a lot of blue jeans so I am looking to change it up.

Tip: Use these boards for ideas like I do. Some of these pieces are not in my budget so I use this list as a guide and find items that are in my price point. 

Easy Spring Outdoor Updates

It may still be Winter here but I am determined to stay positive that Spring is just around the corner. This winter has seemed to go on forever so what helps me to get through these cold, snowy days is planning for new updates for our yard.

Here are some things that can get you thinking about the warm sunshine and forgetting about the these last few blah days of winter.

Pier 1 imports outdoor furniture, 410 CAD / CB2 cantilever patio umbrella, 585 CAD / Outdoor decor, 155 CAD / H M outdoor decor, 28 CAD / Flower pot, 185 CAD / Serena Lily outdoor table, 215 CAD / Crate and Barrel blue outdoor pillow, 39 CAD / String light, 19 CAD


I think the best way to spruce up your curb appeal after a long winters is with a new house number {I don't mean every year but maybe every five years. House numbers are like jewelry for your house. A new piece of jewelry can do wonders.}

Another way to update the curb appeal of your house is with a new door mat. These mats can get destroyed by the bad weather. You can either do a bright pop of colour or a simple statement mat.

A new umbrella is also a great way to update your outdoor space. Mine is faded from all the sun exposure so i am on the hunt for a new one. I especially love the cantilever style because you can change you shade coverage as the sun moves during the day.

The one piece of outdoor furniture that I am missing is a lounger. I really like to read outside in the spring and summer so a lounger is perfect. I like the simplicity of the one in the picture and the woven base adds great texture.

Some small things you can do is to add some pops of colour with string of lights, an accent table, or new flowering plant.

What do you like to do to spruce up your outdoor space for Spring?

Pizza Popcorn

Today I thought I share with you another popcorn recipe. You can check out my first popcorn recipe, Ginger Snap Parmesan Popcorn here.

Pizza Popcorn

Pizza Popcorn

Ingredients
1/3 c.     Popcorn Kernels
1 tbsp.   Butter, melted
1/4 tsp.  Salt
1/4 tsp.  Dried Oregano
1/4 c.     Mozzarella. finely grated
1 or 2     Sun-dried Tomatoes, finely chapped
2 or 3     Fresh Basil Leaves, finely chopped or torn
              Cayenne Powder, to taste (optional)

Pop your popcorn using whatever method you prefer. My personal preference is to use an air popper because it is easy and there are no additives.

While the corn is popping, melt the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Next grate the cheese and chop the basil and sun-dried tomatoes.

Once all your toppings are chopped, pour the melted butter over popcorn and sprinkle the salt, dried oregano and cayenne powder on top. Tip: I find putting the butter on first allows for the spices to stick to the popcorn.

Now it's time to add the mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and the basil. Give it a good toss and ta-da you now have pizza flavoured popcorn.

Try this recipe at your Oscar party this weekend. It will wow you and your guests.


What's your favourite way to spice up your popcorn?

February Beauty Box 5

Last week my Beauty Box 5 arrived and I was excited again to see what I got my second box.
{You can read about my first beauty box here. }

Beauty Box 5 - February 

Inside this month's box were:

1. Rockstar Nails - Nail Polish

2. Rockstar Nails - Nail Sprinkles

3. John Freida Luxurious Volume - Touchable Full Shampoo and Conditioner

4. H20 Plus - Spa Hand and Nail Cream

5. Elizabeth Mott - It's So Big Volumizing Mascara. 

Bonus: $10 off Gift Card for MyNameNecklace.com


Not sure what to think about some of these products for me. The nail polish and nail sprinkles are in a bubble gum pink which is not my favourite shade of pink. I also haven't been really into the nail art scene but they will make a nice present for my nieces. I liked the H2O body wash from January's box but this hand cream is a little too strongly scented for me. I am super excited to try out the shampoo, conditioner and mascara. I am always looking for new volumizing products.

One Year Blogging Anniversary + Cheesy Green Chile Polenta

I can't believe this past week was my one year blogging anniversary. It has been, and continues to be, a great adventure. I have learned so much about the blogging world and myself.

So to celebrate, I thought I would share one of my favourite comfort, celebrating dishes: Cheesy Polenta with Green Chiles. It's great on it's own, served with Chili, or with a dollop of sour cream on top.

In my neck of the woods, it's been extra cold lately so I have been craving cheesy, comfort food. With that being said, I have a funny story to tell you. Last week, during one of those extra cold days I thought it would take out of the freezer some cheddar and broccoli soup for lunch. I pulled it out in the morning so it would be ready for around noon. Well....when I went to heat up my soup, I found out that it was not cheddar and broccoli soup it was cheesy green chile polenta. Boy, was I surprised! Note to self: Label you food when you put it in the freezer. LOL. It wasn't a terrible mistake because they are equally delicious. I was just a little disappointed which happens when you crave a particular item. Then when you go to make it you realize you don't have the chocolate that you needed to make those cookies. Anyways, I had a delicious lunch and was glad it reminded me how much I like this polenta recipe. So I thought I'd share the recipe with you.

Cheesy Green Chile Polenta

Ingredients

3 c. Stock (Chicken, Beef or Vegetable)

1 c. Yellow Cornmeal

2 tbsp. Butter

1 can Chopped Green Chiles (like Old El Paso brand)

1 ½ c. Grated Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Bring stock to boil in a sauce pan. Sprinkle slowly in cornmeal and stir constantly. Reduce heat and cook the polenta mixture until thickened. It will take around 10 minutes depending on the coarseness of your cornmeal. Turn off heat and add butter, cheese, and chiles. Serve immediately.

Tip: You can also stir in sour cream to give the recipe a little tang.  

Have you ever had a freezer mix up? 

Valentine's Day Love in the Kitchen

I have always been a bit crazy when it comes to Valentine's Day and I love to decorate my kitchen with all things red, pink, and hearts.

When my brother and I were in elementary school, my mom would bake us a heart shaped cake and decorate it with cinnamon heart candy and pink icing. It was always such a nice treat and a fond memory so I like to continue the tradition.

Here are some of the things I like to decorate with:

1. KitchenAid kitchenware dining, 225 CAD / 2. Wilton steel cookware, 15 CAD / 3. Sur La Table tea mug, 10CAD / 4. Jessie Steele frilly apron, 34 CAD / 5. Chicago Metallic heart shaped cookie cutter, 22 CAD / 6. Sweetly Does it cake mold, 10 CAD / 7.Tovolo Balloon heart spatula, 12 CAD / 8. Crate and Barrel heart bowl, 11 CAD / 9.Sur La Table kitchen linen, 10 CAD / 10. Sur La Table kitchen linen, 11 CAD /

Do you do anything special for Valentine's Day?

Easy Spiced Pita Chips Recipe

One of my favourite snacks next to popcorn is pita chips and dip. I make my own since the store bought ones are high in both calories and fat.

Spiced Pita Chips

2-3 pitas (my favourite are high in protein and about 2 WW PointsPlus Value each)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion salt
cayenne powder, to taste (optional)

I like to use a pizza wheel to cut the pita bread into triangles. It makes it really easy and fast.

Tear your pita bread triangles into halves and spread onto a aluminium foil lined baking sheet. Next take the spices and sprinkle them over the pita chips. Toss with hands to ensure even distribution of spices.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit  for about 10 minutes or until crispy.

Bonus Recipe: Herb & Garlic Sour Cream 

1 c Light Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Epicure Herbed Garlic Salt
squirt of Lime or Lemon Juice


These are also delicious with hummus and tzakiki. Be careful because these won't last long.

What is your favourite snack?

My First Beauty Box 5

Happy Weekend!!

I'm back from my three week road trip! I have so much to share with you but I want to make sure I don't leave anything out so it will have to be my next post.

Since it is the weekend, I thought I would share some beauty fun for my first post for 2014.

As a little treat for myself for the new year, I thought I would try one of those beauty box subscriptions that seem to be all over the blog world. I was unable to subscribe to my first choice, Birchbox, sadly because they do not ship to Canada. My very close second choice was Beauty Box 5 and I was so excited that they do ship to Canada for free. I signed up at Beauty Box 5 back in December and received my box a few days ago. Needless to say I was super excited to see what was in my first box.

Inside were these great goodies: 

•   H2O Plus Spa Sea Lotus Body Wash
•   Nubar Cuticle & Nail Oil 
•   Swissco Bath & Shower Exfoliating Gloves
•   Jergens Daily Moisturizer
•   Epic Blend Hemp Coconut Lip Balm 
•   Bonus Product: That Awkward Moment Mirror Compact

I can't wait to try these new products. Like a lot of people right now, I suffer from very dry skin in the winter and these sound like they will fit the bill.

One Last Road Trip Adventure for 2013

So you are probably wondering where I have been two weeks well were invited on a road trip to the south with my husband's parents. They were planing on this trip for about a month now and we just happened to have two weeks off over Christmas so we jumped on the offer. We didn't have anything planned for these two weeks and an adventure in search of the sun sounded great. Because this was such a last minute decision for us we only had one day to pack which was completely exciting and chaos for me. The chaos part being trying to pack everything we need for three weeks, for both cold and warm weather, and for these weeks on the road. Once all packed we headed to my in-laws where we all piled into the truck with a travel trailer attached headed on the road for the sun. We are having a great time and still in search of the heat but the weather is much better than if we were at home with frigid temperatures.

I don't have great access to internet in the State Parks so I will share my stories of our adventures as soon as I can.

Here's a little friend we found on the beach.

Have you every gone on any adventures on a whim?