Cheddar Cheese Biscuits

This is an awesome biscuit recipe. I borrowed it from a cook book and altered a few little things.

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 teaspoons baking powder 

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 425F. Grease a cookie sheet. Put the flour, salt, baking powder, pepper, sugar, and cheese in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the flour with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the milk all at once and stir just until the dough forms a ball around the fork. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead 14 times. Pat until 1/2 think. Cut into rounds, or shapes, using a 2 inch cookie cutter. Place onto baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Serve with butter, and enjoy!

Chocolate Chip, Cranberry, and Pecan Cookies

These are delicious. I came home in the mood for cookies and threw this together on a whim. Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Chip, Cranberry, and Pecan Cookies

1/4 pound butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/8 cups flour

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chopped candied pecans (the kind with sugar on the outside)

6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries (like Craisins)

Preheat the oven to 375F and grease some cookie sheets. Cream the butter, then gradually add the two sugars, beating until light and smooth. Beat in the egg and the vanilla. Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together and add it to the first mixture, blending well. Stir in the pecans, cranberries, and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls on to the cookie sheets about 1 inch apart and bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.

brown sugar-cinnamon body scrub

combine 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon real orange juice, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon orange extract. Add more cinnamon to thicken if needed, add more oil to thin if needed. Stir well. It should be a deep mahogany color, and have the consistency of chocolate syrup. Use a generous amount all over your skin in the shower and massage your skin to exfoliate then rinse off. You'll smell like freshly baked cookies, and have soft, exfoliated skin. I recommend using this after shaving so that your skin is as smooth as possible, as this makes it easier to scrub off any dead, dry skin. After using body scrub, I like rubbing vitamin E oil on my skin to make it soft and moisturized.

Get Rid of Zits and Sunburns

Tips I just discovered:

Zits? Mix equal parts baking soda and table salt with enough water to make a paste consistency, then apply it to any zits on your face and leave on until dry. Wash off with water. The salt dries up/reduces size of any zits, and the baking soda reduces redness.

Sunburn? Take the hottest bath/shower you can stand, then immediately apply cocoa butter to the affected area.

Tips about Thrifting

Thrift shopping is a great way to get unique clothes without having to spend a fortune. However, some people have difficulties trying to figure out what are good items to buy at a thrift store, and what they should buy elsewhere. 

These are my tips about thrift shopping:

• If buying something that has been used (which will be the majority of the thrift store), check the key places where holes and wear most occur: In shirts, especially made of knits or soft, polyester blends, check the underarm seams and hems. If buying something made of wool, fur, feathers, leather, felt, silk, cotton or nylon, check for teeny little holes in the material, as these fabrics are prone to moths. 
• Generally, I don't recommend purchasing jeans or shoes at thrift stores, however there are occasionally a few exceptions. The reason I don't encourage buying these products at resale stores is because jeans can look very different or different people. The size might say "6" and you're a 6, but remember that different brands and designers don't all follow a direct numerical size chart. An H&M 6 (or 36, since it's a  European company), generally runs smaller than a store geared at a more mature generation, (like Ann Taylor). Some people need straight-leg, high pockets, no pockets, lower waist, boot-cut, shorter (petite), or longer (tall) style jeans to be most flattering for their body types. The thing about buying used shoes is that there is usually much wear and tear, and sometimes are worn misshapen by medical conditions where both feet are turned more inside when they walk rather than the average person.  
• If you ever find tags on an item that you like, you should just buy it. It's most likely at least 60% cheaper than the original MSRP, and you're getting a great deal.

Shopping List Fall 2011

This fall, my wardrobe will consist of items reflective of the 1920s, and 1960s, with brightly color combinations and drop-waists. Modern accessories, like structured jackets and statement necklaces, will add some fashionable flair to the vintage looks.

I'm looking for:

• Pencil skirts in bright blue, bright yellow, and bright red
• A bright red pea-coat
• T-Strap heels, reminiscent of the 20's
• 60's style floral blouses
• Shift dresses in the 1920's style, (if I could find any vintage stores that carry actual ones, my day would be made!!)
• Double-wrap belts (to wear low on the hips, with drop-waist and shift dresses
• A charcoal motorcycle jacket with a feminine flair, to add a modern flair to a vintage ensemble
• Long, beady layering necklaces
• Floral and feather hair accessories 
• Neutral cardigans

Tips I've Learned (Through Experience and Resolution)

Painting Tips:

• Left your painty brushes out too long without water? Put a small drop of olive oil on the bristles, then rinse out as normal. The oil breaks up the paint and saves an otherwise dead brush. 

• Have a need to paint but no primary colors available? Using black and white paints as a base, add drops of food coloring to the desired base. Voila, you have your desired paint color!

Fashion Tips:

• In a hurry and have no idea what to wear? Pull together a fast outfit by following this rule: Choose one part to focus volume on: the top or the bottom. You could do a combination of volume on top, fitted on bottom (i.e., a blousy shirt with skinny jeans or leggings) or fitted on top, volume on bottom (i.e., a fitted top with high waisted flared skirt). This makes a balanced outfit. Wearing all tight clothing can come across as overtly sexy, and can make a bad first impression or business/school outfit. However, wearing all loose and flowy clothing can be too bag lady-esque. Not hot, my friends.