Party like it's 1999

Happy New Year's Eve to all!  I hope everyone had a great holiday!  I know I did! Does everyone have big plans for New Year's Eve? I'll be working, which totally stinks. I hope you all have better plans than me. To get myself in the holiday mood, I bought some great new products a few weeks back which I love.  They'll be sure to liven up your party spirit.
The first one is from Maybelline. It's eyeshadow that's basically filled to the brim with glitter. It's comes with 4 colors; White (clear,) light and dark Pink, and Silver.  All of them pack a serious glitter punch to make your eye shadow shine.

 This is a totally weird picture but it's the only way I could show you the glitter power. This is the before...                

 This is after. I love this product. This pic does not do it justice.

 I also picked up a body shimmer powder from e.l.f.  I love their products because they never "break the bank."

 This polish from NYC will perk up any little black dress. It is a  pinky red tint with a touch of shimmer. This is a great color for your collection.

Hope everyone has a safe and rockin holiday!

Christmas Tunes

How was your Thanksgiving? I hope everyone had a good time with family and friends. Did you stuff yourself silly. I know I did. I was a little sad this year because I was unable to make my family Cranberry sauce recipe. Everything is being packed up for the move to the new house. My kitchen is almost empty right now, so I didn't cook a thing. Oh well, there's always next year. Now we are moving on to my hubby's favorite  holiday. Christmas! That means Christmas music is here!  I'm a sucker for a holiday song. We have Sirius at work, and they switch to the Christmas songs Dec. 1st. I think it annoys most, but I sing along to them all.  I really enjoy the classic songs from the past, but I have a lot of fun ones from the present too. Most of my songs get taken off my Ipod until next season, but there is one that I keep and listen to all year with the rest of my downloads. It's called "Wish List" from Neon Trees. It is really upbeat and not to overly "holiday."
Make sure you add this song to your Christmas list for Santa...

Neon Trees "Wish List"
Yea! It's Christmas time!

It's not easy being Green.....or is it?

Is there anybody out there more excited than me about the new Muppet's movie coming out this week? I've been in love with the Muppet's since I was little. Kermit has always been my favorite. I had a Kermit Big Wheel when I was little, and it was my favorite thing ever.

I had a Muppet poster on my wall, and a Kermit and Fozzie bear stuffed animal. I still make my hubby take pics of me at the ride/show at Disney.  Over the past few weeks I have picked up some new Muppet attire and I am really excited. I actually found this shirt at target a few months back. My hubby laughed at me, but I bought it anyway.

 Shirt: Target   Capri's: Walmart   Socks: Target

I found these socks in the $1 bin at Target. I called my sister and begged her to check her Target for some more! Little did I know they were already in the mail for my B-day. I have an awesome sister.

My mom had sent me a box of cool stuff for my b-day also. In the box was this Limited Edition Yahtzee. I desperately want to open it, but I am behaving myself...for now.

 I saw this color a few months back at CVS and had to have it. Piggy should rock this color for her man.

 O.P.I also came out with a Muppet Collection!
O.P.I. The Muppets

 If you're a fan of the music from the show, you should check out The Green Album on ITunes. It features all the old classics but redone with artists of today. I like Paramore's Hayley Williams, so I love her version of "The Rainbow Connection" that she did with Wheezer.
The Rainbow Connection Feat. Hayley Williams and Wheezer

Even the Pistachio commercials have gone Muppet Crazy!
Get Crackin'
Get Crackin (behind the scenes)

Get out there and go see The Muppets!!! Long live Green!!

It's Party Time!

Happy Halloween!!!!! Hope everyone is having a spooky day!! We have had a busy day getting ready for the party! We made oreo cupcakes for the event. I didn't get a chance to take pics because we were running around all day buying supplies for tonight, and  looking at houses. Side note, we think we found one! Yea! I will keep everyone updated on that.  Anywho, the party was a blast, and here are some pics of the event!  I went as Little Red Riding Hood.
                                               "Mayhem"

 My hubby as Marty McFly from Back to the Future.

                                      "Jack Sparrow"

                                  "Robin Hood"

                                  "Swedish Chef"

                               "Pinocchio and Medusa"

Wool to Stay Warm....

Hey Kids! Is everyone getting ready for Halloween yet? I know I am. In fact, I am heading off to a party tonight. I'll be going as Red Riding Hood, and hubby is Marty McFly. (Pics to follow!) I can't wait. In the meantime, while my goodies are baking in the oven, I thought I should check in with a new outfit. While looking for a puffy vest for Craig's costume,( I was at Old Navy btw,) I came across the sale rack, and these cute little Gray wool shorts caught my eye. They were on sale from $24.00 down to $11.00. I didn't want to pass them up. They are nice enough for casual or evening wear.  Take a look. I'm sorry ahead of time for the slanting of the pics. My hubby was in the living room with the best light, and I couldn't find my tripod.

 Shirt: Ross     Shorts: Old Navy    Shoes: Payless   Bracelet/Necklace: Payless

 Shirt: Ross    Shorts:  Old Navy   Shoes: Payless    Necklace: Payless

Shirt and Jacket: Ross   Shorts: Old Navy  
Boots: DSW    Necklace/Bracelet: Payless

Budget for your face!

If you followed my last post, you know that we are house hunting. That means we are on a budget. No spending money on silly things we don't need. Do we have to cut back on things we already use though? The answer is no. On my recent trip to Target, I stocked up my cart with the usual items to restock the house, and did a quick run down the cleanser aisle. I needed to restock my Biore strips. I know some people don't consider these a "must have" item. I do. I am very strict with my facial regimen, and these are a good thing to use if you use powder on your face everyday. Anyway, I noticed that this time on the box, it had a little box that said Prove It!. What is this? I am a big sucker when it comes to boxes that say free stuff or coupons inside. I get all excited when I get home, and then realize it's a coupon for something I don't use, or for a product that I don't need. This time I was pleasantly surprised. Biore has decided to help me out with my budgeting. They have started a promotion that basically rewards you for using their product, and learning more about skin care and healthy stuff. Here is what the box looks like.

Inside the box was a small piece of paper with a code on it.

 It tells you how to sign up for your rewards. Start with going to Facebook, and "Like" their page. Done! It then tells you what you can earn with your points. You get points by signing in consecutive days in a row.

 You can also get points by answering trivia questions about the health of you skin, or by doing a challenge of the day. So easy.

 Got it right! Whoo hoo!

 Your points get you coupons for money off of Biore products. If you get enough, you also earn free products. Go check it out, it is a great deal if you use the products!
Enjoy!

Halloween is coming!!!

My favorite holiday is Halloween. I love dressing up and decorating the house. I know it's a little bit early for the holiday, but I want you to get the deals before they go away! I'm a little sad because this year we won't be dressing the house up in spooky items. Bummer, I know. We have decided to sell our "starter house" and get a grown up home. This is great news, I know! What's not great, is that we are on a tight budget now, saving every penny for the move. It's fine though, because I can be a little thrifty chick when needed.  One of my favorite thrifty places is the dollar section at Target. They have some really cute things! One of the things that I get sucked in to is the dollar socks.  These caught my eye as I walked in today, just in time for Halloween!

As I headed back deeper into the store, this little number jumped out at me. I like to dress the dog up. I don't however, buy expensive things to put him in because he just chews them up.  This little pj outfit was only 7 bucks!

 Here is my little man rocking his new pjs.

 He actually was excited when I pulled it back out to take a picture, so I put it back on him!

 Trick or treat, smell my feet!

Give me something good to eat!!!

 

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

Attention Reese's lovers!!!! You are about to fall in love...with a cupcake. We decided to throw a birthday extravaganza at work a few weeks back. We had a bunch of b-days close to each other so we threw one mini party, instead of multiple. We looked through all the recipes we could find with candy in them, and they all agreed on these ones. They all love Peanut Butter! I am not a die hard fan, but even these won me over.
Lets get started!

Cupcakes
1 (18.25 oz) package devil's food cake
1 (3.4 oz) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp instant espresso granules (dissolve it in a 1/2 cup warm water)
30 Reese's mini peanut butter cups, frozen (make sure you freeze for at least three hours,)
Reese's peices if you like them.
cupcake liners

Peanut Butter Butter cream icing
3 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 lbs (that's right) powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp low fat milk
Reese's peanut cup minis

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your cupcake liners in your pan.
In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, or your stand mixer bowl using the paddle attachment, mix together all of your ingredients, except the peanut butter cups for minute or two until well mixed.
Side Note: I didn't use Espresso Beans. I wasn't actually sure who at work did. Instead I used hot chocolate mix. I used the same amount, then microwaved it so it was nice and hot. Make sure it is well mixed if you do this. Then pour it into your batter.

 This was before the hot chocolate.

 This was after the hot chocolate.

 Fill your cupcake batter about 2/3 full.

 Get your cups out of the freezer. I left the wrappers on. I didn't want them to freeze together.

Take one cup and push it down about halfway into your filling. Place in the oven for 18-22 minutes. Make sure when you place a toothpick in the middle, that you don't hit the cup.

 Place them on a cooling rack when done. Start your frosting at this time.
Take your Peanut Butter and soft butter, and mix them on low to medium speed.

 Slowly add in the powdered sugar in small doses. As always, I recommend covering the blender with a towel just in case. Just don't catch the towel in the mixer.

Add your vanilla, and your milk in small doses, while blending on low speed. Add milk until it is the desired thinness.  Keep blending for about 5-7 minutes until nice and fluffy.  It should look like this when it is done.

 I placed mine in a bag, then cut out a small opening in the corner. Easier clean up that way.

 Here are the cupcakes fresh out of the oven.

 Make sure you fill up the hole with frosting before topping the rest. I found out very quickly that the rest of the frosting sinks, so it messes up your swirl.
Tada!!!

 So yummy!

Recipe courtesy of The Little Kitchen
Enjoy!!!

Play it again Sam...

As all of you know, I'm an Itunes Junky.  All things Itunes too, not just music.  I love the free tv shows, the movie rentals, and all the apps you can think of.  Today, though, is about music. I have a tendency to download songs, and play them over and over again. Here are my repeat offenders for the last week. Check them out.

The first one is Nicki Minaj- Superbass. The video is crazy, like she is, but I love the beats and chorus in this one.
Superbass

The other one is Paramour- All I wanted. I'm a big fan of  the series, Spartacus, on the Starz network.   The new season is coming up soon. This was the song in the commercial for the network. It's an awesome commercial, and the song is what makes it . Paramour is a great band. If you don't know them, well, I'm sad for you. You should be listening to them.
Paramour

If you don't know the songs check them out, you won't be disappointed!
Rock out and Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Cookie Dough Buttercream Frosting

Hi there all my Connor friends!  Once again, I have been slacking on my blog. I know I know! I don't know why I do it. It's not that I'm not baking, it's just once I bake, I have no time to sit and type it all out. It's a sad state of affairs. Don't worry though, I'm back, and hopefully I will have a lot to blog about. First let's start with these little bites of heaven. I saw this recipe a few months back on  Kevin and Amanda's site. She is... I want to say awesome. Is there a word better than Awesome? Whatever that word is, she is it.  I saw these cupcakes awhile back, but was terrified of the ingredients. It's not that there are a lot, it's that, there is a lot of butter. We recently went on a healthy eating kick, and we lost weight. So, if we are going to eat something with a bucket a butter, now was a good time. We deserve it, right?

For the cookie dough:
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the cupcakes:
3 sticks softened butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
3 sticks softened butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Let's start!

Cookie Dough Recipe:
 Combine the butter and sugars in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

 Beat in milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth.

 Beat in the flour and salt until just combined.

 Stir in the chocolate chips.

 Your dough should look like this.

 Using a 1.5 tbsp scoop, shape the dough into balls or tubes. The directions say to freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet overnight. I didn't have that time, so I froze it for about three hours. They were fine.

  Cupcake Recipe:
 Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. I was able to make 30 cupcakes out of it, so depending on how much you fill them, you may get more.  

 In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar.

 Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla.

  Using a 3 tbsp scoop, fill the prepared cupcake liners 2/3 full with the cupcake batter.

 Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.
Side note: As I was filling my cupcakes, I stopped. "Wait, these dough balls don't have any eggs in them, sweeett!" That's right, eat away. I will also mention that I had 30 cupcakes, and about 50 dough balls. I brought the cupcakes and dough balls to work, no one had a problem eating either of them!

  Bake at 350 for 16-18 minutes. When they come out, they are like cupcakes with cookies baked in. It's a nice little surprise when you bite into it!

Frosting:

Combine the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the salt, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.

 Here is your finished cupcake. I didn't have a lot of time to decorate them as pretty as Amanda did, but my co-workers didn't complain. Enjoy them! They are yummy!

Enjoy!
Courtesy of Kevin and Amanda.