Flat Iron Curls

Coffee Education

I love coffee. It’s one of those things that I get excited about! Whenever I do go out for coffee, I always end up ordering the same thing. In part it’s because I love what I get, but another big reason for doing that is because in all honesty, I don’t know what 85% of the other drinks on the menu are!!! I finally asked some questions and decided that it’s not bad to look stupid in front of your Barista.

Read the descriptions of the common coffee drinks below and then next time you’re ordering, try something new!!!

• Americano: espresso and hot water. (The name for this coffee drink stemmed from an insult to ‘uncouth’ Americans who weren’t up to drinking full espressos.)
• Cappuccino: espresso, a little bit of steamed milk, a lot of foam; stronger than a latte
• Chai: spicy black tea “infused with cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper and star anise”; can be drunk hot, iced, or in latte form
• Espresso: highly concentrated, heavily caffeinated coffee; it comes in the form of a shot
• Espresso Con Panna: shot of espresso with a small scoop of whipped cream
• Espresso Macchiato: espresso shot with a small amount of foamed milk
• Latte: espresso, a lot of steamed milk, and a little bit of foam on top; not as strong as a cappuccino
• Cafe au Lait: Similar to Caffe Latte, except that an au lait is made with brewed coffee instead of espresso. Additionally, the ratio of milk to coffee is 1:1, making for a much less intense taste.
• Mocha: espresso, a lot of steamed milk, and chocolate

You can also make modifications to these drinks above

• Decaf: no caffeine; decaffeinated coffee
• Double: adding an extra shot of espresso to a drink that ordinarily only has one
• Triple: adding a third espresso shot to a drink that originally has two
• Flavor Shot: a few squirts of a particular flavored syrup or powdered flavor
• Half-Caf: half caffeinated, half decaf
• Skinny: made with nonfat milk; if the drink has syrup, the syrup will be sugar-free
• Soy milk: milk for those who either don’t like or can’t drink regular milk, made from soy beans, no lactose

I’m sure there are many more, but at least for me, this gives me quite a new variety!

The Poor Woman's Manicure

I love getting my nails done. It’s one of those things that I only do on a rare special occasion when I know I can treat myself for an event. Problem is, I always leave spending $40 or $50 dollars and usually in great disappointment I find a chip the very next day. I’m in my brothers wedding coming up in April and at our bridesmaid meeting we were talking about all the things we need to get done before the big day. One of the things on our list was a Mani/Pedi. Being in weddings is expensive as it is, and we were trying to think of ways to cut down on all of our costs! We decided that instead of spending the money to get a full manicure and pedicure, we would groom on our own and then go only to get our nails painted! I know it seems like sort of a no brainer, but honestly, I NEVER thought of that before!! It only costs about $5 to get a polish change, so I think this will be my new favorite thing to do!

On another note, those of you who don’t ever go and get your nails done because you are the DIY type, try OPI nail polish! It’s the absolute BEST and I find that when I put it on, it STAYS on!

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

Doesn’t that make your mouth water? One thing I LOVE to do is bake! I used to bake with my grandmother when I was growing up and there is something about the way it makes me feel. I remember being so little she would have to pull a stool up just so I was tall enough to see over the countertop and then let me use her big wooden spoon to mix everything up.

No matter HOW incapable of baking you THINK you are, this recipe is SO SIMPLE that you have no excuse and you must try it! This desert is the perfect thing to serve your guests and they will think you are the perfect host or hostess! For those of you who have attempted Martha Stewart and failed miserably, this will prove that you can do something divine in the kitchen. Trust me!

One suggestion of mine would be to make the batter just before dinner and then bake these about 20 minutes before you’re ready to serve dessert. They are so incredibly delicious hot that it truly must be a sin.

For pictures with more of a detailed description, go to The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4

• 4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
• ½ cups Butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 6 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups Real Whipping Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet. Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide between cups. Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute. Combine sugar and heavy cream and whip until stiff. Dump cakes onto plates and top with homemade whipped cream.

All Things Easy - The Blog

While talking to the author of Newlywedsnextdoor today (she just happened to be my client!) I got extremely inspired to start a blog of my own!

I’m a young mom who lives on a tight budget but still likes to do nice things, eat good food & stay stylish. Should those things be so hard? I think not!! While thinking of what topic would best suite not only me, but my readers, I decided that a blog that is simply designed to help do normal, everyday simple things with some style and flare might be the most fun! There are so many things that are enjoyable and yet most people won’t try because they might feel prohibited by the intimidating sound of them. I’m here to help put an easy twist on food, fun and fashion while keeping it fresh, easy and low cost! Let’s explore together all the things that CAN be easy!