"Caramel" in a Can

Another "pinspired" post coming your way! Thanks Pinterest!

Okay, so technically this SUPER SIMPLE process makes dulce de leche, but it tastes close enough to caramel, that it really could go either way. It is SUPER delicious! Did I mention it was simple, because it is! I'm not even calling it a recipe, because really all I'm giving you are instructions. The crock pot and the fridge do all the work in 3 SUPER SIMPLE steps. I think you get it. ONWARD!

All you need is:
1 unopened, label-removed can of sweetened condensed milk
a crock pot
a fridge

Step 1:
Submerge the can of sweetened condensed milk in the crock pot in water. Make sure it is completely covered!

SUBMERGED! COVERED! Got it?!

Step 2:

Turn on the crock pot to the low setting and let it do it's thing for 8 hours!

I promise the can will not blow up. Mine was fine. No sign of combustion 8 hrs. later.
 

The can will show slight sins of rust, but obviously that's going to happen. It won't affect the finished product. No worries.

Step 3:

After 8 hours have passed, place the can in the fridge for 2 hours. Be careful! The water AND can will be hot. Use tongs or something. I'd suggest drying the can off first as well.

After 2 hours have passed:

Dulce de leche goodliness!

Voila! You have a wonderfully yummy can of dulce de leche that tastes pretty much like caramel. It isn't spot on, but I wouldn't mind drizzling some of this over ice cream, or brownies/blondies, cookies, etc. It is so good, and you get SO much if it! 

I placed the lot of it in a plastic Tupperware-type tub and put it back in the fridge. 

So cheap too by the way. All it takes is a can of sweetened condensed milk! Any size! So wonderful!

ENJOY!

xo, Chelsea

Heaven In a Mug

I haven't been feeling well today. I went to bed AND woke up with a migraine, and I already took medicine yesterday when I got it, so I have to wait 24 hours before I can take more (which is SOON, thank goodness). So I decided to make myself something SUPER unhealthy, but I have decided that since it is a single serve delight, that it isn't so bad. 

I got the recipe from something I pinned forever ago and have been meaning to try. Sophie over at My Happy Place is where whoever pinned it first. 

Are you ready? It is an amazing Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie! The recipe creates a single serving in a microwavable bowl, ramekin, or mug. However you decide to make it. She makes it in a ramekin, I made it in a mug. I don't own ramekins, but I've always wanted to invest in them. Gotta get on that. The mug worked wonderfully though. I didn't fret over the ramekin issue, because I've been meaning to try a single serve mug recipe again (I tried mac and cheese in a mug, and it turned out okay. I've been meaning to try it again). 

This taste just as good as a freshly baked cookie, hot out of the oven. So rich and baked just right. The dough even tasted like cookie dough before hand (it is a single serving, I am SO allowed to taste the dough right out of the mug of MY creation ;D).

so perfect!

Doesn't that look just... heavenly?! And because it was SO easy, the only problem is making sure I don't go and make myself another one!

Since I'm still not feeling great (at least my head isn't, my tummy is VERY happy) I'm gonna tell you to use the link above to go visit Sophie for the recipe. I don't feel like typing it out. Time to go lie down and count down the minutes until I can take more migraine medicine. 

Enjoy!

xo,

Chelsea

Birchbox & Baptism

During the past two months, I have been receiving one of the most excitingly mysterious packages ever! Let me introduce you to:

Thanks to this lovely lady blogger, Michelle, I was introduced to this wonderful monthly beauty subscription. For just $10 a month you can get a box full of amazing beauty samples for women (there is also a men's Birchbox option). With every box comes about 5-6 different samples ranging from make-up to lotions to hair products, etc. I have become absolutely OBSESSED! I have been telling all of my lady friends, and they all agree that for $10 a month, it is SO worth it. And if you absolutely cannot live without more of whatever sample you received then you can go to Birchbox and order a full size container of the product. So here I am to share with you 4 of my favorite samples I have received so far from both boxes.

From my October box:

1. Mox Botanicals Lip Butter

Straight from Oregon, this wonderful little lip sample is made with shea butter and jojoba. It makes your lips soft, smooth, and this Birchbox exclusive comes in a lovely pomegranate & fig flavor. This full size item is $16.













2. twistband™

In my October Birchbox I got just one of these fantastic hair ties, but for $10 you can get this lovely 6-pack, or a different color collection of them, for $18 you can get a 12-pack, and for $26, you can get a sampler set of 3 different hair tie collections and a 3 pack of twistband™ headbands. Yesterday I bought the sampler set and I cannot wait for them to come! These hair ties are made of high-quality, super soft, snag-free elastics, and when not worn in your hair it looks just as cute on your arm as well. They also don't leave any annoying crimps in your hair!

wearing my twistband

I will never got back to a regular hair tie again! I even went to the twistband™ site, and it works just like Birchbox! Buy a subscription, and get new twistband™ products every month for 3, 6, or 12 months!






From my November box:

3. Shea Terra Organics Whipped Shea Butter Body Crème

This little 1 oz. container is made with sustainably sourced African shea butter. Basically it is heaven in a bottle for dry, cracked, wintery hands. Super rich and creamy, this specific bottle also smells like bananas! Bananas & Baobabs is the name of this little whipped tub of heaven and for just $18 you can get a 19 oz. jar. No lie, this is going on my Christmas list NOW! What a deal!





4. ModelCo FIBRE LASHXTEND Lengthening Mascara

Last, but certainly NOT least, my all-time favorite "sample" from Birchbox yet. I quoted sample, because you obviously can't make a sample size of a mascara (at least I don't think you can, but you probably can, but that's okay because I am sososo thankful for this) so Birchbox sent a full size tube of mascara in this month's Birchbox and I am forever grateful because to buy a new tube of this would run you $24. I have promised myself to use this beaut a little as possible, to save it for only the most special occasions because I can not and may never justify buying a $24 bottle of mascara, no matter how wonderful it is. This bad boy's description starts out "Falsies without the fuss". In the formula are tiny lash-extending fibers to give you a wonderfully lengthy fringe. It also has a little mirror on the tube so you can use it on the go, even if I most likely will not.


I adore Birchbox. I adore make-up and beauty products, so for just $10, I can justify this wonderful subscription, especially if I am going to get a $24 bottle of mascara along with 4 other wonderful product samples. I am thankful for Birchbox this season.

I am also thankful for Jesus. This past Sunday I made a huge step in my life. I got baptized. Like most people, I was baptized as an infant, and unlike most people I was baptized again at about 6 years old. Both of those baptisms were decisions made by my parents, which I am forever grateful for, but this time I made the decision for myself. When I was younger, I didn't understand Jesus' story and what he did for me that day on the cross. I just thought getting dunked in a pool was cool, and just agreed with whatever the Pastor told me because I thought it was the right thing to do. This time I knew it was right because I felt it was right. I've been going to a church that was right for me, that I have loved since the first time I walked through the doors. Liquid Church is a contemporary Christian church that accepts anyone no matter what your past. Learning Jesus' story made it so much easier for me to tell mine. I knew I would be accepted there, and it was extremely overwhelming, yet exhilarating to take that step. I shared my story, Pastor Tom said some wonderful things about me, and then he and Pastor Dave, with their hands in mine, baptized me in the Holy Hot Tub in front of the whole congregation  I heard a massive applause accepting me and my story, and then saw a flash of a camera take my picture.

Pastor Dave, me and Pastor Tom

It is a keepsake I will have forever of the amazing step I took in my life. I am so thankful for all of the amazing people over at Liquid Church, and accepting me and my story. 

In a few days I'll receive a link to the service that was recorded that day, so if anyone is interested, I will post it here for you to view. Liquid Church has LIVE online services every Sunday for anyone interested or looking for a new church who isn't living in the NJ area. All are accepted.

God Bless,

Chelsea xo

Toyota Love

This past Monday, 8/27/2012, I said goodbye to my old green '95 Mercury Sable. Thankfully this is not because it broke down and died, but because my father and I went to the Toyota dealership near us and got me a lovely new-to-me '07 Toyota Corolla.

Out with the old. In with the new!

The new color: Sandy Beach. It just sounds comforting and relaxing, not something to stress about. Not that green is a stressful color, but my Sable was an old car. He didn't have a lot of miles for a '95, but he wasn't very reliable, and not so good on gas either. It was just time for me to get a new one. My father and I decided it would be best to do it now, rather than wait for the Sable to one day die on me and leave me car-less all of a sudden. 

Enter my lovely new-to-me Sandy Beach Corolla. We got her the Saturday before we got rid of the Sable. I love her. She has air (the Sable didn't), she's great on gas (35 mpg highway), and she's beautiful. Of course, she's also reliable, which is even better! I love her. I'm addicted to driving her. I find any excuse to go somewhere just so I can take her for a spin.

I miss the Sable a bit. He got me from A to B, but I started to just get sick of him towards the end. He was a boat, and didn't have air, and was just not nice to look at. His last act though was a generous one. He got me an extra $800 off the Corolla when we traded him in, which was definitely unexpected, but very helpful. Joshua and I drove him over to Toyota the Monday after we got the Corolla. It wasn't emotional. It was exciting. I loved him, but I love the Corolla so much more, and I am excited to have moved up in the world of automobiles.

I am so proud to be the owner of a beautiful 2007 Toyota Corolla, and because Toyota's are known to be so reliable, I am absolutely so excited and so thrilled to have her for a while. I'll keep her for as long as she'll last me.

xo, Chelsea

2-Ingredient Banana Pancakes!

While perusing the blog of a good friend of mine, I found a wonderfully delicious and easy recipe for banana pancakes! Go check out her blog, Whatever I Want, here and check out the blog where she found the recipe, Blogilates, here! I literally just made them this morning, and could NOT wait to blog about it that I just had to do it NOW!

All you need are 2 simple ingredients, that you probably already have right now:

1 large banana

2 eggs

You'll also need:

a bowl

a whisk

cooking spray

a griddle/griddle pan

Now, onto the creating and cooking of a fantastically simple AND healthy breakfast!

Step 1: Add the two ingredients to a bowl, and mash them up!

To mash them up, I used a fork before whisking:

Step 2: After the ingredients are mashed up, use a whisk to make them frothy and light.

If there are some chunks of banana left that won't mix in
just let them be! That's okay!

Step 3: Once the mixture is ready, spray your griddle/griddle pan with cooking spray (or whatever non-stick oil you prefer to use), and put your griddle on medium heat and wait for it to get hot! That step is very important! They pancakes cook quickly if you let the pan get up to temperature, and then there won't be any wasted pancakes!

Step 4: Now that your griddle/griddle pan is nice and hot you can go ahead and ladle the batter onto it, and in 20-30 seconds the first side should brown nicely and be ready to flip!

20-30 seconds later...

brown deliciousness!

Step 5: Once the other side is done, put them on a plate, and PRESTO! You're done!

Don't wait to dig in to these yummy, banana lovelies! They're fluffy, moist, and über healthy! They taste like bananas (obviously!), but they don't taste like an omelette, which I'm sure is what you would expect, but it doesn't! 

And look! Here's a nutritional chart straight from the Blogilates website!

Look at all that wonderful protein! And under 250 calories! How fantastic?!

Not only are those nutritional facts so amazing, this recipe is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and all natural since there are no processed ingredients!

Healthy and delicious! It is possible people!

Go make these for breakfast RIGHT NOW and enter a Banana Healthy Heaven! Enjoy!

xo, Chelsea

Crafty Daddy

I could not help but share this wonderful tip that I discovered the other morning.  When pouring myself a glass of milk, I noticed some sparkling letter stickers on top of the coffee pot. The coffee pot that only my father uses. They spelled out MEDS. I couldn't help but think "How clever?!". My daddy left himself a reminder on the coffee pot so that he doesn't forget to take his medicine every morning. Looks like I got my crafty side from daddy. Here's a picture to show exactly what he did:

So smart!

I just could not help bragging about my incredibly clever father. So smart.

FOUND MY CAMERA

I finally found my beloved Olympus Tough TG-310! And it was in the most obviously hidden spot... my car! Here's the story:

Two days ago I was cleaning my car out (because HOPEFULLY Daddy and I will be going car hunting on Saturday!) and as I was reaching over my bench seat to get to the old water bottles on the floor of my backseat, I spotted the oh so familiar camera case. It was in the pocket behind my front passenger seat! It has been with me this WHOLE time! I purchased it back in March after falling in love with my cousins on our Florida vacation because this little gem is waterproof to 10ft AND shockproof to 5 ft. 

Of course, with my luck, I "lost" it all summer and did not get a chance to use it for the coolest feature I bought it for. I am not dwelling though, because luckily it is still August, and there is still some summer left! My cousins are down this week, and we have a nice little lake over by grandma's house where we will probably hang out today, so I'm excited to get some use out of this baby.

So happy!

Don't mind the terrible picture above. I took that with my phone, because I obviously couldn't with the Olympus.

ALSO, the discovering of my camera could not have come at a better time! I have the most AMAZING idea for a new project I am going to start on right away, but it is a secret! I will be able to document every part of it with my Olympus now, instead of my phone, so the pictures will be 10x better, and it'll be a lot easier on my part! It might take me a while to actually finish said project, because it is a pretty big project, but I am confident that I will pull it off wonderfully. 

Here's hoping! Wish me luck!

xo, Chelsea