Holiday Jellied Sandwich Cookies

November has arrived and therefore the holidays are approaching! Time to get in some warm pajamas and curl up with some cookies and a good book. This simple recipe is delicious for the occasion!

Holiday Jellied Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter

2 cup sugar

4 tbsp lemon zest (optional)

2 egg

1/2 tsp salt

3 cup flour

1/2 cup jam

Other items needed:

A mixer

A cookie sheet

A bowl

A spatula

A knife

Cling wrap

Tin foil

Measuring cups and spoons

Refrigerator

Circular cookie cutter (if you want perfectly round cookies)

Directions:

1. Beat butter, sugar, zest, eggs and salt into a bowl using your mixer

2. Slowly beat in flour

3. Roll dough into two round cylinders about the same size each

4. Cover the dough with cling wrap and leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour, overnight would be best

5. Preheat oven to 375 F, take dough out of the fridge and cut into 1/4 inch thick disks. (Note: I remolded some of my cookies edges so that they were fairly more round, a cookie cutter can fix any misshapen cookies if you want them to be perfectly round)

(Note: If you happen to have a small cookie cutter, you can cut the center out of some cookies so that the jam can show through on the finished assembled cookie)

6. Bake 7-10 minutes

7. Let cool

8. Add jam to the bottom of one cookie and stick together with the bottom of another cookie (so that both tops of cookies are on each outer side of the cookie)

Congratulations! You have now made delicious cookies to indulge yourself or impress your family with! Happy Holidays!

Sweet Pomegranate Guacamole

As the holdiays approach everyone needs a new recipe to impress their guests. This dish is also a great snack food for those looking to watch their weight. A mixture of two exotic fruits, the pomegranate and avocado, for an enticing food experience

Sweet Pomegranate Guacamole

Ingredients and Items Needed:

One avocado (soft)

One pomegranate

1/3 measuring cup

1 bowl

A knife

A cutting board

A fork

A mortar and pestle (or a cup and a large spoon)

A paper towel

(Optional additions: Crushed red pepper, lemon juice)

Instructions:

1. Cut up and extract pomegranate seeds

2. Take 1/3 cups (or slightly less, depending on the size of your avocado - my avocados are quite large) of non-crushed pomegranate seeds, using mortar and pestle (or in a cup with a large spoon) mash the pomegranate seeds (Note: The pomegranate seed juice will fly everywhere when you crush the seeds so make sure to cover the cup or pestle with a paper towel while crushing the seeds)

3. On your cutting board, cut the avocado and peel off the skin. 

4. Mash the avocado in a bowl with your fork.

5. Mix the avocado and the pomegranate mush together

Delicious! If you want to spice up this dish more think of adding crushed red pepper for a sweet n' spicy taste. Another addition could be adding some lemon juice for a sweet n' sour taste.

I suggest eating this guacamole with Triscuits or Wheat Thins, I particularly like the Roasted Tomato flavor.

Good luck!

Loving Crochet Headband

Recently Ive fallen in love with headbands. Ive always found the little stray hairs that fall into my face particularly annoying but this cute and stylish solution is simple and easy!

Loving Crochet Headband

Required Materials:

Yarn

A crochet Hook

A sewing needle

Thread

A button

(For this headband I used Loops and Threads Super Fine Sock Yarn in "Redwoods: Color #5" and a "G" (4.25mm) hook)

Directions:

1. Ch 4

2. Sc 4, continue until approx. 11 1/2 inches long depending on head size 

(Note: This is the measurement for my head size, which is rather slightly smaller than average, therefore if you have a larger head size you should increase the length by 1/2 to 1 inches)

3. Using your sewing needle and thread sew the button of your choice to one side of the headband

(Note: I found buttons with four holes in their center versus 2 holes in the center to be more stable)

4. On the other side of the headband tie on a piece of your yarn into a circle in an appropriate size that can fit over your button

5. Viola! Your new headband is complete!

The Back-Loop Stitch

THE BACK-LOOP STITCH

As the winter season approaches its time to crochet those sweaters and socks! Therefore you should know how to "back-loop stitch". The back-loop stitch is tightly woven together but, because the new stitch hinges off the previous stitch, it very stretchable. Therefore this stitch is great for cuffs on sweaters, the tops of socks, or headbands.

Above is an image of how to would normally do a single crochet. The image below is how you would do a back-loop stitch. The main difference between these two types of stitching is that instead of using both loops from the previous crochet, you are only using the back-loop (You can also do front-loop stitching by only using the front loops)

If you are still having difficulty with which loop is the back loop, below is another image with the back-loop being held.

Now that you know which loop is being used you can being your crochet masterpiece! The back-loop stitch is completed as a normal single crochet would be. Good luck!

How to Thread Your Eyebrows

There are many methods to keeping your eyebrows trimmed, but threading is the most cost effective and quick. Personally, I hate to spend the money to wax my eyebrows and plucking takes so much time. My preferred method is threading, which is fairly quick and only requires a piece of thread to do.

THREADING

Items Needed: 

A piece of thread (about 3-4 inches long)

A mirror

How To:

1. First you take your thread and tie it into a circle

2. Make one twister in your thread (So the circle makes a figure 8 shape)

3. With you index and middle fingers holding each side of the figure 8, move the thread back and forth by shifting your fingers and using you thumbs for support (The point is to move the twist in the center left and right)

4. Once you have the motion down, press the twist in the center to your face where you want the hair removed 

5. Quickly slide the twist forward or back to remove the hair (Its must been done quickly or the hair will not come out and it will be more painful)

6. Work the twist over all area in which you would like hair removed on your face (eyebrows, upper lip etc.)

Congratulations! Your eyebrows should look neat and beautiful!

Summertime DIY Detox

As spring is winding down to end, summers hot days bring out the bathing suits and bikinis. This detox will have you feeling cleansed and ready to go for your summer adventures! Plus helps to boost your metabolism.

Summertime DIY Detox

Ingredients:

Apple Cider Vinegar - 2 tablespoons

Pineapple Juice - 1/2 cup

Honey - 2 tablespoons

Lime (or Lemon) - 1 whole lime, 1/2 large lemon

Steps:

1. In a glass mix honey and lime

2. Add pineapple juice and apple cider vinegar, stir

Voila! This should be consumed every day to every other day to keep your systems cleaned. Otherwise your body will start to return to its state before the detox. Nothing lasts forever!

Another tip for body detoxing is drinking a glass of water with 2 tbsp of lemon in it a day. Although drinking plain water keeps your body clean and healthy. Especially with the hot sun, at least 8 glass of water a day can really give your body what it needs to be great!

How To Make Blini (Russian Crepes)

Blini, essentially the Russian form of crepes, are thin like pancakes that can be eaten with sweet or savory foods. This recipe comes from my boyfriends mother whom is a master blini maker. I have become an intermediate blini maker and therefore my "bleens" are cooked in half circles. If you feel risky, try making full circles in your pan.

How to Prepare and Cook Blini

Ingredients:

3 Cups Milk

3 Eggs

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Butter or 1 Tbsp Olive Oil

A Mixer

A Non-stick fry pan

1 Spatula (for mixing the blini batter)

1 Turner Spatula (for flipping the blini)

1 Ladle

To Make Blini Batter:

1. In a mixer bowl add milk, eggs, sugar, and salt

2. Turn on the mixture and slowly add the flour, make sure you don't add it too fast or clumps will occur. Use your spatula to make sure all flour is mixed in. (Set aside butter)

To Cook Blini:

1. Using the butter you set aside, take a small amount and have it melt in your pan. This will ensure that your blini do not stick.

2. Once your butter is melted and your pan is medium-hot, use your ladle and add the batter to your pan (if you are uncomfortable with making full circle then start with half circles)

3. It takes about a minute to a minute and a half to cook, once most of the blini batter is cooked (which you can tell by looking at the top, after bubbling it should change a shade darker) then flip it over. Half circles are easy to flip but if you are trying full circles I would suggest making sure your spatula is mainly in the center and flip quickly.

4. Once you fill the blini over it takes about thirty second to cook. Slide the blini onto a plate and enjoy!

Personally, I ate my blini rolled up with nutella and whip cream (shown below) but my boyfriend prefers them plain. Surely they are yummy prepared anyway.

Delicious!