All posts filed under: Pinterest

Snickerdoodle Cookies

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I was in the mood to bake. I went to Pinterest to search for cookie recipes. This recipe, care of High Heels and Grills, made the chewiest cookies. They are not too sweet and I definitely plan to use the dough recipe with other kinds of flavoring and toppings in the future. I used about 14 tablespoons of Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread instead of salted butter and baked the cookies a little longer than suggested in the original recipe. I think the secret to baking cookies is always taking them out of the oven when they appear golden but still a little mushy in the center and then allowing them to sit on the pan till they deflate and cool a bit. In my experience, this always results in a chewier, softer cookie. This recipe yielded 40 cookies, which according to my calculations, are about 100 calories per cookie. This was not a difficult recipe to follow and the cookies are delicious. INGREDIENTS 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup butter, softened (I used 12 tbsp …

Chinoiserie and Rug Inspiration

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I have been on the hunt for the perfect rugs to coordinate with all the chinoiserie pieces I have recently acquired. Chinoiserie is the 17th and 18th century Western style of interior design, furniture, pottery, textiles, and garden design that represents fanciful European interpretations of Chinese styles (Encyclopedia Britannica). Both of my grandmothers, my aunt, and my mother have blue and white ceramics in this style throughout their homes. I inherited a lot of pieces from my grandmother and aunt. I have also purchased Chinoiserie-inspired ceramics, planters, lamps, and plates from HomeGoods, antique malls, and Replacements, Ltd. Here are a few articles about Chinoiserie style, in case you were interested: Three Designers Take on Chinoiserie, Everything You Need To Know About Chinoiserie, and 10 Fascinating Facts About Chinoiserie. I think the blue and white pieces look great in contrast with Persian style rugs (I’m especially fond of the medallion patterns). Here is a little Chinoiserie and rug inspiration and some examples of beautifully decorated rooms. Image Sources: [Crush Cul de Sac, Sarah Bartholomew, Becki Owens, Chinoiserie …

Breakfast Casserole Lessons

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Well, I recently noticed that some of my abdominal muscles are visible so I decided to start counting my Macros (macro-nutrients) and calories hoping to eventually see the rest of my abs. This decision involved in-depth recipe research via Pinterest and I found an interesting breakfast casserole that I decided to try, substituting a few ingredients. Sometimes substitutions work great and sometimes they do not. I would say that this (with chunky salsa) was pretty good fresh out of the oven. However, I cannot decide if it looks delicious or not and I was definitely not a fan of the microwaved version. If you were making a “healthier version” of this (the original isn’t really unhealthy) and planned on eating the entire casserole at one time, then it might be worth a try. My version used liquid egg whites, home grown golden potatoes (I recommend using store bought shredded potatoes) and no cheese. The entire 9 x 13 dish totaled 710 calories, 36g Fat, 41g Carbs, 49g Protein. Click here for the original version from …