Strawberry Filled Whipped Cream

Strawberries are so pleasant to eat on a hot summer day. They're even enjoyable and prettier to look at when filled with a simple creamy whipped cream. This dessert is very easy to make and can be eaten in one bite.  

Ingredients:

• 10 large fresh strawberries 
• 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons of granulated white sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract cup 

Directions:

1. To make the whip cream, freeze medium mixing bowl in the freezer for 2-3 minutes. Add heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla extract into the cold mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
2. Wash the strawberries and using a sharp knife, cut an "X" into each strawberry without cutting it all the way down. Then spread the "X" apart with your fingertips.
3. Fill the whipping cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Starting at the bottom of the strawberry, pipe the cream into the center of each strawberry with a swirling motion from the bottom to the top of each strawberry.
4. Sprinkle cocoa powder on top of each strawberries if desired.

Strawberry And Cream Cheese Crepes

After seeing many places with their crepe pan and spreader, I thought I wouldn't be able to made crepes without these necessary kitchenware. There is a way around it and I couldn't be any more happier with the outcome. The crepe batter is one of the easiest recipe to find in the house and I made about 10 5-inch crepes (typically, crepes are approx. 10-inches) that were stuffed with a sweet strawberry cream-cheese filling.

 

Serves 4

Crepe Ingredients:

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Crepe Directions: 

1. Combine all crepe ingredients into a large mixing bowl. After mixing in the milk and water, gradually add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
2. Heat a non-stick small skillet over medium heat. 
3. Pour about 2 tablespoon of batter into skillet and tilt skillet in a circular motion to spread batter thinly and evenly. 
4. Cook only a minute or so on one side (until it is lightly browned) and loosen with spatula to flip to cook other side.
   

(Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling Directions Below)

Crepe Batter Ingredients

Strawberry and Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients

Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling Ingredients:

• 4 ounce of cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoon of sugar
• 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 tablespoon of milk 

Filling Directions:

1. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and milk in a bowl. Blend with a mixer on low gradually increasing speed until smooth. 
2. Fill a ziplock bag with the filling. Set aside and cool the cream cheese filling in the fridge before using.
3. When crepes are ready to serve, place a crepe on a plate and snip off corner tip of ziplock.
4. Pipe the cream cheese filling onto the crepe and add 1 tablespoon of sliced strawberries.
5. Roll the filled crepe and sprinkle with powdered sugar to serve. 

How to Layer Hair and Cut Side Swept Bangs

 

You may not be able to tell the difference between the before (left) and after (right) photos above, however if you look closely, my hair is thinner and has a more define v-shape with layers. I chose to trim my hair to keep my hair in shape and cut off my split ends. It is recommended to trim long hair every 8 to 12 weeks if not then this simply gives you dull and frizzy hair over time. Disclaimer: I'm not a professional hair stylist, I am merely showing you what works best for me and my hair.

 

Hair Styling Tools: 

• Salon Scissors or Hair Shears
• Tail Comb
• Hair Brush or Comb
• Mini Pony Tail Hair Bands or clips
• Hair Razor/Thinning Comb

 Steps:

1. Comb and part hair down the middle with a tail comb.
2. Determine what length your hair should be and use clips or hair bands to create a seven-section part for layers.
3. Gather hair to the top of your head, leaving two pieces of hair in the front of the head where  your first layer will be.
4. Damp the two pieces of hair while holding both ends together at the same length.
5. Slowly trim hair about an inch (or longer) each time.
6. Continue this process until you reach the last two pieces of hair in the back of your head.
7. Once you're done with cutting your last layer, you can go in with the thinning comb to thin out and add some texture to your layers if you'd like.

 

How to Cut Side Swept Bangs: 

1. Wet a comb and run it through your bangs or the front of your hair. 
2. Hold hair securely with index and middle fingers.
3. Slowly cut diagonally to the desired length using one snip. 
4. Cut until you are happy with the length.
5. Using a thinning comb, make sure bangs are thinned out.

Final look with trimmed layers and bangs

Picture Perfect

My Reason to Stay Fit #3: To Be Able To Take A Photo And See How Far I’ve Come

Sometime a camera can add 10 lbs to how you really look, but that should not be an excuse when it comes to body definition and firmer muscles. Some say I'm petite so I naturally weigh less, but being petite is no different that any other average women's body shape. There are specific zones I would like to target and other than doing the same cardio routine to maintain my health, I've recently been focusing on my arms and abs. It's time to tone up the underarm flab and burn the abdominal fat!

  

Arms and Abs

Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 1/2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 bag of popped popcorn

Directions

1. To make the caramel sauce, heat a saucepan over medium heat to melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn, stirring to coat.
2. Place coated popcorn in a baking dish and bake in 250 degrees F oven stirring after 2 minutes, for 4 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.

Enjoy these crispy and crunchy bites! You'll be done before the movie starts.

Mini Wedge Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

I first discovered a wedge salad at a fine-dining restaurant where my boyfriend and I celebrated our two-year anniversary. I recalled the first thought that crossed my mind was that it was a lazy way out of making a "real" salad however reality sunk in as soon as I took a bite. The crunchiness of the iceberg lettuce and condiments with creamy dressing sealed the deal for me. I now could say that I appreciate the imagination and creativity of turning a salad into something unrecognizable and simply delectable to make. 

 

Serves 2

 Ingredients: 

• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• 1 roma tomato
• 2-3 slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled 
• ranch dressing (recipe below) 

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup of non-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk (or 1/4 cup of milk and 2 tbsp. of vinegar)
• 1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1 clove garlic (pressed) 
• 1 tbsp. of honey
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper

Instructions:

Slice the head of lettuce in half. Remove the core by cutting diagonally around it and cut each half into three wedges.  Drizzle with ranch dressing and sprinkle with bacon bits, diced tomatoes, and more dressing if desired.

To make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix all ingredients until well blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Paper Flower for Gifts

 

When you run out of gift wrapping paper, save money and use your creativity to awe your friends and family. This is such a simple technique that uses only construction paper, hemp, and a medium-sized brown paper bag. Once you try this thoughtful idea, you'll always look forward to gift-giving all throughout the year.

 

Materials:

•   Brown paper bag (any size depending on gift)
•   2 colored constructions paper
•   1 inch circular object (i.e water bottle cap)
•   Hemp
•   Pencil, scissor, glue

How to Make it:

1. To make the flower petals, trace 8 circles using a water bottle cap and cut them out. Pinch the end of one circle together with glue. Repeat with one more circle. Place each one on top of the other for a double petal. Cut the end off of the third petal to fit on top of the second petal and glue it together.  Hold in place until glue sets.
2. For the other side of the flower, use one circle to make the base of the flower. Glue it over the first petal. Continue Step 1. 
3. Fold the last two circles in half and glue one over the other. Cut the ends off to make a pointed triangle shape and glue it to the center of the flower.
4. To make the leaf, trace 1 circle on a green construction paper using a water bottle cap. Fold in half and glue one side on the gift wrapping paper.

French Toast Bites

 This mini french toast version came out a little more yellow than I expected, but it had the same  scrumptious soft and sweet taste with a slight spice flavor. I added a generous dusting of powdered sugar and ate them warm, dipped in maple syrup. This breakfast treat can be enjoyed with fresh fruits, hash browns, bacon, and a cold glass of OJ. Did I make your mouth water yet?

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2  loaf of artisan-style bread
• 2 eggs 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg 

Directions: 

1. Slice and cut bread into one-inch cubes without the crusts. In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Add the bread cubs in the egg mixture to saturate.
2. Butter a pan before transferring the cubes of bread. Shake off excess liquid from the egg mixture, and add cubes on the pan over the medium-high heat and cook, turning as needed, until golden brown on both sides for about 5 minutes. 
3. Serve warm with powdered sugar and a side of maple syrup.