I'm trying to ease myself back into blogging, but still no outfit photos...I did take a set a few weeks ago that I'll post eventually. Just waiting on Christian editing them.
Since quarantine began I’ve found comfort in baking. I used to love baking desserts and somewhere along the line I “got too busy" and stopped. But, being stuck inside for weeks on end, having a new - or favorite - recipe to bake on the weekend gave me something to look forward to.
Here are some of the things I've been baking lately. There will be a part 2 because I have too many for one post!
Chocolate Almond Dasquoise with Creme Patissiere
I’ve wanted to make a Dacquoise cake for a few years after seeing a ton of bakers make them on various Food Network championships. I saw a Nigella Lawson recipe for a “Gooey Chocolate Stack” that I liked the look of - she made it with a creme patisserie as the filling/topping. Before I made it I realized it didn’t use almond flour/almonds which is what makes a dacquoise a dacquoise - it needs to use a nut. I did a quick google and found a “Chocolate Almond Dacquoise” recipe on kosher.com. I adjusted the dacquoise recipe to use 6 egg whites so I could make the full recipe of creme patisserie and make 3 layers.
When we baked the dacquoise they came out SUPER crunchy which made me think we did it wrong (it’s basically macaron batter so i assumed it would be soft and chewy,) but once they had been stacked with the creme patisserie it softened them a bit which made it easier to cut and eat. The bottom layer had the most crunch because it only had creme on one side.
Homemade Bread
At the beginning of isolation Christian and I didn't want to go to the store or order grocery delivery (which we have only done twice this whole time) so we decided to make our own bread. Luckily I had some yeast packets to use. We loved how it came out and Christian decided he wanted to always make our own bread. so we bought a big package of yeast and make it every other week. We've been using this Taste of Home bread recipe but I have tried this no-knead bread recipe too. I want to try other eventually ones but we'll see!
Chrisitan did start going to the grocery store in the middle of last month to get deli meat because he had to go back to work in the office so we do go every other week now (3 times so far and I only went in once) but we're still making our own bread!
Chocolate Depression Cake
This is one of our favorite quarantine baking discoveries. We have been using a recipe from Budget Bytes that includes frosting but this is a very common recipe from the depression so they are all basically the same. We've made this 3 times already and are destined to keep making it for years. One note I'll make is try to use quality cocoa powder. We've used both Hershey's and a fancier brand, the fancier one is definitely better. But Hershey's will still be tasty! We used Rodelle Dutch Processed Cocoa.
Bagels with Pâte Fermentée
I was very excited about this one, I've always wanted to make my own bagels but was too scared. These were fairly easy but we need to get better at rolling them into the bagel shape so they close better. We used a recipe from King Arthur Flour but changed up how we baked them based on this Isolation Baking Show with Gesine and Jeffrey episode where they used the same recipe. Definitely watch for some helpful tips! We started them toppings down on a silpat and an upside down baking tray at 500F and then flipped them for the remainder of the baking at 425F. Next time we'll bake them longer so they get a bit more browned.
UPDATE: I made them again this weekend and they came out better but I forgot to let the dough rest before making the bagel shape so they are a little flat! Next time I'll get it right, haha
Instant Oatmeal Cookies
These cookies were made with instant oatmeal packets. Yep, you read that right! We bought them pre-isolation hoping to eat them while we were low on breakfast foods but I don’t like the texture of oatmeal and Christian wasn’t a huge fan of the flavor. SO I googled recipes and chose one from Sweet and Savory by Shinee! I added chocolate chips and sprinkles - she used m&ms and nuts - and they are so good!! Can’t wait to make them again!!
Nigella's Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Almond Flour
I was looking for recipes to use up some almond flour that was going to expire and stumbled upon this recipe from Nigella Lawson. Nigella is amazing so I knew it would be delicious (one of my favorite desserts is her chocohotopots) The texture may throw you off a bit at first because of the almond flour but it’s nice and soft! If you have any chocolate-loving fruit hanging around eat it with that. I had each bite with a slice of strawberry and it’s so gooood!
French Macarons
Another almond flour recipe. I've been making them at least once a year for 10 years and decided to try a slightly different recipe this time and experimented with baking mats. They all were relatively the same, but the macarons were hardest to remove from macaron mat. (Go figure 🤣) Here is the original french macaron recipe I used to use.
Last year, Colourpop came out with a Disney collection that included one of my favorite characters, Meg! I bought her bundle knowing I most likely wouldn't use it (bright purple eye shadow isn't really my thing.) I did try the lip gloss and really liked the formula - which is big for me because Chanel lipstick is one of the few with a texture I like.
Sailor Moon Limited-Edition BluRay
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
Clothes:
- FARM Rio Amazonian Ombre Mini Wrap Dress c/o Shopbop ($127.50, retail $170)
- Burberry beaded owl sweater via eBay ($75, retail $2950 in 2012)
- Stella McCartney Wild Cat Skinny Ankle Jeans via eBay ($15 after ad money, retail $735)
- *NEW!* Ba&sh "Perla" dress in Green Light c/o Shopbop ($236.25, retail $630)
Basics:
- J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral ($0 after $25 credit & ad money, retail $228)
- Madewell Camp Shorts in Faded Rosebud c/o Shopbop ($35, retail $50)
- Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clara' Sandal c/o Shopbop ($221.25, retail $295)
- Sperry Rio Aqua Slip-On Sneaker ($14.83 via DSW, retail $64.99)
Accessories:
- Ray Ban 'Erika' Sunglasses in Havana c/o Shopbop (retail $163)
- Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag c/o Shopbop ($118.50, retail $158)
- Shashi Princess Leia Necklace c/o Shopbop ($55)
Activewear:
- SPANX Look At Me Now Seamless Leggings in Indigo Leopard c/o Shopbop ($68)
Gifted from Brands:
- AUrate Pearl Studs in Rose Gold (retail $150)
- AUrate Medium Chain Bracelet in Rose Gold (retail $50)
Total spent in June: $0
Total spent in 2020: $104.83
THE (modified) RULES
- Be mindful of purchases
- Quality over quantity
- Basics are best
Clothes:
- FARM Rio Amazonian Ombre Mini Wrap Dress c/o Shopbop ($127.50, retail $170)
- *NEW!* Burberry beaded owl sweater via eBay ($75, retail $2950 in 2012)
- *NEW!* Stella McCartney Wild Cat Skinny Ankle Jeans via eBay ($15 after ad money, retail $735)
Basics:
- J Brand 811 Mid Rise Skinny Leg Jean in Moral ($0 after $25 credit & ad money, retail $228)
- *NEW!* Madewell Camp Shorts in Faded Rosebud c/o Shopbop ($35, retail $50)
- Ancient Greek Sandals 'Clara' Sandal c/o Shopbop ($221.25, retail $295)
- Sperry Rio Aqua Slip-On Sneaker ($14.83 via DSW, retail $64.99)
Accessories:
- Ray Ban 'Erika' Sunglasses in Havana c/o Shopbop (retail $163)
- Madewell Medium Slim Saddle Bag c/o Shopbop ($118.50, retail $158)
- *NEW!* Shashi Princess Leia Necklace c/o Shopbop ($55)
Activewear:
- *NEW!* SPANX Look At Me Now Seamless Leggings in Indigo Leopard c/o Shopbop ($68)
Gifted from Brands:
- AUrate Pearl Studs in Rose Gold (retail $150)
- AUrate Medium Chain Bracelet in Rose Gold (retail $50)
Total spent in May: $90
Total spent in 2020: $104.83
This post was supposed to happen in April but due to COVID-19 we had to push it back. I've been so excited to wear these pieces and show them on the blog!
[...] ESPECIALLY the owl print t-shirts. I don't care how much they cost but I am going to get my hands on one of those! I'm an owl obsessed freak…maybe it comes from my Harry Potter obsession but I think they are SO cute!Spoiler alert: I ended up not getting one of the owl tees. Instead I DIYed my own version because I couldn't justify the $300+ price tag. The sweater version with the beaded owl retailed for $3000.
Even though I had my DIY version I still searched for the real version. I had alerts for "Burberry owl" set up on eBay and a couple other sites. Owl sweaters & tees came and went with me resisting purchase. A few months ago I got an eBay alert that one had been posted. I watched it knowing I probably wouldn't buy it since it had been so long.
But then quarantine happened and I got an offer from the seller to purchase it for $75. How could I resist? Luckily I was able to make the splurge because my recent Disney trip was cancelled and I had a negative balance on my credit card from the refunds. The rest of the refund money will go back into my vacation savings account.
This isn't the exact version I had posted 8 years ago, the sweater is a little lighter and the neck isn't as high, but it is pretty darn close! You can even tell that the owl I recreated was this owl - the colors I chose were very similar. I couldn't replicate the design exactly because I couldn't find small enough beads in colors/shapes I liked.
We're getting in to warmer weather now but I really wanted to post this before it goes away until Fall. Luckily last week we had some cold days so I wore it lounging around the house.
At the beginning of this March I knew we wouldn't be able to go due to coronavirus. I still held on to my reservations (dining, fast passes, even our special tours) until Disney cancelled them automatically because I needed that sliver of hope to get by. We were supposed to arrive at Disney early yesterday. Instead, we woke up in our own bed.
Even though we won't be at one of my favorite places, we are still going to make the best of everything. We have our health, as do our other family members & friends, and we know Disney will reopen eventually and we can go when it is safe to do so.
Back in the day I used to watch every Star Wars movie on May 4th. Now there are far too many so I pick & choose and do my best to get through them all! Since we're both still working we decided to start yesterday with the best films - the original trilogy. I also watched Rogue One on my own when Christian tired of the marathon. I will continue watching today while working (Christian works in another room.)
What Order to Watch the Movies In
Everyone has an opinion on the best way to watch the Star Wars movies. You can watch them chronologically, release order, with TV shows included OR Machete Order which cuts out The Phantom Menace, which many deem unworthy. If I was having a first timer watch - and they have survived without spoilers this long - I would have them do it in almost release order. (Though I do enjoy Machete order, but I put in Phantom Menace)- Star Wars: A New Hope
- Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
- flashback to Rogue One (the fandom is divided on this film, I love it.)
- flashback even further to Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
- Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
- Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
- flash forward to Star Wars: The Force Awakens
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi (ugh...)
- Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
- flashback to Solo: A Star Wars Story
What Else to Watch
- The Mandalorian on Disney+: Even if you aren't a Star Wars fan this series is amazing! The cinematography is breathtaking and the story is fun.
- Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian: A documentary series on the making of The Mandalorian - it's brand new as of today! I have to wait until after work to watch the first episode with Christian. After today a new episode will be released each Friday.
- Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy: A documentary on the original Star Wars trilogy.
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars: An animated TV show. I haven't watched this myself yet, I know...shame on me, but lots of friends recommend it!
Other Fun Activities
- Play Star Wars video games - there are plenty.
- Do a Star Wars puzzle
Star Wars Baked Goods
If you like to bake, why not whip up a fun Star Wars treat!- Blue Milk Pudding
- Chewie Chews & Blue Milk
- Ackbar Snackbar
- Yoda Pancakes
- Rey's Portion Bread
- More Official Star Wars Recipes
Forever 21 May the Force Be With You Pajama Top, Forever 21 Trust Me I'm a Jedi Pajama Pants, Sphero BB-8 (he can watch the movies with you and react!)