Leah Tackles

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes and Free Cupcake Wrapper Template

March 24, 2014 & 7 Comments

Hi There! Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

I got to eat cookie dough this weekend, safely, and it was so delicious! Today I’m going to share with all of you…I have a recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes! I also have included a template for a cupcake wrapper that I first made for my sons first birthday party several months ago. They are very simple, and you can use any scrapbook paper you like! If you enjoy this post, please consider pinning it to Pinterest by hovering over any of the pictures & clicking the big “pin” button that appears.

I stumbled on Sweet Emelyne’s videos and blog some time ago, and quickly came to love her sweet personality and baking expertise! She is a very talented cupcake baker and decorator, yet she shows things in an approachable and unintimidating way! This is nice, it is realistic for people like me who have no real cupcake decorating experience or skills. If you like to bake or are interesting in seeing lots of creative ideas for cupcakes for every occasion, I think you would love her videos and blog! And a huge thank you to Emelyne for being such a doll, and being so kind when I asked about sharing this recipe on my blog.

Vanilla Cupcake:

Leah’s Note: You could use a boxed cake mix for this if you just want to get right to the cookie dough, but from scratch was definitely easy and tasty!

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 sticks butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your cupcake pan with wrappers. Whisk together flour and baking powder. In a different mixing bowl cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, starting and ending with flour. Use an ice cream scoop to place batter in liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes. To test the cupcakes place a toothpick in the center of the cupcake, if it comes out clean they are done.

COOKIE DOUGH FROSTING:

3/4 cup butter

1 cup + 1 tablespoon light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

7 tablespoons milk

1 and 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

*Optional chocolate for garnish

Directions:

With an electric mixer cream together the butter and brown sugar, next add in the vanilla. Stir in the flour until doughy. Beat in the milk, now fold in the chocolate chips. Pipe onto your cupcakes. ( Leah’s Note: In her video Emelyne shows this being done with a simple large zip baggie with the end cut off. The frosting is thick, so the hole needs to be pretty large. Also, I added another small step by adding a small piece of chocolate to the top for garnish…not needed but I had some and figured more chocolate couldn’t hurt!)

CUPCAKE WRAPPER:

Here is my free cupcake wrapper template that you simply can click and print!

SUPPLIES:

Scissors

Scrapbook paper

Scotch tape, glue dots, scrapbook glue, or something similar to these

STEP 1:

Print the template (please make sure that your printer is printing in actual size).

STEP 2:

Cut out the templates.

STEP 3:

Trace the template onto the scrapbook paper you would like to use.

STEP 4:

Tape or glue the two ends of the wrapper together.

STEP 5:

Set you cooled and frosted cupcake into the liner.

STEP 6:

Admire your gorgeous, homemade cupcake wrapper!

This bite was pure cookie dough frosting, and it was girlie night-in, tell-all-of-your-secrets, sleepover worthy! Sorry for the super close up of me eating, or about to eat! He-he!

Again, a BIG thank you to Emelyne for letting me share the delicious cupcake love! I really hope that you enjoy this post and if there is any other baked good you’d like to see, I would be happy to try! Let me know your questions or thoughts by commenting (click the comment link right next to the title of this post), or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! I would love to hear from you! Also if you have enjoyed this post, please stay awhile and subscribe by entering your email into the subscribe box on the right of this page. You will only be emailed when a new post from my page goes up!

Friday Favorite: Benjabelle Brush Tree Information and Review

March 21, 2014 & 1 Comment

Hi There! Happy Friday!!!

I have a Friday Favorite for you all today! I want to review a very handy and innovative product: The Benjabelle Brush Tree.

The Benjabelle Brush Tree is a product that allows you to dry your makeup brushes vertically so that no water gets into the ferrule of your brush. You should never dry your makeup brushes with the brush part up because water will run into the ferrule, causing it to eventually start to fall apart. Before receiving my Sunflower Benjabelle Brush Tree for Christmas, I would dry my brushes horizontally on a towel. That option works, but takes up a lot of space and can cause very large powder or kabuki brushes to become flat on one side.

One of the things I liked instantly when I went to the website www.benjabelle.com is how personable the creators, a husband and wife duo, seemed. The about us page is completely adorable and just warms my heart. The Benjabelle Brush tree comes with easy care and cleaning instructions. The brush tree also has a money back guarantee. Three pieces come that piece together: two for the trunk or the base, and one for the top. The Benjabelle Trees are made in America with American made materials. There are four different brush tree models: The Original, The Mini, The Daisy, and The Sunflower (they can be seen here and I have The Sunflower). They also sell two different brush cleaners, which I have not tried so I cannot speak to, and a brush tree base spinner that is not necessary, but I think it is really cool!

How It Works:

To use the brush tree you slide the two trunk pieces together and then I like to put the top piece onto my vanity before pressing the trunk into a slot at the top. It is really easy and very secure.

You then go ahead and wash you makeup brushes as usual (if you would like to see how I wash my brushes, let me know by leaving a comment at the top of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!) and then insert the brush handle from underneath the brush tree. When the brushes are dry, pull the brushes up through the top!

I think that the brush tree is an amazing, simple, and brilliant invention! I think any makeup lover or makeup artist would be happy to have it in their beauty arsenal. Also, this isn’t marketed this way that I know of, but I think that it would be awesome for artists out there as well! I am not really an artist (read: I draw stick people…) but my husband is, and I know that this would be something that he could use for his paint brushes, so thought I would throw that out there.

Obviously, I really love this product and can’t stop gushing about it! But that is because it is THAT good.

How do you dry your makeup brushes? Tell me in the comments (comment at the top of each post), or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! If you have any thoughts, questions or if there is a product you would like to see me review, please feel free to let me know! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe by entering your email in the subscribe box on the right hand side of the page. For those who have subscribed, thank you! I hope you all have an wonderful weekend!

Creamy Pesto Pasta with Chicken and Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

March 19, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

Today I want to share two simple and inexpensive weekday meal ideas. Both of these recipes use chicken, but I will be sure to include recipes with different proteins next time. If you are interested in seeing certain types of recipes, please comment (at the top of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! I would love to try to include things you’re interested in. If you enjoy this post, please consider making my day by subscribing!! You just enter your email in the “subscribe” box on the right hand side of the screen. You then get a confirmation email and that is it! Super easy and then you will get emails only when a new post from www.leahtackles.com goes up.

CREAMY PESTO PASTA WITH CHICKEN:

This is a recipe that I love because you only need a few ingredients and it is super simple! It’s also a great one because it’s a hit with everyone in the family and reheats very well. Serve with a salad (and maybe some wine!!)

Time: About 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

About 1 and 1/3 cup alfredo sauce (1 large jar from the store)

1/3 of a cup of pesto

1 package of pasta (I like doing this with bowtie pasta but others work just fine)

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

Mix together the alfredo sauce and the pesto in a small saucepan over heat until it is hot. Keep warm. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Cube the chicken and cook with butter over medium high heat. Serve the chicken with noodles and creamy pesto sauce.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN TACOS:

This is another family favorite and I love it because it lets the slow cooker do almost all the work! It’s also very easy to modify this to fit your personal preferences as far as heat and spice.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 4-8 hours

Ingredients:

About 2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs

½ cup of a salsa of your choice (my family likes hot!)

1 tablespoon of canned jalapeño chiles or canned green chiles

4 cloves of garlic smashed or 2 teaspoons of prepared garlic

1 tablespoon of chili powder

Salt and paper to taste

Soft taco shells

Optional:

Cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, additional canned chiles

Directions:

Combine the chicken, salsa, canned chiles, garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Transfer the chicken onto a large serving bowl and shred with forks. You can moisten the chicken with the cooking juices. Serve in soft taco shells and add optional ingredients, if desired.

I hope you enjoy these recipes! I think they are both great for quick and delicious weekday meals. I also love that they don’t have any hard-to-find ingredients. If you have any questions let me know in the comments (top of this post you can click to comment!) or on any of my social media sites. If you try either of these I want to see a picture! Find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instgram! If you liked this post you can “pin” it on Pinterest by hovering over any of the pictures until you see a pink circle that says, “pin”.

Easy Contact Paper DIY Project!!

March 17, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!!

Today I want to show you a super simple diy project using contact paper. Contact paper is a thin paper like material that usually has a decorative design on one side and a sticky adhesive on the other side. This weekend was my first experience with contact paper and I want to show you a photo step-by-step how-to. I bought this contact paper several weeks ago, but kept putting off lining my desk drawers because I was intimidated since I had never used contact paper. I was worried I would waste the paper or damage my desk, but I was making it out to be scary and it really isn’t.

I lined my desk drawers, but I have seen some amazing projects on Pinterest doing all sorts of things with contact paper. I really want to do a bookcase next!

SUPPLIES:

Contact paper (I got mine from www.interiorplace.com)

Scissors or a paper cutter

A ruler (a clear one really makes it easy)

A pen or pencil

A small plastic squeegee (*optional but it REALLY helps!)

STEP 1:

Measure the size of the item you want to decorate with contact paper

STEP 2:

Use your ruler and pen or pencil to mark how much contact paper you will need.

STEP 3:

Carefully cut your paper out.

STEP 4 (the most tricky and important step!):

Peel off the first couple inches of the backing on the roll of contact paper and put the corners into the corners of your drawer or whatever you are decorating. Slowly unroll the contact paper and smooth it down as you unroll.

STEP 5:

Use the squeegee to smooth over the paper…this helps with any bubbles or wrinkles that may have happened while unrolling the contact paper.

STEP 6:

Enjoy your masterpiece! How adorable is that?!

COST:

This project only cost me the price of the contact paper (around $12) because I had all of the other items on hand at home.

What diy projects have you tried recently? Are there any projects that you are intimidated by and still want to attempt? If you have any questions or if there is a project you’d like to see on leahtackles.com; Tweet me, find me on Facebook, Instagram or comment at the top of this post! If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe.

PopSugar Must Have Box March 2014

March 14, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi There! Happy Friday!

Today I am very excited to be reviewing the March 2014 PopSugar Must Have Box! I have been receiving this subscription service since December 2012 and it is like Christmas every month! Some people read spoilers (is that why you’re reading this?!) but I personally prefer the surprise! The box contains full size items in all different categories…food, beauty, fashion, home, and usually an extra goodie of some kind, too. PopSugar is one of my favorite websites and I also love their youtube channels for fun diy projects, style tips, cooking, interviews…all sorts of stuff. The PopSugar box usually arrives between the 10^th-15^th of every month for me…it ships via FedEx Smart Post, which means it goes out FedEx but arrives to my P.O Box. Sometimes I get my shipping notice on the day the box arrives…but I’m not complaining! I am always happy to see the box waiting for me!!

When I go over the April box in a post next month I will do a mini review of the items from this month and talk about what I used, didn’t use, liked, or maybe didn’t like as much if any of you are interested (comment at the top of this post!)

Product titles are also links for more information or to buy online.

Okay, here we go…

Must Have Food:

Snapea Crisps from Harvest Snaps

$3 Value

I saw these, and I won’t lie, I was thinking no way!! At first glance, they reminded me of one time back when my husband was my fiancé and we bought snack sized baggies of “veggie chips” and they sat unopened for months because after one bag was opened we never touched them again! But I tried these Snapea Crisps and they’re GOOD! Really good! If you close your eyes, they taste like a healthy, crunchy and nicely salty chip. They however did not pass my almost 3 year olds taste test…but I am betting that has more to do with the look than the taste.

Must Have Beauty:

Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum from Jurlique

$30

I tried this serum right away and it’s very floral/herbal smelling, but I am not bothered by that and actually enjoyed the perfume, but it is quite strong when you initially apply it. I am happy to give this a shot because it claims to help with the beginning signs of aging, improve dullness and give the skin more radiance, all things I can definitely get on board with! I will probably use this exclusively at nighttime.

Must Have Fashion:

Lucky Horseshoe Necklace from Dogeared (*Similar)

$28

I was very excited to see something from Dogeared in box because I have been interested in the brand for a while now. I am interested in their custom necklaces online, has anyone had experiences with those? Anyways, the idea of this necklace is that you wear it until the silk thread breaks and then whatever wish you made when you put the necklace on comes true. I think it’s a cute idea and fingers crossed my wish comes true.

Must Have Fashion:

IKAT Scarf from Brokedown

$72

I LOVE getting scarves in my PopSugar box because as much as I love them, they aren’t things I would usually pick up on my own. This is just so pretty and is definitely one of my favorite items in this months box!! This scarf is soft, lightweight, and beautiful for spring.

Must Have Fitness:

Mini Stability Exercise Ball from Fusion Pilates (*Similar)

$9.95

This looks like an itty-bitty exercise ball…and that’s basically what it is! There is a website with exercises that I still need to check out. It comes with a straw to inflate it easily without a pump and I put a pen next to it in the picture below for a size reference. This isn’t my favorite item right off the bat, but I want to try to use it! We have a treadmill at home, and that along with exercise videos has become my “gym” since having kids. Speaking of kids, I am sure they will try to “borrow” this! I like the fact that it is small and won’t be an eyesore or something I have to hide away. If anyone is interested, I will try it out and be sure to do a review on this! Just let me know.

Must Have Home:

Elephant Ring Tree Holder from Bauble Bar

$12

This is my favorite item without question! I just can’t help myself; I am powerless to the cuteness and pretty much anything from Bauble Bar, I love! It is just so adorable, plus it is functional. It has black velvet on the bottom so it won’t scratch your tabletop or vanity. I don’t wear a lot of rings besides my wedding bands and engagement ring, but it’s such a sweet way to display some of my other rings on my vanity. I think this would be an adorable gift for woman from 10-110 years old! This just makes me happy!

Special Extra:

Whole Wheat Fig Bar from Nature’s Bakery

This is a nice little extra that I’m going to toss into my bag for a snack in a pinch. I am hoping it tastes like a Fig Newton. I love having a healthy snack available at all times to try to cut down on junk food cravings.

I am very happy with this months box! The total retail value was over $150 and the items were all things I think I will use, so it was well worth the $39 monthly cost to me. Do you subscribe to PopSugar? If you don’t subscibe yet and are interested you can find out more from here. Do you subscribe to other monthly bags or boxes? So far I have only subscribed to PopSugar, but I’m itching to try ipsy or birchbox! Let me know your thoughts in the comments at the top of this post or find me on Facebook, Twitteror Instagram! If you enjoyed this post please subscribe!

Hello World! First Post and Shower Favorites-drugstore edition

March 12, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi There! Happy Wednesday!

I thought that there was no better day to throw up my first blog post than on my birthday! Today I turn 27 (eeek!) years old!! I have been wanting to start a blog for a long time now, and after a lot of preparation…it’s finally time! This blog wouldn’t be possible without the amazing design talents of Aubrey from The Kinch Life Design, fabulous development by Chelsea from Olive & Ivy Design and the constant support from my wonderful hubster, Stephan.

I like consistency, so I want to make my blog as consistent as possible for my lovely readers! For now, the blog will be updated 2-3 times a week on Wednesdays, Fridays, and the occasional Monday.

For my first post, I figured I would start with the basics:

Shower Favorites-drugstore edition

Every title is also a link if you’re curious about the product or want to purchase online. I also have created a collection on my luvocracy page with all the items linked and avaliable for purchase.

So, let’s get started!

Clear Scalp & Hair Therapy Total Care Nourishing Shampoo

I love this shampoo because it is very moisturizing , especially in the winter months, but doesn’t leave my hair feeling weighed down or greasy.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle

This is such great product! It is a rich, thick conditioner that feels like a little luxury every time you use it! The price point is fabulous and it smells divine. TIP: Store this so that the part where the product comes out is upwards and the writing is upside down…otherwise it tends to leak out a little bit

Summer’s Eve Cleansing Wash for sensitive skin (Island Splash)

I just found this product a few months ago but it became a favorite quickly! It is so important to use a gentle soap for your lady bits and this is made just for down there. If you’ve been using your regular soap or body wash this would be well worth a try! They have an unscented version but my favorite so far is Island Splash…it’s super yummy smelling and lasts forever because you only need the littlest dab.

Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash (Burnt Brown Sugar and Karite Butter)

This body wash feels and smells like a high end product. I love the light exfoliating for every day use and the smell is such a treat to make every shower feel a little fancy.

Gillete Venus Breeze Razor

I have been using a Venus razor for at least 10 years! It is my absolute favorite for a close, smooth shave. I love the Breeze blade refills because they have a soap bar around the blade, sometimes I use it with shaving cream and other times I use it alone. I love having the option to skip shaving cream, especially when I’m just taking a quick shower or on a trip.

Skintimate Signature Scents Shave Gel Raspberry Rain

I have been using this since I began shaving my legs…it’s my absolute favorite & I always go back to this scent. I don’t use it every time I shave, but whenever I want the smoothest, softest shave, this is my go-to.

Clean & Clear Morning Burst Detoxifying Facial Cleanser With Oxygen-Infused Formula

I bounce around with face washes…I have one favorite high-end cleanser, but as far as drug store choices…I’m all over the board looking for the perfect one! Right now, my pick is this one by Clean & Clear because it leaves my face feeling very clean. It says it wakes you up…now I don’t know about that, but it is an invigorating, clean feeling that I love. It isn’t packed with the exfoliating beads, so I find that it is a light exfoliation. I use it sometimes on my Clarisonic, but typically I just use my hands because the exfoliating beads do the trick. TIP: I always wash my face LAST thing in the shower so that any body wash or shampoo or whatever isn’t leaving a yucky residue on my face!

Bath Sponge (*similar)

I always try to switch my bath sponge out frequently to keep things clean and I always opt for a bright, girly color! I love the feeling of a new bath sponge, just like a new toothbrush.

Reusable Shower Cap (*similar)

For a long time I was a “wash my hair every day” kinda girl…but it isn’t very good for your hair! So I slowly worked my way up to every other day and occasionally I’ll even skip 2 days of hair washing. Having a cute shower cap is essential for being able to shower without washing your hair, but also very helpful for hair treatments or for use with rollers.

What are your favorite showering essentials from the drugstore? Tweet me, Facebook me, find me on Instagam, or leave me a comment (by clicking by the title of this post) to let me know! And if you’ve enjoyed this post, please subscribe!

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