springtime

Simple 3 Ingredient Easter Candy-Hopping Into Spring Series Part 2

April 9, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi There! Happy Wednesday!

Today I want to share with you another recipe that I found in Taste of Home for the second week of my Hopping Into Spring Series! It is tasty, looks so sweet tucked into a gift bag or Easter basket, and best of all? It is only 3 ingredients! You really can’t beat that! I had my daughter, Hailey, helping me out in the kitchen and she was SO proud of her candy-making skills! If you missed last weeks Hopping Into Spring Series, here is the recipe for Easter Basket Cupcakes! If you enjoy either recipe, please scroll over any of the pictures in this post until you see a round pink “pin” button, and then click that so you can pin it to your Pinterest account.

Okay, let’s get started!

JELLY BEAN BARK (re-named Bunny Bark in my house!):

This is a great recipe where you can involve your kids or nieces and nephews, but it’s also a lot of fun to do with or for your friends! It takes almost no time to do and the result is a very nice looking, homemade springtime candy. I love the touch of whimsy that homemade candy has, especially tucked into an Easter basket or a gift bag for friends. It is very sweet, you only need a couple of bites, but it is a very delicious combination of flavors.

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon butter

1 1/4 cups of white candy coating, coarsely chopped (NOTE: I found this by the chocolate chips in the baking section, but I have also seen it by the specialty cake and candy making things)

2 cups small jelly beans

DIRECTIONS:

Line a 15 X 10 X1 (a close size will also work) with foil. Grease the foil with butter. In the microwave, melt the candy coating according to the directions on the package and stir until smooth. Spread into your prepared pan. Top with the jelly beans, pressing them down a little bit as you go. Let the bark harden completely before breaking up into pieces or cutting if you prefer.

I hope that you enjoyed the recipe and look out next Wednesday for the third and final Hopping Into Spring Series post. If you have anything you’d like to see a future post about, have any questions or comments please let me know! And if you try this recipe, I would love to see it! Comment (click the link by the title of this post) or you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! I am LeahTackles on all social media. I hope you have a great rest of your week! If you enjoyed this post, please remember to subscribe! You’ll totally make my day! Stay tuned Friday for another new post!!

Collective Beauty and Lifestyle Favorites!

April 4, 2014 & Leave a Comment

Hi there! Happy Friday!!

Yay! It’s Friday!! I am so glad it’s the weekend! For those of you without weekends, I sympathize! Both my husband and myself had jobs post-college where weekends didn’t exist! No fun! But no matter what you do, I hope you’re having a lovely Friday afternoon! Because of my excitement for Friday, I want to do a fun favorites post where I share all of the stuff I’ve been loving lately! Eventually, I plan to do a monthly beauty favorites post, and also a “lifestyle” favorites post where I show you all the other random things I love that aren’t beauty related. But today, these favorites are all going to be packed into one post! I made Luvocracy collection with the items listed below if you want more information or want to shop online!

Let’s get started!

LEAH’S FAVORITES:

Beauty Favorites:

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 001 Honey

These jumbo crayon lip products are everywhere right now, and this is a great basic to have. It is one of my favorite lip products of all time! I have been using it for about a year and half, I still find myself wearing it at least once a week! Sometimes I just don’t feel like fussing with a lipstick or gloss, and on those days this is an amazing thing to be able to reach for. I need to pick up a new one, mine has a crack in the cap and the writing it all rubbed off…and that’s because this has gone everywhere with me! It’s a beautiful “your lips but better” pink. I find that the color ends up getting a bit brighter after the “stain” part starts coming through, but it’s still just as beautiful. When I use this I only touch up a couple of times a day to keep the slightly glossy look. If you don’t have this yet, I really suggest picking it up if you’re in the market for an easy everyday lipcolor.

This next picture shows the Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in Honey and the next item I talk about, the Lóréal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black:

Lóréal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black

This is a felt tip black eyeliner that can create thin lines to very thick bold lines. I am no expert at winged eyeliner, but I definitely have success when I use this eyeliner. It is very black and stays all day. I haven’t had issues with the pen drying out too quickly. What is your favorite staple eyeliner? Do you prefer liquid eyeliner over pencil? Let me know by commenting (click the link next to the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Dim Infusion

I just hauled this in my March 2014 Collective Beauty Haul, so I won’t spend too much time on it but I had to include it! This color is BEAUTIFUL! It gives such a lovely flush to the cheeks and I don’t have to wear a highlight when I have this on (but let’s be real, I usually still do! I love a good glow!). This is gorgeous, and if you can get your booty to Sephora to swatch these for yourself, I highly recommend it!

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Mint Sorbet

I really like the Xtreme Wear line from Sally Hansen because it is very inexpensive and usually wears well for several days without chips. My good friend and fellow nail polish lover (sorry for getting you hooked and enabling you!! You know who you are!) gave me this color and it is just the perfect mint polish! I love the color mint green anytime, but springtime is the perfect time to rock a mint mani.

Jewelry Favorite:

Bauble Bar Deco Strand in Mint Tortoise

I have loved tortoise since I was a really little kid. Once before we left for a vacation my mom and I went shopping and she ended up buying me a pair of tortoise sunglasses…I must have been 7 or 8 years old, and I’ve been loving tortoise ever since! So this necklace fulfills my love of tortoise, a pop of spring color with the mint, and a little bling thrown in for good measure. It looks cute with so many things: A basic tee, a dress, or a great collared shirt. I wore it this past weekend with a casual outfit shown above. It is a bit expensive, but I was able to use Bauble Bar Vault Points to get it for less. Keep you eyes peeled for discount codes and sign up for vault points

Food Favorite:

Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Bar in Roasted Mixed Nut

I like to have granola or protein bars in my bag in case I get hungry or “something” happens! Maybe it’s the mom in me! These are a great mix of salty and sweet with lots of nuts and nutty butter on the bottom of the bar.

Exercise/ Wellness Favorite:

Life Factory 16 oz. Glass Bottle with Straw Cap and Silicone Sleeve in Peony

I got this while I was shopping in a small local children’s boutique for my kiddos. I drink lots of water and wanted a bottle that I can take everywhere without spilling. It’s a bit heavy, because it is made of glass but it is free of chemicals and easy to clean. I really like the silicone around the glass because it gives a great grip. It is pricy, but if you consider cost per use, it has stayed in perfect shape and I use it all day, everyday.

Website Favorite AND Book Favorite:

“Seriously…I’m Kidding” by Ellen Degeneres read by the author

My hubster has been using audible.com for about a year, but I just didn’t know if I would like it or when I would find the time. I finally decided to listen while I was doing random household chores one evening recently and I chose Ellen’s book for something lighthearted to begin my audio book journey. And I loved it! It didn’t hurt that I listened to this straight after Ellen rocked The Oscars, but she is just so charming. I felt warm and fuzzy after listening. I finished the about three hour long book in two days and it made my chores a lot more fun. We have an Amazon Prime account which makes it very affordable as well. I loved the book and I loved listening to it instead of finding the time to read it.

Girl Power Favorite:

NOTE: I thought this would be a fun way to share some props when I do a favorites post to any girl I think is doing great stuff and should be recognized. I am all about girl power, more than ever now that I have a daughter of my own! I think it should be encouraged and supported!

Carrie Rad has Youtube channel I found recently that I think is just lovely! She’s got whatever it is (okay, now I can’t stop singing that country song…), something about her is so fresh, and she is a joy to watch. I found her and then binge watched every single one of her videos. She has beauty, fashion, and more in her videos. I just want to grab a coffee with her and hang out. She has great ideas, shows such passion, and I just know she will do big things! Carrie Rad is rad!

Song Favorite:

All of Me by John Legend

This song is SO beautiful! I love it each time it comes on the radio and avoid talking too much until it’s over. LOVE!

Okay, I don’t want this to go on forever because I’m in a rambling mood today, and that could get dangerous! But I really hope that you’ve enjoyed this post! As always, if you have any comments or questions please comment (click the link next to the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! Please let me know what type of posts you would like to see on www.leahtackles.com. Let me know what your favorites items of the moment are! I would love to hear about them! And if you like what you’ve read, please share and subscribe by entering you email into the box on the right of this page! You will only get emails when a new post from me goes up! Super easy! Thank you to all of you who have already subscribed!! I hope you have a beautiful weekend!!

Easter Basket Cupcakes-Hopping Into Spring Series Part 1

April 2, 2014 & 2 Comments

Hi there! Happy Wednesday!

I typically wouldn’t do two food posts right in row, but I decided to do a mini series: Hopping Into Spring. This series will feature springtime treats just in time for some warmer weather and Easter! I was flipping through my Taste of Home Magazine and browsing some fun websites recently and became inspired by all the springtime yummy cuteness. The next three Wednesday posts will be part of the series, that way they will all go up before Easter so that you can make them for your families, friends, or coworkers. If you don’t celebrate Easter, all of these treats are really just springtime goodies that can work for any occasion! If you like this post, please pin it to your Pinterest page, simply hover over any of the pictures until a pink “pin” button appears, then click on that to pin to your Pinterest account.

EASTER BASKET CUPCAKES:

I found these Easter Basket Cupcakes in Taste of Home Magazine and knew right away that I had to recreate them! I really like Taste of Home because they offer a wide variety of recipes, but it is always with ingredients that are easily accessible and simple directions. My daughter, Hailey, loved helping me stir and pour in the long list of ingredients for these! If you are pinched for time, you can buy a boxed cake mix or canned frosting but still decorate these sweet little baskets. This would also be a great opportunity to use my cupcake wrapper diy with a sweet springtime paper!

CARROT CAKE:

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup canola oil

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 lb carrots, grated

2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted

1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup flaked coconut

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1 package (8oz.) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon grated orange peal

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

DECORATIONS:

3 cups flaked coconut

1 teaspoon water

6-10 drops green food coloring

Candy Eggs (jelly beans or small chocolate eggs, whatever type you prefer)

Candy Straw (Sour Punch Straws worked well, licorice would also work. TIP: Do not use any really thin candy because you need something to stick into the cupcake so the “handle” of your basket stays up)

CARROT CAKE DIRECTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 350°. Line 25-30 muffin cups with paper liners. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugars, canola oil and vanilla until well blended. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, ground ginger and ground nutmeg. Add your dry mixture and your buttermilk to your egg mixture, alternating and blending after each addition. Stir in the carrots, walnuts, pineapple and coconut until well blended. Do not over mix. Fill prepared baking cups about 3/4 full. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on wire racks.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until well blended. Beat in the orange peel and vanilla extract. Slowly beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Frost you cupcakes. Because you are going to be covering the frosting with coconut and then decorating them, the frosting doesn’t have to be perfect and you can use a pretty thin layer. I was able to quickly frost the cupcakes I made using a butter knife.

DECORATING DIRECTIONS AND TIPS:

To make the Easter Basket grass, simply put your flaked coconut into a large resealable plastic bag and mix in the water and food coloring. Seal and shake until the coconut is evenly tinted. Do this a little bit at a time because you can always add more drops of food coloring if needed. I then dipped my cupcakes into the coconut to evenly coat the tops. TIP: Put your candy straw about 1/4 inch from the edge of the cupcake and push into the cake. I made the mistake at first of trying this too close to the edge and it didn’t stay very well. Then decorate with your candy eggs. Ta-da! An adorable Easter or springtime cupcake!

I hope you have enjoyed this post! What desserts do you like to make this time of year? Is there anything you’d like to see me make on www.leahtackles.com? If you try this recipe, I want to hear about it! And if you have any questions or comments please let me know in the comments (click the link by the title of this post) or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! I would love to hear from YOU! It’s “LeahTackles” on all social media. Thank you very much for reading this, and if you like this post please subscribe by entering your email into the subscription box on the right hand side of this page to receive emails only when I post something new! Have a wonderful rest of your week!