Effortless Mini Pies - Frozen Key Lime Mini Pies Recipe

It's a wonderful time for frozen treats, so check these out! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EffortlessPies #CollectiveBias #Walmart

You're going to love these mini pies! They're incredible!

INGREDIENTS:

Reddi-wip® (13 oz.)

Oikos® Key Lime Greek Yogurt (4 count package)

Keebler® Ready Crust® Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust (6 count package)

Magic Shell (Optional)

Limes To Garnish Mini Pies

Make Delicious & Effortless Mini Pies With 3 Simple Ingredients!!

Be sure to visit the Effortess Mini Pies Page For more ideas and inspirations.

And, visit the Ibotta Coupon Page To Save Money On These Ingredients Here

I really enjoy the taste of this Greek Yogurt. It's sweet, tart, and tastes like fresh key limes. It's literally like eating a piece of the real thing, but far healthier for you.

Prep The Pies...

Fill a quart sized freezer Ziploc®  bag with the Oikos®  Greek Key Lime yogurt (2 yogurt cups filled about 3 mini pie crusts). Cut one corner off of the bag, and carefully fill each mini pie crust about 2/3 full. 

Freeze the pies overnight, on a baking sheet. Once they have frozen, get ready to decorate them!

Once frozen, you can add some Magic Shell drizzle! The more chocolate the better, to balance out the lime flavor. After I drizzled the chocolate onto these mini pies, I put them back into the freezer to prepare for the final steps. 

Look how beautiful these frozen yogurt mini pies are!!! 

Let's Top These Mini Pies!

Slice your limes into thin slices.

Top with a generous amount of Reddi-whip® . Literally my favorite part...

Add the lime slices onto the Reddi-wip® so they sit up on their own. You can serve them now! Enjoy!

I wound up finding my ingredients at Walmart, which was great, because I could find everything in one place (and of course a little more!). Isn't that always how it goes :)

I found the Reddi-wip® in the back coolers neat the milk, the Oikos® Key Lime Greek Yogurt by the other dairy items, and the Keebler® Ready Crust® Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust in the baking aisle. I also found the limes in the front of the store by the fresh produce. 

I really hope you have enjoyed this recipe! 

Organic Mint Julep Cocktail Recipe

We styled up this gorgeous and organic mint julep just in time for Derby weekend. I wound up finding an organic mint plant for less than $5.00 at my local Co-Op. I replanted it after making this recipe, and it's growing like a champ :) Have you ever had a Mint Julep? They're so fresh!

INGREDIENTS (adapted from this recipe): 

10 organic mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons organic cane sugar
Water
Crushed ice
2 1/2 ounces Kentucky bourbon whiskey

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the mint leaves in the bottom of acute  glass and top with the sugar. Muddle these together until the leaves begin to break down. Add a splash of filtered or seltzer water, fill the glass 3/4 full with crushed ice, and add the bourbon. Top with another splash of seltzer, stir, and garnish with a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.

Milkshakes Inspired By M&M’s® New Flavors!

It's that time of year again when ice cream sounds good in just about any form. Check out these amazing milkshakes, inspired by M&M's® flavors! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MMSFlavorVote #Walmart #CollectiveBias.

Here's How It Works.

You can help choose the next flavor of M&M's®!!! 

• Throughout the voting period of March 1 to June 17, you can purchase and taste each of the new flavors for yourself, and then cast your vote, once a day until June 17.
• Once you cast your vote for your favorite new M&M's® Peanut flavor, you are entered for the chance to win $100,000 and earn the title of the official M&M's® Taste Tester. The winner will be announced in August, along with the winner of the 'Flavor Vote,' which will remain on retailer shelves nationwide.
• Vote for your favorite flavor using the hashtag #MMSFlavorVote across social media!

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Be sure to visit the M&M's® Flavor Vote page on Facebook to vote for your favorite flavor!

Find The Flavors Here:

M&M's® Coffee Nut
M&M's® Chili Nut
M&M's® Honey Nut

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Note: The jars used in these recipes hold a bit over 4 Cups each, so all recipes are formatted to these jars.

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THE CHOCOLATE MOCHA SHAKE - INSPIRED BY M&M’s® COFFEE NUT

Ingredients:

M&M’s® Coffee Nut Flavor

2 1/2 -3 C. Chocolate Ice Cream

1/2 C. Cool Whip

1 C. Coffee of any sort (Mine was pre-packaged)

1 Packet of Hot Chocolate Mix (Optional)

Dash of Milk - Optional

FOR THE COOKIES...

Ingredients:

Pre Made or Home Made Chocolate Chip Cookies

Melting Chocolate + Brush To Spread It Onto Cookies

Instructions:

These are so easy! Simply melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave until smooth. Carefully brush chocolate onto half of the front of each cookie.

In a zip top bag, use a rolling pin to crunch up some of the M&M’s® Coffee Flavor candies. Top half of your cookies with M&M’s® Coffee Nut candy pieces, or chocolate sprinkles. They stick super well to the chocolate. Let cool, and eat separately, or add to your milkshake.

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THE HONEY NUT PEANUT BUTTER SHAKE - INSPIRED BY M&M’s® HONEY NUT

Ingredients:

M&M’s® Honey Nut Flavor

2 - 2 1/2 C. Vanilla Ice Cream

1/2 C. Peanut Butter

1 1/4 C. Milk

1 C. Cool Whip (And more for on top)

1 -2 Tbsp Honey (depending on how strong you want the flavor)

Yellow Sprinkles

Get ready, this tastes amazing!!

Instructions:

Blend ice cream, peanut butter, milk, honey, and Cool Whip together until smooth. Add M&M’s® Honey Nut Flavor either as whole pieces, or crushed up into smaller pieces. Stir with a spoon.

Pour into a large glass, and top with whipped cream, yellow sprinkles, and crushed up M&M’s® Honey Nut. 

This one wound up being my absolute favorite!! Enjoy!!

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THE CHILI CHOCO SHAKE - INSPIRED BY M&M’s® CHILI NUT

Ingredients:

M&M’s® Chili Nut

3 C. Chocolate Ice Cream

1 C. Milk

Red Sprinkles

Red Chilis For Garnish - Optional

Luckily I got some of the last of the new flavor M&Ms at Walmart! Looks like just about everyone in town wanted a piece of the voting action! 

My local stores were almost sold out, but I found them near the front of the store by the registers. 

Instructions:

Mix together chocolate ice cream, milk, and Cool Whip until smooth. Feel free to add a dash of Cayenne pepper for some heat if you want. Also, add some M&M’s® Chili Nut candies, and mix with a spoon.

Pour the mixture into a jar, and top with whipped cream, M&M’s® Chili Nut candies, and red sprinkles. 

To create a fun garnish, take two red chilis (I used ones that weren't spicy, because these candies have some heat), and poke holes in them to make room for the straw to pass through. Love how these turned out!

Thanks so much for checking out these fun recipes, inspired by M&M’s® new flavors! 

Summer On-The-Go & Entertaining With Black Box Wines! - Plus 2 DIY Wine Party Tutorials

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlackBoxSummer #CollectiveBias The following content is intended for readers who are 21 or older.

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I would like to share some adorable DIY party ideas for a cute summer party on-the-go with you today! Black Box Wines are the perfect summer party pal, because they are extremely portable. Black Box Wines are amazing for a camping party, that is a little bit more upscale. Why not add a little wine-tasting to your camp out!

Be sure to visit the Simple Entertaining Social Hub for more details about ways to entertain this summer.

These wines are eco-friendly, because the bag and box are recyclable! Black Box Wines taste good, and they are about half the price of bottled wines. Also, they can stay fresh up to 6 weeks, and contain 750 ml - the equivalent of 4 bottles. Imagine trying to carry 4 bottles of wine, which is way more to juggle than this one awesome box of tasty goodness! 50 gold Metals for quality can't be wrong!

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A SUMMER PARTY RECIPE - WINE & CHEESE PAIRING SKEWERS

I love the idea of a wine and cheese party, but if guests can carry the appetizers around, it prevents anyone from being left out, or everyone having to hover over one plate of food. Instead, offer guests skewers, and a plentiful plate of meats and cheeses, and let them decide what they want! I also like the idea of having grapes and as many fresh fruits and veggies as possible. I liked using these cardboard food containers I got at a craft store. They hold so much, and are coated to avoid any messes. 

Cut up salami, summer sausage, and various cheeses and let guests use skewers to create their own Wine & Cheese Pairing Skewers!! 

Let your guests choose their own adventure, and add whatever type of meats and cheeses they want! Less food will be wasted with this method, which saves money.

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Be sure to visit the Simple Entertaining Social Hub for more details about ways to entertain this summer.

FABRIC WINE GLASS MARKERS

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1.) These are super simple and can be made for FREE! Just cut your fabric strips that are 12" long x 1" wide. I just freehanded these, but a rotary cutter could always be used.

2.) Now, to get the rough edges on the fabric pieces, pull them and stretch them as much as possible. Keep pulling from both ends until you get a more frayed look. 

3.) Tie the distressed fabric strips around the top of the wine glass stem, and double knot. 

4.) I found that cutting about 1" off of each of the long ends at a diagonal was best. That's it! 

WINE PARTY TIP! 

To ensure guests can reach the boxes of wine, elevate them onto something like a glass vase or metal box. This also adds visual interest to your party table. 

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DIY WINE SIGN TUTORIAL

This little project came together so well! It was one of the easiest party decor projects ever. 

WHAT YOU NEED:

All you need is a few materials and about 15 minutes, and you can make this cute DIY Wine Sign! Perfect for summer parties On-The-Go!

4 Galvanized letters - found at a fabric store, Birch Round (or Rectangle) - found at that same fabric store, and a hot glue gun with glue. Super Glue / Krazy glue did NOT work at all, just a warning :) 

1.) Plug in your glue gun, and begin to do a sample placement of your letters onto the birch round. This birch round actually has a twine hanger attached, but you can cut it off. 

2.) I found that the best way to securely attach the letters was to mark where each letter went with a dot of pencil, then apply hot glue and quickly re-attach your letters. 

3.) Glue all letters in place and you are DONE! This project only took about 15 minutes!

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For a wonderful Summer On-The-Go party, consider providing your guests with Black Box Wines! Enjoy!

Double Layer Easter Brownies Recipe

Today was the first day of Spring, and Easter is right around the corner. I created this fun and (very) easy Easter dessert that will be a big hit. I love how chocolatey these are, and if you're craving something sweet, these will be exactly what you need. 

I wanted to share this recipe, because they turned out beautifully, but required only a few ingredients. 

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WHAT YOU NEED:

Box of brownie mix (9"x13" size)

Chocolate Icing 

Eggs, Water, Oil for brownie mix

MnM's Candies or similar (I used the Spring color mix, but any holiday colors would do!)

THAT'S IT!!!

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Bake brownies as per instructions on box. Remove from oven, and once cooled completely, cut into squares that are roughly 3"x3". 

Lay out the squares, and put a dollop of icing on half of them, leaving the prettiest ones without icing, to be put on top.

Place the top layer brownies on the iced brownies. Ice the top brownies, add candies, and you're done! Simple as that :) Enjoy!

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Lemon Sorbet Recipe And Video

So, we are here in Arizona for March, and the lemon tree at my parent's house was just calling my name! I decided to make my first YouTube video about a wonderful lemon sorbet recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 Cups Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (About 12 Lemons)

- 2 Cups Water

- 1 - 1.5 Cups Sugar (White Sugar or Cane Sugar). I used 2 cups and it was too sweet. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Juice lemons, and make sure there are no seeds. Set aside.

Heat water and sugar in a medium saucepan, until sugar has dissolved.

Add lemon juice to sugar water, and stir until combined.

Pour lemon juice mixture into a Pyres or container with a lid, and put into freezer for at least 4 hours, or overnight. 

When frozen, scrape the sorbet with a fork, and then serve! This sorbet will stay good in the freezer for about 2 weeks. 

Enjoy! 

Peanut Butter + Chocolate Valentine's Day Puppy Chow Recipe

I never really loved Puppy Chow back in jr. high when everyone else was freaking out about buying it from our bake sales at school. I love chocolate, but for some reason, it was always way too rich for me and I never got into it.

Until now! This recipe primarily tastes like peanut butter, white chocolate, and of course, powdered sugar. 

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/2 cups Rice Chex™ cereal (or any brand will do!)

1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips - I like the white chocolate chips from Ghirardelli.

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup powdered sugar 

1/4 cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies (like M&M's)

2 tablespoons festive sprinkles

INSTRUCTIONS:

- In a double boiler over medium heat (or in the microwave), melt the butter, white chocolate chips, and peanut butter until combined and smooth. 

- Pour the peanut butter mixture over the cereal and mix as thoroughly as you can, coating all of the cereal. 

- Now, sift the powdered sugar over the cereal mixture, using a metal strainer works well! Mix as much as you can, and add more powdered sugar as needed to coat the cereal!

- Lastly, add the sprinkles and chocolate candies, and serve! 

SERVING & PACKAGING IDEAS:

- Carry the Puppy Chow in a festive tin to the office, or your party! Encourage guests to grab a little scoop of the treats in these heart-themed cups.

- If you want individual party favors, put the puppy chow into the heart cups, and slide them into a clear treat bag. Tie with ribbon, then add a metallic heart doily to the ribbon and tie into a bow! (See below)

What is your favorite Valentine's Day snack or memory? Let me know in the comments below! 

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE...

Maple Walnut + Caramelized Banana Oatmeal Recipe

Oh my, this recipe tastes SO good! Especially on a chilly morning when you don't exactly want to get out of bed but have to...this yummy oatmeal recipe would also be really great as a midnight snack! 

INGREDIENTS (1 Serving)

Oatmeal, Milk or Water, 1 Banana, 2 Tbsp Butter, 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar, 3 Tbsp. Maple Syrup, 1 C. Walnuts, Waxed Paper

INSTRUCTIONS:

- (For The Walnuts) In a skillet over medium heat, warm 1 Tbsp. butter, brown sugar, and syrup, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, and when the liquid starts to reduce/dry a bit, add your walnuts. Transfer warm walnuts to waxed paperWhen I first created this, I did not use butter, and wow, these were so sticky and almost hard to separate from one another. The butter should help with that a bit! Set the incredibly tasty walnuts aside, and let's start on the bananas!

- (To Caramelize The Bananas) Rinse your skillet, because we are going to use it again! Melt the second 1 Tbsp. butter in the skillet and add a bit of the brown sugar (1-2 Tbsp). Slice the bananas about 1/2" thick (mine were almost too thin, but sure looked pretty!). Lay the banana sliced on the skillet, and let them begin to caramelize. They don't take long, so make sure to watch them closely. Maybe 1-3 minutes on each side. These added so much flavor to my oatmeal! 

- Heat milk or water, and add oats, as per instructions on container. I also added some sugar into the oatmeal, because sugar makes everything better. 

That's it folks, enjoy! If you wind up creating this awesome dish, add a link below, or tag me on instagram as @lilythewanderinggypsy

Nature Hills Nursery - A Special Plant Delivery, and an IZZE Cocktail Recipe!

Over the holidays, Nature Hills Nursery sent me the most adorable mini Christmas tree ever. Now, they surprised me with something much larger! This gorgeous philodendron arrived at my doorstep and I absolutely love it. It's on sale for over half off right now, Find It Here! These plants are gorgeous, and arrive at your doorstep super quickly. 

*VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT IDEA*

I think larger, more mature plants would make an amazing Valentine's Day gift! Send one to your loved one's office, or home, and brighten their day! Every time they see this gorgeous plant (it will last for years, believe me...), they will think of your love :)

Tropical Charm for Inside or Out

Split Leaf Philodendron, Philodendron selloum, is one of many varieties of Philodendron plants with tropical allure and a hardy nature. Place one of these indoors where it will have space to climb and you can enjoy watching its progress.

Split Leaf Philodendron has been a favorite of gardeners for years—as a garden plant, but also as a lovely, indoor houseplant. The heart-shaped leaves are huge (almost 3-feet long), with an appearance reminiscent of something you’d see in a rainforest.

It’s like bringing a bit of the tropics into your home! Split Leaf’s delightful green leaves are deeply-lobed with a glossy finish that easily catches the light and presents a vibrant appearance wherever it’s planted.

In optimal conditions, your Split Leaf Philodendron will reach 12 feet with a 15-foot spread. Split Leaf Philodendron is a vigorous grower and easy to care for. It prefers humidity, but will tolerate some dry conditions. There are no pest or disease concerns and Split Leaf is quite hardy.

Split Leaf Philodendron’s positive features make it easy to see why it’s so often the choice of homeowners for both inside and out. Even if your climate isn’t appropriate for a Philodendron to live outside, why not bring one indoors this year. You’ll soon view it as one of the best houseplants you’ve ever owned!

*Evergreen
*Cold hardy
*Great for containers
*Grow Inside or Out

I also thought that this fun IZZE Cocktail would look superb along side of the philodendron. 

INGREDIENTS:

IZZE Sparkling Raspberry, Frozen Blackberries, Vodka or Tequila (Optional), Cute Glasses

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Fill glasses half way with ice, pour in 1 shot of alcohol (Optional), add IZZE Sparkling Blackberry (love the fizziness of this drink!), and garnish with 2 frozen blackberries!

Note: This drink is not incredible sweet, which is nice. But, you could add a tiny bit of Agave if you want! Enjoy!

Bacon, Egg and Cheese Oatmeal Recipe

Hearty, Yummy Oatmeal! This recipe tastes as good as it looks!

INGREDIENTS:

Oatmeal

Milk or Water (for oatmeal)

2 slices bacon

Red and Green Peppers

2 Eggs

Shredded Cheese

Salt and Seasoning To Taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

- Cook desired amount of oatmeal, as per directions on container, using either milk or water.

- Meanwhile, cook or bake bacon until it is crispy. You can also use bacon bits, but I cannot resist the smell of fresh bacon! Chop up bacon into small, bite sized pieces. 

- In a separate skillet, scramble 2 eggs, and season with salt, pepper, and your other favorite seasonings. Add chopped up green and red peppers to your eggs if you wish.

- Pour finished oatmeal into a bowl, and top with scrambled eggs and peppers, sliced pieces of bacon, and finally, top with cheese!

Enjoy!

Natural Grapefruit Cocktail Recipe + Winter Citrus

These drinks tasted really incredible. This was one of the first drinks I have ever sweetened with Agave, and it was perfect.

We juiced the 2 types of grapefruits (by hand, without a juicer!). One was a "normal color, orangey on the outside, and fruity pink inside, and another type that looked like a giant lemon when you cut it open. Also, after adding just a little bit of the agave nectar, the flavors were balanced perfectly! The sugar around the rim is a fun flavor addition as well. I always love sweet and tart together. 

You can drink the juice by itself, or add a little bit of sparkling wine or gin if you wanted to. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 part grapefruit juice (we used 1 1/2 C.)

1 part sparkling wine (dry and less sweet would be better) or sparkling water

2 tsp. organic agave nectar

Jars or fancy glasses of your choice

Organic Cane Sugar for Rims

INSTRUCTIONS:

- Mix grapefruit juice, sparkling wine, and agave in a pitcher or similar. 

- Grab your jars or glasses, and add sugar to the rim. To do this, I put some water onto a plate, and dipped the glasses in the sugar. I love the way the sugar helped add even more sweetness to a tart citrus flavor. 

- Fill glass a bit over half with ice. Pour the grapefruit juice mixture over the ice, and garnish with a wedge of grapefruit. Love the color of these drinks! 

Fun Fact: Citrus is a great way to help boost your immune system! 

"This large subtropical fruit known for its slightly bitter and sour taste is called a grapefruit as it grows in clusters like grapes. High in enzymes, water content and having less sodium, grapefruit helps accelerate weight loss. It also helps in cancer prevention, boosts immune levels and aids digestion. It is rich in vitamin B, magnesium, iron, folic acids, manganese, calcium and potassium." - StyleCraze

2015 Year In Review

I had an incredible year, last year, and I think it will be great to share all of the fun things with you. Sometimes, I think I am never doing enough, completing enough, scratching a line through enough items on my endless to-do list. Do you ever feel that way? I think this post will also be an amazing way to look back at all of the wonderful places we went, and things I accomplished throughout 2015. It is so important to share the things you are thankful for, and I am thankful for health, happiness, and all of the fun opportunities I had last year. Here's to another circle around the sun!!! 

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JANUARY

In late January of 2015, I decided it was a good idea for me to move over to a .com from my long-standing blogspot blog. I am still very happy that I chose to go to a .com! My previous blog was - http://lily-the-wandering-gypsy.blogspot.com/. Throughout the whole year of 2015, I had over 150,000 Page Views on lily-the-wandering-gypsy.com, and I am so happy about that!!! I also started my super popular Group Pinterest Board, called Inspire Me. 

I also created some pretty awesome things, like my Mixed Berry and Banana Smoothie Recipe, and this Beautiful Fleece Cowl Scarf. 

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FEBRUARY

I had the experience of a lifetime in February when I went to Laguna Niguel, CA to speak at The Re/Code Media conference at THE RITZ (!!!) on a panel of "New Influencers". This was a monumental trip that you can read all about here. 

This month, I also ramped up my holiday-inspired posts by making a few Valentine's Day Posts. I had lots of traffic from my post about Beautiful Bacon Roses and still love them so much! Another super popular post was my Candy Heart Tutorial. I photographed some beautiful goodies from Brightly Twisted, too! I also started a blog called Bisque This! (which I later turned into Bisque-This.com). This definitely marked a point where I began creating some really nice recipes and posting them. 

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MARCH

Some of the posts I made in March were these Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Rings, and the Tater Tot Horseshoe. We also created some gorgeous styled photos for Alice & Marie! We got out of the cold Illinois weather this month and headed out to Arizona!!! For some reason, I was silly and didn't post much about it on my blog...probably because of the complete lack of good internet while we were galavanting around in the desert? Who knows, but we had such an incredibly time, we are going back in March of 2016! I promise I will post more along the way this time around...PROMISE! 

The places we visited in March on our Southwest Road Trip include: Truth or Consequences, NM, Saguaro National Park, Cave Creek, AZ. Read about Utah Below...

AND ANOTHER THING...

Bobby and I also got to work on an amazing project for L'Oreal Advanced Hairstyles while we were in Arizona. I could not think of a more gorgeous place/backdrop for photos! View my portfolio here. I also created a Dedicated Pinterest Board, called Style It - Change It - Own It, which I had a lot of fun with! 

OFF TO UTAH

We had an amazing time doing each and every National Park in Utah - so glad we had a National Parks Pass. Zion National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Escalante, Canyonlands, Kodachrome Basin, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Moab, UT. What an unforgettable time!

Escalante National Park

Escalante National Park

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Bryce Canyon National Park - Click To See Larger

Our Trusty Prius At Kodachrome! 

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APRIL

In April, the weather finally started to warm up here in Illinois, and I was creating even more content. I also started (another) blog for fashion-only, called She's So Chic (which I need to revisit pretty badly...). 

Bobby and I also created some more content and a Dedicated Pinterest Board for L'Oreal Infalliable Makeup. Another incredible and honorable projects that I was so happy to create.

I also created this DIY Daily Planner post, which remains my most popular post to date! I also created this Festival Ready Flower Crown, in honor of Coachella and Bonnaroo. 

I visited the Nashville Country Living fair with my mom and sister, and had a great time! 

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MAY

Another fun month! I collaborated with Sony Pictures to help promote their movie, Aloha! We have been to Hawaii three times, so I thought this was a really fun and inspiring project. Check out the Dedicated Pinterest Board and Blog Post talking more about the project. I was also named in the Top 100 Pinners of 2015 by Daily Tekk. I also created this Tassel Earrings Tutorial, and photographed Emblem Eyewear Sunnies.

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JUNE

In June, I created a great post for HelloSociety about my Top 5 Pinterest Tips! It was shared quite a few times!!! I also created another boho tutorial, showing how to embellish the cutest boots ever! I also created some adorable onesies, and took some photos at our amazing Farmer's Market, one of which was featured on the VSCO blog! 

Speaking of Farmer's Markets, Carbondale gained a new Farmer's Market this past summer, and they had a great selection of local veggies. And, check out my favorite Bloody Mary Recipe ever! 

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JULY

This month, I worked with Nordstrom Rack to help promote their clothing on Pinterest! I created a new Tumblr site, called Wandering Gypsy Fashion Blog, to focus one site on fashion-only. I also photographed this organic lotion line from Ayushi Woods. We also gave a $100 Gift Certificate To one lucky winner! I also created this fun Raspberry Mint Spritzer Recipe. 

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AUGUST - OUR BIG ROAD TRIP + MORE

Things heated up this month with an amazing collaboration with Ulta Beauty Hair & Cosmetics. I also created an amazingly delicious No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe, perfect as individual servings! 

 The second week of August, we took the biggest road trip we have EVER taken!!! Again, I did not really post much about this on my blog, but I promise to blog more on upcoming road trips, promise! 

OUR ROAD TRIP...

We spent about 6 weeks on the road throughout August and September. We visited places in Colorado like Glenwood Springs, Crested Butte, Silverton, Ouray, and Silverton. I got a few photos, but this was when Lily was having a really hard time, so it's very hard to even go back and look at photos from this time...We lost one of our very best friends on the trip, though, and I have still never felt the same without her. Lily the AmStaff will always be loved and I am happy she had such an adventurous life. 

OFF TO CALIFORNIA

Lake Tahoe

San Francisco

Westport

OREGON

Waldport

Cannon Beach + Portland

WASHINGTON

Olympic Peninsula - Kalaloch Lodge 

Whidbey Island

MONTANA + IDAHO

On the way back home, we drove through Ketchum, Idaho, and Missoula, Montana. 

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SEPTEMBER

Some of the photos from August actually took place in September, but this month, I wanted to feature the projects we completed in August and September. We worked with Bacardi (!!!), Missouri Department of Tourism, Emma Stine, and the FYI Network for their show Style: Unzipped. 

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OCTOBER

Another pretty incredible month. While working on Halloween projects, I got an email from HelloSociety and Skype, asking me if I wanted to visit New York City (in a few days...), and help with a Skype Halloween Party for The Lower East Side Girls' Club! They flew me out, and then put me up in a (hotel). i had an amazing time and learned so many new things. Check out my tips for a great Halloween Party With Skype, and my trip to New York City! (Thanks, Skype!!!!)

I also created some amazing photos for Sony Pictures' movie, Burnt. This was one of the hardest projects I have ever done and loved learning so much from it. 

I also created a few photos for Toad&Co. 

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NOVEMBER

Going back to loving to cook, I created a great Stuffed Squash Recipe, a 7 Can Soup Recipe, took photos of Fall Ice Cream Treats at Cold Stone Creamery, and also shot some gorgeous photos for Erin Pelicano Jewelry. Her work is beautiful! I also created this gift guide, and also shot a few photos inspired by e.l.f. cosmetics for their #PlayBeautifully project. 

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DECEMBER

Wow, I did quite a bit this month! Christmas and the holidays were such a great inspiration for me, and I actually worked with Harley-Davidson! I think we got some great photos and I also made them a Dedicated Board. I also styled up a beautiful watch by JORD Wood Watches, made in St. Louis, just 2 hours from here. 

I also created some awesome DIY Gift Bags, an Ugly Christmas Sweater Dog Bandana, Pumpkin Oat Dog Treats, Holiday Decor with Nature Hills Nursery, Red Cocktail Recipes, Frozen Hot Chocolate Pie (YUM!!), Soft Gingerbread Cookies, Sugar Cookies From Scratch, styled up some more e.l.f. makeup, and also styled a cute New Year's Eve Party, which was featured here on Kara's Party Ideas.

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Whew! So, that's my last year in a big gigantic nutshell! I hope this inspires you, I know it will help me keep motivated to continue to create new things and travel to new places! 

This post was inspired by This Post from Inspired By Charm! 

Real Strawberry Muffins With Pink Icing

I wanted to make something with strawberries for Valentine's Day and here they are! The muffins don't need the icing, but it sure made them cute. I used mini muffin tins, and they were perfectly bite sized. These muffins were very moist, so make sure you cook them thoroughly. 

STRAWBERRY MUFFINS FROM SCRATCH

2 C. all purpose flour

1/3 C. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 C. milk

1/4 C. vanilla yogurt

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/2 C. fresh strawberries, hulled and finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all ingredients except for strawberries. 

Here is my muffin batter before I added the strawberries and sugar. 

Below, I pureed the strawberries and added them to my batter. I also added 2 drops of food coloring to enhance the pink color for the photos :)

Bake the mini muffins for 15-18. Now, make your icing. 

I made a simple icing in my food processor. Add all ingredients, and process until combined. Scrape sides to incorporate any extra ingredients. Pour into smaller bowl to spoon onto muffins. 

ICING INGREDIENTS -  Original Recipe

1 Tbsp Butter - 1 C. Powdered Sugar - 1-2 Tbsp milk - 1/4 tsp vanilla - 2 tsp. fruit - Food Coloring

Have fun with this recipe, and enjoy!!

Quaker– Bring Your Best Bowl – And Coffee Infused Oatmeal!

This post is in partnership with The Quaker Oats Company.

I absolutely love the way a warm bowl of oatmeal makes me feel – and I personally tend to be more full than if I eat a cold bowl of cereal or a granola bar. So, I created an awesome recipe that combines the warm and cozy feeling of a bowl of oatmeal, with just a hint of hazelnut coffee! Below, you will find out how you could have the chance to see your very own oatmeal flavor in stores, and win big. 

Oatmeal is incredibly versatile, and I found a way to enhance it! I created a recipe that adds the flavor and aroma of coffee, and a dash of Hazelnut. It’s so easy, with hardly any prep work.

Better yet, Quaker is offering one lucky winner $250,000 to create a flavor of your own! Enter your own submission for America’s next great oatmeal flavor, using 2-5 ingredients. It’s that simple! Let your imagination run wild.

 As a consumer, you probably already know what you want, so let’s share that with the world.

Just think - you could have your new flavor on shelves across the whole country!

So, let’s do this! $250,000 could be yours!! Enter your flavor submission here and learn more. Ends 3/12/16.  Also, feel free to follow Quaker across the web, on Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook! 

 My friends at Quaker helped me make this post possible! And, all opinions are my own. 

COFFEE AND HAZELNUT INFUSED OATMEAL RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

·       Quaker Old Fashioned Oats

·       Milk

·       Instant Coffee of your choice

·       Hazelnut Coffee Syrup

·       Brown or White Sugar

 INSTRUCTIONS: Boil milk or water, and 2-3 tsp (or more) or instant coffee grounds. Add oatmeal, and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let sit for 5 more minutes, and add 1 tsp Hazelnut Coffee flavoring, and stir. Enjoy!! 

I can't wait to see what you create! Feel free to share a link to your recipes, or a description of what ingredients you used! 

Smoothie Time! Mixed Berry and Banana Smoothie - Negative Calorie Recipe

Smoothies are so refreshing and actually filling! Here is an idea for a quick "power meal in a smoothie"! I always buy organic fruits, vegetables, and produce, and it makes me feel that I'm not getting a bunch of unnecessary chemicals from pesticides. Another great thing, is that (besides the yogurt), every ingredient in this recipe are Negative Calorie Foods! Meaning they take more calories to burn than they contain. So cool. Well, enjoy your smoothies!

INGREDIENTS for about 2 smoothies:

1 Cup Ice - (blend this in the blender before adding fruits and spinach)

1/3 pint blueberries

1/3 C. raspberries

2 bananas - cut into pieces

A small hand full of spinach, chopped or ripped into small pieces

1/4 - 1/2 Cup Pineapple Juice (or any juice you have on hand)

1/2 C. - 1 C. Vanilla or Strawberry Yogurt 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Crush ice in blender. Add fruits and spinach, and blend for about 30 seconds, or until completely combined. If you want a thinner smoothie, just add more juice.

This smoothie was very tasty. You get a nice taste of each of the ingredients, without tasting the spinach too much :) I am sure you could use frozen fruit as well. 

I hope you enjoy these, they kept me more full than expected!

Hot Chocolate With A Hint Of Bam!

I love a good hot chocolate! I would take a mug of hot cocoa over coffee any day! It's just something about steamed milk and chocolate that make me feel so warm. 

HOT CHOCOLATE RECIPES:

BASE HOT CHOCOLATE (1 SERVING):

Fill a mug with milk, and pour it into a small lidded sauce pan. Begin to warm the milk on medium-low heat for 4 minutes, with the lid on. Add 3 Tablespoons of chocolate syrup to the saucepan, stir, and heat for another 2 minutes. Wait a few minutes until is has cooled a bit, and pour the hot chocolate back into your mug. Top with a generous amount of whipped cream, and enjoy! It will be very hot, so please be careful! 

VARIATION: MOCHA CINNAMON

Add 2 ounces espresso and 1 tablespoon cinnamon simple syrup to each mug of hot chocolate. 

VARIATION: CHAI SPICE

Add 2 pods star anise, 10 cracked cardamom pods, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, 1 tsp grated ginger, 6 ounces strong black tea, and 3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, without letting the mixture come to a boil. Strain spices, and ladel hot chocolate into mugs.  

Enjoy!!

Awesome Sugar Cookies From Scratch!

Sugar cookies are some of my absolute favorite cookies of all time. Especially when there's a little bit of icing and sprinkles on top. Cant beat it! This holiday season, I spent a little bit more time than I usually would, just making cookies from scratch. It was so much fun spending Christmas at home this year (I traveled to see family a couple of days in advance this year). 

So, these cookies represent new traditions, as well as just plain awesome and tasty treats. 

INGREDIENTS

3 C. Flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks butter (at room temp or softened - but not melted)

1 1/3 C. sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Cookie Cutters

INSTRUCTIONS

1.) Mix the three dry ingredients and set aside.

2.) Once butter is softened, beat Butter for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add in sugar and mix about 2-3 more minutes. 

3.) Add 1 egg at a time, and vanilla, and beat about 2 more minutes. 

4.) slowly add dry ingredient mixture, and beat until combined and a dough forms.

5.) Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or even overnight is fine).

6.) Once dough has chilled, unwrap, and let the dough sit out to warm up a bit, about 30 minutes - 1 hour. 

7.) Place dough between 2 pieces of paper - parchment on bottom, and waxed paper on top - (making sure to put flour above and below dough). Get two magazines, that are about 1/4" thick, lay them on either side of the dough, but ON TOP of the waxed paper sheet. This will ensure you don't get dough on your magazines! 

8.) Roll out dough to be about 1/4" thick, remove waxed paper from top, and cut out shapes from dough. I used a fork and a spatula to remove excess dough from around shapes. 

9.) Put the shapes onto another cookie sheet or cutting board, and freeze shapes while you cut the next ones.

10.) Re-roll dough again, about 1/4" thick, and cut more shapes. Repeat the process of cutting shapes and freezing them as you go.

11.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake shapes, spread out on a cookie sheet, one batch at a time. Make sure to leave lots of room around each shape, just in case they spread out a little bit. If you do all the steps correctly, and take your time, the shapes should stay about the same size, just puff up a bit. 

12.) Use your favorite icing recipe, or I actually used some Funfetti icing, because I love the sprinkle colors :) I added a few drops of blue food coloring to achieve this pretty pastel blue color. Enjoy!!

New Year's Resolution Cocktails {Roundup}

I thought it would be fun to put together a list of cocktails inspired by common New Year's Resolutions. 

If you want a classic cocktail that just might inspire you to read a new novel or two, this Earnest Hemingway Daiquiri by Gabriel Cabrera, would be a good fit.  

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We could all use a little bit more of the green variety in our diets, so here is a rather unusual Spicy BLT Green Bloody Mary by Heather Christo. 

If you are making it a top priority to make date night more fun this year, this Chocolate Stout and Raspberry Cocktail by Drool Worthy Daily may be a great addition to a meaningful evening. 

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I always believe that wine and sparkling wine are great, mood-boosting options when getting together with girlfriends. This Apple Pear Cocktail by Julie Blanner would be a great choice! 

If you feel like booze just makes you sleepy, try something mixed with coffee! Here is a fun Creamy Coconut Rum Iced Coffee by Heather Christo.

They say that one way to get the creative juices flowing is to drink absinthe. I guess the taste alone is almost unbearable, but hey, let's try this mixed drink and see if we can't get a bit creative. Here is the Sleepy Hollow Cocktail by The Jewels Of NY.

If travel is top on your list for 2016, try this Modern Mai Tai with Hibiscus + Thyme by With Food And Love, maybe it will inspire you to make plans to head somewhere warm, Hawaii for instance?!

If one of your goals for the new year is to stop and smell the roses, then this Cardamom Rose Gin & Tonic by The Baking Bird may be perfect for you! 

Why not learn how to infuse your drinks with new flavors, by learning how to Make Your Own Bitters, with this nice tutorial by How Sweet It Is. 

This Low-Cal Cocktail by Waiting On Martha, would be one of the drinks with the lowest calories, in my mind. Instead of using anything pre-mixed, opt for fresh ingredients! 

Soft Gingerbread Cookies Recipe

I know this post is a few days after Christmas, but I absolutely LOVE how these turned out! I could eat them all at once, but they do have a bit of a stronger taste to them than most of the cookies I make, so I have to pace myself :) These cookies were also a little bit involved, so just a warning! They took us working on them throughout the evening, but it was so fun! And the dough need to chill for about 3 hours, so you could let the dough chill overnight if you want. Original Recipe Found Here. 

These hardly need any decorating or icing, they are perfect just the way they are! They were so fun to make, and I have always been so enamored by the beautiful color of gingerbread dough. What a beautiful color! 

That amazing color I'm talking about comes from one of the main ingredients - Molasses! This was our first time ever using this stuff in anything, and it was very easy to use.  I found it at our local Co-Op, for about $5.99, but here is the best price I found online. 

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly milled black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature (I used more butter here)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg

INSTRUCTIONS:

Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, salt and pepper through a wire sieve into a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer at high speed, beat the butter and vegetable shortening until well-combined, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses and egg. Using a wooden spoon, gradually mix in the flour mixture to make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into two thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours. (The dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.)

To roll out the cookies, work with one disk at a time, keeping the other disk refrigerated. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until just warm enough to roll out without cracking, about 10 minutes. (If the dough has been chilled for longer than 3 hours, it may need a few more minutes.) Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick, being sure that the dough isn't sticking to the work surface (run a long meal spatula or knife under the dough occasionally just to be sure, and dust the surface with more flour, if needed). For softer cookies, roll out slightly thicker. Using cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and transfer to nonstick cookie sheets, placing the cookies 1 inch apart. Gently knead the scraps together and form into another disk. Wrap and chill for 5 minutes before rolling out again to cut out more cookies.

Bake, switching the positions of the cookies from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking, until the edges of the cookies are set and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire cake racks to cool completely. Decorate with Royal Icing. (The cookies can be prepared up to 1 week ahead, stored in airtight containers at room temperature.)

For The Icing - I only had a tiny bit of powdered sugar. So, I basically mixed a few Tbsp of powdered sugar with a splash of milk and a bit of corn syrup to thicken it up. It was more like a glaze, though. For the decorations, I used three sprinkles as buttons. 

Well, I hope you enjoy these cookies! They took a lot of work, but wow, did they turn out well! Enjoy!

Red Cocktail Recipes

I wanted to share a few cocktail recipes with you today in honor of the holidays! 

NAUGHTY ROUDOLPH

1/4 cup Mario cherries, pretzels, 1 C. Ginger Ale, 2 Cups Ice, 3 oz. Vanilla Vodka

HOLIDAY SANGRIA

Cut up fruit (Apple, Orange, and Strawberries). Mix 1/2 C. Brandy, 1 Bottle Dry Red Table Wine, 1/4 Cup Sugar, and 1/4 C. Water. Add cut up fruit and enjoy! 

STRAWBERRY HOLIDAY PUNCH

Mix together Equal Parts Ginger Ale and Cranberry Juice. Next, add a few scoops of raspberry sorbet, and some fresh raspberries, and optional alcohol. Enjoy!