Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites

These are possibly the easiest dessert I have ever made & perfect for when you need to make lots of goodies for a party.

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites

Ingredients: 

1 bag of mini pretzels (I prefer the waffle style)

1 Ghirardelli white chocolate baking bar

1 Ghirardelli chocolate baking bar

1 bag of caramel squares

 

Directions: Line pretzels on a microwave safe plate and place the caramels centered on each one. Microwave 30 to 45 seconds, just until they are soft. Gently place a pretzel on top of the caramels and slightly press down. Allow to cool completely. Line a baking sheet (or two) with wax paper.  Chop up the white chocolate into small pieces and place into a microwave safe bowl. In 15 second increments using the microwave, begin melting the white chocolate, stirring very well in between. Using a fork, dip the pretzels into the white chocolate and place on the lined cookie sheet. Allow to cool completely. Repeat the same melting process for the chocolate baking bar and dip the pretzels. Enjoy! 

Pumpkin Cake, Take Two

Remember my pumpkin cake? It got a little upgrade this week! With a little extra frosting and pecans I am pretty sure this is now a dessert Martha would be proud of...

Turkey Chili

I can't believe Thanksgiving is finally here! I am so beyond excited! I think it is so silly when people complain about splitting up their holidays between multiple families, because we honestly couldn't be happier about it! We get THREE dinner leftovers. Our first Thanksgiving dinner was celebrated at my dad's house. We had a very traditional Thanksgiving, it was fantastic...all of Grandma Denton's recipes! I contributed by bringing pumpkin cake. (Click here for the link.) Our family is all about getting creative, and so for Thanksgiving dinner at the Vance house, we are mixing it up and having turkey chili instead of a traditional turkey. As much as we love Thanksgiving leftovers, chili is something we can freeze for a while and wont be stuck having turkey everything for the next week. Don't worry though, all of our side dishes are sticking to Thanksgiving traditions!

Turkey Chili

Ingredients: 

2 lbs lean ground turkey

3 1/2 cups canned pinto beans

3 1/2 cups canned red kidney beans

3 1/4 cup tomato sauce

3 1/2 cups petite cut diced tomatoes

2 cups diced celery

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons pepper

2 cups water
(I suggest adding a cup of chopped onion to the chili, but Marc is very allergic to onions so I can't!) 

Additional Toppings:

sour cream

shredded cheese

tortilla chips 

Directions: In a skillet, brown the turkey and drain any access fat. Add the turkey and all ll remaining ingredients into the crock-pot. Cook on low for four hours. 

Additional Information:  

Based off of twelve servings per batch, there are 320 calories per serving. Along with being delicious, this recipe is very budget friendly, each serving costs about $1.10.

How cute are these bowls? I found them at Goodwill for 79 cents each! They are perfect for our shredded cheese and sour cream toppings!

The Easiest Pumpkin Cake Recipe Ever

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients: 

1 29oz can of pumpkin pure

2 boxes of Pillsbury moist supreme yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1 tub of cream cheese frosting

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350. Using an electric mixer, combine canned pumpkin, cake mix, and eggs. Pour the mixture into two greased pans. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Cool, ice, and enjoy!

Christmas & Crochet

I am just going to admit it, my tree is up. Before you go on and judge me, let me just say that for one, my tree makes me happy. And right now I am extremely stressed out, so shouldn't that be enough of a reason to put it up? And if I do need any more reason than that, my house currently looks like Santa's workshop with orders EVERYWHERE. I have crocheted more in the past two weeks than I have all year! It has been a ton of work, but I love the fact that one of my favorite pass times can make us a little extra money, which is always nice, especially around this time of the year. Here is a peek into what my life currently looks like. P.S. It is our second Christmas together, which is perfectly symbolized by our two red cups on the tree!

Banana Bread

What do you do when your bananas all brown overnight and Halloween chocolate chips are on sale? Chocolate chip banana bread of course! 

Banana Bread:

Ingredients: 

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 medium bananas
2 eggs

1/2 cup butter

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350. Mash bananas and cream with sugar, butter, and eggs. Once smooth, combine with flour and baking soda. If desired, fold in chocolate chips. Fill 2 greased bread pans about half way full. Bake for 40-45 minutes. If you don't plan on serving the banana bread right away, I'd bake it closer to 40 minutes to keep the inside moist. Enjoy! 

Owl Sugar Cookies

What do you do when you find pumpkin candy corn at the grocery store and an owl cookie cutter? Obviously make cookies! I feel like the pictures pretty much explain how to make them, but if you have any questions comment below! I cheated a bit and bought sugar cookie mix, but if you want to make them homemade, click here for my sugar cookie recipe. 

Owl Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients: 

1 batch of sugar cookie dough (boxed or homemade)

1 owl cookie cutter 

1 bag of candy corn

1 bag of M&Ms 

1 can of frosting (I used cream cheese frosting)

a bit of cinnamon and sugar for dusting

Blue Willow Lavender Farm

Today we toured the Blue Willow Lavender Farm. If you are ever in the area you have to visit! Most of the lavender had been cut, but the amazing smell filled the air the moment we stepped out of the car!

Hello Autumn

Just a couple of shots from this weekend, because sometimes we just have to take a break from working...

A Million Little Things

This post has been haunting me for quite a while. I have been planning now it for what feels like eons. And for some reason, tonight, I feel like owning it. This is my story, and my story alone. Keep your criticism to yourself unless you feel like walking a mile in my shoes. At the end of the day, my past made me who I am today. And although it was rocky and full of  things I would never with upon anyone, it is what helped shape me. Everything in my past lead me to the life I have today, and I wouldn't trade it for a second. 

Where do I even begin? It was a million little things that led me to where I am today. How can I possibly choose just one? What I have learned over the past few years is that we will never know the entire story of anyone else, so who are we to judge? Had I listened to everyone around me, I would have never ended up where I am today. Today, I am a student. Today, I have gotten rid of all of the toxic people in my life. Today, I am surrounded by love and an amazing support system. Today, I am no longer faking a smile. Today, I am finally happy. But there was a time, not so long ago, where I wasn't. I was searching for who I was supposed to be. 

1085 days ago, every voice in my head screamed don't do it. But the little rebel inside of me did it anyways. I was filled with regret the moment I said those two simple words. But I did it. And therefore, I thought I had to live with such a horrible decision for the rest of my life.

I wasn't allowed to go to the gym. I wasn't allowed to go on walks. I wasn't allowed to hang out with friends. I wasn't allowed to keep my accounts and phone conversations private. I was questioned if I got home just minutes later than normal. Everything was my fault. I suffered through emotional and mental abuse. I prayed that he would just hit me, so then it would be okay to leave. My bank account was constantly being drained. At just nineteen, I was supporting not only myself, but another adult. While a few know the depths of what I went through, I don't think I will ever openly talk about it with the public, because at the end of the day, it is my business and my business alone.

I will never forget the night it all came out. All of the secrets he had been hiding, everything I had found. That was the moment I became the person I always dreamed of being. That was the moment I finally realized my own strength. Something just clicked inside my brain and I was no longer afraid, I was gaining control of my life. I had finally had enough. I had finally realized that I could change my life, I just had to take the first step. Believe me, it wasn't easy. To sum it up, it was terrifying, a complete nightmare. Not only was I afraid of my situation, I was scared s**tless of how others were going to judge me. I had to constantly remind myself that I had to do it for me, and my future. The best advice I ever received was from my little sister, "would you ever what your children to go through this?" And that was what I had to keep reminding myself. Over and over again. I can't imagine getting through it all without the help and support of my family. But eventually it all came to an end and I was out.

"If you are brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello." 

-Paulo Coehlo 

Life has a funny way of throwing amazing opportunities at us at the worst possible times. I wasn't looking for anyone, in fact, I wasn't planning on being with anyone for a long long time. But the world had an entirely different plan. And because of that, I truly believe it was a lesson from the world, teaching me about the taking control of my life. I was blessed with my best friend, and over the past year, we have been blessed with the most amazing life. We may live in a tiny apartment and sometimes struggle to get by, but to us, we live in a castle and have everything we need.

I am often told that I am "wise beyond my years." Sometimes, I think this is a curse. While I know I wouldn't be who I was today if I had not gone through so much at a young age, I often wish I hadn't. But I know I can't change the past, I can only learn from it. I know in my heart I went through everything for a reason. At the moment, I don't know the exact reason, but I know the time will come. 

"Let the hard things in life break you. Let them effect you. Let them change you. Let those hard moments inform you. Let this pain be your teacher. The experiences of your life are trying to tell you something about yourself. Don’t cop out on that. Don’t run away and hid under your covers. Lean into it. What is the lesson in the wind? What is the storm trying to tell you? What will you learn if you face it with courage? With full honesty and – lean into it.” 

-Pema Chodron 

PAX 2014

I'll admit, I didn't think I would have that much fun at PAX. My interest in video games is next to none. Bloody hell was I wrong. We had a BLAST! (And any extra time I get to spend with my man is always amazing!) I'll admit, at first I was a little uncomfortable and out of place, but after a little warming up, I can see myself going again. (Bonus: Pretty sure I got girlfriend of the year award for going!)

Dealing With It

Part I. 

I hate my body. 

I hate my body. But not for reasons you would assume. Just like any woman does, I have my insecurities when it comes to my size because every magazine tells me I am not thin enough. But over the years I have found that my "ideal" weight and size is where I am now. And most days I don't mind.

I hate my body because I have a chronic skin disease, psoriatic arthritis, that causes my skin to grow too fast, which makes it fall of faster than it should, resulting in itchy red blotches, burning, bruising, and even weight loss. My body is constantly attacking itself, kicking my immune system into overdrive, which recently has caused me to lose more weight than I would prefer. My clothes don't fit right, which makes me feel frumpy in whatever I wear. I have been asked countless times if I am "doing alright" and if I am eating. Which only makes me assume people think I have an eating disorder, but believe me, I don't. The problem is, when I eat food that triggers my psoriasis, my body works in overdrive, which makes me lose even more weight. I recently went on vacation, ate my weight in butter (grandma's cooking!) and I stepped on the scale. I thought I would have gained a few pounds, I lost three.

Summer has become my worst enemy. I used to love the sun, the beach, and any excuse to wear short dresses. But because of my psoriatic arthritis, my skin looks like I was hit by a bus. Not only do I have red blotchy patches, but from the scratching (that is nearly impossible to control when you are asleep) I have bruises up and down my body. And to avoid any other questions, I just cover them up.

I can't run. Just a few months ago, I was running five miles a day, and I loved it. But over the past month, my psoriasis has progressed so much that sweating has become extremely painful. And to top it all of, my nails are literally falling off. It may not seem like a big deal, but lately it has been killing my self esteem.

Believe me, this isn't a cry for attention and I am not looking for a pity party, but I am hoping that talking about it will make it seem not so bad. As of now, there is no known cure. I could take steroids, but no specialist likes to use them because the risks outweigh the benefits. I could have extremely painful injections underneath my nails once a month, but there is only a 1/5 chance that will work. So for now, I am putting on my big girl panties and dealing with it.

Part II.

Dealing with it. 

Some of you may not agree and may believe that I should just own it. But right now, I can't. I prefer to keep it covered it up. Maybe with time I will get more comfortable in my own skin, but right now, I am just not there yet. But if anyone else out there is interested and looking for solutions, here is a little bit of my wardrobe and how I don't spend too much money on clothes when mine just aren't fitting right.



Tights have become my best friend! My jeans have gotten way too big and I hate wearing them. Tights are so much cheaper, and so much more comfortable. And they aren't baggy! I have been paring my summer dresses with tights and ankle booties, so I am still able to wear all of my favorite dresses without having the world see my bruised up legs!


Boots are the best. If you have psoriasis or anything similar, you know how it is almost impossible to not scratch. Mine is really bad on my legs, so I almost always pair boots with leggings. It helps me not scratch at my legs so much when I have boots on.



If you haven't heard of it yet, ThredUp is an amazing online consignment store. So when you do need to break down and finally buy new clothes, you don't have to spend a fortune. They have all sorts of designer labels and you can even send them your gently used clothing for cash!



Jean button downs and sweaters are needed year round. The arthritis part of psoriatic arthritis makes you achy. Very achy. Especially when it is very humid or very cold outside. Oversize button downs and sweaters are perfect to keep rolled up in your bag for whenever you need it.

No Sew Wreath

For some reason, because I can crochet, people think I can sew. But the truth is, I almost failed home economics in high school because I couldn't even sew a straight line. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I got in a fight with a sewing machine when I was twelve and the sewing machine won, resulting in 3 stitches. And because people think I can sew, their left over fabric always ends up in my crafting closet. Fabric that is much too beautiful to be thrown away. So with the help of Pinterest for inspiration, I created this lovely wreath for my mom's birthday gift...and it was made with the leftover fabric from her wedding!

Directions:

Step 1: Untwist a wire hanger into a circle. It doesn't have to be perfect because the fabric covers it all!

Step 2: Cut or tear strips of fabric. I tore mine to make the edges frayed. My strips were about an inch wide and seven inches long.

Step 3: Begin to tie the strips around the hanger with a basic knot. Be sure to keep it tight and to push the fabric close together.

Step 4: Once all of the fabric is on, don't forget to "fluff" it up by turning the ribbons. Feel free to decorate it however you want! I just added a simple flower, but I will be going all out for my wreath at Christmas!

Step 5: Hang and enjoy!

Before the fabric was recycled, it made gorgeous table coverings!