Smiling About...

a refreshing scoop...

this sale stuff...

1-2-3-4

this fantastic DIY...

this photo I took in NYC...

this mag cover...beautiful!

photo credit: beyonceiam

enjoy the weekend and don't forget to watch Beyonce! :) 

and I'm off and running...
 

Love to Procrastinate...

The famous and the infamous V-Day is tomorrow, and someone is panicking.  lol!!!  Here are some last minute ideas that your sweetheart will surely love...

whip up ooey gooey salted caramel heart brownies...

if you're in or have a sweetheart in DC, Chicago, NYC, or San Fran, H.Bloom might be the way to go...

these cute little monogrammed leather jewelry pouches...I want it! 

make your sweetheart a nice cocktail before dinner...

surprise your sweetheart with their own custom fragrance...

a trip to the city of love...BAM! 

photo credit: hipparisblog

whatever you do, do it with love...

and I'm off and running...
 

Pink Lemonade Bars

What do you get when you blend raspberries and lemons together, then add water?  Pink Lemonade!!!  Well, I came across a recipe for Pink Lemonade Bars (what?) on Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs.  I printed it out immediately and decided to make it for a Sunday treat.  The husband went completely wild! lol!

Here's what I did...

lemon zest for the dough

wash the berries gently

pureed the raspberries

strain the berry puree

this is what you will get after straining

the end result after straining

juice the lemons (my orange juicer worked perfectly)

mix the juice with eggs and raspberry puree

add the flour, and it will turn a pale pink

the crust after mixing and baking until the edges brown

raspberry mixture meets the cooled crust, ready to bake

what you do with the leftover raspberry puree

refrigerate and use as a topping over greek yogurt w/ a sprinkle of granola or ice cream

fresh out the oven, time to cool before cutting

cut and ready to eat...super yummy

**recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen 

refreshing Summer treat!

do you have a favorite Summer treat?

and I'm off and running...

Spittin' Out Sprinkles...

If you don't know already, then now you know!  Sprinkles cupcakes is now available 24 hours via their new cupcake ATM. They will launch them at all Sprinkle locations soon.  Wow... thats lovely for those cupcakes lovers and late night cravings.  I'm not really a huge fan of Sprinkles (more of a Frosted, Vanilla Bake Shop, or Big Sugar gal),  but this surely changes things for me.  I have to go check it out!  Maybe a late night packing treat for me on Friday night.  Tell you all about it when I do!

Check out this video to see how it all works...



Video Credit: Huffington Post

Whatcha Think? Tasty or Not So Sweet?

AND I'M OFF AND RUNNING...
J.P. ARCHIE

Midweek Delight...

Yesterday, I went to Sweet E's Bake Shop (recently featured on the "Tia & Tamera" show) to get my bestie some cupcakes.  She is preggers(having C-sec tomorrow) and had a request for the Vanilla Choco Chip Cookie Dough cupcake. She loves cookie dough. Mind you, she is not local!  Yes, I shipped them overnight to DC. Ha! Gotta love that!  So, I mosied on over there to get HER some cupcakes, but ended up leaving with one Blue Velvet(made with blueberries), Red Velvet Cake Pop, and one Pumpkin Spice for my Dad(his bday is Sunday). OMG...can I tell you how sweet and scrumptious these mini delights were. So yummy! I ate the cake pop in the car.  Couldn't wait...Lol! No photo of that!

Love the To-Go container. 

Take the little top off and...

   

Voila! Pumpkin Spice cupcake

Looking forward to more Midweek Delights! 

P.S.  Don't forget to enter into my Friday Giveaway. Lucky winner gets a lovely pair of earrings from my "Secret Spot". Ends tonight @ 10pm PST. Winner will be announced on Friday! 

And I'm off and running...

J.P. Archie