Microwaveable Heaven in a Mug

Yeah, that's what I called it to my sister on the phone tonight!  But really it's a Nutella Mug Cake.  I took this recipe and made it my own. I don't eat eggs or cow's milk*. I also don't have self rising flour and thought it called for way too much oil.




 Nutella Mug Cake aka Microwaveable Heaven in a Mug

1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons flour
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Baking Powder
4 tablespoons white sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons Nutella
3 tablespoons soy milk (I used plain)
1 tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine flax seeds and water in a large mug (a soup mug works great), then add remaining ingredients.  Mix well with a fork.  Microwave for 2-3 minutes.  Enjoy!



Seriously, it's that easy!  I topped mine with a scoop of Hazelnut Cappuccino Gelato from Poco Loco.  This is quite a large serving. There's plenty to share or save some for later.  I'm thinking it may be breakfast tomorrow!

*I'm not vegan and this is not a vegan recipe, but it easily could be. Just leave the Nutella out and you'll have a chocolate mug cake.  I don't eat eggs, because I don't like them and I avoid cow's milk, because I'm lactose intolerant.  So, yes, I should be vegan, but I'm not.  I like cheese too much.

username fun!

My Flickr friend, knitting barista did this today and encouraged me to do the same.  You should do it, too!

Happy New Year!

To kick off the year, I've decided to do another photography challenge.  It's just for the month of January with a different theme each day.




Day 1 is a self portrait. I took this just minutes after midnight on the Tomorrowland Bridge at Magic Kingdom. It was complete chaos at the park (max capacity), but the fireworks show was incredible- probably the best I've ever seen! It was a great experience, but not one that I'm in a rush to do again!




Here's a link to my entire photography challenge set, if you are interested in seeing the rest of the pictures as the challenge progresses.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Sweets

My family typically divides up the food for holidays, so that one person isn't responsible for making everything.  Luckily for me, I usually get dessert.  I love making desserts and especially trying out new recipes.  These three were all discovered via Pinterest.  Man, I love that site!

Cookie Dough Truffles


Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles


Avalanche Bars


I made these M&M pretzel bites and  this Peanut Butter Cheese Ball to snack on Christmas Eve while we played games.  Christmas morning, we had Sopapilla and Coconut Chocolate Chip Banana Bread. 

It was all so delicious, but my favorites were the Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles, Avalanche Bars and Sopapilla.  Let me know if you try out any of the recipes!  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I wish the best for you in 2012! <3

not forgotten

Yikes! Hard to believe it's been four months since my last post. I haven't forgotten about you, dear blog. I've just been distracted.

I now have three jobs (yes, three!) that keep me fairly busy. My real aka main job is a third grade Paraprofessional at the elementary school I went to. My main priority there is teaching intensive, corrective reading to below level students. The program is completely scripted and drives me crazy. I can't wait until next year when I have a class of my own where I can be creative. Job #2 is a fun one- I'm now a Thirty-One Gifts Consultant! And job #3, I do strictly for extra money and to help out my brother. I work a couple afternoons a week at his scuba diving shop. Scuba diving just isn't a passion of mine, especially the technical aspect of it.

So much has happened in the last four months, but one especially exciting thing is that I finished Hazel's 365!


Also, my nephew, Keegan turned one! I can't believe how fast that year went!

I'm hoping to start posting more frequently again, especially to share my Pinterest accomplishments!

Avocado Ranch Dip

Between Pinterest and my new job, I'm becoming more domestic. And I like it.

Tonight after spending hours cleaning and organizing my craft studio, I made this yummy dip.


Avocado Ranch Dip

1 Florida Avocado
8oz. Sour Cream
8oz. Cream Cheese
1 Package Hidden Valley Ranch Mix

Mix well. Serve with veggies or tortilla chips.

peanut butter pretzel bites

I made another treat from my pinterest today- peanut butter pretzel bites. They were easy to do and delicious, too! The recipe comes from Two Tiny Kitchens.






I also made my own variation of this tonight as well. My version was even more simple than Martha's.

Kara's Black Bean and Corn Tortilla Casserole

1 12 oz can of black beans
1 12 oz bag of frozen corn (steamed)
10 6" tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Hot sauce or salsa
Sour Cream (garnish)

Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly spray baking dish (I used an 11 x 7.5" glass pyrex dish).
Layer tortillas, black beans, corn, salsa and cheese. I had five layers in my casserole. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Easy peasy.