food blogger

Valentine's Day Sweets

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone! We all know Valentine's Day is about chocolates and flowers but I'm talking sugar cookies and baking in this post! I love showing my love and appreciation for people through cooking and baking for them. Baking was a huge part of my childhood and has continued into adult life. Some of my best memories growing up are helping my mom bake cookies and treats for any and every holiday. My mom is the most talented women especially when it comes to her baking and creative abilities, she's amazing! So for Valentine's Day I wanted to make one of the recipes that reminded me of my childhood, a classic sugar cookie and royal icing.  I recently took a poll on IG asking if y'all were interested in seeing the  sugar cookie recipe and y'all said yes, so here it is! 

 

Sugar Cookie Dough:

1 1/2 cups butter, soft not melted

3/4 cup sugar

3 1/3 cups flour

1 tsp vanilla

1 to 3 tsp. milk

Mix and chill for at least 2 hrs. if not longer

Roll on floured surface

Bake at 325 for 15 min,

 

Royal Icing:

Use the Wilton recipe that includes meringue powder

 

I hope you all enjoy this post and if you make the cookies please share and let me know! :) Hope y'all have a wonderful Valentine's Day! 

Clearwater/St. Pete Vacation

This past weekend I took a mini vaca with my guy and some of our closest friends and had the best time! I'm from Florida born and raised but I never get sick of visiting all the parts of Florida. Sign me up to be a FL traveler because I will never be sick of my sunshine state! We went to to some amazing restaurants, hit the beach, and had a blast exploring! Below is a recap of the looks and activities of our weekend, I hope you all enjoy! If you have a place we should visit next let me know in the comments below! xoxo

First stop on this trip was an authentic Mexican restaurant for Cinco de Mayo of course! We went to Monarca's Mexican on St. Pete Beach. The food was amazing, definitely give them a try if you are in the area and love authentic Mexican food! I of course was dressed very festive with my bright colors and statement necklace!

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Top: Old Navy $13
Jeans: Old Navy $20
Necklace: (gifted)
Purse: Kohl's $22
Shoes: Target $25

Next stop on our trip was of course Clearwater Beach! If you have never been to FL I suggest vacationing on the west side of the state, the beaches are the best, no really they have been voted the best and the vibes are amazing! Can you tell I love my home?! Haha! Anyway we saw an awesome sandcastle, grabbed some grub and had a blast having a beach day! Surfside Taphouse had amazing food and great prices for being right on the beach and the atmosphere was great as well, definitly a must!

Swimsuit: Old Navy $20 for both pieces
Cover up: Target $15
Hat: (gifted)
Headband: KRZA $15
Sandals: Nordstrom $20

That night we went out to another great restaurant called Gators Cafe & Saloon, which is right on the water in Treasure Island, FL. Another great spot, unique to the area, with live music and a really fun atmosphere as well! Didn't get any photos that night as we went out to eat pretty late, but flat lay and details are below :) This was probably my favorite outfit from the trip, super comfortable and beachy yet put together all at the same time!

Dress: Old Navy $15
Earrings: Kate Spade $30
Purse: Kohl's $22
Shoes: Target $25

Finally on Sunday we went out to brunch at Lodge in Tampa, and the food was A-Mazing! We went to the Soho area in Tampa which is super cute and full of yummy places to eat and cute shops and beautiful apartments! Such a stunning snippet of Tampa to visit on our way home! Below is my casual Sunday Brunch outfit, I've been super into this color combo lately,  perfect for spring and summer!

Dress: Target $19
Earrings: Forever 21 $5
Purse: Kohl's $22
Shoes: Target $25
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Did Someone Say...Dessert?

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Did someone say dessert? Yes! With October leading us into the holiday season I wanted to feature some of my favorite go to desserts that are simple and tasty for any occasion. We all know that once we hit Halloween we blink then it's Christmas, which means all kinds of get togethers and parties. My mother taught me to never show up to an event empty handed, so here are some simple yummy treats to bring to your next party or event! These recipes are super easy and major crowd pleasers, whether you have a party to attend or a night in watching movies these treats are great for literally any occasion! 

Caramel Cheesecake Dip with Apples (GF)

Ingredients: 

1  8 oz block of cream cheese

1  16 oz tub of old fashioned caramel dip

1  bag of heath bar bits 

2 bags of sliced apples 

Directions:

All you need to do is put the cream cheese in the middle of a serving platter to start. Then pour a good amount of the caramel dip on top of the cream cheese, enough to cover it. Next top the caramel dip with the heath bar bits. Finally places all the apple slices around the cheesecake dip! This is a great dessert and is awesome for any gluten free guest that might be attending the party as well!

Nutella Pie Crust Rolls

Ingredients:

1  package of pie crust dough

1  jar of nutella

1  spice jar of cinnamon sugar

2  tbs. of melted butter

Directions:

Roll out pie crust dough on cutting board and cut pizza style into about 14 slices. Next spread some nutella in the middle of each roll and roll like croissants. Then brush some melted butter onto each roll and top off by sprinkling all the rolls with cinnamon sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes at 425 degrees. I found this recipe on Pinterest years ago and its always a hit!