Shopping & Sprinkles
My BFF Ellen drove from Arkansas to come visit ME this past weekend. I love her to pieces and I’m so thankful to have a friendship that has stood the test of time. We’ve been friends since middle school. No matter what happens in life we can just pick up like we never left. Ellen loves Dallas and she’s the best shopping partner too!
We kicked off the weekend Friday night by going to see a movie and dinner. Then Saturday we woke up, drove thru Starbucks (of course) and then headed to the Kendra Scott boutique.
We both came out empty-handed. Everything in there is so pretty! It’s pricey, but pretty! It was fun to look around and see all the jewels and the new line that just came out.
After Kendra Scott we at lunch at Taco Diner. It was delicious! I ordered nachos and a “mango” water to drink and it was SOOOOO good!
Of course no meal is complete without dessert. We walked across the street to the Sprinkles ice cream bar. If you’ve never been you are missing something incredible in life. Their flavors are so good and different from a normal ice cream place.
I love dark chocolate so I got a dark chocolate cupcake with a scoop of triple chocolate ice cream.
Ellen got a double scoop of caramel ice cream, red velvet ice cream, topped off with a giant marshmallow! droooooooool.
Once we were full of tacos and cupcakes we waddled over to North Park Mall. The Nordstrom sale was still going on. A lot of stuff was just GONE! I mean it’s still going on for a couple of weeks you would think they could re-stock some??? Oh well….
There was the cutest Pop-Up Shop called #Poketo. I didn’t know Nordstrom had pop-up shops, but apparently they do and the theme changes every season. Such a fun little spot!
Sunday it was time to say goodbye so we made one last trip to Starbucks and said our farewells before Ellen got back on the road. Thanks for coming to visit us me and come back SOON!!!
Twinkie Tiramisu #TwinkieCookBook #MC
“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on
behalf of Twinkies. I received samples and a promotional item to thank me for
participating.”
Twinkies are BACK and in a big way! I was devastated when I heard the news that Twinkies were going to disappear a while ago and I’m so excited they are back on the shelves. I’ve had Twinkies my entire life, they were a part of my childhood. There is something nostalgic and magical about a Twinkie. They perfect combo of short bread and cream stuffing….please never leave my life again Twinkies!
To welcome the comeback of Twinkies there’s going to be a Twinkies Cookbook. I know right? I mean this is going to be the most awesome cookbook EVER!
If you would like to submit a recipe to the Twinkie Cookbook go HERE before July 31st.
I decided to whip up a little Twinkie treat in my kitchen and you know what this “Java Mama” loves??? ESPRESSO!
So I decided to make a “Twinkie Tiramisu” and OMG y’all it is so good you have to make this. It’s super easy and guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.
Let me walk you through how to make a Twinkie Tiramisu:
Above are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.
You will need 14 Twinkies total for the tiramisu.
This is like building a casserole. Layer the Twinkie halves, drizzle on espresso, spread mascarpone/whipped cream mixture, layer another 7 Twinkie halves, drizzle espresso, and then spread the remainder of the cream mixture over top. Then dust with cocoa powder.
Twinkie Tiramisu
Ingredients:
14 Twinkies
Cocoa powder (for dusting)
Directions:
Slice Twinkies in half long ways, straight through the cream filling. Set aside.
Espresso Syrup Ingredients:
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup brewed espresso coffee, cooled
1/4 cup Italian Brandy (optional)
Directions:
Combine water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to a simmer to dissolve sugar, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, let cool and add in coffee (and the optional brandy). Set aside.
Mascarpone Filling Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pound mascarpone cheese, softened at room temperature
Directions:
Whip cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold in softened mascarpone cheese until well blended. Set aside.
Assembly Instructions:
Place a layer of 7 Twinkies (14 halves) into the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish or cake pan. Drizzle with half the espresso syrup. Spread half the mascarpone filling over this layer. Repeat with remaining 7 Twinkies, syrup and filling. Smooth top with spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Remove wrap and sprinkle with cocoa powder just before serving.
Doesn’t this just look soooooooo GOOD!
I’m so excited Twinkies are back and I hope you’ll consider submitting your recipe to the Twinkie Cook Book too. I can’t wait to read a copy myself.
Follow along with the latest on Twinkies and Hostess Snacks on Facebook & Twitter
Finish This Link Up: Week 29
WELCOME TO WEEK 29 OF FINISH THIS … your co-hosts are LISA (Coastlined), JEN (The Arizona Russums), BECKY (The Java Mama) and NICOLE (Three 31). The link up instructions are simple: answer the prompts in a post on your blog. Then, add the post to the collection list using the link below. Next week’s prompts are located at the bottom of this post.
CAN YOU BELIEVE WE ARE ALMOST TO 30 WEEKS OF THIS LINK-UP & IT’S BEEN SO MUCH FUN!!!
1. I add spice to my life by
Doing something different and not planned. I love to hang out with my family or friends and do something I’ve never done before. Try a food I’ve never eaten before. (I’m not talking about skydiving or anything) But I also love to travel to other places and see other cultures.
2. Bacon is
I can’t decide if bacon is candy or meat? It’s the dessert meat…at least that’s what I call it!
3. The perfect meal
My perfect and favorite meal is the BBQ chicken salad at The Cheesecake Factory. Followed by a Godiva Cheesecake. Along with a fruity beverage of some sort.
4. My favorite food to grill is
Veggie burgers or turkey dogs.
5. I beat the heat by
I keep an extra deodorant in my car. Yes, it’s that bad in Texas and I sweat like a heifer. I also drink lots of ICED COFFEE!!!! Har har har……
Now it’s your turn. Answer these prompts in a post on your own blog and
join the link up!
Come back next Wednesday for another round of Finish This where we’ll answer the prompts below!
Prompts for WEEK 30 (July 30) are:
I like wearing
My most memorable style was
I dress to impress when
The best style tip I ever received
Three wardrobe staples in my closet
Three words that describe my style
Not the Money Pit — Revamping the House on a Budget
Home décor doesn’t come cheap, but there comes a time when you simply have to do something to make your home beautiful once again! Instead of breaking the budget (or making your credit card cringe away to the back of your purse) why not try out some or all of the following cheap and cheerful ways to brighten up your décor?
Light it up
Most rooms in the home benefit from having more than one source of light, so investing in a pair of table lamps could make all the difference to your living room. Position your new lamps carefully, so as to throw pools of light where they’re needed, banishing shadows and opening out the whole room. Simply changing the shades on existing table lamps can also have a great impact on your décor, but do be aware that darker shades will swallow up some of the light, whereas lighter ones will brighten up the room.
Comfort with cushions
Interior designers love cushions, no matter if they’re working in luxurious mansions or small two bedroom cottages and there’s good reason for this: cushions are fantastic! They inject that much-needed pop of color to any room, they infuse the décor with comfort and can help to properly finish off any décor scheme. They’re also very handy if you need a quick nap during the day!
Reflect on mirrors
Mirrors aren’t just for checking your appearance before leaving the house, they can work for your décor in a number of ways. First of all, mirrors reflect light around the room and can effortlessly brighten up a dull corner. Secondly, they create the illusion of space in your home. As the room is effectively doubled in the mirror, you can make even small and poorly proportioned rooms look spacious and attractive.
Blessing of the windows
Your window treatments — be it curtains, blinds or opaque vinyls — are the décor equivalent of the room’s clothing, so make sure that they fit well with your intended décor look. Long, floor-length curtains (which should start from high up the wall, near the ceiling) give a room gravitas and elegance, while shorter curtains are more practical and are ideal for children’s bedrooms and the kitchen.
Walk around your home and look for “easy fixes” such as those mentioned above. You might not be able to redo the whole house (or want to!), but you’ll be delighted at how simply you can minimize or improve a lot of the problem areas, leaving behind a comfortable and attractive home for you and your family.
Discover Boating This Summer
I participated in an Ambassador Program on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Discover Boating. I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”
We are in the middle of summer in Texas and you betcha it’s HOT outside folks! So, what do we do to cool down? We head to the water!
My husband’s best friend, Kyle, has a pretty awesome boat and we’ve had some fun times on it throughout the years.
Terence and Kyle have always loved the lake and waterskiing. Kyle even does tricks and is a very talented water skier.
This is one of my favorite pictures of Terence and Kyle on the boat:
I’m not really a skier myself, but I love to go tubing and things like that. By reading up at Discover Boating we’ve found activities that would be fun for our whole family.
I liked this chart below to help you discover if boating is right for you and your family & ease into the decision to own a boat:
