Homemade birthday treats for my baby!

Dustin's birthday was Monday. I love when his birthday comes around, not only because it means he and I are the same age for a little while (I'm 8 months older), but also because I get to have fun shopping for him and making him yummy treats! 

This year, since we're saving up for our wedding and also in the process of buying a house (Yes! I think we are actually about to seal the deal, but I won't get too excited till the closing date is set), we decided to scale back a bit on the presents. I bought him something small, but I felt like it wasn't enough to honor my favorite boy on his special day, so I decided to cook up a smorgasbord of birthday treats that didn't cost much but made for a very happy fiance.

First, I surprised Dustin when he arrived home from his vacation with some Birthday Cake Oreo bark! It was sooo easy to make and even more delicious. 

Birthday Cake Oreo Bark

All you need to make some Oreo bark is about 9-10 oz. of white chocolate, parchment paper, and a box of Oreos - in this case, the limited edition Birthday Cake flavor. Be sure to buy real white chocolate that contains cocoa butter, not that fake "white candy confection" crap! Quality matters when it comes to my candy! I chose Baker's Premium White Chocolate squares from the baking aisle. 

1. Chop up all the Oreos into quarters, and then randomly chop again to get smaller pieces of random sizes. 
2. Line an 8x8 in. pan or baking dish with parchment paper.
3. Melt the white chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat. It's easier to melt if you break the chocolate into smaller pieces before putting it over the heat.
4. Once the white chocolate is liquefied, remove from heat, and stir in 80% of the Oreo bits.
5. Pour the delicious mixture into the parchment-lined pan, and try not to lick the spoon!
6. Sprinkle the remaining 20% of Oreos on top of the mixture. 
7. Optional - if you have some rainbow sprinkles handy, add these on top for a pop of fun color.
8. Chill the pan of Oreo bark in the fridge for at least an hour or until hardened. 
9. To serve, simply stab the Oreo bark with a fork to break it up into snack-size pieces, and place into a pretty candy dish of your choice!

Notice the little flecks of color - that's from the "Birthday Cake" Oreo filling! Yum!

I found a cute and colorful little Happy Birthday box at Dollar Tree that made a perfect container for my Birthday Cake Oreo bark!

All of this cost me about $10 - not bad when you consider that one small piece of Oreo bark at Godiva can run you about $6! 

In addition to the Oreo bark, I also cooked Dustin a romantic birthday breakfast and a fancy dinner that cost me very little as well! Here are the recipes I used, FTW!

Breakfast - Eggs in a Basket - just like the ones in V for Vendetta

I followed the recipe but added my own loving twist by cutting heart shapes out of the bread instead of plain old circles. I free-styled it, so my hearts came out a little funny looking, but full of love nonetheless. I served on a plate with lots of halved strawberries to add to the heart effect. The lightness of the strawberries also made a nice, healthy contrast to the buttery eggs and toast versus the usual bacon we eat on the side! This dish was cheap to make - organic strawberries were on sale for $3.99 and I used only half of them. I used a total of 4 slices of whole wheat bread and 4 cage-free organic eggs, so that must add up to maybe $0.75 worth, right?  Add some fresh squeezed OJ and it was about a $5 breakfast for two when you factor in all the leftover ingredients I was able to use later in the week.

Dinner - Cornish Game Hens with Garlic and Rosemary

This recipe is super delish and surprisingly easy to make, considering how tasty and impressive it is! The recipe is simple with just a few ingredients, but the combination of the garlic, lemon, and rosemary provides a burst of robust flavor that enhances the chicken and goes great with a mild side like rice or potatoes.

It also makes for a pretty cheap dinner - the cornish hens were 2 for $7, and I already had garlic and lemon on hand. I bought some rosemary for $2, and some white/wild rice for $1.50. I served with some salad on the side, which I always keep around the house.

In total I'd say it was about $12 for a fancy dinner at home for two. Add a bottle of cheap white wine and you're dining big at home for $20.

Overall, it was a successful birthday full of delicious food, savings, and one satisfied hubby-to-be!

 

Chocolate Therapy?! Yes, Please!

What happens when a hungry Heather goes to Target with a shopping list full of non-food items? She comes away with maybe half the items on her list, plus an assortment of half-opened, usually sugary snacks that couldn't wait till checkout to be sampled. Oh, fudge!

I really ought to keep a healthy snack on me at all times, or ban myself from going to the store right before dinnertime. I always end up buying all kinds of junk that is soooo not part of my regular healthy eating regimen (which I've all but abandoned since Dustin's been out of town), even though I am conscious that I'm not possibly going to want all of this stuff tonight... well maybe if I skip dinner...

There seemed to be a plethora of intriguing and tempting new chocolate concoctions beckoning me from the shelves of Target this evening. Maybe it's because Dustin is out of town and I've had a stressful week, but all the chocolatey products really seemed to call out to me today. Chocolate is my favorite comfort food!

As I strolled down the aisles, I discovered a whole bunch of new products tonight - not sure if they are all that new, but they are now on my to-devour list.

First, I encountered Jet-Puffed MALLOW BITES in three chocolatey flavors! Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Royale, and German Chocolate Cake. The German Chocolate Cake ones sounded the yummiest, especially because it has coconut flakes on the outside, so I decided to take only that flavor home - for less than $2, how could I resist?

Then, a bit further down the aisle, I spotted new hot cocoa from Starbucks in fancy flavors like Toasted Marshmallow, Salted Caramel, and Double Chocolate. That Salted Caramel sounded really tempting, but at $5.99 a box I decided to pass. I'll wait till I find a coupon for this one.

I kept prancing down the aisles, completely oblivious to the rest of the items on my shopping list, adding sweet treats to my cart instead of things I needed. At one point I had all of these items pictured ready for purchase.

Hmmm... a bit excessive... I eventually ditched the Magnum bars (which I have yet to try, but they seem heavenly in those commercials with Rachel Bilson chasing down the truck) and the Cookies n Cream Goldfish. I kept the Vanilla Cupcake Goldfish, the Mallow Bites, and the new Ben & Jerry's CHOCOLATE THERAPY ice cream! 

Chocolate Therapy was just what I needed tonight! This new release from our favorite ice cream guys in Vermont contains chocolate ice cream with chocolate cookies and chocolate pudding. All three are delicious on their own, and rolled together they make one hell of a fix for a chocoholic like me. It has made the perfect accompaniment to my summer reading.... hehe....

Oh, just another night at home, sans fiance

Yes, I finally did pick up a copy of 50 Shades of Grey. I'm about 150 pages in so far, and I must say the book is entertaining, but in my opinion this Chocolate Therapy is far more satisfying. 

I'll reserve any further opinions on the book until I'm done with it... now, back to my chocolate!

Attack of the creepy critters!

We live in Florida, and with the subtropical climate and disproportionate number of beach days per year come insects - lots of insects. I don't know why I am so squeamish around them, having grown up here, but I am. It's completely irrational and annoyingly girly of me, but I have a huge phobia of bugs - particularly cockroaches. It's one thing to see them outside, but I feel violated when they make their way into my home.

When I see a roach, I am like those silly elephants in Dumbo, scurrying atop chairs and climbing poles to get away from a "terrifying" little mouse - I could totally crush that little bugger, but I have some deep-rooted fear (mixed with disgust) that this roach could very well do me bodily harm... somehow...

Got this cute image from  http://www.shopzeus.com/product.php?sku=zeusd1-KIMR-1228966 

Anyway, whenever something bigger than an ant comes crawling or flying into my territory, which is pretty seldom, I always run the other way and frantically implore Dustin to do the dirty work of squashing/flushing/etc. So how is it that we rarely see any creepy crawlies in our 4th floor condo, but since Dustin went out of town 3 days ago, I have been "greeted" by 3 different types of bugs?!

It's like they were just waiting in their dark, damp crevices, plotting to pounce as soon as I dropped Dustin off at the airport.

First, I was doing laundry on Thursday night and started to pick a towel up off the floor only to see a huge roach scurry out from under it! I immediately dropped the towel back onto the offender and began to fret about the house, wondering what to do next. I needed to get something big and heavy to squash it, a notion that thoroughly grosses me out.

After pacing the house squeamishly, I identified my weapons of choice:

A dustpan and a tap shoe. Makes sense, right?

I returned gingerly to the battleground, using both of my weapons as makeshift tongs to carefully lift the towel again, and... the bug was gone! It must have snuck under the dryer, or back behind the walls where he snuck in from in the first place (ugh... makes me shudder). I slammed the tap shoe down on the floor a bunch of times hoping it would stir the critter back out into the open, but it never returned... today I am still wary of entering the bathroom (where our washer/dryer are located) - I tiptoe through every time I enter since I saw it a few days ago.

And since then, a spider with long skinny legs has shown up, as well as a few really tiny little flying bugs that keep buzzing in my face! They look kinda like fruit flies but I have no fruit sitting out, so I have no idea why they've taken residence here. I think the BUG-opalypse has descended upon me! :(

But these are mere nuisances compared to the big one that is lurking inside the bathroom somewhere... I just hope it doesn't rear its ugly little head again until Dustin is back to take care of it for me!

And I'll eat all the chocolate... today, 'cause you're not around

Dropped Dustin off at the airport this morning, for his 10-DAY vacation without me. That lucky duck gets twice as many vacay days as I do, plus all those bank holidays that non-bank corporations rarely recognize. But does he really have to use them all?

I know, I know, he's attending a close friend's wedding and then visiting his parents, and I'm staying here to conserve not only vacation time but money since we've got our own wedding to plan. It makes sense for me to stay home, but it sucks!!

So here I am at home, wondering what to do for the next week and a half... I've gotten so used to doing just about everything with him, especially since we're new to Orlando and don't have many friends here yet.

Is anybody else frustrated with how hard it is to make new friends once you're out of school? We're starting to wonder if we're really that boring... I mean, we do spend most of our nights serial-watching borderline-pornographic dramas on HBO (really, the rampant sex on Game of Thrones has become a bit ridiculous!) or walking our dog around Lake Eola in our sweatpants after dinner as the rest of the 20-somethings are gearing up to hit the nightclubs on Church Street - but isn't that what most long-term couples do? Umm... yeah, I guess we are pretty lame.

But I'm perfectly content - and super comfortable - with our lameness, because we are happily lame together. So when Dustin just up and leaves on me for several days, I panic just a little. I love coming home to his big hugs and cheerful "Hey babe!" every evening after work. It's going to be a lonely night tonight without having him around to cuddle (perhaps a call to the Snuggery is in order... totally kidding!).

Who will be there to steal the yummiest bite of dinner from my plate that I was saving for last on purpose? And who will be there to tune the TV to Sportscenter on sleep timer right before we go to bed, and then turn it right back on as soon as we open our eyes the next morning? Hell, I really don't even know how to use the remote control anymore, since Dustin always monopolizes the TV for his sports!

Hmm... maybe this won't be so bad, after all... there's lots of stuff I can do that I never seem to get around to when Dustin's here. Like shopping the latest sales on Gilt, painting my nails, watching Clueless for the 7000th time. Putting on that mud mask that makes me sooo not sexy. Eating ALL those Birthday Cake Oreos I bought today. Indulging in a Say Yes to the Dress marathon. Maybe I'll finally catch up with the rest of you girls and read 50 Shades of Grey. 

It's a ME retreat!

What do YOU like to do when your significant other is away?

P.S. - If you recognized that my headline was from a No Doubt song called "Panic" and not just me fiending for chocolate (which wouldn't be all that unlikely), you rock!

"Today is going to be easy
Today 'cause you're not around
I'll leave off my make up
I'll sleep in my bed
To pass all the time by
Today 'cause you're not around"
-Gwen Stefani

P.P.S. - I miss you already, babe. Bring on the ESPN!

Settle Down! No Doubt is back on the airwaves

I'm so excited! No Doubt, my favorite band in the whole world, is finally releasing a new album for the first time in 11 years!

No Doubt provided the soundtrack to my adolescence - it's hard to believe it's been 16 years since I first discovered their eclectic brand of ska-pop-rock and became a lifetime devotee to Gwen's spunky fashion sense. I'm stoked that Gwen, Tony, Tom, and Adrian returned to the studio after getting married and having babies to produce some new tunes!

The band's new single, "Settle Down," debuted today on iTunes. It totally rocks! It evokes a throwback to the group's old-school punky Tragic Kingdom era style blended with the reggaeton beats of their last album, Rock Steady, infused with a fresh, international vibe I can't quite put a finger on and Gwen's signature undulating vocals. It's still pop-sugary and radio-friendly but definitely more rockin' than, say, "Hey Baby" or any of Gwen's solo songs.

The music video premieres tonight on E! at 8 p.m., on a special hosted by Ryan Seacrest. I can't wait!

You can listen to the new single on the official No Doubt website. 

What do you think of the new song and video? Leave your comments below!

Here’s to blogging - just because!

Let’s try this blog bit one more time…

I’m back, for no particular reason, and it feels great! Let me explain…  A pained perfectionist to the core, I have a debilitating tendency to NOT do anything until or unless I feel 100% confident in it. This is what has kept me from blogging (and accomplishing many other items on my bucket list, but we’ll save that self analysis for another day), despite my love for writing, for all these years…

Here I am, on the wrong side of 29 years old and still a mere infant here on the blogosphere. It’s not like blogging never crossed my mind – it has many times over the years, demonstrated by the dozens of unrealized blog ideas wasting away on a list buried somewhere in My Documents  – but I always wanted my blog to have a unique and meaningful theme. I wanted my blog to contribute something to the world, or at least make its own tiny mark on pop culture.

Me in pink among the pink flora at the Bablyon Park Rose Garden in San Diego, May 2012 :)

A true “light bulb” idea never struck me, but I was still stuck on the idea of having a theme. I decided to go with something lighthearted and fun, and very… well… ME. So last year, I finally started a blog – “Glimmer in Pink,” a playful tribute to my favorite girly things in the girliest of hues – but abandoned it after only a couple months. I was going through some stressful life events at the time, and constantly searching for pink stuff to write about became trivial to me, not to mention exhausting!

A return to blogging has been on the tip of my typing fingers for quite some time now, but to give myself a better chance of success I’ve decided to do a little rebranding and let loose on the theme. As of today, “Glimmer in Pink” is now “Practical and Pink” – which is actually a good way to describe me: down-to-earth most of the time, but a girly girl all of the time. A bargain hunter and glamazon rolled into one.

On this blog, you’ll find posts about life with my fiancé, Dustin, and random musings about becoming a real grownup – along with my opinions on fashion, beauty, health, and saving money. Probably nothing groundbreaking, but hopefully something relatable.

Most importantly, today I begin blogging again with a new attitude – So what? So what if my blog doesn’t change the world? So what if there are already tons of personal blogs out there?  I’m just here to be me. That’s all! If you find my posts amusing, that’s awesome. If not, no big deal – this blog is really for me!

So... welcome, and happy reading!

Pink Snails Invasion!

A couple months ago I was driving through South Beach and noticed these SUV-sized, vibrant fuschia snails - yes, as in slugs with shells - hanging out on the medians of 5th Street. Naturally, it turns out these were part of an an installation for the ever-bizarre Art Basel that graces Miami with its weirdness each December. These mammoth mollusks, with their cute, cartoon-y quality and outrageously pink hue, really caught my attention and brightened up the already colorful streets of SoBe. I assumed their presence would be fleeting, but when I noticed they were gone one day recently I became so curious about the fate of these glam snails, so I did what any curious iPhone addict would do and Googled "pink snails." I was stoked to learn that the pink snails had embarked on a nationwide tour, with the first stop just a bit inland in Coral Gables! I paid them a visit and caught them lounging around Merrick Park.






To give you some perspective, see how they looked about ready to swallow this passing car!



If you're hanging in the Gables soon, you should take a drive down Ponce de Leon and check them out!