Taco Pasta...with a side of Honesty.

Lets be honest. Lets get it all out. Nobody is perfect! I wish we were...that would be the best. We all do things that annoy ourselves...and ask...'Why do i do that!? Ergh...i am annoying!' 

I hate being annoying, but it happens a lot. I annoy myself often. My friends, family and fella are troopers. Well done guys! Good for you for putting up with me! You guys are all types of cool! 

The things that annoy me about me. It's ok to be a Negative Nelly sometimes! 

* If you try and teach me something...expect it to take you quite some time. I need to be shown things more then twice...sorry about that. 

* I get frustrated by small things...if i don't understand i will get super angry. Again...sorry. 

* I forget things a whole bunch. So sorry if i don't text/email you back for a while...my mind wonders all over the place at times. Apologizes.  

* When i get tired, i won't want to do ANYTHING. I wish i was one of those people that could last on 2 hours of sleep! But i am not. I need sleep. 

* Don't ask me to do manual work. That's for men to do...it's even in the name! MANual! I will complain and get tired. Sorry. 

* I am the biggest procrastinator ever. I have to study for college...BUT i just remembered i have to sort my closet out or write a blog...or stare at the wall. Yep. That happens often. 

* I am lazy. Tonight i couldn't be bothered to make dinner...i wanted to sit in my pjs, catching up on TV shows i had missed and enjoy a big bowl of cereal. Cereal is super easy. I love cereal! Breakfast for dinner...that's cool right? BUT I over came this laziness...and made some pasta goodness! Yeah i did! Honestly though...cereal rocks my world. 

Taco Pasta guys, yeah...it's good! 

Something different, something new! I like it! 

* 1 pound Ground Turkey or Beef (i used Turkey) 

* 8-12 ounces Whole Wheat Pasta 

* 1 Onion, chopped

* 1 Tsp Garlic 

* 1 can Diced Tomatoes 

* 1 packet Taco Seasoning

* 1 packet Fat Free Cream Cheese

* 1/2 cup Low Fat Sour Cream 

* 1/4 cup Cilantro 

* Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Boil a large pot of water. Add the pasta and cook according to the package. 

2. In a frying pan, whilst the pasta is boiling, brown the turkey meat until it starts to brown. Add the onions. Once the onions and turkey are cooked add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. 

3. Add the tomatoes and taco seasoning to the cooked ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes. 

4. After the 5 minutes, add the pasta, cream cheese and sour cream. Stir everything together! Make sure everything is blended together! Add the salt & pepper to taste and let simmer for 5 minutes. 

5. Add the cilantro before serving! And enjoy! 

Done! Super yummy, quick and easy! 

Perfect for those lazy nights...

Happy Eats! 

Peace, Love & Kara <3 

Recipe from - http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2011/07/taco-pasta.html

Halloween Sugar Cookies

Hello There. 

I just can't shake this Halloween feeling! I am far too excited. All i want to do is watch Halloween like films, eat candy corn, dress up as a witch or zombie and bake with food dyes! Halloween colors of course. 

If i could i would live in Halloween Town with Jack Skellington and Sally...we would have a ball! I would bake for them and they would sing for me. 

Back to real life...I made more cookies...just because i can. And i want to put you guys in that Halloween mood!

 Sugar cookies have NEVER worked for me. Like never. Ever. This would have been my 1000's attempt at making sugar cookies...usually i give up and buy the pre-made ones you just shove into the oven and BOOM...cookies i can pretend i made. Which i have done. Sad. 

So today i had this craving to bake sugar cookies! It was an intense feeling...all i could think about was these annoying cookies that most of the time mock me. I wanted to teach them a lesson! How dare they come out bread like when i wanted them to come out soft in the inside and crunchy on the outside! How very dare they!

I got this though...i got these cookies down! I ain't scared of no sugar! *Ghostbusters Tune* Looks as though me and Sugar cookies are friends...for now. 

Check out these orange sugary delights! I have so many ideas running through my head right now on how to decorate these bad boys! I kept them simple...for today...who knows what tomorrow will bring! But for right now...lets get down to cookie business...
What you need - 

* 1 1/2 cups Sugar 

* 1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened 

* 2 large Eggs 

* 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract 

* 2 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour 

* 2 Tsp Cream of Tartar 

* 1 Tsp Baking Soda

* 1/4 Tsp Salt 

* 2 Tbsp Orange Food Dye

* 1/4 cup Sugar (for rolling cookies)

1. Pre heat oven to 375f. In a bowl, stir together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

2. Mix together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg at a time, beating for 1 minute each addition. Add the vanilla extract to the mix. 

 

3. Add the flour mixture to the wet mix. Mix until combined. Add the orange food dye to the mix! So bright! So fun! 

 

 

4. Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to form the cookie dough in to little balls (1 1/4 inch) and roll in to the sugar and place on to a cooking sheet. I tried rolling the dough in the black sugar and it looked silly...so i just sprinkled the sugar on top of the formed cookie balls on the cooking sheet. 

5.  Bake these cookies for about 10 minutes, or until the edges turn slightly golden.

6. Once baked take the cookies out of the oven and let cool on the sheet for about 5 minuets then place them on to a cooling rack to completely cool. 

Done! Hey, Sugar Cookies...take that! I baked you! Hahahaaa! And now my fella will eat you! And my friends...as i like to share. And...i am supposed to be losing weight...not eating delicious cookies. 

People could class us as cookie geniuses now. We got those sugar cookies down! Good job! 

Halloween...oh how i love you. You make me creative. Many thanks. 

Peace, Love & Kara <3  

Halloween is coming...We are so ready!

Good Evening to you! 

October is upon us, how quick has this year been! Scary stuff! Last year 2 of my wonderful friends, Adam & Andrea surprised me and turned up out of the blue to sunny Texas. We watched scary movies and drank lots of wine. That's how we roll. This year though is all about the baking, scary movies and of course...Disney! 

October is my favorite month...apart from December...my birthday and Christmas. What a month! Little fact for you...Both my sister and i were supposed to be born on Christmas day. Nice planning mum & dad. How shit would that have been! Thank goodness i was early and Faye was late. It's the other way round now a days though. Faye hates late people...like me...i am often late. Don't hold it against me. 

In October all of the stores here stock up on fancy Halloween decorations and clothes! Today myself and Jolanna went to Target so we could get our weekly groceries and Halloween goodies! 

Check out my new Halloween T Shirts! Fancy huh! I am so prepared. 

Now i am so excited to show you what i baked...goodness...i was jumping around the kitchen like some sort of crazy person. Halloween Cupcakes. BOOM. Said it. Did it! Should...should we hug? 

Red/Black Velvet Cupcakes baked with a Halloween Oreo at the bottom. Topped with a cream cheese frosting and Oreo crumbs. You. Are. Welcome. 

Lets get on this cupcake train...Do as i do...and then hug me. Super tight. 

What you need -

* 1 packet Halloween Oreos 

* 4 Tbsp unsalted Butter

* 3/4 cup white Sugar 

* 1 Egg

* 3 Tbsp Cocoa Powder

* 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract

* 1/2 cup Buttermilk 

* 1 cup All Purpose Flour 

* 1/2 Tsp Salt

* 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

* 1 1/2 Tsp Distilled White Vinegar 

* 2 Tbsp Red Food Dye

* 2 Tbsp Black Food Dye

Heck yes! This is going to be amazing! Halloween cupcakes! COME ON!!! 

1. Pre heat the oven to 350 f. In a bowl mix together the flour and salt. Set aside. Add the oreos to the cupcake liners. 

2. In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Mix for about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix on high until everything comes together. Scrape down the bowl to make sure everything has been mixed! 

3. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla extract to the batter. Mix the ingredients all together. 

4. Turn the mixer to low and add half the buttermilk and half of the flour and salt. Mix until combined. Add the remaining buttermilk and flour, mix on high until smooth. 

5. Turn the mixer low. Add the baking soda and vinegar. Turn the mixer the high and beat for a few minutes.

6. Half the batter in to 2 separate bowls. In one bowl add the red food dye, and in the other bowl add the black food dye. Stir them both until all the batter is covered in dye! It gets messy...mind your hands...and mouth...

My tongue turned black...

7. Add the red batter to the cupcake liners only half the liner as you need space for the black batter to go on top. Once you have added the red batter, add the black batter. With a skewer, lightly mix the batters together so you get a marbled effect. 

 

8. Bake to cupcakes in the pre heated oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean. 

9. Let the cupcake rest in the pan for 10 minutes and then place them on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting them.   

                                   

Should we do the super easy frosting too? Go on then! 

* 2 1/3 cups Powdered Sugar 

* 3 Tbsp Butter 

* 1 packet Cream Cheese

* Crushed up Oreo 

                                              

1. Mix the sugar and butter together on medium slow until mixture comes together 

2. Add all the cream cheese and mix on medium high for about 5 minutes, or until frosting has become fluffy!

DONE! Mine was a tad runny as i mixed it too long...i got distracted by Cops. Bad Boys! 

These cupcakes are super fun to make...and messy! Messy fun! Try any color you like! They don't have to be red and black :) I fully enjoyed making these for you! How Halloweeny are we! 

Lets decorate pumpkins tomorrow! How creative of us! 

Have a good night/day guys! 

Peace, Love & Kara <3 

Tomato Soup

So here we are watching 'Insidious' which i had been calling 'Indecisive' until the Blockbusters man and my sister looked at me funny...then laughed. How unprofessional. My other half Stacey told me a few things about the movie that i had missed the 1st time...like people hiding in rooms...so i am trying to spot them now, but my dog Ruffles Bug keeps wanting attention and it's just rude if i ignore him! He has the puppy eye thing going on. Too cute. 

Lets talk soup. Tomato Soup. Not so creamy though...we are dieting. Cream is NOT our friend! It is our enemy. Creamy, delicious enemy. Burgh! 

This soup is fresh and filling! Serve it with grilled cheese and you are set! Maybe set for life? I know i am. Soup and i are having a love affair. Ssssh...don't tell my fella. 

Come on! Lets get this going! Mmmmhmmm Soup. 

Ingredients - 

* A dash of Olive Oil 

* 1 medium Onion, chopped 

* 1 medium Carrot, finely diced

* 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour

* a Splash of Red Wine Vinegar (1Tbsp) 

* 3 Tbsp Tomato Paste 

* 2 can Chicken Broth 

* 2 cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes in Juice

* 1 Dried Bay Leaf

* 1/2 - 3/4 cup Whole Milk/Cream

(I didn't use the Red Wine Vinegar or cream at all...as i had none. Oops) 

1. In a large pan heat the oil. Add the onion and carrot, season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent and the carrots are softening, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add the splash of vinegar at stir until cooked off.

2. Turn the heat to low and add the flour. Stir the onions & carrots in to the flour. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to distribute the paste and cook off the flour taste. Add the bay leaf and chicken broth. 

3. With clean hands add the tomatoes to the pot by breaking them up with your hands. This gets messy...and the tomatoes may spit juice at you...be warned! Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally 

4. Remove from heat. Let the soup cool for about 30 minuets. In about 2 - 3 batches puree the soup in a blender until desired consistency. Like it chunky? Blend for a few seconds...i like my soups smooth! Put the pureed soup in to a bowl and puree the remaining soup in the pot. 

5. Once all the soup has been pureed add it back to the pot. Stir in the cream/milk...that naughty creamy enemy of mine! Season with salt and pepper. Serve! Do it! Serve it up good! 

6. Let cool to room temperature before dividing among airtight containers or jars (leaving 1 inch of space at the top) and freeze! Save for another day. 

We are done my friends...Tomato Soup. BOOM. How Autumny of us. My doll, Chrissy and I enjoyed our soup with a grilled cheese sandwich...we shared. Friends do that. 

Look at her! Giving Ruffles Bug kisses...what a gal! 

Hey guess what...it is October! I know...you knew that already, but we have so much to look forward too! 

* My fella's birthday & his Partie! 

*State Fair! 

* Halloween! 

* Halloween Baking! 

*Halloween Parties!

* Decorating for Halloween! 

*Oh! And did i mention...Disney World!! 

Oh yeah...that's right! Disney World! Going to Disney...for Halloween...AMAZING! 

Now to find the perfect Alice in Wonderland outfit...

A big THANK YOU to Dana & Denton for my little bug's treat box! They loved it! 

Peace, Love & Kara <3