Orange Peel Jello Shots

Got a tailgate coming up? Bring them what they really want, jello shots! These aren't your same old jello shots. These are made in an orange. Does that make them green? You could make them in your fruit, color of choice. 

Start by cutting your oranges in half. I took a knife and cut around the fruit until I could pull the fruit out of the peel with my hands.

Next mix 3 envelopes of Knox Brand Gelatine with 3oz of Jello powder. Slowly pour 3 cups of bowling water into the powder mix. Stir until gelatine is dissolved.

Once all the powder is dissolved pour in 2 cups of vodka and one cup of fresh OJ. I squished the orange fruit I just peeled for the juice. To see this process step-by-step go here.

Place your peels in a muffin pan so they don't roll around. Pour your mixture into the peels all the way to the top. Chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Slice peels into cute little bite size pieces. 

Enjoy the fruits of your labor and take fun, orange peel photos with your friends! 

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Celebrate Oktoberfest at the Bier Garten Riverwalk

Disclaimer: Bier Garten hooked me up with fabulous food, beer and 2 VIP tickets. However, all options expressed here are my own.  

I had the pleasure of visiting the Bier Garten on the Riverwalk yesterday to learn about their up coming Oktoberfest event full of sing-a-longs, stein holding, alp horn blowing contests, live German music, dancing and a keg tapped by a local celebrity.

The Bier Garten totally rolled out the red carpet for our visit. We dined on authentic Bavarian fare including sausages, pretzels, sour kraut balls and of course ice cold beers. BG has one of the largest selections of import and craft beer on the Riverwalk.

On Friday, Bier Garten is kicking off their Oktoberfest celebration with a HUGE launch party. This party is free to attend but I am giving away 2 (one person with a guest) VIP tickets that get you access to the buffet and bier. Yum!

Enter to win the VIP tickets below by liking, following and sharing. Good luck!


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DIY Coffee Bar

Who doesn't love coffee. In fact, if you don't love coffee I don't think we can be friends. I found this little rolling cabinet in the basement at work. It was just going to be taken to Goodwill so I snagged it up hoping to bring it back to life. It was the perfect piece for a coffee bar I've always wanted to create.

I picked up some FolkArt Chalk Paint in Cascade from Joann's and got to work. Ive never used chalk paint before but I'm really happy about how it turned out. I used two coats of paint on all sides.

I also picked up some FolkArt White Wax thinking I would use it to create a vintage feel. I tried the wax on a test spot and decided I liked the matte feel of the paint better.

My mom (shout out) bought me the cute 'I like big cups and I cannot lie' art from this Etsy store. I added and this little shelf from Lowe's that I purchased online and picked up at the store for free. I was in and out in a second.

To top it all off I won an Instagram prize from Imperial Sugar. The shakers are a perfect addition to my little white shelf.

I completed the coffee bar with a small hand towel I purchased from this Etsy shop. Don't ya just love  Etsy?

I love how my little coffee bar turned out.

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Dress Up Your Knife Block

With a kitchen full of appliances it's hard to show your personality. In my kitchen I have limited wall space for hanging artwork so I took an out-of-the-box approach for decorating.

Before

I dressed up our knife block by adding a monogram from an Etsy shop, like Whats In A Name Shop, with our first and last initial.

After

Monograms come in all shapes and sizes so make sure you measure your knife block to find the right size for you.

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My Foster Experience & How You Can Help

One week ago Derek and I picked up Harry from an organization called Alamo City Pit Bull Rescue and Rehabilitation. Harry is a pit bull. Yes, you read that right. We let a full grown male pit bull into our house and couldn't be happier.

Im looking for my forever home

Harry has had a rough life. When ACPBRR picked him out of a kill shelter Harry was skin and bones, hairless, bleeding and had pellets stuck in his left side from being shot from a pellet gun. Despite his hard upbringing Harry is the most loving, adorable dog in the world. He jumped right up into our lap and hearts since day one. 

ACPBRR has saved 419 pit bulls since mid-2013. Their mission is to save the lives of abandoned, abused, misused and unloved Pit Bulls and other bully breed types. They have a great team of fosters and volunteers that put in countless hours to find loving fur-ever homes for this greatly misunderstood breed. 

How can you help ACPBRR? Let me count the ways! ACPBRR is in need of donations to help with their always growing vet bill. Right now, their bill is at about $5,000 due to multiple unexpected emergencies. Every little bit helps! Donations are tax deductible and can be made by calling the vet directly at 210-647-1101 (under the Alamo City Pit Bull Rescue Account) or on PayPal at donations.alamocitypitbull@gmail.com.  

Another way to give is by donating during The Big Give SA tomorrow. The Big Give SA is a 24-hour giving period for San Antonio non-profits. For more information on The Big Give please click here. 

Want to do more? ACPBRR is in constant need of loving homes to adopt or foster these beautiful dogs like Harry. Cant have a pit bull? No worries. You can still help by volunteering at ACPBRR events or provide transportation to events or vet visits. 

Snuggle Bug 

Please stand up and help this wonderful organization I have grown to love. For more info please visit: http://alamocitypitbull.org and "like" ACPBRR on Facebook for updates. 

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DIY Easter Egg Wreath

Derek and I are hosting our first Easter in our home since we got married. I wanted a wreath to hang on the front door to welcome our guests but I couldn't find one I liked without a heavy price tag. With a Hobby Lobby gift card in hand a turned to Pinterest. This cute, easy to make, Easter wreath caught my eye. Bonus: Easter items are 40% off at Hobby Lobby right now.

You Will Need: 

2 bags of small Easter eggs ($.99 each) 

3 bags of regular size Easter eggs. ($1.99 each) Only 2 bags pictured. 

Hot Glue Gun with glue

Green Foam Ring ($4.99)

Roll of Ribbon ($5.99) 

I started by laying the eggs out around the foam ring to come up with a simple pattern. Once I had a pattern in mind I glued the eggs down one row at a time. If you make a mistake don't panic! The eggs are pretty easy to pull off. Just be sure to peal off the old glue before adding more to replace the egg. 

I used the small eggs to fill in the "holes" in between the bigger eggs until the whole wreath was full with eggs. I then rapped a ribbon around the wreath and glued the ends to the back. I created a bow with the left over ribbon and glued it to the top. You could always buy a ribbon premade, Hobby Lobby has a good section of them.

I hope you enjoy making this wreath as much as I did! 

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Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

A few days ago I noticed some over ripe bananas at my office. Knowing no one was going to eat them I put them in a bag and took them home to make banana bread. I didn't want to make normal, same-old-same-old, banana bread so I searched for some different styles on Pinterest. I came across a cinnamon swirl recipe and adjusted it a little bit. I made the bread that night and brought it to work the next day for breakfast. My coworkers loved it!

Ingredients: 
3 over-ripe bananas, smashed up
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups flour

For the swirl:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon


Step 1) Preheat oven to 350
Step 2) Spray 9x5 loaf pan with non-stick spray
Step 3) Mash bananas with electric mixer or by hand
Step 4) Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt together
Step 5) Stir in flour, be careful not to over mix
Step 6) Add half of the banana batter to the prepped loaf pan
Step 7) In a separate small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp of cinnamon
Step 8) Sprinkle a little more than half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture on the batter in the loaf pan
Step 9) Add the rest of the batter on top
Step 10) Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar over the batter
Step 11) Bake for 50-60 minutes  

Enjoy!

Thai Topaz: Date Night Destination

Disclosure: I recently dined at Thai Topaz as their guest, along with other San Antonio Bloggers, to sample their dishes and learn about the restaurant. However, all opinions are my own. 

$20 Gift Certificate Give-A-Way Below! 

To be honest, Ive never been to a Thai restaurant before so I really didn't know what to expect when I walked into Thai Topaz for the first time. I was delighted by the fun atmosphere, friendly wait staff and the wide variety of dishes available.

Photo Credit: Thai Topaz Facebook Page

Although, the restaurant is very kid friendly, Thai Topaz offers a place for couples to escape the norm and try something a little bit out if their comfort zone. The owners, David and Somjira, have created a space that is calm, relaxing and modern.

Blogger Menu with Spring Rolls

Sipping on some Lychee Flavored Sake, I enjoyed summer rolls, miang kai (thai lettuce wraps), red curry mussels and tom kha soup as appetizers. Each dish was better than the next. I was very impressed by the presentation of the tom kha soup bowl, pictured below.

Tom Kha Soup

Red Curry Mussels 

We then moved on to our dinner entrees. The pineapple fried rice actually comes in a pineapple! Perfect for serving two, the dish is almost too beautiful to eat, almost.

Pineapple Fried Rice

As we moved to dessert, David told us that all of the dishes on the Thai Topaz menu were developed by Somjira's mother, who owns the Medical Center Thai Topaz location. Did you know avocado ice cream is a thing? A delicious thing! All of their ice cream flavors are homemade.

Homemade Ice Cream: Coconut, Avocado, Mango and Pineapple

Next time you are looking to mix up date night go try Thai Topaz in Castle Hills. You won't be disappointed. Cant find a babysitter? No worries, kids eat FREE on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Enter to win a $20 Gift Certificate to Thai Topaz below. Give-a-way ends on February 25th 2015 at 12am.

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Good Luck!

Valentine's Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Homemade Chocolate Covered Strawberries are a Valentine's Day tradition at our house.

Here is the recipe for you to enjoy:   

Step 1) Wash strawberries. They must be completely dry before they can be dipped

Step 2) In a microwave safe bowl add 1 cup of while chocolate chips

Step 3) Pour 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over the chips

Step 4) Microwave in 20 or 30 second intervals, stirring each time

Step 5) Stop heating when most, but not all, of the chips are melted. Stir until chocolate is smooth and chips are completely melted. BE CAREFUL not to overcook.

Step 6) Hold a strawberry by the green stem and dip in chocolate, let extra chocolate run off

Step 7) Hold the strawberry until no chocolate runs off

Step 8) Place on parchment paper or a waxed paper lined pan

Step 9) Once the strawberries have dried I melt white chocolate chips using the same technique then pour them into a sqeeze bottle. Squeeze the chocolate over the strawberries. This is optional but I think it makes the strawberries taste and look even more delicious.

Step 10) Cool in the fridge then enjoy!