Blonde brownies

Decided to make some blonde brownies for my co-workers since I was in a baking mood. They turned out better than I expected. I made two pans of brownies and took it all to work and they were gone before lunch! A lot of the girls asked me for the recipe so I thought I share it on here as well. I plan on making another batch for a very picky guy who requested no chocolate chips, so we'll see how that turns out :)


Ingredients:
1 cup of sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon  baking soda
1/2 teaspoon  salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan.
2. Measure 1 cup of sifted flour. Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift again. Mix well and set aside.
3. Stir the brown sugar into the melted butter and mix well. Cool slightly.
4. Mix the beaten egg and vanilla extract into the brown sugar mixture. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, mixing just until combined.
5.Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 cup of chocolate chips on top. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy, xo.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Him

I may not have a Valentine this year, but I figured I could still be helpful! Of course we all know that Valentine's Day isn't just about the gifts but it certainly does make it more enticing. Fortunately for us ladies we have it pretty easy; typically guys are simple creatures so that will help us in the gift department. To be honest we're the ones that make it more difficult than it should be, we start over thinking, talking with our friends about what they got their guy, or we just get caught up in the hype and impulse buy. I have been guilty of doing all of those things but it wasn't until my last relationship that I finally had my a ha moment. The best gifts for guys are practical gifts, things they can and will actually use. If you really know your guy this should be pretty simple, my advice would be to go with one "practical" gift and one "lavish" gift. For example a practical gift would be something you noticed that he has that's broken or nearly broken but he's still using. I replaced a past boyfriend's wallet because I noticed it was really worn and practically falling a part. I made sure to stick with the same style and color of his current wallet because I figured if he would've replaced it himself he would go for something that was similar to what he already had. He absolutely loved it when he opened it, and he kept going on and on about how he wanted a new wallet but never got around to replacing his old one. As for a "lavish" gift just go for something you know he would love but probably wouldn't ask for. A nice watch,  cologne or an electronic is a great go to. The better that you know him the easier and easier it will be buying gifts, and if you're just starting out  as far as getting to know each other just play it by ear and get a little creative. I hope you have a great Valentine's Day, and don't forget to show some love to your single friends! LOL

 

King Bey!

YES!!!!!! I'm going to Beyonce's world tour in Las Vegas. After her AMAZING performance at the Super Bowl I knew had to see her in concert. Plus, I've never been to a concert before so what better person to start with than King Bey herself. I'm going with my two cousins and two other girls who were my cousin's college roommates. I've also never been to Vegas so it's just going to be a weekend of firsts! Now I just wish I could fast forward to June 29th. xo