Monthly Archives: July 2011

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DIY: Nail Art–Half Moon Mani and a GIVEAWAY!!

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**This Giveaway Is Closed!! Still feel free to comments :D!!**

 

Hey ya’lls!

I have another nail art tutorial for you!

This one is a Half Moon mani, also known as the Reverse French (I first saw it here).

I have to tell you, people will be impressed with this mani. They will be surprised that you did it yourself. They might even remark that you are a trend setter.

That’s what the lady at the gym told me.

Yeah, I was at the gym.

I don’t really want to talk about it.

I want to talk about these nails and this dang GIVEAWAY!

Oh, yes, I said GIVEAWAY…that will be at the end of the post…

for now, it’s mani time!

To make this easy, as I don’t have the steadiest of hands when it comes to intricate painting, I used those “hole reinforcement” stickers you buy at the office supply. They work like magic and make the perfect half moon shape. I like guides and easiness…especially when the results look like this:

Pretty, right? The colors I used were: Essie-Van D’Go (base), Sonia Kashuk-Smoke&Mirrors (ring-finger bling), and Essie-Chinchilly. Below is how to do it!

Some helpful hints:

After you apply the base coat, be sure to let it dry, dry, dry. It needs to be DRY…or those little stickers will just jack everything up and make your polish peel and you will be sad. Trust me, I know.

I only used the Smoke&Mirrors color on my ring finger. It’s a thing, it’s not just me. I like it, it’s makes this already fun mani EVEN MORE FUN. Wow! if you can imagine that. Another thing you could do is the text-thumb thing, you paint your thumbs the fun metallic or glitter so that when you are texting like a maniac, your thumbs will be flashy and fancy. This too, is a thing…again, not just me.

Some tutorials tell you to wait for coat 2 (numero dos!) to dry all the way before peeling off those stickers. I didn’t do that because I thought the sticker would peel the 2nd coat off with it. This worked out for me and I was pleased.

Use a clear, quick-dry topcoat to finish it off and fill in that tiny ridge between the two colors. Smooth and shiny!

For more tips see my previous post.

Soooo pretty, so fun!

Now, that giveaway I mentioned.

I’m doing this because Joy the Baker and Tracy from Shutterbean mentioned my new found nail prowess on their podcast!

Whaaaa? Yeah, pretty much made my day.

I wanted to share the love.

Also, because I love nail goodies…

…and, most of all…because I love ya’lls, dear readers.

I really, really do.

So here’s what I gots to give:

We have 1 minty-cream green, 1 tropical turquiose, 1 glitter mini (I couldn’t find an adequate gold glitter I liked in full size…dang, dang, double dang!), and 1 salmon-y pink. I hope you like these colors as much as I do AND I hope you enter to win these sweet little laquers!

To enter ONCE, just leave me a comment telling me what your summer obsession is. It can be beauty, food, activity, fashion…whatever you are loving this summer!

To enter TWICE, you can just tweet about this post with a link back to it! Be sure to mention me in it @cindyishungry…so I know ya did it and I can count you twice!

To enter yet another, and possibly THIRD time, ”LIKE” Hungry Girl Por Vida on Facebook. If you already “like” me, then just post about this giveaway on your wall :D And come back here to let me know you did…I want to make sure to count you!

This giveaway will close Wednesday, August 3rd at MIDNIGHT. I will not count you if you enter after that, so get on it!

Also, if you enter as ANONYMOUS, I won’t know who you are or how to contact you…so make sure you fill in the comment form with your email :D

Yay! I hope you all like this mani AND giveaway!

For all my baking obsessed pals…I gathering stuff for another giveaway for ya’lls…soon!

***Just a little disclaimer…Essie, Sonia Kashuk, Orly, and SinfulColors don’t know me. All opinions are mine and all purchases were made by me w/ my own dolla bills ya’ll. 

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Recipe: Chocolate Chip Muffins

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A couple of years ago, when Sean and I were still in college, we lived in a big, suburban house with 6-8  friends. I say 6-8, because there were usually a couple extra people hanging around, sleeping in someones bed or on the couch. It was both the nicest and cheapest place I’ve lived. Though there was some drama…as there always is when you pack a bunch of personalities into one dwelling…it was pretty, dang fun.

We had a sweet kitchen–shiny and brand-spanking-new–but I did hardly any cooking. Unless, of course, you consider making Rice Krispie treats cooking. Cooking wasn’t really on our minds. Our fridge was less stocked with groceries and more stocked with beers and other booze. I mean, we ate stuff, mostly convenience foods and take-out. We had the usual ramen noodles, cereal, and sometimes we even had milk. One of the things we often had were those packaged, chocolate chip, mini muffins. They were SO cheap and so TASTY. I mean, how could we resist.

We couldn’t, that’s my point.

The next year, after I graduated, Sean and I struck out on our own. He was still in school and I was at a loss of what to do with my liberal arts degree, so I worked the same job I had worked while I was in school (preschool teacher). That’s when I started this blog, and pretty much turned my back on pre-packaged baked goods. It’s been over 3 years of blogging and I am just now trying to find a replacement for those muffins. I haven’t had one in years and I’m not sure that I’d enjoy them in the same rabidly-hungry-and-hung-over manner I did then. I swear I can taste the chemicals and artificial stuff in those types of baked treats now–as enticing and pretty as they are.

These muffins are pretty darn good. I baked them in the standard muffin size, not minis…which meant I didn’t shove 3 of them in my face all at once. I did shove part of one in my face and got burned, literally…but it was worth it. Don’t be like me. Wait a few minutes for these to cool, they are great fresh and warm from the oven. They are not, however, great the next day. A little dry, a little crumbly, but still edible. Since they don’t have the lasting power I’d like–since I can’t be eating a whole batch of muffins in one day–you will probably be seeing more chocolate chip muffins ’round these parts. I hope y’all don’t mind.

Like how I got all country there at the end?

Yeah, y’all do.

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Adapted from theKitchn.

I added orange zest and a little fresh nutmeg. Chocolate and orange are friends, so it worked out. Fresh nutmeg is just dang good, so it joined the party too.

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

zest of 1 orange

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

a few gratings of fresh nutmeg

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a muffin tin with 8-10 cupcake papers or grease tin well.

In a small bowl rub orange zest into sugar until fragrant.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter with orange sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping bowl and mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and combine.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add a few gratings if fresh nutmeg. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture, beating just to combine. Add milk, mix, then add the remaining flour just until it is incorporated. Using a light touch, fold in chocolate chips. Don’t overmix the muffins. Just don’t.

Fill prepared muffin cups. You can fill these pretty much to the top…none of that 2/3 full business here. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before eating. Don’t burn your face.

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Recipe: Crunchy Coconut & Macadamia Topped Brownies

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 I love chocolate, it’s no secret. I love baking with it, it’s always a crowd pleaser. I love it’s depth, color, fragrance…it’s all good.

Sean doesn’t just love chocolate…he LOVES it. He craves it. If he’s had a stressful day, he will seek it out. I always have a stash in the pantry for him, I even make a point to put it on my grocery list. If his chocolate stash is running low, he will break into my chocolate chips and baking bars. When he gets his fix, his eyes roll back, there’s drooling, and sometimes a little moaning.

He’s a downright, certifiable, choco-monster.

Knowing this about my dear husband, I do a lot of baking with chocolate. His favorite chocolate baked treat is probably a brownie. I’ve made endless different recipes in the past, but my go-to is Alice Medrich’s Best Cocoa Brownie, from her book Bittersweet. I feel it truly is the best cocoa brownie–chewy, rich, with a little bit of crust up top–seriously divine.

I don’t just love these brownies because they are delightful, but also because they come together quickly and use one bowl.

Less dishes, more brownies.

These are the joys of life.

Sean will take a plain, un-studded brownie any day. No complaints…but, he also loves a brownie with all kinds of mix-ins and goodness up in its business. This works well for both of us since I prefer brownies with stuff. I like a plain brownie, but I love a brownie with some other textures and maybe a little salt going on.

These brownies have it all.

Crunchy, toasty, sweet coconut, salty macadamias, and the faintest hint of spice.

Oh, goodness. These are so good.

I may have eaten just the tops of a few.

Luckily, Sean was around to eat the bottoms…since he’s so indiscriminate about brownies and all.

We’re a good pair.

Best Cocoa Brownies w/ Crunchy Coconut & Macadamia Topping

This is the fusion of 2 brownie recipes. The crunchy top of one, imposed onto the basic base of another. I have made these using the original recipe for Coconut-Pecan Crusted Brownies, but I like Alice’s Best Cocoa Brownie better for the base. I just do. It’s just my favorite. 

These brownies are only made better by using some primo cocoa powder. I use Valrhona, it is hands down my ever-favorite cocoa powder. I order it online and always have a stash of it. I have never purchased it from a grocery store, but an okay, grocery store subsitute is Hershey’s Special Dark…but, I have to say, there’s nothing like Valrhona cocoa powder. And, no, Valrhona does not pay me to wax poetic about their product…they don’t know me, I’m just a fiend for it ;) 

10 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup, plus 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (natural or dutch process)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, cold

1/2 cup flour

Preheat oven to 325F. To make bar shaped brownies, prepare an 8×8 pan by greasing and lining with parchment. To make brownie bites, line a mini-muffin tin with liners (makes about 30 minis).

Fashion a double boiler out of a saucepan and a large, heatproof mixing bowl. Add butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt–stir to combine until butter is melted and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Set aside and allow to cool to just warm.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in vanilla, then, add eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition. Add flour and combine. Once flour is incorporated, continue to stir vigorously for about 40 strokes. Pour into a prepared 8×8 baking pan or into lined mini-muffins cups. Set aside and make the topping.

for the topping:

3/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

3/4 cup chopped, salted macadamia nuts (if you have unsalted ones, just add a pinch of salt)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

pinch of pumpkin pie spice

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

In a medium bowl combine all of the ingredients for the topping until everything is moistened with the melted butter. Either sprinkle topping over the batter in a pan or, using a teaspoon, heap spoonfuls onto minis.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie comes out with a few sticky crumbs, but is not wet.

Allow to cool on a wire rack before cutting/eating.


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DIY Nail Art: Sponged Glitter Tips

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This is another DIY nail art post. Ignore it if you hate it, read on if you don’t :) I will be back with a delightful brownie recipe tomorrow!

ESSIE Lapis of Luxury + OPI Dazzled by Gold

I think it is fair to say that I’m obsessed with nail polish this summer.

It’s also fair to say that I am also obsessed with glitter…all the time. Ask Sean, he’ll tell you all about it.

So it’s no surprise that my current favorite mani is this one, a sponged on glittered-tip application.

AMERICAN APPAREL Summer Peach + OPI Dazzled by Gold

I LOVE it, love it. Just can’t get enough…for real. I’ve rocked this look on my nails for the last couple of weeks and I don’t see it going anywhere soon.

Here is how to do it:

*Paint on 2 coats of your color of choice on CLEAN and DRY nails. Allow base color to dry completely.

*Dot a small amount of glitter polish onto a scrap of paper (I used a Post-It). Use a small amount so it doesn’t dry out, thus wasting precious glitter polish.

*Using a small piece of make-up sponge, dab glitter polish onto tip of nail. Continue to dab onto tips–heavier at the very tip of the nail to create a gradient look–until the very tip is completely covered in glitter.  This layer will dry fairly quickly.

*Finish with a coat of quick-dry top-coat of your choice. This will allow your freshly polished nails to last longer. Clean-up skin around your nail with a remover-soaked q-tip.

AMERICAN APPAREL L’esprit + OPI Sparkle-icious

To ensure that my polish is smooth and sticks to my nails for days, here are some tips I’ve learned:

Roll your polish between two palms instead of shaking. Shaking your polish bottles causes air bubbles to form on your nail surface–thus ruining the smooth effect that I so covet when painting my nails.

Remove all previous polish from nails before beginning. Filing and buffing is a good idea too, but usually I just can’t be bothered. Also, push back those cuticles!

Use a special base coat formula if so inclined, but more importantly start with CLEAN and DRY nails. Oily or greasy nails will just make the inevitable chipping (and even the dreaded peeling) happen more quickly.

Layer 2 coats of polish to get a saturated look. Keep in mind, some polishes are more opaque than others. A sheer formula will still be sheer after two coats. I also think thinner coats are better than thicker–in my experience thicker coats mean more chipping.

When using a Q-tip for clean up, I soak it in remover and then roll the q-tip between my fingers to make sure there isn’t any stray cotton that will drag and possibly ruin my fresh mani.

Be patient! Don’t start a multi-step mani if you have to be doing something with your hands in 10 minutes. I like to give myself at least 30 minutes, if not an hour. I usually do my nails right before I go to bed, when I have something awesome saved on my DVR. If I do this, I forgo the q-tip clean-up and just clean it off in the shower–the scrubbing action of washing my hair usually gets it all off effectively!

**I am not a professional manicurist or beauty expert! I’m just a girl with an obsession with all things pretty and I like DIY. The original technique for sponging was seen on YouTube here (she also has lots of marble nail tutorials. FUN!). 

***I am not a paid sponsor of OPI, Out the Door, Essie, or American Apparel. All of the polishes and products I use are purchased by me. All opinions are my own. 

 

 

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Recipe: Peanut Butter and Flax Dog Treats

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If you know Sean and I at all, you know that we love our two dogs.

Our first dog, Jezebel, is a Queensland Heeler rescue. She’s serious, smart, loyal, and has serious separation anxiety due to being abandoned (twice!) in the past. We have had her for a little over 5 years, and despite her tendency to try to deafen you with her bark and lick your flesh off with her incessant licking, we love her.

Luxe came to us from my best friend’s parents. We picked her up when she was 6 weeks old, a little over 3 years ago. She’s a chihuahua/poodle/jack russel mix. She is goofy, a stealth cuddler, has the ability to turn Sean into a serious mushball, and is totally oblivious. Her goal in life is to torment Jezebel.

It kind of goes without saying that they are sort of spoiled. We allow them on the furniture (though this requires that I vacuum everything at least once a week) and they often end up in our bed most mornings. We take them on lots of walks, to the dog park, and always consider them when planning trips. We buy them fancy dog food (we’re not big on table scraps), and sometimes I make them treats.

From scratch.

I’m a nice dog mom.

We usually make them do a trick before getting a treat. We are easily entertained. Luxe is pretty good at “dancing”, she’ll stand on her hind legs and do a little spin, she also plays dead and shakes. Jezebel knows a number of tricks and will run through them all without being commanded if she knows it’s treat time. Laying in the sun is not one of their tricks…it’s just their default mode.

Peanut Butter and Flax Dog Treats

This recipe is adapted from White on Rice Couple and from the treats I made at the bakery I used to work for. 

The best thing about these treats are the fact that they are made out of real ingredients…ones that you might even eat. The second best thing, they don’t smell crazy-gross like a lot of treats out there (like those meaty ones…sick), which means I don’t feel the need to scrub the stench off my hands immediately. These ones smell like peanut butter and whole wheat….cause that’s what they are made of. Duh. I cut out two sizes because we have two different sizes of dog. Get crazy, cut them out however you like.

3/4 cup rolled oats

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

3 Tablespoons flax seeds

3 eggs

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl whisk together oats, flours, salt, sugar, and flax seeds. Set aside while you gather the wet ingredients.

In a large measuring cup whisk together eggs, peanut butter, oil, and water. Combine wet ingredients into dry and mix until combined well. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead a few times. The dough should be stiff, but workable, if it is still sticky add a little more whole wheat flour and knead into the dough. Do not fear over mixing, it’s okay if the treats are tough. Your dogs won’t mind.

Split the dough into 2 or 3 pieces and roll out. I like to roll it to 1/4-1/8 of an inch. Cut out with desired cutters and repeat with remaining dough. Place cut treats onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake until dry and crunchy–25 to 35 minutes. Cool completely before giving to your pups. Store in an airtight container. These will last quite a while (a few weeks) and also make great gifts for dog friends.

 

 

 

 

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Recipe: Nectarine + Raspberry Hand Pies

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Hey! It’s Pie Party Day!

Through the magics of Twitter, a few bloggers decided we all need not fear pie, that we should all make pies and collectively post them on the internets on July 5th.

Which is today.

Glorious.

Honestly, I L-O-V-E pie. Especially in the summer with all the juicy, fruity, bounty that is available.

I made some hand pies because I love the individual portions and the fact that you can freeze half of the batch for emergency pie needs.

Sometimes a girl has a pie emergency and nothing but a homemade pie will do. Fact.

I like an all butter crust, but I’m certain I’d be okay with a mixture of butter + shortening, or even lard. Some people swear by lard pie crusts and I don’t doubt that they’re probably on to something. It should be said that I almost NEVER feel like my crust is perfect, but in the end it’s always delicious. I have never made an inedible pie crust. Honest. They may come out a little dry, too wet, crumbly, a little overworked, but never inedible. I think you’d be hard pressed to make one that was a complete and utter disaster.

What I am trying to say is that perfect is overrated and you should just get over any pie-fear you may have and make one.

The effort is well worth the reward.

All-Butter Pie Dough

Adapted from Martha Stewart

This recipe makes 1-double crust, 2-single crust, or 10 hand pies.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) COLD butter, cut into cubes

1/2-1/2 cup ice water

Using your food processor, clean fingers, or a pastry blender, cut butter into dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl (if you aren’t using a processor), until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Begin to add icy water  a few tablespoons at a time just until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half, pat out into a disc and cover well with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Remove from refrigerator about 15 minutes before rolling out.

Nectarine + Raspberry Filling

2 ripe nectarines, pitted and sliced

1 1/2 cups raspberries

1/4-1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch or desired thickener

Toss together fruit, sugar, and thickener to coat in a medium bowl. Set aside.

To Assemble:

1 egg

1 tablespoon whole milk

In a small bowl whisk together egg and milk. This will be your egg wash for sealing the pies and brushing the tops.

Roll out your dough to about an 1/8 inch thick. Using a round cutter, cut circles of pie dough (or use a knife and make rectangle hand pies), spoon some of the filling into the center of the circle —don’t get too crazy, you still have to fold and crimp here–brush some egg wash around one half of the dough to seal, crimp with the tines of a fork. Repeat with remaining dough/filling. Brush tops with remaining egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. Cut a fe vent into the top of each pie. Place pies on a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes while your oven preheats.

In a 375F oven bake pies for about 30 minutes, until golden and juices are bubbling. You may have some leakage from the vent or even the sealed edges. This is okay, it will still be DELICIOUS. Allow pies to cool at least 10 minutes so the bubbling, molten juices don’t burn you and your friends. Devour.

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Recipe: Eton Mess

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Hey! It’s a HOLIDAY weekend here in the US. No doubt many of you are getting ready to spark up the grill, roast some marshmallows, and light up the sky with some fireworks.

It’s about to be Independence Day and us American’s like to celebrate in style…by lighting things on fire!

I, however, will not be lighting anything on fire…this year. I will be viewing fireworks from a safe distance, drinking some gin-spiked rosemary lemonade, nomming on some fried chicken, and hopefully taking a LONG nap.

I’m a girl of simple needs.

Food, drink, nap.

My 4th of July menu was directly inspired by Tracy because she is TOTES awesome and I didn’t even know I needed either of those things in my life right now until I saw her posts. She knows what is up!

My only addition will be dessert.

It’s called Eton Mess…which is technically British, but since America was born of some rebellious British colonists we’re going to be okay with that. It makes great use of one of my favorite summertime treats–fresh berries. You are literally 4 ingredients…5 if you macerate the berries in some booze…away from this goodness.

If you use both a red berry (raspberries! strawberries!) and blueberries it will be totally patriotic.

If you buy the meringue cookies, you won’t even turn on the oven, AND it will only take as long as it takes you to make whipped cream. No Joke.

If you macerate those berries in the aforementioned booze, you will be one popular gal (or guy)!

If you make this dessert on the 4th of July you will have plenty of time for eating/drinking/napping/lighting stuff on fire. Promise.

Eton Mess

If you want the distinct red and blue colors, don’t macerate your berries together or it ain’t gonna happen. If you don’t care, then I don’t either…definitely do whatever you want. Below are the ingredients necessary to serve 2. If you need more than 2 servings just make more whipped cream, macerate more berries, and crush more meringues. This is more a to-taste method than anything.

10-ish meringue cookies

1 cup chilled, heavy whipping cream

1-2 cups berries, any variety you like

sugar to taste

grand marnier or other booze (optional)

Place berries of your choice (I used blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries…triple berry threat) in a medium bowl and sprinkle sugar to taste, booze (if using). Stir it up to coat, cover and set aside.

In a large bowl or electric mixer, beat heavy cream to stiff peaks–don’t over do it, err on the side of a medium peak if you fear this. Crush meringues over cream and fold.

Now, you can either fold in the macerated berries at this point OR if you are like me, layer them in the glass with the whipped cream/meringue mixture to create lovely, patriotic layers. Either way, serve immediately. With a spoon. The meringues instantly begin to dissolve and the whipped cream will start to deflate if you let it hang out too long.

Meringues Kisses

adapted from Use Real Butter

4 large egg whites

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon plain vinegar, lemon juice, or cream of tartar

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 200F. Line 2 baking pans with parchment or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer beat egg whites on medium until foamy. Add vinegar (lemon juice or cream of tartar) and salt, raise speed, beat until whites hold soft peaks. Gradually add sugar while mixer is running, add vanilla, and continue to beat until the meringue holds stiff, glossy, peaks.

Scoop the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a large tip (round or star are nice) and pipe kisses onto prepared sheets. You can pipe them close together as they will not expand. Bake until meringues are dry to touch and can easily be lifted from the parchment. Try not to let them take on any color. This will depend on the humidity in your area. I made mine on a SUPER humid day and it took a full 2 hours for my meringues to dry. In drier climates it will only take about an hour. Cool meringues completely before crushing into the whipped cream.