Home Made Lara's Bars in Hot Fudge Brownie

Well, hello there! So glad you wandered onto this blog post - have I got a treat for you! Have you ever tried a Lara Bar? they are all natural snacks made out of a few natural ingredients including nuts & fruit. Some are ok and some are amazing. They are $2 a bar. That's expensive! no! So when I came across Chocolate Covered Katie, a vegan who loves chocolate, she had so many different flavors of Lara Bar's that she has been making all on her own. I decided I was going to try it out too considering:

-They are Raw- No cooking! Yay!

-They are Vegan 

-They are All Natural

-The Price!

This recipe makes about 5 bars or 10 balls. 5 Lara Bars = $10. I made half & half. I calculated a round about estimate on how much this recipe is worth, considering how much of each ingredient I used & I came up with $5. That's half of the price of a regular Lara Bar!

It took me around 10-15 minutes total to blend it all, including the time's when I stopped to mix & stir everything around. It's essential unless you want full sized dated (yuck, i don't!)

After everything was blended, I went ahead & threw in some more whole cacao chips. I also forgot to include the shredded coconut so I went ahead and threw that into the mix too!

I wasn't sure if I liked dates so I decided to give one a try and I was right: I didn't like them! I made the Lara Bars/Balls anyways and gave more than half of them away. When I seen everyone chowing down on them in front of me I figured I would give them a try even if there are dates. Let me tell you, they were really good! Something about the chocolate makes the dates much less "date-y"- So even if dates are not your thing, you just might like these! I wish I would have given them a chance before I gave them all away!

The only thing I hated about it? I didn't make enough. This may have been my most successful healthy dessert attempt yet! I hope you guys really try these "fudge babies"(as Katie would say) out! Also, make sure you go check out Katie's blog! It's really a skinny dessert lovers dream!

What do you think, are you guys going to try it? 

It's so easy! I urge you to try it! Make one up on your own, even!

Can you think of any other variations I can try?

Thank you so much for reading!

xoxo

Erica

Spring Trends: Margarita

Hey there! Welcome to another chapter of my semi-annual Seasonal Trends Series! I am taking all of the colors declared by Pantone to be deemed the trendiest colors on the runway and used by fashion designers. This includes what color to wear with what (declared by designers, not declared by me of course! haha!), The color of the year, & trends that do not include colors. I have already done Sweet Lilac, Cockatoo, & Tangerine Tango

As I have mentioned before, I really loovve this season's colors. So many good ones! Lots of pastels too! I am not really big on green. This green? that is another story! it is gorgeous! I am extremely fond of pastels and I would say this is kinda close to a pastel. let's say it's a neighbor of the pastels.

1. Hoops from Old Navy ( I love those! )
2. Heels from Bakers (spot on Margarita!)
3. Flats from Bakers
4. Top from Kohl's by Lauren Conrad
5. Illamasqua Eyeshadow in Pivot
6. Essie Nail Polish in Navigate Her! (another one that is spot on!)





Prominent Colors & Influences for NAHM this season: "Laos and Paris in the '70s were a big influence — we used prints with Buttery Yellows, Warm Oranges, Powdery Blues and Seafoam Green". 

NAHM is Ally Hilfigher & Nary Manivong's line. I really like these colors paired. 

1. Dress from ShopRuche.com
2. Same Heels from above: Bakers
3. Bag from Charlotte Russe
4. Bangles from Forever 21

Dress: Old Navy
Sandals: Charlotte Russe
Heels: Charlotte Russe
Bag: Shoe Dazzle
Belt: ShopRuche.com
Bangles: Forever 21

1. Dress at Kohl's from Apt. 9

2. Earrings: Body Central

3. Necklace: Forever 21

4. Bag from ShopRuche.com

5. Ring: Forever 21

6. Shoes: either Bakers or Charlotte Russe

My favorite Margarita thing(s) would have to be the Bakers Heel's or Essie's Navigate Her. They are both so dead on to the true Margarita color!

What is your favorite thing that was Margarita on this post or anywhere else you've seen it?

  What About Favorite Color Trend?

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Till Next Time,

xoxo

Erica

Pittsburgh Haul Part 1: The Gap, Victoria Secret, & Stella Treats

Hey! If you guys didn't know, me & my b/f went to Pittsburgh a couple a weeks ago to see a comedian & go shopping. We did some serious damage the night before. We got drunk at the Improv then went downtown. We spent wayy to much but better safe than sorry, so we took a cab everywhere that night. 

So, I am just going to split my Pittsburgh Trip up in 4 blog posts: 

Part 2: H&M & JC Penney Haul (clothing haul) 

Part 3: Yankee Candle Haul & 

Part 4: will just be our trip overall. 

I only bought one thing at The Gap. my Boyfriend, Philly bought a pair of jeans and while I was waiting for him, I seen this puppy. I have 1 other duo chrome "oil spill" nail polish from Wet n Wild but it doesn't compare to this. I really do not like the WnW one too much. Then it came to me. It's a Chanel Dupe! I do not have the Chanel polish but I clearly remember wanting it: Chanel Peridot. Now, I cant say for sure if it is a really true dupe but I will let you be the judge. If you think it is, Try Gap's Gold Rush. It was only $6. I have never tried the Gap's nail polish and the lady helping me said she loves them. Of course she does, but I am sure it will be a better line of polish, considering it's the Gap. You will be seeing a NOTW soon enough, if I like it on. I think I probably will :)

Gap Nail Polish in Gold Rush

Chanel Picture

pretty duppy if you ask me!

Then we went to Victoria Secret's. I only bought panties because I needed them. Don't worry none of these panties were used! lol! I did wanna show you guys them because they are adorable. I love the "scrunchie butt" where they cinch the fabric that separates each booty cheek. My house mom use to do that to all of our outfits & even my bath suit. The way they are made makes your butt look fab (:

 

I also bought 2 other pair that were not scrunchie butt. I shabby chic thong & another pair.

Next up, The Dog Store. Just Dogs Gourmet (: I had to buy something for my puppy, Stella. All of these gourmet dog treats were to die. I paid around $5 for all of them. And I tasted the white frosting on the bone. It is actually good. I want to make a frosting like that. You probably think I am crazy. Your the crazy one. Your missing out on these delicious dog treats. if anybody has ever tried to make their own gourmet doggie treats, I would love to know!

The first one is made out of cacao & peanut butter. It's your Reese's Cup for doggies!

Next one is a cupcake of sorts.

Then I bought a carrot one. It was half off because they had them left over from Easter. I wish I lived close so I can fill up my Stella's stocking and Easter basket! But I don't. Maybe I can order online. The carrot is actually made out of vegetables which I thought was pretty cool.

Then we have the frosted milk bone. This was the one I tasted. That frosting is freaking delicious! haha! but i am not joking, lol.

That is that for now! I will make this ending short & sweet

xoxo

Erica J

Versatile Blogger Award

Hey there! I won an award for the Versatile Blogger! Are you nominated? Thank you so much Nails My Dreams, I really appreciate it! I would nominate her but idk if thats allowed or what but the girl can paint some nails! haha!

The Rules:

1. Nominate 15 fellow bloggers who are relatively new to blogging (or whose blogs you enjoy most).

2. Let them know you nominated them.

3. Share 7 random facts about yourself.

4. Thank the blogger that nominated you.

5. Add the Versatile Blogger Award picture to your blog post.

I Nominate...

OKayAmy (OK! Amy)

Duck & Egg

It's Overflowing

Fancy-Francy

Dizzy Brunette 

 Eat-Yourself-Skinny

Makes Me Blush

Barbie Bombshell

My Lucid Bubble

Let's Make Yu Up!

Polish Obsession

Pretty Making

Beauty Marked Blogger

The Pink Margarita

Blog Love Therapy

p.s. A lot of these blogs I got from The Blog Hop I Go To! You should check it out, People! Link on the right sidebar.

7 random facts About Yours Truly

1. I make videos but never post them. Only because I cannot figure out how to transfer them into Windows Movie Maker. anybody know how to turn my .mov into whatever Windows Movie Makers needs?

2. I joined tumblr! It is unknown only until now because I am working on a badge for this blog to link to my tumblr, Be Inspired. It isn't a beauty blog or anything, it's more like a photography blog: Some from me & Some from others

3. One of my all time favorite shows is Lockup, which is about people in jail. Yep, I love it.

4. I am kind of obsessed with the 1920's- 1950's. Especially the architecture. That crazy obsession show on TLC? the girl that lives in the 50's? I dont blame her. I am thinking of following her ways. but then of course I will miss my blog too much. There is a place called Crandall Park near where I live that was established in 1910. It was an affluent neighborhood for all of the rich people who lived in Youngstown, Ohio. I took some pictures throughout my life, but nothing compares to the pictures back then. I found this video with pictures of when it was first built. Mine could never compare to these ones.

FYI: I can only tell which house is which by the house itself. It doesn't look like that at all these days...obviously...It wasn't obvious to me though! I thought it would look similar!





5. Like how I mentioned I love the 20's&50's. I can't begin to explain my obsession with Old Hollywood. If you love it as much as I do, you need to watch MGM: When The Lion Roars. It talks about the rise and fall of MGM Studios. MGM Studio's were in Culver City and it started sometime in the 20's I believe and went all the way to the 70's. They tore down the backlot and all. That makes me sad. The Mansion in Meet Me in St.Louis? Gone! It should be a crime! I have been to Universal Studios backlot but I would have loved to see the MGM backlot! I esp. love the way the movies look so 'unreal' - Take Little Women. Their Outside looks so studio like, with walls that are painted with trees and such. Thats why I love it. I wanna know what's behind those walls though. Another good one is Meet Me in St. Louis. Some Like It Hot (& "Sparaticus"! Clueless reference, if you caught that, go you! Your a child of the 90's like I am!) This is getting really long. Next Fact:

**quick fact about Old Hollywood** Did you know? That back then Actors and Actresses signed to a Studio? For Example: Judy Garland signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for X amount of years meaning she could be in MGM movies, & MGM Movies only, until her contract ran out

also, When I first started this blog, I did a little somethin' somethin' about Old Hollywood. Make sure to highlight the text as I had a black background back then and my font is really light.

6. I suppose I will go ahead and give you my favorite newer movies now that I have given you old MGM movies. No particular order: Since I reminded myself....
Clueless
The Social Network
Alpha Dog
The Dark Knight
Blood Diamond
I Am Legend
Dear John aka the saddest movie ever made.


7. I just stubbed my toe on my freaking end table trying to open the damn window!

There you have it! And it is day 2 of 30 Days of Blogging! If anyone wants to join in trying their best to blog every day for 30 days, let me know so I can check yours out! I mainly wanted to do this because I have a few blog posts that have been really time consuming & I am in over my head so I just need to get them freaking publishes already!

Till Tomorrow

xoxo

Erica

Quinoa on the Sweeter Side and 30 Days of Blogging

Hey guys! What's up? NMH. J/C. *anyways*
*D*
  *R*
     *O*
        *P*
to the next subject. if anybody used to write like that in 7th grade, holla! I remember we used to have notebooks that we would decorate just for notes. Nobody ever carried around a real school notebook. It's funny because all of our notes mention the same thing....absolutely nothing! we would write notes just for the sake of writing them on our note notebooks, & decorating the page. It was like a competition on who had the best notebook. okay, whatever. How do I get off topic so badly?
*D*
  *R*
     *O*
        *P*
to the next subject. You may have seen the first part of the title Quinoa on the Sweeter Side! I am guessing you have probably made it for dinner or for salads, I know I have. It is one of my favorites. But dessert? Yes! While I was on Eating Bird Food , my new favorite healthy blog, I found a bunch of different ways to eat quinoa. Don't let the title scare you like it did me, she's great! She loves incorporating Quinoa in home made Granola, in Yogurt, she will even make it into a cold cereal. I am not sure how, but maybe I will find out. Anywho, I decided to try it in my yogurt parfait. It makes for a Rice Pudding Dupe! ha! see what I did there?

I thought this would be a great idea considering Quinoa is full of fiber (the stuff that makes you full) and not to mention protein. I love Quinoa because 1. It tastes really good. I love pasta's, and rice, and that, and since I am not eating anything white, quinoa is (2.) one of the best grain's you can eat. Don't ask me why. it probably has something to do with the nutrition facts, of course. Tone It Up told me so, so it must be true.

I am not going to give you a freaking recipe because, it's not really a recipe. It is Quinoa in Greek yogurt with toppings. I will tell you what I layered anyways.


Creamy Base: Mix the yogurt w/ quinoa. That is your first layer.
Juicy Fruit: I choose Pineapple, Blueberries, & Raspberries
Crunchies: Nuts & Granola. I choose Almonds & Sunflower Seeds

Thats it! Easy Peasy! The only cooking involved would be cooking the Quinoa before hand, then letting chill in the fridge. I cooked a lot of it so we can have both sweet & savory Quinoa for the week!

ok so now onto the 30 days of blogging....I am going to attempt to blog every day for 30 days straight. Anybody wanna join me?? Let me know in the comments so I can follow you! If I skip a day, it just means I am really crazy and I don't have any time to perfect each and every post. Anyone else a perfectionist?

Has anyone ever tried Quinoa on the Sweeter Side?

Till Tomorrow

xoxo

Erica

Ulta Haulta! --- Yep, Im Clever.

Hey guys! a couple of weeks ago when Ulta was having a sale my boyfriend bought me a bunch of stuff! I also picked up a few other things along the way. Here's everything

this is strictly a haul so I am not going to review anything at all. I find that a lot of my hauls turn into reviews because I am really late on posting stuff, that I have enough time to try stuff. I have actually tried all of this stuff so if you wanna know about anything more: I'm your Girl!

Nail Polish: Left to Right:
L'Oreal Club Prive: See that in action!!
Wet N Wild Wild Shine Nail Polish in Tickled Pink (it seems like every brand has that name somewhere)
China Glaze in Prism. It is from the new glitter collection. I love CG Glitter.
Sally Hansen Nail Polish in Rockstar Pink

Nyx Tango with Bronzing Powder in Confessions of a Tanoholic

Lip Products on the left from top to bottom:
Nyx High Shine Lip Gloss in Beige - u probably know it isn't actually beige
Essence Lip Gloss in Me & My Ice Cream
Nyx Jumbo Lip Pencil in Brown....but it's actually pink: Nyx is obviously Color Blind

Lip Products on Bottom
Nyx Round Lipstick in Strawberry Milk
L'Oreal Hip Lip Jelly in Snazzy

Revlon Color Stay Foundation
Revlon Photo Ready Concealer

Wet N Wild Shadow Trio in Im Getting Sunburned
Wet N Wild Cream Liner in Black

Banana Boat Summer Color Self Tanning Lotion

Yep that it! Aren't you proud?! haha! Here's a quick list of whats to come!

Stay Tuned! I have an H&M OOTD, Gap & Victoria Secret's Haul too! and I still need to publish my Spring Trends. It is all done and made I just have to publish.  

Also, I have created a fashion tag! Would anyone like to be tagged?

xoxo

Erica 

NOTW: Alicia at the Club

You will know why I made up that clever name in a second but can I gush over the pastel coral? I love that color so much! Can you believe I am almost out of it....that's really a shame considering I got it not even a month ago. Well maybe like a little over a month ago. I know they have one from Sally Hansen called Coral Reef so I will probably have to purchase that eventually. Ok enough of all of that, let's get on with the NOTW!

Julep Nail Polish is called Alicia: it goes on so nicely! All I needed was 1-2 coats.

L'Oreal Nail Polish is called Club Prive: I love the color, but it is really sheer. I used like 5 coats. I heard that L'Oreal bought out Essie so I guess L'Oreal's nail formula is similar. I do not think that though. The Essie ones are much more opaque so maybe they haven't gotten to changing the formula for the L'Oreal polishes yet.

hey, i couldnt get a great picture- these are good enough i guess

So yeah just a quick little NOTW

Till Next Time,

xoxo

Erica