Cooking Corner: Ice Cream Pie

I turn 28 tomorrow!!!  I can't even believe I'm going to be that old!  I still feel young at heart though.  For the last few years one of my friends have made me something and now it's just a tradition.  She makes me an Ice Cream Pie and I'm going to share the recipe with you!  It is honestly SO EASY!!!!!!  You don't even have to cook anything.  You can also customize it to whatever flavors you like.  I'm just sharing what I get every year.  If you make this tweet me a picture or tag me on instagram.  Enjoy!!

What You'll Need:

Oreo Pie Crust

Mint Ice Cream

Chocolate Syrup

Directions:

1. Take the pie crust and pack the ice cream into it.  Put in the freezer for about 2-3 hours.

2. Before eating top with chocolate syrup and start slicing.  Enjoy!

My March Playlist!

How is it already April tomorrow???  March was a bit of a rough patch for me.  I just had too much going on.  I feel much more relaxed now though.  Now I just wish it would stop raining and be sunny!!!  I discovered a lot of new music this month and a few throwbacks as well.  I'm still in love with February's playlist too!  What songs are you loving?


1. Cold by Maroon 5
Favorite lyric: Distant when we're kissing Feel so different Baby, tell me how did you get so Cold enough to chill my bones? It feels like I don't know you anymore I don't understand why you're so cold to me With every breath you breathe I see there's something going on I don't understand why you're so cold, yeah

2. Stay by Zedd feat. Alessia Cara
Favorite lyric: Make it on your own, but we don't have to grow up We can stay forever young Living on my sofa, drinking rum and cola Underneath the rising sun I could give a thousand reasons why But you're going, and you know that All you have to do is stay a minute Just take your time The clock is ticking, so stay All you have to do is wait a second Your hands on mine The clock is ticking, so stay

3. Issues by Julia Michaels
Favorite lyric: 'Cause I got issues But you got 'em too So give 'em all to me And I'll give mine to you
Bask in the glory Of all our problems 'Cause we got the kind of love It takes to solve 'em Yeah, I got issues And one of them is how bad I need you

4. Say You Won't Let Go by James Arthur
Favorite lyric: When you looked over your shoulder For a minute, I forget that I'm older I wanna dance with you right now, oh And you look as beautiful as ever And I swear that every day you'll get better You make me feel this way somehow

5. Everyday by Ariana Grande feat. Future
Favorite lyric: Anytime, anywhere, baby boy, I can misbehave Breathe me in, breathe me out, feel me I'm running through your veins

6. Perfect by Ed Sheeran
Favorite lyric: Baby, I'm dancing in the dark with you between my arms Barefoot on the grass listening to our favorite song When you said you looked a mess, I whispered underneath my breath But you heard it, darling, you look perfect tonight

7. Heavy by Linkin Park feat. Kiiara
Favorite lyric: I'm holding on Why is everything so heavy Holding on To so much more than I can carry I keep dragging around what's bringing me down If I just let go, I'd be set free Holding on Why is everything so heavy

8. Play That Song by Train
Favorite lyric: Play that song The one that makes me go all night long The one that makes me think of you That's all you gotta do Hey Play that song The one that makes me stay out til dawn The one that makes me go ooh That's all you gotta do

9. Call On Me by Starley
Favorite lyric: You know you can call on me When you need somebody You know you can call on me When you can't stop the tears from falling down (Down) You know you can call on me Call on me darling You know you can call on me You can't stop the tears from falling down

10. Everything About You by One Direction
Favorite lyric: It's everything about you, you, you Everything that you do, do, do From the way that we touch, baby To the way that you kiss on me It's everything about you, you, you The way you make it feel, new, new, new Like every party is just us two And there's nothing I could point to It's everything about you, you, you Everything about you, you, youIt's everything that you do, do, do It's everything about you

DIY Lip Scrub

Now that the cold weather has appeared everything is dry.  I HATE having dry and chapped lips.  It's the worst feeling ever!  While hanging out with one of my friends we decided to make our own lip scrubs.  A lib scrub gets all the dry skin off so when you apply chapstick it actually works.  They can be a bit pricey so this will save you money.  You could even give them as Christmas gifts!  It's SUPER easy and you probably have all the ingredients already!  If you make this tweet me pictures!  Enjoy!

What You Will Need:

2 cups white sugar

½ cup coconut oil

5-7 drops of orange essential oil

A jar with a lid

Pink food coloring

Directions:

1. Begin by mixing the sugar and coconut oil in a bowl. You can use a wooden spoon or food processor.

2. Add in the orange essential oil. You can use any flavor you want.  Also add a few drops of food coloring if you'd like.  Mine is bright pink but you can skip this part if you want.  Continue to mix and blend until the sugar scrub is the consistency you wish.

3. Store the sugar scrub in a glass jar with lid to keep it fresh.  To use your sugar scrub, just apply it to wet skin in a circular motion and rinse.

Cooking Corner: Easy Apple Crisp

Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week already??  It isn't really a huge deal in my family but we do enjoy spending time together.  We usually spend the day playing games and eating A LOT.  Today I'm going to share the perfect dessert to bring to dinner.  A couple weeks ago I had Apple Crisp and became obsessed!  My grandma found this recipe on Pinterest and it's SOOO good!  You can make adjustments if you prefer.  We used different apples and oats.  If you make this tweet me pictures.  Enjoy!!!

Ingredients:

For the crumb topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

dash of salt

1/3 cup unsalted butter, diced into small chunks

For the Apple filling:

3-4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thin

3 Tbsp butter, melted

2 Tbsp flour

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

dash of salt

Caramel Sauce (homemade or store bought)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a medium size bowl combine the crumb topping ingredients with a fork or pastry blender until it resembles small crumbs. Refrigerate while you prepare the apple filling.

3. For the Apple Filling: In a small bowl, combine melted butter and flour until well blended. Add lemon juice, milk and vanilla and stir well. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour butter mixture over apples and toss to coat. Pour apple mixture into an 8x8-inch baking dish and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over the apples.

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and top is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.  Add caramel sauce and enjoy!

New Hair!!!

Do you ever make impulse decisions?  I do quite often.  Today I chopped off about 8 inches of my hair!  I've been thinking about it for awhile and finally did it.  I thought I'd share my new hair with you guys!  If any of you have short hair share some products that you use so I can try them.

♥DIY Donut Pumpkin♥

One of my favorite things about Halloween is carving pumpkins.  This year I wanted to do something different.  The new trend is painting pumpkins so that's what I did.  I LOVE donuts!!!  I went to Pinterest to find some inspiration.  I think my pumpkin turned out pretty adorable.  I think next year I'll do a few more.

What You Will Need:

-A pumpkin of any size

-A pencil

-Acrylic Paint (any colors you want)

-Paint brushes

Directions:

1. Pick the pumpkin you want.  I went with a small one so it would be more realistic.

2. Then I took a pencil to outline the frosting.  Take gray paint and go over the outline.

3. Paint the top part of your pumpkin light pink.  Then paint the bottom portion a tan color.

4. After everything is dry use multiple different colors to make sprinkles.

It is that easy!  Did you decorate any pumpkins this year?  I would love to see them!  Tweet me pictures especially if you try this design.

BRAND NEW BLOG DESIGN!!!!!

OMG YOU GUYS HOW AMAZING DOES MY BLOG LOOK?!?!  I like to call it shabby chic and it is even better than I envisioned.  I've been wanting to redesign my blog for awhile but I just didn't know what I wanted.  I highly recommend checking out Joanna Bogacz!  She does a great job bringing your design to life.  I'm definitely feeling more inspired so be on the look out for more posts.  Be sure to let me know what kind of things you want to see.  Also if you would like collaborate or work with me then contact me.  I'm so excited to get back to blogging!  I hope you follow along on my new journey!!!!



xo,
Jerica

I Met Luke Bryan!!!!!!

I've been keeping a secret from you guys!!  Last week a friend of mine got us tickets to Luke Bryan.  We also got meet and greet passes which had me FREAKING out!!!!!  If you don't know who he is then you are missing out.  He is a country singer and a total hottie.  I've never done a meet and greet but it goes pretty quick.  He signed my shirt and my pass.  Then we took a picture together and that's it.  The concert was AMAZING!!!!  He can really move his hips and all the girls were dying!  My favorite songs were Play It Again, Strip It Down, I Don't Want This Night To End, and Home Alone Tonight.  He also covered Can't Feel My Face by The Weeknd.  I was really good!  What's your favorite Luke Bryan song?

xo,
Jerica

Cooking Corner: White Chocolate Strawberry Blondies

This is part two of my Valentine's Day baking ideas.  Yesterday I shared Strawberry No Bake Cookies.  Since I have a party tomorrow I needed to bring treats.  I LOVE brownies so I searched Pinterest for some festive ones.  I found the perfect recipe!  Today's recipe is White Chocolate Strawberry Blondies.  Blondies are just a vanilla brownie.  In our case they will be pink!  If you make these tweet me pictures.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 box Strawberry Cake Mix

1/2 cup Canola Oil

1 Egg

1/3 cup Milk

3/4 cup White Chocolate Chips

1/2 cup White Chocolate Chips (For Drizzling)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 11x7 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside

Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add the milk slowly. You want the cake batter to be as dense & thick possible. Mix in the white chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are just turning brown.

Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, then melt your white chocolate chips and drizzle them on top of the bars, if you choose. Once the bars and the melted chocolate have cooled, cut your blondies using a serrated knife.

xo,

Jerica

2015 Rewind!

Happy New Year!!!!!!  This one of my favorite posts to do.  Basically I make a list of pop culture events that happened in 2015.  I did one in 2013 and 2014 so you can check them out if you want.  I can't pick every moment but I'll try my best!  What was your favorite moment of 2015?

• #WhatColorIsThe Dress
• Zayn left One Direction
• See You Again by Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth
• Princess Charlotte was born
• Star Wars took over everything!
• Justin Bieber made a comeback
• Bill Cosby scandal
• #Pray4Paris
• Cecil the Lion
• USA Woman's soccer team wins World Cup
• Saint West is born
• Shut Up and Dance by Walk The Moon
• Apple Watch
• Hunger Games ends
• Bruce Jenner becomes Caitlyn Jenner
• Trump runs for President
• Taylor Swift dominates everything!
• Jealous by Nick Jonas
• Carpool Karaoke with James Corden
• Lamar Odom in coma
• Charlie Sheen is HIV +
• Kylie Jenner lip challenge
• Duggar scandal
• RIP Bobbi Kristina
• Uptown Funk by Bruno Mars
• One Direction announces hiatus
• YouTube turns 10 years old
• Cheerleader by OMI

xo,

Jerica

Made In The A.M. Album Review

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!!!!!!  The new One Direction album is here!  I preordered it so I got bonus videos from the Apple Music Festival.  I also got 4 bonus tracks.  This is a big moment because it is the first album without Zayn.  I have to say this is my favorite album so far.  It is a mature sound and it's just simple.  It's one of those albums you listen to on a rainy day when you just want to chill.  I'm obsessed with it!!!  I'm so proud of them and they sound AMAZING!  I've been playing this 24/7 and I highly recommend it!  My favorite songs so far are Love You Goodbye, I Want To Write You A Song, A.M., If I Could Fly, and History.  Below is the tracklist and my favorite lyrics.  What songs are you loving?

1. Hey Angel: Yeah I see you at the bar, at the edge of my bed Backseat of my car, in the back of my head I come alive when I hear your voice It's a beautiful sound, it's a beautiful noise

2. Drag Me Down: I got fire for a heart I'm not scared of the dark You've never seen it look so easy
I got a river for a soul And baby you're a boat Baby you're my only reason

3. Perfect: When I first saw you From across the room I could tell that you were curious, oh, yeah
Girl, I hope you’re sure What you're looking for 'Cause I'm not good at making promises

4. Infinity: Down to Earth It's like I'm frozen, but the world still turns Stuck in motion, and the wheels keep spinning 'round Moving in reverse with no way out

5. End Of The Day: I told her that I loved her, was not sure if she heard The roof was pretty windy and she didn't say a word Party dying downstairs, had nothing left to do Just me, her and the moon

6. If I Could Fly: For your eyes only, I show you my heart For when you're lonely and forget who you are I'm missing half of me when we're apart Now you know me, for your eyes only For your eyes only

7. Long Way Down: We had a mountain But took it for granted We had a spaceship But we couldn't land it We found an island But we got stranded We had it all Who could've planned it?

8. Never Enough: I don't need my love You can take it, you can take it, take it I don't need my heart
You can break it, you can break it, break it I just can't get too much of you, baby It's never, it's never enough, never enough It's never enough, never enough

9. Olivia: When you go and I'm alone You live in my imagination The summertime and butterflies
All belong to your creation I love you, it's all I do I love you

10. What A Feeling: What a feeling to be right here beside you now Holding you in my arms When the air ran out and we both started running wild The sky fell down But you've got stars in your eyes
And I've got something missing tonight What a feeling to be a king beside you, somehow I wish I could be there now

11. Love You Goodbye: Hey, hey, hey Oh, why you're wearing that to walk out of my life? Hey, hey, hey Oh, even though it's over you should stay tonight Hey, hey, hey If tomorrow you won't be mine
Won't you give it to me one last time? Oh, baby, let me love you goodbye

12. I Want To Write You A Song: I want to write you a song One to make your heart remember me
So any time I'm gone You can listen to my voice and sing along I want to write you a song

13. History: No, they don't teach you this in school Now my heart's breaking and I don't know what to do Thought we were going strong Thought we were holding on Aren't we?

14. Temporary Fix: You caught my attention, you were looking at me first Saw that I could teach you, waking up in my t-shirt If you're not hooked to anything right now, I can be your vice

15. Walking In The Wind: We had some good times, didn't we? We had some good tricks up our sleeve Goodbyes are bittersweet But it's not the end I'll see your face again

16. Wolves: In the middle of the night when the wolves come out Headed straight for your heart Like a bullet in the dark One by one, I gotta take them down We can run and hide, ain't goin' down without a fight I hear them calling for you

17. A.M.: Won't you stay 'til the A.M.? All my favorite conversations Always made in the A.M Cause we don't know what we're saying We're just swimming round in our glasses And talking out of our asses Like we're all gonna make it




xo,
Jerica

Get Weird Album Review

I'm SUPER exited for this post!  If you've been following my monthly playlists then you'll know I've been obsessed with Little Mix.  I've loved them since the beginning but their new music is just SO good!  It reminds me of old school mixed with R&B.  It's a more mature vibe and I'm loving it.  This is by far my favorite album by them.  I preordered the deluxe edition so I got 4 bonus songs and 2 videos.  One is a video for the song Hair that they made in their hotel room.  The other is behind the scenes at the iTunes Festival.  I obviously love Black Magic, Love Me Like You, and Hair.  My top favorites are Grown, Secret Love Song, A.D.I.D.A.S., Clued Up, and OMG.  Below is the track list and my favorite lyrics.  What songs are you guys loving?

Tracks:
1. Black Magic: Take a sip of my secret potion,I'll make you fall in love For a spell that can't be broken One drop should be enough Boy you belong to me I got the recipe And it's called black magic

2. Love Me Like You: L-O-V-E, love the way you give it to me When you're with me, boy I want it everyday L-O-V-E, love the way you give it to me When you're with me, boy I want it everyday

3. Weird People: You know the people on the bus and the people on the street People like you and the people like me Weird people (Let's get weird)

4. Secret Love Song feat. Jason Derulo: Why can't you hold me in the street? Why can't I kiss you on the dance floor? I wish that it could be like that Why can't we be like that? Cause I'm yours

5. Hair: When you need to get your phone, erase that number Don't call him back cause he don't deserve it And when you see him in the club Just flip your hair, don't show him any love Cause you've had enough

6. Grown: Grown now, grown now Don't you know that I'm grown now, grown now Don't you know that I can hold my own, boy you missed the boat Can't get with me, now I'm grown

7. I Love You: I just wanna scream out 'til my voice breaks Even if the tears fall and my heart hates me Baby I love you

8. OMG: Oh my gosh, I think I did it again Broke his heart, why does this keep happening? Don't come crying when I say it's the end I'm ringing the alarm, boy you better run on

9. Lightning: Oh lightning strikes twice And it burns like ice I wish I didn't love you again Oh lightning strikes twice And it burns so nice I wish I didn't love you

10. A.D.I.D.A.S.: Slaving in the kitchen, iced you a cake Then I served you a plate, but that ain't what you ate, no We been busy doing all Fifty Shades While we listen to Drake, we on that hot love and emotion

11. Love Me Or Leave Me: You can take this heart Heal it or break it all apart No, this isn't fair Love me or leave me here

12. The End: Said I'm gonna leave But I'll never leavin' Now I know that I really don't need to have your fun Now the parties done And you beg on the floor As I walk out the door Boy we're through

13. I Won't: And I won't let anybody tell me no I won't take anything for granted Cause I know that nothing good comes easy If it did, I wouldn't be me, let it go and let me do it cause

14. Secret Love Song Part II: It's obvious you're meant for me Every piece of you, it just fits perfectly Every second, every thought, I'm in so deep But I'll never show it on my face

15. Clued Up: Cause sometimes it's beauty, sometimes it's pain Sometimes it's sunshine, and sometimes it's rain I'm clued up and now I get it Just make the best of what you have

16. The Beginning: A bit of me, a piece of you With a sprinkle of attitude A little dream, a lot of love
Turn up the heat baby, don't give up




xo,
Jerica

10 Reasons Why I Love Fall

It's finally beginning to feel like fall time!  Even though I love summer I'm ready to enjoy cooler weather.  I thought I would share my top 10 reasons that I love fall.  Living in Nebraska we get to experience every season.  Since I've been here my entire life sometimes I don't take it all in.  So that's why I decided to do this post.  What is fall like where you live?  What do you love about this time of year?

1. Hoodies

2. Football

3. Bonfires

4. Hot Chocolate

5. Changing Leaves

6. Baking

7. Caramel Apples

8. Carving Pumpkins

9. Crisp Air

10. Boots

xo,

Jerica

What I Eat In A Day

Today I wanted to try a different type of post,  I enjoy reading what people eat throughout the day.  It gives you different ideas to try and incorporate into your meals.  It also helps you keep a food journal which I really enjoyed.  If you guys like this type of post then let me know.  Maybe I'll make this a regular post.  What do you guys eat?  Let me know!


8 AM: For breakfast I felt very hungry.  I had a frozen waffle and a hard boiled egg.  I also had a glass of apple juice.

10 AM: For a snack I decided to eat a banana.

12:30 PM: I made a PB&J sandwich for lunch.  I used organic oat bread with peanut butter and organic grape jelly.  I also had some chips and carrots with ranch.  I drank a glass of water.  For dessert I had a cupcake.

3 PM: For my afternoon snack I had two Oreo cookies

6 PM: My grandma invited me over for dinner.  I had roast beef, mashed potato, and peas with carrots.  I drank a glass of Mountain Dew.  For dessert I had a root beer float.

9 PM: I always have cereal before bed.  So I had some Captain Crunch Berries.  Also I had a glass of water.




xo,
Jerica

♥The Fall Favorites Tag♥

Fall is finally here!!!!  This is always one of my favorite times of year.  I love the chilly sunny days and the trees changing.  It also means football time!  I'm a big fan in case you didn't know.  Today I'm doing the Fall Favorites Tag.  I saw it on YouTube and loved it.  I did adjust some of the questions to fit me better.  I wanted to have this post up earlier but I got a really bad virus for about two weeks.  That was NOT fun but I'm back now!  I wanna know all of your answers too!  Be sure to send me a link so I can check them out!  Also, send me some suggestions if you want more fall themed posts.  Enjoy!

Favorite Candle:

I don't really light candles but I love a good fall scent.  For my birthday I got an Air Wick room spray.  I'm OBSESSED with it!  My scent recently ran out so I went on the hunt for a fall smell.  I found this one called Mom's Baking and it's perfect!  It smells like cinnamon, apples, and vanilla.  Every 30  minutes or so it will spray and I just can't get enough!

Favorite Candy:

There is only certain types of candy that you can buy around this time of year.  I wait all year for...candy corn!!!!  I LOVE it!  Nobody else I know will eat it.  The original is obviously the best but I do like trying the flavored ones as well.  I highly recommend the S'mores flavor.

Favorite Drink:

HOT CHOCOLATE!!!!  There is no question about this question.  It's pretty much all I drink from October through February.  It just makes me feel so cozy and warm.  I just got into Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate.  I can't believe I've been missing out!

Favorite Book:

I adore a good romance book around this time of year.  I just like curling up in a snuggly blanket and getting lost in a love story.  This will be my go to this year.  I pre-ordered it so I can start reading it next week when it comes out.  To be honest any Nicholas Sparks is a winner in my opinion.

Favorite Clothing Item:

This is my latest purchase and I am in LOVE!  I have been wanting a pair of ankle booties for a few years.  I just couldn't find a pair that I really loved.  I found these on sale at Kohls and I knew they were the ones.  I bought them in tan because I felt like they will go with everything.  I just like how I can wear them with pretty much anything in my wardrobe.

Favorite Fall Movie:

This is my all time favorite Halloween film.  I've been watching this since I was little and I still love it.  I don't like scary movies so I'm glad Disney understands me.  It's actually such an underrated film.  Another movie that I also seem to watch around this time of year is RENT.  If you aren't a fan of musicals then you probably won't like it.  It's my all time favorite musical!

Favorite Fall TV Show:

I LOVE FALL TV!!!  I look forward to it all summer long!  I've been watching a lot of new shows so I'll do a whole post on that.  The one show I was most excited for was How To Get Away With Murder.  This show is MY LIFE!  Each episode just gets better and better!  Go watch if you haven't yet!

Favorite Thanksgiving Food:

I actually don't like traditional Thanksgiving food.  That's probably really weird but I just don't.  One thing that we eat every year is green bean casserole.  It's just SO good!  It's really easy to make as well.  My mom does it best!

Favorite Halloween Costume:

As a kid my mom never bought us costumes.  She never saw the point in spending $25 to wear an outfit that you only wear a few hours.  So she just made them!  My favorite was a cat.  I just wore black stretch pants, a black turtleneck, and black ballet shoes.  It was my favorite and I honestly wanted to wear it every day.  Sadly I couldn't find a picture but I was obsessed.

xo,

Jerica

Cooking Corner: Quick And Easy Pumpkin Muffins

It's finally October!!!!!  You know what that means...PUMPKIN TIME!!!!!!  I've been waiting until October to post a recipe that I'm obsessed with.  It's Pumpkin Muffins!!!  My mom and I discovered it last year and now we eat them every morning.  Sadly we can only have them around this time of year.  They are SUPER easy because it only requires two ingredients.  Yes, TWO INGREDIENTS!  Once you make them more often, you can add spices to fit your taste.  If you make them tweet me pictures.  Enjoy!

What You'll Need:

1 Box of Vanilla Cake Mix

1 Can of Pumpkin Pie filling

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. Dump cake mix and filling into a medium bowl and mix together.

3. Scoop the mixture into cupcake liners

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Let them cool and enjoy!

*You can eat them plain or top them with whatever you like.  I do Cool Whip or Cinnamon Sugar!*

xo,

Jerica

Cooking Corner: Zucchini Bread

This is my FAVORITE time of year for baking.  It's starting to get colder outside and baking just makes everything cozier.  One of my favorite foods is zucchini bread.  Don't worry, you can't even taste the zucchini.  That was why it took me awhile to try it but I'm SO glad I did!  I found this recipe on Pinterest of course!  I did slightly alter it though so I thought I would share the recipe with you guys today.  If you make this then make sure you tweet me pictures!  Also let me know any recipes that you want to see!

Ingredients:

1 pound zucchini (Make sure it is finely shredded and placed in a towel to remove excess moisture.  You’ll end up with about 1 to 1 1/2 cups)

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup plain yogurt (not fat-free)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice or sour cream

6 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously coat a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray

2. Chop the ends off the zucchini (just 1/4-inch off each end) and finely shred the zucchini, peel and all. Place the shredded zucchini in a clean kitchen towel, wrap the towel, and wring the ends (like a an old-fashioned candy wrapper) to squeeze out all the excess water. You should have about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of dry zucchini. Set the zucchini aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt.

4. In a smaller bowl, whisk the sugar, yogurt, eggs, lemon juice or sour cream, and butter until combined.

5. Gently fold the yogurt mixture and zucchini into the flour mixture, using a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients together until just combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

6. Bake until golden brown for about 45-55 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes then turn out into wire rack to cool for at least 1 hour. Store well-covered for up to three days.

xo,

Jerica

My Thoughts On The Pretty Little Liar Finale

I've been waiting to do this post for awhile!  I was waiting so that I didn't ruin anything.  If you haven't watched yet be warned that there will be spoilers.  Let's get to it!

I've been ADDICTED to this show since the very beginning.  They really hyped up this season calling it the summer of answers.  We were FINALLY going to find out who A is!  I thought it was going to be Bethany.  She has been connected to Alison's family quite often plus we knew that A was related.  I didn't have any crazy theories or predictions like a lot of other fans did.  I honestly had NO idea who it was but I was 90% sure that Sara had something to do with it.

I really loved the episode!  It was super suspenseful and it did answer most of the questions that we fans wanted to know.  I did not think that A was going to be CeCe Drake.  When she turned around my jaw literally dropped.  She just hasn't been on the show in awhile.  Some people didn't like the transgender storyline but I honestly didn't mind it.  It actually made sense and I can't believe we didn't figure it out with all the clues!  Also Sara Harvey was red coat AND black widow.  I was on to her!

The end jumped ahead 5 years and showed the girls warning Alison that he was following her.  Who is he?  How can they leave as hanging like that?  Also, did the moms ever get out of the basement?  We won't find anything out until January!  That's too long!  Did you watch the finale?  Let me know your thoughts.




xo,
Jerica

10 Random Songs

It's Friday!!!!!  One of my favorite things in life is music.  I listen to it every single day and I instantly feel better.  I feel like songs are the way to really get to know a person.  Today I thought I would give you guys a look into me based off of my iTunes.  I'm going to put it on shuffle and list the 10 songs that play.  I'll even share a memory or a reason I downloaded it.  I want all of you to participate also!  Post what 10 songs come up and talk about what it means to you.  Here we go!


1. Barefoot Blue Jean Night by Jake Owens
This song reminds of Summer.  It came out when I was 22 and I heard it because my older sister told me about it.  It just gives off a really chill vibe which is how I am.  It's great for a beach party or bonfire.

2. Come On Over by Jessica Simpson
I've always been a fan of hers.  This song is when she attempted to go country.  I didn't buy the album but I actually really like this song.  She should probably stick to pop music though.  It works better for her voice.

3. Because Of You by 98 Degrees
I'm OBSESSED with boy bands!  They were SO underrated in my opinion.  Nick Lachey was my love when I was probably 8 or 9.  To be honest I'm still in love with him.  This song takes me back to the TRL days when I would wait to see a 20 second clip of the music video.  It was totally worth it though!  Isn't it ironic that this played after Jessica Simpson?  I loved them together and their reality show was my life.  I actually own every season.

4. Runaway by Ed Sheeran
Who doesn't love him?  His songs always have such a great message.  He is truly one of the greatest singer/songwriters of our generation.

5. Lookin' For A Good Time by Lady Antebellum
I heard this on an award show and thought it was catchy.  I'm not a big fan but I do enjoy some of their songs.

6. Square Pegs by Kelsea Ballerini
I heard one song and immediately bought her album.  I discovered her on YouTube and now I love her.  She reminds me a lot of Taylor Swift.  I've had the album on repeat all summer.  I swear I listen to more than country!

7. Fall For You by Secondhand Serenade
I went through a slightly alternative phase in high school.  We all had laptops that were for "school use only" but we never followed that.  This was on one of my mix cd's that I would listen to in study hall and sometimes class.

8. Tell Me Why by Taylor Swift
I just love her!  She is pretty much my idol and can do no wrong.  I have no other words!

9. Better Than Words by One Direction
If you follow my blog then you know I am obsessed with them!  This song takes me back to the concert last month.  It just made the crowd go CRAZY!  Mostly because there was lots of hip thrusting happening!

10. Close Your Eyes by Meghan Trainor
My mom and I love her.  I'm a fan of 50's and 60's music and she somehow makes that sound modern.  It's the perfect mixture.  She is just great!




xo,
Jerica

Lazy Day Essentials (Summer Edition)

We all have days where we just want to lay around doing nothing.  I'm ALWAYS super busy during Summer so I enjoy a lazy day.  I thought I would share some of my essentials.  It's not always sunny during this time of year either so you could even use some of these on rainy days.  What are some of your essentials?

Swimsuit:

I love just laying out by the pool.  It's so relaxing!  Obviously you need to be wearing a cute swimsuit.  I like buying them at Target or Walmart.  They don't last forever but they are good quality for the price.  I prefer strapless tops so you don't have crazy tan lines.

Hat:

I love floppy hats!  There are SO many styles and you can wear them anywhere.  They are really good at keeping your face protected.  Also, you don't have to worry about doing your hair!  Hats are life changing this time of year.

Candle:

I love candles all year long.  I especially like to light them on rainy days.  This is my favorite right now.  I did a whole post on this candle which you can check it out here.  It's amazing!!!!

Graphic Tee:

I am OBSESSED with graphic shirts.  They go with everything and you can also show your interests.  I like to buy a size bigger so when I'm just relaxing it isn't too tight.  You can also throw it on over your swimsuit and go places.  I just love them!

Book:

A good book is perfect for a lazy day.  I like getting lost in another world.  I've always been a big reader though.  I'm currently reading All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven.  Be on the lookout for a review soon!

Netflix:

I've seen pretty much every episode of Friends.  Lately it's been a little rainy so I've started watching it on Netflix.  It's just a classic!  I never get tired of it and I probably never will.

Snack:

I LOVE ice cream!!!  I switch flavors all the time because I get bored easily.  Right now I'm loving Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough by Ben & Jerry's.  I mean who doesn't love cookie dough?  Don't be ashamed if you eat the whole thing because we've all done it.  Plus lazy days are meant to be unhealthy!

xo,

Jerica