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I’m on Pinterest!

I have to tell you that I never thought that I would be a part of Pinterest! I am excited to share with you that I have created a collection of inspirations and recipes for you to enjoy and Pin! What I love about Pinterest is that you are able to “pin” something to your board and then keep it there forever for your reference. You can create your own pin boards. Maybe you enjoy traveling to the Caribbean. You can create a pin board of places you want to visit in the Caribbean. It is a super fun and easy way of organizing yourself and you can interact with other users. I have a pin board of recipes. I look at my boards as a way to keep all of my favorite recipes in one place. Gone are the days of having a recipe box. This is the next generation of recipe boxes! That said, it is also a way to find your favorite places to travel, inspirations of DIY, tips and hacks for all kinds of interests.

Because Pinterest is a lot of pictures, I want to give a shout out to my photographers, Rachel Pastukhov and Levi Perales of Tyn Foyal Photography. They do a stunning job on all of my pictures. They are the ones that bring beauty to every blog post and now I have the blessing of sharing all of the pictures on Pinterest! I have created a board of my favorite things. I have boards on gardening, entertaining, home, shop my style, travel and many more for you to enjoy! If you are not on Pinterest I encourage you to check it out and follow me! It is with excitement I make this announcement and I look forward to sharing more with you! I hope you start pinning with me!

July 18, 2018 by She Bakes The Heat

Lifestyle

What’s In My Bag This Summer

Wow! Can you believe that summer is in full swing? I am loving the early morning sunrises and the late sunny nights! And of course all of the warm weather. It makes you feel alive doesn’t it? Well… today I am sharing what is in my bag. It’s so funny to me that people just love knowing what is in someone’s bag. I guess because it is a little taboo. I never really gave it that much thought and maybe that is why it is so easy for me to share all of my favorites with you!

The bag I am currently carrying around I purchased several years ago however, I found something similar to it on shop style. Make sure to click the pictures below so you can find out where to buy one. I love this bag because it’s kinda retro, lightweight and summery. Anyway, several of the items I am carrying are my absolute favorites right now. I had a post a few months back about my love for Beautycounter. They are the best! Their lip gloss goes on so well and it is just the right amount of color for me during the day. I also have some good stand by’s. One is Nars lip pigment. ABSOLUTELY the best. I am not one to put lip color on several times a day so this solves that problem. It is not drying and it is super consistent in color. I usually put Beautycounter lip gloss or Bare Minerals on top of the stain. I also have to have a spiral hair tie. To be honest, I prefer my hair up and out of my face. I realize most of my pictures are to the contrary but hair up is me! Another favorite for YEARS has been RayBans. I just found out that you can even customize a pair! I love the classic aviator because they look good on anyone. They are well made and hold up to my abuse. The one thing I hate about a larger bag is I can’t find anything. To help me out I love having several small bags and this clear cosmetic bag is great, I got several from Amazon. I can easily identify what I need and they are a quick clean up!

I love being able to show you what is in my bag and my hope is you will enjoy these items for yourself. They are great! Maybe you can share with me some of the things you love in your bag! I am open to new ideas.

July 6, 2018 by She Bakes The Heat

Lifestyle

Fun Picnic Ideas

When I was young it was always so fun and exciting to pack up a picnic and take it to the park. I grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and my Grandma and my Mom would take us kids to the park and we would just love hanging out and enjoying the breeze by the lake. My Grandma was an expert at making the best picnics. She would always make sure we had a “wet wash cloth” to clean ourselves before and after our meal. I always thought she was so smart! This was of course beforehand sanitizers were discovered or Wet Ones. We would always pack a sandy-which (she would call them that) and a pickle and then I can’t quite remember what we did for drinks, considering bottled water wasn’t available. Maybe we did a canteen? Anyway, it was always a great time together which is why I am sharing some of my fun ideas for your next picnic. I think the way our culture is today we don’t enjoy a good old fashion picnic enough. I hope this post inspires you to have a picnic if it has been a long time!

One of the things I like to take along is a salad however it can be a little tough making this happen. My current favorite on the go salad is my fresh apple salad with honey cider dressing. To make it simple I like to pack my salads individually into a disposable cup with a lid and then pop a fork in the straw slit! It’s a super cute way to encourage your family to eat their greens!

Another thing I love to pack is a sandwich with some hearty bread. It is important to have that French bread or something of that nature so your food doesn’t get soggy! It’s the worst when that happens. It holds up so much longer and tastes better than your typical bread.

I also like to bring along some cookies and I got mine from my favorite place, Crust! They have the best ginger molasses cookies around! And if you can fit it in, pack up some of my DIY bug spray! This time of year, they are everywhere and nothing ruins a picnic more than ants and bugs!!! Lastly, a good blanket is a must. I love this blanket I got from Amazon. It is plastic on the bottom and it keeps away any morning dew from getting my clothes wet. I hate getting up and having a wet bottom!

I am looking forward to my next picnic. I may do something different next time and have a picnic breakfast! What a way to start the day! I hope your inspired to take a walk, enjoy this beautiful weather and have a relaxing picnic! It will do your soul some good!

July 3, 2018 by She Bakes The Heat

Lifestyle, Recipes

Shredded Beef Brisket Tacos

Don’t you just love Taco Tuesdays? They are simple and a great staple for your family dinner planning. I know one thing, I love eating them but sometimes I need to change things up a bit and try something new. This shredded beef brisket taco recipe is so yummy. I would probably put it at my top five favorite recipes I have shared with my followers. The ingredients are easy simple and most likely you already have all of the ingredients except maybe the liquid smoke that is used. Have you ever cooked with liquid smoke before? It is so good and make the best “cheater” for smoking meats. I do not have my own smoker and I have never smoked anything before but this little liquid gives this recipe big taste while still being easy to prepare. I also think the cilantro, in large quantities, also gives this recipe that extra boost in flavor.

This recipe is great if you double or triple it and use it for a large group. It is a step up from the usual taco but also very simple and not a lot of fuss. I know your family will start requesting this recipe instead of the old one you have been doing for years. Enjoy!

Shredded Beef Brisket Tacos

Ingredients

3 pound beef brisket
1 cup Liquid Smoke
12 ounces Beer
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
20 corn tortillas

Instructions

Combine liquid smoke, beer, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a large resealable bag to make marinade.
Add brisket and refrigerate overnight.
Cook brisket and marinade in a Crock Pot on low for 8 hours.
Take out bay leaves and shred brisket.
Add brisket to tortillas shells and add your favorite toppings, avocado, shredded cheese, cilantro, green onions, avocado, sour cream, salsa and lime wedges.

June 26, 2018 by She Bakes The Heat

Moroccan lamb tagine with fennel and dates

Recipes

Tagine Recipe

I was in Charleston a month ago with my sister and my mom. We were shopping and came across the Le Creuset store and I had to take a peek inside. I’ve had one of their Dutch Ovens for about 5 years and I enjoy using it. I love going to cooking stores but I had never been in a Le Creuset store before. It was fun walking around and seeing all of the fun colors of cookware. I ended up seeing the Tagine and asked the clerk what it was. She said it is an Moroccan way of cooking. A Tagine is used to slowly simmer and using a heavy amount of spices for a variety of meats. I was intrigued and then decided I had to buy two! One for me to try and one for my dad for Father’s Day.

The tagine recipe that I am sharing today is from Le Creuset. The only thing I switched out was the olive oil for avocado oil because it’s what I’ve been using the last few months, you can find out about some health benefits on my blog post here. I don’t have a lot of experience cooking with lamb but it turned out great and I can’t even describe the wonderful smell the spices from this tagine recipe filled my house with, yum!

Moroccan lamb tagine with fennel and dates

Ingredients

2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 red onion thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb trimmed, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds lamb fillet cut into thick pieces
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cilantro (coriander)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pitted chopped dates
1 1/2 cups water
fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Heat one tablespoon of oil in the tagine base on a medium setting. Fry the onion, fennel and garlic until all are just beginning to brown. Transfer to plate.
Add the remaining oil and fry the pieces of lamb until they are evenly browned.
Add all the spices (ginger, cumin, cilantro, cayenne pepper and salt) to meat and stir well, continue to cook for one minute.
Return the onion, fennel and garlic to the Tagine. Add the dates and 3/4 cup of water. Stir well.
Cover and cook very gently, stirring occasionally for 3 - 3 1/2 hours. The spices will thicken the liquid as the dish cooks, so check after 1 1/2 hours and add the remaining water little by little.

June 15, 2018 by She Bakes The Heat

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