SHAMROCK COOKIE CUPS

You know me and my festive desserts! Could not resist whipping up a few for the Luck of the Irish Day coming Up! So I have to tell you a story about these little cookie cups. This was an ingenious idea I had in my mind and I didn't think it was going to turn out but when you have an idea and it does turn out, for some reason there's extra excitement in the air not to mention, sugary treats in mine and my families bellies! 
Yum


So, I had to let the sugar cookie dough soften a little and then knead in the green food coloring with my hands. I rolled it in wax paper in an even smaller long piece so that I could cut 24 pieces for the mini muffin cups instead of 12 for big ones. I suppose you could do big ones if you wanted to, but I had to save at least half the calories, ha ha. Plus they're just so cute as minis! I made them on a Friday morning. Mr. Nine came home for lunch and we decided to try them together. I popped one in my mouth first and by the look on my face he was worried. I will tell you kids, I did not love it. The cookie was just too hard. But you see I had to bake them that long because it look like the cookie was all running together in the muffin tins and I would have no little opening for my yummy cheesecake filling. Mr. Nine thought they were just OK. So since we're cutting back on sugar, I threw half of them out and put the other half in a container to take to the ladies at work. 


When my BFF stuck one in her mouth she was like oh my goodness you didn't like this? This is delicious!!!! So I decided to give it another whirl and friends, yes, they were indeed suddenly DE-LISH!!!!! And I was thinking: what have I done by throwing half of those out? The cookie cup had softened and suddenly the flavors blended together in a soft sugar cookie and cream cheese goodness!

Think of the different decorating possibilities!


Like these with Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

What you'll need

SHAMROCK COOKIE CUPS  
Ingredients
One package of sugar cookie dough
Green food coloring
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cool whip topping
Mini Muffin Tin
Embellishments Like candy shamrocks and green sugar.

Directions
Put cookie dough out to soften for about a half an hour, put in a large bowl and sprinkle in some green coloring and mix well with your hands until desired color. Roll up in wax paper in an even longer smaller roll and put in the refrigerator for about an hour. Preheat your oven to 350°. Cut sugar cookie dough into 24 slices which is going to go into the greased mini muffin tin pan. Press the tale of the sides to create a little bowl. Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges start to try to go to brown color. Allow about 10 to 15 minutes to cool. Transfer them to wax paper by either inverting the pan or what I did was take a sharp knife and loosen them a bit and they pop right out. Make your cream cheese filling by beating the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until creamy and folding in the whip cream. You can either spoon the cheesecake filling in or pipe it in like I did in each cookie dent. Top with your choice of embellishments or fruit. Store these cookie cups in the refrigerator.

STILL IN BEACH MODE

Happy Monday Angels. Don't mind me if I am still in Beach Mode. Returning from a much needed last minute, warm, salty sea trip. I'll be back tomorrow with a tasty treat....
.......Full Vacay Re-Cap next Monday


Hi! I'm Andrea and I'm a BEACHOHOLIC!

This is my wish for you today....
XOXO

FUR AROUND MY NECK RE-CREATE, WUW & LINK-UP


Oh my, is this outfit Re-Create a little comical in the making. Of course I found myself another anorexic model to re-create my look. What I loved was all I had to buy for this re-create was six dollar clearance fur snood ( I call it a fur neck wrap) online from Target.
Similar one from Target HERE for $12.


Time for another Two-Fer with this recreate for our Fashion Link-Up with The Blended Blog and ShayMel and Sheaffer for What's Up Wednesday.



 I already had the faux leather leggings, booties, my favorite of all time by Karen Scott and this cute little Cardi that my son's got me for Christmas. I absolutely love the drape of hers, but mine was not big enough to do that and not an asymmetrical front. However, I feel like it got pretty darn close and our sweet youngest son agreed to take these pictures for me on a crazy blustery wind, snowy kind of day. So much so, I couldn't edit it out from the pics.


I truly don't know if I can wear this "snood" on a regular basis as I feel like there is an animal choking me, lol and Gawd.....it's HOT!!!


And so here comes the comical part. After we took these pictures, I threw the snood onto the bed and forgot about it. A few hours later I walked in the bedroom and screamed thinking a cat got in and was taking a nap on the bed. Duh, that stupid snood thingy.




                        Now, time for some What's Up in the Nine neck of the woods......
                                         


1. WHAT WE’RE EATING THIS WEEK: Missy's White Bean and Chicken Sausage SoupAsian Chicken Soft Tacos, Yasso Bars
A little shaved parm on top....thank you Missy, I make your creations reguarly!


I've died and gone to dessert heaven!! These bars are not only dessert DELICIOUS, they are healthy too, thank you greek yogurt. 100 calories and they're not small. What makes them even more cool is the story behind it's founders....2 friends since kindergarten. READ HERE
2. WHAT I’M REMINISCING ABOUT: Fish, well, fishing with the fam. Yep, girls, I have baited my own hook, worms even, since I was a girl!!

3. WHAT I’M LOVING: I know it's been said all over BlogLand, but the Starbucks Cascara Latte is SOOOOO Good!
4. WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO: Eating Healthier and dropping some LB's, it's slowly working!!!
5. WHAT I’M DREADING: Nothing at all..
6. WHAT I’M WORKING ON: Putting Up Easter Decor soon...just not enough St. Patty's stuff to even go there so 8 weeks to enjoy Springy Easter stuff makes me Happy!
Here are a few of the new goodies from TJ Maxx & Hobby Lobby...I'll do a post when all done.
How CUTE are the BUNNY Candle Holders!
7. WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT: The Newest theme for our Wednesday Fashion Link-Up. Spring Fever Fashion and I get to lead this month. Come by every Wednesday with your incredible style.


8. WHAT I’M WATCHING/READING: Watching; the Final Season of Girls, Getting ready to start season 2 of Billions and excited for Chicago Justice to add to the Chicago Fire/PD/Med trilogy. And Of course still with This is Us, The Middle, The Goldbergs, Fixer Upper...



And SUPER Excited about this series based on the Liane Moriarty Book:
BIG LITTLE LIES

Reading: The Passenger by Lisa Lutz....very good!


9. WHAT I’M LISTENING TO: Gwen Stafani, Ed Sheeran, Country and Prime Country. AND my favorite song right now...
Keith and Carrie..."The Fighter"

10. WHAT I’M WEARING: Lots of Dresses with tights and boots or booties.

Thank you Miss SHELLY


11. WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND: Dying to tell ya but can't. Let's just say I'm flying high and happy as a clam about it.

12. WHAT I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH: Boys home for some of Spring Break and Vegas Baby!
WHAT
13. WHAT ELSE IS NEW: Broke off a tooth/filling and freaked. But I have the BEST Dentist and with a Xanax.....all fixed. 

Bonus:WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BEAUTY PRODUCT OF ALL TIME? Cetaphil Cleanser...been using it for 2 decades and my face has never been dry, so gentle, my face is so soft and cleanses so well...LOVE IT!!

Can't wait for you to Link-Up with The Blended Blog ladies and myself for the Fashion Link-Up. 

NEXT WEEK on WEDNESDAY the Link-Up's
continue but with a new theme called 
SPRING FEAVER FASHION!!!

xoxo


BUDDHA BOWLS


Buddha, Buddha, Buddha!! I want to say that fast three times when I'm talking about these delicious bowls! So colorful! So delicious! You may have seen these bowls floating all around social media and I know I could not wait to give them a try since we've been on a healthy eating kick. However, I wanted to change ours up a bit so this is what I came up with.
Yum



Our boys were somewhat picky when they were younger but definitely not now and since our youngest is trying to get lean and strong for pre-football season, this was something I knew he'd love to try and he gobbled up every last bit which makes me know it's a huge hit! Heck, I could even eat these ingredients on a bed of spinach and not even have the rice.

 So Full of Flavor and Healthy antioxidants!

What you'll need

Buddha Bowls
Ingredients
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 large sweet potatoes
Sugar Snap pea pods
Spinach
Olive Oil
Ground Ginger
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper
2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
Juice of 1 lime
Sesame Seeds
Brown Rice

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spread sweet potatoes and onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle with about 1 -2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. While sweet potatoes are baking, cook the chicken breast. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil and place chicken breasts in skillet. Sprinkle with the ground ginger, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook for about 6 minutes, turn chicken breast, sprinkle with more of the same ingredients and cook for an additional 6-8 minutes until the center of the chicken breast or no longer pink. Cool a bit and cut into pieces. Make the dressing by whisking together minced garlic, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey and lime juice until evenly combined. Whisk in sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of olive oil until smooth. Cook rice as desired and start to assemble bowls. After rice, place some chicken, sweet potatoes, sugar snap peas and spinach in each quadrant of the bowl. Drizzle with some of he dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Makes about 4-6 bowls.

The roasted sweet taters




HAPPY TASTY TUESDAYS LOVELIES

BUDDHA, BUDDHA, BUDDHA

WORKING OUT....STEPPIN' UP....WHAT WORKS FOR ME

K, so you are my peeps and I'm not gonna lie to you guys. I'm just gonna tell you straight out, once you hit your 40s, it is so much harder to stay trim. It seems like you have to exercise so much more, I'm talking almost double to get the same results and so that can be a little frustrating. And you definitely can't eat like you used to, which is actually a good thing I know to be eating so much healthier but boy do I miss being able to eat four cookies instead of just one and that one only on occasion instead of every day, ha ha.



So there are three things in working out that are my best friends. My Fitbit of course, my portable stepper and planks. And I can tell you when you are in a competition for a work week hustle or even who can step the most in the day, your motivation skyrockets compared to just looking at the Fitbit for yourself. However, I am obsessed no matter what with getting my 10,000 steps a day and I try to average 13,000 to 15,000. I make sure I do it at least six out of the seven days but usually get my break on one of the weekend days. I always say if I was laid up and couldn't exercise, I'd go nuts.

Walking by water motivates me even more!

I said this once before on one of my Friday Favorites, but my Stepper from Amazon is the best exercise equipment purchase I've ever made in my entire life! I even step on it sometimes in my slippers.

People, hear me when I tell you BEST under $50 purchase ever from Amazon!! When it is too cold to run or walk outside, this stepper saves my workout sanity!! I can literally tote it to any room in the house, walk on it for an hour and catch up on all my DVR-ed TV shows., even blog. I have already worn out one so hubs bought me another. LOVE it and no $1000-$2000 for an elliptical or treadmill and it takes up no room, slide it under the bed or in a closet and good to go!! 

Get over Amazon right now and get one HERE

Fitbit and walking. I have always been a walking fanatic. Sometimes I do a run/walk but the older I've gotten that walking is just so much easier. I make it a point to get several good walks in during the day. And if the weather's nice, of course I get those walks and outside. We hike when we can too.
Oh and if we'd have had any of the fluffy white stuff his year, I'd have been snowshoeing to get steps....I even snowshoe in the back yard.

Planks. I pride myself in being able to do quite the long plank. I try to do a few throughout the day and I feel like it keeps my whole body more in balance if that makes sense.

Now here are the things that I'm not doing that I should be if I want to get a total weight workout. Weights. I have just never been good with weights. I always end up pulling a muscle somewhere even when I go down to the lower weights. And toning, boy when you get older, do you definitely need this! The planks help and of course the stepper but I know I could be doing more to tone. And I probably should be adding more stretches in too.

For the most part, I try to stay active and feel pretty good about my cardio and workout schedule. However, it's sad to think that the older I get, the more I may even have to do. And in reality I really want to work out like this:

What is your favorite way to work out? You certainly don't need a fancy gym or expensive equipment, just move that body girl! And no matter what, when motivation gets you down; You got this gorgeous!!

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