Thirsty Thursday: All You Need Is Love GLITTER Gift Set from One Hope Wine – VALENTINE’S DAY SPECIAL!!!

Posted on February 6, 2014 by BeautyFrosting

For Thirsty Thursday today, I am featuring the ULTIMATE Valentine’s Day gift for your love, lover or laugh-buddy. Y’all know I’m a big fan of One Hope Wine and One Hope at Home because they do good out there and make gooooood products.

But when you add in red glitter à la Dorothy? Baby-oh-baby, I’m OBSESSED!

Thirsty Thursday: One Hope Wine's All You Need Is Love GLITTER Gift Box Set ($129)

Benefitting the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign (with One Hope Wine donating half of the profits of every purchase), you can fill your heart with joy and help the hearts of women everywhere. The All You Need Is Love GLITTER gift box from One Hope Wine ($129) is filled with the things I love best – and the things I DEFINITELY need as a single gal in the city on Valentine’s Day.

What’s that, you ask? Wine. Chocolate. Candles. Glitter. Specifically, One Hope Wine’s Limited Edition red glitter bottle of North Coast Reserve Pinot Noir, B.Toffee dark chocolate and an exquisite Voluspa candle with sensual scents of goji berry and ripe mango. And get ’em while you can cuz they’re only selling 100 of these beauties!!

Get em while you can - they're only selling 100 of these beauties!!!!

Right now, One Hope Wine is offering an All You Need is Love GLITTER gift set for for a limited time only for only $129. But, BUUUUUT, as a BeautyFrosting reader you can get 30% off TODAY ONLY with the code GORED! Get it for your lover, your friend or heck, yourself! That’s what I’m gonna do! Happppppy Vaaaaaaalentine’s to meeeee!

Some not-so-sweet stats:

Risk Factors

– 90% of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease

– While 1 in 31 women dies of breast cancer each year, 1 in 3 dies of heart disease

The Good News!

Tomorrow, Feb 7 is National Wear Red day. Since the first wear red day 10 years ago, 21% fewer women are dying of heart disease, and 21% more are aware that it’s their number 1 health threat. Planning a party with Hope at Home can help make a difference!

xoxo,

BF Asks: What red frocks are you gonna don tomorrow for National Wear Red Day?

Valentine’s Day: Home is where the heart is!

Posted on February 14, 2013 by BeautyFrosting

Happy, happy Valentine’s day, beauties! Sending a virtual hug your way…right…now.

Here are some fun ideas to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a BEAUTYful way!
Whether it’s creating a signature Valentine hairstyle at home or whipping up some homemade lip balms for you and your girlfriends, the key to this Valentine’s is home is where the heart is!

THE HEART BRAID

Cozy Friedman’s Heart Braid is her signature Valentine’s Day style, featured in Cozy’s Complete Guide to Girls’ Hair. If you have the French Braid down packed then this style will be an easy feat!

What You’ll Need: Wide-tooth comb, fine-tooth comb, decorative hair clip, ponytail holders

Directions:

Step 1: Starting with damp hair (either towel-dried or misted), use a wide-tooth comb to detangle the hair. Then, using a fine-tooth comb, part the hair down the middle of the head. Clip one side up right above the ear.

Step 2: On the other side of the part, use the fine comb to gather a thin section of hair from the crown. This section should measure about 2 inches from the hairline to the top of the head.

Step 3: Divide this section into three, and begin a French braid starting at the crown and curving toward the temple, then toward the back of the head, like the top lobe of a heart. You will be lifting hair into the braid only from this side of the part. Leave no loose hair in front of the ears.

Step 4: When you reach the center part at the back of the head, secure the braid with a ponytail holder. If the hair is very long, end the braid about mid-ear; the ends will hang down the back.

Step 5: Unclip the hair on the other side of the part and repeat the process. Secure with a ponytail holder.

Step 6: Join the ends of the braids together in the

To pucker up for this special day, bond over these beauty recipes from author of Bonding Over Beauty, Erika Katz. These easy recipes can be stored in an adorable heart case or a small jar.

FRUITY LIP BALM

To keep lips soft and silky, this fruity lip balm exfoliates dead skin and softens at the same time.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 scoop powdered drink mix in your favorite flavor
Lip gloss jars(Available at http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/fin34b.html)

Directions:

Clarify the vegetable shortening by heating it in the microwave for 15 seconds. Stir in the drink mix. Pour the mixture into a lip gloss jar. Let the mixture harden for 10 minutes and your lip gloss is ready! You can decorate the jars with fun stickers and sparkles! Lasts up to six months unrefrigerated.

CHOCOLATE LIP BALM

This lip balm contains shea butter, beeswax, and coconut oil, which are all excellent natural emollients. You can get creative and add other flavors like peppermint oil, tangerine oil, or raspberry oil.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon shea butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 teaspoons grated beeswax
1 tablespoon vitamin E oil
15 chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Put all the ingredients into a double boiler on the stove or in a microwavable container.

Warm the mixture until it melts. Stir until smooth. Pour the mixture into a lip gloss container

and refrigerate until it hardens. Lasts up to 3 months at room temperature.

xoxo,

BF Asks: How are you celebrating Valentine’s Day today?

Foodie Friday: German Chocolate Bars

Posted on January 18, 2013 by BeautyFrosting

German Chocolate Bars: So easy & so delicious!

Well, well, well. Are you all in for a treat or what?

My recipe today is what I like to call one of my “homespun” recipes – taking ingredients that are already premixed and living in your pantry (or grocery store) and throwing ’em together to make an easy, delicious, totally homemade-tasting delight!

German Chocolate Bars. Mmmm…I’m not saying they’re the most delicious, easiest, crowd-pleasing thing to make but they’re the most delicious, easiest, crowd-pleasing thing to make. Oh wait I did say that?

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total time (with cooling): 1 – 2.5 hours

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 c butter, softened

1 box German chocolate cake mix

1 c semisweet chocolate chips

1 container Coconut Pecan frosting

3 Tbsp milk

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Lightly grease or spray bottom and sides of 13×9-inch pan. I prefer Baker’s Joy spray as everything comes out beautifully without sticking.
In medium mixing bowl, combine butter and cake mix with fork until crumbly; save 1 cup of combined mixture. Press remaining mixture in bottom of pan so it covers (like a crust).
Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips as evenly as possible over baked crust layer.
Drop frosting by tablespoonfuls over chocolate chips.
Stir milk into set aside cake mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto frosting layer.
Bake 24 to 28 minutes or until cake portion is slightly dry to touch; cool 10 minutes. Gently loosen edges of bars with knife.
Cool completely. Refrigerate until firm. Cut into bars. Cover with plastic wrap to keep fresh.

Recipe Box: BeautyFrosting’s CCC Brownies – in honor of my Mom

Posted on May 11, 2012 by BeautyFrosting

When I think of moms, I think of my Mom baking brownies when we were growing up. I think of “getting to clean” the beaters from the mixer, licking the spatula, my mom taking a big finger’s worth of buttery brownie batter and my eyes widening in delight as I savored the gooey goodness. YUMMY!

So, on Sunday, when I couldn’t find my Mom’s brownie recipe (which she originally got from her dear friend, Judy Rainey), I decided to make up my own! I tried something out and it just worked beautifully! I love it when that happens. So here are my CCC Brownies. Why CCC? Because the key ingredients are cocoa and cream cheese! And butter, of course! Now, you can share my buttery, brownie recipe with your kids!! May their memories be as sweet as mine looking back on it one day! Happy Mother’s Day!

And, Mom, thanks to you and Nanny for giving me the baking bug! I am forever grateful.

xoxo,

BeautyFrosting's CCC Brownies

CCC Brownies (Cocoa Cream Cheese)

Preheat oven to 325.

2 sticks (1 c.) Butter, softened

1 package (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened

3 eggs

3 c Sugar

2 tsp Vanilla extract

3/4 c Cocoa

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1 c all-purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Salt

Line baking pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine softened butter and cream cheese. Whip ’til light & fluffy.

Add eggs. Add sugar. Add vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine cocoa, baking powder, flour and salt.

Add mixture to creamy mixture. Mix well.

Pour into parchment paper-lined pan.

Bake 30-45 minutes (I bake mine for about 40 but my oven’s a little slow).

: Mixing up CCC Brownies in the BF kitchen

Ready for the oven!

Yummylicious!! CCC Brownies

BeautyFrosting’s Perfect Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies (using last week’s leftover frosting)

Posted on April 6, 2012 by BeautyFrosting

Happy Friday, beauties! As a follow-up to last week’s BeautyFrosting’s Perfect Pistachio Cupcakes, I thought my cookie recipe would be timely. Lazy much, you ask? No, no, no. But you probably have some leftover frosting, now, don’t you?

Here’s a great way to use that up. I made these guys for St.Patrick’s Day a few weeks ago:

BeautyFrosting's Perfect Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies - Always a hit!!

BeautyFrosting’s Perfect Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies

2 c. All-purpose flour

1 pckg (3.4 oz) Instant Pistachio pudding mix

1 c. butter (softened)

1/3 c. Confectioners Sugar

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 egg

1 tsp. Almond extract

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

1 c.miniature mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, salt and pistachio pudding mix in small bowl. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy and smooth.

Beat in egg. Add in vanilla and almond extracts. Mix well.

Add flour mixture into butter mixture.

Add chocolate chips.

BeautyFrosting's Perfect Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies, Pistachio Buttercream Frosting recipe

Form little 1 inch balls from cookie dough.

BeautyFrosting's Perfect Pistachio Thumbprint Cookies

Place at least 1 inch apart on cookie sheet (preferably on SilPat sheet for easy, non-stick baking). Press thumb into dough until “thumbprint” is achieved. I put the whole tip of the thumb in rather than just pressing. It creates more space for the delicious frosting.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Let cool completely and…

Fill the thumbprint with a dollop of:

BeautyFrosting’s Perfect Pistachio Buttercream Frosting

1 c. Butter-flavored Crisco (room temp)

1 c. Unsalted Butter (room temp)

8 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 pkg. (3.5 oz) Pistachio Instant Pudding Mix

1/2 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Vanilla

1 c. Heavy Whipping Cream (add until desired texture is met)

Cream butter and sugar until well-blended.

Add confectioners sugar cup by cup. Add pistachio instant pudding. Add vanilla and salt.

Add heavy cream as needed, as you go, until fluffy, creamy buttercream is achieved.

p.s. This is the way I love to bake. Oldies on Sirius on the tube, a glass of wine in my favorite Anthropologie glass wear and a blank slate to create: