Recipe: 45-Second Apple Cinnamon Cake

Tuesday, August 30, 2011


Alright friends, I'm back today with another recipe. The 45-Second Apple Cinnamon Cake. I promise you....this is de-lish. Here is what you will need:

-2 tbsp flour
-1 tbsp sugar (I used Truvia)
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1 packet of instant apple cider mix (I used Sugar Free Alpine Cider)
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-Pinch of salt
-2 tbsp milk
-1 tsp vegetable oil
-1/4 tsp vanilla extract
-A little bit if honey

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon, cider mix, baking soda, and salt in a small cereal bowl or mug. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla extract and stir in. Place the mixture in microwave fore 45 seconds. Make sure not to cook it too long. Some may need to cook it longer, others may need to cook it a little less. Once the cake is done, drizzle some honey on top. Enjoy!


This is my new favorite dessert. I LOVE it. And I'm pretty sure it's not too terrible for you either (if you use Truvia or Splenda instead of sugar). I added everything up....something like 100 calories.....not bad!


Let me know if you tried it/loved it/hated it! (Well, I'm pretty positive you won't hate it haha).

Have a great Tuesday! DIY Floral Arrangements will be back next week, promise!

Featured on Remodelaholic!

Thursday, August 25, 2011


Hi friends!


So today is really exciting because our Master Bathroom is being featured on Remodelaholic! Click here if you want to read the post.




It's almost Friiiiiiday. Hallelujah. Talk to you all tomorrow!

Back to Work

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

We've taken a little break from house projects, but that's all going to change this weekend. I'll go ahead give you a few hints as to what we're going to start working on in the next few days.:






That's right! The "Gray Room" (as we refer to it) will finally begin to undergo its long-awaited makeover. If you remember, we did a nice little clean-out of it last spring, but it's just kind of been sitting there ever since. My initial plans to make it into a craft room only have changed a bit (I think we will be putting a bed in there as well), but I still want it it to have a large work space for blogging, sewing, and crafting. Who knows what it will look like in the end....my ideas and plans tend to change even more once we begin working on a space haha.

I'm also pretty obsessed with offices in closets....they are just such a great space saver when you don't have much room. Maybe I should do something like this instead... (Pardon me, I don't have sources for some of these!)





Hmmmmm, decisions, decisions. What do you think? I need some opinions here. Are you all for office closets or are you over them? Should I try to combine an office/craft room and a bedroom? I'm not a fan of clutter....so that idea scares me!

Have a great day! See you all tomorrow.

Recipe: 45-Second Chocolate Chip Cake

Monday, August 22, 2011

Ya'll are going to hate me. Why? Well, because I'm about to get you addicted to something that I know isn't too healthy for you. No, it's not smoking. Or drugs (HA)....it's cake.

I've been noticing these "instant" single serving chocolate cakes all over Pinterest, so I decided to give in and try this one, which (of course) I fell in love with (although I added chocolate chips to the original recipe). This new discovery lead me to begin thinking about what other types of instant cakes I could come up with.

Ever since then, I've been in cake heaven. Today I'm going to share with you one of my own creations: The 45-Second Chocolate Chip Cake.




I cannot even begin to tell you how good this is. It's better than any chocolate chip cookie you've ever had, and it only takes about 5 minutes to make from start to finish.

Ingredients:

-2 tbsp flour
-1 tbsp sugar (I used Truvia)
-1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
-1/4 tsp baking soda
-Pinch of salt
-2 tbsp milk
-1 tsp vegetable oil
-1/4 tsp vanilla extract
-1-2 tbsp chocolate chips

Mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in a small cereal bowl or mug. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla extract and stir in. Mix in chocolate chips. Place the bowl/mug in microwave for 45-55 seconds. Make sure to not cook it too long! Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top once it's cooked.

Serve and enjoy!!


I think we can all tell that I liked mine :). I also made an AMAZING apple cinnamon version that I will share in the near future. Seriously, this may have replaced apple pie as my all time favorite dessert.

DIY Floral Arrangements will be back next week!

Have a great and happy day, everyone.

I'm Loving...

Saturday, August 20, 2011



1. Maybelline Color Sensational Lip Color in Twinkle: Ya'll. I am obsessed with this. It's bad. I'm actually wearing it right now and I'm in my pajamas. Judge if you must.

2. Lulu Frost Code Rings: I love the look of a dainty gold ring. Especially one you can stack with other rings. I would totally stack our wedding date or maybe the birth dates of our future kiddos. Just one problem...they are $440. Each. Booooooo. A girl can dream, right?

3. Red Skinny Jeans: I just bought a pair of these! I am SO pumped for my 30 for 30 to be over with so I can wear them. I have about 234,456,321 outfit ideas for these babies in my head. My main inspirations can be found here, here, and here.

4. MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation: I recently switched from my old powder (also MAC) to this (in NW20). Not on purpose either. I couldn't remember the name of my original powder (typical), so the MAC girl had to guess which one it was after hearing my clueless ramblings on all things powder-related. She didn't guess correctly, but that's completely fine with me. I. Am. In. Love. This stuff creates such a flawless look and doesn't have to be touched up during the day. Definitely a keeper.

5. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Certainly Red: I don't wear red lipstick too often, but I never regret it when I do. It's funny because I had just gone out and bought this along with my beloved Maybelline Twinkle (listed above) when Sydney from The Daybook posted this. So weird! I think we're supposed to be friends. She would definitely be the cooler of the two of us though.

6. Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in Kitty, Kitty: I don't know how it is where you live, but I'm pretty sure every girl around here has a set of these. I'm actually wearing them on my nails right now and can't stop looking at them. Glitz Blitz is another favorite as well.

7. Black and White Striped Sweaters/Skirts/Cardigans/Tees: Stripes are everywhere, and have been for a while, but I just now hopped on the bandwagon and purchased an amazing striped cardigan at Ross ($12.99...holla) that I cannot WAIT to wear. Inspiration found here, here, here, and here. (Can you tell that I'm obsessed with The Daybook? Don't answer that.)


What are a few of your current obsessions?

DIY Matte Boards

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Hi friends. Hope everyone has had a wonderful week so far. It's blowing my mind that it's already Thursday--things have been super crazy around here!

I recently purchased these amazing vintage botanical prints from Ebay with the hopes of framing and hanging them in our bedroom. I was pretty happy to buy all of the frames at Michael's with a 50% off coupon and quickly began my quest for the perfect matte boards. That search came to a screeching halt however when I realized that the prints sizes were 6.75"x9". Apparently, you can't buy pre-made matte boards in that particular size. Annoying. On top of that, I found out that custom-made matte boards from good old Hobby Lobby were $20. Each. Also annoying.

Since I'm seriously cheap, I set out to find a way to make custom matte boards on my own. After briefly considering white card stock, I decided that I wanted to use something a bit more substantial. And then I came across the one and only Foam Sheet. Fifty cents at Hobby Lobby. Holla!

Here is the final product:


Now, this isn't rocket science, but I figured I would fill you all in on a much more affordable way to make a custom matte board if the need arises.

First, go to your local craft store and grab a few large foam sheets.


Next, grab your husband and have him first measure the size of your frame (and cut the foam sheet accordingly), and then measure the size of the print (and again, cut accordingly). Take lots of pictures and make him mad.


Assemble everything like you normally would and then....watch out! Prepare to be amazed at how great your masterpiece looks.


Just the right amount of depth and texture. I honestly can't tell that my "custom matte boards" are really foam sheets. Can you?


Don't forget to enter the UPrinting.com Giveaway! Last day, friends. Get it while you can.

P.S. I'll probably link this post to a couple of link parties which can be found HERE. Check them out!

Adios!!

DIY Creative Floral Arrangements: Part Two

Monday, August 15, 2011

Hello everyone! Hope you all are having an awesome Tuesday. Today, I will be sharing another post in my series on how to do your own floral arrangements on a budget. Thank you so much for your compliments on the arrangement from last week; I hope you went and tried it out yourself!

Here is what I will show you how to make today:

Cute, huh? As I've mentioned before, my goal for this series was to create arrangements with items that most people already have in their homes. And who doesn't have a few pretty bowl lying around? I hope no one. We use our bowls on a daily basis. I have to have my cereal, yo. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Anyway...here are the steps to make it on your own:

STEP ONE: Use some of your leftover flowers and plant food from last week's arrangement. I actually just plucked a few stems from the huge antique hydrangea I bought. Find some cute bowls or teacups. I used four, but feel free to use however many your little heart desires. Optional: Grab a bit of Spanish moss for a little extra something. I bought a huge bag of this stuff at Hobby Lobby while it was 50% off....I think it was around $2, but it was mainly used for our Mini Patio Project last May.


STEP TWO: Begin stacking your bowls by putting a little bit of Spanish moss in between each bowl. You just need enough to make it hang over the edges. I made sure to tilt my bowls as I stacked them to add a fun touch.


See? Fun touch.


STEP THREE: Fill your top bowl that will hold your flower stems halfway with water. Make sure to put in plant food. Trim the stems so that the flowers rest on the edge of the bowl. (My bad, no pictures of this step...but it's pretty easy.)

STEP FOUR: Place the arrangement on the top of the other bowls.


STEP FIVE: Adjust the bowls and flowers to your liking. You're done! Enjoy.

And here's where mine ended up in my house:


In the first step, I mentioned that the Spanish moss was optional. The reason for this is because it really looks just as cute without it, so if you don't feel like running out to buy any moss, don't worry about it!

See what I mean?


Very simple, very easy, and most of all, very affordable. Now that's what I like.


 I hope you all enjoy trying this arrangement out. Come back next week for another DIY Floral Arrangement!

P.S. Be sure to enter the giveaway from UPrinting.com....you don't want to miss it!

Double P.S. I'll probably link this post to a couple of link parties which can be found HERE. Check them out!

Sunday Giveaway: 100 Postcards from UPrinting.com!

Saturday, August 13, 2011



I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. So, big news:  I am very happy to announce the first-ever giveaway here on Twenty Three Oh One!

UPrinting.com will be giving away 100 postcards to one lucky reader! I don't know about you, but if I had a wedding/birthday/anniversary/another random party to plan....I would be all over this. These would also come in quite handy for birth announcements, moving announcements, or if you really want to plan ahead: holiday cards (come on, Christmas!). And don't forget about small businesses. These are the perfect way to advertise your shop, company, or event to whomever you want.

Need help designing your postcard? They can help you. Want to upload your own design? UPrinting can do that, too. Want more information? Click on the links below to find out all about postcards from UPrinting:

Postcard Printing
Postcard Size
Postcard Design 

Here are a few other details of this giveaway:

-100, 5"x7" postcards
-14pt Cardstock Gloss
-No folding
-Front only printing
-2 day business turnaround time
-Restrictions: Limited to U.S. residents 18 years and above only

For a chance to win this giveaway, simply leave a comment below explaining what you would do with your 100 postcards! Giveaway is open until Thursday, August 18th, at 11:59 p.m. One entry per reader, please! Winner will be selected randomly through random.org.

Check back on Friday, August 19th, to see if you won!

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, an online printing company. No monetary compensation was given and I will recieve postcards for hosting. See more information about available postcard size and design on UPrinting.com.

Recipe: Grilled PB & Cinnamon Apple Sandwich

Wednesday, August 10, 2011


Alright, this sounds weird, but it's de-lish. Promise. And purely a product of my late-night "I can't sleep" imagination.

Here we go:

Ingredients:

-2 slices of bread (I used whole wheat from the bakery...the fancy stuff)
-peanut butter (crunchy or creamy works, I used a little of both)
-1/2 apple, cut into slices (I used a Gala apple, but I actually think Granny Smith would taste even better)
-1 TBSP honey
-Cinnamon to taste (I probably used about 1 TSP)

Directions:

Spread peanut butter on a piece of bread. Slice apples and place them on top of peanut butter. Drizzle honey over apples. Add cinnamon.


(This is mine pre-cinnamon)

Place other slice of bread on top (duh). Grill each side on a skillet or grill pan at medium heat until bread is golden brown. Serve and enjoy.



If apples aren't your thing, I can promise you that bananas would be the perfect substitute. This knowledge is completely due to my obsession with peaunut butter/banana/cinnamon sandwiches. Yummmm.

Have a great day!

P.S. Chances are, I'm linking this post to a couple of link parties which can be found HERE. Check them out!

DIY Creative Floral Arrangements: Part One

Monday, August 8, 2011

Hello, blog friends! Today is the first post of a five week series on how to create your own fresh floral arrangements...on a budget. Using a little creativity, you can make stylish, unique, and modern arrangements with grocery store flowers and items you already have around your home...and I'm going to attempt to tell you how! (Yes, I do realize that I just sounded like an infomercial....it must have been all those advertising classes in college....)

I chose to share this with you all because it's something that makes me so happy, and I really believe that fresh flowers are one of the most important elements to making your house feel like a home. I chose to get creative and only use items I had around my house to make these floral arrangements. There really is no need (in my opinion) to spend a ton on something that will only last a week or two. I also only purchased flowers that can be found at most grocery stores and super markets. First up is this little beauty:


And here are the steps on how to make it yourself!

STEP ONE: Go to your local grocery store and purchase a few of your favorite flowers. I would recommend getting a large hydrangea for this arrangement. The antique hydrangea I purchased for this project is one of my favorites because it so huge and only costs $6. The other "filler" flowers that I bought are hypericum berries and craspedia, but really you can get whatever you like. I didn't use the violet flowers for this project...I'm saving those for next week :).


STEP 2: Take all of the flowers out of their packaging and place them in a large container of water. If you're going to leave them there for a while, make sure to trim all of the stems about 1 inch with good scissors or floral shears. Save the plant food, you will need it!


The other items you will need for this arrangement are: A clear glass vase (round or square), and a smaller vase that can fit inside the previously mentioned vase (or you can just use a cup or drinking glass, that's what I did). The smaller vase or glass will need to be filled halfway with water.


STEP THREE: Place the smaller vase in the center of the larger vase. Take some sort of "filler" material and begin placing it between the smaller and larger vase. Fill it so that the smaller vase can't move or tip over. I used spanish moss for this because I had some leftover from my patio project, but feel free to use anything you want or have like coffee beans, rice, sand, pebbles, lemon slices, lime slices....you name it, you can use it.


Make sure to pack the spaces between your two vases really tight with whatever filler you choose to use.


Your vase should look something like this when its finished.


STEP FOUR: Pour the plant food into the water of the smaller vase.


STEP FIVE: Pull off any leaves on the flowers that you don't need in the arrangement.


STEP FIVE: Cut the first and most substantial flower you will be using (in my case, the hydrangea) to the same height as the vase. Place the stem (or stems) in the smaller vase. If you are using a hydrangea, you could technically stop at this step because it already looks pretty, but we'll keep going just for fun :).


STEP SIX: Take your "filler" flowers and trim them to a height that's a little taller than the first flower.


STEP SEVEN: Began placing the filler flowers around the arrangement. I like to make a sort of jagged spiral with mine, just to make sure they are all spread evenly. Start by making a circle around the edge of the arrangement, and then keep spiraling your way to the center. Feel free to play around with it, you will know what looks best!


STEP EIGHT: You're finished! Once you have all of your flowers in place, you should have something that resembles the picture below. Make sure to trim off any overhanging flowers and stems, as well as those that are too tall and are sticking out of the arrangement.


Now comes the fun....find a place for it around your home!


I L-O-V-E this little guy. I want him to live forever.


You can even have some more fun with this arrangement and stick it in a fun basket, like this:


Lovely. This is quite possibly one of my favorite arrangements I've ever made and it only took about 10 minutes and $10. The possibilities and combinations are truly endless.

Have fun and make sure to check back next Tuesday for another chic and cheap fresh floral arrangement!

P.S. Chances are, I'm linking this post to a couple of link parties which can be found HERE. Check them out!