Hello!! I had many a birthday gift card for TJMaxx burning a hole in my pocket and I was so happy to go shopping with a new friend to spend them. We had the best time and each had a haul worth blogging about! As always, I wanted to be able to find some new tops. And, as always, that was a total bust lol. However, I did find lots of other goodies starting with this gorgeous silk scarf by Larioseta:
From necklaces and purses to shoes and scarves, I love accessories. I am a huge fan of scarves and have several in my collection but none as good enough to eat looking as my new Larioseta one! I saw this darling donut patterned scarf from aisles away and just had to hurry over to snag it because it was the only one there. It reminded me so much of my favorite Popsicle print silk scarf by BCBG and I had to have it. Clearly, I have a fondness for dessert print accessories!
Silk scarves are a fabulous way to spruce up a summer outfit whether tied at the neck, worn as a headband, or even wrapped around the straps of a purse. I plan on letting my sweet tooth do the talking by tying it at the neck with a simple white tank top and my go to American Eagle shorts. While cozy scarves should be saved for the fall, silk scarves are a perfect summer option for a touch of retro cuteness that won’t leave you burning up. 😀
Keep it posted here on lifewithlilred for more on my TJMaxx birthday gift card haul and a huge thank you to everyone for the generous gifts!! ❤
What is your favorite place to receive a gift card for? What is your favorite kind of accessory? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello! Whenever Johnny’s amazing Aunt Elaine comes to visit from Boston, she always comes with delicious treats from Phillips Chocolates in tow. For Easter, Johnny and I returned home with a huge haul of chocolates from Aunt Elaine and I just had to share them with all of you. Of course, the chocolate tastes divine but they are so pretty I almost didn’t even want to eat them! Lol, check it out:
My Johnny has a huge sweet tooth. Myself, on the other hand, prefers more savory and I always would rather have more dinner than save room for dessert. All bets are off when it comes to Phillips Chocolate, though, and I seriously think that I could eat an entire box full. They are the most decadent, rich chocolates that I have ever had and, now that our supply is gone, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I miss them. 😦
The box of truffles we got literally made me gasp when I took off the lid. They were so beautiful and before Johnny and I took a piece, I had to take pictures of them. I apologized to Johnny for momentarily standing in the way between him and chocolatey bliss but he told me he would have done the exact same thing. Is he the best blog husband, or what?
The truffles were all chocolate filled and they were melt in your mouth heavenly. My favorite thing from Phillips, however, is the assorted box which features chocolate turtles, caramels, nougat, fruit, nuts, and all of the chocolatey goodness you can imagine. Johnny and I worked our way through our favorites in the box then, when they were gone, we started telling each other to “surprise me”. As long as it wasn’t a fruit one, we were fine with whatever!
If you are looking for a gift for a special occasion, as a thank you, or just because, I can’t recommend Phillips Chocolates enough. Just be sure to order a couple of boxes for yourself too! 😀
What is your favorite sweet treat? Do you prefer sweet or savory? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello! Prior to this week, I have never used Pinterest before and knowing what I know now, I can’t believe I didn’t hop on the bandwagon sooner. I realized that I was bored with everything that I was making for dinner and asked my mom to send me a few recipes, including one for baked ziti. The recipe she sent was from a Pinterest post and I couldn’t view it without making an account.
After viewing the baked ziti recipe, I figured it couldn’t hurt to poke around for a few more minutes in search of vegetarian dinners. A few more minutes turned into an hour and over one hundred saved pins! From pasta and Indian food to sandwiches and soups, I couldn’t stop scrolling and pinning to save my own life. The only reason I stopped was because I had to get ready for bed!
One type of food that I found myself pinning a lot of was desserts. My mom and sister are wonderful bakers and are always making sweet treats like scones, cupcakes, and cookies. Myself, on the other hand, prefers savory and cooking dinners. My husband, however, has never met a dessert that he didn’t like! I found several easy recipes that I wanted to try, one being air fried Oreos.
The recipe I used was from Marianne at Basil & Bubbly and it was SO simple to make and oh so yummy. Make sure to check out her page for the full recipe!
With three simple ingredients (Pillsbury croissants, Oreos, and powdered sugar) and in under ten minutes, I had a dessert worthy of being served at the fair. I added whipped cream on mine and enjoyed one while Johnny had four lol! I thought it was delicious but Johnny’s complaint was the croissant dough not having enough flavor. Next time I make them, I plan on adding a bit of cinnamon sugar to his for some extra sweetness.
Although this was not a complex recipe in the slightest, it was actually the first dessert that I have made in my own apartment so I was very proud. I will definitely be checking out Basil & Bubbly again for more recipe inspiration and cannot recommend her page enough!
What is your favorite recipe to make? Do you prefer sweet or savory? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hi! My neighbor from my family home, Alice, is one of my best friends. She is so kind and thoughtful and is always leaving sweet surprises for me in the mail box. I don’t know what I would do without her constant encouragement and we really did hit the jackpot for the best neighbor! A few weeks ago, Alice surprised me with a couple of hot chocolate bombs and I was excited to use one because I didn’t even know that they were a thing. My immediate thought was “Do you put it in the bath tub?”
Lol, well it turns out you don’t! On the stove top in a cup and a half of milk is where I placed the hot chocolate bomb and it was the ultimate sweet treat that I didn’t even know I needed. Check it out:
First of all, can we please talk about how the hot chocolate bomb looks like the Golden Snitch from Harry Potter? It was almost too pretty to let fizz away! It took a while for the hot chocolate bomb to do anything and I would be a liar if I said I didn’t start poking at it after a couple of minutes on the stove top. I was so impatient to see what would happen! 😀
After moving the hot chocolate bomb around for a bit, it finally opened up with glittering flecks of gold mixed into the chocolate and, to my delight, three big marshmallows popped out. My mind was blown. Watching the hot chocolate bomb work was fun but it was even better trying the end result, which was delicious. It was so rich and had a really bold chocolate taste without being too sweet. It has been years since I had hot chocolate and this was the best possible way to be reintroduced. I also loved using my sugar skull mug which was a “just because” gift from Johnny. ❤
Huge shout out to Alice for this awesome sweet surprise. It put a smile on my face and on my taste buds! 🙂
What is your favorite sweet treat? Have you received any sweet surprises lately? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hi! Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and if you are still struggling to come up with some safe ways to celebrate at home, then how about spending an afternoon baking all of the desserts with your SO? Creating confectionery treats together will give you a chance to showcase how well you work as a team and decorating your masterpieces will be a blast. Taste testing them will be even better, though! How about trying your hand at making the following?
Chocolate:
Who needs a heart shaped box of chocolate when you can make your own, instead? Two Christmases ago, I made chocolate with my boyfriend’s mom and not only was it tons of fun but the end results were delicious! You can find all kinds of cute chocolate molds, get creative with your color choices, and add on to your pieces of candy with peanut butter, chopped nuts, or shredded coconut. Don’t forget that you can also make chocolate covered pretzels and fruit too. Hello, chocolate covered strawberries!
Cake Pops:
If you and yours aren’t big chocoholics, you could try your hand at making cake pops, cupcakes, or just a plain old cake for dessert. Investigate over YouTube and Pinterest for some ideas on how to decorate and see who is the Cake Boss in your kitchen! Red Velvet, angel food, and strawberry cakes are ideal for Valentine’s Day and I love a whipped frosting, myself. And, if whatever form of cake you go with is super successful, you can try this idea again on one of your birthdays. Store bought cake, what?
Ice Cream Sundae Bar:
Ice cream sundae bars are ideal for those who have a sweet tooth and aren’t trying to wait around for a cake to bake! Head to the store together and grab what you both need to build the perfect sundae. Fruits, candies, syrups, and whipped cream are all great starters. If you’re looking for a boozy treat, don’t forget that black or blueberry wine is awesome over vanilla bean ice cream! Love the sundae idea but want more of a challenge? You could make your own ice cream! But, it might be good to have a pint of Ben & Jerry’s for back up. 🙂
Lava Cakes:
I am not a huge fan of cake (the texture bothers me) but I do love a chocolate lava cake every once in a blue moon. The rich chocolate and the gooey hot fudge center topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Forget about it!! Lots of brands have make your own lava cake kits if making it from scratch seems like a daunting task. Homemade or from a box, you will still experience the joy of baking something delicious with your SO.
Don’t Forget:
To add some atmosphere, whether it be fun or romantic, both of you could create a playlist to listen to while you bake. Be sure to grab champagne or sparkling cider when you are picking up your ingredients too!
What is your favorite dessert? How do you plan on celebrating Valentine’s Day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
Hello there everyone! I hope all of you had a fabulous weekend…I know I did! My weekend was full of friends, family, fun, and food AKA #FFFF – it also included some really great movies and books as well! In this post I’ll be discussing with you some Lil Red Pro Tips on how to make the most out of your weekend!
DO: Watch a funny movie: My family absolutely loves the Horrible Bosses movies, and this Friday we watched Horrible Bosses 2. There’s seriously no better way to start off the weekend then with a silly movie that you don’t have to think about. The HB movies are hands down one of my favorite comedy franchises thanks to their all star cast of Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, and Kevin Spacey. Sure, they’re not the best movies in the world. And yes, they’re vulgar as all get out – but hey, they bring me to a happy place of gut busting laughter which is exactly what you want from a comedy!
DO: Cook something delicious: Lil Red was tearing it up in the kitchen this weekend! I would have taken pictures of the food, but honestly it looked kind of gross…but it tasted really good! Ha! On Friday I made a Mexican casserole that turned out really well. It had sauteed onions and garlic, kidney beans, diced tomatoes, diced chiles, sour cream, and shredded pepper jack cheese in it. It was perfect for dipping with chips or wrapping it up burrito style in a tortilla. I’ll admit that even after this home cooked Mexican dish I still wanted Taco Bell…but you can’t always get what you want. #neversatisfied I also made a lava cake like dessert this afternoon that I’m really looking forward to trying! It’s actually baking in the oven as we speak and it smells delicious, so fingers crossed!
DO: Read a good book: I finally finished the best seller The Girl On The Train this weekend and absolutely loved it! I’ve heard a lot of hype about this book and I’ve been reading it throughout the week, so I was so excited to finally finish it yesterday! The Girl On The Train intertwines the stories of the alcoholic and unstable Rachel, the mistress Anna, and Megan – the girl with a dark past. Rachel rides the train into London every morning like clockwork, gazing out the window and throwing back gin and tonics like it’s her job. Almost every morning as the train rolls by a suburban neighborhood, she watches a young couple whom she names “Jess and Jason” sitting on their patio and enjoying their morning. They seem to be the perfect couple, until one morning Rachel sees something that changes this perspective entirely. The Girl On The Train is a bone chilling thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end. This book was so so good and I can’t recommend it enough!
DO: Watch a serious movie: So tonight my family and I are going to watch The Theory of Everything and I could not be more excited. I’ve been looking forward to seeing this movie since I saw previews for it in the theater ages ago. The previews alone brought tears to my eyes, and the Oscar buzz that it received only verified the confidence that I have that this movie will be amazing. You might be asking “why recommend it if you haven’t seen it?” But like I said, I am SO confident that I’ll enjoy it that I’m just laying all my cards on the table now. If anything, let this suggestion be me telling you that my favorite way to end the weekend is by watching an excellent film on Sunday night. Fridays are my comedy night, Saturdays are my going out night, and Sundays are my serious film nights. A perfect lineup, if I do say so myself. 😉
DO: Go bowling. (DON’T: Go bowling with fake nails on): Last night I had a lovely evening going bowling with my sweet neighbor, Vaughn. We went to the lunar bowling night at a close by bowling alley and had a blast. The only thing that would have made my night better is if I didn’t have my damn talon acrylic nails on! I had to use the ol’ “underhand roll” technique, because there’s no way in hell I would put my fingers with my sharp claw nails in the bowling ball holes. Honestly, even if I could bowl properly I don’t think that I would have done any better! We played four games and I got one measly strike the entire time – but I’m very proud of that strike, thank you very much! Despite this minor problem, it was still so much fun! 🙂
This weekend was one of the best ones I’ve had in ages thanks to some beautiful family time, wonderful friend time, and super good food time! I hope all of you had just as great of a weekend as I did! What was your favorite Oscar nominated film? How did you feel about The Girl On The Train? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah
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