Valentine's Day is for lovers

V-Day. Love Day. Single Awareness Day. February 14. Whatever you call it, I love Valentine's Day as (sometimes) overrated, (almost always) cheesy, and (often) expensive as it can be. I love that it is a day dedicated to celebrating those you love. And the flowers and candy don't hurt, either. 

Here are five things that will make Valentine's Day 2015 extra sweet:

ONE. Dress up in a cute date night outfit

I am so excited and VERY impressed that my husband got Valentine's reservations a full month ahead of time. Way to go, hubs. You get an A++ just for the planning! We're going to a restaurant that we've been wanting to try since we moved here 18 months ago. It's not a super, extra fancy place - not many places in Columbia are - but I still want to get a little dressed up and wearing pink and/or red is a must!

Valentine's Day by klhamilton featuring kate spade jewelry

TWO. Make a decadent dessert, like this flourless chocolate cake

Because when you're gluten-free and want V-day baked goods, it does not get any better than this! I found a recipe on Pinterest for a flourless chocolate cake and I made a few tweaks and came up with this one. You can easily double it for a "normal" size cake - but this one will make it just the right size for two (and still have some leftover). 

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 2 TB Sugar
• 10 oz. 60% cocoa chocolate chips (like Ghirardelli)
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 TB cocoa powder

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat the HECK out of the 5 eggs. If you have a stand mixer, beat them on medium-high for 5 minutes (just set the timer and walk away: let that Kitchenaid do its thang). When the 5 minutes are up, add the sugar and beat until mixed. Meanwhile, line a springform pan with a round of parchment paper in the bottom and grease the sides with butter. Melt the butter and chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring between each time. Once melted and smooth, add the cocoa powder. Then, fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture slowly until mixed (but don't get too aggressive with the mixing). Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. After it cools, flip onto a platter. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. SO EASY and so delicious!

THREE. Know your Love Language

Alex and I never have read this book, and what better time of year to do it? We just did the assessment to figure out our love languages and it's really eye-opening! I highly recommend!

FOUR. Make the house feel festive

Love is in the air when you've got an XOXO banner across the hearth. And fun Valentine-y candles. And a big bowl of Hershey's Hugs and Kisses. And y'all know by now that I love me some throw pillows. I switch them out for different holidays and seasons - it makes me happy! 

FIVE. Dress up your dog

You can't help but feel the love when this little cupid shows off a "Little Valentine" shirt (which has gotten a little more snug over the years...) or a heart sweater. Penny has some great wardrobe options for Valentine's Day!

And with that, I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day filled with a lot of love. Take the time to tell a single friend that you think they're amazing. Call your grandpa and tell him you love him. Text your brother. Take your pup for a walk. Send a stranger a smile. Share the love!

xo

KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

'Twas the Friday before Christmas

Holy moly - I am in disbelief that Christmas is less than a week away! I'm not even tired of Christmas music yet! And I'm definitely not done with my shopping. Looks like it's going to be a mad dash to the finish line this weekend along with the rest of America!

But truly, there are so many wonderful things about Christmastime. I'm trying to soak it up over the next few days and enjoy the sights, smells, sounds and love all around. Awwwwwwwww.


ONE. I hosted a cookie swap a few nights ago for some Junior League gals. It was so fun! The best part about going to a cookie swap is that  you only have to make one batch of cookies and end up with dozens of different kinds. Love it!

TWO. I just LOVE opening the mailbox every day to see beautiful faces of friends and family smiling back at me! I've got all the cards on display above our kitchen window, and I'll probably leave them up through the end of January to keep Christmas going just a little longer.

THREE. My new Erin Condren Life Planner has arrived!! This is my fourth planner from EC, and there's a reason I keep going back. The organizer in me loves the functionality; the creative in me loves the colors. I'm hooked! Can't wait to fill it in and get prepared for the fabulous year that 2015 is going to be!

FOUR. Holiday baking! Aside from the cookie swap, I haven't done as much baking by now that I've usually done. But I did whip up a batch of these Peppermint Melt-Away Cookies for our neighbors this week. I made them last year on a whim and my neighbor raved about them - so if it ain't broke, why fix it? Here's the easy-peasy recipe:

Peppermint Melt-Away Cookies

Ingredients:

1 8-oz package of cream cheese

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup peppermints or candy canes, finely crushed (tip: put them in a big plastic bag, wrap it in a dishtowel, and beat the daylights out of it with a hammer on your driveway)

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 box Duncan Hines Classic White Cake Mix, divided

1 cup white chocolate chips/morsels

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Place parchment paper on 2 large cookie sheets. Let cream cheese and butter come to room temperature. Mix with electric or stand mixer until barely blended. 

Add egg, vanilla, and one-half of cake mix. Mix for 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Stir in remaining half of cake mix, morsels, and 1/2 cup of mints until blended. 

Place remaining mints in a shallow bowl. Shape dough (which will be soft and sticky!) into 1.5 inch balls and roll tops in the mints. Place on cookie sheets mint side up, 2 inches apart. Bake 11-13 minutes or until golden and center is barely set. Let stand 3-4 minutes then cool on wire rack. Makes 2-3 dozen cookies. 

FIVE. Alex and I have been so blessed by the flowers, notes, texts and prayers from our loved ones over the last 10 days. It has been a rough journey: hard to believe the journey started only one month ago and it's over, for now. {Read about our loss here} I'm taking each day one at a time and know that great things will happen. We have so much to be thankful for and so much to look forward to! The best is yet to be! 

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! My wish for you:

May you find that perfect last-minute gift you've been searching for;

may you enjoy extra Christmas cookies without worrying about calories;

may that quintessential Christmas song come on the radio at just the right time; 

may you escape your family for a breath of fresh air when it's needed most;

may you enjoy the magic of the season through the eyes of a child; 

may you remember the reason for the season: Jesus is born!

xo

KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

Figs for Dummies

When you buy a 70 year old house, you inherit all kinds of interesting things, good and bad. Like the 36 year old air conditioning unit that went out just 9 months into our ownership. Or the rope that once held a tire swing, I'm sure, now hanging so high from pine tree branch that you can't get it down and it's become a decorative accent of your back yard. Or, in this case, a giant fig tree that bears fruit even when you neglect it. 

We noticed the tree last summer when we moved in, but honestly, picking figs was the last thing on my mind. A few weeks after move-in, we had a huge storage shed in the backyard torn down, and the guys who did the demolition ended up taking every last fig off the tree for their greedy little selves. So not cool. That said, we didn't get a one last year. Not one! 

A few weeks ago, I noticed there were dozens - maybe hundreds - of tiny figs on the tree. Not one to miss an opportunity for a second year in a row, I kept watch to see when they looked ripe and ready for the picking. Unfortunately, I know nothing about figs. This girl grew up in orange groves, not fig orchards (if that's even what they're called). 

I needed to know if they were ripe, what kind do fig tree I have, how to pick them from the tree, and of course, recipes - what in the heck was I going to do with all these things?! So I did what anyone would do: googled "Figs for Dummies" - and nothing relevant came up. So disappointing. 

(Maybe the next time someone googles that phrase this blog post will come up. Not that I'm a wealth if knowledge, but they'll know they're not alone.)

After watching several enthusiastic fig lovers in YouTube tutorials, I was set to harvest. I couldn't get over how many little figgies were on my tree! My poor, neglected fig tree that we haven't so much as trimmed since we moved in just keeps giving! 

With my first bunch, I gave most of the figs away to neighbors and co-workers, but not before I made this delicious salad. 

Ingredients: 

1-2 small figs, cut into fourths or eighths

Blueberries

Spiced pecans

Crumbled goat cheese

Mixed greens

Balsamic vinegar and olive oil 

Mix together and serve in a chilled bowl. Even better when paired with a crisp white wine! 

I've since gathered a few more recipes that I want wait to try. Goodness knows I'll have bountiful harvests for the next few weeks! And if you have a fig recipe that's worth a try, holla at me :) 

xo

KH 

Happy 10th birthday, Penny! {pupcakes recipe}

My little darling strawberry blond baby turned 10 yesterday! It feels like yesterday that I was 19 (she was an early 20th birthday gift) and moving into my first apartment before sophomore year of college. She was so small that I put her in the bathtub while we were moving things in, and she couldn't jump out - only scream at the top of her lungs!

This little girl has been at my side for most of life's big moments so far: college and grad school; living in multiple places in Florida, Chicago, and South Carolina; meeting, dating, and marrying Alex; a handful of job changes; building a house, selling that house, and buying another one; numerous vacations (at one point, she was a frequent flier); and putting up with her crazy sister Ellie when we decided to add a golden to the family. Through it all, she's been my little sidekick and my constant. She makes me smile every single day! 

To celebrate Penny turning double digits, I (obviously) had to throw a pawty for her. The guest list was short - just us Hamiltons, since most of her doggie friends don't live here - but the cupcakes, pupcakes, and gifts did not disappoint!

Mama's girl/Family Photo/Daddy's princess

A tower of pupcakes made Penny and Ellie two pleased pups!

Alex and I couldn't be left out, so I made cupcakes for us (with princess pink frosting, of course)

I considered ordering Penny a little cake from a local barkery, but opted instead to make her some pupcakes: nothing says "I love you" like homemade, right? 

I found a recipe online but tweaked it a little due to what I had on hand. These were super easy to make and the girls devoured them. Luckily, we have ample leftovers so they will be enjoying them all week! 

Pawty Pupcakes Recipe

1 egg

1/4 c. peanut butter (I used regular 'ole peanut butter)

1/5 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c. carrots, finely chopped or sliced

1/2 c. flour (I used regular white flour, not wheat)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a mini-muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Mix all ingredients together and scoop into muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes. Yields a baker's dozen mini pupcakes! (And yes, I did garnish with a faux candle made from a paper straw and tissue paper. Safety first!)

Amaze your dog with your pupcakes skillz

I've always had dogs, but Penny has blessed me like no other pup so far. She is truly my little puppy love and I'm so, so glad she was placed in my life nearly ten years ago!

Praying for many more years of Penny making me smile! Happy birthday, pumpkin!

xo
KH

Five on Friday: flowers, smoothies, organizing, a good read, and running

I am terribly happy it's Friday, friends! Last week was kind of a break, since we had a few snow days, and I guess that made this week feel extra long. Whatever the reason, it's Friday now, and that makes me happy!

ONE. Since we spent Valentine's Day with my in-laws last week, Alex and I had a mini V-day on Tuesday night (he flew to Texas for work on Wednesday). He not only planned and made dinner, but showed up with flowers. Random flowers trump Valentine's Day flowers, any day.

TWO. I've been on a green smoothie kick lately and although they ain't cute, they taste good. I'm trying to drink one each day to help reach all of my servings of fruits and veggies.

This recipe is my favorite:
2 cups (tightly packed) spinach
1 cup water
1/2 cup Diet V8 Splash (I use Tropical Blend)
1 banana, frozen
4 strawberries, frozen
1 peach, not frozen

Blend the spinach and liquids, then add the fruit and VOILA - you've got 2 smoothies! I keep the second one in the fridge for the next day so I can just grab it, shake it, and drink it up.


THREE. Over the weekend, I began to tackle a task on my list of 14 things to do this year: organize my life! I started with our office files. This was the scene in the study while I was underway. I'm still not 100% satisfied that I've found the perfect system, but I'm getting there. Why is organizing so therapeutic?

FOUR. I finished reading the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin this week, and I highly recommend it. It's a great read and I promise you will take something away from it. Some of my favorite takeaways: a clean house is a happier life (see #3 above), use the pretty stationery (why do I "save" it anyway???), tackle a nagging task first, and be a storehouse of memories (which I guess explains my obsession with Shutterfly).

FIVE. I got closer to crossing off another one of my 14 goals: I registered for a 5k! I'm no runner, but I'm trying to pretend to be. I'm doing the Couch 2 5k program for the second time, and I intend to culminate this one with an actual race. The 5k is April 12, so I still have plenty of time to train (and I'm already on week 4 of the 9-week program). I'm feeling great about it, and I even signed Alex up, too! I cannot believe I am so excited about running. Who is this person?

On another note - I'm thinking about doing our annual Essentials Only Month in March to jump start a savings goal. Is anyone interested in doing it alongside me, so we can challenge each other and hold each other accountable? Maybe with a weekly link-up? Let me know if you're down!

That's it for me, ladies. Y'all have a wonderful weekend!

xo
KH

Linking up with

 April, Christina, Natasha and Darci! 

When you're "iced in," make cupcakes

Today is not what I thought it was going to be. If you would have asked on Sunday afternoon what I'd be doing right now, I'd have said running around like a chicken with my head cut off during my work event that was planned for today. But good 'ole Pax had other plans, which effectively canceled mine, forcing me to postpone the huge event I've been planning since I started my job in August, involving 15 speakers from around the state including the Governor, which had over 200 attendees who'd already registered and paid....to April 24. April flipping 24th. That is an eternity to have this event hanging over my head. I want so badly to be able to cross it off my list and move on. However, given the absolutely terrible conditions we've got here in Columbia today, I'm glad we didn't risk it. Postponing was the right call.

Anyway, I'm enjoying my second winter weather day in as many weeks, working from home with intermittent snow/snack/pup-cuddling breaks. We've gotten about an inch of solid ICE in the last 24 hours, along with another inch of miscellaneous precipitation (so far) that has frozen, providing an igloo-esque situation and a very real threat of power loss. Since the news keeps saying that loss of power is "imminent" and it might be out for a few days, I figured I better jump on my Valentine's Day baking while I still had an oven.

I decided to make cupcakes, since I had some cutsie cupcake liners and festive sprinkles to use. If you want to make cupcakes that aren't technically from scratch, but have that bake shop consistency (and don't crack or balloon up to epic proportions), this recipe is the bomb.

Bakery-Style Cupcakes from a Cake Mix
1 box of cake mix (I used Betty Crocker's SuperMoist Triple Chocolate Fudge)
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
(yields 20-24 cupcakes)
Mix all ingredients together for 30 seconds on low, then 2 minutes on medium. Scoop into lined cupcake tins using an ice cream scoop, filling a bout 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes. Let them cool, and then frost and decorate!

I'm feeling generous on this frigid day, so I'll share my frosting recipe, too. I've been using this recipe for several years now and it's to die for. I get so many compliments on this frosting, and it's embarrassingly easy to make. I will not judge if you eat it with a spoon. Because I have.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 package (16 ounces) confectioner's sugar
(yields enough to frost about 20 cupcakes)

Beat butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract at medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar at a low speed. Once mixed in, beat at high for about 2 more minutes until fluffy.

Place the frosting into a plastic bag, snip the tip, and frost!

Ain't they purdy??
Now dig in. Or share with your Valentine.

And just so you know I'm not exaggerating, here's how much winter precipitation has taken place at my house! Sadly, it's 75% ice. And it's still coming down!

xo
KH