Things you'll need
2 cans of sliced pears in heavy syrup
Brown Sugar
Cinnamon
Vanilla cake mix
1 Stick of butter

Empty the entire contents of one can of pears into a baking dish.  Use only the pears from the second can, leave out the syrup.  Top with a layer of brown sugar (about half a cup) and cinnamon. Empty the cake mix on top.  Slice butter and place evenly over the cake mix. Finish with another thin layer of brown sugar and cinnamon on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees or follow the instructions on your cake mix box.

After all that hard work, treat yourself to a banana pear smoothie.  Take the last bit of pear syrup and blend with one frozen banana and half a cup of milk.  Now sit back and enjoy your smoothie while you wait for the cake to bake.

When the cake is ready, serve with a generous amount of ice cream or whipped cream!

 

This delicious coconut, lychee ice cream is incredibly easy to make.
It's just the right amount of sweet and creamy.  Plus, it's a great vegan option.
All you need is one can of coconut milk and one can of lychee in syrup. The two cans should be the same size so that there will be more coconut milk than syrup once the fruit is removed.
 

Remove the lychee and save it for later. Mix the coconut milk and syrup together. Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker.  If you don't have an ice cream maker, just put the mixture in a freezer safe container and let it freeze. Stir up the mixture every 40 minutes to an hour until fully frozen.

  

Sometimes dinner and a movie just gets a little old. Whether it's your 2nd date or 200th date, it's always fun to mix it up a little. Step out of your routine and try some of these date ideas to keep things interesting!


Be an enlightened explorer and take your date on an eco tour.  Bike, hike, and kayak to new places. Learn about plants and animals in their natural habitat.  There's a good chance your tour will benefit local conservation efforts.

Ingredients: Chicken Breast

Start by partially freezing the chicken breast for easier slicing. 

**Thawing an already frozen piece is not the same thing. The outer layers will thaw out first and the inside will still be too frozen to cut. I learned that the hard way. **

Preheat oven to 250°F

Get rid of as much of the fat as possible. Create thin, even slices and lay out on a tray with parchment paper. The thinner the slices, the easier it is to dry.  Use a paper towel and pat off any excess moisture.

 Stick it in the oven for around 3 and half hours. For crispier jerky, leave it in for a bit longer.

I'm going to be honest with you.  I am a lazy cook who hates measuring.  Attention to detail is not one of my strong suits.  You know how people write "Great attention to detail!" on their resumes? I can't write that. It doesn't apply to me.  And yet, somehow, I've managed to get by okay.

 

Anything I post on this blog that is related to making food will be kept short and sweet -or savory. I will strive to fake fancy and skirt along the edges of healthy, but it will always be easy. Hopefully, you'll also find these recipes tasty!

Steamed eggs are a traditional Asian way of cooking these universally consumed sources of protein.  The dish is popular in both Chinese and Korean cuisine and can be served with any meal of the day.  It's my favorite way to make eggs when I'm in a rush and don't have time to cook a whole meal. Steamed eggs are usually made, obviously, by steaming.  In order to speed things up, I use my handy dandy microwave.

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/3 to 1/2 cup water - depending on how you prefer the consistency
1/3 Tsp salt - I personally like to use garlic salt
1 Tsp sesame oil
Chopped scallions
 

As I mentioned earlier, I don't usually measure things out so this is a close approximation. I like my eggs to be mildly runny with garlic salt and lots of sesame oil.  The less water you add, the less runny it will be, so adjust to your preferences.
 

Add all the ingredients together and combine thoroughly.
 

Microwave for approximately 2.5 to 3 minutes and check the consistency.  If the eggs are not adequately firm, microwave for an additional 30 seconds at time.
 

 

Sometimes it's nice to just get away from it all and go somewhere a little different.  Recharge and get inspired with these surreal retreat spots across the US.



 

An aesthetically pleasing and pet friendly safari tent in

Warner Springs, California
 

 

Or a romantic, luxury safari tent in

Wimberley, Texas

A fully equipped, pet friendly tipi in
Lake Wales, FL
 

These simply serene, also pet friendly, safari tents in

Mendocino, California

 

 

 

This luxury tree house with 360 forest views in
Spicewood, TX

 

 

Or this amazing waterfront Treehouse in
Rio Frio, Texas

 

 

Enjoy luxurious glamping with your four and two legged friends in
Olympia, Washington

 

 

 

Or get adventurous with these riverfront tents in

Coloman, California




Enjoy views of the Gulf of Mexico from these comfy tents in
Panama City, FL


As much as I love traditional camping, there's definitely room on my adventure list for a few luxury stops.  Especially if it looks like these!
 

I had been looking for a spacious, modern design dog bed that matched the rest of my furniture.  Unfortunately, nothing I saw fit my specific expectations. I'm not super handy but I managed to put together this upholstered dog bed. My pups are a little spoiled but they love this bed!

Wood Plank

Suede Fabric (Frame)

Super Suede Fabric (Pillow)

Polyester Filling - I used stuffing from old pillow
**You can also purchase it through my affiliate link here**

Staple Gun and Staples

1/2" thick foam

Sewing Machine

Once I got home, I nailed the four pieces into a square to build the frame.

Feel free to comment with any questions!

 

We stayed at the Hume Lake Campground and I can honestly say it's probably the best campground I've ever had the pleasure of staying at.  Each site is spread a fair distance apart and surrounded by towering trees.  The campground itself is secluded, quite, and clean.  If you feel like kayaking or swimming, Hume Lake is within walking distance.  We brought our inflatable boat and took it out on the lake every afternoon when we got back to camp.  At night, the sky is packed with stars peaking between tree branches and it's absolutely breathtaking.

We enjoyed the additional benefit of having a convenience store and gas station a short drive over at the Christian camp. They sell various camping essentials and have recreational rentals for the lake. If and when I go back, I'll definitely be booking here again.

The first day was spent exploring Kings Canyon's incredibly vibrant rivers.  The drive down into the canyon is lined with beautiful rock formations and stretches of speckled granite. I have a fear of heights and the roads were on the edges of some pretty steep cliffs. Needless to say, driving was left to the hubs on this stretch of land.

Once you get down to Three Rivers,  you can stop at the many pullouts along the side of the road and go for a swim! There are signs everywhere with warnings that the water is ridiculously cold and the currents can be unexpectedly strong in certain areas. Make sure to proceed with caution!

That being said, this is probably the most beautiful place I have been to date.  The colors in the river are intensely rich and vibrant. The air was comfortably warm on the day we went and the water was cool. As you can see, the kids thoroughly enjoyed their time there.

There are several waterfalls in the King's Canyon area.  Since we had the dogs, we were only able to visit Grizzle Falls.  It did not disappoint.  The waterfall is only a few steps from the parking area and has several picnic tables where you can eat and enjoy the falls. We had our lunch there and took pictures when the crowd thinned out a bit.

On the second day, we drove around the National Parks and stayed near the main roads where dogs were allowed. There were tons of giant sequoia trees and the pictures we took really don't do them any justice so I've decided to leave those out.  You'll just have to go see them for yourself!

Here's one last picture of dogos in a blanket on a cold mountain morning:

Minimalism is beautiful in theory.  When my room is decluttered and bright, I get the feeling that I've really got my life together.  It's usually followed by a sudden need to accomplish every goal I've ever set for myself.. In practice, it's not easy to be ever vigilant of the endless piles of clutter that seem to add up.  Where does all this stuff even come from?
 

Bonus picture.

Our foster kitty Joey.

 

If you follow any design Instagram accounts, you've probably seen at least a little bit of marble.  It's a trend I'm absolutely in love with and also absolutely unable to afford. But who needs to shell out big bucks when you can just fake it? Shh.. No one needs to know it isn't real!  Make marble contact paper your new best friend.  I just bought myself a roll so you'll probably be seeing a lot of it as I go marble happy on every possession I own with a flat surface. Just kidding. Maybe. We'll have to see how this goes.

I had some serious room envy when I saw white marble trays laid out with morning breakfast on a bed overflowing with moody gray pillows. To make my own, I purchased a small sample roll of contact paper off Amazon for $8 (you can get it at my affiliate link here).  Then, I went to Michael's and bought one of their pre-made wooden trays. The trays come in a pack of two, one small and one large, for around $5.  I had some 80 grit sand paper, white acrylic paint, and foam brushes left over from a previous project.  If you need to purchase these things, the total should come out to no more than $10.