Friday, October 21, 2016

13 DAYS OF FRIGHT-DAY 3: 5 HALLOWEEN RECIPE IDEAS

Hey everyone! Today Im going to give you all a few recipe ideas and tomorrow I'll do DIY ideas!
Hope you guys enjoy <3

Just as a disclaimer these recipes are not mine and all credit goes to the websites they are from!


Dark Chocolate Halloween Chip Cookies

 Prep Time5 minutes
 Cook Time10 minutes
 Servings
 dozen cookies
INGREDIENTS
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup Hershey's special dark cocoa powder
  • 0.50 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 0.50 cup butter, softened
  • 0.50 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 0.50 cup Nestle Halloween baking chips
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter chips
  • 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup mini Reese's Pieces baking candies

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
  2. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugars and beat for 3-4 minutes, until light. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. 
  3. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to the other mixture and mix on low speed, just until combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the Halloween chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and mini Reese's Pieces and give them a quick stir so they are evenly distributed. Gently stir or fold in 1 3/4 cups of the chips into the cookie batter, setting the remaining chips aside in reserve.
  5. Scoop approximately 2 tablespoons of cookie dough for each cookie and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands, then place them on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until set.
  6. As soon as the cookies are removed from the oven, press a few of the reserved chocolate and peanut butter chips into the top of each cookie. It's a total vanity move but adding the extra chips at the end makes the cookies look so pretty and festive. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and store in an air-tight container.
Jack-O' Lantern Chips and Dips



















Guacamole:
3 avocados, halved and pitted

Juice of 1 lime
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chili powder

Mash avocados with the lime juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Queso:
1 Tbsp. butter
1 scallion clove, chopped
2 cups cheddar cheese
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp. corn starch
4 oz canned mild green chiles, with juice

In a pot over medium heat, melt 1 Tbsp. butter and sauté scallions. Add cheese, milk and cornstarch, and mix until melted and smooth. Add green chiles and mix until combined. 

Draw eyes and carve a sad mouth on a small pumpkin. Hollow out the inside and insert a bowl. Pour queso in the bowl and top with chopped tomatoes. Spoon guacamole coming out of the pumpkin’s mouth. Serve with chips!



Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Fruit Pizza
















  • Ingredients

  • Ingredients For Healthier Sugar Cookies
  • 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Ingredients For the Yogurt Cream Cheese Frosting
  • For Yogurt Cream Cheese Frosting
  • 1 cup low fat cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt 
  • ¾ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • Toppings For The Fruit Pizza
  • raspberries
  • strawberries
  • blueberries
  • blackberries
  • kiwi, sliced
  • pineapple, sliced
  • ¼ cup low sugar apricot preserves
  • 1 tablespoon of water
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Stir flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl.
  3. In a large bowl beat butter, yogurt, and sugar with an electric until smooth. 
  4. Add egg allowing it to blend into butter mixture. 
  5. Beat in vanilla extract. Mix in flour mixture until just incorporated. 
  6. Lightly grease a pizza pan and press the dough into the pan to form a thin and even cookie dough crust.
  7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
  8. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.
  9. While the cookie is still warm and soft cut out the shape of a skull.
  10. Let the cookie cool completely.
  11. In a medium bowl bring the cream cheese, yogurt, powdered sugar and vanilla together and whisk until smooth. 
  12. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to thicken.
  13. Spread on the yogurt cream cheese frosting evenly on the giant skull cookie.
  14. Get creative and use the fruit to make your own Day of the Dead sugar skull design.
  15. Mix together the apricot preserves and water and pass the mixture through a sieve to remove lumps.
  16. Brush the mixture carefully onto the fruit only to give it a shiny glaze.
  17. Chill your skull fruit cookie cake in the refrigerator until ready to eat.















INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Shortening
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Sugar
1 Egg
2 tbsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 3/4 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Sugar (For rolling)
48 miniature Reese’s cups, unwrapped and frozen
96 Candy Eyes
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, beat together shortening, peanut butter, egg, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and milk.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture and beat until blended.
Form dough into 1″ balls.
Roll each ball in sugar and place a couple of inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Immediately, gently press an upside down frozen peanut butter cupon top of each cookie and move to wire rackto cool.
After placing and moving all of the cookies on the wire rack. put in place the candy eyes while chocolate is still slightly soft.
Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow cookies to firm.
Place chocolate chips in the corner of a zip-top sandwich bag.
Microwave for 20 seconds, knead and repeat until chocolate is melted.
Clip very small piece off of corner of bag to allow for piping and draw 8 legs on each spider cookie.
Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes to allow legs to set








Makes 32 spooky treats

Ingredients

  • 1 package of your favorite Hot Dogs
  • 1 tube refrigerated crescent dough
  • 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
  • Ketchup, for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Cut each hot dog in half lengthwise, then cut each piece in half crosswise (each hot dog will make 4 treats). Keeping the middle intact, use the tip of a knife to make 3 slices at either end of each hot dog piece (this will make 4 legs on either side).
  3. Once all the hot dogs are cut, cut the dough into strips, about 1 inch wide and 2 inches long (you may not use all of the dough). Wrap a piece of dough around the middle of each hot dog, pinching to seal the dough, and place, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet. 
  4. Press 2 sesame seeds into the middle of each “spider” to make eyes.
  5. Bake until the dough is golden brown and the hot dog “legs” are sizzling and twisted, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm with ketchup on the side.

13 DAYS OF FRIGHT-DAY 2: MY FAVORITE HALLOWEEN THINGS

Hi everyone!Today I'm going to be talking about my favorite things during the Halloween season. This is a lot like a monthly favorites thing. I hope you enjoy it! <3

My favorite Halloween movies:


 -Hocus Pocus


-The Addams Family, and Addams Family Values


-The Corpse Bride


-The Nightmare Before Christmas

I also really like American Horror Story, a documentary called Killer Legends, anything that is a true story! Not really "scary movies".

My favorite Halloween Candy/Treats

Everyone knows someone who makes these.

Ive actually blogged about making some caramel apples before on this blog, I believe it is from last year!


A lot of people hate candy corn, but I'm in love with it.


Little Debbie is life.

Random Favorites


These. Oh my, these haunted my elementary school years. The covers themselves were terrifying. I used to not want to touch them! If these bring back memories of your childhood, then you can buy them here!: https://www.amazon.com/Scary-Stories-Tell-Dark-Grade/dp/1484123069/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1476969346&sr=1-2&keywords=scary+stories+to+tell+in+the+dark

I actually ordered these because I love the eeriness. Its so cool to look at these from the past!

Thats honestly the only things I can think of :c Anyway, Day 3 and 4 will be done all in one day! So I can catch up!


Wednesday, October 19, 2016

13 DAYS OF FRIGHT-DAY 1: HALLOWEEN TAG

Im off by a day so today you get two blog posts! I've missed blogging so much and Im happy to get back in to it for good this time! <3
For the next 13 days I'll be doing things Halloween related! Today I'm doing the Halloween Tag!

1. Favourite horror or Halloween-themed song?
The Addams Family theme song, Thriller, and the Monster Mash!

2. Name something you wouldn’t want to run into in a dark forest or in an abandoned building.

A serial killer, or a serial killer ghost, basically anything that could kill me!

3. Have you ever played with a Ouija Board?
NO. I will NEVER play with one, you open doors with those things that can't be closed!!

4. Favourite horror monster or villain?

I love the real story of Vladimir Depeche ( The real dracula ), I like the true history, and the mysteries behind that!

5. The creepiest thing that’s ever happened while you were alone?
Hearing my name when nobody was home o.o

6. If you were dared to spend the night in a “haunted house”, would you do it?
Oh heck yes.

7. Are you superstitious?
No not at all, when a black cat crosses the road I'll cross after it!

8. Do you ever see figures in your peripheral vision?
Yes, all the time, but only at my Dad's house...

9. Which urban legend scares you the most?
The Moonlight Murder Killer, Candyman (the real candyman), Slenderman is kind of creepy too!

10. Do you prefer gore or thrillers?
Thrillers, I hate gore. It is actually why I stopped watching TWD.

11. Do you believe in multiple dimensions or worlds?
Of course! I think there is some sort of "veil" between us and spirits, and if they want to they can show themselves to us!

12. Ever made a potion of any sort?
Nope! 

13. Do you get scared easily?
No, not really. It depends on if I am on edge or not!

14. Have you ever played Bloody Mary?
Yes! When I was in grade school that was a big thing!

15. Do you believe in demons/the devil?
Very much so, I've heard recordings of real demons, I've studied cases of demonic possessions and I think it is a very very real thing. 

16. You’re home alone but you hear footsteps in your house, what do you do?
If I'm at my Dad's house, I'd probably brush it off, we all think there is something there.

17. If you got trapped in one scary movie, which would you choose?
Who would want to be trapped in a scary movie???? My favorite is the Conjuring & Annabelle. But I'd just leave the dang house if I was trapped there. I don't know, thats a really hard question!

18. If you could only wear one halloween costume for the rest of your life, what would you be?
A Sanderson Sister <3

19. would you ever go to a graveyard at night?
Already have!

20. In a zombie apocalypse what is your weapon of choice?
A gun, because I'd check out, who wants to live in a world like that??

21. Would you rather go to a Halloween party or go trick or treating?
I'm at that age where I'm torn between both. I love candy but you could have a party with candy! Haha :) 

22. You’re in a horror movie. Are you the final girl, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one, or the killer?
The first to die realistically. 

23. Do you have to watch something happy after watching a horror movie so you can go to sleep?
Yes!! I have to watch family guy after I watch AHS. 

24. Whilst watching scary movies, are you the person who yells at the characters, the person with their eyes covered the whole time, or the person who falls asleep?
A combination of the person who yells and covers their eyes! 

25. Are you the one who gets scared, or the one who does the scaring?
About 50/50!

26. Favorite scary book?
The Shinning, or Misery!

27. How old were you when you saw your first horror movie?
Around 17. 

28. What was your first Halloween costume?
A pumpkin of course!

29. What are you going to be for Halloween this year?
I'm not sure, I'm going to be a pumpkin for the bank I work at! But other than that probably nothing!

30. If you could have a spooky halloween pet (black cat, owl, bat, rat, wolf), what would you pick?
Hmmmm, a black cat, and I'd name her Dahlia after Elizabeth Short!


Hope you all enjoyed the first day of 13 days of fright! Have a good day everyone :) 

-Kennedy

Thursday, September 15, 2016

SEPTEMBER

Well, once again I have found myself lacking at my blogging schedule! I really want to get back in to it, and I know I say that often but I really like my blog and I think other people like it too! So, instead of doing a blogging schedule and trying to stick to it like glue, I'm going to post when I can, when I'm free and share it with you all, and I'll at least have one post a week! I can't believe it is already September! It seems like yesterday I was moving in to the apartment in the winter! So weird. This is my absolute favorite time of the year though. From here through Christmas, my all time favorite weather, scents, activities...

I thought I would start with a little update for everyone. I have officially decided (if you missed my last update-here is a small recap) to get my PhD in Psychology. I want to be a therapist and that is my long term goal as of now! Also, as of TODAY, I was hired at a local bank! I am beyond excited to be working with my best friend, Lorian, as well as all of the other girls that work there. Im excited to make some more friendships and be a part of a team in a more professional setting (not retail, thank the Lord). It is such a blessing that something finally came along for me. I knew I was doing the right thing by waiting for a while. Shayne is going to school for his business degree. I think he wants his Masters. Most of the time we don't have a lot of time to talk. He was recently gone for two weeks and home on the weekends so we haven't had a ton of talking time! And it looks like he will be leaving more often as well, so the future plans to stay at our current apartment look a little slim. Since him traveling is probably going to be a regular thing, I'm wanting to move closer to where I will be working. It is also closer to family so that way I won't be so lonely when the time comes that he leaves!

Something unfortunate that happened and we had to decide on was to let Lilly live with Shayne's parents. We knew she loved us, and loved Beau but she did not like apartment living. She was doing things that were not her at all, and we could tell she just wasn't herself and she was unhappy. Once we are able to find a house (I don't know when this will happen..), we will take her back, as long as the house has a backyard that way she can go outside whenever she wants! We really, really miss her but we know she is a lot happier in the wide open spaces at his mom's house!

Beau currently has fleas. I have no idea where he got them. It has never been a problem before and now he has them. Im certain a dog in the complex has them or something and now they have spread to the ground and other dogs. I haven't seen any on Gracie or around the house, just on my poor baby! I've done everything I can think of at this point. He has been given flea/tick prevention, a flea bath, and I've sprayed the house. I've also put drops in his ears but he is still shaking and itching like crazy! I just don't know what else to do for him. That shampoo dries out their skin so badly and Im not sure if his skin is just really irritated right now and thats why he is itchy or if they are still on him. I'm constantly checking him and it doesn't seem like there on any on him but I just don't know why else he would be so itchy. His ears are so red and his coat is so dry...my poor boy needs some help!
I'm like my mom so I've been vacuuming and washing EVERYTHING since I saw the one flea on him. I don't want them spreading to ANYTHING. Especially Gracie, because giving a cat a bath is a nightmare and I am not prepared to do that.

I already have Halloween decorations up, I know its only September but I couldn't resist! They just look so cute and makes our apartment look super adorable! I've been spending a lot of time with family lately, mostly grandparents. Its hard to find time for everyone now that school has started. I have so many assignments and deadlines to meet every week. Shayne went to see his family last Saturday and I wasn't able to go because I had a report in Biology due. I thought I might be able to do it later that night but I didn't want to chance it and I'm glad I didn't because it took me the whole time he was gone and some! Speaking of school, it is going great. I currently have straight A's. But Im anticipating (unfortunately) that that might change just a little bit because of the newly added work schedule. I'll just have to plan my time accordingly and adjust. Luckily, this job's hours are either 1-6, or 3-6. So I can count on those hours and plan for before hand instead of trying to cram it in a night time!

Recovery is also going good. After I had my wisdom teeth out I lost a lot of weight again. I'm trying to get it back up but I just don't have a good appetite. After Shayne's surgery he told me he didn't really have on either...and he really doesn't. It is really surprising. I guess all those different medicines can really effect your system in a bad way. So, I unfortunately don't eat a lot...but the thing is is that I'm just not hungry. Like I said, I have no appetite so its hard to force anything down!

I'm sure a lot of my family is concerned about how this job and school is going to affect my recovery process. I predict that I'm going to be a little stressed. However, being able to work with my best friend is going to really help with that stress. I think all jobs have the tendency to be stressful every once in a while, but this one seems incredibly laid back and easy-going. Which I think will really help with my mood and everything. I really don't foresee too much stress in my future, other than stress from school. The other kind of stress I can predict happening is from family. I always want to see them and I know they always look forward to seeing me but I have to concentrate on school and my other new priority, work! Which again, I'm extremely excited about!

I'll probably have another update or post later this week, depending on what I do during the day! I've missed this blog and I hope you all look forward to me posting again!


-K

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

IM NOT SORRY ANYMORE

Most of you know that I am open about my eating disorder. Why? Because if I can just touch one person, and just have one person read one of these posts, and make them re-consider their lifestyle I'll be happy. I don't expect to know if I have and I don't need to, but thats mainly what my goal is. Before I get too into this post I also want to make an announcement!
All summer I have been going back and forth between what I've said I was going to do since I was fourteen {ultrasound}, to psychology. I love psychology. I love learning about it, its history, the people that created its foundation. And I have decided that I want to be a counselor. I would absolutely LOVE if I could specify with eating disorders, but I'm open to anything. Like I said, its hard to talk to someone who doesn't have a history with their own body going through a disorder. Me having my own story I think I can really be able to communicate with someone who is in the midst of Anna's grip.
So back to my main focus of this post.

It has come to my attention time and time again that I piss people off. I piss people off with what Im doing with my life, I piss people off because I don't have a real job, I piss people off because Im not using my skills to my full potential. I just piss people off.
But guess what?
What I do, makes me happy. What I do, is between Shayne and I. What I do makes us happy.
We can't make everyone happy. I've learned that no matter if you do something to make 999 people happy there is always going to be ONE person who is pissed off about your decision. No matter what. Its what people do. I get it. But guess what else?
Do you know how EASY it would be, and how many problems could be resolved if instead of letting them stir, you talked about them RIGHT THEN. Right when you got pissed off. Call that person, be like "Hey, you are pissing me off."
Don't be an ass, don't ignore them, don't cut them off.
Be a grown up and TALK.

I mainly pissed people off in April/May. When I first started recovering from anorexia. Before I go one I want you to read this:
http://www.timberlineknolls.com/eating-disorder/anorexia/sign-effects/
I'm going to use small bits of it first in case its too long for you, just the parts that relate to this.
First, Anorexia nervosa symptoms appear in two inter-related patterns:

  • Conscious refusal to maintain a body weight that’s healthy for a man or woman’s age and height
  • Severely distorted self-image, and obsession with the perception that he or she is overweight, even when severely underweight
Did you read that? A severely distorted self image. I see myself at AT LEAST 10-15 pounds heavier than I am. There is nothing I can do about that. Except accept it. 
What causes anorexia?


  • Low self-esteem, which may stem from unresolved experiences of neglect or abuse during childhood
  • Obsessive or compulsive personality traits, which make it easier to adhere to strict diets and resist hunger
  • Perfectionism, when centered on the body leads to thought distortions such as “I’m never thin enough.”
  • Low levels of serotonin, one of the brain chemicals involved in depression
Low self esteem; women, you know this. Every. Single. Woman. Has. Felt. This.Thanks to our amazing society that glorifies unhealthy lifestyles and bodies, us women are especially at risk for having low self esteem.
OCD & Perfectionism; I have been diagnosed with both of these. Its in my DNA. Both of my parents probably have this too. Its just who I am. It makes me even more prone to it.
Serotonin; This is where I can't say it pertains to me. I've only been depressed once in my life. THANK YOU ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY IN JUNIOR YEAR! I can definitely say that anorexia made me depressed, but not that depression caused it. 
This is mainly the big focus, right here:
Effects of anorexia;
  • Forced withdrawal from school or college
  • Loss of connection to faith or religion
  • Career disruption
  • Isolation from friends and family
  • Suicide



Obviously, like the post says, it also takes a lot of counseling to understand what really caused it for each patient. But, let me break this down.
I screwed up last semester. I wasn't focused. Dropped two classes, nearly failed the other two. Why? Because my brain was focused on something else. I remember asking my parents to meet Shayne and I at church all the time....why? Because I thought something was wrong with me and God. I couldn't connect to Him, and I just felt stupid praying and all this other stuff...so I tried desperately to connect by going to church all the time. Which of course isn't a bad thing and Id love to go every Sunday like we used to, but I remember making it a statement to go. Career disruption...I QUIT MY JOB. Okay??? And guess what?? A lot of other people with ED's quit their jobs!!! I was super sick and needed to heal!! Then I tried to jump right back in to it and I was not ready for that! Isolation? Hell yes! I distanced myself from EVERYONE because what I was doing was gross. Laxatives? Puking? Starving? Thats disgusting. I smelt like death. Like hospital or something. I smelled sick. I felt gross all the time. Suicide is something that I THOUGHT ABOUT back then!
Basically my whole point of this post was to get this across...I KNOW I've made people upset, I KNOW Im not making everyone happy...but, Im trying to make ME happy. Shayne and I happy....that is what matters to me more than anything. Im not trying to use these as excuses, but Im so sick of people not understanding that this disease is to blame for everything! Im sick of people saying that some diseases are more important than mine. 
ANOREXIA IS THE MOST LETHAL MENTAL DISORDER. THATS PRETTY FREAKING IMPORTANT. 
Im not sorry if this post hurts anyones feelings, I'm not. Because I'm not trying to make you happy. Im not asking you to base your decisions off of me and my life, so don't expect me to do that with mine. And if you have a damn problem with something I've done, be a grown up and say something. Stop beating around this bush and ignoring me and start acting like the adult you claim to be and GROW UP.

~K