...ADivasWorld...

Live.Love.Life.“At this point, I really know who I am, and don’t feel like I have to put myself in a box...”

[fitsology-deactivated20150824]

[borndiva-blog]

10 Day Juice Fast

4 large apples 1.5 cucumbers 7 celery stalks 1 bunch of parsley juice of 1 lemon/lime Yields 1 liter

[sarlaccvagina-inactive-deactiva]

BISCUIT CANS ARE TERRIFYING

[satchmo88-deactivated20130706]

just laughed for a solid five minutes

[boiguhs-deactivated20131113]

True Fucking Story

[cierammartin-deactivated2016101]

I jump EVERY time I open one of these. Scary shit.

[coconutlimeverbena]

!!!!!!!!!!

[borndiva-blog]

ABC Juice

2 apples 1 beet 2 carrots 1/2 lemon

[borndiva-blog]

Chocolate Rum Glaze

*Rum can be omitted

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 tbsp cocoa powder

2-4 tbsp warm water

2 tbsp rum (optional)

Whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, rum (if using) and 2 tbsp of water. Slowly add more water to reach desired consistency.

[borndiva-blog]

Simple and Easy

9" Cheesecake

Crust, prepared or created*

2 8oz packages of softened cream cheese

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, make sure it blends well.

Add vanilla and sour cream, then pour into your crust.

Bake about 60-70 minutes, until it jiggles evenly. Let it cool about an hour, then place it in the fridge. Once completely chilled, serve and voila! Add a fruit topping if you please.

*Crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground cookies, graham crackers, Nilla wafers or Oreo's 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 1/3 cup sugar 1/8 tsp salt

Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of a buttered 24-centimeter springform pan. Fill right away or chill up to 2 hours.

[borndiva-blog]

Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Cake

Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs, separated 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups sour cream 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon table salt

Filling and Topping 2 cups semi- or bittersweet chocolate chips or coarsely chopped chocolate bars 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking pan. Set pan aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together into a separate bowl. Alternately mix in sour cream and then dry ingredients into butter mixture until both are used up and the batter is smooth and very thick. In a medium bowl, beat eggs whites until stiff, then fold into batter.

In a small dish, whisk together sugar and cinnamon for filling and topping.

Spread half the cake batter in the bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of cinnamon-sugar mixture and 1 cup of chocolate chips. Dollop remaining cake batter over filling in spoonfuls. Use a rubber or offset spatula to gently spread it over the filling and smooth the top. Sprinkle batter with remaining cinnamon-sugar and remaining chocolate chips. With the palm of your hand, press the chocolate chips a bit into the batter. 

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

[andrewclifton]

[borndiva-blog]

vote, because people died so that you could

[fuckyeahgreatfoods]

[borndiva-blog]

nomnom

[borndiva-blog]

Peanut Butter Brownies

For brownies 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1 3/4 cups sugar 1 cup creamy peanut butter 2 large eggs plus 1 large yolk 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 teaspoon salt

For ganache 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Make brownies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle. Butter a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking pan, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper and butter parchment.

Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, then add peanut butter and beat until incorporated. Beat in whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer sped to low, then mix in flour until just combined.

Mix in chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) then spread batter in baking pan, smoothing top. (It will be thick, almost like cookie batter.)

Bake until brownies are deep golden, puffed on top and a wooden pick inserted in center come out with some crumbs adhering, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool completely in pan on a rack, about 1 1/2 hours.

Make ganache: Put chocolate chips (1 1/2 cups) in a heatproof bowl.

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate chips and let mixture stand for one minute.

Gently whisk in butter until it is incorporated, chocolate is melted, and a smooth mixture forms.

Spread ganache on cooled brownies and let stand until set, about 15 minutes.

[borndiva-blog]

Excess Money...

Pay Down Credit Card Debt

If you are like many Americans, reducing credit card debt is a top priority this year. Given that many banks and financial institutions still charge upwards of 14% on their credit cards and less than one percent on a regular savings account, it doesn't take a business school graduate to know that paying down the card debt is a better financial move. What's more, retailers have known for years that Americans are vulnerable to spending their tax refund without much thought or discipline. "Many consumers look forward to tax season, when they know that the government will be padding their pockets with a little extra cash," NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin said in a statement. "Retailers begin to offer special sales and promotions in early April in anticipation of consumers hitting the stores with extra money in their wallets." Don't cave in. If you haven´t experienced it yet, the exhilaration of eliminating credit card debt is a wonderful thing.

Buy A New Car

If your current vehicle is more than seven years old, has lots of miles on it, or is costing you too much in repairs, now is a great time to buy a new car. You could use your tax refund as a down payment and keep your savings account intact.  Price discounts, rebates, low financing deals and a wide selection of vehicles are still the order of the day. Plus, auto loan interest rates are still under 6%, which is still low. Plus, there are lots of good deals on new 2013 vehicles. Dealers are trying to sell their remaining fleet from year-end. You can get a good price and a good loan rate on a brand new 2013 vehicle.

Start a College Fund

Even though the cost of college keeps rising each year, it's still one of the best long-term investments you'll ever find. Why not take your tax refund and get a jump on college expenses for your kids? Many financial professionals suggest a College 529 Savings Account for your child. "A 529 Plan is a vehicle that allows you to save for your child's future education costs," says Natasha Verbsky, a financial advisor with AXA Advisors, based in Dallas, Texas. "It can be used for tuition, room and board, required books and fees associated with undergraduate school, graduate school and technical training." One of the biggest benefits of a 529 plan is that the funds will grow tax-deferred. All withdrawals used for qualified education expenses will be distributed tax-free. Now that's smart investing.

Pay Your Property Taxes

For many homeowners, just keeping up with the monthly mortgage payments can be difficult in these tough economic times, let alone coughing up thousands more for property taxes. But if you use your tax refund to pay your property taxes, the financial hit to your pocketbook is minimal. That is, you probably won't have to take money out of your checking or savings account to pay your taxes. In fact, you might even have some extra money left over to reward yourself. Granted, it's not the most exciting thing you can do with the money, but consider that you'll have to pay your property taxes either way. By handing over your tax refund to your tax assessor, you won't have to hassle with paying your property taxes until next time.

Establish An Emergency Fund

Even though it is hard to resist the temptation of spending "free money" from the IRS, having a "rainy day" cash fund on hand to meet emergencies is a good idea. "The average person that gets a refund, thinks 'oh good,' but doesn't think a whole lot about it," Theodore Sadar, a certified financial planner, said. But while spending those dollars on a lavish vacation or a new TV can be very satisfying, Sadar suggests leaving it in the bank instead.

If you pay down your credit card debt, check your credit report to make sure the payments were applied to your outstanding card balance. Or if you're shopping for a new car, knowing your credit score before you take a test drive is a wise thing to do, since higher credit scores usually mean lower interest rates and more favorable terms on a new loan, which could save you a bundle of money.

[borndiva-blog]

Stand

[borndiva-blog]

Apple Pie Cookies

Yield: 28- 2 1/2-inchcookies

Crust 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting surfaces, dipping fork 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 teaspoon table salt 2 sticks unsalted butter, very cold 1/2 cup water, very cold 

Filling

3 medium apples, Granny Smith or whatever your prefer Squeeze of lemon juice (optional) 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon Few gratings fresh nutmeg A pinch of any other spices you like in your apple pie

Finish 1 large egg Coarse or granulated sugar for garnish

Additional stuff A couple baking sheets covered with parchment paper Rolling pin, pastry brush (for egg wash), fork (for crimping and dipping) and sharp knife (to make slits) Two round cookie cutters of different sizes.

Make your pie dough: Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in the bottom of a large, wide bowl. Using a pastry blender, two forks or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour until the biggest pieces of butter are the size of small peas. (You’ll want to chop your butter into small bits first, unless you’re using a very strong pastry blender in which case you can throw the sticks in whole). Gently stir in the ice water with a rubber spatula, mixing it. Get your hands in the bowl and knead it just two or three times to form a ball. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten a bit. Chill in fridge for at least an hour or up to two days. 

Meanwhile, get everything else together: Line up six small dishes. In the first one, pour some water. Leave the second one empty; you’ll use it for your apples in a bit. In the third one, mix the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and any other spices you like in your pie. In the fourth one, place a little bit of flour to dust your surface and dip your fork for crimping. In the fifth one, whisk an egg with one teaspoon of water until smooth. In the last one sugar for decorating the tops of the pies.

On a well-floured counter, roll out your pie dough pretty thin, a little shy of 1/8-inch thick. Lift and rotate your dough as you roll it, to ensure that it rolls out evenly and so you can be sure it’s not sticking in any place. Use the larger of your two cookie cutters [mine was 2 1/2-inch) to cut as many rounds as you can from the dough. Transfer them to parchment-lined baking sheets and keep them in the fridge until you need them. Once you’ve finished the first packet, repeat the process with the second packet of dough

Prepare your apples: Peel your apples. Cut thin (1/8-inch thick) slices from one side of whole apple, stopping when you hit the core. Repeat on opposite side. I got about 10 usable slices from each side of my medium-ish apples. Use the smaller of your two cookie cutters (mine was about 1 2/3 inches) to cut the apples into cute little discs that will fit inside your pie cookies. Place them in your second bowl, covering them with a few drops of lemon juice if you find that they’re browning quickly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grab your first disc of chilled dough and lightly dampen it on one side with the water. This is to help it seal. Take your first disc of apple and toss it in the cinnamon spice sugar. Place it on the damp side of the bottom disk. Place a second disc of dough on top; I found it easiest to seal it by picking the whole thing up (this is when you’ll be glad that your dough is cold and semi-firm; if it’s soft and getting sticky, chill it until it’s easy to pick up) and press the tops and bottoms around the apple with your fingers. Back on the floured counter, cut decorative slits in your “pies”. Dip your fork in the flour and use it to create a decorative crimp on the sealed edges. Brush your cookie with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Replace on baking sheet and chill while you prepare the others. 

Bake your apple pie cookies for 25 minutes, or until puffed and bronzed and very pie-like. (If this is your first batch, peer in at them at 20 minutes, to make sure your oven doesn’t run hot.) Transfer to a cooling rack to cool before eating them…

[borndiva-blog]

[borndiva-blog]

YSL

[borndiva-blog]

IceCream Frosting

3 sticks, 2 tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature  3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifter 3 tablespoons milk  1 tablespoon vanilla extract  a pinch of salt

 In an electric mixer set, beat the butter for 8 minutes at medium speed. Stop in half to clean the walls of the bowl, ensuring that everything is beaten. Butter will change color and become pale beige almost and fluffy.

 Add all the sugar and salt pinch once. Add milk, I put two scoops first.

 Mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. If you are at suitable consistency for piping nozzle, do not add more milk, unless you prefer a softer coverage.

[borndiva-blog]

Dulce de Leche

Makes 64 (1-inch) cheesecake squares

For crust 3 1/2 ounces (1 cup) graham crackers, crumbled 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin  1/4 cup whole milk 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 large eggs 3/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup dulce de leche 

Dulce de Leche (Milk Caramel)

Pour one can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk into top of double-boiler pan; cover. Place over boiling water. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 50 minutes, or until thick and light caramel-colored.

Remove from heat. Whisk until smooth.

For glaze 3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), coarsely chopped 1/2 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Make crust: Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with 2 sheets of foil (crisscrossed), leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

Finely grind crackers with sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor. With motor running, add butter, blending until combined. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of baking pan. Bake 10 minutes, then cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes.

Make filling: Sprinkle gelatin over milk in a small bowl and let stand 2 minutes to soften. Beat together cream cheese, eggs, salt, and gelatin mixture in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes, then stir in dulce de leche gently but thoroughly. Pour filling over crust, smoothing top, then bake in a hot water bath (I was able to fit mine in a 9×13-inch baking pan) in oven until center is just set, about 45 minutes. Cool cheesecake completely in pan on rack, about 2 hours. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.

Glaze cake within 2 hours of serving: Heat all glaze ingredients in a small metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth, then pour over cheesecake, tilting baking pan to coat top evenly. Chill, uncovered, 30 minutes.

Lift cheesecake from pan using foil overhang and cut into 1-inch squares with a thin knife, wiping off knife after each cut.