Hey There, Chelsie

Grilled Fish Tacos

*I received this product for free in return for my review. All opinions are my own*

Let’s real talk for a second: I haven’t been feeling my best lately, health wise. It’s a combination from a lot of travel, a lot of junk food and a lot sleep deprivation. I decided that I have had enough with feeling so crummy and getting such terrible headaches and that it was time to make some lifestyle changes when it came to my eating habits and how I was taking care of my body. I know I’ve got to do better; I’ve got to help myself out by taking care of myself.

So, I chose a cookbook from Blogging for Books to try out and review this month called Grill It, Braise It, Broil It. It’s actually a cookbook made and promoted by the American Heart Association, so I knew that this was my chance at getting my hands on some recipes that would be tailored to being good for my body. I was a little nervous about getting a cook book, since the baking one I got last month was WAY over my head in terms of techniques and time. However, this cookbook did not disappoint. Not only are ALL of these recipes extremely easy and doable, they are made with ingredients you normally have sitting around your house or ones you can easily buy from a grocery store. No weird ingredient hunting necessary!

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Sumptuous Strawberry Layer Cake Recipe

Summer time is coming and that means my favorite fruit is easy to find and buy! It’s STRAWBERRY SEASON!

Whether you are planning a dinner party or just want to whip up a tasty treat, a strawberry layer cake is the perfect dessert. You may have read Taylor’s guest post a few weeks ago on how to make easy cinnamon rolls - well, here is another recipe to add to your books! During the summer, when the fruit is in its prime, you should make the most of the delicious flavor. This recipe will only take you around 30-40 minutes to complete, which means that it is not a massive job. If you are feeling creative, get yourself in the kitchen and start baking!

Source Here

What will you need?

You will need to gather all your ingredients before you begin. When it comes to getting your fruit, there are some strawberry plants for sale online, or you can grab some from a department store. You should keep in mind that these fruits are in season right now. Here is a complete list of the things that you will need:

  • Softened butter
  • Chopped strawberries
  • Flour
  • Baking powder
  • Eggs
  • Buttermilk
  • Sugar
  • Food coloring
  • Cooking oil

Step 1: Preparation

Before you do anything, you need to prepare your ingredients. You should chop your strawberries so that they are ready to use. You should also separate two egg whites because you will need them later.

Step 2: Preheat the oven

You ought to preheat the oven at this point. Put it on 350 degrees so that it can get super hot. Remember, your cake will not rise unless it is at peak temperature. That is why it is so important that you remember to pop the oven on before you start making your cake batter.

Step 3: Sift flour

Unless you want lumps in your tasty cake, you need to sift the flour. There are a few different techniques you can use, but the point is that the flour is smooth and fine. The last thing you want is the flour clotting together as this will ruin your mixture.

Step 4: Blend strawberries

You will be using the strawberries in the cake mixture, and so you need to ensure that they are a puree. You should set aside a few of the chopped strawberries for decoration, but put the rest of them in a blender. You can get blenders online. If you don’t have one, you will find this step almost impossible because it is difficult to get the right consistency.

Step 5: Mix

Next, comes the messy part! You should mix the flour, baking powder, butter, sugar and eggs (whole note separated) together. You will need to mix this mixture for quite some time to get a smooth paste. Then, you can add the egg whites that you separated before you started to make the mixture. You can also add food coloring to make the cake look attractive.

Step 6: Beat and blend

Finally, you need to add the strawberry puree and beat the entire batter. At this point, you should find that the mixture is smooth and glossy. If there are any lumps in the mixture, it is time to get rid of them.

Step 7: Bake!

You will need to separate the mixture and divide it between two shallow cake tins. Once you have done so, you should pop both the tins into the preheated over. It should take around 20-30 minutes for the cake to cook.

Step 8: Decorate

When you get the cakes out, you will need to leave them to cool for a while. You can use a premade frosting mixture between the two layers of the cake. Use the same mixture to decorate the top of the cake and add a few strawberry slices for garnish. Yum!

Let me know if you try out this recipe! What are your go-to summer recipes?

 

Mexican Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Recipe

Today I’m so excited to be guest posting on The Hallway today! Shannon and I share a passion for health and fitness, and today I am sharing my favorite recipe to replace your high-carb spaghetti dinner!

I have always been wary of spaghetti squash, but when my husband and I decided to start making changes to our diet, I knew I needed to work on cutting back on our carbs. We were eating pasta almost every other day! I decided to give spaghetti squash a try, and we couldn’t believe how un-squash-like it tasted! It was so yummy! And it really blows my mind how the squash shreds just like spaghetti noodles after it’s cooked.

If you want to get more details on this delicious spaghetti squash recipe, be sure to hop over to Shannon’s blog to check it out!

 

Easy 20 Minute Cinnamon Rolls - Guest Post

I’m stoked to have Taylor guest posting on Life with Rosie today! Taylor is one of my sponsors this month! She blogs about beauty, food and graphic design and writes really in depth reviews of products. Her most recent post comparing L’Oreal’s La Palette Nude and Mabelline’s The Nudes Palette is a must-read for any one who wants to figure out what Drugstore UD Naked Dupe to purchase.

 

Hey friends! My name is Taylor and I blog over at www.dearfriendsblog.com! Today, I have a recipe for you guys…this is my easy 20-minute cinnamon rolls! I am sure that you guys are going to love it!

My recipe for these easy 20-minute cinnamon rolls is a recipe that I received from my mother a year or so ago, whenever I first moved into an apartment by myself. They are my absolute favorite way to make cinnamon rolls and I am so excited to share the recipe with you! (I personally think they’re better Cinnabon…)

What You Need:

(BONUS: you only need four ingredients!)

  • a cookie sheet (I used a cast iron skillet - be sure to season your skillet!)
  • a mixing bowl
  • a whisk
  • 1 pkg of Pillsbury buttery croissant rolls (I used the mini pack, which contains 4 croissants)
  • 1 pkg of Land O’ Lakes cinnamon butter (to taste)
  • 2/3 cup of powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup of milk

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees (350 degrees for dark or nonstick cookie sheet)

2.) Open the package of Pillsbury croissants and roll them out, separating them into individual rolls

3.) Spread the cinnamon butter onto the croissants (add as much as you like! I like to be super unhealthy and cover the whole croissant. Ha!)

4.) Roll up the croissants and place onto a pan (or your skillet)

5.) Bake for about 15-18 minutes (until the croissants are golden brown)

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, it’s time to make your icing! This is totally a preference of taste, but I will give you the measurements that I like to use. However, you can definitely tailor these measurements to your taste.

To make the icing, all you have to do is add the powdered sugar and the milk together into a mixing bowl and whisk together.

Pour the icing over the cinnamon rolls when they come out of the oven.

That’s it! Super easy cinnamon rolls that are my absolute favorite. (I prefer them over Cinnabon or any Pillsbury pre-made cinnamon rolls!)
Let us know if you make these delicious cinnamon rolls! And if you do, use the hashtag #yummycinnamonrolls! We’d love to see your pictures!
Thank you, my dear friends for reading. I hope you check out my blog at www.dearfriendsblog.com and subscribe to both me and Chelsie!

Food is for Sharing w/ Cat

I am so excited to have Cat from Oddly Lovely on Life with Rosie today! Cat is one of my all time favorite bloggers who I read for a while before I started Life with Rosie. I guess you can say she inspired me! Cat also has the cutest pup named Ru who would probably be Rosie’s best friend if they lived close one another. Be sure to stop by her blog and check out her other posts!

 

The best part about cooking as a hobby is that everyone needs to eat every day. Unlike snowboarding or horseback riding, food and cooking is always present. If you’re a good cook, you don’t need to rely on expensive dinners out for a satisfying meal. And there’s something so wonderfully fulfilling about baking cookies for your coworkers or whipping up enchiladas for friends.

Sharing food has long been a symbol of trust. In ancient Greco-Roman, the concept of hospitality was an important one and custom dictated that households should offer travelers a meal and safety. The expression “breaking bread” is found both in early Greek texts as well as some translations of the Bible, and it means to mean literally share a meal and metaphorically to cooperate. Meals required joint effort on the part of a multiple of people to harvest crops, raise cattle, and process items such as butter or oil. And you would only sit down to eat with an ally, never an enemy.

Even today, we have all heard studies about families who eat together are less likely to produce children who do drugs or participate in crime. And rarely do people get together over anything other than a girls brunch or a romantic dinner. Cooking for someone is the most primal expression of caring for them - you are literally fueling and nurturing their body. And the conversation that you have over bacon and eggs or a good bowl of soup is just as important as the actual food you are eating… although I’d say the food is pretty important too.

How confident of a cook are you? What kind of meals do you love to share with friends and family?

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Everywhere