No HFCS Chocolate Syrup!! And A Success Story

First let's start with chocolate syrup. Haven't we all always used Hershey's chocolate syrup for chocolate milk? And then felt guilty after drinking two glasses and seeing the ingredient list? Oops wait is that just me?
Most chocolate syrups contain HFCS or High Fructose Corn Syrup. This makes me hurt. And quite frankly I don't see why they put it in there if you can make the real stuff without it?
Try this syrup you won't be disappointed.

Chocolate syrup
Recipe from Washington Post.

Ingredients
1 c. Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c. Granulated sugar
1 c. Cold water
1/4 t. Salt
2-3 t. Vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan whisk cocoa and sugar until the lumps are gone. Add the water and salt and mix well with whisk. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Keep boiling until thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cool add vanilla.

Now see wasn't that easy? Go reward yourself for making HFCS free syrup with two glasses of chocolate milk:). Now on to my success! Today is High Five Friday! Please check out Meg's Post (the one who came up with the idea) to take part in the success(?) Fest.
A part of this challenge is to find something you accomplished during the week that you felt good about completing. That you would give yourself a high five for. So this is what I would give myself a high five for: This is my free hand swan pond picture I did for my first exam in art-drawing animals. I was really happy with how it came out.
so what did you accomplish this week?

I <3 It Mondays!

So this week has gone by soo fast. Except for the last few days when I was sick. It stunk. But hey 48 hours can give you a lot of new things to <3.
My Top Ten this week:

1) I <3 My Uncle's Wedding!
I know this pic has been a long time coming. *procrastinator* I wish I could have been there crazy dancing with my peeps. :(

2) I <3 Words With Friends!source
I MUST play before I can fall asleep.

3) I <3 Good Deals On Amazon! Source
Foodista best of food blogs cookbook! Usually $16, I nabbed this for $3.06!! (With free next day shipping;) )

4) I <3 China Glaze's Hunger Games Nail Polish! Don't you just love the colours? I can't decide my favorite. What's yours? To find out more about the collection and pre-order click here.

5) I <3 Desserts! Butter milk blueberry breakfast cake from for the love of cooking. Muffins anyone?

6) I <3 Dish! Bacon,date,and goat cheese galette from the teenage taste. Yes please!

7) I <3 South West Salad! Source
McDonald's south west salad. Could you blame a girl?

8) I <3 Dress! Source I love the high-low hem of this BCBG Max azria dress!

9) I <3 You Tube Videos! I can't get enough of this video!

10) I <3 Reading Challenge! Go here to sign up! I pledged 100!

What are you <3 Ing this week?

Snicker Doodles

So you have to make these now.
Like curl up with a cup of tea and watch a Marathon of your favorite show
Just do it.
Here I come Teen Mom finale!!

Snicker doodles
Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients
2 3/4 c. Of flour
2 t. Cream of Tartar
1 t. Baking soda
1/4 t. Salt
1 c. (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, at room temp
1 1/2 c. Sugar
2 eggs
1 t. Vanilla extract

Topping
3 T. Sugar
1 T. Cinnamon

Prep:
Spread parchment paper on your cookie sheets and stick them in your freezer to chill. Assemble your cookies:
1) whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of Tartar, and salt in a medium bowl.
2) cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Then add your eggs and vanilla and mix well.
3) gradually stir in your flour mix on a low speed.
4) chill cookie dough for at least 30 min.
5) while you wait mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
6) scoop 1- inch balls of cookie dough and roll in the cinnamon sugar mix.
7) place on chilled cookie sheet and bake for 10 min.
8) chill the sheets and dough between batches.
9) let cookies rest for 2-3 min. Then move to a cooling rack.
10) enjoy with a big glass of chocolate milk:)

P.s. sorry my posts are all in wacky order. Lately when I publish a post they are saved under the wrong date so they do not have the correct order that I published them in. I am sorry for this inconvenience and will try to figure out the problem.

Tea Cooked Oatmeal

A few days ago I was reading adashofmeg and came across her Idea to cook oats in tea. Great idea right?? I mean it makes sense. The taste and warmth of your tea mixed with the taste of organic rolled oats. Plus I added blueberries:)

Tea Cooked Oats
Adapted from adashofmeg
one cup of tea ( I used a lemon grass and spear mint blend)
2 t. Of agave nectar
A small handful of blueberries
1 handful of oats
A splash of milk

Brew your cup of tea
then put one handful of oats into a small bowl and squeeze your agave into the bowl and sprinkle with blueberries.
Pour the tea into the bowl and cook for one minute.
Cool with milk and eat:)
Good right?;)

plus I had to share this pic of my snack as a part of my noom calorie counting app: Broccoli and tomatoes:)

SUPERBOWL!!

So once again Superbowl has come and gone. Food had been devoured and one team has won. I think this was the only Superbowl I didn't watch. Yes I know ....what! But I was to busy watching kids at this game. So I caught up on Superbowl commercials on the today show the next day. Can I say Mr. Quiggly was one of my favorites. If I ever own a bulldog I am going to name him Mr. Quiggly. Too cute! I still can't get over it. So this is the pic of the good looking bunch of kids I watched during Superbowl: And this is me with them: This was taken after an intense game of dodge ball. Yeah.
Their names are Grant,( the one sticking out his tongue) Payton, (the little red head) McKenzie, ( the one in the purple) and Austin( the one in the angry birds t).

Also my team won so yay!! And also I think everyone saw the Halftime show right? I think what made it memorable was my lil sis Alli dancing to the show in front of the TV. Because I found Madonna's performance pretty ridiculous. I mean it was kinda entertaining in a silly kind of way. But that's just my opinion.

And I am sorry I totally forgot to take pics of the food. But I can assure you I ate my fare share. We brought homemade pizzas and I made a cinnamon dessert pizza.
So my Superbowl was awesome how was yours?
What did you think of the halftime show?
What did you bring to the party?
and who were you rooting for?

I <3 It Mondays!

Yeah! the first of a new post I want to do every Monday showcasing what I loved this past week. So let's start with my top ten <3 its this week:
I <3 it Dessert 

Can you say crazy,insane,amazing, wonderful, got to eat it now? (It's snickers if you couldn't tell) click here for the recipe from How Sweet It Is.

I <3 it chili!: 


I need to make this like now.
Vegetarian Quinoa Chili-Two peas and their pod

I <3 it food!:
 
Rolled Oats! I'm eating these night and day.
source

I <3 it cookbook!:

Pretty Delicious: Lean and Lovely Recipes for a Healthy, Happy New You by Candice Kumai (Hardcover)   I <3 it song!:   Safe and sound by Taylor Swift:) Source I <3 it addicting show!:  Teen Mom 2! Why can't I stop watching Janelle?? Source I <3 it favorite place to visit!:  California! My Home State:) *Feeling Homesick* Source I <3 it Perfume!: Meow by Katy Perry! I Love the sweet smell of Honey Suckle:) Perfumediary.com     I <3 it name!: Zander! for a boy:) The meaning of Zander is Man's Defender. Find out more about the name Click I <3 it shoe!: Wedge Sneakers! I sooo want a pair:) Source Hope everyone had a good SuperBowl! I will try to post my Pics of Superbowl tomorrow. How was your weekend?

Sorry!

Sorry I haven't posted anything new recently:( I have been so busy trying to finish my final exam in social civics plus working plus helping my mom prep the new heirloom garden plus getting ready for super bowl.(*out of breath*) I told myself I couldn't put these off anymore and put blogging on the back burner. Sorry! But I promise I will share my awesome fig Newton's, (if that makes you happy?) And my uncle's wedding pics, (sorry I've been putting that off) and my faves from across the web. Maybe I will try to get to it this weekend....
If I'm not too busy stuffing my face at SB:)
A pic I took of my lil sis Alli at our "wonderful picnic" ( her words not mine) -Becca