Luxury Captured.

Beautiful photography from Vogue's May 2013 issue.
Carey Mulligan looks just stunning. I see 1920's trends coming soon...Love these.

Healthy Toll-House Cookies

I recently was diagnosed with lactose intolerance as most people in the world. I've been modifying recipes to see what works/tastes good and what doesn't. Today I modified some Toll House Cookies by making them dairy free and adding some Flax Meal and they weren't half bad! 

Here is the recipe:

1 1/2 cups Flour
3/4 cups Flax Seed Meal
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt

(Mix the above in one bowl with whisk)

2 sticks Fleischmann's Unsalted Margarine-(should be dairy free be sure to look a package)
3/4 cups Splenda
3/4 cups Splenda Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

(Cream together the above with stand mixer and paddle attachment)

Add in 2 eggs to mixture
Slowly add in flour mixture
Add in anything else you'd like- I added chopped walnuts and pecans and some shredded coconut
(chocolate morsels have milk in them)

Bake at 375º for 9-11 minutes switching the cookie sheets midway through baking for even cooking.

These cookies were soft and moist... not that bad for being pretty healthy.

2- Layer Pudding Pie

I thought with the possibility of the price of milk going up I would share this recipe that uses dry milk- which keeps forever!

All you'll need is:
-a low fat graham cracker crust
-tub of fat free whipped topping
-1 chocolate and 1 butterscotch sugar free, fat free, instant pudding mix

I didn't have butterscotch pudding mix on hand so I opted for vanilla instead 
which works fine.

-water.

Whisk together 2/3 cup dry milk, 1 package of butterscotch pudding mix and 1 1/4 cups water.

Spread into the crust.

Then mix together 2/3 cup dry milk, 1 package of chocolate pudding mix and 1 1/4 cups water.

Spread mixture on top of the butterscotch pudding mixture in the crust.

Refrigerate for at least an hour. Then spread 1/2 the tub of whipped cream on top of the pie and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and you're ready to serve!

It's so quick and easy! 

Easy Peasy Sangria

Found this great recipe for white wine sangria that was pretty darn good and super easy.

Take one bottle of white wine, Chardonnay works well, and three cans of Fresca. Mix in some cut strawberries, blueberries and peaches. Yummers...

Turkey Black Bean Tacos

Just the other day I found myself with a half a pound of ground turkey wanting to make some tacos. I thought I would put a can of black beans with the turkey and a packet of taco seasoning to make my filling. It was a genius idea. Incorporating the lean ground turkey with fiber filled black beans it was just yummy. Thought I would pass along.

Skulltastic

It makes me smile when I see something either online or in a magazine that I've been wearing literally for five years. On a trip to Asheville I found some wonderful skull beads made from bone. I decided to take them and make a set of stretch bracelets for myself. I wore them with everything. The neutral color made them appealing with any outfit. Now, today I'm online and I see that Sisco Berluti has one for sale for $88! wow. Time to make more...

From Sisco Berluti

Mine

Mine 

Skinny Apple Tart

This is a super easy recipe for an apple tart from Cooking Light. All you do is take one pre-made refrigerated pie crust (like Pillsbury; found in dairy section). Roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter. 
Place crust on cookie sheet or pizza pan. Mix 1/4 cup sugar with a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Take 1 tbsp. of the mixture and sprinkle over the entire crust. Then take 2 lbs of granny smith apples and peel and cut into thin slices. Arrange the slices in circles going from outside to inside of crust. Take remaining sugar mixture and sprinkle over all the apples. 
Bake at 425 for 30 minutes
Combine 2 1/2 tablespoons honey with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Pop in microwave for 40 seconds and mix up. Brush over tart after baking while still warm. Serve warm.
I think you could mix this up and use all sorts of different fruits.