Snickerdoodle Cookies

My friend recently gave me her recipe for snickerdoodle cookies! These are great for the holiday season and make a great treat to go with hot cocoa or as gifts for your friends. It takes only 20 minutes to make and you end up with about 30 servings! The cookies are super soft, don't go stale easily, and pretty hard to mess up. I'm usually reluctant to make anything from scratch, but these are so worth it. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar (this can be found in the spices section because its actually a powder)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

1: Preheat oven to 350°
2: Mix the butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl.
3: Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a smaller bowl.
4: Blend the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
5: Chill the dough and an ungreased cookie pan in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
6: While the dough is chilling, mix 3 tablespoons of sugar and 3 teaspoons of cinnamon in a bowl.
7: Take 1 inch pieces of dough and roll it gently into a ball.
8: Roll the balls in the sugar and cinnamon, then place them on the cookie tray. 
9: Bake for 10 minutes.
10: Remove cookies from the pan immediately.

Pink Glitter Nails

I wore these nails for Breast Cancer Awareness month, sorry I uploaded it late. Maybe next year!

1: Apply a base coat to prevent staining.
2: Apply a pink polish until it is opaque.
3: When the pink is dry, apply Essie's Matte About You to take away shine and make your nails matte.
4: Take a pink glitter polish and paint a diagonal stripe across your nail. Then paint another diagonal stripe on the other side of your nail to create a V shape.

5: Outline the V shaped glitter with a white striper.

6: On your ring and thumb finger, take a white striper and paint two intersecting diagonals beginning from the top of your nail. Then paint the same white stripes but starting from the bottom of your nail. 

7: Add a top coat to prevent your design from chipping.

Products used:

OPI Natural Nail Strengthener

OPI Pink Friday

Essie Matte About You

OPI Teenage Dream

Kiss White Striper

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

This recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make, and is great for the holidays or as a contribution to potlucks. They are also relatively cheap, compared to how expensive they are usually sold for in stores. You can also get creative and dip marshmallows, bananas, rice krispies, or other treats.

Ingredients:
Nestle Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Sprinkles
Strawberries

1: Wash all of your strawberries and lay them out to dry, or pat them dry with a paper towel.
2: Pour sprinkles into a shallow bowl.

3: Put some chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave it for about 40 seconds or until the chips look slightly melted. You can also use white chocolate or dark chocolate chips.

4: Using a chopstick, stir the chocolate chips together until they are completely melted.

5: Line a plate with parchment paper or aluminum foil to keep the strawberries from sticking to the plate.

6: Dip the strawberries into the melted chocolate, then into the sprinkles (optional). 

7: Place the strawberries on your covered plate, then place the plate in the fridge until the chocolate has hardened (about 30 minutes).

Candy Corn Nails

It's a little late, but hopefully you can still paint these on your nails in time for Halloween! They are super simple and don't require much time.

1: Apple a base coat to prevent staining.
2: Paint your nails with a white polish until it is opaque.
3: After the white is dry, apply an orange polish to the bottom 2/3 of your nail until it is opaque. An easy way to make a straight line is by painting your nails horizontally, or you can use a piece of tape.
4: Paint the remaining 1/3 of your nail with a yellow until it is opaque.
5: Add a top coat to prevent chips.

Products used:
OPI Natural Nail Strengthener
OPI Alpine Snow
OPI Clubbing til Sunrise
Dolomia Primula
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Microwave Popcorn

Most people call popcorn the healthiest snack because it is full of fiber and low in calories. This is an easy way to make your own healthy popcorn in less than 5 minutes without the unhealthy ingredients of store-bought packets.

1: Pour 1/4 cup of unpopped popcorn kernels in a brown paper bag. You can get popcorn kernels at Sprouts for about $1 per pound.

2: Fold the top of the bag over several times and put the bag in the microwave. Microwave for about 3 minutes or until the popping slows to every 2 or 3 seconds.
3: Take the bag out of the microwave. You can eat them plain, which is the healthiest way, or make some melted butter by melting it in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pour the butter into the bag and shake. You can also add salt or other spices such as Parmesan cheese, sea salt, or garlic powder.

Homecoming Nails

This is an easy way to create simple, elegant nails for your next dance or special event. Choose colors that match well with your dress or other accessories.

1: Use a base coat to prevent stains.
2: Paint your nails with a polish that matches your dress until your nails are opaque.
3: Get a chunky glitter polish and paint it a little less than halfway down your nails.
4: Add a top coat to smooth out the glitter and prevent chips.

Products Used:
OPI Natural Nail Strengthener
Essie A Crewed Interest
Milani Gold
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Fall Scalloped French Nail Tutorial

These nails will look great for the fall time and are a different twist on french nails.

1: Paint your nails with a base coat to prevent staining.
2: Paint your nails with a brown polish until it is opaque.
3: Get an index card and and a pair of crafting scissors with a scalloped edge. Zigzags will also work. These scissors can be found at craft stores such as Michaels.
4: Cut an edge of the index card with the scissors, then cut out a square with the scalloped edge.

5: Put a piece of tape on each of side of the square, then wrap it around your nail.

6: Paint the tip of your nail white. Allow the white polish to completely dry before removing the index card.

7: Add a top coat to prevent chips and make your nails last longer.

Products used:

OPI Natural Nail Strengthener

Essie Don't Sweater It

Index Card

Craft Scissors

OPI Alpine Snow

Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat