Mini Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake

You know, for the longest time, I was so entranced by the term "Red Velvet" it just sounds so rich & fabulous. "Ooooo, velvet" I would think. It always seemed it was this elusive treat that I would never, in a million years try and make.

Turns out...it's quite straightforward. It's really just a somewhat chocolate cake with the addition of red food colouring. Nonetheless, when you make these mini cheesecakes, you're going to wow and impress your friends because red velvet just sounds sooooo decadent (and they don't need to know how simple it really is!)

These mini cheesecakes are everything I was hoping they would be, and more. I would highly reccomend making these as a dessert for any dinner party, or if you just want to have pretty little cheesecakes. Hey, you deserve it!

Mini Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecakes

adapted from chelsea's messy apron

Print this recipe

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

13 Oreos

1 & 1/2 tsp butter, melted 

For the Cheesecake:

1/3 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese at room temp

1/2 tbsp sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp red food colouring

1 egg, lightly beaten 

Topping:

6 crushed Oreos

Method:

Preheat your over to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 10 cupcake liners. Fill the empty spaces with water. According Chelsea, this ensures even baking! Cool eh?

In a food processor, chop the Oreos until they are crumbs. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the melted butter until completely mixed together. Evenly distribute the crumbs throughout your 10 muffin liners and press down so that they are flat in the liners. 

In a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer) combine the sugar and cream cheese until creamy and smooth (no sugar chunks). Add in sour cream, vanilla, cocoa powder and food colouring and beat until combined. Add the egg and mix until JUST combined. 

Using a spoon, fill each liner with an even amount of batter. Next, take your 6 crushed Oreos and sprinkle on top of the cheesecakes.

Bake for 20-22 mins or until edges are firm. It's ok if the centre is still soft. 

The hardest part --> "Let cool in the tins on a wire cooling rack for ONE HOUR. Then, transfer to the fridge and let cool for at least TWO HOURS"

..........

Obviously I didn't do that. I mean, look at them:

I let them cool for MAYBE 30 mins on a wire rack, then threw a couple into the freezer for about 15 minutes and then ate one. I mean really, who has that kind of will power??

Whatever you decide, they will be delicious! 

Enjoy!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest too! 

The Times, They are A-Changin'

I don't know about you, but change freaks me out. I don't know if it's the control freak part of me that needs to know what is going to happen ALL THE TIME, or if it's just a normal person thing. I mean, let's face it. Change means unknown. Unknown means room for error. Error means things go wrong and when things go wrong...well, that's when the panic sets in.

Due to my anxiety, I try my very hardest to keep everything "perfect". I try my best to be perfect, and if it's not perfect, not do it at all. In my crazy head, when I screw up, it is a reflection of me as a person, which means I am a screw up, if there is a screw up. Therefore, why bother doing something if I'm going to feel this way? It's extremely risky. So this weird, anxious fear that I have keeps me from doing and trying a lot of things because if I can't do it perfectly the first time, I don't want to do it at all.

I know what you're thinking..."Well, that's no way to live" and you're totally right. It's not. I live in a very safe bubble and if it weren't for some key people in my life, I'd probably stay in my safe bubble forever. I mean heck, I never would have trained for a half marathon out of my own volition. It was only because someone told me I could and as it turned out, I was actually OK at running.

Anyway, the point is, I'm scared of change and right now, there is A LOT that is about to change in my life. What freaks me out the most right now is I don't know what this change will bring. I'm scared of not being able to have a plan and of not having a way to control what the next 6 months, year, year and a half are going to bring. However, it is inevitable. So I can either just learn to cope from my safe little bubble OR I can embrace change. Since I don't want to spend the rest of my life being afraid of the future, the option I am going to pick is, embrace.

So how does one embrace change, or better yet, how does one LEARN to embrace change?

One day at a time - One thing I've learned from my good friends in AA is "One Day at a Time" To me this means, instead of always looking 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 1 year ahead, live in the present moment. I can't control everything that is going to happen tomorrow, but what I CAN control what is happening today and can make choices that will help my future. 

Another one from my AA friends. It pretty much says it all.

Keep moving - I've been on a roll recently with my workouts, and I can tell you, I feel amazing. However, I have yet to have a shitty workout, and I know as soon as I do, I'll be tempted to stop (you know, that whole "I have to be perfect" thing). I need to remember that exercise is the single BEST thing I can do for myself during these times. Whether it be Zumba, Running, Pilates or whatever, as long as I'm moving and pushing myself, I know I'll get through it.

So my friends, the times, they are a-changin' and gosh darn it, I'm going to embrace it. Probably.

Homemade Caramel Corn

Holy Hannah, this is my new favourite thing to make. Not only is it absolutely delicious, it makes a TON of snack food, and it stores really well, so you can pack it up into single servings for when you have a sweets craving. Also? It's incredibly easy to make! You kind of feel like a rock star when you give it to people to try and they're all "Whoa, you made this?" and you can be all "Yea, no big deal, I'm kind of a professional" (For this reason, it makes a GREAT gift)

Homemade Caramel Corn

adapted from Baked Perfection

Ingredients:

For the Popcorn

1 1/2 cups unpopped popcorn kernels

6 tbsp vegetable oil 

2 tbsp salt

Caramel Coating:

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp vanilla

Method:

To make the popcorn:

Spray a generous amount of cooking spray in a turkey roasting pan.

Coat the bottom of a large pot with 3 tbsp of vegetable oil. There should be complete coverage at the bottom. Put on medium heat and toss 3 kernels into the pot and cover. When you hear the kernels pop, the oil is ready. Remove pot from heat. Put 3/4 cup of kernels into the pot along with 1tbsp of salt and shake the pot for 10 second. Turn the lid in slightly to let steam escape. Return to heat and continue moving the pot over the element. You will hear kernels start to pop. Continue to move over hear until the popping noise slows & remove from heat. Put popcorn into the turkey roasting pan. Repeat with the remaining kernels and put into the roasting pan. 

Set oven to 250 degrees F.

To make the Caramel Coating:

In a pot on medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir continuously with a spatula, until mixture begins to boil. Lower heat a touch, and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stiring the whole time. After the 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. When you add the baking soda, the mixture will bubble up, and that's ok! 

Next, pour the caramel mixture over top of the popcorn and mix together with a spatula sprayed with cooking spray, until popcorn is evenly covered. Pop into the preheated oven and bake for 45 mins, taking the pan out every 15 minutes to stir with a well coated spatula. 

When 45 minutes is up, remove from oven and give popcorn another stir. Leave to cool in pan for at least an hour (overnight is preferable). Make sure that the popcorn is completely cooled before you store it. I put mine in leftover jars, but you could also store in Ziploc bags!

Enjoy!

 
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest too! 

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

This year, I'm trying to plan ahead for meals. Not only is it cheaper in the long run (I only do 1 grocery shop for 2 weeks of food) it also helps me to stick to my healthy eating plan and keeps me on track. Also, I can plan in fun meals that I wouldn't normally be able to make on the fly (i.e. who buys Jalapeños on a weekly basis? Not I.)

A couple weeks ago I saw Add a Pinch post this on their Facebook page and I knew I had to try it (PS check out Add a Pinch, she's fab!). Hubby and I LOVE Jalapeño Poppers and what's better then making them into a meal? I KNOW, I know, they aren't exactly "healthy" but this dish is baked, not fried and I used low-fat mayo and cream cheese, so it isn't as bad as you may think.

The result? I've found my new, most favourite meal. It's so yummy, creamy and flavourful plus it makes a TON of servings (leftovers, whut whut). It's a great family meal because the flavour of the Jalapeños is there, but the heat is not unless you add hot sauce. This is going to be a regular meal for us, for sure!

Jalapeño Popper Chicken

adapted from Add a Pinch

Ingredients:

6 chicken breasts 

Jalapeño Popper Topping:

6 pieces of bacon, sliced

2 jalapeños, diced, deseeded

1/4 cup diced onion

1 brick of light cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Optional: 1/2 cup Franks Hot Sauce - or your favourite hot sauce

For the Topping:

1/2 cup crushed Saltine crackers

1/2 cup shredded cheese

4 tbsp butter, melted

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large casserol dish, place the 6 chicken breasts along the bottom and bake for about 45 mins (or until clear juices leak out when you poke them with a fork).

While the chicken is baking, prepare the first topping. Add chopped bacon, jalapeños and onion to a frying pan (with a little bit of oil) and cook until bacon is crispy and onion and jalapeños are cooked (about 5-8mins). Add to a medium mixing bowl (or stand mixer bowl) and add the cream cheese, mayo, 1 cup of shredded cheddar and, if you are using, add the hot sauce. Mix with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer until completely combined.

When the chicken is done, remove from oven and spread the cream cheese topping evenly over the chicken breasts. Reduce heat to 350. 

For the final, crispy topping, combine your crushed crackers, 1/2 cup shredded cheese and butter and mix with your hands until crackers are evenly coated with butter and cheese. Spread this on top of your cream cheese topping evenly. Pop the dish back into the oven for another 12-15 mins or until the top is a nice, golden brown.

Serve it up with a nice Balsamic Salad, or even veggies and dip!

Any leftovers can be stored in a Tupperware container for up to 2 days and reheated for another meal!

Enjoy!

- Lisa
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest too! 

Dill Pickle Soup

Sticking with my plan of getting posts done on weekends, I picked three things to try out for you guys the past 2 days. The good news is, they were all AMAZING and I'm just so excited I want to post about all of them now! Unfortunately, that's proooooobably not going to happen, so I'll start with this one: Dill Pickle Soup.

I know what you're probably thinking: "Ew, pickles don't go in soup" to which I say "clearly you are a dill pickle hater" because the reality of the situation is, pickles can go in anything. Pickles are awesome. To me, they're like this amazing, magic creation that can make anything taste better. Because Pickles are awesome. Right? Right.

So, now that we've overcome THAT objection, allow me to tell you about this soup. It is delightful. It's creamy and thick & really more like a chowder than a soup. It has great flavour, fantastic texture and it's hearty...perfect for a cold day. Plus, this makes A LOT of soup, so you can put it in containers and freeze it for whenever you need a quick lunch/dinner. Also, if you use vegtable broth it is 100% vegetarian!

Unfortunately for this batch, I didn't have our homemade pickles on hand (they're all at my Dad's) so I had to use No Name, but the soup was still fantastic!

Dill Pickle Soup

adapted from Noble Pig

Print Recipe HERE
Ingredients:

5 1/2 cups chicken broth 

8-10 red flesh potatoes, peeled & quartered (8 if all large, 10 if some are small)

2 cups chopped carrots (small pieces)

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup chopped dill pickles (small pieces)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup water

2 cups dill pickle juice

1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Method

In a large pot, add the chicken broth, potatoes, carrots and butter. Bring to a boil and let cook until the potatoes are nice a soft. Add your pickles and turn the heat down and let simmer. 

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sour cream and water with a wooden spoon. Continue to mix until a nice paste is made. Next, using a whisk, mix 2 tbsp of the mixture into the soup. As you're stirring in the paste, break up the potatos with your whisk. At this point they'll be soft enough for you to do that. 

Add the pickle juice. I found that I got the 2 cups out of a large jar of pickles, but you might want to have 2 jars on hand JUST in case! Add the salt, pepper and cayenne pepper and stir the soup some more with your whisk. You want there to be some potato chunks, so stir until you feel the soup is where you want it to be! If you want it to be completely blended, you could take a hand mixer to it, but I really like finding surprise chunks of potato and pickle in there while I was eating the soup! 

Remove from heat and serve! Add a few sliced pickles on top (as shown below) for added taste & flourish!

You'll have plenty extra, so I put the soup in individual sized containers for quick meals!

Enjoy!

- Lisa
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest too! 

THE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever since I started this blog (which is nearing the 1 year anniversary!!!!) I've been on the hunt for the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies. I know you're probably all thinking "What about a family recipe?" to which I answer this - there is NO way I'll ever be able to replicate my Grandma's chocolate chip cookie recipe. They will never be the same unless SHE makes them, so why even bother trying?! I wanted a recipe that I could make my own.

So after almost a year of searching & experimenting, I have found it. The winning recipe comes from none other than my Celebrity Chef Crush - Michael Smith. Yes, I'm in love with Michael Smith. Why? Maybe because he has my dream kitchen or maybe because his recipes are so simple and easy to follow, maybe because he gives great tips and tricks...or maaaaaaaaaaaybe (probably) because he reminds me of Aiden from Sex and the City. Whatever, I love him.

Anywho, these cookies are the *BLEEP*ing best and I could eat them all in one sitting.The best thing about this recipe is that it takes about 5 mins to whip everything together and only 12 mins to bake. The ingredients are simple yet the product is extremely satisfying. PLUS, this batch makes about 12-15, which to me, is the perfect amount when you're looking for a sweet treat on a cold day. Or any day. Or after dinner. Or in the afternoon. Or anytime.

Also, you'll notice that these pictures are actually nice...why? Because my AMAZING Hubby bought me a GORGEOUS DSLR for Christmas! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. Blogging in Hi-Def...nbd.

THE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

Original Recipe by: Michael Smith
Print Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1 tbsp corn syrup

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F & line 2 baking sheets with silicone mats (I HAVE ONE NOW!!!!), parchment paper, tinfoil or grease with butter.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt with a whisk. Feel free to be liberal with the salt. Since you are using unsalted butter, the added salt adds a certain something to these cookies. Set bowl aside.

In a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. You can also use a hand mixer or if you're really brave, by hand. Once everything is nice and smooth add in the corn syrup, egg and vanilla and mix until everything is combined. 

Scarpe down the sides of the bowl and slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until JUST combined. 

**Side note, I still don't know what "Just Combined" means, but basically, I let the mixer mix until all the white from the flour is gone from the middle (even if there is some stuck on the side of the bowl). Seems to work.**

Stir in the glorious chocolate chips. I say 1 1/2 cups, but I probably put in close to 2 cups. I just love chocolate. 

Using a tablespoon, scoop out dough and place on a baking sheet and flatten slightly with your fingers. You'll want to leave plenty of space between the cookies so the can spread out (which they will). Bake for 12 mins. If you want a less chewy cookie, leave them in for another 2 minutes or so. Just until the edges start to turn a dark golden brown!

Remove from oven and let cool for 3 mins then transfer to a wire rack.Enjoy with a cold glass of milk!

- Lisa
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest too! 

Mom's Famous Pizza Dip

Growing up with a pool, our house was often the place where friends and family congregated on a hot summer day. My parents also LOVED to entertain, so we had a lot of BBQs, Birthday parties and get-togethers at our home. I kid you not...every SINGLE time we had people over, they always asked for the same thing: My Mom's Pizza Dip. Old, young, kids, adults, they all wanted the same thing.

To this day, this dip is my favourite thing to bring to a get together. It's super easy to whip up, and it's a total crowd pleaser! When I brought it to our New Years party this year, I'm pretty sure it was gone in about 30 minutes. SO GOOD.

I think she got the original recipe from a Kraft magazine, but the recipe I use is the one she taught me!

Mom's Famous Pizza Dip

Soure: My Mom

Ingredients:

1 brick of softened cream cheese

2/3 cup regular or low fat mayo (don't use fat free, low fat is best)

1 can of Unico pizza sauce

2 cups shredded cheese (I prefer to use marble, better flavour)

Optional Toppings: sliced pepperettes, mushrooms, green peppers, olives etc.

Bag of round Tostitos (round works best for this dip, but scoops work well too!)

Method:

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and mayo with a hand mixer (you can also do this by hand if the cream cheese is soft enough). Using a spatula, spread out the mixture on any sort of platter. I use a pizza pan, but any sort of round platter will do! You'll probably have a bit left over, which is ok. Put that to the side for a moment.

Spread the pizza sauce evenly on top of your mayo/cream cheese base. Don't be shy with the sauce, but don't drown it either. You'll have a little extra of this too. Set this aside (I think you know where I'm going here).

Finally, sprinkle the cheese and your chosen toppings evenly on top. My personal favourite is sliced pepperettes and canned mushrooms (gross, I know). Put in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving so everything can set. 

Since I can't exactly dig into the dip before I bring it somewhere, I use whatever is left over to make small personal pizza dip...I wouldn't want to bring a less than perfect dip, afterall ;)

- Lisa
Follow me on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest too! 

2014

 

HAPPY 2014 MY FRIENDS! My goodness, what a year 2013 was. Looking back, I can't decide it was a good year, or a bad one. From running my first half marathon, going on TWO trips, overcoming some emotional challenges, participating in Color Me Rad and building this blog, it was certainly an eventful year. One thing that remained consistent throughout the year though, was that I am so lucky to have such an amazing emotional support system. No matter what I went through this year, good or bad, I always had wonderful people surrounding me and I am so so so so grateful for that.

I'm VERY happy to say that I achieved almost ALL my goals for 2013, mostly because I wrote them down at the beginning of the year and checked back often to make sure I was on track.  This year I'm going to do the same.

Now, I've been reading up on how to make goals that will stick, because it's all good and dandy to write "Eat more healthfully" but that is a much too general statement to create something attainable. I think it is very important to make S.M.A.R.T. goals (as I'm sure we all learned back in grade school). This means that the goals need to be:

Image Credit: Heidi Powell

I'm also going to break them up into the categories I did last year (minus Career Goals this year as they are somewhat personal): Physical/Mental, Financial and Miscellaneous. I'm also going to add Blog goals since my blog has changed A LOT since last year (thanks to YOU wonderful readers!)

So, here goes!

Physical/Mental:

• Separate Self-Worth and Weight from each other
• Last year I reached my goal weight from 150lbs. However, I gained it all back. I beat myself up A LOT about this because I tie a lot of my self-worth to my weight.I know now that until I can separate the two, I won't be able to reach and maintain a healthy weight. This leads me to my next goal
• Improve my view on myself
• Not completely a SMART goal, but I have been working very hard to stop any negative, self defeating talk. When you start making a conscious effort to stop being negative towards yourself, it's crazy how often you beat yourself up without even realizing it. Any time I catch myself criticizing my body, I stop and say "Lisa, you are beautiful" and I will continue to do that until I believe it. 
• Reach and Maintain a Healthy Weight
• For me this is 150lbs - I will never be "skinny" but I can be healthy and for me, this is a healthy weight. Since I know I can loose weight, the key here is to maintain it for the whole year
• This also includes learning to eat properly and for nutrition instead of for sport
• Feel comfortable in a bikini by the time I go to Florida in April
• Can you believe that I've been trying to do this since I was 16 years old? The goal here is not to look GOOD in a bikini (because that is quite subjective) but I want to feel COMFORTABLE in a bikini...meaning I want to be comfortable with my body
• PLAN MEALS that are healthy, exciting and easy
• My lovely friend game me a meal planning system for my birthday last year (THANK MARIE!) and gosh darn I will use it this year!
• One meal a week I will try something new 
• Each meal will include at least 1 veggie
• Re-introduce my body to running
• Although my blog is called "Running to Bake" I have SERIOUSLY been lacking in the running department. My goal is to run/jog at least 1 time a week.
• Do the Warrior Dash - July 19, 2014
• A great way to get back into running is to have something to train for. This Warrior Dash is not only a blast, but it's a great starter run to work towards.
• I've also wanted to do this for A LOOOONG time, so this is the year that I will check this off my bucket list
• Run another Half-Marathon - October 19, 2014
• My first half-marathon experience was SO amazing, I want to do another one
• This year, we're planning to run one in October, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon - if you're interesting in joining/training with me let me know!
• Continue to cross train my workouts
• I did maintain (for the most part) working out throughout the whole year. This year I want to try some new things like Pilates, Yoga, and other exercises that will help me tone & maintain my weight.
• I also want to learn to enjoy my workout and not just participate in it for the sake of doing it
• Join a sports team
•  I have crazy anxiety about playing team sports, so I'm hoping to combat that this year by joining a co-ed softball team.

Financial Goals:

• Continue to save for a down payment on a house
• This year we are setting up a separate savings account for JUST house savings. We only had 1 savings account last year and things often got mixed up, so this year it will be its own account that is not accessible on our bank cards.
• Money will automatically come out every pay and go into this account
• Save $$ to go on a trip in April
• We are well on our way to saving for this trip now! Very excited about this one.
• Have seperate accounts for different functions
• "Gas, Grocery & Spending Money" Account
• "House & Trip Savings" Account
• "Bills" Account
• Continue to pay down VISA/School Debt
• I plan on paying off at least 1 card this year AND my school debt. 
• School debt comes out automatically every month and we are focusing on paying of one VISA while still making payments on another.
• Finish Payments on my car
• ONE YEAR LEFT!!! WHOOHOO!

Blog Goals:

• Create schedule for posts/recipes 
• This is a tricky one, because often I'm just struck by a mood to bake something and then post it. I'm still going to try and have a regular schedule for posting so that my readers have a time they know something new is going to appear on my blog
• Have pre-written blogs in case I don't get a chance to bake that week
• I'm going to have weekends as my "baking" time and have a back log of posts that I can go to when I don't have time to bake
• Improve the look and feel of the blog
• Although my blog has come a long way from when I first started, I want it to look more professional than it does now. This includes better pictures (I got a fancy new DSLR from Hubby this Christmas, so that will help), better layout and better organization. I don't know how to do a lot of this, so I will need to learn
• Include posts on healthier baking
• Don't worry, I won't stop posting decadent goodies, but since my blog is about promoting healthy living, I do want to try making protein bars, healthy snacks and the like.

Miscellanious

• Convert everything over to my new married name
• I'm about a year and a half behind on this one, but I got the ball rolling while I was off between Christmas and New Years, so just have to keep the momentum going
• Need to change: Passport, Bank Info, Insurance, Car Ownership etc.
• De-clutter closet and add staple pieces
• I'll admit, I have clothes in my closet that I've had for 8+ years, that no longer fit and/or are stained and unwearable. Clearly, those need to go.
• I want to buy staple pieces of clothing that will help me feel confident and pretty, no matter what size I'm at - 1 awesome pair of jeans, a good bra, nice heels, fitted top etc.
• Do things to make me feel good
• Manicures, Pedicures, regular hair cuts, eyebrow waxes, massages etc.
• Continue to play piano
• I feel off this last year, but it was/is a great way to keep from snacking when I'm bored AND it is soothing so I really want to get back to this.
• Keep a Memory Jar
• I started to do this last year and then stopped, so I want to try again this year and keep on top of it!
• Keep on top of mess in the house and car
• Truth be told...my car is gross. Between 2 dogs, constant use, coffee spills, garbage and the like, my car takes a beating. So now, every Monday will be car clean-out day to get rid of all garbage, wipe up any mess and just keep it tidy
• House - we're better at this one, but again, with the 2 dogs, rarely being home and exhausting work schedules, cleaning often gets pushed to the side. However, I ALWAYS feel better when the house is clean & tidy, so instead of leaving it all to 1 day a week, we're going to make an effort to do a little bit every day.
• Stop biting my nails
• It's gross, I know, but it is one of the hardest things for me to stop. It's kind of my version of smoking. Good news is, I've gone almost a month without biting them. Getting my nails done/doing my nails on a regular basis will help me to keep this going
• Get more into photography
• I've ALWAYS loved taking pictures but I've been limited by my point and shoot camera. This year, hubby TOTALLY surprised me with a new DSLR camera, so I want to start taking more pictures and learning about all the fun things I can do with my new toy!