Five Things
Scalloped Edge
I have never been a fan of shorts, they just are not girly enough for me – that is until now. The simple scallop edge added to shorts presents the perfect amount of femininity. Not to mention if you have larger thighs these shorts give a slimming illusion. What do you think of scalloped edge shorts?
Update Your Space Without Breaking The Bank
Sometimes all you need to revamp an old outfit is a statement necklace. The same goes for rooms; just think of the items in it as accessories. There is an abundance of ways to modify your home on a budget. Here are a few of my favorite ways to give a room an entirely new personality.
Flowers: This is one of the simplest and most effective methods for altering a room. Flowers not only add a pop of color, they present a seasonal ambiance.
Candles: Scented candles are an excellent way to change the vibe of a room – think scents that would go with the season.
Paint: This is an economical way to transform a space and give it a fresh feel.
Pillows: Swap out accent pillows for an instant pick me up.
Bedding: A quick change of your bedding can take your room from drab to fab.
Best piece of advice I was given: Make your space update friendly by furnishing your home with neutral colors such as white, beige or cream. Having a neutral backdrop to work with allows for fewer restrictions when it comes to simple updates, this also gives you the freedom to change the room based on the season or just because.
Do you have any tips for updating your space on a budget?
Homemade Soft Pretzels
Baseball’s opening day was this past Thursday. Since I could not be at Comerica Park watching the Tigers sweep the Red Sox, I decided to make my favorite ball park snack: soft pretzels. Don’t be intimidated by the recipe. These pretzels are simple to make ( a little time consuming), but definitely taste like a ball park pretzel.
Homemade Soft Pretzels
Ingredients
1 package (1/4 ounce) instant dry yeast
1-1.5 cups warm water (115 degrees)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups all purpose-flour
8 cups water
1/2 cup baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
kosher salt (same salt used on ball park pretzels) and cinnamon/sugar mixture
Directions
• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Add sugar, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Continue to add enough of the remaining flour to form a stiff dough.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (this took me about 20 minutes). Place dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubles in size (this took about 1 hour).
• Punch dough down; divide into 13 portions. Roll into an 18 inch rope (you will need to push down extremely hard to get the dough to stretch); twist into a pretzel shape (the easiest way is how I show below)
• In a large saucepan, bring water and baking soda to a boil. Place pretzels into the boiling water, one at a time, for 30 seconds (the pretzel should float). Place on a paper towel and pat semi dry.
• Place on parchment paper, brush with egg and sprinkle with desired topping.
• Bake at 350 for 7-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack and add brush on melted butter to add a shine if desired.
Lemon Sorbet
Fashion meets Food 