little.black.sheep.shop

Jet-ski's & seafood

Spending our last full day in Pensacola enjoying the weather (Ryan and I had a blast doing donuts and turns on our rented jet-ski today) and eating the amazingly fresh seafood found here. Joe Patti's is a local institution, selling what they catch on the boats that sit next to their store. It is always busy, the people are super friendly, and their system is so efficient, McDonalds should be paying very close attention! I recommend a trip for anyone passing through or visiting.

Can't wait to share more pictures with you!! I've also been perusing Etsy on my days off... Found some uber cute shops... Will have to share links + pics asap.

Hope you all have awesome weekends!! xxoo!

The view from here...

Cooking and Crafting

We're heading out to Pensacola this week to celebrate Ryan's mom's birthday. It'll be close to a 9 hour drive from our house - or even longer! So we're preparing for a road trip - with snacks, a few good books, and Ryan will even take care of some homework for a class he's taking. It'll be SO nice to go back - it's been a long time since we've visited... TOO long!

I'll share pictures while we're there... hopefully the rain doesn't linger for long. :)

I made Rachael Ray's Spinach & Artichoke Mac-n-Cheese for Ryan + I the other day. We liked it... but it was a little odd eating it without chips! It really does taste exactly like a good spinach & artichoke dip. Probably best served as a side dish as opposed to a main entree!! :)

 

I turned the oven to "broil" for the last few minutes - and it looked great when I pulled it out!

 

You can find Rachael's recipe here.

You can probably tell by my recent posts that I've been on a cooking-binge lately. But I've also been working on some new items for the shop... can't wait to share them with you when they're finished!! Here's a little preview of some materials I've been using...

 

J'adore these prints!! :)

A happy happy hump day to you all.

xxoo!

 

Mug of Love

What is it about chocolate? We all have moments when we can't seem to get enough... and if we do overindulge, the guilt sets in later.

Luckily, there is a cure! A cozy cup of pre-portioned delicious chocolate cake!!

(photo from egglandsbest.com)

My Mum sent me this recipe yesterday, and I was really tempted to throw together a "mug of love" before heading off to bed... but Ryan and I had snacked all day long. So between the Pizza Rolls (a huge guilty pleasure of ours), oatmeal raisin cookies, grapes, edamame, and apple slices with almond butter (it was a shmorgasbord!), among other goodies, I really had no room.

Instead I'm passing along the recipe to you... send me your pictures when you make your own mug!

I'll post mine when I "bake" one. You very likely will not have to wait long to see my pic!! :)

Here's the email my Mum sent:

Did you know that you could have delicious, homemade, warm chocolate cake in just five minutes? You can!
 
( Thanks to this Eggland's Eggs recipe from Good Housekeeping - I made a "mug" of cake yesterday and it was D E L I C I O U S !!! - Love Mum :) xxx ooo )
 

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 large Eggland's Best Egg
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chocolate chips (Note: I actually left these out 'cos I didn't have any in the pantry)
Small splash of vanilla extract

PREPARATION:

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract and mix again. Put the mug in the microwave and cook on high for 2 minutes. The cake may rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool and tip out onto a plate if desired.

Does that not sound FABULOUS!!?? Can't wait to try it.

Thanks for passing this along, Mum!! mwah!

xxoo!

-h-

Happy things

Things that are makin' me happy this mornin'...

1. Rumors of an Apple store coming to my town.

OMG OMG OMG... I'm crossing all my fingers & toes until this happens! Right now, Ryan + I have to drive to either Charlotte or Charleston for a little visit to our favorite computer store.

If they do build a store in our town, I WILL jump for joy.

Yup... that's a promise.

2. Finding out iChat can handle multiperson video chats.

Can't wait to try it out with my sistahs! I've been a little "homesick" lately and a good laugh-a-thon with them would be the perfect cure.

3. Images of that crazy zig-zaggy street in San Francisco (you know the one) that was painted to look like the CandyLand boardgame in honor of the game's 60th anniversary. This is just too fun...

(photos from sfweekly.com)

 

Kind of makes you wish we could paint all the roads, huh?! See a cool slideshow of pics from the event here.

Still kind of trying to wake up - got up early this morning. About to grab a bite to eat and take the dog out. Hope you're all having great mornings too!

 

mwah!

-h-

Herb-a-licious

Remember I planted some herbs earlier this year? Well, they've been doing really, really well. So I headed out last night to bring some of them into the kitchen for my lemon herb chicken recipe!

 

 

And dinner was DE-lish!!

Here's the herb rub recipe for you... you can change up the herbs as you wish or just use whatever you have either in your fridge or in your own herb garden!

1 sprig rosemary

4 teaspoons fresh lavender leaves

10 sage leaves

2 to 4 Tablespoons thyme

Lemon juice

Minced garlic

Ground coriander

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Salt + Pepper

 

 

I chopped everything together and mixed it really well. Then, I rubbed it into flattened and lightly seasoned (salt + pepper) chicken breasts.

(Tip - I flatten them first for fast + even cooking.)

Cook the chicken in a saute pan with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil... a few minutes each side.

And... Voila!!

We paired it with some roasted garlic couscous and tender broccoli. Yummy!!

 

I need to catch up on some things today - and Riley is really in desperate need of a bath. So I'm off to get things done! A very happy Wednesday to you all.

-h-

Flutterby

Our internet finally came back up last night after being out for most of the day. It was frustrating to be disconnected for a while... And hard to remember how we spent a good chunk of our time before it existed!!

Anyhoo... our butterfly has left his cocoon and headed out into the big wide world. Can't believe I missed him... He was a day early. I guess I'll have to keep my eyes open to see if I can spot him fluttering around our neighborhood! :)

xxoo!

Chrysalis

Feelin' a bit better today. Have gotten plenty of rest - and the Tylenol & 'Tussin seem to be doing the trick.

Remember that crazy caterpillar that stung me a few weeks ago? Well, we found another interesting-looking guy hanging on our house a week or so ago.

 

The next day he had already shed his soft spines and formed his protective chrysalis...

We looked him up and apparently he's going to be a Passion Butterfly (or Gulf Fritillary) when he emerges in another day or two.

 

(photo from cirrusimage.com)

 

Amazing that so much life + color is packed inside that grey cocoon!!

 Also, Ryan's been busy building an his arcade machine... here it is at its current stage:

  

 

Back to work today... and going to find a spot of time to put the final details on my little canvas goodies for Karis. Can't wait to wrap them up!

A productive Tuesday to you all...

-h-

Under the weather

Woke up this morning with a sore throat and a pounding headache - here's hoping it's a one-day bug!

Will post more when I'm feeling a bit brighter.

xxoo

Tipsy Thursday - Budget Beauty Tips

Saw some "budget beauty tips" from Instyle magazine this morning on GMA... I really liked some of them, so I'm passing along my favorites of theirs with some of my own.

 

EYELASH CURLS

Use your hair dryer to heat up your eyelash curlers for a few seconds - the little bit of added heat will make for a more effective and longer-lasting curl for your lashes.

 

DRY SHAMPOO

Need a "dry shampoo"? Dry "shampoos" are made of dry ingredients and don't require any water - which is particularly useful when you're camping out or traveling to remote areas and can't find a decent shower to save your life! By mixing baking soda and baby powder, you can help to get rid of any odor and excess oil without taking a traditional shower. Handy in a pinch!

 

 

 

HAIR TONIC TONER

By adding a pinch of purple Kool-Aid powder to 4 Tablespoons of shampoo, you can combat any red highlights or brassiness in your hair - love this one!

 

QUICK SPOT TREATMENT

You're traveling and see a dreaded blemish coming on. If you forgot your favorite on-the-spot acne cream at home, crush up a few aspirins and make a paste with some water. The paste will help clear up problem areas. 

 

 

They had some other tips too. Check out GMA's website for the full list. 

 

Here are a few of my own tips for you too...

 

EASY STYLING FOR SHORT HAIRSTYLES

If you have thin hair and a short hairstyle, pick up a bar of soap the next time you drop by the pharmacy. During the last few minutes in the shower, rub the bar throughout your hair... it will help your hair to retain its style and adds a little volume.

 

LARGER-LOOKING EYES

When applying mascara to lashes on your lower lid, slant your lashes towards the bridge of your nose instead of out & away. Also, add a little white-colored powder or eyeshadow to the inside corners of both of your eyes. These quick tricks will make your eyes look even bigger.

 

 

 

I guess my biggest tip is that makeup can always be washed off and hair will always grow back. So go forth & style fearlessly!

 

Happy Thursday to the flock!

-h-