I am a Honey Bee

Stitch Fix – July 2016

Posted on September 22, 2016 by iamahoneybee

I was so excited to get this latest Stitch Fix!

My recent boxes have been great so I was looking forward to getting more awesome items to add to my closet.

I received this box in July and have been rotating my goodies in my wardrobe since.

Conor Eylet Detail Top from Skies are Blue for $64.00 (Size S)

I have been telling my stylist that I don’t really want long sleeve shirts since I live on the surface of the sun. So for a brief second I was bummed I got one, BUT I chilled out quickly since it’s cotton and breathable. Plus it’s white. Totally doable in Florida.

I decided to keep this rather quickly since I liked the fit,

I’ve worn there to work once and several times on the weekend with jeans, as pictured above. It’s a nice neutral top so I typically accessorize it with bright sunglasses for a fun contrast.

Mula Knit Tank from Paper Moon $38.00 (Sized S)

Stripes! I totally dig the stripes on this top since they vary in color and size.

I’ve worn this more often on the weekends since I think it’s more casual than dressy but I’ve worn it to work with a black skirt, to go with the black striping.

Levi Ponte Dress from Brixon Ivy $68.00 (Sized S)

I could go on and on and on about how much I love this dress!!

The shape, the material, the stripes, the color… it’s all fantastic.

And then there is a price, which is great for a dress like this.

And then there are the pockets. Pockets are life with a toddler who hands me stickers, chapstick, toy cars, 24/7.

I want to order a back up dress since I have a feeling I’ll probably spill something on it and then have a freak out.

Plus, I don’t have to wear a bra with this dress. A total win!

Alanzo Split Neck Cotton Tank from Skies are Blue $48.00 (Size S)

This top is similar to the button down tank I received in the Fix that arrived in April, which I thought was a bummer. But then I put it on and realized that I liked it so much more than that top in April. (Can I send that one back?! jk!)

I really like the detail in the neck line. It’ s simple but adds to the top to elevate it from just a plaid top to one that can be dressed up for work as it’s more tailored.

I like the fit and style of this top a lot. Plus, it’s cotton!!

Vilia Lace Detail Knit Top from Papermoon $48.00 (Size S)

I don’t love this top that much. It’s a seems like I could get it from Forever 21, but it’s nice. I’ve already worn it several times. I guess, I don’t like the price of it more than anything since it looks like a top from Forever 21.

But the fit is great (loose), I like the detail (lace), and the color (pink!) so it works.

____________________

Merchandise Total: $266

Buy 5 Discount: 25%: -66.50

Styling Fee Credit -$20.00

Total $179.50

____________________

I decided to keep all 5 items from this Stitch Fix box. It was a real winner!

I just scheduled my next fix, which will arrive in a few weeks.

Post contains affiliate links

Homemade Horchata

Posted on September 20, 2016 by iamahoneybee

NEW SHOWS!!!! NEW SHOWS ARE HERE!!!!!!!

Shoot, I am so excited about new shows and my favorites starting up again. So excited.

I can’t wait to check out The Good Place, Designated Survivor, and This is Us. And I can’t wait for Grey’s to be back. I can’t break away from Grey’s. I love it.

I have my Hulu account all queued up for all the shows.

I would love to watch Grey’s on Thursday’s but it’s Price’s birthday, and he would rather run into traffic than to have to watch that, especially on his birthday. So, please, no spoilers people!!

While I watch my shows, I’ll be sipping on some homemade horchata. It will probably be spiked!! Yes! Some rum in horchata… bliss.

I love horchata. It’s sweet, creamy, cinnamony. It’s a great unique drink to whip up.

Here are my tips on making horchata…

Grid the ingredients until they are fine, and then grid them some more. I had much better using a blender, than a food processor.

Use a good, fresh cinnamon. You can use 2 sticks, but f your cinnamon is not very fragrant, then use 3 cinnamon sticks. Do not use ground cinnamon.

Do not use much lime. I am serious. It gets tart if you use too much.

Use a fine mesh strainer. I tried it with cheese cloth- nope.

Whip up a batch today and you’ll love sipping it while lounging around watching your favorite shows. It’s so addicting!

Homemade Horchata

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 Cup blanched slivered almonds (120 grams)
1 1/2 Cups long grain white rice
2-3 cinnamon sticks (2″ long each), broken into small pieces
6 Cups water
1 1/4 Cups sugar
1″ long piece of lime peel, removed with a vegetable peeler

Process

In a dry pan, lightly toast the almonds. Set aside to cool competently.
In 2 batches, blend the rice and cinnamon together until it becomes a fine powder.
Blend the amonds until crushed, but do not blend so long that it becomes a paste.
In a large, 2 quart, container combine the blended rice, cinnamon, almonds, and water. Let sit at room temperature for 12 hours.
Mix in the sugar and lime peel.
Blend in batches and then drain through a fine mesh strainer. Refrigerate prior to serving.

Posted in Drinking, Food and Drink | Tagged drink, Horchata, taco tuesday | 1 Comment

Easy Pumpkin Crumble Cake

Posted on September 19, 2016 by iamahoneybee

My mom had Autumn this past weekend and it was awesome for everyone all around.

My mom loves to get to spend time with Autumn and Autumn loves the special time with her too. She skips naps, gets tons of stickers, does extra fun things, and tricks my mom into buying Trix cereal. And when Autumn returns I hear how I don’t do things like GG, I am doing things wrong. It’s so dang funny actually.

For me and Price it gives us a chance to have a bit of a parenting break to tackle things on our to-do lists, sleep in a bit, and reconnect. This time we went out on Friday night and on Saturday night. I don’t think that we have done that in 5 years. We just had the chance so we went all in.

We went to Bonefish Grill on Friday night since we had a coupon and I can never resist an opportunity for some Bang Bang Shrimp.

Price had originally decided that we would go to Bern’s, a steak house in Tampa, so that we could celebrate his b-day a bit early. (His birthday is next Thursday!) But the morning he spent fishing wore him out so we lollygagged around in the afternoon and decided to stay closer to home. We went to Sunset Grill, just a 10 minute drive away, to catch the sunset. We had an incredible meal, enjoyed live music, and watched the sun slink beneath the horizon while standing on the beach.

Just so perfect. It was a wonderful time. I really value the time that we get together, especially solo. We have been together for over 11 years so it’s always so nice to get a chance to spend time together, other than sorting clothes and loading the dishwasher.

Anyway, it’s time for something sweet!

And it has pumpkin… all you guys can go nuts now!! ha!

I have succumbed to making another dump cake. What is wrong with me?!?! Don’t answer that…

It’s just that they are so good. Ugh. But it’s true. They are good, and so simple.

This is not as simple as other pumpkin dump cakes since I added a crumble on top, but I swear it’s barely anymore effort and it’s so good. The crumble gives the cake a wonderful texture, and adds a great nutty, cinnamon flavor.

You know you want to get a big slice of this cake!

Easy Pumpkin Crumble Cake

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

For the crumble Topping

1 Cup quick cooking oats
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup cold butter, melted

For the cake

15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
12 ounce can of evaporated milk
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs
1 1/2 Cups sugar
15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
3/4 Cup butter, cut into very thin slices

Process

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with non-stick cookig spray
To make the crumble, combine all of the ingredients together. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice, eggs and sugar; mix well.
Pour the mixture into the 9×13 pan.
Sprinkle with the dry cake mix on the pumpkin layer.
Evenly place the pieces of butter on top of the dry cake mix
Using your fingers, sprinkle the crumble topping evenly all over the top.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until firm.

Posted in Baking, Food and Drink | Tagged cake, dessert, dump cake, pumpkin, pumpkin dump cake, pumpkin puree | 3 Comments

Bacon Dusted Egg Topped Avocado Toast

Posted on September 16, 2016 by iamahoneybee

I don’t know if this recipe could be more on trend.

Avocado Toast… check!

Runny egg… check!

Bacon dust… Check!

I only think it could be more on trend if I made sweet potato toast instead of using bread. I totally dig that since it would be Paleo and Whole30 complaint but I think that was soo much trendiness for me.

Anyway, I think that taking time to eat a good breakfast needs to be trendy. Yes, let’s make that on trend. Let’s embrace the hygge and take time to enjoy breakfast.

No, you can’t do that on a busy morning as you try to chug your smoothie and coffee (almost at the same time) as you hustle your kid out the door, before you have to run back in at least 3x because you keep forgetting stuff.

*Side note… my almost 3 year old kid now yells “Hustle! Hustle! Hustle!” as we run across the parking lot at daycare in the mornings. Awesome…

But for the weekends, let’s be cozy in our PJ’s with a big cup of coffee and an great breakfast.

September is National Breakfast Month so what better way to celebrate that than with some eggs. I think eggs make a wonderful breakfast since you need to take the time to cook them and sit down to eat them. I think there is a bit of hygge in that.

I used Nellie’s Certified Humane Free Range Eggs for this toast. I use Nellie’s eggs for everything since they have such a great quality and taste. You can even see the difference when you compare their eggs with other store-bought eggs.

Eggs are so versatile, lending themselves to a variety of creative breakfast recipes. Besides that, they are also a delicious source of protein.

I pick Nellie’s eggs for my family since it’s so important to me to pick eggs that are healthy for us from a brand that really cares about their hens. They stick to standards you can trust since they are Certified Humane Free Range.

Besides using awesome eggs, you need to use a smokey bacon to make the most amazing bacon dust. Yes, I said bacon dust.

It’s magical.

It takes some time to prepare but it’s worth it. I swear.

Breakfast will never be the same again.

Bacon Dusted Egg Topped Avocado Toast

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

For the Bacon Dust

8 ounces of bacon

For the Toast

4 slices of Hawaiian Bread
4 eggs
1 ripe avocado
salt and pepper
garnish with chopped scallions and lemon zest

Process

Begin by making the bacon dust. Cook the bacon in a skillet. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the bacon grease.
Preheat oven to 200 F degrees. Place bacon on a cookie sheet for 1 hour 30 minutes. (This dries out the bacon- but doesn’t burn it.)
Remove bacon and let cool.
Add bacon to a food processor and pulse until you have a very fine, powdery texture.
When you are ready to make the assemble your breakfast, begin by toasting the slices of bread.
Mash your avocado. Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 Tablespoon bacon fat. Cook your eggs sunny side up or over easy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to remove excess grease.
Add the mashed avocado to the toast. Then place the eggs on the avocado.
Sprinkle the bacon dust on the cooked eggs. Add chopped scallions and lemon zest.

____________________

While this post is sponsored by Nellie’s Free Range Eggs, all opinions are my own.

Posted in Cooking, Food and Drink | Tagged Avocado Toast, breakfast, eggs, Nellie's Eggs | 2 Comments

Pasta with Shrimp, Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

Posted on September 15, 2016 by iamahoneybee

Okay, I lied.

So this will be my last summery recipe.

Sure, I said the Blueberry Sour Cream Crumb Cake would be, but it’s just so hard to get out of the Summer mindset when it’s still 90 here in Tampa. Plus, we still have a week until Fall officially hits.

So let’s all this The End of Summer Pasta.

It totally makes sense… corn, tomatoes, and zucchini.

Use up all of your summer veggies with this pasta dish.

Besides that, I just love cooking this way. Just winging it and incorporating what I have in the fridge into a dish. I was originally going to use chicken but then saw shrimp was on sale so I changed it up. Don’t like shrimp, use chicken. It all works.

I love pasta but I try not to eat too much of it since I feel so bloated afterwards. Plus, I could eat a mega portion of it which is just killer when you are watching what you eat. By adding in the vegetables to the dish, you reduce the amount of pasta you eat. It’s all about finding balance to enjoying what you love with healthy habits

This light dinner will fill you up with loads of shrimp and fresh vegetables instead of pasta and tantalize your taste buds with so much flavor.

Pasta with Shrimp, Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1 pound shell off, deveined shrimp
10 ounces of spaghetti
1 Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Cup corn kernels, preferably fresh
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
2 zucchinis, diced
2 Tablespoons butter
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup basil leaves, cut into small pieces
serve with ripped basil leaves and shredded Parmesan cheese, and a lemon wedge

Process

Remove the tales from the shrimp. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and salt to the bowl. Cook until al dente. (reserve 1 Cup of pasta water before pouring out)
In a large skillet over high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and corn. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes and zucchini, cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Move the veggetables to the outter edge of the pan to clear the center of the pan. Add the shrimp to the center of the pan with the butter. Stir occasionally for 3-4 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and 1 cup of pasta water to the pan. Mix the vegetables and shrimp together.
Add the Pasta and basil to the skillet. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste
Serve the pasta with shredded cheese and ripped basil leaves.

Posted in Cooking, Food and Drink | Tagged corn, dinner, pasta, shrimp, tomato, zucchini | 3 Comments

I am a Honey Bee

Stitch Fix – July 2016

Homemade Horchata

Homemade Horchata

Easy Pumpkin Crumble Cake

Easy Pumpkin Crumble Cake

Bacon Dusted Egg Topped Avocado Toast

Bacon Dusted Egg Topped Avocado Toast

Pasta with Shrimp, Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

Pasta with Shrimp, Corn, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

Social

Follow Blog via Email

Categories