Pinterest Roundup Of Deliciousness

I did this once before, posting my favorite brownie recipes sourced from the awesome universe that is Pinterest. Now, I want to do it again, only because I have a major chocolate craving right now, and nothing makes it stronger than going on Pinterest and finding hundreds upon hundreds of delicious stuff.

There is no specific topic for today: it is a roundup of the most delicious gain-a-pound-just-by-looking-at-them things I have stumbled upon lately.

Disclaimer: If your New Year's resolution was to lose a few pounds, you might just want to stop reading right now (I don't want to be responsible for you not keeping it. That is Ben & Jerry's job). My resolution was to enjoy myself more, so there's that...


1. Banana Chocolate Enchiladas
Oh, my stars! At the hotel in Mexico, they sometimes had these for dessert and we both became obsessed with the stuff!  For some reason I had never tried them before, and I was delighted to find out just how easy they are to make. Friday night stay-at-home date sorted!

2. Oreo Mousse
I would not share this. Seriously. If I ever get my hands on something like this, you can bet I am eating all of it! (Why gain so many calories and not even enjoy it all, am I right!?)

3. Chocolate Lasagna
I love lasagna and I love chocolate. This is a match made in dessert heaven!

4. Nutella Crescent Rounds
I may or may not have had two croissants completely drowned in Nutella for breakfast every day last week and may or may not be experiencing some withdrawal syndrome... (my husband forbid me to get any more Nutella for at least a couple of months after that  :(  but at least I know what I'll be making when I'm allowed it again)  *looks around in shame*

5. Snowman Cupcakes
Snowman season is anything but over in the Northern Hemisphere, so for those of you who are there, enjoy it with these yummy treats. For those of you melting in the heat (*raises hand!*), there's no rule that says you can't pretend it's winter!

6. Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake
'Nuff said (and shown!)

You are welcome! Enjoy!
Let me know if you end up making any of these... There's no question as to which one I'm making first (banana enchiladas!). I will try and do a follow-up post with some photos of how they turn out (no doubt not as perfect as the pictures!) but as long as they taste good that's fine, right?

Sweather Weather Tag

I have been seeing this tag floating around the internet lately (such as here), and I thought, why not do it? I'll tell you why not: we don't get fall here in Colombia! We are right on the Equator, so we don't have any seasons. Whatsoever. Except maybe two: the rainy, and the not-so-rainy. But hey, at least I can get in the fall spirit, even if it is currently 92F outside, can't I? sort of a glass-half-full mindset, if you will.

Anyway, let's get started on my not-exactly-sweater-weather tag:

1. Favorite Candle Scent?
My favorite candle scent will have to be Leaves, from Bath and Body Works. It smells so good and so autumny, that just by turning the ac on, I can pretend it is really fall. I have some trouble describing scents, but just believe me when I say that you won't regret getting it. The website says it smells of "golden nectar, red apple and spiced berries". Can't get much more autumny than that!

2, Coffee, tea or hot chocolate?
Definitely coffee. I will drink a warm cuppa coffee anytime regardless of the weather.

3. What's the best fall memory you have?
My best fall memory is from 2005 in Germany. I would bike to school every morning, enjoying the crisp air and just marveling at all the beautiful leaves on the ground. It was my first ever true fall experience, and I was completely awed by it. It was incredibly beautiful.

4. Which makeup trend do you prefer, dark lips or winged eyeliner?
I wrote a whole blog post on dark lips last week. I am currently digging the deep red or deep oxblood lip. I specially wear it on date nights or for parties. I believe it looks appropriate and sexy for those occasions, even in the terrible heat.

5. Skinny jeans or leggings?
I like skinny jeans, but lately I have been obsessed with leggings. They are way more comfortable than skinny jeans, no question about that, and I love how they can be dressed up or down, and you still look put together. They can be worn with dresses, tops, skirts, you name it, they are so versatile!
Some of my favorite leggings looks (from Pinterest):

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6. Hats or scarves?
Well, I'd have to be crazy to wear scarves over here (how I miss them!) so I'll go with hats. Well, beach hats, to be exact.

7. Combat boots or uggs?
Combat boots by far. When I was in New Zealand I loved wearing them. Although Uggs seem so comfy and cozy, I have never owned them, I always just went with really thick socks and warm fuzzy slippers instead.

8. What is your favorite thing about fall?
The display of colors is breathtaking. And the fashion is still fun, yet more sophisticated than in summer, so I love it too.

I definitely look forward to many more real autumns, though. There is something that feels magical about it, and to someone who has only experienced a hand full of them, it is all the more exciting and enjoyable!

If you do get fall where you live, what is your absolute favorite thing about it?

Happy Birthday iPhone!

Me and technology hate each other. Not because I can't use it or don't understand it, but because I seem to break every. single. device. I touch! True story. I won't even mention how many laptops I've had to replace... *looks around in shame*

This is the reason why I jumped onto the Blackberry bandwagon much, much later than everyone else. Yes, at the end of 2011 I still had a non-Smartphone. Then I got one, and it lasted around six months before something (can't remember what) started failing. See what I mean? Finally, exactly one year ago I got my very first iPhone, and my luck started changing. Suddenly I found myself really enjoying it. Maybe a little bit too much. After being stuck in the Stone Age for so long and only using my phone for texting and e-mails, I discovered a whole world of stuff I could do with this new shiny iPhone.

I spent countless hours playing with any app I could find. I even downloaded my local supermarket app, and made shopping lists and budgets! Seeing as this month marks one year since I've had this addictive little thing, I thought I would list the culprits: those apps that I spent way too much time using.

1. Pinterest
Duh!

2. Jigsaw Puzzle
Unlike my dad, I never particularly enjoyed puzzles. Until now. For some reason I can't stop solving countless of them, over and over.

3. Scramble With Friends
I never really liked Words with Friends, but became obsessed with its cousin, Scramble with Friends. I love challenging myself to find more words than whoever I am playing against.

4. Beautylish
As the name states, this app contains beauty articles, tutorials and tips, basically everything beauty-related. Makes for great light reading when you are out and about.

5. Jamie Oliver's Recipes
I can't cook. Like at all. But for some reason I find it interesting and not at all ridiculous to purchase the bi-monthly subscription (I think it's like 8 USD or something) to browse hundreds of recipes I am not nearly skilled to make. Since I got it, I've attempted ONE recipe (fruity ricotta pancakes with maple syrup) which actually didn't turn out all that bad. Maybe I'll find the courage again to make another one... which will probably be a cocktail or something.

6. Happier
Definitely an app I am loving at the moment. It encourages you to find little things in your day that make you happy, and keep them all in one place for when you need a little pick-me-up. Sort of a gratitude journal. It really really helps you put things in perspective and realize all you have to be thankful for.

7. Houzz
I can't keep track of time when I get sucked into this amazing world of home decor ideas. Kind of a more detailed, more tailored Pinterest, where you will find every single decorating style and a thousand ideas you would have never thought of, to start building the house of your dreams in your head (or even real life!).

8. Flipboard
Flipboard is the app you want when you need to vary your reads. It features articles about all sorts of topics, from recipes to the latest news, to celebrity gossip and scientific discoveries. You can just flip through until you find something that catches your eye, which will most likely be pretty quickly.

Top 5: Brownie Recipes

Once upon a time, when people were going to throw a party, cook a recipe, plan a wedding, or just wanted some inspiration, they had to go to google, search several different websites until they finally found what they were looking for amongst all the information available. Then Pinterest came, and everything changed. All of a sudden, we had this world full of ideas, pictures and everything imaginable to draw inspiration from in one single place, and with the ability to keep it all nice and tidy in your own boards, so you can come back to them when you need them.

I remember when I was younger I had a cork board in my room, filled with photos, magazine pictures, and the odd quote. Now I have 24 boards on Pinterest that provide me with inspiration when I am not feeling very creative; some of the ideas we are going to use for our wedding, for example, are taken from there (with our own twist, you know, to make it "original").

One of the categories I like to browse the most is the food. I cannot cook to save myself, but I love eating, specially if it's something I am not supposed to (naughty Veronica!). Staying true to that, I am choosing here five brownie recipes that are in my opinion, the most scrumptious, decadent ones I have found on Pinterest so far:


1. Red Velvet Brownie Pie, from Crazy For Crust
For all of us fans of red velvet cupcakes, this red velvet brownie pie is nothing short of perfect. Full of chocolate chips and deliciousness, you can even add some whipped cream on top if you are feeling particularly naughty. For our American and Canadian friends, who are celebrating Thanksgiving pretty soon, this pie would be absolutely fitting. And for those of us who don't have Thanksgiving, we can still take a second and give thanks that there is something so delicious in the world for us to taste, because really, who isn't thankful for chocolate?

2. Rocky Road Brownies, by Martha Stewart
My Kiwi fiancé is absolutely nuts for Rocky Road (pun intended). I do like it, but nuts and marshmallows aren't really my favorite thing. However, these brownies look so good that it might just be what it takes for me to be a Rocky-Road convert. Oh, and let's not forget that it's Martha Stewart who is providing this recipe!

3. Strawberry Brownie Crumble, from It Bakes Me Happy
This has naughty deliciousness written all over it. I'm pretty sure I would have absolutely no problem eating this whole dish in one go, it looks that good. I think I would also add some bananas to it, to make it even yummier.

4. Brownie Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Gourmandiseries
This recipe is originally in French, but you can also read it in English here. One of the things I like most about this recipe is how easy and simple it is. If you aren't gifted with the talent of cooking/baking, like me, you will most likely still be able to make these and they will actually taste good! amazing, in fact! This will probably be the one I start with, as it looks easy enough for me and I just can't wait to try those chewy cookies!

5. Chewy Nutella Brownies, from Finding Silver Linings
I was saving the best for last: Nutella! Nutella and I have a very close relationship. It comes with me wherever I go: it has accompanied me in the cold months in Germany, in the lonely months in Medellin, in the stressful months in New Zealand... I can always count on it. Oh, Nutella... you sweet sweet guilty pleasure!... okay, weird praise over. But seriously, if I could only make one of these recipes it would definitely be this one. Just look how chewy these brownies look!

Do you love brownies and chocolate and naughty food just as much?  (what a silly question, of course you do!). Do you have any more amazing brownie recipes I have to try?

Pinterest Wedding Inspiration

Oh, Pinterest, you endless source of inspiration for everything and anything! You have again come to my rescue with the most gorgeous ideas for my upcoming wedding, and to thank you I dedicate this post to you.

Below are some of the pins I have found that I am dying to incorporate into my wedding:

1. DRESS
I always said I did not want a typical wedding dress, with a long train and larger-than-life veil. I wanted something a lot simpler, to go with our wedding theme and location, very tropical, very caribbean and laid-back. This dress below was the one that inspired the one I will actually wear. Mine is very different (of course, I wasn't going to ruin the surprise), but the general idea came from this one: (Thanks Pinterest!)

Picture from Style Me Pretty

2. SHOES
I still haven't decided what type of shoes I am going to wear yet... there are so many choices! I just hope the process will be as easy as it was with the dress... so here are the two styles that I am leaning towards the most so far. Both are completely different, so you will just have to wait and see which one I end up being inspired by:

2.1 I definitely love me some lace, and I think it is sweet and romantic to incorporate it in your shoes. The details in these shoes are so delicate, that when I saw them they went right up to the top of my wishlist:

Image from Style Me Pretty

2.2. I think sandals go perfectly with our wedding, and I adore this color. They definitely add a fun touch to the whole outfit, which is one of the things I am aiming for:

Picture from Style Me Pretty

3. DECOR
I don't want to ruin the surprise for those people reading this that will be attending our wedding, but here is a little snippet of the pics that inspired our decor:

My fiancé would definitely be in favor of this:

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A cute, little advice box wouldn't hurt anybody:

Picture taken from Etsy

Paper lanterns are a fun, versatile. touch that go with most wedding themes:

Picture from Glue Arts

4. FLOWERS AND BOUQUET
This is going to be a tough one. There are so many styles and options and colors and shapes available that I have no idea where to even begin choosing my flowers. I don't have a particular preference like say, lilies or roses. Most flowers if they are feminine, delicate and elegant will appeal to me. But here are some that I absolutely love, and my bouquet and flowers will possibly resemble one of these:

Image from Bippity Boppity Boo

Image from The Frosted Petticoat

Image from Style Me Pretty

Image from F J Flowers Australia

Decisions, decisions... but we are getting there. Exciting and probably overwhelming times await us until that evening on the 21st of December... it is getting so close!