Recipe: Fried Pickles

Fried food is amazing. Like, can we just take a moment to truly appreciate things dipped in batter and cooked in hot oil? Yes, please. Fried food, to me, is super reminiscent of my town's annual Oktoberfest. The one weekend I have absolutely no self-control whatsoever, and indulge in things like deep fried Oreos, veggies, and cheese. It's probs good that I limit my extreme eating habits to one this weekend out of the year, but also a but of a downer. Because, ya know, delicious food. So, I'm here today with a snack to put all other snacks to shame: fried pickles.

Set up a "station" for yourself, with three separate dishes of flour, pickle juice, and Italian bread crumbs. Just use your best estimating skills, based on how many pickle slices you want to end up with, when "measuring" your ingredients. This is not an exact recipe by any means. Sprinkle a few dashes of cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and all-purpose seasoning into the flour, and mix around with a fork. 

Begin breading your pickles; starting with the flour, then the pickle juice, and finishing in the bread crumbs. Here's a tip: delegate one hand for handling the dry portion of the breading process, and the other for the wet portion. This will make things less messy. 

Once you have all your pickles breaded, pour just enough oil into a pan to cover the bottom and set on medium heat. Use an oil with a mild flavor, like vegetable or canola. Sprinkle a small amount of bread crumbs into the oil to see if it's hot enough. If the crumbs bubble, go ahead and carefully add your pickles into the oil. 

These little guys only take about a minute and a half per side. When they are golden brown on both sides, remove them from the pan and let them drain on a plate over some paper towels. Sprinkle with a little sea salt, and enjoy!

There you have it, folks; fair food at home. I like to serve mine with a mixture of ranch dressing and hot sauce. Fair warning: these things are dangerous. I could literally take out an entire jar fried up all by myself. Enjoy them today, and work them off later. Or not. It's your call.

-Heather

Playlist: Monday, Monday

Sunday nights are the best and worst. I'm off of work by 7:30, which allows me time to make dinner, throw in some laundry, catch up on my shows, get lost in a book, etc. But, they also are SUCH a teaser for what's soon to come...Monday. Ugh. I'm already counting down the minutes to the end of the week, when my dear, Andy, and I will get to spend my (first...) day off (...in nineteen days) together. Only one-hundred and twenty hours to go. In the meantime, I'll be listening to the tunes below whenever I can, and enjoying every coffee break I get. What are you looking forward to this week?

-Heather

All Work, and No Play

“You are a 

hurricane of 
a girl;

remember 

to breathe
every once

and a while,

do not drown
within your
own storm.”

So, I had a really good day with my best friend. It was a much needed dash of spontaneity to the beginning of a usual week. I need more days with brunch and records and tattoos. Break your routine, folks. Get outside, or see a movie, or drive somewhere out of your way. Anything. Be impulsive. Be good to yourself. Be free for a moment. Just be. 

-Heather

(quote by Emma Bleker)

Pinspiration: Hair Envy

I have the worst track-record with haircuts, you guys. Mainly because my willingness to pay more than ten dollars for a cut does not out-weigh my desire for the perfect cut. THE STRUGGLE. Well, I'm really drooling over the styles show above, especially after this week's disaster cut. To give you a visual, imagine cutting your own hair, blindfolded with safety scissors. Then imagine an outcome worse than that. Yep, this is my life folks. I'm thinking about biting the bullet, and heading to a real-life, well-received salon to provide my hair with some much-deserved TLC. I'm currently between wanting some fringe added to my long locks or a more dramatic change, like color or a shorter style. For now, I'm left hiding under a beanie. What styles are you loving these days?

Until next time,

Heather

Outfit: Sound of Settling

See that snow on the ground, folks? Winter crept back into our lives the other day, and made sure to cause even more annoyance than usual. I.e. me getting into a little car accident on my way to work. Luckily, it was nothing serious at all, and I was even able to continue with my plans of heading to my sister's for the weekend. Which was awesome, by the way. I have some good snapshots and stories to share from my stay later this week.

I've been slowing getting back into the groove of things since my mini vacation ended. Its amazing what a few days, even just a couple hours away from home, from normal responsibilities can do for one's mental state. I practically feel like a new person. I think it's going to be necessary to make more time for traveling/taking breaks. My head always runs wild with the thought of not earning enough money to make ends meet, but life is so much more than being a slave to your job; or in my case, jobs. I say that as I am about to begin a 60-hour work week, but you catch my drift. Here's to another week, folks. I hope yours is full of not sucky things!

Until next time,

Heather

Outfit Details:

Hat- Target

Sweater- TJ Maxx

Blouse- Rag-o-Rama

Denim- Urban Outfitters

Bag/Shoes- Vintage

Sunnies- Forever 21

Playlist: Roadtripping

February was such a suck-fest. I mean, the worst few weeks I've had in a really long time. It's probably me not letting things roll off as easily as I should, or that I'm just burnt out as of late. Work pretty much consumes ALL of my time, as I am trying to save what I can from these two jobs before I go back to school. And, I'm just a grumpy, tired shrew. Which is why I'm taking a break from responsibility for a few days, and ditching town. I'm going to be visiting my sister, where we have plans to see THE VERONICA MARS MOVIE ON OPENING NIGHT. If anything can shake my retail blues, it's seeing characters from my pre-teens on the big screen. Anyways, here are a few tunes that will most likely be narrating my three-hour drive! I'll be back next week to continue with my usual blogging schedule. Au Revoir!

Until next time,

Heather

Kidogo, Kidogo: Cases That Care

Today, I am proud to tell you all a bit about a company with a great cause: Kidogo Kidogo. Kidogo Kidogo is an online shop that sells phone cases. But, these cases do a lot more than accessorize. When you buy a case, the people at Kidogo Kidogo are able to provide women in Tanzania with mobile phones, who otherwise couldn't afford them.

I had the privilege of learning about this cause through co-founder, Kim Waeber, herself. Kim was able to explain what this business is able to accomplish: 

     "Kidogo Kidogo translates to “little by little” in Swahili, and we created it with the aim of lifting the financial barrier preventing women in Tanzania from having access to life changing mobile-technology. In Tanzania, only 36% of women own mobile phones, and the number one reason preventing them from ownership is the initial cost of a mobile handset. In the developing world a mobile phone is a flashlight, a watch, a calculator, a camera and a radio. In Tanzania mobile banking is extremely common, and a phone provides women a way to make secure banking transactions. Mobile phones are also used (to) monitor consumer markets and receive health reminders and updates. Women with mobile phones also report a much higher feeling of personal safety than those without."

Kim's vision is really an inspiring and empowering cause. Each week,  Kidogo Kidogo's website shares stories of the women who's business and family endeavors are being made better and better with something as simple as cell phone service. 

Each case retails for $30, and features original artwork by Sarah Markes, a Tanzanian-based artist. 

You can get your own case here, at the Kidogo Kidogo website. Also, be sure to check out their Facebook and Twitter pages! I'd like to thank Kim once again for allowing me to share this life-changing company's vision with my readers. It truly is a worthy cause.

With love,

Heather

Outfit Details:

Hat/belt/necklace- Target

Dress/bag- Vintage

Sweater/boots- TJ Maxx

Phone case: c/o Kidogo Kidogo

Kitchen Sink Beauty: Honey-Lemon Face Mask

     I have struggled with acne and troublesome skin since my freshman year of high school. It hit all of a sudden, and with serious force. We're talking painful, cystic acne that was almost impossible to cover up. My face was left with heavy scarring and redness, that nothing could combat. I literally tried every drugstore cleanser and spot treatment, and even ordered the three-step kit that all the celebrities endorse. Nothing seemed to help, at least not for long. And, I was usually left with another problem if it did help with my pimples; dryness, peeling, burning, etc. My acne started to decrease in severity when I left for college, but the scarring and uneven tone of my skin was still very noticeable. I had perfected a very long and complicated make-up routine to conceal my imperfections, but that of course led to a whole new type of acne. Which sucked.

     Now, at twenty, I have finally found that the secret in achieving better skin is simplifying your routine and sticking to one thing if you find that it works for you, despite how tempting it is to try every product promising you perfect skin. NOBODY'S SKIN IS PERFECT. Shocking, huh? I use a few great products, and better quality/less makeup to conceal areas that I'm still self-conscious of. I also stopped stressing about my skin so much because that certainly didn't help my cause. Acne sucks, and for some of us, it doesn't just stop after your teen years. And, you have to learn how to deal with that.

While trying to discover products that might truly work for me, I learned a lot about natural remedies and how they can be used to help my specific problems. So, this will be the first of (hopefully) many "Kitchen Sink Beauty" remedies. 

One day, I'd like to make the switch to only using homemade skin-care products, but for now I just incorporate them around my current routine. Like, this honey-lemon mask. This is great for dark spots and dryness, and could not be easier to put together.You simply cut a lemon in half, and spread a few drops of honey on it.

Rub the lemon and honey directly onto your face in a circular motion, paying special attention to trouble areas. Leave the mixture on for 5-10 minutes, and rinse off with cold water. That's it! The honey is a great moisturizer, and the lemon aides in evening skin tone and removing redness from any pimples you currently have; which you can clearly see that I do. Whatevz. I use this method a few times a month, and it seems to have really helped with my redness.

I may never have the skin that I wish I did, but it is already significantly better than it once was. So, that's good enough for me. I'm excited to share more of my home remedies with you all. What things do you find help with troublesome skin?

With love,

Heather