Thursday, September 25, 2014

Lovely September Favorites

Hey all, I have had such a great time coming up with ideas for this blog. Yesterday I actually found myself daydreaming about what I wanted to do next...in class..maybe that's not so good.(: Anyways, in the midst of one of my zoned out moments,in class, I had a fun idea. I thought that every month I would share with you things that I have been loving. This can range from music, movies, fashion, food, beauty products, basically EVERYTHING. I enjoy seeing people share products they love and sometimes it conviences me to try them out myself. Hopefully you will find this super fun or helpful. I will try to leave links to all of my favorites so you can go take a look for yourself!

    Let's begin with fashion. This week, in September, is the first week of fall,(which is my favorite season)! The weather is starting to change and it's getting a little chilly. It's time to get out your sweaters, boots, and scarfs. Right now I am loving this pink,beige,and grey sweater from J.Crew. It's great for the start of fall because of it's comfy coziness,and its pop of color. I couldn't find the exact link, but here is a link to the J.Crew cite. They have a wide variety of super cute sweaters for fall. 
-https://www.jcrew.com/womens_category/sweaters.jsp

My next fashion favorite is this blueish/purpley Kate Spade purse.
 I have always loved Kate Spade, but this is actually my first purse of hers...I feel fancy. This was a splurge for me, but I got an amazing deal. I'm a sucker for good deals. I use this purse EVERY SINGLE DAY. It goes with everything. If you want to dress down or dress up this purse does the trick. I couldn't find the exact link to this either because I got the purse at an outlet store;however, I found a purse similar. 
-http://www.katespade.com/cecil-court-elia/PXRU5122,en_US,pd.html?dwvar_PXRU5122_color=425&dwvar_PXRU5122_size=UNS#start=33&cgid=ks-handbags-shoulder-bags ps- I didn't pay that much for it (;


Let's move on to sweet treats...my favorite! By now, those of you who saw my last post, know that I lovvvveee Ice Cream, and especially Jeni's. This month they came out with a new flavor called, "Black Cat Espresso." Some of you may also know I am a big coffee fanatic as well. This is a perfect creamy blend of the two. If you know what is good for you GET THIS ICE CREAM! Such a yummy flavor for fall. 
-http://shop.jenis.com/ice-creams/intelligentsia-black-cat-espresso-pint/ 

Next I have my favorite beauty products of the month. These first products involve hair. I have super thin hair..it's a struggle..just kidding things could be much worse. These products surprised me and really gave my locks much needed volume! Bumble and Bumble Dryspun Finish and Thickening mouse gets two thumbs up. If you have thin hair like me, I recommend these products(:
I also want to mention a product that isn't pictured, and that is Formula X Nail Polish from Sephora. I have been searching far and wide for a polish that does't chip after 3 days...this polish last weeks and comes in tons of color options! It's no joke.
-Bb Dryspun http://www.sephora.com/thickening-dryspun-finish-P381033?skuId=1540889&om_mmc=ppc-GG&mkwid=fV25mPMJ&pcrid=50233217079&pdv=c&site=us_search&country_switch=us&lang=en&gclid=CjwKEAjw-o6hBRDOmsPSjqakuzYSJADR2V3SkPfkAXe_0stRbwtIPL2eMbvajgDEKHbLYtHsT-FfmxoC9bjw_wcB 
-Bb Thickening Mouse http://www.sephora.com/thickening-full-form-mousse-P378303?skuId=1489988&om_mmc=ppc-GG&mkwid=nh1RgyUh&pcrid=49113165759&pdv=c&site=us_search&country_switch=us&lang=en&gclid=CjwKEAjw-o6hBRDOmsPSjqakuzYSJADR2V3SheA-_6untCYyBDDVu0XtV7R52mn0ui1WCupbKTZJAxoC0rDw_wcB 
-Formula X Polish http://www.sephora.com/formula-x


I love scented candles, especially in the fall. I've been cheating a little bit and lit this one before fall..I just couldn't resist. This Woodwick candle is in the scent "Cinnamon Chai." The smell of this baby is glorious..it will fill you whole house in seconds. This candle also makes a crackling sound like a wood fireplace. It makes me a bit sleepy...which isn't good. CAUTION: Please don't buy this candle and fall asleep while it's lit. I don't want to be responsible for any house fires. hah. Anyways, this candle is lovely!


My last September favorite you cannot order online. Sorry.(: In fact, my last lovely favorite is my wonderful boyfriend,Ben. Yesterday was our anniversary and we had such a great time. We always have a great time together. Over the past few years he has been so good to me and I am very thankful. He's my favorite of all favorites.  

I hope you've enjoyed this or found it helpful. Next month I would love to do another. Let me know what ya think. Remember that even though "things" are great and fun, they should't measure your worth or happiness. Find happiness in faith,family,friends,and experiences. Thanks for reading.<3 -AbbeyShae

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Ice Cream Social "World's Darkest Chocolate"


Hello Everyone, my name is Abbey Kimball and I admit it..I'm an Ice Cream fanatic! My all time, number one, favorite brand of Ice Cream EVER is Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream based out of Ohio. If you haven't tried it before go...NOW! It will change your life and open up a new world of Ice Cream loveliness. My wonderful and lovely boyfriend took notice in my Ice Cream obsession and bought me Jeni's cookbook, as well as an Ice Cream machine for my birthday. I WENT ICE CREAM CRAZY people! Chocolate is also one of my sweet loves, dark to be exact, so when you put the two together I'm sold. One of Jeni's famous flavors is, "Worlds Darkest Chocolate." I tried this flavor out myself, at home, using Jeni's cookbook, and let me tell ya...it was FANTASTIC. Every element in a sweet treat I love. I hope you guys find this useful and take my tips and tricks to create your own Ice Cream masterpiece. Happy Ice Cream making. ps. This is a great Ice Cream to try if you're a beginner. Let me know if this is helpful!

Let's get started! First off, Jeni uses the best of the best when it comes to ingredients. However, this will be made by you, in your home, so feel free to try whatever personally like. To make this Ice Cream you will need the ingredients listed and pictured below:

  • 1/2 of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 of brewed coffee(now this may scare some of you away, but trust me you can't taste the coffee at ALL).
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1.5 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 Tablespoon plus 1 Teaspoon cornstarch 
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cups of sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup    


You want to have a really fresh heavy cream and whole milk because it can make or break an Ice Cream considering it's the base.

To begin mix your cocoa powder, coffee, and 1/2 of cup of sugar into a saucepan. Put this on high heat until it boils. Leave on the burner for a few seconds then remove from heat. Next, add your chocolate. It helps if you chop it up into pieces.   


    
When the chocolate is added let it sit for a few minutes then stir till smooth.

Set that aside for awhile and get out your cream cheese. Put this in a medium bowl. Whisk that around a little, then pour in the chocolate mixture.
 
At this point you want to combine the two until smooth..also add a pinch of sea salt. Set aside.

In a saucepan combine your milk,cream,the remaining sugar, and corn syrup. Bring the base to a boil for about 4 minutes (CAUTION: this can burn and overflow. Permission to watch your pot). After this remove from heat. In a small bowl combine cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons of milk to make a slurry. Then slowly whisk the slurry into the cream mixture. Return to heat for about one more minute.

When you complete this, combine your chocolate mixture and cream mixture...mixing till smooth. Ta-da this is your Ice-Cream in liquid form. I'm a messy cook...
Finally, put you liquid Ice Cream into a jar or a plastic bag. 
You're almost done. Since the Ice Cream is still warm you need to chill it in an ice bath for about 30 minutes till cool. 

Once the base is cool pour it into your Ice Cream machine...make sure your machine is super cold or this will be a total fail. Trust me I know...


Let the machine work its magic. It took me about 25 minutes until my Ice Cream was complete. 
At this point you will have a soft serve so put the Ice Cream in the freezer for about 4 hours until hardened.

Hope you all found this helpful and try it for yourself! I do not own this recipe. All credits go to Jeni's Ice Cream and her cookbook. However, I really enjoyed making this Ice Cream and eating it too. Let me know if you try it. Happy Ice Cream making(: -Abbey Shae