Favorite 4th of July Recipes

Happy almost 4th!

Today I wanted to share with you some of my favorite recipes to make for Independence Day. (Yay!)

Last year I made two desserts: protein cookies with Greek yogurt icing and these:

I bet you can guess which dessert was more popular. Hehe. These are just white cake cupcakes with some red, white, and blue decorations. I think my protein cookies were not sweet enough so maybe I'll work on that for this year's treats.

Here are some other great recipes-

From my favorite fitness girls at Tone It Up:

3 Ingredient Cookies: These are so quick and easy to make. You could add some red or blue food coloring to make them a bit more festive too!
http://toneitup.com/2013/09/we-love-food-friday-your-3-ingredient-cookie/

Cucumber Rafts: I am making these this year for a BBQ. They are light, delicious, and 100% guilt-free.
http://toneitup.com/2014/06/ahoy-summery-boat-snacks/

Honey Grilled Peaches: If you are looking for something sweet and juicy this 4th of July these simple treats are perfect. If you don't have a grill you can just use your oven or frying pan.
http://toneitup.com/2013/07/honey-grilled-peaches/

Sweet Potato Fries: Ditch the Lay's potato chips and try these!
http://toneitup.com/2013/04/toneitup-homemade-sweet-potato-fries/

Quinoa and Veggie Burgers: I will be honest. These are a bit tricky to make at first but once you get them to stick together they are delicious.
http://toneitup.com/2013/08/veggie-quinoa-protein-patties/

From the always-addicting Pinterest:

Red, White, and Blue Rice Crispies: These treats bring back the best childhood memories.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/405605510160726006/

American Flag Fruit Platter: Another simple classic. You could also put the fruit on skewers for easy sharing.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/265149496784361156/

Patriotic Popcorn: Yes. Oh, yes.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/241998179949865114/

Star Spangled Tart: If you are feeling creative this recipe might be for you. Personally I think it would be easier to add the fruit design on top of a pre-made pie/cake. I would go with an angel food cake for a lighter option but that's just me.
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/404338872768579846/


As you can tell I chose recipes that are mostly quick and easy to make. From personal experience Independence Day is a holiday where people like simple foods they can munch on. Since most BBQs and meals for this holiday are not sit-down style people might not appreciate your elaborate foods as much as with another holiday. So my advice is to keep it fresh, simple, and tasty. 

I would love to hear which recipes you are trying this holiday. You can leave me a comment below or tweet me @imperfectperla. Also you can follow me on my personal Instagram @cbwright to see which treats I end up making for tomorrow and this weekend. 

Have a great 4th of July!

Courtney

I'm back +apologies!

Happy Monday...

So I know in one of my last YouTube videos I said I would be posting a lot on my blog while I was gone to Brazil but it turns out our wi-fi was not strong enough to publish the posts from my phone. So, I saved all of the drafts and I will be publishing them this week from my regular laptop.

I'm so sorry. I think the high volume of wi-fi users at our hotels and area cafes made it impossible to upload large amounts of data. I was able after 5 attempts to publish a pre-recorded video. It was my Bare Minerals Skincare Review.

You can see it here:

Let me know if you have any comments or questions about this skincare line. My skin is really enjoying it.

I hope you all had a great 2 weeks and I look forward to getting back into the swing of regular video and blog post uploading. 

Have a great week!

Sneaky Travel Tip

While I was packing for my 2 week Brazilian adventure I thought of an interesting way to safeguard my digital camera. 

WARNING: Awkward Topic Alert! 

Let's face it no one likes tampons or the topic of menstruation. The mere sight of feminine products makes some people feel uncomfortable and talk in a hushed voice. *Whispers* "Psst! Do you have...um...a tampon?" 

So I've decided to prey on this awkwardness and conceal my camera in an empty tampon box. My thinking is that a woman won't open the box unless she desperately needs a tampon and a male will most likely leave it be due to the ick-factor previously mentioned. 

 

Let me know in the comments if you've ever used a sneaky trick like this to safeguard your valuables. I would love to know! 

Bom dia! 

Date & Coconut Treats

Aloha!

Today I have a quick treat recipe to share. I was inspired to make these after I saw some delicious looking coconut macaroons in the bakery case of a local coffee shop. These are my version of those macaroons.


What You Need:

• A food chopper or processor
• 3 Dates with the seed removed
• 2 Tbsp of unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 Tsp of sweetened coconut. Alternatively you could add in 1tsp more of unsweetened coconut along with a little sugar or stevia.
• Spoon

Directions:

• Add in ingredients 
• Pulse the food chopper in slow bursts at first to break up the dates and then let it blend until you reach a consistency that looks like this:

•   Then spoon out a little of the mixture and roll it into a ball or form into a cookie shape, depending on what you prefer. 
•  Place the finished treats into cupcake liners and enjoy immediately or place in the fridge to enjoy later. 

Here are what my finished treats look like:

Close up:

These are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without overdoing it. They are vegan, gluten-free, and all natural. You can't get much better than that!


Have a date day...I mean great day! :)

DIY: Make Your Own Vegetable Make-up!

Hola!

A few days ago I posted a video on my YouTube channel demonstrating how I made some all natural, allergen-free veggie make-up. You can check it out HERE or watch below.

If you want to follow along with the video here are ingredients you will need:
~ 1-2 slices of beet
~Food processor or food chopper.** I got my little food chopper at Walmart for about $8.
~2 tbsp of water
~A small mixing bowl and spoon
~1 tsp of coconut oil heated to a liquid
~Small container to store your product
~Freezer

**You could also juice some beet if you prefer.

This product gives your lips a really nice rosy tint similar to the Benefit Bene-tint. I love it! It is also really moisturizing. It works best on your cheeks if you dab it in the area you want and blend QUICKLY. As is the case with most liquid/cream blush products you don't have a lot of time to work. If you get a too much on or the color spreads where you didn't want it, you can always go over that area with your foundation or powder brush.

Ok, and now for the final test....before and after!

Before:

After:

Ta-da!  I hope you enjoyed this post and let me know if you try this yourself.

Have a great weekend!

New Health Video!

Good Morning!

I just posted a new health related video on my YouTube channel. It's about the current vitamins I take. I have been really good lately about consistently taking all my vitamins and I am noticing a positive difference inside and out. Check it out and let me know which vitamins you recommend.

Have a great day!

Courtney


You can check out my other videos on my channel HERE

You can also follow me on twitter HERE

Meet My Rabbit + Making Chew Toys

Hey there! Today's post is for all you rabbit lovers out there. If you don't have a pet rabbit then share this post with someone who does! :)

If you have a pet companion of any kind then you know how costly buying pet toys can be. I love my dear bunny so I don't mind shelling out some cash for her toys but I do love when I can make her toys for FREE.

This is my lovely pet rabbit, Luna.

Luna is a 7 month old female Havana rabbit. Her likes include bananas, chasing towels,head rubs, and chewing on anything that doesn't move.

Rabbits have a natural instinct to chew so it is very important to provide plenty of chew toys to keep your rabbit happy. This will also keep them from destroying your furniture. About a month ago I bought a toy pine cone from a pet store for around $4. Luna enjoyed the toy so much I decided to search my local flora for more bunny toys.

Here is my method to prepare pine cones from your local pine trees to use as rabbit chew toys. This might also be a toy option for hamsters, guinea pigs,or other small animals but I would check with your vet first to make sure it's safe.

Before you start:
Make sure you are choosing pine cones from a tree that has not been sprayed with pesticides. Pesticides can be very dangerous to your little bun.  Also make sure the pine cones are completely free of sap.

Step 1: Soak the pine cones in a solution of white vinegar and water. If needed use a toothbrush to remove any dirt.

Step 2: Preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

Step 3: Use nail clippers to clip off the sharp points from the scales. Also clip off any prickly points on the top and bottom. Rub your fingers all around the pine cone to make sure you have removed anything that could potentially hurt your pet.

Step 4: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the pine cones on the sheet.

Step 5: Bake the pine cones for 30-40 minutes or until the scales start to open a bit and the entire cone is dry. Let the pine cones completely cool before giving them to your rabbit.

Step 6 (optional): For an additional treat you can brush on a little mashed banana right before giving the toy to your bunny. Bunnies love banana.

Additional Tips:

• If you are concerned your pine cones have bugs place them in an air-tight bag for a few days. When you remove them from the bag use a toothbrush to clean in between the scales to remove the dead insects.
• Do not store pine cones with banana on them. They will mold and ruin your chew toys. 
• If you notice mold growing on either prepared or unprepared pine cones throw them away and do not give them to your rabbit.
• If you are unsure about whether or not this toy is right for your specific rabbit consult your vet. 

I really hope you and your furry friend have enjoyed this post! Let me know if you would like to see more pet related posts.

Have a great day!

Other places to connect:
Twitter: @imperfectperla
Youtube Channel: www.youtube.com\TheImperfectpearl or click here