Secret remedies to burn fat...

Happy Friday everyone! Something that has been on my mind lately is making sure I do my taxes. Has everyone done them already?? If I get any money back, I would like to purchase a nice camera with video option. Then maybe I could incorporate some videos onto my blog :)

So even though it's Friday, I am not feeling very well. My stomach is acting up, and I haven't been wanting to do anything lately, especially exercise. If you are feeling the same way I am, and you just don't want to make the effort to go to the gym on a day you're not feeling well, here are some secret remedies that will help you burn fat :)

Eat an Apple!
Apples have an enzyme called pectin that can help in reducing the absorption of fats through the cells. Eating apples can also help in increasing absorption of water from the food items. This will help in reducing the fat content inside our body.

Consume Citrus Fruits!

Vitamin C rich fruits, especially citrus fruits like lemon, oranges, tomatoes, sweet lime etc. can be consumed in large amounts along with other diets which are found to be very effective in burning fat.

Take in some Dairy Products!

Following a diet of dairy products like milk, yogurt, cheese etc. is found to be significant in dissolving the fats and in burning the extra fat inside our body.

Eat a Nut you nut!

Eating nuts creates a sensation of being full as well as helps in burning the extra fat very effectively. Actually making sure to include nuts in our daily diets can prevent the problem of obesity and is one of the best remedy for weight loss.

Brave to eat Chilies!

Chilies are found to have capsaicin that helps in increasing the rate of metabolism which in turn helps in burning the fat from our body.

Try these out on days you are feeling lazy and your body will help burn the fat for you :)

DIY Valentine's Blanket...

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope your day is filled with smiles and love, not just from a significant other, but friends and family :) If you are still looking for a quick, cute gift to give a special someone, here is a great idea that is very inexpensive:

What you'll need:

• An old blanket or throw
• Paint that it suitable for cloth material (try Martha Stewart All Surface Paint)
• A paintbrush or sponge
• Sciccors
• Cardboard
• A cork from an old wine bottle

Start with cutting the cardboard into hearts, you can make the same size or many different sizes. Glue corks to the back of the hearts, to make it look like the heart is a stamp. Next, paint the front of the hearts with whatever color paint you would like, and begin to stamp them all over the blanket. You can do a pattern or just random designs. Let it dry for at least an hour <33

DIY Valentine's Chocolate Covered Strawberries...

Happy hump-day everyone :) I am trying my hardest not to get the mid week blues. Especially today because it's gloomy outside, I'm still sleepy, and I still have to get a lot of work done at the new house. BUT! I wanted to continue to share some Valentine secrets with all of you because it is right around the corner....tomorrow! Ah! If you are looking for a simple and elegant, romantic treat, chocolate covered strawberries are the way to go. Most people enjoy them (the others are nuts!) Here is a quick and simple way to prepare these for your Valentine:

What you'll need:

♥ Fresh strawberries (try to get ones with their stems on)
♥ Chocolate chips in white, milk or dark (whichever your preference, or get all three!)
♥ Optional garnishes like sprinkles, nuts, etc.
♥ A Ziploc baggie, empty

What to do:
♥ First you want to wash and thoroughly dry the strawberries (melted chocolate won’t stick to wet strawberries).
♥ In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate you want to dip the strawberries in. Stir the chocolate about every 30 seconds to keep it from burning.
♥ Now the fun part, take the strawberry and slowly dip it into the chocolate (only about half way).
♥ If you are using chopped nuts or sprinkles as a garnish, you can roll the dipped strawberry in a small bowl of them to cover the chocolate.
♥ Place the dipped strawberry onto a piece parchment paper on top of a tray (this way the tray will catch all of the chocolate that drips off, and it won't go all over your counter!)
♥ For a fun idea, you can melt some contrasting chocolate in another bowl (white chocolate lets say), and place the melted chocolate in an empty Ziploc baggie. Take scissors and cut a very tiny hole in the bottom of the bag on one of the sides, and gently squeeze the bag of chocolate to drizzle thin lines over the strawberries.
♥ Refrigerate the strawberries until you are ready to serve, at least 30 minutes <33 Enjoy!

Strawberry Cookies for Valentine's Day...

Happy Tuesday :) So for some reason last night I had the biggest sweet tooth! I was looking for anything and everything with candy, chocolate, you name it! I was also trying to think of something sweet and flirty that I could make my hubby for Valentine's Day, something that won't break the bank but will still impress him <3 I found a recipe on Taste of Home that I thought was just the cutest, and wanted to share it with all of you. You can make this for your significant other, best friend, girls night, or a work party; everyone will love it!

What you'll need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup strawberry drink mix
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 TBSP lemon juice

To make a glaze:

• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 tsp shortening

Homemade frosting on top:

• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3-5 TBSP milk
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 TBSP strawberry drink mix (Nesquick)

Take a small mixing bowl, and cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk or beat in the egg and lemon juice. Next, combine the flour, drink mix, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Now gradually add the flour mixture to creamed mixture and blend well.

Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness onto a floured surface so it doesn't stick. Take any shaped cookie cutter (let's make it a heart for Valentine's Day) and start cutting your shapes out of the rolled out dough. Place your hearts on a greased baking sheet, making sure they are not too close together in case they spread as they bake. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. Then let them cool for another 10 :)

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening. Make sure to stir it well until smooth. Spread this melty goodness over cookies, just covering the tops and let them sit so the glaze can set.

For an added bonus, you can add some homemade frosting on top :) In a small bowl, beat the butter, drink mix and salt until well blended. Slowly mix in confectioners' sugar, not too much at a time or else the sugar will fly everywhere! Slowly start adding the milk, tablespoon at a time, to achieve desired consistency.

Now it's time to decorate your cookies <333

DIY Valentine's Wreath...

Happy Monday everyone :) I hope your weekend was just as jam packed as mine was as I got two doggies included into my family <33 This week is the week for Valentine's Day! For those of you who are celebrating, whether it be with a significant other or a friend, I hope it's just as fun as you hope for. Typically during Valentine's Day, we get each other gifts and sweets to make each other feel appreciated and special. BUT! Whenever the big day arrives, it always seems that I get a blank as to what gift to buy! If you are having the same problem and don't know what to get, here is a cute DIY that anyone would love :)

Supplies:
A foam or wire wreath
Your favorite pictures of the two of you
Some glue or a hot glue gun
A pretty ribbon to hang the wreath

First, take the ribbon and tie it around the top of the foam wreath. This way you will have a way to hang it once you are done. No need to glue the ribbon down, just loop it through and make a bow at the end, leaving enough space to hang it on a door or wall. Next, take your favorite pictures, it could be the two of you or people that you both love, and start to glue them to your wreath, just on the front of the wreath. The back of the wreath will either be against a door or a wall and you won't get to see it anyway. If you don't want to use glue, you can always use pins and carefully pin them to the wreath. Make sure these are copies of pictures so if you mess up, you don't ruin the only copy of that photo you have!. Glue/pin them around the wreath till the whole front side is covered. And voile! you have a beautiful photo wreath as a gift :) You can also buy different shapes for the wreath and purchase a heart shape for Valentine's Day <33