Guava & Cheese Pastries

Published on by Bniconann1 Comment

Hello Everyone! I hope you all are having an amazing day. I am going to share with you the EASIEST and best dessert recipe there is.

Growing up in South Florida I have been blessed to be surrounded by amazing food and all kinds of food. From Authentic Italian grocery stores & restaurants to amazing Haitian food and of course lots & lots of Hispanic food.

One of my favorite desserts is the infamous guava and cheese pastry or pastelitos de guayaba y queso. This is so easy to make and literally it’s so amazing.

Ingredients:

  • Puff pastry
  • 14 ounces of Guava
  • 14 ounces of Cream cheese
  • Egg wash made with one egg
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

  1. Make sure your puff pastry is thawed out. (Once bought just leave it out until you’re able to move it around without it cracking)
  2. While your puff pastry is thawing, put your guava into a bowl and mix it until it is borderline smooth. (To do this I put my guava into the microwave in 30 second increments). Do the same thing with your cream cheese. Making it smooth will make it easier to work with.
  3. Once your puff pastry is thawed, separate the two pieces. Using a rolling pin, smooth out and spread out the pastry and cut the dough into rectangles, or squares or triangles (Whatever you want!).
  4. Place half of the puff pastry onto your baking sheet.
  5. Take a spoonful of your guava and place it in the middle of your puff pastry (I tried my hardest for it to be all around the pastry.) And do the same with your cream cheese.
  6. Place your remaining puff pastry on top of the mixture. Brush the top with your egg wash and sprinkle sugar on top.
  7. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
  8. And you’re done!

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DONE! So easy and they turn out so delicious.

Let me know if you guys try it! Or if you have any other recipes to share.

 

Love,

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Sunday’s at Swank Co.

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Yesterday I was honored to attend a blogger event at The Swank Company. It was amazing! We were able to try on their new spring arrivals and check out what they offered in store.

They have everything you could ever want! I love their little accessories, (I definitely bought two pairs of hoops). They have beautiful agendas and planners (which I love), awesome shoes and the most comfortable & versatile clothes.

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If you’re in the Augusta area, check them out! They have two convenient locations.

Love,

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Wedding Preparation: Beauty Plan

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August is coming, and it is coming fast! I still have so much to do! We are having our wedding shower in May (God willing), which I am so excited for. My Maid of Honor has to keep telling me to stay out of it and it’ll be kind of a surprise. But I can’t help it, what are the invites going to look like, what about food, what about decorations and music!? I feel like in order for it to be right I have to do it myself (this is something that I definitely have to work on, letting go and just relaxing).

But I do have a list of things that I want to do for myself before the wedding so that I am wedding ready! I’ve scowered the internet for beauty plans and some are so daunting, laser hair removal, meet with a personal trainer, going to a dermatologist. (Do I really need to do those things??) Maybe that works for most brides but I’m going to pass on that and make my own list.

Fitness

So I have not been meeting with a personal trainer but I have been working out, not really for the wedding though. I’m in Army ROTC and there are certain goals and standards that I am trying to maintain. So essentially I am trying to run a lot and lift weights. Of course, this is a plus for my wedding day but it’s not necessarily what I am doing it for.

I do not think a personal trainer is necessary UNLESS you have no idea what you’re doing in the gym and you need guidance. The only thing that I have to keep doing for myself is PUSH MYSELF. I can go several days straight working out but if I miss one day…. it goes all downhill! Does that happen to you too?

So my goal is to go to the gym and work out everyday. (I know, it’s crazy)

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Hair

My hair is so beautiful but for some reason it has been looking so dead lately. So, I am determined to make sure my hair looks amazing before the wedding. I plan on going to the salon and getting it cut soon, I have 6 months until the wedding so right now is perfect timing. I will be going for a natural look for the wedding, nothing to crazy, but I do want it to look healthy.

I was thinking of something like this: (but we’ll see what I end up with!)

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Face

I do face masks every so often. But there is a local place here in Georgia that I will share shortly that offers amazing facials. Each salon offers different facials and specialize in different areas. I have no idea what kind of facial I’m going to get and honestly I am so dumb when it comes to this stuff. The kinds of facials there are innumerable. One of the local places here offers dual exfoliation peels which sound interesting.

If you have any advice or tips on what facials to get, please let me know!

Teeth

Let me tell you guys a little secret of mine, I hate my teeth. This has been something that I have ALWAYS been self conscious about. I have one tooth that is slightly unaligned with the rest of my teeth and they are slightly discolored. They’re not the worst ever, but to me they could be so much better. So getting my teeth whitened is a MUST.

Luckily, there is an awesome dental group here in Metro-Atlanta, Metro Decatur Dental Group PC. They provide services such as teeth whitening and dental fillings. They have a wonderful team there at the dental group, who are all so passionate about their work. Dr. Simms himself is passionate about increasing the longevity of his patients teeth.

This dental group also has great ratings, which is always a great thing, especially when so many people are terrified of going to the dentist. I love reading reviews of places and listening to what people liked and what they didn’t like. An amazing thing about this group is that the clients love them and that Dr. Simms is known for his gentle demeanor, which puts his clients at ease. If you are looking for a dentist in the Metro-Atlanta area, maybe you should go check out Metro Decatur Dentist Group PC!

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If you know of any other things to do to prepare for the wedding please share! I would love to hear all about them!

***This is a sponsored post, written by myself and sponsored by Ray of Hope Counseling Services.***

Love,

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Building a Strong Marriage

Published on by Bniconann2 Comments

Hello everyone!

As most of you know, Jacob and I are getting married in August of this year and I am SO excited! (he definitely is also) Ever since we got engaged we have been trying to protect our relationship and make sure we are heading in the right direction.

This post is all about the things that we have been doing to ensure that we are loving each other in the right ways and doing marriage right.

Reading relationship books

I have a whole blog post dedicated to the books that we have read so far. They include Love that Lasts by Jefferson and Alyssa Bethke and Things I wish I’d Known Before We Got Married by Gary Chapman.

Check out that blog post by clicking (must read books). Those are awesome books that we learned a lot from.

Another book that we are adding to this list is The Naked Marriage. This is about a lovely couple, Dave and Ashley Willis. They have a podcast which goes by the same name also. What I love about them is that they talk about real marriage issues and how the Bible has advice and lessons about what we’re going through. Jacob and I thoroughly enjoy their podcast and we’re excited for their book. Get your copy here, The Naked Marriage.

Listening to relationship podcasts

Jacob has definitely got me into listening to podcasts. One that I am super into now, (but I can’t listen to too often because I get scared) is True Crime Garage, completely off topic, but that’s an awesome podcast that you should check out.

Other than that, an awesome relationship podcast that we listen to regularly is Rise Together. This one is about Rachel and Dave Hollis and they give advice and tips on how to love each other. They are extremely relatable and refreshing, they talk about sex, how to plan as a couple and how to workout as a couple. They also post videos on Facebook, it’s nice to watch them talk to each other and interact with their followers.

The other relationship podcast that we have been loving is The Naked Marriage, which I just mentioned. I love this one so much because they relate everything back to Jesus and what God plans for us in a marriage. It’s amazing to hear another couple that love each other and love Jesus explain marriage. They also talk about sex, affairs and topics such as if “the one” exists.

You guys should definitely check out these podcasts!

Counseling

Something that Jacob and I have started to do and we want to continue throughout our marriage is seeking counsel. The Bible talks about seeking wise counsel and we are actively trying to reach out to couples that love Jesus, love their spouse and have wisdom to share.

So Jacob and I decided to start premarital counseling. We have only gone to one session, unfortunately. But with Jacob being active duty and us having a very limited amount of time together it is quite difficult to schedule our counseling sessions. But still! We have benefited and are determined to keep attending.

A place that is local here in Georgia is Ray of Hope Counseling Services. They offer professional counseling and therapy services in Georgia. They pride themselves on helping, healing, and strengthening people to overcome challenges that come in life and any changes that occur. They provide therapy and counseling for individuals, couples and groups.

Lynn Thompson Umstead is the clinical director of Ray of Hope Counseling Services and she is passionate about working with women who experience infertility issues, blended families and couples. Lynn cares about her work and the clients that come through Ray of Hope Counseling Services, which is amazing. Ray of Hope Counseling Services accepts all insurance and medicaid which is extremely helpful and all of the therapists are licensed and have specialty certifications and training.

I think that it is extremely important to seek therapy even when you don’t think you need it. If you have any questions or want more information head over to their page, Ray of Hope Counseling Services.

 Daily Devotional

Another thing Jacob and I do is devotionals. I have a nice little devotion book that we go over every night and this consists of us just reading the devotion and talking about it. This is a simple thing that we do that I think really helps our relationship. I also have a blog post about this topic if you want to know more about what we do.

Check out that blog post by clicking (How we stay connected).

These are all things that have worked out for Jacob and I, I would love to hear about any other tips or advice that you all have.We are always seeking ways that we can be better in our relationship.

***This is a sponsored post, written by myself and sponsored by Ray of Hope Counseling Services.***

Thanks for stopping by.

Love,

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Lentil & Pasta Soup

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Hello everyone!

Today I am sharing a new soup recipe with you all. It was so much better than I thought it would be. It’s rainy here and the perfect time for a warm, hearty bowl of soup.

 

Ingredients:

  • 6 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 4 tablespoons of minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
  • 2 cups of chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
  • 2 15-ounce can of lentils
  • 10 ounces of orecchiette
  • 1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 cup of pancetta
  • 4 cups of water
  • salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Recipe:

  1.  In your soup pot heat your olive oil on medium heat. Add your onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft. Then add in your red pepper flakes and salt.
  2. Add in your tomato paste and stir.
  3. After 2 minutes pour in your chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil and then add in your pasta. (remember to continuously stir)
  4. Add in the lentils and reduce the heat back to medium/low and let the soup simmer.
  5. While this is happening; coat a separate pan with olive oil and cook your pancetta until browned. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked remove from pan.
  6. Stir in your parmesan, parsley and pancetta to the soup once the pasta is cooked thoroughly.
  7. Add in more salt if necessary.
  8. And DONE!

****I definitely added hot sauce to my soup and you can too!****

 

This is such an awesome recipe and it was so easy to make!

If you have any other soup recipes that you would like to share please do!

I am always looking for new things to make.

Love,

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Chocolate & Strawberry Brownie Thumbprints

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Hello and happy almost Valentine’s Day!

As most of you know, I love baking, and most of my blog is comprised of dessert recipes. Well, guess what, I have another one for you guys.

Chocolate strawberry thumbprints! These are so easy to make, delicious and super cute for Valentine’s Day.

Ingredients:

For the brownies:

  • 6 ounces of bittersweet chocolate
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
  • 1 cup of granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of all purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp of salt

For the filling:

  • 6 ounces of white chocolate
  • 3 ounces of strawberry jelly/jam
  • 1/2 cup of diced strawberry

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

  1. Roughly chop you bittersweet chocolate (it doesn’t have to be perfect, it helps with melting)
  2. Cut your butter into pieces (so this is easier to melt as well)
  3. Put your chopped chocolate and butter into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in increments of 30 seconds, until the butter and chocolate is melted evenly. Once done, set aside and let it cool down.
  4. In another bowl, combine the sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Once your chocolate and butter mixture is cool, add this mixture to your sugar, eggs and vanilla.
  5. Grease your muffin pan (I greased it with coconut oil). Get one from Amazon (muffin pan)
  6. Scoop your brownie batter into your muffin pan. (I use this awesome scoop-er which I LOVE. Buy it from Amazon (Scoop). Bake for roughly 20 minutes or until the brownies are cooked thoroughly.
  7. In the meantime, you can make your filling! In a microwave safe bowl, melt your white chocolate in increments of 30 seconds (just like your bittersweet chocolate and butter mixture). Once melted, mix in your strawberry jam. Set aside until your brownies are done.
  8. Once the brownies are out, and still warm, use a spoon to make a deep impression so you can add filling to it.
  9. Once the brownies are cooled down, add in about a spoonful of your filling to it
  10. And you’re done!

This is a super easy and fun recipe and you can substitute the filling for whatever you like!

Let me know if you make it and or if you make anything else for Valentine’s Day. I love feedback!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love,

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Valentine’s Day with My Sister

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Valentine’s Day has never been anything that I was super into. I still stick to the belief that it’s a HUGE waste of money. It is all very kitsh-y, but honestly that is completely fine! Last Valentine’s Day, my fiance and I celebrated by getting super dressed up, eating at our favorite taco spot and then getting some drinks and dessert. It was nice, nothing too crazy but it was still sweet.

We got each other gifts but decided we were not going to go all out.

I got him an organic, fair-trade chocolate bar with spices (think Mexican chocolate bar) and a mug that says “Give me coffee and tell me I’m pretty” (which he loves).

He got me an awesome vegetarian cook book and a fair trade, organic chocolate bar that had potato chips! (we tend to think alike)

We didn’t go all out but it was still such an amazing Valentine’s Day.

Well, this Valentine’s Day I won’t be able to celebrate with Jacob, so to celebrate I’m going to do some fun stuff with my sister. We’re going to make some sweets, do a little shopping and do some wedding planning as well.


I highly advise celebrating Valentine’s Day with your loved ones such as your mother, siblings and pets. My mother loves giving my siblings and I little bears, cups or flowers.

I would love to hear all of your Valentine’s Day plans and any fun gifts that you’re planning on giving!

Love,