Spicy Bloody Mary Seasoning | Savory Accents

During one of our summer trips to the Dane County Farmer’s Market, Zach and I picked up some spicy bloody mary seasoning from a local vendor, Savory Accents. Located in Verona, WI, Savory Accents specializes in chili products. You can buy their products not only at the Farmer’s market, but also online.

The Spicy Bloody Mary Mix is the perfect blend of spices for a flavorful bloody mary. Simply add 1/2 tsp of the blend to your bloody mary and you’re set! I like to also add in horseradish for an extra kick, but for those with a “normal” palette, the seasoning will probably be spicy enough.

The one possible downfall of this seasoning is it has rather large pieces of seasoning. Zach was a little turned off by the larger pieces he’d get in his mouth while drinking his bloody mary, but it didn’t bother me much.

How do you spice your bloody marys at home for extra flavor?

-Sara

2 Products for Damaged Hair

My obsession with hot yoga has been completely healthy and beneficial to my mental and physical well-being…

…Unfortunately, I recently found out my hair cannot say the same thing.

During my last hair appointment, my wonderful stylist verified what I had already known but was in complete denial over… My hair was a disaster. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t notice it before… The fact that no conditioner could make my hair feel soft anymore… That brushing my hair had become a feared, painful event… That fly-aways were becoming more and more visible. I admit it: until it was verified, I was in complete denial that my hair was fried.

After some serious back and forth convos via text, my stylist and I came to the unfortunate conclusion that the damage was probably due to all the hot yoga I was doing. Hot yoga is typically done in dry heat, which strips the proteins right out of your hair leaving it feeling coarse and damaged. (Evidently, putting coconut oil on your hair before you go to hot yoga helps prevent this, but I have not tried it yet so I can’t verify that.)

Thankfully, after some research, I was able to find two products that have done wonders for my hair! (Please note: I have also not done yoga for three weeks, so these products have repaired my already damaged hair. I’m not saying using these products will PREVENT damaged hot yoga hair.)

CHI Keratin Mist, Leave-In Strengthening Treatment

CHI Keratin Mist strengthens and repairs damaged hair. An added bonus: it smells great! I use this product on wet or dry hair before styling, and I think it also helps detangle (or maybe I’m making that up). Another great aspect about this product is it leaves your hair feeling thick without leaving any built up or residue when it dries. I noticed the benefits from this treatment immediately after the first use. Although, I read that is does have a cumulative effect, so if it doesn’t work for you the first time, keep using it!

Price: $14.00 on Amazon

Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave-In Treatment

The second product I’ve been using is Redken Extreme Anti-Snap. This is another leave-in product for distressed hair that I use straight out of the shower before styling. It works well for damaged hair, split ends and hair breakage. In addition, it strengthens and protects hair shine.

I started using this product after I had already been using CHI Keratin Mist for about a week, so it’s hard to say if I noticed immediate results. I will say, using these products together, I have noticed a HUGE difference in the way my hair looks and feels.

Price: $19.00 on Amazon

Along with these two products, I also use Redken Align Straight Balm (strengthens weakened hair, frizz control, smoothing), and Tresemme Keratin Smooth Infusing Heat Protection and Shine Spray (protects against heat and moisturizes).

I now have quite the artillery out on the counter every morning when I do my hair.

What hair products do you love for damaged hair?

-Sara

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

I had my first realization about a month ago that I am becoming a baked goods snob. Perhaps it was the purchase of my KitchenAid mixer, but I seem to have gotten a more “mature palette” when it comes to baked goods… It takes more to impress me.

How I realized this was I made chocolate chip cookie dough brownies for a Badger game party my sister was throwing, and while everyone seemed to LOVE these brownies… I found them kind of boring. I thought they could have used some caramel drizzle and/or light whipped topping, but apparently I was the only one who thought so. (Or, maybe people were just being polite?)

Anyways, I thought I’d post the recipe just in case I have become too much of a snob. 😉

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies Recipe

Brownie Ingredients

4 oz Unsweetened Chocolate, finely chopped
1 c Unsalted Butter, room temp.
2 c Light Brown Sugar
4 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 c All-Purpose Flour

Cookie Dough Ingredients

3/4 c Unsalted Butter
3/4 c Light Brown Sugar
3/4 c Granulated Sugar
3 tbsp Whole Milk
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 c Mini Chocolate Chips

Brownie Directions

1. Preheat oven 325 degrees F. Line a 9×13 pan with foil with enough foil to hang over the sides. Butter foil and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth. Set aside, and cool slightly.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in the melted chocolate until combined.
4. Reduce speed to low, and add the flour and mix until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes, or until tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

Cookie Dough Directions

1. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer on medium speed to combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add the milk and vanilla, and mix until combined. Reduce the speed to low, and mix in the flour until just combined. Using a spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Spread the cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until dough is firm (at least one hour).
3. Use a knife to cut the brownies and store in an airtight container at a cool room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

-Sara

On the Road Again

As I’m sitting in Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, I am happy to put an end to another tradeshow season! Since the Fall shows were all shorter and only required three days of travel each, I’m sorry to say that there wasn’t a lot of free time for activities. So, I thought I’d just sum it all up in one blog article. 🙂

First Stop: Charlotte, North Carolina

I never had any such desire to travel to North Carolina, but now that I’ve been there, I would definitely love to return some day! Charlotte is one of the most beautiful, larger cities I have ever seen. My coworker and I ventured out one night and went to dinner at Mimosa where I enjoyed some delicious short ribs. Afterwards, we enjoyed a beverage at a bar in the Epicentre, which is an area in uptown with bars, restaurants and shops. Perfect place to sit outside and enjoy Charlotte.

Second Stop: Las Vegas, Nevada

It was back to Vegas last week, except this time I was working at the Planet Hollywood Resort. Planet Hollywood itself isn’t as nice as I thought it would be. The furniture in my room had clearly been through a lot. (I was even missing a dresser drawer.) Also, coincidently, there was a shooting at a neighboring resort the day I arrived and a baby pulled out of OUR resort’s garbage the following day. I know Vegas is full of crime in general, but that was rather close to “home.” I really didn’t go anywhere worth writing about. However, I will mention, after retrieving my iPhone out of a Vegas casino toilet, I am happy to report I have seen no noticeable signs of fungus or disease on my hands. (Although, they are rather red and dry from the sanitation process I went through afterwards.)

Final Stop: Atlanta, Georgia

I have spent this past week in Atlanta, Georgia. This was also my first time in Atlanta, so it’s always fun to see a new place. What I have quickly come to discover over the past few years is that every big city (aside from a handful) are all pretty much the same. Again, due to flying in on Monday and flying out on Wednesday, I didn’t get a chance to do much. My coworker and I did eat at Gordon Biersch Brewery which was very good. I enjoyed a delicious woodford reserve bourbon salmon with a delicious hoppy beer. Afterwards, we checked out Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint, which we had heard was supposed to have good jazz music. While the band was very good, I’m not sure I would classify them as “jazz.” It seemed like a pretty cool place. Although, it should be mentioned, the group we met up with had dinner there and there were a bunch of excess charges on their bill like “entertainment.” They also included gratuity, which is acceptable, but then verbally ASKED for an additional tip. Pretty ballsy.

Photo courtesy of Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint

Overall, the shows were (mostly) successful and travels went smoothly. I can’t really ask for more.

I’m so excited to say that the next time I will be in an airport I will be on my way to Mexico again! Yay! Until then, I will be happily at home with my cats. 🙂

-Sara

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Another recent result from my new KitchenAid mixer to share with you… Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. These don’t need an introduction; they’re just freakin’ amazing.

Cupcake Ingredients

1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Butter, softened
1/2 c Light Molasses
2 Eggs
2 c All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
3/4 c Water

Frosting Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 c Butter, softened
2 tsp Lemon Peel, grated
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 c Powdered Sugar
3-4 tsp Milk

Directions
Please Note: This recipe yields around 15 cupcakes. If you’re using a 12-cup muffin pan, you will have empty cups while cooking your second batch. Be sure to fill empty cups with water when baking to prevent the muffin pan from deforming.

1. Line muffin pan tin with baking cups.
2. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter.
3. Mix in molasses. Beat in eggs one at a time.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and water. (The texture will be a little strange.)
5. Blend flour mixture into wet ingredients, one cup at a time.
6. Spoon about 1/4 c of batter into each muffin cup.
7. Bake in oven for 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
9. Let cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

Frosting Directions
Please Note: Do not frost cupcakes until you are ready to serve! Frosting should be kept refrigerated, but you don’t want to refrigerate the cupcakes because they will dry out.

1. In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, grated lemon peel, cinnamon and vanilla on low speed until smooth.
2. Gradually beat in powered sugar, one cup at a time, on low speed.
3. Beat in milk, 1 tsp at a time, until desired consistency.
4. Pipe frosting on each cupcake.

Enjoy,

Sara

Product Review: Purex UltraPacks Plus Oxi

Hello Bloggers! I am super excited to share my experience with the new Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi with you!

As a Purex Insider, I was selected to test their new product. This was the first product test I’ve done as a Purex Insider, so I was really excited to get started! My kit arrived while I was in Charlotte, NC for work, so you can imagine my excitement when I came home to the giant Purex box with my name on it! In the box was a full size bag of Purex UltraPacks and THREE coupons for FREE bags of Purex. I was so excited I almost peed!

Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi combines the powerful stain-fighting ingredient of Oxi (which I am a HUGE fan of) with the convenient single load laundry detergent packs. As a person who normally uses powder detergent, I was impressed with how much easier it is to use single load pack… and far less messy!

Since I’m a relatively “clean” person, I didn’t have super dirty clothes to really put these puppies to the test. (Too bad Zach’s clothes from Tough Mudder were already cleaned!!) So, I tested the single dose laundry packs on a normal load of whites.

When switching my clothes from the washer to the dryer, I definitely noticed how good they smelled! Since I normally use more inexpensive, store brand laundry soap, I was impressed with “fresh laundry” smell of the Purex UltraPacks. Sadly enough, when I took my clothes out of the dryer, the smell wasn’t as prevalent.

Even still, the white came out nice and bright just as I wanted! I checked a few of my shirt that I tend to get spots on, and didn’t see a trace of any stains. As a result, I would definitely recommend this product to anyone.

Purex Sweepstakes | Find the Red Football Jersey and Win

If you visit Purex.com, be sure to look for the red football jersey somewhere on their site. If you find it, you could be one of 10 lucky winners of $50! Hint: Just toss and go!

Check it out!

Also, be sure to “Like” Simply Stitched Together on Facebook and send us a direct message with your name and address, and I will send the first three people who respond a coupon for FREE Purex UltraPacks!

Good Luck!

*The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi in exchange for a product review. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.

Online Freebies? Yes, please.

My couponing obsession is no secret. Yes, I have a Sunday ritual involving clipping, matching and organizing which has become increasingly meticulous. Yes, I have a coupon binder. Yes, I force my boyfriend to use coupons. Yes, I have a weekly shopping list for multiple stores. It’s a healthy addiction, I like to think.

Through the couponing community, I learned about online freebies. Previously, I always ignored online freebies. Why receive sample sized crap that I won’t ever use, and allow my inbox to be attacked by manufacturers and spam? Oh how wrong I was…

Online freebies are amazing! I don’t sign up for anything I (or someone I know) will never use. I’m always open to trying new products, so this is the perfect way to try something new wasting money on a full size item you might not end up liking. The downfall, you will probably opt in to a few email lists, but email privacy laws today force companies to allow recipients of marketing emails to unsubscribe or change their email preference settings. So, it’s really easy to get out off of these email lists.

Other companies will require you to “Like” their Facebook page first, and then they will take you to a free sample form. If you do this often, you will soon discover that your Facebook New Feed which (if you’re me) once showed lots of photos of children and marathons, now has been taken over by company page updates. Luckily, you can change this as well! Simply go to the company page, click where you orginially “Liked,” and uncheck “Show in News Feed.”

So, how do I find out about these online freebie offerings? Personally, I find it easiest to receive notifications via Twitter. I have created a carefully constructed List of blogs that dedicate their time to finding these offerings like Hunt4Freebies.

My favorite part about online freebies is that it’s like Christmas every day at my house when I get the mail! I usually have at least 1-2 freebies waiting in my mailbox when I get home from work each day. Love it!

Below are some of the freebies I’ve received over the last month.

Enjoy!

-Sara

Chocolate Kahlua Cake with White Russian Frosting

Wowza! Allie and I have been slackin’ on postin’. While I retain my right to slack if I want to, I will try to blog more than once a month. 🙂

About two weeks ago marked another year older for myself. I celebrated by buying myself an obnoxious number of gifts including a KitchenAid mixer… an item that has been on my Christmas list for at least four years. I found an amazing deal on a mixer at Kohls. It was on sale for $229.99, After multiple discounts it ended up costing around $165.00! How could I NOT buy it?! Thus, I spent the days leading up to my birthday testing out this new mixer. 🙂

I wanted to share the recipe of the birthday cake Zach and I made for myself and his mom. This cake is incredibly rich, but it’s mighty tasty (especially when paired with ice cream and coffee). Enjoy!

Chocolate Kahlua Cake Recipe

Ingredients

2 c All Purpose Flour
1/2 c Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
2 c Sugar
2 Eggs
1/2 c Oil
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 c Kahlua
3/4 c Milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8 inch cake pans with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Whisk together.
3. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, Kahlua and milk. Mix until combined.
4. Add dry ingredients one cup at a time, mixing well and scraping sides of bowl. Mix for another minute.
5. Divide cake batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Allow cakes to cool completely before removing them from pans.

White Russian Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 c Butter, softened
1 (2 lb) package Powdered Sugar
1/2 c plus 2 tbsp Coffee Liqueur
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 tsp Salt

Directions

1. Beat butter at medium speed with mixer until creamy.
2. Gradually add in powdered sugar alternating with coffee liqueur, beating at low speed until blended.
3. Stir in vanilla and salt.

Once your cakes have cooled completely, frosting the top of one cake to create a nice layer. Place second cake on top, and frost the top and sides of cake completely. Once finished, using a peeler and bar of chocolate, shave chocolate curls onto the top of the cake.

Enjoy!

-Sara

Humpday Celebration: How to beat the heat and sunburns!

If you read our blog or know us personally, you know that both Sara and I are gingers.  We are blessed/cursed with redhair, fair skin, and freckles.  We both have embraced this part of of ourselves, pale skin and all.   But when the ridiculously hot days of summer come around and there is seemlingly no way to avoid the sun and heat unless you lock yourself inside, we are reminded just how important it is to care for your light skin.  Besides being more prone to sunburns, redheads are also much more susceptible to dehydration and heat exhaustion.  With the climbing temperatures the number of headaches we get goes up.  Here are some of our tips on how to survive the dog days of summer with fair skin…

How to to avoid turning into a lobster or passing out of heat exhaustion 101:

• Give up the hope that you will be a sunkissed shade of brown that a lot of girls want to be. We both went through periods of our lives where we would attempt to get some type of tan. Tan skin is something that we won’t ever have, and it is so much easier to just love and embrace the fair skin. When we are wearing shorts, dresses, or anything that exposes our “peaches and cream” skin color, we often get some type of comment pointing out how pale our skin is.  Trust me, we know. Trust me, we don’t care.  So, if you are a redhead, embrace the pasty skin color! People will make comments, but ignore it. Who would ever say that this isn’t attractive?
• If you know you are going to be outside at all during the day, put a little bit of sunscreen on in the morning. There are tons of great face lotions that include some SPF protection. Put a layer on your face before you put your makeup on in the morning. It will help moisturize your face and keep you protected. Or, you can always wear make up that contains SPF such as Bare Minerals. On top of that, carry sunscreen in your purse just in case! And don’t be crazy…a tanning bed or laying out by the pool for hours is not a good idea. I legitimately cannot remember ever just getting a tan when being outside. Instead, it will be a burn that eventually will turn into a sort of shade of brown. How can that be good for your skin? It’s not. Who wants to end up looking like this when they age anyway?
• Consume copious amounts of water. If you think you can’t drink any more water, drink some more. I can’t tell you how many times I end up getting a headache from just a little bit of time spent outside. And if I am going for a run, or doing any sort of physical activity outside, even worse! I forcibly chug water when it gets hot. Also getting Gatorade or something thing replaces your electrolytes after you run will help curb a potential headache.
• If you’re rocking a sleeveless shirt, bring a sleeved shirt with you. If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably gotten some major burns on your shoulders and/or chest, so it’s always good to be prepared. We don’t want to rob the redheads of tube tops or swimsuits, but bringing some sort of cover up in case you start to turn a lil’ pink in these uber sensative areas is ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS a good idea! Plus, nothing is worse than tan lines except maybe burn lines…
  
• Learn to love aloe. Regardless of how hard we redheads try, we’re probably still going to get the occational burn. Nothing feels more glorious on a sunburn than aloe vera gel. It’s deeply healing, antibacterial, AND it cools the skin! For an enhanced cooling effect, try sitting in front of a fan after you’ve applied the gel.

• Don’t hesitate to medicate. Normally, I’d much prefer herbal remedies when possible, but sometimes you just need to medicate. Take ibuprofen as soon as you notice the first signs of sunburn. It will help to reduce the swelling and reddness associated with sunburns, and it can even help prevent some long-term skin damage. Sunburns are serious. It’s not just important to treat the immediate symptoms, but it’s important to also think about the long-term side effects
  

Protect your skin! Stay hydrated! …And enjoy the rest of the summer!

-Allie & Sara

Humpday Celebration: 6 Things We Love…

Our apologies for completely spacing on our humpday celebration blog last week! Life distracts us from blogging sometimes. :-X

I (Sara) was inspired for this week’s Humpday Celebration post by Pretty Random Things blog. (Side note, if you enjoy our blog, you should definitely be following this blog!) Instead of telling you how much we love and appreciate our friends and family (and, we truly do), we wanted to take some time to give appreciation for all the small things in our lives that we love, but maybe don’t acknowledge enough.

3 Little Things Sara Loves…

1. Giving/Receiving Little Surprises. Have you ever noticed that it’s the little things people do for you that you didn’t expect that you truly appreciate? Whether it’s throwing your laundry in the dryer, bringing home your favorite take out, or giving a small gift for no occasion… Those are the types of things that really show someone you are constantly thinking about them. I think loved ones (couples, friends, family) don’t do this enough, and it’s such a little way to make a big impact!

   

   Allie melted my heart by sending me flowers during my first week at my new job. ❤

2. Saving A Little Money. I LOVE saving money on things we have to buy (food, personal care items, household products, etc.) so that I have more money to spend on things I actually want to buy. Nothing is more satisfying to me than going to the grocery store and walking out spending only $26.00 and saving $27.00 on food for the next 7-10 days.  That’s $27.00 extra a week that can go towards my vacation fund simply by being a smart shopper!

   

   Couponing = Vacation Money!

3. Cleaning… A Little. I don’t normally enjoy spending my entire Saturday afternoon cleaning the house (although, sometimes I do), but I do enjoy picking my clothes up, cleaning out a bathroom drawer or reorganizing my closet on a week night. Since 99% off the time, I am running late in the morning, I hate when I can’t find what I’m looking for. That is when I really appreciate the time I took to detangle my jewelry, organize my bathroom drawer or get rid of old clothes in my closet. It’s always very rewarding!

   

   No more wasting time looking for that one purse or trying to find the matching shoe!

3 Little Things Allie Loves…

1. Crafting. This is an appreciation I absolutely learned from my mother.  She was the can-do-it lady.  Whether it was plumbing, electrical work, decorating our home beautifully, yard work, or finding cures to our illnesses, my mom could do it all.  She also is an amazing crafter and (fortunately/unfortunately) has turned my brother’s room into a craft haven.  I took this quality from her and love scanning through Pinterest or a local boutique and finding inspiration for my next craft.  A lot of the decorations we have up in our apartment I made, and I have given many as gifts.  I find it to be so relaxing and I think someone appreciates something so much more if they know you were the one to make it. Here’s one of my favorites…

   

   DIY Wall Art

2. Unbreakable relationships with friends/family.  I am happy to say that although I have made friends in many different cities that I have lived, I have been able to maintain some strong, deep connections with friends that I know will never go away.  There truly is no greater feeling in the world than knowing that someone without a doubt has your back.  Whether it be literally dropping everything they are doing when they find out I am in crisis, being a shoulder to cry on when things are going wrong, cheersing me with a cocktail after either a good/bad day, or accepting my for the little quirks that I have and knowing they are going to happen before they even do, I have some of the greatest friends in the world.  I can’t imagine my life without them and lord knows I would be sad if they were gone.  I love this quote and one of my favorite people in the world LOVES Harry Potter. 😉
   
3. Blasting your music.  When a good song comes on, I will fully admit that I will turn it up so loud that I drown out the sound of my voice.   When a song comes on in the car, during an exercise, while you’re in the shower, when you are doing homework, and it is exactly the song you want to hear…it’s pretty awesome.  There is some music that when you listen to the lyrics you feel like someone else understands exactly what you feel.  I know we have all had them before, and I just love it.  I would have to say the last time this happened was when I saw Mumford and Sons in concert at Lollapalooza.  They came out singing “Babel” and I just couldn’t contain my excitement.  Finally seeing one of my favorite bands live…priceless!  Those hours of singing the CD in my car alone paid off when I belted it out surrounded by thousands of other fans.
   

Happy Hump Day!

-Sara & Allie