SweetGirlSmirk

I love a good pie. It is the perfect way to end a meal. Yet, since I was diagnosed with celiac several years ago, a good pie has not been as easy to come by. In the early years it was a struggle, but I have learned to adapt. Once you can figure out what replacement flour to use, it becomes second nature to convert a recipe. But sometimes, you find that perfect recipe that doesn't need to be converted and everyone can enjoy it and your friends won't scoff when you say it is gluten free. (Seriously, it doesn't always taste like paper. You'd be surprised how many times I won't say something is g-free and people love it anyway) Every Easter and Thanksgiving I like to make sure that I am included in the big dessert spread. So, I make my signature coconut custard pie. It is easy, delicious, and honestly I would eat the whole thing in one sitting if that were polite. Flour, eggs, suggar, milk, butter, vanilla, salt, coconut. Boom. Bake. Done. Enjoy! Ingredients: 1/

Nothing like a good sing along to get you in the holiday mood!

In the age of Google Drive and Pinterest, holiday planning seems a snap. Until guests are seated for Thanksgiving dinner and you forgot the recipe for cranberry relish or who was supposed to bring the egg nog for caroling. If you are not a list person, you will be now. Grab a legal pad, make a list of dates and what you need to figure out for each. Breaking down each weekend/event into smaller components will make it much less overwhelming. It will also be a great reference for the next year instead of starting from scratch. I even have "holiday drinks, gift wrapping ideas, and leftover ideas" on mine. Now, breathe. You got this! Planning today means relaxing tomorrow!

Happy Halloween! If you are anything like me (who LOVES this holiday) you like to celebrate it to the max. Candy, food, parties, and the best costume in town, are only part of the fun, though! You can't forget the music! So, quick poll: Happy Halloween! Stay safe :)

I, KimmayJ, turn 30 on Saturday. I love getting older, there are so many more things you can do. But 30 is definitely freaking me out. Everyone tells me 30 is when you arrive and is a blast, but right now it feels like an expiration date on my youth. For those in their 20s (or younger) here's a bit of advice: approaching 30 will bring out every bit of neurosis you have spent the last decade fighting. I'm sure the actual day will be better, and the day after fine, but the buildup is the definition of bipolar nostalgia (or maybe that's just me... I hope not). Anyway, being up late with your thoughts requires music. That good friend, Spotify, came to the rescue and I ended up compiling a playlist to get me through to sleep. It is the Ben and Jerry's of music, it probably makes it worse, but it sure helps at the moment. I recommend bookmarking the songs for individual listening if a heavy handed dose of self-reflection isn't quite your thing. Lana Del Rey- This is Wh

I love my netflix cheesy horror movies for my spooky viewing but there are so many great traditions on TV, too. Without these staples, it would not be Halloween! The month of October is just teeming with treats, but it can be hard to figure out what to watch when. Now, a lot of air dates aren't available as of this, so keep searching your menu. Also, I am not listing times because of all that time zone craziness. But, here are the dates, so make your popcorn, set your DVR, and enjoy! And hey, get in on the conversation with #horrorfest13 on twitter! **(Not all of these are scary, in fact most aren't. But it's my hashtag and I make the rules) Tips for maximizing Halloween viewing: Every Tuesday, FOX gives us Sleepy Hollow , which is a great treat. Every Sunday starting 10/6, Witches of East End on Lifetime sounds like it might be cool AMC FearFest starts 10/14 and runs through Halloween night Don't forget to look for Its the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown I

The pumpkin overdose has begun! The official first day of Fall may not have arrived yet, but that has not stopped the influx of pumpkin-spiced deliciousness. First: the pumpkin spiced latte. I have to admit that Delaware is a bizarre pocket of the universe and going to a Starbucks is completely out of the way of my commute. But we all know how good it is anyway. Sadly, "available on my commute" means the first latte I had of the season was from McDonald's. It was creamy, woke me up, and didn't taste awful, but it didn't exactly hit the pumpkin spice craving. So, if you are there, I wouldn't say don't drink it, but don't go running for a fix. Next, I made my way to Wawa. I'm pretty sure that a choir of angels sang when I took the first sip. Run, crawl, steal a car (or not), travel 1500 miles to your nearest location. Get there, try it, love it. And if you are lucky enough that they have the pumpkin donut in stock, your taste buds will never st

Normally the marathon binge of horror movies I dubbed #horrorfest(insert year here) starts in October, but I think that Friday the 13th is the perfect day to start the fun. Follow along here or my twitter where I will use the hashtag #horrorfest13. Don't forget to let us know what you are watching and join in on the fun! We are kicking off with The House at the End of the Street.

"Summer Is Gone" by Aaron Walls You voted, and here are the results. These are the songs from twitter, facebook, and comments here that you all nominated and made the top 15. Now, no one could decide which version of The Boys of Summer they liked better (or some were passionate either way) and the two versions finished in a dead heat, so they are both included. With the holiday tomorrow, we all have one more night to sit back and blast some tunes, or you can put these on in January when the foot of snow outside leaves us craving the beach, or subscribe and it is ready to go next summer. So grab a frosty drink and dance to the top summertime tunes! You can find the playlist on Spotify , listen through this page, or go through one of those other ways people get music ;) Don Henley- The Boys of Summer Madonna- Express Yourself Will Smith- Summertime Michael Jackson- Billie Jean Red Hot Chili Peppers- Under the Bridge The Mighty Mighty Bosstones- Rascal King Rancid-

We will be saying farewell to summer with getting all competitive in the family and by grilling large amounts of meat. It is the American way and we worked hard for this right! Labor Day weekend is one of my favorites because you have a whole summer to look back on and you can just indulge away because it is the last chance you get! (Getting to break out the Halloween decorations the next day doesn't hurt either!) This year, we are doing a Minute to Win It style tournament and a cookout. I made a poster with the teams (1 point for every task you complete), the list of the challenges ( go on the website for the show and they tell you all about all of the challenges!), and our prize categories. The best part, is it is easy to find 10 or so challenges that use stuff you have in the house (don't forget a tiebreaker). Since there are a bunch of little ones competing, the top scoring kid and big kid get a trophy, as well as other categories such as sportsmanship, best effort, funnie

School is in session, Labor Day is right around the corner, and the evenings are getting cooler. Summer is on its way out. Sadly, no more pool parties or dancing around the fire. For most of us, summer=music. Everyone has that one song that takes them back to their favorite moment of their favorite summer. We want to know what yours is! Tweet, Facebook, or comment with your choice and we will post the list and a playlist of the top choices! The poll closes Friday night!

So, tonight is a blue moon . The only full moon this month, but the extra full moon of the summer season. And it is absolutely gorgeous out, so I think sitting outside on this waning summer night under a bright sky is a definite must-do. The moonrise is at 7:25 pm and is at its fullest at 9:45 pm here on the east coast of the USA. Now, when I hear someone say full moon, my mind does a connect the phrase puzzle thing and Werewolves of London by the amazing Warren Zevon gets stuck in my head. So, here ya go. A live back in 1982 video of the perfect song to sit outside and listen to if you are like me and are already thinking about what fun Autumn things to do as soon as Labor Day passes! Or, if you just love good music.

Really. We are on this rock for a short time. Your career, your time, your money, your talent your ear, what are you lending to make the world a better place? Ok, I'm off my soapbox now, she couldn't have said it better.

Picnics, football games, rainy days, and family gatherings all call for a versatile and amazing meal. Back before my doctor uttered the word "celiac", my go-to fill you up sandwich was sausage and peppers. Savory, slightly sweet, and completely filling, it always hit the spot, and it is a year round staple that is easy to make for 1 or 20. I swear it is a must have at a sports event on a crisp Autumn day. Thankfully, I could easily make it in my post-diagnosis life, and it is just as delicious. I made it in the afternoon, and the house smelled great all day. It is great to throw into a container and reheat for a grab and go meal, too. The other day, the garden was filled with tomatoes, bell peppers, and banana peppers. I also happened to have some sausage left over from when I made Frogmore Stew . I was short on time, but there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to make backyard fresh sausage and peppers. So, I worked out a quick way to whip them up, and my s

By now, everyone knows that Shatner is more than just a cool, woman-loving captain on Star Trek. He also happens to do some performance art that is indescribable. He's known the world over for his style of speech, and takes that to new heights put to some tunes. I love his stuff. Us here, we have spent a few nights exploring the William Shatner station on Pandora . But, I had no idea he was still making the stuff. Last night, I was more than pleasantly surprised. He has new work on the way, AND did an album in 2011. So, hello, Spotify. His 2011 release, Seeking Major Tom is absolutely stunning. He pairs up with legendary and notable artists to create spoken word covers that will have you laughing, cheering, and singing along. I really do mean it, we were giggling and lip syncing our way through the whole thing. It was one of the most fun hour and a halfs we have had in a while. While Shatner takes his delivery of the lyrics VERY seriously, the album never takes itself too seriou

It has been a while since I have done a "What's in Your Cup" update, sadly I was lacking original inspiration lately. But, I found it! August is all about picnics. People relax poolside and socialize and there is food and drink aplenty. But, sometimes the same drinks get predictable. If you want to shake things up, try putting a fresh spin on iced coffee! Maybe chocolate flavored vodka? I was recently given a mini-bar sized bottle of Veil's Chocolate Vodka. I am not one to mix my liquor with milk, so I decided on making my own "mocha". I used a hazelnut iced coffee k-cup (6 ounces of water- so it is a 1 to 3 ratio for mixing but 1 to 4 would work well too), and the result was magical. I took a tumbler and filled it with ice and the vodka. In the mug for the coffee I added some truvia sweetener and a touch of that powdered creamer. Once the k-cup brewed, I poured it in with the ice and vodka and gave the tumbler a good shake. It was mocha and hazelnut ma

I am a seasonal eater. I relate certain foods to certain seasons and that makes them so special. Spring is coconut custard pie, winter is hot cocoa and pot roast, etc. Well, it is the first week of August and that means summer. And summer means seafood and a drink involving lime or coconut somehow. Except, it has been hoodie weather and overcast and getting in the water is basically laughable, school starts shortly, and the craft stores are full of Halloween decorations. My taste buds have no idea what to do. So, I made a meal for the in between season. Shrimp+banana bread will keep all my seasonal cravings happy for now! Summer Lovin': Frogmore stew Take as much shrimp, sausage, corn, and red potatoes as you can eat. This recipe is easily made for 2 or 200 (if you have enough pots to boil in). I do 2 potatoes, 1 ear of corn (broken in half), 2 sausages, and 1/3 pound of shrimp per person. Get a big ol' pot and throw in water and a bunch of old bay seasoning (the more t

I'm not feeling well so I started looking for cute pictures to cheer me up. I couldn't keep this too myself! 3-2-1 squeal!!!!

Typically, Google doodles are controversial because they celebrate someone who is not universally appreciated, or they choose an international icon instead of an American holiday. I never thought I would see someone take issue with a Google doodle because the subject matter was too well liked. Jonathan Jones, journalist for the Guardian apparently thinks that is just the case. I don't quite know why I am so guffawed over this post. He is known for writing about what not everyone is quite willing to say, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that one of these days I would disagree. The gist of the article is that Rembrandt is too good to be viewed online. Hmph. They take issue with the Google doodle for Rembrandt because he is so great you should not waste your time talking about him on the internet. The only TRUE way to appreciate him is to go to London and see his work first hand. Yes, that is the best way- but if no one speaks of his (or any master's) work anywhere el

Sometimes the term "starving artist" applies not because of how art sells, but because art supplies can be costly. I would love access to a 50 foot canvas, but my wallet says otherwise. So, sometimes, one has to take other measures. I love painted wooden art. It can make something look more alive than in other mediums. So, when a family member was cleaning out a workshop, I asked if they set aside any wood at all, no matter what the wear. I went over because they were unsure, and was pleasantly surprised. Every shape and size piece you could  manage was awaiting me. On top of that, rope, twine, brushes, I was in heaven. I managed to salvage a few other pieces like some cigar boxes and a 1980 Olympics McDonald's Cup. But the wood- that made this starving artist squeal. I am excited to get started on more projects (and of course put them in my Etsy shop for purchase!). Here's to second chances at beauty!

I used to never scrub potatoes,  I really thought it was a waste of time. I guess I thought baking made it okay? Who knows. I'm not exactly the most "domesticated" woman in the world. But one day I saw the cutest little potato scrubber in the grocery store. One of those sucker buys they stick by a product hoping you bite. Well, it worked. But not only does this little guy make me giggle, but my potatoes taste better and probably won't kill me now. Impulse buy win! So, I found him at shoprite, but I'm sure Google will return similar results.

June is slipping away, and though we aren't in the dog days of Summer yet, Mother Nature sure did turn the heat up. But isn't what we all wanted back when it was 20 degrees and slushy out on the roads? So, embrace the beauty of the new season. Here is an ode to June by the master, Pablo Neruda .

Summer nights are some of my favorite times. I am tired from spending the day in the pool, slightly overstuffed on bbq chicken, and often I'm not sure yet if the ache on my shoulder is from an improper butterfly stroke or the threat of sunburn. But I am RELAXED. It is slightly cool on June nights and a hoodie can work, especially when cool from a still-damp bathing suit. But, the evening is incomplete without some music. Here is a taste of what I have been listening to on these June nights! Bright Eyes - Train Under Water Band of Horses - Factory The Hollies - The Air that I Breathe M83 - Midnight City Capital Cities - Safe and Sound Frank Ocean - Super Rich Kids The Raveonettes - Love in a Trashcan Imagine Dragons - Demons Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark Muse - Panic Station P!nk/Nate Reuss - Just Give Me a Reason The Killers - Runaways You can subscribe to this playlist on  Spotify  or listen through here!