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...