Hello everyone, I’m Sani, Sami’s “twin sister”. Sami and I met working at Apple and ever since she has been an awesome best friend. You might remember me from Sami’s strawberry mask post, and her post about the New Haven cupcake truck. Speaking of cupcakes, have any of you tried her amazing cupcakes? Ha! If you do, don’t say I didn’t warn ya, because you are going to be ADDICTED.
Anyway, about a year ago I shared this awesome tip on how to do your own French mani/pedi and ever since she’s been in love! A few days ago we got this awesome idea about making this video for all of you great readers out there. I also wanted to acknowledge that in this video for some odd reason I was saying manicure when clearly we are doing a pedi here. Silly me! There was lots of silliness going on that day so we are just going to blame it on that! Enjoy!!!
Hi readers! Remember me from the couponing post? I’m Sami’s boyfriend Stan and I’m back with a recipe for strawberry lemonade! Traditionally, Fall isn’t the proper season for delicious cold beverages, but we common folk don’t get to choose when lemons go on sale! On our shoestring budgets, Sami and I have developed quite a taste for anything healthy and inexpensive, so when I found lemons for about $.30 apiece the other day, I couldn’t resist picking some up. One brainstorm later, it was decided that the frozen strawberries we keep in the freezer for smoothies also needed to be a part of this.
Here’s what you need:
4 large lemons. Pick some good-looking ones! You want them to be a bright, vivid yellow color, not dull or faded. Millions of years of evolution have given you an eye for what looks “good” – use it!
3 cups of frozen strawberries. Frozen strawberries are flash-frozen right after they’re picked, and as such are more nutritious than “fresh” strawberries from the store. They’re also less expensive and last a long time in the freezer, so save money over time by purchasing a large bag!
water {about 5-6 cups}
2/3 cup of sugar {or more, to taste}. It’s okay to use cane or other coarse-grained sugar – this will be going in the blender.
1 large liquid container. Should be able to hold at least a liter and a half of liquid. We recycled an orange juice container with a wide neck to make filling it easier, and a cap so we could shake it before serving.
1 lemon juicer – optional. You can always use your hands!
Here’s what you need to do:
1. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze them, by hand or juicer, into a bowl, cup, or other container. Sami and I chose to leave the pulp and seeds in, so that the beverage feels more natural. Occasionally spitting out seeds adds to the experience for us, but if it seems like a bother, you can filter or strain them out.
2. Put the frozen strawberries in a blender and add cold water up to the 1.25 liter {a little over 5 cups} line. Alternate blending and mixing until the mixture is smooth.
3. Add the sugar to the blended mixture and blend it in thoroughly.
4. Pour the mixture from the blender into the large liquid container, pour in the lemon juice {with pulp/seeds if you left them in!} and mix thoroughly, preferably by shaking.
5. Pour into a glass and enjoy!
The resulting beverage is delicious, nutritious, and all-natural, so enjoy it within a few days after you make it {don’t worry, it’s so good it won’t last long enough to go bad!} The next time life gives you lemons {indirectly, through a great sale}, we strongly encourage you to try out this recipe.
Hey everyone! Jeff here, I’m a friend of Sami’s and she asked me to write a guest post for her superawesomeblogaboutbeingfashionableinexpensively, ::pause to take a breath:: also known as Poor and Pretty! But, you obviously knew that already since you’re here!
ANYWAY, I don’t really consider myself poor OR pretty, so why did Sami ask me to write a post? Well, dear reader, I’m glad you asked! She happens to know about a little hobby of mine called crocheting. Seeing as though winter is right around the corner, knowing how to crochet can be an awesome way to stay warm, but most of all, be fashionably fabulous! (Trust me, I never thought I’d ever say/type those words together in my life.)
As I’m writing this, I find I tend to ramble a lot, but I guess that adds to the humor of this post, right? SO, I’m not going to bore you about how to crochet and the necessary steps and garbage and blah blah blah, YouTube has all the information you need. BUT, before you go to YouTube, go to your local craft store and buy a crochet hook and some yarn. “But Jeff, how do I know what size hook and yarn to buy?” Glad you asked, reader, because you don’t need to know or care! Well, just kidding, you might have to care a little, but all you’ll need to care about is how much time you want to spend on your little project. Obviously, with a smaller hook and thinner yarn, your project will take a lot longer because the stitches will be smaller. I totally like to cheat by using a huge hook and really thick yarn because it doesn’t take that long aaannnddd, your final project ends up being a lot more comfortable and warm, and frankly, who doesn’t want that?
Now, I bet your next question is, “That’s great Jeff, but what do I make?” That’s a great question, and I have an even better answer for you – whatever the heck you want! I’ve made lots of different winterish themed garments ranging from hats (like the one above I made for Sami) to scarves to mittens and slippers! One of my favorite things about crocheting is the creative aspect of it. Anytime I make something new, I never use a pattern. I like the challenge of trying to figure out how to make something from scratch – it’s a lot more rewarding that way too!
Well, there you have it, crocheting is a fantastic way to stay fashionable in the winter, and trust me, you’ll spend a lot less than if you were to buy a hat/glove/scarf set. AND, you can brag to people and tell them that you made it yourself! And, if you find you’re spending too much money on crocheting, you can always sell the things you make to people!
Helloooo. My name is Marcus and I live in Michigan. I’m a good friend of Sami’s and I’m poppin’ out a guest post just for her. I’m going to teach y’all how to make SWEET AND SOUR STIR-FRY. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s so delicious and it’s pretty cheap to make.
ANYWAY, you need a grocery list! Every good chef knows what to get and where. The ‘where’ is half the battle. Local, family-owned businesses usually try their best to have the freshest products and it’s always good to support your community. I bought everything I used from Westborn Market. There are only three of them and they’re all in Michigan, however, you can order super cool things from them and they will mail it to you!
Chicken: 1 1/2 lbs will feed 4-5 people. {You can switch chicken out for tofu, fish, turkey or even nothing, to make it vegan or vegetarian. Add more veggies and fruit if you’re ditchin’ the chicken}.
Vegetables: Choose two: Red, green, or orange bell peppers {I like orange bell peppers because they tend to be sweeter}.
Tomato paste
Rice vinegar
Soy sauce
Cornstarch
Honey
Fruits: Two of whatever fruit of your choice. {I like pineapples. You may like apples or oranges. Realize, you’ll be applying heat to these fruits so don’t choose anything that tends to get mushy. No watermelons, peaches, etc.}
Rice: I used 3 cups of jasmine rice. It clumps well, smells amazing and has a gorgeous texture and taste.
After you’ve gotten your ingredients ready, it’s time to cook! Rice comes first. I use a rice-cooker for ease but you can do it old-school. This will be the base of your dish, so make sure you’ve got enough. Some people like salt. Some people like butter. Some people like paprika. Make your rice how you desire it, however keep in mind that it will be going with the rest of the dish so clashing flavors and herbs will make sadness.
Now that you’ve got rice going in the background, SAUCE TIME. This is where the sweet and sour comes in! In a sauce pan, combine:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon honey
Bring this lovely mixture to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture thickens. After this has occurred, take the mixture off the fire. Then cut up one of each veggie/fruit into moderately-sized pieces. Add them to the sauce, mix then set it all aside. You’re done making sauce. The fight is half over and you’re probably really hungry. Eat some fruit, I always munch on an apple while cooking.
NOW, take your protein. If it’s meat, slice into thin strips, marinate in the sauce for a bit. Ten minutes at least. If you’re planning on using tofu, drain and dry, marinate in sauce for a few hours then move on. Tofu needs time to correctly absorb flavor. If you’re just going to use more veggies, then you’re ahead of the pack. Take this time to eat more fruit or give yourself a manicure. Do not do that in the kitchen though, nail polish in food is gross.
NOW! Chop up remaining vegetables. Julienned is good and what I prefer. Some people like big chunks. Some people like cubed or diced. Do what makes you happy.
GET A SAUTE PAN. MEDIUM HEAT. SLIGHT BIT OF OLIVE OIL. SHAZAAM!
Once the pan is heated well {you’ll know because the oil will begin to move more like water than … well, oil}, toss in the veggies. PLEASE DO NOT REALLY TOSS IN VEGGIES. THE OIL WILL SPLASH AND BURN THINGS AND SKIN. Once the veggies have GENTLY been placed in the pan, stir! Keep them moving for about three minutes. Now, add in your protein and any remaining sauce. If you’ve only been using veggies here, then in your saute pan, you should have all your veggies and all the sauce. Bring it all to a boil, then lower heat to about medium-low. Put a top on the sucker and do a crossword!
Check your dish every few minutes. Stir it, adjust heat if needed {no burning please} and sample as you go. Your tongue knows best! Completing this portion of the cooking can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes. At the end, you’re looking for fully cooked meat, slightly soft veggies and a delicious scent.
If you haven’t been using a rice cooker, make sure to keep an eye on your rice. Two cups water to every one cup rice, low heat, add in herbs/butter/etc from the beginning.
THE END IS HERE. Fully cooked rice on plate, BOOM. Fully cooked veggies, protein and sauce on rice, BA-BOOM. Use remaining fruit as a garnish, WAH BAM BOOM. Now, get a fork and get to it.
Hello Poor & Pretty readers! I’m Suzi, Sami’s older sister and I love making cupcakes! Recently my daughter’s {Scarlett, who you may remember from the diy cucumber mask video} school PTA hosted a family fun night with tons of activities for the whole family, including bowling, face painting and Bingo! It was a great way to spend an evening with your kids.
Being the cupcake lover that I am, I volunteered to have a “Design Your Own Cupcake” station with my trusty sidekick Kaylie. With the help of the PTA, I gathered up all the supplies we would need: 200 cupcakes {yes, you read that correctly}, 12 tubs of frosting, food coloring, and more candy and sprinkles than even Willy Wonka’s factory has! Clearly, these were the makings of a great night! I dyed the frosting four different colors and also had chocolate for those with a more classic cupcake palate. Each topping had its own bowl and spoon to keep things neat and sanitary. Additionally, each child had to have signed permission from their parents before they could dive into my cupcake heaven {because you never want to mess around with food allergies}.
I don’t know who had more fun — the kids or the parents! I don’t believe there is anything better than getting together with your family to create beautiful, colorful, fantastically fun art that you can eat!
